I'm a little hurt now.
I have 5 or more Story alerts...
60+ readers... (Story stats are awesome :D)
AND NO REVIEWS.
I've read all my story stats, and I'm really glad you're reading, but please, a little feedback? Reviews AREN'T the only thing I care about, but I just want... something? Please...
I still don't own Ouran – shocker – and I do own Rose.
Please please pretty please, read then review.
Enjoy :(
--
"Are you packed?"
The trip had been set at a comfortable, far off date. It seemed like it would be years before it arrived – and yet, it closed in so quickly it only felt like a week since he'd agreed to go. Rose wasn't helping, sadly. She kept bringing it up; she couldn't wait to go home. The place they were staying was close to where she lived then, so she had already made plans to see her old friends, and announced Hikaru was required to attend. He really didn't want to. How could he make any sort of social attempt with half of him in Japan? It was still quite a strange feeling. Kaoru helped him pack.
"You'll need this," he would say, folding a jacket in a way only a mother would. "England is freezing from what I heard."
"Mm." Hikaru wasn't interested. "Can we spend some time having fun? I hate that you can't come."
"You'll have Rose!" Kaoru smiled. "I'm not worried about you – you'll be fine." Secretly, Kaoru was very worried. What if Hikaru didn't miss him? Would this be the true separation of the two, a knife plunged between them by an ignorant Rose, unaware of the damage she poured between them. Even Haruhi didn't emerge herself so far into their world. Sometimes, he didn't seem them as a duo. It was now a trio. He liked Rose, but...
He hated the trio.
"I am." Hikaru muttered, sitting on the bed which was still littered with unpacked articles of clothing. He was leaving in the morning. "I've not been a day without you before – how can I last a week?"
"Just concentrate on Rose." Kaoru felt each word become strained. He regretted saying it as he did so, but he knew it would happen with or without his consent. Hikaru was falling – hard and fast – for this girl, and there was nothing he could do. His old attraction to Haruhi was nothing compared to this – Hikaru and Haruhi didn't seem possible even if he did still like her, she was getting so close to Tamaki since the fair. Kyoya seemed quiet recently too – Kaoru made a mental note to talk to him.
"Well... What about you?" Hikaru frowned. "What are you going to concentrate on?"
"The masses of homework I haven't done?" He laughed bitterly "Or the Host club. I'll act all weepy in front of the girls I think. An I–am-so-lost-without-Hikaru thing."
For the first time, Hikaru laughed.
"Yeah, they'd eat that up." He snorted. "But, of course, you wouldn't have to try hard, right honey?"
Kaoru threw a pillow at him.
-
Rose was bubbling over in excitement. Yuzuha stood away from them, arguing with a guard about her lipstick on board a plane.
"Sorry m-mm-ma'am, but liquids are not allowed on a plain to England or America due to a terrorist threat!"
"Do you know who I am?" She didn't need to shout. Her voice dripped with whispered menace that would make a grown man cry. The guard nearly did. "I am very unlikely to be a terrorist, don't you think?"
"I... I can make sure the Lip Stick is returned to you as soon as you step off the plane!" He pleaded. "I'm simply not allowed to give permission..."
"Idiot!"
"... Please!"
"Your Mum is a little cranky!" Hikaru looked across at Rose in confusion.
"What?"
She paled.
"Wah! That was English, sorry!" It was hard for him to feel bad about Kaoru when she was babbling incomprehensible mixtures of English and Japanese apologies. "I keep mixing my languages and I forget which is which and I'm so sorry I never mean too it just sli-MMPH!"
She was silenced by a finger placed on her lips.
"Shut up Rose." Hikaru forced a smile, and then patted her head, before coolly walking towards his mother. She stood for a moment, not sure what to make of the sudden silencing, before blushing and tottering after him.
"W-wait!"
-
Hikaru fiddled with his thumbs uninterestedly. The journey was long, the service was moderate, the food disgusting, and a lack of entertainment presented itself after Rose had quietened. He looked across at her sleeping form and smiled slightly despite his foul mood. Reaching across, he carefully wiped the fringe from her eyes as he had when she had lain unconscious on the Host Club sofa. A stretch and sigh later, he was staring through the window, taking in the pure blue of the endless sky, the snowy clouds, wispy and light, stretching out across like a thick, plush carpet. He sighed slightly, shuffling back into his seat, and he slid the blinds down.
