One day. I had this one shot at getting Zakia to open up to Hikaru and I. I couldn't waste it.

Haruhi seemed somewhat confused when we all showed up together. But she smiled anyways. My heart didn't speed up or skip like it used a few months ago. My crush was over.

"Hey, guys."

"Heyo," Zakia said, taking the seat she'd sat in yesterday.

"What's up?" Furukia asked, scooting her desk right next to Zakia's and plopping their bag on the floor between their legs.

"Not much. I was kind of wondering where Hikaru and Kaoru were since they're normally here not long after me. Did you guys share a limo this morning?"

"We shared a house last night," Zakia said, glaring over at me.

"Really?" Haruhi asked slowly.

"Yeah. We're all boys," Furukia said.

Haruhi got the message. Nothing had happened.

"Kaoru, this double talk is confusing," Hikaru told me quietly. We were still standing by the door. I was just shocked by the twins' response to Haruhi. They didn't bat an eye at talking to her. But if I so much as looked at Zakia, she glowered at me until I looked away.

"It's pretty simple, really. Zakia and Furukia told Haruhi we stayed the night, and she asked if anything happened. The twins said no," I said response to Hikaru's unasked question. "You've spent some time alone with Furukia. Does she treat you like Zakia does me?"

"No. She's really quiet and shy. We haven't really talked much."

"So why am I having so many problems with this girl? I'm a host, for crying out loud. Why can't I bring her closer? I just want to be friends."

"Just friends? Really? Kaoru, I know you better than that."

"If just friends is all I can get, just friends it will have to be. She doesn't even want to talk to me."

"Kaoru, Hikaru!" Zakia called.

"She's making the effort for a day. You've got to give her that. Don't waste it. We promised ourselves we wouldn't let them be alone anymore. Whether they like it or not, it's not them against the world anymore."

She just thinks we're trying to play them. So, the first thing to do is show her I'm serious.

I followed Hikaru to where he was sitting next to Furukia. When Zakia looked up and saw me, she smiled.

Now that. That makes my heart skip a little bit. Why do I already like her this much? She's right. I've known her for twenty four hours.

"Aren't you going to sit down?" she asked.

I sat stiffly in the chair that was pushed to the back of my legs.

"Kaoru, relax. I said I'm giving you a day, so I'm giving you a day. Don't make me regret it."

This was a whole other side of Zakia I'd never seen. Tamaki had been right in making her rose color black. How had he seen so much about her without even knowing her true gender?

"I'm sorry, it's just...so different from yesterday."

"Trust me. If you don 't blow today, you get tomorrow, too. Each day you don't hurt me, I give you the next day. So, if you what you said this morning is true, you'll be seeing me like this a lot more."

"Why are you so okay with talking Haruhi but not me?"

"Haruhi is just that person. It doesn't matter who you are, or what your past is, she's willing to talk."

"I've been trying to get you to talk. You don't want to talk to me."

"It's because I knew what they were without having to be told. You two just kind of stumbled in on them," Haruhi explained.

"We apologized for that!"

Zakia and Furukia just mirrored each others' tired expression. For Zakia in particular, it'd already been a long morning.

"You know, it's adorable when you blush," I whispered in Zakia's ear. Partially, it was just a tease, but it really was cute when she blushed.

"I think I said stop playing us, play boy. It's going to take more than whispered compliments that mean nothing to convince us," she said, even with a blush rising to her cheeks.

Furukia burst out laughing next to her and Hikaru grinned.

"Well, to convince me, anyways. Why has my sister been acting so weird the last few days. Normally we're thinking so in sync, we can be reading different books and be hearing what the other is reading in our mind."

"That's impossible, isn't it?"

"No, it's called, like, telekinesis, or telepathy, or something. It's actually fairly common between twins, but the development of the ability depends on how often and in what ways and at what distances you use it."

"It's telepathy."

"Look at you, all smart and stuff."

I blushed. I couldn't help it. My brother was the only one who'd ever commented on my mind, mostly when I came up with a particularly tricky plan or in front of clients at the club. No one had ever just said I was smart for something I just said or did. Just for being the way I really was.

Kyoya had noticed my maturity and intellect, but we rarely talked alone, with Tamaki and Hikaru always around. Honey tended to act as a kind of mentor to me, but he wouldn't understand my sudden feelings for a girl I'd just met. Hikaru had fallen for Haruhi almost on sight, so it was little surprise to me that he'd fallen for Zakia's sister so quickly.

Why was Furukia's sister so quick to leave her sister behind and be around my brother? Especially with as close of a relationship as they'd always had. Perhaps she was trying to force her sister to branch out some.

