Lit 'ere with the newest installment for Target Locked, Amusement. Maybe now, there would be hints to why I named it that.

I blame Phil-kun for poisoning my "innocent" mind and forcing me to hint suggestiveness and something farther than their normal brotherly love.

Disclaimer: I may look like I can own it, but I don't. I don't own the mischevious little Hitachiins either.


There are many things that the twins have for entertainment; "toys" that spice up their boring existence. It is essential to the Hitachiins' lives. They need a source of amusement to prevent them from becoming uninterested, bored, and off their parents' backs. Or anyone from that matter.

In their childhood, their ways of playing were different from other normal and obedient kids who settles quietly for building blocks and puzzles. They preferred toys that made lots of fuss, such as that lonely girl in the quiet corner of the room, or those cooks who repeatedly tried to heat up their milk precisely as they wanted (which was never). Those who were often their targets were everyone who was not them.

In their school years, their ways of playing changed. They knew that no matter how many times they try to tick that teacher off, she never broke and will never break. Instead of actively looking for entertainment, they waited until their toy found them, like those young confessions with the opposite twins where they cruelly broke hearts. In other words, their middle school targets were everyone who decided to mess with them.

In the host club, they came to the realization that Suou Tamaki was right; they could use their "symmetrical brotherly love!" to their advantage. They fully explored the aspects of the other twin's faults and strengths, just to cover it back up with a thin veneer of replication, of reflection, of sameness. The targets for entertainment became each other. But they soon bored of that and poked fun at the one who gave them the idea in the first place, often sending the poor host club king flying to his corner.

For the rest of their high school years, their targets shifted to their close friends, anyone familiar to them, or anything and anyone who came into contact with them. They could mess around naturally with their friends, forever keeping the title of "devil types" in the little gossip squares, and they often found each other indulging in the relieving, yet maliciously identical, presence of their other half, when it gets too boring.

As adults, one would have to wonder how they could run an entire company and provide something interesting for them to do.

But, as it is, their line of work provides ample opportunities for amusement.

"Kaoru," the elder Hitachiin whines, neglectfully nibbling on a piece of pocky. Hikaru's bored hazel eyes watches his brother, as he takes another chocolate-covered biscuit out of the box. He leans back on his revolving/reclining chair, his feet finding their very comfortable place on the black surface, dirtying the shiny veneer that the janitors work very hard to clean. "Kaoru-"

"Shh, Hikaru. I'm doing something important," Kaoru shushes him, and moves his eyes back to the wide-screen television that was on the side of the wall. He, also, has a box of pocky, though his tongue unconsciously plays with the soggy biscuit in his mouth, he's paying very close attention to-

What's so interesting on the television anyway? Hikaru thinks, eyes now moving to the screen. He looks at it in distaste and begins, "Kaoru, why are you watching the ten o' clock news?"

Kaoru rolls his eyes, "Someone has to."

"Can't the secretary do it?"

Kaoru nibbles on the biscuit, as he thought, "Nope. It's something we have to do by ourselves."

"But, I'm bored!" Hikaru complains again, pouting immaturely.

"Go work on the backlog that collected when we went out this morning," Kaoru says dismissively.

"Datte-"

"No buts," Kaoru responds sharply, still focusing on the television. "Play your DS."

Hikaru whimpers softly, but nonchalantly takes out said gaming device, clicks several buttons, and ten minutes later, places it back in a reclusive corner of his drawers. He doesn't like it when Kaoru ignores him.

"Kaoru-"

The door opens suddenly to their secretary, a timid twenty-five year old who's holding a small stack of papers. The twin that wasn't occupied with the television looks at her and gets an idea.

"Hitachiin-san-"

"Ne, Kaoru," Hikaru begins, with a bit of a purr, slinking over to his brother's side of the desk, "We never spend any time with each other anymore. Can you play with me?"

Kaoru blinks at the sudden change from begging to seducing, and glances at his twin, while noting that the secretary has arrived.

"But, Hikaru, we're at work now," he says gently, adopting an expression akin to his brother. "What about tonight?"

"Oh, but that's if the dinner is postponed. Although, if you don't mind, we can give them a demonstration tonight."

Kaoru looks almost devastated, "De-Demo, in front of all those people? I like it with only you and me."

The secretary (her name is Aya, apparently) coughs once and then twice. Hikaru is miffed with her interruption, but it doesn't matter since she'll give them some fun. Kaoru gives her a half-hearted glare and looks back at the television where they are talking about certain stocks of some small companies.

