Chapter 9!

I don't own Ouran. Just going to head straight into this.
Enjoy!

-

It was now one in the morning in England. Hikaru was fast asleep, as was Rose, however, while Hikaru lay in a comfortable slumber (he relished in the covers not being torn away from him by Kaoru), Rose tossed and turned, unknowingly wailing loudly, memories from those days echoing in her nightmares.

SLAP

...

"This isn't for debate."

...

"She was hysterical sir."

...

"YOU PROMISED!"

...

All will be well – I'll make sure of it.

I'll make sure of it.

I'll make sure of it.

...

"How about the fact that it led to your sister being the only one left who cared, and you'll never see her again?"

...

"Too bad you lost any chance we could have had Alexander." She curtsied. "Excuse me. Your presence repulses me."

She sat bold upright, a bright light blinding her, and Hikaru leaning over her, a hand firmly on her back, his face furrowed in concern.

"Rose?" He whispered "You okay?"

"I... Dream... Alexander... Lilly..."

She cried again.

Hikaru sat on the bed, saying nothing, still in a silent awe at her sudden tears, and hugged her to his chest.

They stayed that way, while each of her sops came out in raspy splutters, clutching his chest in shock. He held her, watching her shaking form, as she buried her face into her shoulder, tears dripping down his bare chest.

"D-don't leave me..." she cried softly, and he inhaled quickly. Tightening his grip, he laid her down upon her bed, and covered her with the blankets. He smiled reassuringly, and lay next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. She nestled into him, and forced him to lay under the blanket with her. He held her closely, and listened until her breathing became slow, and even. But then he was too tired to move, so with lidded eyes, he glanced at her sleeping form. Her hair covered most of her face, concealing the contented look and small smile which played with her lips.

Now he didn't even have the heart to move for fear of waking her.

So he slowly, but surely, fell asleep with her in his arms.

-

"Kaoru seems cheerful today." Haruhi smirked, as the recently subdued boy skipped past her, a grin on his face. Tamaki grinned.

"I wonder why? Perhaps Hikaru and Rose's return this evening will have something to do with it..." He laughed, as Kaoru bumped headlong into Kyoya. "Ouch! That'll put a dampener on things."

"Nah, he'll be fine." Haruhi smiled, watching as he picked himself up, helped Kyoya up, apologised profusely and then skipped along on his way. Her smiled faded. "Tamaki, do you think he'll be okay if Hikaru and Rose become an item?"

Tamaki frowned, and one of his rare serious moments came across.

"Hikaru and Kaoru have a bond – it's incredibly unique. No other twins are this close. And yet... this bond, while their greatest asset, is their greatest weakness. They need each other, and usually, Hikaru depends on Kaoru more than Kaoru depends on Hikaru. But since Rose came, Hikaru has become less dependent on Kaoru, and more on her. I think Kaoru would crash and burn without him..."

"Tamaki! Don't say that!"

"Let me finish. He will crash and burn without him – but we'll be there to help him. And I think – Kyoya will be there."

"... What do you mean Senpai?"

"Tamaki. And... I'm not sure. Yet."

"..."

-

The airport was unusually spacious, empty of most passengers. The host club had all attended the arrival of their friends, and Kaoru was on edge.

"What time is it?" he would ask every three minutes. Kyoya would sigh.

"Calm down Kaoru! The plane has landed, they are collecting their luggage. They won't be long." His glasses flashed. Kaoru subdued.

"Looking for us?" A familiar, mischievous tone called out from across the lobby. Kaoru stood, and burst out laughing in joy. Hikaru stood with his arm linked with Rose's companionably, a grin plastered on his face, at the customs desk, as he waved crazily at Kaoru. Rose giggled at him, and waved along with him in a more dignified manner. He sprung into a sprint, dragging Rose along with him.

Kaoru froze.

He brought Rose wi-

"Kaoru!" Hikaru's yell was so loud it could shatter glass. Kaoru shook his thought aside, and leapt at his brother, grasping him in a tight embrace. Rose pulled her arm away, nursing the now sore ligaments. Tamaki and Haruhi greeted her, asking how the trip was.

"It was good. Advert should be out within a few days time." She grinned, obviously pleased with her work. Yuzuha emerged from customs, and lovingly greeted her younger son.

"Kaoru! Oh, I am sorry you couldn't come..."

"It's cool." The redhead grinned. "Dad and I just ordered take out every night for the fun of it. You'll finally be able to tell us apart – I'm the fat one."

"Very funny." She laughed, ruffling his hair a little. "I'll see you both at home then?"

"Bye Mom!" They chorused happily.

"And Rose, thank you for all your hard work these few days. I'm very pleased with the progress we made on this."

"No problem! Thanks for taking me!" She smiled politely, and Yuzuha felt a little more fond of her model. She departed – surrounded by her beauticians again, and the club was left alone.

