STORY INFO: This chapter and the next will wrap up the events of Vol 5. So, a day after Episode 16 – Operation Hikaru and Haruhi's First Date.

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Between Freedom and Loyalty

Chapter 7: Figures and Numbers, Part 2

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Kaoru paced across his room at foot of his brother's bed, from one wall to the other and back again. He was walking the same path for what must have been hours, unable to quell his nerves. He had been stuck in the cottage without sleep, rest, or entertainment of any kind for nearly an entire day, and he was becoming jittery. On any normal day, he would have left the cottage and gone in search of some entertainment out in the town. Possibly done some commoner shopping. Or try some commoner meals. Or be escorted to Kumoba Pond or Shiraito Falls. Or visit the pensione to bother the host club. Something to distract him.

But this was not just any normal day. The family physician had forbidden his brother to leave the cottage lest he wishes to fall even more ill and perhaps contaminate the entire countryside. But while Kaoru was having a near existential crisis, Hikaru took this imposed house arrest as he did with everything else in life – as an opportunity to languish in luxury, play an endless amount of video games, and tease his twin mercilessly.

"Stop pacing," drawled Hikaru, who was propped up with his back against the head of the bed, undressed, with a handheld video game. "You'll wear a hole in the rug, you know? It's a Royal Ziegler Mahal, and mom will kill you."

"How can you be so indifferent?" Kaoru whirled on him. "It's my fault you got sick, after all. I decided to send you off on that date when it should have been me."

Hikaru shrugged, not even bothering to look up from his game. "No, it really wasn't. I was the one running like an idiot through the rain, after all. I think that feudal lord is starting to rub off on me." He scrunched up his nose as if he just realized the words that came out of this mouth.

Kaoru stopped midstep in his pacing, glancing at his twin. "When did you suddenly get so mature and start owning up to your mistakes?" He smiled despite himself and put a hand on his hip. "Who are you and what have you done with my brother?"

Hikaru glared at him and then tried to suppress a dry cough. "I can admit when I'm wrong, you know? It's not just because I got Haruhi involved and feel guilty about it." At his brother's smug smirk, he pointed at him before he could speak. "Shut up. It's not like that."

Kaoru threw back his head and laughed. But after a while, the jest had lost its shine. His shoulders slunk inward as he sighed somberly. Hikaru, sensing the shift in his twin's attitude, placed the game down and said reassuringly, "Hey, you were only sick for, like, a day, right? So, I'm sure I'll get over it pretty quickly too. I'll be fine. Stop brooding already."

Kaoru blew out a harsh breath and, ruffling his hands through his hair, he plopped down on the edge of the bed. "It's not the same…" because I wasn't really sick, he wanted to add but didn't have the heart to tell his brother that it was all a lie. If he did, then all their precious progress would be for nothing.

However, he couldn't deny that snaking feeling in him that wanted to mess up his brother's progress with Haruhi. Seeing them together on that date was one of the hardest things he had to do. Sometimes he thinks it was mildly masochistic, setting his brother on a date while knowing that he harbored feelings for the same girl. He tried to reassure himself that it was for Hikaru's own good and personal growth to go through with his demands, but every time he looked back at it, it just seemed like he was running away from his feelings for Haruhi – as if trying to erase her from his heart.

And he wished he could.

He wished Hikaru wasn't so dense, but then at the same time, he didn't. If Hikaru realized his feelings for Haruhi and if things were to work out between them, then where would that leave him? For the first time in his life, he'd find himself alone – without the other half of his soul. In a huddled heap of misery and fake smiles, he'd remain alone, with no twin to soothe his fears, nor a woman as magnificent as Haruhi to reassure him. It would just be him, alone in a strange world, a strange place, with strange people.

He had to shake the thoughts from his mind and try to remember – remember that there is so much in this world that is already trying to change him, he didn't need to add his pessimistic thoughts to the mix; not today, not ever. As if sensing is ire, his phone vibrated in his pocket and he took it out to see a text from a certain senpai that read: "How angry do you think it would make Hikaru-san if I replaced the contents in a large orange-soda bottle with hot sauce?"

