DISCLAIMER - see chapter one
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"Mai, get up! We're going to be late!" Kaoru urged as he jabbed Mai's side, already wearing his uniform as Hikaru ran around behind him trying to find his jacket, which he found underneath Mai's. Mai opened her eyes and sat upright, making Kaoru jump back in surprise, "Gah! Mai-chaaaan!" he said in his trademark host whine.
"Sorry Kaoru, are we going to make it?" she asked as she got to her feet disorientated. Kaoru laughed and pushed her back on the bed before handing her her uniform jacket and finding her shoes.
"We'll have to be quick." Hikaru replied as he shoved his books in his bag before moving onto Kaoru's,
"Oh Mai! We don't have time to drop by your house!" Kaoru realised as he placed her shoes at her feet, a guilty expression on his face as she slipped her feet into them, a thoughtful look on her face,
"Um…could you give me a lift home at morning break? I can handle the morning, but I don't want to go the whole day without a wash and change of clothes." She said as she stood and grabbed her bag, cursing quietly as she realised she didn't have any of her books for the day,
"We can handle that right Kaoru?" Hikaru said as he joined them, handing his brother his bag.
"Yeah, and I'll sit next to you so you can see my books for the morning." Kaoru added as he picked up on Mai's worry.
"And we'll take the blame for everything." Hikaru added, looking at Kaoru who nodded in agreement,
"What happened anyway?" she asked, "I thought you set an alarm." She added as Hikaru grinned and Kaoru looked sheepish, his cheeks turning slightly red as he looked at the floor,
"Kaoru must have knocked it in the night and turned it off." Hikaru replied, wrapping his arm around his brother's shoulders teasingly, Kaoru blushing apologetically, Mai laughing as she got to her feet and grabbed her bag,
"Don't worry about it, let's go." She said as she headed to the door, finding Hikaru and Kaoru on either side of her as they walked down the stairs. The mansion was huge, the walls were all wooden panels, the floor was a hard wood, making their shoes tap loudly as they walked. In Mai's opinion it wasn't a very homely home, it felt large and cold, not welcoming at all, but then she was used to living in a small cosy apartment while the twins had lived in huge mansions all their lives, "Um, are your parents home?" Mai asked as they reached the entrance hall, all the doors surrounding them open except the front door,
"Mum and Dad? No way! They barely even live in this house!" Hikaru laughed in reply, Kaoru nodding in agreement, and again Mai felt her heart drop. When she had had parents they had lived with her constantly, there was always someone there to greet her when she came back from school, they always ate together, her mother would read to her and her father would carry her to bed and tuck her in, I don't understand how they could just…leave their sons like that…she thought, the twins peering at her with confused looks,
"Mai-chan? Did we say something to upset you?" Kaoru asked in concern, Mai stopping with a blush,
"I-I just figured it must be lonely here without your parents…" she trailed off, the twins looking surprised, glancing at each other and then back at Mai,
"Not really." Hikaru replied bluntly, Kaoru nodding as Mai looked on in disbelief,
"They're always off on business trips for months at a time, always have been. They just don't have a lot of time for us, we spent most of our birthdays with our household staff, it's just the way things are." Kaoru elaborated, Mai looking more and more horrified by the minute, "It's okay, it doesn't bother us." Kaoru added assuringly,
"But…they're your parents…parents are supposed to be there." Mai replied, feeling a spike of bitterness flare up in her chest, why? Why aren't they here for their sons? I'd give anything to have my parents back and here these people are neglecting their children! It doesn't make any difference to Kaoru and Hikaru if their parents are alive or not, so why did it have to be mine? She wondered, tears stinging her eyes as she remembered the day her parents had died, how she had been forced from her home to live with one of her teachers, who had kindly agreed to let her stay with her, and then Mai had moved into an apartment of her own a few years later.