"Well, these are the reports from last night. The Neapolitan line of clothing have its prototypes established and the children's line is in fabrication-"

"And?" Hikaru bites on the pocky stick. "Anything actively involving us?"

"Et-Etto," she walks over to the desk and places the reports onto the black surface, "The third floor is beginning to work on the men's line, and they're requesting that you supervise the production of it."

This makes Hikaru stop in mid-bite. "Supervise? Sure, why not?"

"Well, we're supposed to supervise. News can wait," Kaoru stands abruptly from the desk, clicking the pause button on the television. Now Hikaru knows he's been paying attention to the morning report and not listening to any droning news reporter going on about some famous company…

Nowadays, as heads of one of the top-competing labels of the fashion industry, the Hitachiin twins hardly ever do any hands on and stick to designing and overlooking the entire process from the drawing boards to the display in the overly rich and common public. But, both twins love it when the secretary asks them to "supervise."

"Supervise" as in, completely booting the person off the sewing machine and taking the entire situation into their own hands. And the employees (for some very strange reason) always hope to think that they would "supervise" properly.

"I'm a happy camper," Kaoru sighs delightedly, taking the fabric and smoothing it out in his hands. The chocolate satin ripples as he lays it onto a large table. He takes one look at the design posted on the wall, draws a finger down the sheet of paper, and sets out to cut the fabric.

Hikaru, on the other hand, stomps into another room (very loudly), "Done with all ten articles yet?"

"Hi-Hitachiin-san," the woman answers, jerking in her seat and pauses the sewing machine.

The elder twin looks over her current work with a sour look, scolding her, "So that's the reason we were called in to supervise."

She tries to stutter out an excuse before he pushes her off her seat and sits down in it with a 'plop'. He picks at the (pretty) neat threads, while glancing at the current design. He readjusts the white silk fabric on the sewing machine and twists some knobs on the machine. "Hitachiin-san?"

"You're supposed to be watching, Yumi-san," he reminds sarcastically, turning the machine on and the threads pound into the fabric.

"H-Hai," she scrambles closer to get in view of the expert fingers that effortlessly amend her mistakes and go even farther to finish up the piece. How does he do that when she was having trouble to do it herself?

Then he pauses, frowns at a certain fray in the cloth, and smoothes it off. Despite some grumble of "This is boring," he got most of the articles finished and was starting on the ninth one when-

There comes a muffled cry and a clatter of scissors meeting the tiled floor.

Hikaru immediately stops the machine, screwing up the flawless threading he had done. Fingers unconsciously caressing a spot near his palm, he stands up and kicks the chair back into the desk to the shocked look of the young employee.

"Kaoru?" he calls, a slight pain pulsing in his hand. He runs out of the room to be greeted with the sight of a certain Hitachiin trying to pick up the scissors and the retreating figures of several of the employees. They are… carrying away a piece of vanilla fabric. (And are the going in the direction of the trash dump?)

"Ne, Hikaru," Kaoru remarks coolly, "Call them to bring up another bolt of vanilla silk. I… accidentally dropped it on the floor."

Hikaru's eyes stray to the hand that wasn't holding the pair of scissors. And it's hanging quite limply. (It also happens to be the left hand; Hikaru feels throbbing in his own.) And-and-

His eyes widen.

"Kaoru, is that blood?!" Hikaru almost screams and grabs a hold of his twin's wrist, noticing from the subtle wince that he's possibly making it worse. Indeed, the several drops of blood falls from the tips of his fingers.

"Oh, well… I'm fine, Hikaru," Kaoru tries to sooth this panicking twin. Hikaru raises the injured hand up, seeing that there's a small cut in the middle of his palm. And, (he notices with a slight flinch) that's also where he's feeling the pain too.

"Kaoru, tell me these things sooner, okay?" The elder twin sighs and takes a small piece of cloth and begins to wipe up the spilt crimson. He shudders at the sight; there isn't many times when the twins had shed blood. He takes a small bandage (handed by one of the employees looking on) and places it gently on his palm.

"Funny place to get accidentally cut, Kaoru," Hikaru murmurs, a bit of humor crawling into his sentence. He lays a small kiss onto the wound and gives Kaoru a reassuring smile.

"I don't choose where I want to be cut, Hikaru," Kaoru smirks, "At least you didn't hyperventilate and call the hospital this time."