He huffed out an amused chuckle and responded: "And why do you need to know this very specific question?"

"…For science…"

A laugh escaped him. "He'd probably love it, honestly. He practically bathes in anything spicy. But tell me, why are you texting me about ways to sabotage my brother?"

Another chime. "Because I can't, in good conscience, leave you alone until you tell me his weakness. This could be the break of the century. We could exploit it and sell his secrets to anyone who has ever been wronged by your brother's no-good antics."

"I'm afraid my honor code to never harm my sibling is stronger than my need for money."

"Then, it appears that you're stuck with me!" Kaoru grinned down at the screen, bouncing the phone in his hand, and his former sour mood fading away.

He had nearly forgotten that he had exchanged numbers with Akiko the night that he escorted her home. He honestly got too caught up in the events in the following days to even send a text, but it seems she beat him to the punch. And in just the nick of time. Suddenly, another realization dawned on him.

He had her phone number.

He had a girl's phone number, a pretty girl's phone number, a pretty girl's phone number, who was not only his senpai but also not Haruhi. And she had given it to him willingly and not just because he was a popular host but because it was him. What alternate universe—where pretty, older senpais suddenly give their phone numbers without any ulterior motive—was he suddenly living in?

Kaoru tried to ignore any and all excitement that he was feeling as he tapped out a response and let his thumb hover over her name. He needed to stay calm – and probably stop grinning like an oaf. Because there was definitely nothing to be excited about. Sure, she was interesting and funny, and they had similar tastes in some subjects, and they both somehow designated themselves as the League of Losers in Love, but that was about it. He couldn't really be anything more than casual acquaintances with Miyamura Akiko – or anyone for that matter.

Everyone at Ouran had a certain…policy about friendships. Or rather, more like a very obscure and mildly disturbing philosophy. The short of it was: Don't get attached. Ouran was less of a high school than it was a training facility for the next elites. They were just a river of smiley-faces painted onto crash-test dummies. Or impeccable, unblemished scarecrows placed into fields without their consent because they have no voice.

You don't befriend people. Ever. At all.

Befriending people at Ouran was a dangerous, dangerous business that leads to a whole bunch of dangerous scenarios that nobody would ever want to be in. Befriending people at Ouran left you raw, exposed, like a wound in open water with sharks lingering nearby. You just didn't do it.

And you certainly didn't befriend girls like Haruhi or Akiko. Girls like that were in a different group of dangerous. They didn't belong in the groups of 'us' or 'them' that Kaoru had used to distinguish people. They fell somewhere…in-between – somewhere mediocre, somewhere where things as horrid as opinions, ideas, and thinking existed. And you couldn't befriend girls like that because as soon as you did, you resigned yourself to being in the same situation Kaoru was in now, unloved and in love.

Kaoru jumped a bit as his phone vibrated and went off again in his hands, pulling him from his reverie. Sliding past the home screen, he saw another text from Akiko.

"I'm only joking. I don't mind his presence all that much. I hope he gets well soon."

Kaoru smirked, shaking his head and clicking the lock button on his phone. He rubbed the back of his neck absentmindedly.

The problem was…Akiko made it virtually impossible to not like her. She was surprisingly easy to talk to, and he could somehow tell why Kyoya sought her out. She displayed a compassion, patience, and integrity that was not common in the students in Ouran. She was observant and mindful of the people she spoke to and was the kind of person that people tended to avoid because conversations with her were dangerous.

They weren't about politics, numbers, or figures; they'd be about other matters – hobbies, philosophies, fears, aspirations. Talking to her meant risking opening up your own soul. She'd known from the second they met not to take the Which One is Hikaru? Game lightly. She'd began to be able to pick him apart from his brother by just how he reacted with the interactions between Tamaki and Haruhi. She'd invited him out on a date and listened to him intently ramble of the intricacies of the gaming community and wasn't even scared away by his antics. Despite his philosophy, he found himself wanting to get closer to her…

Hikaru suddenly became aware that the room was strangely quiet. He glanced at his brother's phone as he tossed it beside him and asked, "Have you been talking to her a lot lately?" He wasn't generally interested in Akiko but thought the conversation would provoke something out of his brother.