His thoughts were soon interrupted by a short, content sigh, and a girl subconsciously nestling her face into his shoulder, her small by comparison hands gripping his arms. He blinked. Then he blushed. Then he smiled, and gently placed an arm around her, pulling her closer in a more comfortable position. He listened to the air she softly breathed, perfectly in sync with the rise and fall of his own chest. He allowed himself to run his free hand through her wild dark locks of hair, and time flew by.
When Rose was jolted awake by the landing signal, he was quite flustered. She was no better. It's not every day you wake up either and you find yourself nestled up to your best friend in a very intimate position.
"This never happened." Rose laughed awkwardly as they flew apart. Hikaru blushed and nodded uncomfortably, strapping himself in for the landing.
-
"Rose, can you do me a favour?" Hikaru hissed into her ear, as the two looked around the hotel lobby.
"Sure, what's up?" she flashed him a small smile, and then continued to glance around 'home'.
"... How do you say Anal in English? I want to run around screaming it and feign ignorance."
"A-nal... um... it never came up in conversation with Tamaki." She shrugged. "I don't know what you mean."
"... Tono has left you deprived."
"I also don't know how to swear. It isn't good." She groaned, then muttered something Hikaru took to be swearing in English from the look an elderly woman gave her as she passed.
"I can try to teach you." Hikaru grinned. "I'll describe them so you know which is which."
"..."
"..."
"This could be very amusing. Alright then." Rose grinned, staring him down. "Start."
"Fuck – like... sex?"
"... Oh! You mean anal!"
"I... don't know."
"... Put it off for now, yeah? I'll ring Tamaki when I can, find out from him."
"Milord doesn't swear though, the old fart."
"Your vocabulary is charming."
"Isn't it just."(1)
-
Rose and Hikaru were given their own rooms, free room service, and time tables of when they would be needed. It seemed they had plenty of time to explore the area, to Hikaru's dismay. He had been hoping on lots of work to keep his mind from Kaoru.
"We should unpack, don't you think?" Rose murmured, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Kaoru didn't spend hours packing your stuff so you wouldn't get it out."
"How did you know I was thinking about Kaoru?" Hikaru looked across at her, a frown on his face.
"I just do" Rose smiled. Hikaru faltered.
"How did you know I was upset about Kaoru?" He asked Haruhi, after she had pressed the gifts for his bedridden twin into his hands.
"I just do" Haruhi smiled, and she continued walking on.
"Hikaru! Come on!"
-
Piling various articles of clothing into the given wardrobe space, Rose felt incredibly giddy. She had already texted her best friend from before she had moved, who was already on her way over from the boarding school she had once attended. She restlessly paced once she had finished unpacking, and drummed her fingers on the bedside table.
She would be there in two hours.
Admitting this impatience would only annoy her, she decided to spend some time with Hikaru, who would undoubtedly be feeling alone without Kaoru. So, she knocked on the convenient door that separated their two suites, and it was swung open very soon after. Hikaru looked bedraggled, as though he'd collapsed on his bed more than once. His eyes were red and bloodshot.
"... Hikaru?" She smiled sadly, knowing this was because he had been crying. She'd never mention it; she knew how much his pride meant to him.
"... Don't tell anyone." He whispered, a defeated look enveloping his face. A few of Rose's heartstrings were pulled.
"Never." The green eyed girl gave a reassuring look, and guided him backwards so he could sit on the bed. "I'll sort you out, no problem."
"I just... feel weird without Kaoru here." He admitted sheepishly, looking across at the girl who was now rummaging through her own things in the parallel room, and returning with a hairbrush, flannel and other products. She made a sympathetic murmur, and sat behind him on the boys bed, laying the flannel across his face to cool him down. She began attacking his hair with the brush, neatening it to its former spiky glory, and then removed the flannel. She gently rubbed moisturiser into his facial skin, caressing every molecule of skin cells she could find.
"My sister did this for me whenever I was upset." Rose giggled at the look of contentment that now passed over his face. "She has been studying art and graphics in Scotland for three years now."
"I'm sorry. I know how close you can be with a sibling..." Hikaru gave a dry chuckle, which Rose found herself mirroring.