"Nice try. Nice try."

There's some little happy-fluffy moment between the two that makes most of the employees who were watching say "Aw…"

They see for the first time that their "forbidden" love also has a bit of brotherly care in the mix. They don't think it's odd though, mostly because the twins don't normally act incestuous when they're being serious. Their employees normally aren't there when they don't act homosexual (mostly because, some people hypothesize, they're just putting on an act and love it when they respond.)

And one of those times where their employees don't see their "non-homo" moments is at the business dinner, something elaborate that's hosted by some other kind of fashion designer from some foreign place. (Hikaru and Kaoru never bothers with the tiny details.) Of course, they always invites competitors into the mix.

Also known as, the infamous, brilliant, and cunning Hitachiin twins.

Infamous they are, yes. Many business people believe that young men (twenty-seven actually) should already be engaged to some other important young woman before they lose their opportunity. (Hikaru rolls his eyes at this. Old people, he thinks.) But all old business people think that you can't marry once you've passed thirty years old. All they think about are heirs, heirs, heirs.

Even, Mrs. Hitachiin, their mother seem to be in with the other business partners, who are dead set on getting at least one of them married.

Apparently, as Kaoru bluntly and craftily points out, she wants to become a grandmother. (Hikaru snickers at the idea. And almost begins a rant about "Grandma Yuzuha!") The Hitachiin twins decide that keeping their opinion neutral about marrying anyone -or anything (as Hikaru loves to mention his pillow is the softest thing in the world)- is possibly the best way to go.

As unnaturally as it seems to most of the outside (who is, by now quite used to their brotherly love antics), there is no indication that the twins are together-together, homosexual with each other, or being closer than extremely close twin brothers in that entire peaceful business dinner.

Is it that they're getting anxious about that too? Some potential candidates are whispered to strike when they've let their guard down.

… Not really so, as both twins finally are given center spotlight. Both are sporting their latest designs (which their mother had approved of), the Neapolitan line, chocolate-design. The elder (they can tell he's the elder because of a name-tag he has on his breast pocket) is clad in a soft dark chocolate dress shirt, two parallel vertical lines running straight down the left side of the fabric, one vanilla colored, the other a pale strawberry. The younger is wearing a dress shirt almost identical but not quite identical, as his chocolate is of a slightly lighter tint and his stripes run down the right side of his shirt, almost completely mirroring his twin's. And the rest, as they have expected from the twins, are entirely the same; dark brown pants (strips run down the same side), their belts angled in opposite directions (with a silvery chain on the same side).

And their ties? Deep brown, with a creamy texture to it. And people are idiots if they don't notice a small insignia in the corner of it. The Hitachiin's current favorite mark: two petite strawberries overlapping one another.

"Hikaru, Kaoru, this is Sayuri-chan," their mother introduces the young woman who's startled at their almost identical appearances. They glance at her indifferently, then look at their mother quietly begging, 'Do you really have to?'

"Hello," she stutters unnaturally, and then is elbowed by someone else behind her, "I'm the second daughter of the Nakamaru family. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Then the twins glance at each other; how many times have they told their mother that it wouldn't work if she introduces prospective lovers to both of them at once?

Well, anyone who couldn't decide who she likes more doesn't like either. Simple. As. That.

"Gomen ne, Sayuri-san," they chorus, and seeing her flinch flashes a light bulb in their heads. Kaoru knows that they just like acting as if they have a toy in front of them and found a way to play. Like twin kittens who found a ball of yarn. The elder knows just as well and is the one who "bats a piece of thread" first, "You're our friend, right?"

She nods, wondering how childish they really act as compared to what her parents told her about.

"And good friends have fun with each other," Kaoru pipes up cheerily, as Hikaru slings an arm around his shoulder.

"Then let's play a game!" they say together, bathing in the awkwardness that they received. They've gotten so many different looks before; it only fuels their desire for amusement. Kaoru thinks, they have been good enough so far.

Sayuri doesn't falter under their calculating gaze but shivers at the fact that everyone's just suddenly looking at her and the twins. She hears constantly from her co-partners that she should be able to know how to tell them apart since that's one of the only things that the targets are asked.

Which one is Hikaru-kun? Game usually are supposed to follow this statement up. She knows, and can tell. Sharp-eyed observers are crucial to nowadays' businesses.