"Talking to who?" Kaoru snapped his head up, earning him a look that said 'Seriously?' "Oh…no. There have been other things on my mind lately."

"Oh? Like what?" This seemed to genuinely capture Hikaru's attention, and he snapped the DS shut, becoming bored with it. "I thought you liked her?"

"For starters, I've been busy taking care of you." Kaoru got up and walked to the dresser nearby and got the thermometer, shoving it under Hikaru's tongue. "And yes, I like her. But I also don't even really know her."

"Wuuh, whuus pweventin…" When the thermometer beeped, he took it out. "What's preventing you from talking?" He reached over the other side of the bed and handed Kaoru his empty glass. "Aside from you being…well…you."

Kaoru returned Hikaru's mocking grin and rolled his eyes, swiping the empty glass from his hand and going to refill it at the other end of the room. "You've seen what happens. Kyoya-senpai always seems to come up with a plausible excuse every day on why she should keep him company. And every time I try to speak to her at the host club, it's like someone's always there to stop me," he said with a mild whine as he poured the water from the jug into the glass.

Accepting the glass with a small, "Thanks," Hikaru rested his lips against the edge of the glass as if deep in thought before he took a sip. "When you think about it, her father and Kyoya-senpai's father are tangled in some pretty deep business ties, so it makes sense that Kyoya-senpai would be a little more than cautious about letting her hang out with the two of us." He dismissed with a casual wave of his hand. "We don't exactly have the best reputation."

"I know that," Kaoru growled a little, his frustration from the past few days raising his temper and his hackles. "But even after club hours have ended and we have time to talk, she gets ushered off by Tamaki-senpai, Honey-senpai, or Kyoya-senpai to do something else even though it's clear she wants to talk to us. Her face says it all; I know she does." Raking his hand through his hair, he starts pacing across the room and back and lifts his gaze back to Hikaru.

"And I understand that if we cause trouble for her, it could ruin her family's connections with Kyoya-senpai's, but this amount of caution is insane. I don't just want to know her name or her class or that she makes frequent deliveries to the host club. I want to know…I want to know—Oh, I don't know—Her favorite color. What books does she like to read? What pranks did she use to pull as a kid? What does she want to be when she grows up? I want…something more than just a passing glance and a greeting," he sighed heavily, feeling a little more than foolish under the gaze of his brother.

Hikaru stared at him with wide eyes and brows lifted. Blinking as he observed everything that was just said. His lips slowly twitched into a face-splitting grin. "Man, you've got it bad."

"It's not like that," Kaoru insisted, tired of his desire to know more about the girl being mistaken for attraction. "I just want to let her into our circle…or something like that. I'm tired of seeing her off on the sidelines, looking like she wants to be involved. No one deserves that."

Hikaru seemed to contemplate this seriously for a moment. He then asked tentatively, "Are you sure you want to open that door?"

Kaoru considered this for a time. Did he really want to let someone else in? Were they ready for that? It had only ever been the host club and Haruhi who had earned that right, and it took some members of the host club even longer to squeeze through the doors of their hearts. It was a difficult decision, a scary decision. Because willingly letting Akiko in meant that they were taking another step further, another step closer to widening their world beyond 'us' and 'not us'.

However, after remembering the young woman sitting in the back of a cab on a rainy summer night, clutching a worn weather doll like a lifeline, Kaoru found his answer. His throat tightened considerably as if it was begging him not to speak, but he looked at his brother meaningfully and said, "Yeah, I'm sure."

He expected a protest or an outburst of anger or even an insult, but instead, he got a crooked smirk and gentle eyes as his brother said, "Sure, it sounds fun."

.

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Hefting her bag higher on her shoulder, careful not to jostle the gifts she had bought, Akiko looked up the road to where her GPS had pointed her, appraising the crater of Mount Asama in the far distance only for a moment before resuming her walk and weaving her way through the many resorts and privately-owned homes of different assortments. When she finally spotted the Hitachiin vacation cottage it was crouched low into a grassy embankment, as though it were trying to hide, but the aesthetically misshapen slate roof was too large to go unnoticed. Overall, it looked as if it was straight out of a fairytale with a happy ending or a picture book she had seen as a child. It looked like many things, but the rustic, warm flash of colors—some blue, others green or brown—that emerged from gray stones screamed 'Hitachiin'.