"What are you thinking about, Kaoru?"

"Nothing in particular," I said as a reflex. Only when Zakia's hurt look registered before she turned back to her sister did my head clear. It wasn't Hikaru who had asked, Hikaru who wouldn't understand. This was Zakia, who I had a day to try to convince to give me a chance at being her friend.

"Wait! I'm sorry. It's a reflex. Um..."

She looked at me with big, green eyes. I couldn't focus when she was looking at me...

I glanced at the clock. Class would start in five minutes, and then there was club. We wouldn't leave school until somewhere around seven. Wait, club.

"You're still coming to the club today, aren't you?"

The question seemed to catch her off guard. Behind that, there was dissapointment. She'd honestly wanted to know what my thoughts had been.

"Furukia may want to, but I don't. The last few days, it seems Furukia and I are growing apart, and I really don't know what to do. I feel like my last connection to everything is being cut slowly, and painfully."

"Like you're not yourself anymore. Like a part of you has been cut off."

"Kind of. Except, it's more like I've lost my arms. I feel like I can't do anything without her. I've always relied on her to help me through things. She's always spoken for me when I couldn't fine the words. The past few days, I've been trying to figure out what to say, but I just don't know."

"She may be feeling kind of lost, herself. You two have just moved here from England, and are living with your mother again. You've been pulled into the Host Club, which nothing easy to get used to, and your whole lives have been upended. She just needs things to calm down. You both do."

"With you and Hikaru around, I'm not sure things ever will," she said, looking wistfully at her sister, who was now in a very animated conversation with my brother and one of the frequent guests of the club.

"You want to get out of here?"

"What do you mean?"

Two minutes to the bell. After that, the teacher would be here in three minutes.

"Do you want to leave, go somewhere else?"

Zakia glanced around the crowded room, then again at our siblings. She sighed.

"The offer is nice, Kaoru, but I've known you for twenty-four hours. I really should barely know your name at this point. But I already know so much more. Not today. Give it a week or so. I want to at least see if things can calm down, and if my sister and I can get back to the way we used to be."

"I hope you aren't completely the way you used to be. This is hard enough without getting double teamed on."

The corners of her lips quirked up slightly, but that was all I got.

"Please come to the club? Give it another day?"

"No."

"Come on. You gave me another day. And you and your sister are going to be very good entertainers."

"How can you tell?"

"Because you can drive Hikaru and I speechless. So, will you?"

She thought for a moment.

"Fine."

The bell tolled. Too late to cut out and leave. But I'd gotten her to come to the club. That was a little more time for the day.

I pulled out notes for Hikaru and I, and Furukia gave Zakia hers. Peeking up at the teacher, I tore an extra peice out and jotted down a note to Zakia.

What is England like?

I folded it up and pushed it under my arm so it fell on her chair next to her free hand. She was left handed. She picked up the paper, also watching the teacher carefully before unfolding and reading it.

She turned the paper more towards her sister than me, so I couldn't see her reply. She folded it up and held it for a few moments while the teacher was facing us. When her back turned, she dropped it in my lap.

All the buildings in London were made of bricks, and had turned brown from the waste from the factories. The sky was always a funny color from smog, and the crowds were enormous. People from all over the world, speaking all sorts of languages wandered the streets. But, I liked it the most when Furukia and I got away from London. We tried to go somewhere every weekend. Getting out of the city, we could see blue skies, white clouds, and feel warm sunshine during the day. At night, we could see billions of stars in a deep, black-blue sky, and a silver lined moon. When we were in London, at night we would ride our bikes when it was late and the streets were mostly quiet. It was strange, seeing the city so empty.

I hadn't expected a reply like that. It was pretty personal to her. I would treasure anything personal she would give me.

Did or do you still drink a lot of tea?

When she read this, it made her laugh.

"Something funny, Furukia Notoski?"

"I'm Zakia."

"Answer the question."

"Nothing, ma'am. Only something I was recalling about a story one of my foster parents once told me."

"What was this story about?"

"The Boston Tea Party."

"I see. As we will soon be discussing the event this unit, perhaps you'd like to write a paper about it for me?"

Zakia hesitated. I thought she may just tell her about the note, but instead she said something very surprising.

"I'm not very good at writing papers. But I could write it in a song for you. I could even play an instrument."

This seemed to surprise the teacher as well.

"That's an idea, young sir. An idea, indeed. All of you are to use one of your special talents to write your papers this unit. This is an experiment. Perhaps, if it goes well, we may not have to listen to so many essays most of you don't care about."

The whole class's gaze turned towards the five Host Club members in the back corner of the room.