Kaoru's tie is just that much crooked to the side; Hikaru has a habit of leaning against his twin more often than not. And it is often the elder one who starts up conversations. Kaoru's voice is just more smoother, his hair parts to the right. Hikaru's actions are just a bit more pronounced, his hair parts to the left.

Despite the fact that they're living breathing reflections of each other, it doesn't stop the girl from feeling confident that she'd win whatever game they have in store of her.

"Sayuri-san, what do you like about us?" they chirp happily.

She's left with a doomed like feeling.

That… it never occurred to her that she neither liked nor loathed the twins' antics.

"Aa, and we thought that you would be different," Hikaru complains, promptly placing a hand on her shoulder. Kaoru walks around and does the same.

"Sense of fabulous style? Our wealth? Our charm?" Kaoru ticks off his fingers, as he counts.

She's slightly flabbergasted. For the second born, Kaoru knows how to completely strike down at her reason.

"Or," Hikaru drawls heavily.

"It's that we're both attractively handsome and we're twins!" And with that, they skip away like happy little school girls that was requited their undying crush on someone.

Only, they crushed her.

The twins tend to do that a lot: lead their toy around with a fishing hook and bait and wait just until the second the wary target comes up and snaps/pokes at it to simply tug it away. The Hitachiin twins know how to play hard to get, even in love.

Maybe they had opened up because of their high school years and are willing to talk animatedly to everyone else. But… because of a certain incident they were unwilling to discuss in the public, they decided to be more careful to where they threw their love. So they made fun whenever possible and wherever possible because they weren't ever going to be serious about that.

They hung out near the refreshments table, occasionally tripping young and vulnerable men so that they would fall conveniently into a pile of snacks, all the while looking perfectly innocent.

Hikaru fingers the box of pocky that was in his pocket, biting his lip so that he doesn't open up the box and claims the vanilla biscuit into his dry lips. It's in the business public, he reminds himself, don't make succumb to the power of pocky. Kaoru gives him an odd look and returns to watching the strawberry cake with its delicious (but only he can dream) melt in the mouth goodness that is strawberry icing. Or is that frosting, he will never know.

The elder twin laughs to himself as he spots one of the "young men" giving him an accusing glare to which he could only shrug and call, "It wasn't my fault I decided to stretch my sore legs."

And then he blinks in surprise as a very familiar face comes upon him; he remembers seeing in repeatedly on those news channels that Kaoru was watching earlier that morning.

"Hitachiin-san, I have heard of your recent successes and only wish to congratulate you both for your young knowledge," he bows in greeting and presents a firm hand. Hikaru stares at it questionably. (Kaoru is still watching the strawberry cake intently.)

"The same goes to you…" he cocks his head, racking his brain. Who is this person?

"Sonogaki-san runs a fashion company alike our own, but focuses more on the rich tastes of the wealthy. The Sono company goes international in more than five countries including the United States, France, and the Republic of China. Because of it's deteriorating unpopularity…"

Wordlessly, he looks to where this long sentence came from. He sees his mirror reflection giving him a peace sign, "Kaoru…"

"Heard it this morning," he shrugs, then looked at the man who was equally surprised, "You're beginning to sell stocks of your company, are you not?"

Oh, so that's what was blaring on the television and captured his twin's attention this morning…

"Sono? I've heard of your company. Your only daughter, Misaki-san, frequently sends business letters to us, regarding the state of her family company," Hikaru begins to smirk along this line, "She's slightly hurting in her comments and her criticism is duly noted, but as her father do tell her to restrain the flames of rivalry."

The man looks taken aback at his cheerful note. This time Kaoru raises a brow.

"Misaki-san resorts to blackmail? How low can she get? I do believe she has stalked us from time to time and notes our rather interesting relationship," Kaoru continues, looking at his twin, "It's rather amusing to see how she places pictures of us supposedly kissing on her personal website. We were only sharing snacks."

" 'So stop stealing my ideas or else I'll tell the world about your illegal incestuous relationship!' " Hikaru air-quotes, speaking in an abnormally high-pitched voice, not bothering to hide a charming yet faintly amused smile. " 'You don't know how high my family's company is! I'll expose you both!' "

Sonogaki-san pales considerably at their (outrageous) behavior.

"Considering that your business is currently dropping lower and lower with the absence of production and in the light of our current successes…" Kaoru looks over to the man, who never said anything up to this point. "I think we can spare some time to compromise with you; what do you say?"