As she reached the seafoam green gate with paint falling off, she wondered if she should have informed Kaoru that she would be coming. He was expecting the host club within the hour, or so Kyoya had informed her, so surely, he wouldn't mind her sudden appearance? Decidedly taking a deep, reassuring breath, she continued on her way up the narrow, paved path with small pebbles intricately laid beneath her feet and continued on past a tiny pond with lily pads and a few ducks.

When she reached the door, she gave a timid ring of the doorbell, occupying herself with the vines that had woven themselves along the columns surrounding the door. "I have a feeling coming here was a bad idea," she moaned to a white flower as she flicked its petals. "I don't even really know the twins all that well. It seems very intrusive, don't you think?" The wind knocked the flower back, causing it to nod as if berating the young woman.

With a soft squeak, she jumped back from the flower when the door opened to reveal a set of twin maids with long black hair, looking rather disinterested in the young woman at the door. Akiko took a chance to glance around suspiciously, wondering if the twins were playing a prank on her. "How can we help you, ma'am?" they said in unison, fake smiles plastered on their faces.

"Um…I'm here to see the Hitachiin brothers. I was told they were expecting guests." She hugged her arms around herself and tried to appear more confident than she felt.

Giving sidelong glances to each other, they gave her a closed-eyed smile and gestured her into the house. "Right this way, young miss…"

"Ah! Miyamura Akiko. I apologize." She gave a slight bow, allowing herself to be ushered inside and into a nearby parlor used to greet guests.

"Will the rest of the host club be coming shortly, Miyamura-san?" they asked.

Prying her eyes off the cream-colored room that looked like something out of a home magazine, she said, "Yes. I believe within the hour."

"Very well. Then, we shall inform Hitachiin-sama and the young masters about your arrival." They bowed, leaving her standing in the center of the room.

"Hitachiin-sama?" she repeated to herself, setting her bag by one of the loveseats on the floor, afraid to set it on top in case it was to wrinkle the fabric or stain it with something she didn't even know was on the bottom of the bag.

The couches were cream too, matching the walls, but inlaid with a fine green silk; leaves embroidered so delicately that they might have landed there in early spring and just sunk in. The white curtains were linen, the kind of white that was untouched by hands and devoid of dust. There was no television, no bookshelves, no dining table, only the couches and chairs arranged around a spotless, unused fireplace. The only tables were the ones in easy reach of every seat with coasters that looked like they'd never been laid out. The walls were lined with photographs, not casual family snaps taken by doting parents, but of those that looked like they were taken by a professional. Each and every one was a picture of the twins, as babies, at a birthday party, carefully planned and devoid of smiles.

Every detail spoke volumes. It wasn't home filled with vacation memories; it was just a house. "A cage," she whispered to herself, caressing the twins picture with her index finger.

"Miss Miyamura," an aged voice spoke behind her, causing her to whirl around to meet a handsome middle-aged man with a goatee and dark, tousled hair, dressed casually in polo t-shirt and jeans. He had a warm smile that reminded her much of Kaoru and a genuineness that made her visibly relax. A surprised chuckle escaped him. "My goodness. Has anyone told you that you look exactly like your mother when she was about your age?"

Akiko's brows furrowed, clutching a hand to her chest. "My mother?" Her expression turned somber. "I…wouldn't know, sir. I've never been able to put a face to my mother."

This seemed to come as a shock to the strange man. "Surely, you have some photos of your mother laying around? Sousuke-kun hoarded everything from photos to buttons."

She tamped down on the little flare of defensiveness she felt and shook her head gently. "My father doesn't keep any photos of her around, I'm afraid – except, perhaps, their wedding photo, but I can't recall the last time I saw that particular item."

The lightness in the older man's eyes seemed to fade a bit, his body tense. "I see…that's…quite unlike him," he spoke more to himself than Akiko, as if lost in thought. And in a flash, the tender smile returned. "Ah, forgive me. I haven't introduced myself. I'm Hikaru and Kaoru's father."