Zakia and Furukia fidgeted, being in the spotlight. Then the whole class broke out in cheers. A couple of girls who were Hikaru's and I's regular customers noticed our closeness to the twins, and their gazes narrowed some. The girls always got so jealous of the hosts spending time with others, even if it was other hosts.

When the class settled again, Zakia handed me a note back. I also hadn't expected this. I thought she might be too embarrassed.

Yes, Furukia and I both drink a lot of tea. It's a big part of English culture. We've heard it is part of Japanese formalities. Is that true?

Yes. Though we only use it for formalities or to give something a little more posh. Like we serve tea in the Host Club. Do you and Furukia have a favorite kind of tea?

We like plain tea fine, and we drink it with lunch a lot. In the mornings with breakfast, we like to have Moroccan Mint green tea. But my favorite flavored tea is Honeybush Vanilla herbal tea. It's more of a commoner's flavor, but it's the way I grew up.

What's your favorite kind of plain tea?

This was good. She wasn't referring to her sister as much. I was getting her to talk. And I was listening to just her, not to them.

I like Dragonwell green tea.

Have you really never tried soda?

No. None of our foster failies ever gave us any, and before that, we lived with our mother. We didn't have much money and couldn't afford extra things. She used to be a really fun person. But, I think we've lost the mother we once knew.

As the day wore on, we kept passing notes, but I learned nothing else. She was closing up again. By the time class was over, she was giving me the shortest answers she could manage.

Note to self: avoid the topic of mother, or family in general. Sister only.

But, before, when the bell had rang for lunch, we'd eaten in the classroom. Hikaru and I had to go get our food, but Haruhi, Zakia, and Furukia had all brought lunches from home.

As soon as I had walked back in with my tray, Zakia had run up to me.

"Kaoru, you should try this. You were asking me about teas earlier, and this is my favorite plain tea."

"The..." I searched my mind, recalling the name of the tea. "The Dragonwell green tea?"

"Yeah." She smiled. She was glad I'd remembered.

She put a straw to my lips that was in her thermos, and I took a sip. The tea was still fairly warm, but pleasantly so. It had a cool, dewy type of flavor. It reminded me of the air in a forest after it had rained.

"That's really good."

"I know," she said, another smile lighting up her face. That smile was really cute...

"Could I try some?" Hikaru asked. She offered him the thermos as well. I could tell by his face he didn't care for it.

"It tastes like grass!"

She shrugged and sat by her sister again. I sat by her, stealing another sip of her tea before she could take a drink. She gave me a puzzled look, but shrugged it off and sipped her tea. She didn't even bother wiping the straw off. I didn't know if it was because she was used to people trying her drinks, or what. Maybe...

No, Kaoru. Don't even finish that thought. No way. She's barely talking to you right now. You've known her for a day. Get a grip on yourself!

My thoughts drifted away from tea and back to what I was supposed to be doing. My brother was saying something about a dream I'd once had. I'd never actually had the dream, it was just an act for the girls in front of us.

"Hikaru, I told you not to tell them that..." I said, frowning and blushing at my brother.

"I'm sorry. But it was just so cute when you told me about it..." he said, pulling me closer by my chin.

"I forgive you," I whispered.

This drove the girls nuts. Well, most of the girls. Haruhi was busy with her clients. But she'd always just found mine and Hikaru's act to be stupid. A little ways away, Zakia and Furukia were spinning a wild tale for their group of three. Something about ancient dragons and knights. But as I caught Zakia's eye, she rolled hers. She thought the acts were stupid, too. But, underneath that, I got the vague sense that she was irked with me again.

Why can't I figure her out? She's right. I'm normally a player. This should be easy. But, it isn't.

When club hours had finally ended, Zakia seemed to keep herself busy, and Hikaru and I kept getting pulled over by Tamaki to help clean up. With nine of us, the work went quickly. We were done by five-thirty, an hour and a half faster than it had taken before Zakia, Furukia, and Haruhi joined us.

"Alright, I want everybody here for lunch tomorrow. We have some things to discuss."

After Tamaki had spoken, the door sounded. Hikaru and I turned. The twins were gone. We ran out after them. This day wasn't over yet, and I had a gift for Zakia.

Furukia was waiting outside by the door. So, she had left her sister for my brother, for the time being. Zakia must be more hurt now than ever.

I ran faster, easily getting ahead of the other two. I had a gut instinct telling me that Zakia wasn't leaving the school. She was trying a different escape method. Disappearing. I followed the directions my feet took me, not giving it a second thought. Something in me knew where to go.