"Compromise? You two want to make a deal? Sign a contract?" Do you two even do these things? He subconsciously wonders.

Both twins take a pose of intent thinking, both popping open their eyes at the exact same time. Hikaru holds out three fingers, stating decisively,

"Three hundred."

"Not one hundred," Kaoru amends, demandingly.

"Three hundred shares of your company," the elder dropped his 'W' sign and eyes the man. He's about to protest.

But they already owned ten percent of the Sono label…

"We're going to triple our stocks; making that thirty-percent," Kaoru crosses his arms defiantly. "In reciprocation, we'll be happy to lend you some starting value as long as you get two times the profit off the loan at least, and rake in enough or we'll be forced to sell the stocks."

"We want full participation in every one of your business meetings and have the independence to do give constructive criticism on how to improve your products."

"Well, thirty percent-"

"Any questions?" they snap.

"Well," he attempts to start again, slightly more hesitant this time. Here he is, the forty-year-old old-timer getting bossed around by some young "business" partners. "I understand the value… but, what else are you willing to ask us for?"

They blink; that isn't the first time someone asked them for more. Do they expect some kind of secret treatment that the twins have some unspoken request that they are sure that they have to deal with (even if it was unspoken)?

"There's one thing," Hikaru says thoughtfully, "Tell that little brat of a girl to stay the heck away from us and that the world can live much peacefully without her sending hate mail to everyone she knows-"

"-just because they happen to be competitive rivals and coincidentally come up with ideas that are far more brilliant than hers," Kaoru linked his hands behind his head, "I mean really, a rich selfish fifteen-year-old like her can be so troublesome to her seniors."

Sonogaki only wishes he could say "What about you?" but instead resigns himself to ask, "So… when is this deal finalized?"

"You give it to us by tomorrow morning."

His jaw drops. "That soon?"

They exchange identical looks of amusement as they look upon their business associate's horrified look.

"We want to see how desperate you are."

"And how much you remember," Kaoru adds, waving a pinky in the air.

"Ne, Kaoru," the elder Hitachiin begins, leading his twin away from the refreshment table, leaving the man in a depressing state, "Do you really think he's that desperate for such a opportune deal like that?"

"Nah, not a bit. Really, even if he did finish it by tomorrow morning… I wouldn't give it back," he giggles, placing his arm around his brother's shoulders. "Imagine - 'and our fifteen-year-old heir will refrain from blackmailing the stockholders' assumed sexuality even if she might have visual proof of it in the middle of the walkway.' "

They burst out into fits of laughter, drawing strange looks from other men and women who were cheerfully discussing how their companies would benefit the other's.

"I'd pay anything to have that framed and displayed in the lobby!" Hikaru chortles and almost bumps into another person. A middle-aged woman who is about to lecture him on his manners and etiquette, when Hikaru sees that her fashion sense is…

Horrible.

After an "I apologize, and I really don't like your dress," Kaoru steps in with a "If you will, come tomorrow to the Hitachiin company, request for us and we will find something for your…"

"Unrivaled beauty," they end, trying not to break out into laughter again. The relatively old lady isn't really an eyeful, but unrivaled definitely suits her beauty. Violet looks good on her, they think. Hikaru mulls over the possibility of bringing out the frilly lavender dress that he usually forces Kaoru to wear in their punishment games, then thinks better of it. They did have a costume with something big and purple.

They leave her behind and share a small laughing fest in the men's resting room, while completely ignoring that they are together in the same stall. (If the rich and wealthy were curious enough, they will throw away their shreds of dignity and peek under the door. When they smooth out their composure and switch their ties and pins around, Kaoru tilts his belt the other way and hands his shirt over to his brother, who takes it happily enough.

It doesn't matter if they switched their identity for a while. Whether they wanted someone who could tell the difference or not doesn't apply to them anymore; eventually, after they got to know their individual personalities well, they could tell them apart.

So, Kaoru muses, why are they doing it anyway?

He looks up abruptly from buttoning up the darker chocolate dress shirt (which was on him) and finds Hikaru's identical hazel eyes on him, as he finishes up with his own lighter shirt. They both glance at the mirror, and comb their tame hair in the opposite way. A wry smile comes across Kaoru's features as he looks like his normal self.

"Just for amusement?" Hikaru inquires curiously. Kaoru doesn't hesitate to nod. They break out into twin smirks.

"Just for amusement."