"Oh! I'm so sorry for not realizing it sooner. It's a pleasure to meet you." She bowed gratefully, clutching her hands together nervously. "If you don't mind me asking, sir, how do you know my parents?"

Before stepping into the parlor, he called out toward a maid to bring some tea and joined Akiko by a chair across from where she stood. He made a gesture for her to sit as he did and leaned back into the seat, legs crossed and arms resting on his knees. "Your father and I were never particularly close, but your mother and I were – since children, in fact. She introduced me to my wife if you could actually believe it." A wistful sigh escaped him. "We remained close until the time she met your father. I'm afraid certain…circumstances caused us to drift apart. My wife still tries to remain close to her memory, which is why she works with your step-mother on occasion."

Words escaped Akiko. She sat there as still as stone. Her eyes and her mouth were frozen wide open in an expression of stunned surprise, and although she was staring straight at the twins' father she appeared not to notice him at all. She had never known of her mother until now. And it never mattered before because why dwell on a woman who she had never even heard a word from? But it came as a shock to hear so much about the woman who birthed her. She existed. She was real. And Akiko found herself wanting to know more, wanting to discover perhaps why she was so different from her own family.

As if sensing her enthusiasm, the twins' father laughed, his deep chuckle lifting the spirit of the room. His face had a softness even when it came to rest as if he lacked the inner bitterness of the others in their world. "I can tell you a thing or two before the other guests arrive, if you'd like that?" he asked gently.

She was giddy with excitement, eager, and felt more alive than she had ever thought possible. All the mundane worries of her life as the eldest had been muted by just those few words and all there was to know about was this moment. No worrying about the past, no anxiety about the future. She was gone, stuck in time. A smile cracked her face and she spoke a hidden plea, "That would be lovely."

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Kaoru mumbled under his breath as he marched his way down the stairs, the dull day finally causing a strain on him more than he had hoped. With Hikaru growing just as snappy from being trapped indoors for the entire day, Kaoru left him to his own devices and decided that he needed a break. Or more so, his stomach had decided that for him. He convinced himself that he had to make it down to the kitchens anyway since Kyoya-senpai and the others would be stopping by in less than thirty minutes. He had to be fueled in order to deal with Tamaki-senpai, after all.

His hunger was forgotten when he heard a woman's voice and his father's laughter while he was still halfway down the stairs from his parent's parlor. He sighed. Of course, his father would be the one to come after having heard that one of them was sick, if only just to make sure Hikaru was comfortable. Yet, he hadn't even popped in to check, so Kaoru assumed that he must've been home for another reason altogether. No matter; he'd say a simple greeting and be in and out in a moment.

When he rounded the corner at the bottom of the steps, he found a rather unexpected tableau that caused the air to speed from Kaoru's lungs on a fast exhale. His father sat on his usual single chair and was the picture that Kaoru was normally familiar with – leaning back into the seat with a book and cup of tea nearby. What he was not familiar with was the company from his unexpected guest.

Miyamura Akiko sat directly opposite of his father, hands propped up by a plump pillow that rested on her lap. She looked wonderfully flushed, willowy, and…beautiful. He stared at them a moment, finding himself utterly mesmerized by the woman on the chair.

He hardly recognized her with her state of attire, which was casual, light boyfriend jeans with a button up, blue blouse. Or with her bangs pulled to one side in a French braid that was held in place with a flower pin just above her ear. It would be the first time he noticed her short hair had a slight wave. She always seemed to dress much more conservatively and immaculate, in long, proper dresses, with hair straightened to perfection, and makeup kept at a minimum, so the sight was so foreign.

Of course, as with all proper breeding in Ouran, Akiko was amiable, but it was a quiet beauty, something that had to be sought out or noticed. Something that could easily be overlooked. So, it was not her physical appearance that Kaoru found so captivating. There was something…solid about her. Something sturdy, strong, unforgiving, unsentimental, determined, and genuine. In just a matter of two days, she was somehow changed. She sat up straighter and unafraid, unwilling to cower in the company of the unknown. And the sight was absolutely breathtaking.

