Nine days.

Hikaru still wasn't speaking to Kaoru.

Which also meant that Kaoru wasn't speaking to Hikaru.

Which worried Haruhi to no end. Because she knew that this time, they weren't faking it. They actually weren't talking to each other. Never, for as long as she knew them, had they ever fought. At least not seriously. Worst of all, she didn't know how to get them to make up.

Hikaru she could understand. While it didn't happen as often as it used to, he still sometimes loses control of his emotions. Especially when it came to people that he cares about. So when Kaoru wouldn't tell him what was going on, Kaoru, who was the one person in the world that he completely and absolutely loved (even more then herself. She could admit that, it didn't bother her.), she could understand why he'd snapped. But Kaoru? It was Kaoru that she was worried about the most here. Because something was clearly wrong with him, and it must be bad if he didn't even want to tell Hikaru about it. And Kaoru was just as stubborn as Hikaru, which meant if Hikaru wasn't talking to him, there was no way in Hell that he was going to be talking to Hikaru. And Kaoru didn't have any other friends, so that meant right now the younger twin was completely alone. And that worried Haruhi, because no one should have to deal with something alone.

She of all people knew that.

Which was why she was currently standing outside of the abandoned music room 3. He hadn't been at the Hitatchiin Estate- she knew, because she had just been there herself with Hikaru. He obviously wasn't at her house- it seemed if they weren't at home, typically the brothers would be at her house. But no, she'd even gone home to make sure. Which left one room that Haruhi could think that he would be in. A room that even she went to sometimes when she needed to think, or be alone. Music Room 3. Slowly, she opened the door.

"Kaoru?" She called into the room as she stepped in. She heard some shuffling from one of the couches, and then she saw an orange-haired head pop up.

"What do you want?" He asked. It wasn't the usual happy-go-lucky Kaoru that she knew, but his voice sounded more... monotone. It almost scared her. She walked over to the couch. She moved his legs so that she had room to sit. Now that she was closer, she could see how tired he really looked. He had bags under his eyes, and clearly he was stressed about something.

"Don't you think this is getting a bit ridiculous?" She asked.

"Tell that to Hikaru, why don't you?" Kaoru huffed.

"I have. He's just worried about you, Kaoru. We both are." She watched as Kaoru sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I know," was his response. It came out in sort of a mutter.

"Then why don't you tell us what's bothering you?" She asked, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You know you can tell us anything. That you can tell Hikaru anything."

"I can't." He muttered with a bit of a sigh. "I can't... tell him this."

"Why not?"

Kaoru let out a bit of a humorless laugh and shook his head. "'Cause it's stupid. Petty. Childish. There isn't any reason to concern him with it."

"Clearly it isn't, if it is stressing you out so much. I've never seen you like this before, Kaoru." Haruhi commented, furrowing her eyebrows. She looked at him for a moment, then sighed. "Well, if you're not going to tell Hikaru about it then at least tell me."

Kaoru was silent for a moment, apparently considering it. "You're just going to tell Hikaru."

"No I'm not, I promise."

"I'm scared." He finally said, in a quiet mutter.

Haruhi blinked at him. "Of what?"

"Never mind, like I said- it's stupid."

"No, Kaoru. What are you afraid of? Look, if anyone knows a thing or two about childish fears, it's me. You can tell me." Haruhi said, looking at him in the eyes.

Kaoru sighed. "Of graduation. Of the spell breaking."

"Graduation? The spell?" Haruhi didn't understand what he meant by that. Why was he afraid of Graduating? And what spell? Before she knew it, Kaoru stood up.

"And the spell that keeps everything perfect until midnight. Er- Graduation." ...Was he talking about Cinderella? His voice was rising as he continued. "Oh, never mind about the spell. The point is, after graduation everything is going to change. It won't be like High School anymore. We'll be out in the real world, doing real jobs. You'll be a lawyer. Hikaru will be at your side, doing whatever it is he's going to be doing. And what about me? It won't be 'Me and Hikaru' anymore. It'll just be 'me', won't it? Left on my own. You and Hikaru will be too busy. The other's- they'll be doing their own thing, too. Too busy to talk to me. I'm the only one that doesn't have a set future here! I don't know how to live on my own, by myself. I've never had to learn how! Hikaru has always been right there at my side. And after graduation, and after he pr- er- does a thing- he won't have any need for me in his life." Kaoru seemed to have finally calmed down, it sounded like he'd had that on his chest for a long time. Haruhi watched as Kaoru slowly sank into the couch again, placing his head in his hands. "What about me?" He concluded in a mutter to his hands.

Haruhi stared at him a long while before talking. "That's what's been stressing you out so much? Kaoru, look at me." She said, placing her hands on his shoulders, turning him so that he was forced to look at her. Slowly, he raised his head from his hands. "I don't know what you're going to do after graduation, but I can guarantee you that Hikaru is going to be at your side while you do it. He loves you Kaoru, and that isn't going to change just because we aren't in high school anymore."

"But he's going to be with you and-"

"So? I'm just his girlfriend, I don't think that's going to be changing anytime soon. It's not like I'm going to be keeping him away from you." There was a look on his face that she couldn't quite read when she mentioned being his girlfriend, but she didn't comment on it.

"You're- you're probably right." He finally muttered, but Haruhi thought she detected a tone of voice that suggested he wasn't quite convinced yet.

"I am right, Kaoru. You and Hikaru have a kind of bond that isn't going to be broken over graduating or a girlfriend. If he has to choose between you or me, he's always going to choose you in the end."

"That's not-"

"It's the truth, I knew that from the start. I'm okay with that." She looked at him in the eyes. "Kaoru, you don't have anything to be afraid of."

He was silent for a moment, and then sighed. "You're right. Like I said, it was stupid."

She shook her head. "No fear is stupid, Kaoru. It's natural to worry about things that we don't know."

He gave a small smile. "Thanks, Haruhi."

She smiled back and stood up. "You're welcome, Kaoru. Come on, let's go an see if we can get Hikaru to start talking to you again."

This is all I had planned up to, so the next few updates may be a bit slower as I try to work things out. But the story definitely isn't over yet.