When I came to the entrance to the gardens, I followed the mazes of hedges, trees, flowers, and shrubs along stone paths. When I came to a cliff, all I could do was stare. The view was breathtaking. Stars were beginning to shine overhead as the sun faded, and the moon rose. I took my phone out for a picture.

There was a sniffle, and a small hiccup before some coughing.

Turning to my right some, I saw a large, thick trunked tree with several low branches. One of them faced the cliff, and towards the end of the branch, was a fork. Sitting in the fork was Zakia, knees drawn up to her chest, arms resting over them. She was staring out over the earth and the beautiful horizon.

"Don't fall," I said.

She wasn't startled, so she'd heard me come up. How couldn't she? This place was so peaceful, and I'd been noisy.

"Did you just stumble up on this place?"

"I was trying to find someplace high and far away. This place is perfect for both. It was better when I was alone, though."

"Why is that? Isn't beauty more fun when it is shared?"

"I hate people seeing me cry. It makes me feel weak. Even in front of Furukia, I try not to cry. She weeps openly, but I never did. Not when our mother left, not when we moved. Not all the times we've changed homes, lost a friend, or a pet. I try to hide the pain these things bring. Instead, I use the pain as a defense, a shield. Something to put around me, so others don't want to come near."

"Why are you crying?"

"I don't want to talk about it," she said, turning her face further from me. Light from the fading sun caight the tears streaking down her face.

I carefully crawled up into the tree. She scooted so that she was facing the inside, sitting on the left of the fork. I sat on the right, our knees bumping each other's.

"Why did you follow me, Kaoru?"

"Because I wanted to make sure you're alright, and you're not. What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"You wouldn't be crying then."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"It'll make you feel better."

"No, it won't."

"It's your sister, isn't it?" I asked, following the guess I had made earlier.

"Yes."

"What's wrong with your sister?"

"I was right. She really is pulling away from me. She stayed to wait for Hikaru, rather than come with me. She isn't acting like my sister. I feel so lost."

"Well, you've got me to hold you together, then."

She hiccuped and laughed at me. When she saw my expression, that just made her laugh harder.

"Furukia is the corny romance girl. Me, I don't believe in love like that. You can love your family, if they prove themselves. And that's about it."

"You don't believe in love?"

"Why should I? Most guys can't tell Furukia and I apart. Neither can most girls. All of our so called friends didn't know the first thing about us. Nobody except Furukia has proven herself, and I've proven myself to her. We love each other. But, I think I might have done something, because Furukia doesn't seem to love me anymore. And I'm all alone now. I've lost the only person I've ever cared about, and the world seems empty without her."

"I told you this morning. Just give youselves some time. I'm sure within a week, your sister will be speaking for you again," I said.

"Why do you sound so sad?"

"Because then I won't get to talk to you anymore. Not the real you. Not like we're talking now."

"Why do you care, Kaoru?"

"I don't know," I said honestly. I dropped my gaze to our touching knees and dangling feet.

I remembered one of the main reasons I hadn't wanted this day to be over yet.

"I have a present for you," I said, pulling the orange rose from it's safe place in my pocket.

"One of your roses?"

"Yes." I held it out to her.

"I won't accept it, Kaoru. Your club roses are as meaningless as your words in the Host Club are."

"Why?"

"Because I watch you and Hikaru give one to almost every girl that speaks with you at the club. Furukia and I each only gave out one rose, both to Yuramei."

"I'm sorry you feel that way. The Boss says to give them out freely to customers. He says it adds charm."

"It does, when you do it for the right reasons, in the right way."

"So, now, the only time I've ever done it for the right reasons, and in a right way, you won't accept my rose?"

"Not that rose. The club is completely artificial. I don't want my life to be artificial."

"Well, then you have to come with me."

"Now?"

"Right now."

"Where are we going?"

I didn't answer as I climbed down from the branch.

"Jump. I'll catch you."

She didn't seem to trust me, but she must have wanted the pleasure of the thrill coming down, because she jumped. I caught her, her hands on my shoulders and mine on her waist. I set her down slowly. She was about three inches shorter than Hikaru and I.

"Now what?" she whispered.

We could both sense we were balanced on a tightrope right now. We could fall either way, or we could keep the balance. For now, I wanted to keep the balance. I didn't want to fall alone.

"Come on!" I said, pulling her behind me by her arm. She ran a little faster, and dropped her hand into mine, instead.

I looked down at our hands. I slowed to a stop. Zakia blinked a couple of times, really registering the sight. Our fingers interlocked, palms together. We were holding hands. Zakia's hand was soft, but held mine surely. And her hands weren't soft like she used lotion, either. Just soft skin.