His father was the first to notice him but didn't say anything and just smiled at him in his tender, enigmatic way – as if he had seen straight through him, to his innermost thoughts and desires. Seeing parts of him that even he didn't know or understand quite yet. Maybe someday, Kaoru could ask him to explain them to him because he felt more and more tangled up recently.

Then, the moment was gone when Akiko saw him and paled. She shot up instantly, pillow toppling over to the floor and then struggled to catch it, putting it neatly back onto the couch and gestured for it to stay there. She blushed deeply at her clumsiness. "H-Hitachiin-san, I apologize for coming unannounced. Kyoya-kun invited me and…I just realized how rude it was to accept an invitation from someone who doesn't even own the house," she rambled on, if possible growing ten shades darker. "I heard from Kyoya-kun that your brother had fallen so ill that he was bedridden because of the rain and since you were out stuck in the rain too, I wanted to make sure that you hadn't gotten sick as well." She quickly reached down for the bag and held it out in front of her in a slight bow, head hanging. "I bought some treats for Hikaru-san…but in hindsight… I suppose it was foolish of me because I don't even know what he does and doesn't like. I promise it's not an orange-soda bottle filled with hot sauce. I doubt he'll ever get better if I give him that."

Kaoru looked at the woman, eyes wide with amazement. He suddenly became aware that he was smiling at her in what was almost certainly a silly way, with cheeks tinged pink and heated. Shaking himself out of his stupor, he focused on the bag, taking it from her grasp. "He'll appreciate it – well, not that he'll ever let you know that he actually does." He tried to keep his tone light so that she would know he was only teasing.

He risked one more glance at his father to find him still smiling at him in that infuriating way he did. Oh, and now the maids had joined in, lovely. He should have them fired.

"I'll see to it that there are enough treats prepared for you and your guests," the twins' father offered suddenly, calling the two out of their thoughts by taking the bag from Kaoru. When Akiko looked over he had an odd, enigmatic grin on his face. Kaoru decided that he didn't really like that smile; it was conniving like he knew a secret. It was a look that had become synonymous with a joke being played on him. "Why don't you show her around until your friends arrive, Kaoru?"

When he directed his attention to Akiko, she was beaming, which, damnit, wasn't making the situation any better. "Can we take a tour?"

"No—yes. Yes. I mean, yes," he amended quickly, fighting the rising heat that he suddenly felt crawling up his back and neck. Coughing into his fist, he straightened, towering over her by a few inches. "Why don't we start with the library? This way." He whirled around on his heel, forging his way through the smiling maids and leaving Akiko to hurry after him.

.

.

The library was more impressive than she had expected it to be, given that she didn't take the Hitachiin family to be concerned with things as trivial as books. Row after row of neatly lined up books with their spines facing outward, color-coded with dots, fiction section arranged in alphabetical order, magazine collections, and books on fashion with low shelves and floor cushions, comfortable leather armchairs, tables for quiet study, and a comfortable, muffled stillness that permeated the room.

She gestured questioningly to a section of the library that had books stacked liked dominoes. Kaoru laughed. "Ah, that was to make trouble for the maids," he said sheepishly.

She gave him a pointed look, with the corner of her mouth upturned. "Do you get a kick at terrorizing people for fun?"

He shrugged. "Do you get a kick out of criticizing other people's hobbies?"

Giving him a delighted laugh, she took another turn about the room, observing the titles closely as Kaoru crossed his arms, lounging against the doorway. He felt the need to add, "Um, sorry about the mess. No one comes in here that often, and I honestly didn't expect to be giving a tour."

She glanced about and looked back at him. "I can imagine that." She walked towards him and cupped her hand in a conspiratorial whisper, "Your brother can read, yes? I'd hate to discover a family secret as disastrous as that."

It surprised a chuckle from him, causing him to mask his mouth. "If you ask him, he'd probably argue that he reads enough from video games alone. Though his grades in our language arts class would say otherwise." They held each other's gaze for a heartbeat before he asked abruptly, "Would you like to see my mom's workshop here?"

