A/N: This chapter is up rather quick. Writing for the twins is new, so I apologize if this chapter isn't satisfying. Mori is next, and frankly, I have no idea what to write for him. Meh... I'll figure it out. Enjoy! xD
Just created: (links aren't working here, so check the 'webpage' link on my profile, please! Thanks)
All characters © Hatori Bisco
In Repose
IV
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"Hikaru!"
Kaoru groped frantically in the dark until his hand found the lantern switch. He gave it a forceful yank, bathing the room in a thick yellow light that cast itself on him and his twin brother. "Hikaru, wake up!"
"Nnfgl?"
"Please, Hikaru!"
One hazel eye opened lethargically. "Mm…Kaoru? What is it?" Hikaru blearily took in his brother's face, and was alert in an instant. "What's wrong?"
Kaoru's hair was rumpled with bedhead and he clutched his quilts so tightly that his knuckles had turned a pained white. His eyes, the same shade of hazel as Hikaru's, were frenetic and bloodshot, with traces of wetness around the sides. He was shaking the bed something fierce, and his voice was equally tremulous. "I…I had a—a bad dream."
Hikaru wasn't exactly sure what to do, but he hadn't seen his brother this shaken in a long time. "Do you want me to call for mom?" he asked with a yawn, reaching for the call button beside their bed.
Kaoru shook his head. As he did, a tear fell from his eye and snaked lazily down his cheek. The other Hitachiin saw this and sighed with pathos. Touching Kaoru's arm, he inquired softly, "Do you want to talk about it?"
Kaoru exhaled shakily. "Not particularly."
"You know," Hikaru replied optimistically, "Haruhi used to say that you can make a nightmare go away if you share it with someone." He scratched his head sheepishly. "Demo saa, I don't really know if it works—"
"It was my fault."
"Huh?"
"It was my fault," Kaoru repeated, averting his eyes. "We were at Ouran, but it was different…bigger. There were hundreds of rooms and hallways that were miles long. We were all trying to find the exit." He paused and took a breath, willing himself to go on.
"We had to get out before the timer went off, or something bad would happen."
"We?" Hikaru asked, blinking. Kaoru gave a small nod.
"Mm. You, the Host Club, our designators, mom, dad, that maid that we liked, everyone. Well, we finally found the way out, but none of us could leave until I did my chores," he continued. Hikaru, although less mature than his younger brother, knew better than to laugh.
"…and?" he egged.
"I didn't finish them on time," Kaoru muttered. "I realized that the timer was going to go off in seconds, so I grabbed as many people as I could hold and told the others to follow me. We crashed through the exit, but the only people who made it safely were the people in my arms. As we went flying through the air, I realized what would happen when the timer went off, only now it was too late. It went off, like a bomb, but the school didn't detonate. What exploded was…" Kaoru stopped to swallow, his dry throat clicking audibly.
"…my friends, everyone. They all exploded, one after another." Hikaru's eyes widened and he unconsciously clutched his blanket.
"Jeezus, Kaoru!"
"Hikaru, they went off behind me," Kaoru moaned. He raked a hand through his hair. "I heard their screams and I felt their…pieces hit my back. And it was all my fault because… because I wasn't quick enough in finishing my work!"
Hikaru, now thoroughly spooked himself pulled his younger twin into a comforting hug. "But it's alright now, Kaoru. Sshh, shh," he cooed as Kaoru began to hitch and sob quietly. This was different from the Brotherly Love act that they put on for their customers during the day. An older sibling calming his younger one in the early hours of the dawn; no, this was authentic.
"We're still here, you know? And we're not going anytime soon, Kaoru."
"Hikaru…"
"…Tamaki-senpai?" Haruhi addressed the Host Club King the next afternoon when he wasn't attending to his guests. She normally tried to refrain from approaching her senpai on a regular basis, lest she be afflicted with a headache soon afterwards. Tamaki turned around and beamed like a puppy being presented with a juicy bone.
"Ah, what is it, my daughter?"
"Did you say something to the twins, senpai?" Haruhi remarked with a thoughtful expression. "They haven't bothered me all day!"
Tamaki's eyebrows rose, and he blinked away his relief. "Really? Now that you mention it, those little Satans haven't been as troublesome as they usually are…" he trailed off. "But no, I didn't say anything to them. Maybe my godly charm has finally effaced their unscrupulous nature!" Sparkles immediately appeared around him, and Haruhi knew it would be pointless to inquire further. She sensed an impending monologue and hastily made her exit.
"Afternoon," she greeted politely, walking over to the Hitachiin twins who were seated on a nearby sofa.
They looked over at her and gave her a pair of identical warm smiles. "Afternoon, Haruhi!" they chorused. As the female host took a seat by them their eyes widened.
"What's with you guys today? You seem pretty mellow," she exclaimed. "Not that I'm complaining—"her expression turned anxious for a moment before taking on a skeptical air—"I kind of like the change. But, I know you guys well. Are you trying to get at something by acting this way?"
Seeming genuinely puzzled, one of them answered, "No, actually, although that sounds like something we would normally do."
"Yeah," the other one added. "We just realized how much we appreciate you guys—"Haruhi frowned—"no, seriously!"
"We've learned not to take anything for granted," they added in perfect unison. And, although their words sounded fatuous and cheesy, Haruhi believed them.
"Don't worry, though," the twins assured her. "We'll be back to our mischievous selves by tomorrow. You can count on that." Haruhi rolled her eyes.
End.
note: Kaoru's dream is actually one that I had a few months ago, fit to Ouran, of course.