When my gaze reeturned to her face, Zakia was looking away, blushing. Her black hair blew around her face in a breeze.

"So, where are we going?" she asked quietly.

"Right. Come on."

She let go of my hand and just ran after me. I kind of missed her hand in mine.

I took her to my favorite part of the garden. Here, every host's rose color was present. Even Zakia and Furukia's, I noticed with happy surprise.

"Roses."

"Roses," I repeated.

I picked the most beautiful orange rose I could see. I'd dropped the one from the club back by the tree.

"Will you accept this rose?" I asked her.

She stared at the flower with those green, green eyes. Her hand slowly reached out and she took the rose. She put it in her hair, behind her ear.

"Thanks, Kaoru."

Zakia glanced around the roses for a moment. Then she picked a black one and put it in my jacket pocket, so the flower stuck out.

"There. I hope that's okay, even though you're a boy."

"It's fine," I said, looking up towards the sky, trying no to let her see me blush.

She smiled, and for some reason, my heart skipped a little. Why did I feel this way? How could I already feel this way?

"Kaoru!" Hikaru called.

"Zakia, Zakia, where are you?"

Zakia looked at me, a wicked grin brightening her eyes. She grabbed my hand and ran back the way we'd come, towards the cliff and the tree.

Now, with the sun down, the sky was completely filled with stars. It looked like if you were to jump off the cliff, you'd just fly away into space.

We crawled up the tree, going higher than before. But there was no need. Furukia and Hikaru didn't come out here, or even come in sight. The place Kaoru and I had found was our secret.

"Why are we hiding? I thought you wanted to block me out?"

"I do. Sort of. You earned tomorrow. But that's beside the point right now. I love playing tricks on my sister. Most of the times she wins, but with a Hitachiin on my side, I can't lose."

"Normally, I'm the mature one between Hikaru and I, but since you and Furukia got here, Hikaru has been pretty level headed."

"What's your point?"

"It's been a while since I acted truely childish just for fun."

"It's about time you got back into practice then, isn't it?" she said, her grin spreading.

It was intoxicating, and a grin spread across my face, as well.

"Zakia!"

"Kaoru!"

The calls faded and Zakia and I dropped back out of the tree. This time, she didn't jump and let me catch her.

We snuck back through the maze of the gardens and inside the school. We sprinted around until we came to the front doors, narrowly avoiding hitting Tamaki and Kyoya on the way.

"Where's the fire?" Tamaki asked.

"We're playing a trick on Furukia."

Tamaki's face was covered in confusion, probably from seeing one of each pair of twins together without their other halves.

"So, that makes you Hikaru," he guessed.

"Kaoru. Sorry, Boss. Wrong again."

Glancing at Kyoya before running after Zakia, I saw the smallest of smiles on his face. Why was he happy? He never smiled like that...

Suddenly, a new prank came to mind that Hikaru and I could never pull off. But, with Zakia and Furukia, we might be able to.

Zakia had climbed into her limo by the time I caught up.

"So, I earned another day?"

"You did. But you're not coming home with me."

"You can't tell me you didn't enjoy seeing me this morning."

"You're so full of yourself sometimes," she said, laughing.

Furukia and Hikaru found us like that, Zakia in her limo and me leaning on the door, my head in the window.

Hikaru pulled me out and I banged my head before he dragged me over to our own limo. I could hear Furukia ranting about how she and Hikaru had been looking for us for like an hour, and was angry that we'd been out here the whole time.

We only just got here. I laughed.

"What's so funny, Kaoru?" Hikaru asked.

As angry as my brother had faked being for Furukia, he was proud of me for having spent so much time with Zakia. We'd promise they wouldn't be alone, and with Zakia opening up to me, they weren't anymore.

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

"Did you have fun today?"

"Mostly. I apparently earned another day."

"You'll need it."

On our way home, I couldn't help reliving certain moments in my mind. The tea, her jumping out of the tree to let me catch her. Running around the gardens, holding hands. The roses.

I touched the beautiful, dark, waxy petals of the flower. I'd wear it tomorrow. Let the girls think what they wanted to think. Maybe I could convince Kaoru to wear a green one, and we can say we're wearing them to help the twins feel more welcome.

That night, I didn't say much as Hikaru and I fell asleep. I just wrote a small note to myself in my class notebook. It was a reminder to have Kyoya start ordering and serving some Zakia's and Furukia's favorite teas.

With that, I fell asleep. I had a brilliant dream. If I changed the girl in it, Hikaru and I could use it for one of our skits. But, for some reeason, I didn't want to tell Hikaru. I wanted to keep this dream, these feelings, this girl, to myself.