Her eyes brightened a shade and she practically jumped in her spot. "Yes!" She cleared her throat, trying to appear calm. "I mean, yes. Please. I absolutely adore your mother's fashion line. I almost wore one of her dresses here tonight. What about you?" She tilted her head curiously.

"Uh, no—no. I'm afraid I'd look just plain terrible in my mother's dresses," he said casually, earning a beautiful bubble of laughter and a light push as they continued the rest of their tour.

.

.

Their trip to his mother's workshop within the cottage had been more amusing than he had expected. Akiko had been strangely entranced by the items of clothing left half done on the mannequins, especially the ruffled dress that their mother had left unfinished. She was inquisitive and asked questions that soon outstripped his soundly vast knowledge of the trade. Nonetheless, he tried to keep up with all her questions, more than bemused at her interest.

Soon they left for the last place on their tour, the gardens. Bringing her to the gardens had been purely on impulse. But he found that after watching her praise his knowledge and experience, he was actually enjoying their time together and was reluctant to have it end so soon. So, he somehow instinctively found himself guiding her to his place of solitude, a paved trail through the rose garden.

He could almost laugh at the thought. Of all the greatness of Karuizawa, this particular garden was Kaoru's favorite. It stretched on for acres and each part of it had a different theme and design, crafted by his grandmother, yet through their differences, they intertwined well with each other.

He fell into a sort of leisurely pace, following shortly behind Akiko as he watched her trace her fingers over the petals of the flowers they passed in a light caress. He began to ponder on the enigma that was Akiko, a woman he had hardly ever spoken to and only accompanied once on an outing, yet she felt the need to rush over to assure that his brother was well. And him, he reminded himself. She said she came for him too. He liked that about her. That she had a kind of brutal honesty that would have tested most friendships, but he greatly appreciated the change.

He had a passing thought sometimes that she wasn't made for their world. She was generous to a fault…with both her time, feelings, and possessions. Her loyalty to those who stuck around with her was fierce if she deemed them worthy enough. He wondered why, then, was he worthy enough to be given this moment?

He hadn't realized he had stopped walking until she had turned around, tilting her head at him. "Hitachiin-san?" she asked softly.

"Miyamura-senpai, if I may ask…" his tongue bit back the words. He didn't want to seem too eager. Too hopeful. But he asked anyway, "How did you figure that I was Kaoru when I walked into the parlor?"

The easiness of the moment dissipated as she took a while to respond. She could've been honest with him. She could tell him that she knew from just the way his presence changed the atmosphere of the room, but she wanted to let him allow her into his world at his own pace. They didn't have many decisions to make on their own in their world, so she wanted to make sure he could at least make this one. So, her lips were tight, a grimace as she said, "Kyoya-kun did mention that Hikaru was near bedridden. I just figured he wouldn't be walking around. Another process of elimination, I suppose."

Kaoru felt her words bite into him. It confused him. He should be relieved, should be happy, should have expected this. After all, he wasn't ready. Or so he thought. But instead his fingers chilled, and his stomach dropped. Of course, he was asking too much of her. He had only spoken to her a handful of times. That wasn't nearly enough time for her to catch on to who he was, to see his soul. He couldn't expect her to watch him in the way that he watched her. She wasn't perfect, and she wasn't Haruhi.

"Right. Stupid question," Kaoru tried to keep his tone light, teasing. He smiled weakly and plowed on through the garden, wanting to hide from his humiliation. They walked in silence for a minute or two while Kaoru sorted out his own feelings.

He guided her down another path and beneath another archway. They had reached a good distance from his mother's workshop and were now near the French doors that opened out into the living room. The smell of food making its way out from the open doors was smothered by the scent of roses of the garden. "This is my grandmother's garden," he said after a time. "And it's her most prized possession out of all the ones she's worked on, so I can proudly say its always kept prank-free. We don't want a bounty set on us or anything."

Her blue eyes gleamed. "You and your brother have a wonderful relationship." He noted it wasn't a question. He watched as she flicked the red petal of one flower. "I'm a little envious."

"Do you and your sister not have a good relationship?" Reaching past her to get a small set of shears, he nipped the rose and made a sign to hand it to her.