"Rosemarie!" Rose span around, and the host club looked upwards. Rose beamed.

"Father! You came to get me?" The surprise and joy in her voice were very badly hidden. It made members of the host club smile a little at her unexpected happiness, until...

"Be quiet you stupid girl!" Rose inhaled sharply. Tamaki scowled, and translated quietly again. "I heard what happened with Alexander. You insolent, oblivious little brat! Getting your friends to break his nose is a new low."

"Father, I did not – Alexander was provoking us, and Hika was just looking out for me because-."

"SILENCE. I will not take your insolent behaviour any longer. You are just like your spoilt brat of a sister who has a tantrum when she doesn't get what she wants!"

"STOP IT!"

Something inside Rose snapped, and Hikaru looked from his translator to the one sided argument. Rose's fists were clenched. She was shaking slightly. While the host club exchanged nervous looks, Hikaru dared to speak.

"Ro-."

"Stay out of it." She hissed, accidentally spitting her words at Hikaru, who retreated. "You... will never insult Lilly again. Ever."

"Or what?" Her father laughed jeeringly. "You'll ask your boyfriends to beat me up too?"

"Alexander is a cold hearted self indulged prat. No wonder he's your heir." Her voice was hard and icy – Hikaru was reminded on how she spoke to Alexander. Venomous and disgusted. "Imagine this – I moved out, two of your children out of three leave home, both with stories of not only your family life, but the lies and slander you've been selling the political world, and what happened with Alexander. You become the biggest joke the political world has seen, and get kicked out of Japan." She looked at him, a hard look in her eyes. "I have that power. Want to keep pushing your luck?"

There was an awed silence. The host club stared as she stood eye to eye with her father, a victorious snarl on her face. He was expressionless, as he lifted his arm slowly.

SLAP

A new silence resonated. Hikaru gasped slightly, and the rest of the hosts recoiled. Rose fell back, and collapsed on the floor, nursing her cheek with her fingers, her hair creating a veil to cover her face.

"... How does it feel?" She murmured, tears hidden behind her hair. "How does it feel to know you're just as bad as him?"

"Rose, are you o-?"

"Hika, stay out of it." She didn't even move when she said that. She simply sat collapsed on the floor, nursing her cheek. Her father looked down on her, and spat on her.

"Get up. We're leaving."

She stood, and looked at him, square in the eye. "Yes, Mr Cooper." Rose hissed, retreating to the hosts. She collected her bags, and apologised that they had to see that.

"Rose, you shouldn't put up with that." Haruhi chided, taking her wrist before she left.

"No. You shouldn't." Kyoya had a nostalgic look about him – a déjà vu that he didn't enjoy.

"... I have too." She whispered back. "Or he'll stop funding Lilly – he's already disowned her, but he still sends her enough to live on. Without that, she'll..." she trailed off. "I have to go. I deserve it, I shouldn't have fought back. Goodbye and thank you for your concern. See you on Monday."

They watched her leave, and Haruhi gripped Tamaki's hand for support, unsure of how to react. Kyoya shook his head at her, disbelief flooding him. Tamaki's eyes wavered for a moment, in his mind formulating a plan. As for the twins?

They simply held each other.

-

As the twins returned home, Hikaru filled Kaoru in on everything that happened over the week.

"... And at the end, she told me I was a great friend." He rubbed his temple, eyebrows furrowed. He decided to leave out her nightmare – for her sake.

"You seem disappointed by that." Kaoru frowned, poking his cheek. Hikaru shrugged, looking round at the mirror image.

"I don't know why..."

"I do." Kaoru sighed, hating himself for what he was about to say. He felt Hikaru's inquisitive amber eyes on him, and turned to face them. "You don't want to be friends with her. You want to be her lover."

Hikaru turned a bright shade of pink.

"KAO!"

"I'm serious. You love her." Concealing the pain masterfully, Kaoru smirked at his brother. "Even if you don't realise it yet."

"L-love?" Hikaru seemed disbelieving. He shook his head in frustration, and looked away. "No. I like her – a lot – but I've never fallen in love. Never."

Kaoru shook his head, laughing lightly.

"Whatever you say."

His expression changed.

"I'm worried about her though." Hikaru looked back up at his now frowning twin. He nodded in silent agreement.

"Do you think we should check on her? He asked his younger brother cautiously. Kaoru nodded.

"Yes. We should. I'm tempted to go now." He said slowly. His nii-chan was already pulling a jacket on, and throwing another at him.

"Let's go."

-

Rat Tat Tat Tat Tat.

"DOOR!" A lazy cry could be heard. They could distinctly hear Rose's voice in reply.

"Well done genius. Really, observational skills up the kazoo. Try ANSWERING it."

They heard the disdainful, sarcastic tone to her voice, and snickered.

"That's why we have maids, I was informing them."

"They're on a break, remember?"