"Mai-chan? Are you alright?" Kaoru asked in concern, seeing the tears glistening in her eyes ready to fall. At his question she quickly started walking, her hand raising to her eyes, he assumed it was so that she could wipe any sign of the tears away,
"Yeah, come on, we'll be late." She added with a cheerfulness the twins knew was fake. Kaoru and Hikaru looked at each other, both thinking the same thing, should we ask her about it? But both came to the same conclusion, she won't tell us. And at the same time both stepped out of the front door, jogging to catch up to Mai and taking their original places at her sides. As they got in the limo and headed to school there was a peaceful silence between the three, Kaoru leaning on his hand and watching the world go by on one side, Hikaru leaning back in his seat dozing on the other side and Mai reading over the previous night's homework in the middle, her eyes widening in surprised as she felt a weight land on her shoulder, turning to see that Hikaru had fallen sideways as he slept, his head landing on her shoulder, his red hair tickling her cheek,
"Looks like Hikaru has the right idea." Kaoru said seductively as he leaned his head on her shoulder, Mai blushing as she turned to look at him, finding him looking up at her with a mischievous grin, what's he up to? Mai wondered, half nervous and half excited, she had never been in a situation like this, as much as she wished she had with Naru. "Mm, Mai, your shoulder is comfortable…but I think down here will be even more comfortable." He added as he lowered his head and rested it on her breast, Mai's arms coming up in surprise, one hand lacing in his hair, her other hand touching his chest, her face a deep shade of red. "Mmm, I was right, it is more comfortable down here." he replied as he turned his face into her chest, his voice slightly muffled by the material of her jacket,
"Uh, Kaoru…" Mai said self-consciously, Kaoru turning his head to look up at her, his amber eyes soft and gentle, his senses filled with her light scent, a smile forming as he noticed her blush,
"I'm making you uncomfortable," he observed as he sat up, still leaning across her, supporting his weight on one hand resting between Mai and Hikaru, his face inches from hers, his spare hand coming up to brushed her bangs lightly, "Perhaps I should do something to help you unwind." He suggested, his head tilting as he drew closer to her, his lips almost touching hers, his breath brushing her lips lightly,
"Mmm," Hikaru groaned, Kaoru pulling back a little as his twin opened his eyes groggily, raising a hand to rub his tired eyes, "Are we there yet?" he asked, not seeming to notice the closeness of the other two as he sat up groaning and cracking his back and shoulders,
"Not yet, you should have stayed asleep longer Hikaru, then it would save you sleeping in Math class." Kaoru teased with a smirk, Hikaru groaning dramatically,
"But I like sleeping in Math class!" he whined as Kaoru usually would, Kaoru chuckling as he sat back in his seat and looked out of the window, "What are you reading Mai-chan?" Hikaru asked as he looked at the open book in Mai's lap, Mai looking flustered as she looked at the book,
"I-I was just looking over my Math homework." She replied with a blush, her gaze fixed on the book,
"Don't worry Mai-chan, it's fine! I helped you with it remember?" Kaoru asked teasingly as he shot her a grin. Mai blushed and nodded as she glanced at him, quickly returning her gaze to the book in her lap. "We're here!" Kaoru announced as they turned into the school grounds, the limo soon coming to a stop near the main doors, all the students already in class as they climbed out and ran up the steps to the school,
"Sorry we're late Toki Sensei!" Hikaru gasped as they entered the room, the tall dark haired woman at the front of the class turning with a frown as the three entered the classroom, her chalk just writing the title of the lesson on the board. She looked at the clock, ten minutes late,
"I'll let you off this time, but it's a mark on your record." She replied as she returned to the desk, "That's one for Taniyama-san, and four for each of you, Hikaru and Kaoru, you know what four point mean; you have detention after your last class tonight." She warned, looking up to see the twins heads hit their desks, Kaoru's pushed right next to Mai's, "Kaoru, please move your desk back." The teacher instructed,
"Uh! Sensei, due to circumstances I am responsible for, Mai-chan doesn't have her books right now, may I stay here until after morning break?" he asked respectfully as he got to his feet, the young teacher raising a thoughtful eyebrow, there really weren't enough books, so she didn't have much choice unless she was going to make class uncomfortable for Mai, and she hadn't been there long,
"Very well, but after morning break I want your desk back where it should be." Toki Sensei replied firmly, Kaoru bowing before sitting back down, flipping his book open and pushing it to the centre between the two desks, Mai and Kaoru leaning almost shoulder to shoulder as they read the passage of instructions carefully,
"Kaoru…I don't get it." Mai whispered as she glanced at the red head next to her, blushing as his hazel eyes turned to hers, an assuring smile on his face as he pointed at the passage,
"It's simple, you just have to break it down." He began, Mai's attention completely on Kaoru, so she didn't notice the suspicious glare Hikaru sent their way.
