Chapter 9

(Cold) But I'm still here
(Blind) 'Cause I'm so blind
(Say never) We're far from comfortable this time
- "Cold (But I'm Still Here)," Evans Blue

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"Tamaki!"

A shiver ran up Haruhi's spine at the irritation evident in the demand, illogically hoping that the named one was still present so that he may have quelled the Ootori's wrath.

"He and Héloïse left already," Kaoru fortunately called back for them, minimally affected in comparison, "but Haruhi and I are in the kitchen." A few moments later, Kyouya himself appeared from behind the door frame with a not quite matching yet none too pleased expression. Instantly, Kaoru shot up from his seat and guided their friend to a free chair beside his own. "Would you like some cantaloupe?" he offered, placing several pieces on a separate plate and a fork in Kyouya's hand before an affirmative response was even given. With his free hand, Kyouya lifted the cell phone from his shirt pocket.

"Here," he indicated briefly, holding it out in front of him. As the Hitachiin took back the item from the other's loose grasp, he could practically feel Haruhi's curious gaze boring into the physical manifestation of the exchange. Silently she wondered why Kyouya would have his phone, along with why the other twin had not come down with him. Even if she had the audacity to question the matter, she was not allowed enough time in which to do so. "Did you get a chance to appropriately introduce yourself to Héloïse before she and Tamaki took off?" Kyouya continued, his tone at the last two words reflecting irritation at the blonde's quick departure.

"Yes, I did." Suddenly, his entire frame sank, downtrodden. "Even she thinks I look like Hikaru." He stirred the pieces of cantaloupe around on his plate aimlessly. "And Börje... Hikaru looked enough like me for him to recognize him."

"Of course. Börje has known you long enough to be surprised to see that face on anyone else." Unfortunately, the attempt provided little, apparent solace.

"You don't have to look nothing like Hikaru to be different than he is," added Haruhi frankly.

"Thanks," Kaoru replied, attempting a smile, "but you could tell us apart even when we looked exactly alike."

She stared long and hard at the younger twin, reflecting on her own thoughts as she voiced them. "You've changed more than just your appearance."

"You think so...?" Even though his laugh was terse and indifferent, he took her words to heart. Before the topic could be further investigated, the sudden ringing of a phone interrupted the scene. Identifying the cause as his own, Kyouya lifted another cell phone from the pocket of his jeans and flipped it open with a curt greeting. Once he began his conversation, the other two felt it polite to avert their full attention to their fruity breakfast. Sufficiently distracted, they were all the more startled when Kyouya abruptly spoke of one of them to the caller on the other end of the line:

"Yes, Haruhi's right here."

Blinking, it took her a moment to recognize the object shoved in front of her face as the cell phone on which he had been speaking. With a brow twisted in confusion not helped by the man's smirk, she gingerly accepted the gift. "Hello...?" However, she had no need to further her inquiry, for the very familiar, bubbly voice made it clear.

"Haruhi-chan! How dare you neglect to tell your own father that you were going to France, especially when you're staying with that rascal, Suou-kun! At least Kyouya-kun will be there to protect you."

"Sorry, dad, but it was kind of last-minute," she explained, rolling her eyes. At least she knew now how Hikaru might have gotten wind of her phone number.

Eventually, Kaoru managed to convince Hikaru to come downstairs and join them in the living room, though the older insisted on keeping up his sour countenance. Without Tamaki's cheer invading their personal spaces, the air remained stagnant to a level of slight discomfort, but Haruhi didn't dare poke a hole in the surface at the risk of letting tension seep through. Fortunately for the nanny, she was not pressured to deal with the matter as she had been given the day off due to the surplus of people at the house that day to care for whoever needed it.

As Haruhi shared a game of chess with Kyouya – a surprisingly strong competitor, considering his burden of having to memorize all her past moves in addition to predicting those yet to come – the twins exchanged portfolios of photographs; Hikaru's of clothing, Kaoru's of paintings. Out of consideration, they too sat at the coffee table so that Haruhi could easily glance over and observe their works as well. Thanks to Kaoru's oral descriptions, Kyouya, too, could receive a sense of their craftsmanship.