"Oh fine."

They heard a final grunt of acceptance and someone wading towards the door. The gentle thud of his feet grew louder and louder, nearer and nearer, and then the door to the large, grand mansion was swung open.

"Who the hell are you?" Said the burly stranger. His height rivalled Mori's, but he was stockily build, a layer of fat surrounding him. He had a round, pale face, and glasses, with his unwashed, greasy black hair.

"So polite Patrick..." Rose's voice echoed.

"Um... Can we see Rose?" Hikaru gestured wildly, miming each word. "We're friends from schoo-"

"Hika? Kaoru?" They soon saw her head peep round the door. "Oh hey! Go back to your football results, they're here for me."

"Hi Rose!" The Hitachiin twins chorused.

"This is Patrick – my brother." She explained. Said brother mumbled in English – something about wasted calories, and stormed back into the slightly visible lounge. "He's just so sociable."

"I can tell." Kaoru giggled.

"Anyway, we came to see if you were okay." Hikaru explained, leaning on the door frame. Rose looked down.

"I'm fine... Just, Mr Cooper is beginning to believe I was lying all along." She laughed bitterly.

"What do you mean?" The twin's faces were clouded with confusion. Her eyes clouded for a moment, and then she stepped aside, gesturing for them to follow her up the stairwell.

As she walked ahead of them, they finally got a look at her home. The rooms were large, with grand gold decoration, pure white walls and creamy thick carpets. Other than doors leading outside and those which marked bedrooms and bathrooms, there were no actual doors, but large archways with gold rims. The twins suspected it was not real gold, but made to look impressive. They stopped at a large, maroon door, which Rose unlocked and pushed open, ushering them in before her. The twins glanced around her bedroom, after many random thoughts of what it might be like before now, not sure what to expect.

The walls themselves were a deep shade of cream, but that could hardly be seen for the painting of blood red roses, every vine and thorn entwined, crossing every part of the wall possible. The carpet floor was a dark shade of red. The room was vast, and had another door on the opposite end of the room, and an archway, but with a black rim instead of gold. There was various furniture scattered artfully around the room. A large bookcase, with a few books, but what seemed like hundreds of music scores. There was a large, plush, leather sofa. A sleek desk, chair and computer sat in the corner, with a clear glass vase filled with roses. A guitar case was pushed up against the wall, slightly unzipped. A queen sized, for post bed sat central in the room, onyx drapes, like those across the French window leading onto a balcony, hung prettily from the posts. All of this furniture was fashionably black, standing out against the reds and creams in the room. The twins simultaneously inwardly guessed the archway lead to a walk in wardrobe, and the door an en-suite bathroom.

"Nice room." They praised. She nodded in acknowledgement, and gestured to the sofa, where the twins quickly sat. She herself sat cross-legged on her bed, facing them, after taking her guitar case from the wall and sitting it next to her. She shot them an apologetic look.

"Sorry. I just really need to tune this." She laughed airily. The Hitachiin brothers shrugged nonchalantly, and watched her hum a note and then play it a few times on the guitar, and then repeat this in some pattern. Satisfied, she slipped it back in the case, and turned to face them.

"Right. Time to fill you both in." She ran her hand through her hair with the air of one with a lot on her mind. The twins were silent. "It started a month or so before I met you..."

-

And so, the twins learnt of her past. Not snippets, like Hikaru had heard from Alexander, and relayed to Kaoru, but the full, uncensored story. There were occasional gasps, shakes of the head, and mutters of 'ridiculous.'

When she finished the story, she exhaled a long, shaky breath. Each twin watched her for a moment. Before standing from the sofa, sitting either side of her, and hugging her between them in perfect unison. She gave a breathy laugh, and curled into a ball between the, her face hidden in her knees. The simply hugged her tighter.

"It's okay now! Don't worry." Kaoru was far better at consolation than Hikaru. He rubbed her back softly, talking about how the host club wouldn't let anything hurt her again. She gave a strangled sob, and latched to the younger twin, crying, simply as he was the one to console her. Hikaru blinked a little, and Kaoru met his eyes, sending silent messages.

Am I okay to do this?

Hikaru pursed his lips in dislike, but nodded. Kaoru hugged her back, making sure to keep eye contact with the jealous brother across the room. Rose pulled back rather quickly, watery eyes, and Hikaru immediately flung a protective arm around her, and she buried her face in his shoulder, knees pulled up to her chest.

Yep. She totally likes you.

Hikaru glared at him.

-

CHAPTER 9 DONE :D
YESSIR.

SOON, THERE SHALL BE A BALL!
:O
SPOILER ALERT!

:)

I thought that last scene was quite cute myself. Oh well. At least Rose is sure she has her friends!

Kaoru thinks Hikaru is in love! Awwwh...

But... how does she actually feel about Hikaru?

Hmm... :O

Review please?

Peace and love

x