"Okay, you guys just wait here, I'm going to take a quick shower and grab my books." Mai called as she hurried into the bedroom, duping her bag on the floor and throwing her jacket and shoes off, rummaging through her draws to grab some fresh underwear before grabbing a new shirt from her wardrobe to leave on the bed and heading to the bathroom, Hikaru and Kaoru sitting on the sofa, a strange awkwardness between them that Kaoru didn't understand, but he was reluctant to raise the subject with his brother, who barely looked at him as he leaned forward and grabbed a magazine from the table, not seeming to care or notice that it was two days old, or that is was about makeup and fashion. What's wrong with him? He seemed just fine earlier today…Kaoru thought worriedly,
"Hikaru…" Kaoru said gently, Hikaru grunting in response without looking up, "Uh…I'll just go see how Mai's doing…" Kaoru added as he got to his feet, his brother grunting again absently as Kaoru headed into the hall, the bathroom door now open and empty, I guess Mai's in her room…he thought with a grin as he walked to her bedroom door, opening it quietly to see her in her bra with her back to him, her arm just slipping into the shirt sleeve as he stepped inside and closed the door, creeping over to her as the shirt slipped over her shoulders, "You look better with it off." He purred, his mouth right beside her ear, pulling back with a grin as Mai turned, her hands resting on his shoulders in surprise as she almost lost her balance, Kaoru's hands holding her waist gently,
"K-Kaoru! What are you doing in here?" she asked with a blush, very conscious of the fact that her shirt was wide open and he could see her white lace bra and a lot of the skin beneath, her heart pounding as he looked down at her mischievously,
"I came to see if you were ready…I'll help you." He murmured in reply, his voice as seductive as his eyes as his hands reached up and pulled her shirt together, his hands brushing her breasts as he deftly did up the buttons, his face moving closer to hers as his hands got further down her shirt, Mai blushing and leaning back, her heart still pounding as he drew closer, his hands leaving her shirt to slowly circle round the back, tucking the shirt into the light blue skirt, stepping closer to her as she stepped back, his hand reaching up to her shoulder blade, pulling her forward as he leaned down to kiss her, his lips capturing hers, pressing against them gently at first, Mai's body tensing as he stepped closer, his arms wrapping round her as he pressed more firmly, watching as her eyes closed, her body slowly relaxing. He smirked as he tilting her head back further, his tongue stroking her lips, Mai allowing him access to her mouth, his tongue stroking hers lightly, her hands gripping the front of his jacket tightly,
"Mai…Kaoru…we have to get back to school." Hikaru's voice called from outside the door, Mai and Kaoru breaking apart breathlessly, the pair looking at each other anxiously, both wondering and dreading what the other would say, "Kaoru! Mai-chan!" Hikaru called again,
"Coming." Kaoru called as he lifted Mai's tie from the bed and handed it to her, grabbing her bag and jacket as she lifted her collar and slipped into her shoes, tying the tie neatly as she and Kaoru headed out into the hall, where Hikaru waited impatiently, his hands in his pockets as he leaned boredly on the wall,
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Mai apologised as she struggled with her tie, Hikaru reaching out, his hands encircling hers gently as he straightened the knot and folded her collar down neatly, his hazel eyes meeting hers momentarily, looking away with a frown, "Hikaru?" Mai asked in confusion as he walked down the hall, not looking back and barely looking at Kaoru as he walked past, "What's wrong with him?" Mai asked in concern as she joined Kaoru by the door,
"I don't know…we'd better get back, don't want to be late again." Kaoru added with a smile, Mai nodding and heading down the steps to the limo, where Hikaru waited.