"She's more a motherly figure than a sister." Rose continued. "My own Mother is too busy being my boss."
"I understand." He murmured, and she knew he did. His eyes were still closed in relaxation, so she leant forward and gently kissed his forehead.
"Absence makes the heart grow fonder." She whispered. "When you return to Japan, you and Kaoru will be closer than ever. And you'll also know that you can survive periods of time without him." His eyes opened, and his hand reached out and grasped hers, a blush building on his face against his wishes.
"... Thank you, Rose."
"I'm always here for you." She flushed at the beautiful crimson that was now dusting his cheeks, and she squeezed his hand gently to punctuate her point. "Always."
-
"Rose!" the familiar squeal hit her ears like a sirens call. She snapped to attention, jumping from the lobby sofa where she and Hikaru had been sat waiting for a good five minutes or so, and wrapped her arms around a ball of flaming red hair and bubbly energy.
"Becca!" Rose laughed in glee, squeezing her old friend tight. The two began squealing in pure incomprehensible English that Hikaru didn't even bother trying to understand. He just sat and watched the two friends with a jealous feeling swelling in his chest.
"I must introduce you to Hikaru! He only speaks Japanese though." Rose giggled girlishly, before a light blush came upon her cheeks due to the memory of the kiss she had given him a mere hour ago.
"Oooh, he's quite fit." Becca grinned devilishly. "Is everyone in Japan this hot?"
"B-Bear!" Rose's eyes widened, and Becca visibly brightened at her old nickname.
"Do you like him Rabbit?" The not so natural redhead teased, poking her friend in the chest, which Hikaru gulped at – Rose was a rather curvy girl.
"BEAR!" Rose shook her head wildly, now crimson. "I've sworn to be off limits forever and ever since you know what."
"You mean Alexander?" Becca frowned. "He was never any good for you..."
"That doesn't change the fact I was in love with him." The model sighed, running a hand through her messy dark hair.
Hikaru, now feeling ever so slightly ignored, stood and slung an arm around his best-girl-friend, and grinned cutely at her friend, saying "Hikaru Hitachiin."
Becca looked at Rose, who laughed and explained it was his name. She caught on quickly, and said "Rebecca Donald. Becca!"
Rose explained to Hikaru that was her full name – but she preferred Becca. Hikaru nodded in understanding, the arm still slung around Rose protectively. Becca realised quickly he was scared of a relationship between herself and Rose, so she immediately told Rose something about a guy she liked, which made her laugh and tell Hikaru. He loosened his grip. He finally got a good look at her. The flaming red hair was in a similar style to Roses, except she had straightened it profusely. Her eyes were a sharp hazel shade, and she had multiple piercings in each ear, including scaffolding across her right ear, and also a lip ring. She just screamed 'I'm rebelling against my parents' with converse trainers, baggy ripped jeans and an oversized white t-shirt that had both a rock and a ruler on it. The ruler was telling the rock 'you rock' and the rock telling the ruler 'you rule'. She had a very round face, and her eyes were coated in thick black makeup.
"I can translate for you both if you like." Rose smiled, saying the statement in both languages. Pretty soon, the three became acquainted, and it was time for Becca to return to the boarding school. After a somewhat tearful farewell between Rose and Becca, during which Hikaru faked a need for the bathroom to allow them a private farewell, he understood he'd want privacy if saying a goodbye to Kaoru for so long, and he had learnt that 'Bear' and 'Rabbit' had grown up together. When he returned, it was Rose who looked as though she had been crying. Wordlessly, the two sat upon the lobby sofa again, Hikaru once again slung his arm around her, and she wept into his shoulder. Only then did he realise how much leaving England had hurt her. Only then did he really know she knew exactly how he felt without Kaoru.
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(1) I love conversations like these. I think they can be really sweet. Meaningless conversations about sex and swearing... haha... they can be quite funny too. This is just like one I had when I was helping my exchange student learn English swears.
It was hilarious.
"But the teachers don't swear! Old farts."
"English – what a delightful language (!)"
"Yes. Yes it is."
CLASSIC
Anyway, please review. I'll have chapter five up soon :D So I'd like some feedback for anything you'd like to see or anything you'd really like to happen.
Also decided to add another pairing, but I'm not saying who. All I will say is there was the TINIEST hint in this chapter.
Peace and love
x