For once, the rising lawyer didn't experience a strong urge to relinquish this time with her companions and work on her case. Time had always passed quickly and easily at the Host Club. Regardless of how a few of the members were currently missing and there were no longer with the confines of the Third Music Room, the standard still held. It wasn't long before Haruhi was summoned upon to do as Kyouya had requested of her earlier that day.

"Oh, Kyouya-senpai, it's almost four-thirty," she announced after glancing at the clock above the credenza.

"Thank you, Haruhi," he replied. "Hikaru"—The redhead instantly tensed at the other's still edgy tone; Kaoru glanced anxiously from one to the other.—"would you be willing to accompany me to the Center?"

Relieved at the ordinary request, Hikaru visibly relaxed. "To pick up the Lord? Sure," he answered, standing. "Do you want to come too, Kaoru?"

"No, thanks," the younger twin answered, shaking his head. "Maybe some other time." With a shrug, Hikaru easily accepted the answer, heading for the door with Kyouya. On his way out, his gaze caught on an object on the shelf by the door.

"Do you want your glasses?"

Kyouya pursed his lips for a moment before answering. "I suppose," he granted, though with reservation. Haruhi remained bewildered as to why he might need them until Hikaru handed over the pair of dark sunglasses from on the shelf.

"We'll be back in about an hour," he called back into the living room, waving cheerfully enough at the two remaining individuals. Once he had received matching, congenial gestures in return, he left with Kyouya stepping close behind, sliding on the pair of glasses. As soon as the door closed behind them, Kaoru launched himself from his seat and into the bench of the bay window at the front of the house. Allowing herself to be curious as to the importance of a scene perhaps observed from a hidden location, Haruhi came over as well to take a seat beside him. Just in time, too, for at that moment Kyouya was sliding his hand into Hikaru's as they walked away down the stone pathway, though it might have been purely out of need for direction. Judging by the soft look that subsequently blanketed Kaoru's face, this was exactly what he had been hoping to see.

"They've grown a lot closer, haven't they?" mused Haruhi, watching through the window pane as Hikaru's shoulders settled in comfort. As little as she knew regarding their strife, his and Kyouya's altercation that morning had affected the Shadow King far more than he would have liked to admit. At least the fire brewing between the two seemed to have started fading, perhaps for lack of continued fodder.

"We all have," replied Kaoru reflectively. "I'm glad Hikaru's learned to reach out to someone else."

"And you," she added, bringing his hazel eyes to meet her brown ones in interest. "I'm willing to bet that your friendship with Börje wasn't anywhere near instantaneous."

Grinning sheepishly, he couldn't help but agree to that. "You're right – it took a lot of getting used to. But it was more like he reached out to me, so I still feel as if I haven't quite accomplished the same thing as Hikaru." Leaning back to rest his head on the wall, he chuckled in dry amusement. "And yet here I am, the one who pushed us into all this in the first place..."

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As soon as Kyouya and Hikaru stepped onto the school grounds, a shout of "Mama! Uncle Hika!" rang throughout the courtyard. Moments later, they each found one of their legs clamped in a grip surprisingly strong for a preschooler. After the typical greetings to which she might not have bothered paying attention, Hikaru managed to pry the girl off their legs so that he could lift her into his arms. Knowing that whatever reason had been strong enough to convince Kyouya to come all this way just to see Tamaki in private before he returned to the house was better left discussed in a company void of Héloïse and her probable interruptions, Hikaru assumed he could and should tend to her for the time being. With one hand, he held her at his hip; with the other, he claimed Kyouya's once more in order to guide the other into the Center's main, brick building.

"Bonjour, Kyouya, Hikaru," greeted the man at the front desk. "René's in his office." He gestured towards the door at the back. Nodding once, Kyouya headed in that direction, thankful for his excellent memory – now grown in its spatial repertoire – that permitted him minimum use of Hikaru's guiding hand at this point. As he closed the door behind him, Hikaru turned to the other man in the room.

"Say, Jean-Pierre... You're married, right?" he asked gingerly.

Although his brow scrunched at the random inquiry, he nodded with confidence. "Yes, I am."

Inhaling a deep breath, Hikaru prepared himself to voice his curious yet critical question. "How did you propose?"