Taking it gratefully, she petted the petals. "We do. Or used to, anyway. We've drifted in recent years when my step-mother trained her to pursue a fortune and now that taking over part of the company has fallen onto her lap."

"Would you have wanted it to fall into your lap instead?"

"Oh goodness, no," she said with a slow shake of her head and sighed a large sigh. "How boring to be heiress to a multimillion dollar company," she continued, scrunching up her nose in disgust. "All those drab business meetings and summits filled with old, talking mustaches and tuxedo-baboons focused on raving disputes. Having to have everything decided for you at every time of the day, with a circular logic of getting more money for the sake of buying things that require more money to keep." She stuck out her tongue. "No. I'd much rather have nothing to do with it, to fade into the shadows. To be unnoticed and unimportant. To learn what it is to live and not just exist."

A thin silence stretched between them as she waited for his reaction. He was far too flummoxed, too confused, too surprised to come up with a proper reply. And slowly, he saw her deflate a little. She tucked the rose into her shirt pocket and dusted the non-existent dirt off of her jeans nervously. Suddenly, the sounds of Tamaki screaming could be heard in the distance outside of the living room doors, and Akiko took this as her cue to end the conversation. "I'm sorry, Hitachiin-san. That was forward of me," she said a little sadly and made her way up the steps to the living room.

"Kaoru," he managed quickly when she was almost to the doorway.

She turned and arched a dainty brow. "I'm sorry?"

"Um—You can call me Kaoru. If…if you catch on that it's me, that is. I'm not used to being so formal with guests of the host club," he lied pathetically, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Her mouth tilted up into a pretty but crooked smile as she nodded her head. "Then you should call me Akiko so that I may be able to tell which one of you is which more easily, don't you think?" She shrugged one shoulder, a tease. "Senpai, of course."

A grin crept across his face as he inclined his head. "Of course, Akiko-senpai."

Their eyes held each other's for a moment before Kyoya called out to her, causing her to turn back to the door and join the other members of the host club.

.

.

The get-together had gone on without a hitch, only temporarily dampening Kaoru's mood as Akiko was once again whisked away by Kyoya and kept within a safe and controlled distance. Although, he didn't seem to mind her occasionally engaging in conversations with Kaoru as much as he used to. Instead, Kaoru sometimes caught him wearing that same, annoying grin as his father did whenever he tried to talk to Akiko.

His mood greatly improved when Haruhi spent most of the afternoon by his side. Well, that could have been due to the fact that he hadn't left Hikaru's side and Haruhi was currently being a mother hen. It was humorous to see both Tamaki and Haruhi reprimanding Hikaru whenever he tried to get out of bed – like doting parents, he thought. And for the first time in a long time, the sight didn't bother him all that much. They fell into a pattern of familiarity throughout the night as the host club watched a series of horror movies at the twins' insistence and scared Tamaki on more than on occasion. Before he had even noticed, the clock had already struck midnight. And thus, the familiar spell of home was broken as everyone got ready to depart…

Kaoru leaned against the frame of the door as he watched Akiko descend the steps with the other members of the host club. And he somehow felt lighter when she caught his eye before disappearing into the car that was to escort them all home.

"Well…father likes her." A voice said from behind him, followed by a short cough.

Kaoru groaned. "I told you it wasn't like that, Hikaru. Besides, we've only recently started talking just two days ago. It's a little premature for you to be planning an engagement, isn't it?"

Hikaru shrugged. "If you say so." He grinned crookedly. "Yet, you've only really gotten close to her just two days ago and are already giving her romantic tours through the rose garden and are on a first name basis, according to the rumors from the maids. I'd be surprised if there wasn't an engagement announcement by the end of the week." And before he could spur Kaoru to move, he turned and bolted up the steps, laughing hysterically through his coughs and forcing a blushing Kaoru to chase after him.

A/N: I admit, Kaoru and Akiko's interactions are so difficult for me to write as compared to Kyoya's. Kaoru is not in love with Akiko, yet. We still got some ways to go! And you'll also find that Hikaru might be maturing a little faster than in the manga, simply because I think that Hikaru is the type of person who is willing to put his stubbornness and harsh opinions aside if he knows that Kaoru is passionate about something.

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