"What made you pick inside?"
"Because I want to be inside your walls. Inside your heart," Kaoru said.
"That's so cheesy!" I said, unable to keep away a grin. "How'd you know it was me?"
"Your hand. You two may be identical looking, but Furukia's fingers don't fit in mine the same way yours do."
"You are so cheesy. Why don't you ever act like this around your brother?"
"With other people, I'm always putting on some kind of act. But, with you, I feel like i don't have to do that. Like I can just be myself."
"How do I know this is the real you?"
"Because I'm telling you exactly what I'm thinking."
"How do I know that?"
"Because...right now, I'm thinking how there's no one in this dark closet but the two of us right now, and that I'm really nervous, but I still want...something."
"Something being?"
"Nothing that I should do when you don't like me. And nothing I should do especially when I've only known you for two days."
"What makes you say I don't like you?"
"That's what you and your sister are trying to prove today, isn't it?"
I laughed. I couldn't help it.
"Would you like to know the name of the game we just played?"
"Sure."
"Furukia and I created the game to mess with people, but other kids started to like it. So, we became pretty well known for it back in our school in London."
"What is it called?"
"Furukia and I call it Love."
"We just played Love?"
"Well, Furukia and I set it up, but you and Hikaru played Love."
"And what does that mean?"
"Well, there's this quote I've seen, on this one site, called Tumblr. It's popular in America and England."
"Another quote?"
"You used the first one."
"Yeah, I guess I did. So, what's the second?"
"I heard you're a player, so let's play a game. Let's sweet talk, let's play fight, let's talk twenty-four seven. Let's tell each other good morning and good night every day. Let's take walks together, let's give each other nicknames. Let's hang with each others' friends, and go on dates. Let's stay on the phone and talk all night long, hold each other, and kiss and hug. And who ever falls in love first? Loses."
"Hikaru and I played Love, but what is it you and I are playing?"
"I call it Players. I started the game based off the quote. Furukia doesn't care much for it. She's a big romantic, and prefers one relationship forever. You know, that bull crap."
"You really don't believe in love, do you?"
"Guys are only after one thing. They're all the same. They either get it, or realize they can't geti t, and they leave."
"Not all guys are like that."
"I've never met one that isn't. Sure, these last couple days with you haven't been too bad, but two days isn't love. Two days is lucky enough to be a crush. Really, two days is aquaintances, in my opinion. No, I don't believe in love. I've never seen it, and I've never had any proof of it."
"Movies? TV? Videogames? Everybody around you believes in it. So why don't you?"
"I believe Furukia and I explained that we haven't seen any movies, or TV shows, or played videogames. And love is for saps. It doesn't exist. But that is the only warm part of my sister that exists. Otherwise, she's just as cold as I am."
"So you know you do it."
"We do it on purpose. Part of it is just the way we are, and the other part is not wanting others around us."
"Why? Why don't you believe in love, and why don't you want others around you?"
"We've been hurt too many times. Abandoned, left behind, excluded. So, eventually, we just stopped caring. We pushed everyone out, so they couldn't hurt us anymore. We push you guys out, so you can't hurt us."
"Why do you tell me all this stuff if you're trying to push us away?"
"Because I was playing Players with you from the moment I met you. You just learned of the game."
"Why do you do this to yourself then?"
"Because I've never lost. I've never loved anyone but my sister. I used to love my mother, but she abandoned us. I've never even missed a boy who's left me. And eventually, all boys leave me. I've played Players countless times. Most boys don't even bother to fall, because they only wanted one thing."
"Alright."
"Alright, what?"
"I'll play your games with you. As of now, we're both playing Players."
"And you will see. I won't lose."
"But does that really mean you win?"
I stayed silent, thinking about that.
"In my mind, it does. It's just another confirmation that I'm right. That no one will ever really care about me but my sister."
"Why are we sitting in this dark closet?"
"Right. Well, come on. Take my hand. I'll lead the way."
"You're the only one who knows the way," he said, his hand finding mine, and our fingers interlacing.
I might not believe in love. And these corny things may be stupid because love doesn't exist, but they're still kind of cute sometimes. Like the way my hand fits into his.
I knocked a secret on the door and it opened.
"Furukia. Nice of you to finally knock. I was wondering if something had happened to you or your sister," Tamaki said upon opening the door.
"Um, Tamaki, I'm Zakia."
"Really? I was certain I'd gotten it right that time. Well, that must mean you are Hikaru?"
"No, Boss. Kaoru. And that's both pairs of twins you have now failed to distinguish."
"Well, I am sorry for that, Zakia."
"It's my understanding that Haruhi told you our secret?" I asked.
"She did. It's nice to think she will have cross dresser friends at the Host Club. But that is not what this game is about. This game is about love."
"Actually, we finished that game. Or, stopped playing, really. That game doesn't suit me as well as it does Furukia. Instead, we're playing Players. But we can still go where we were going to go."
"Is this still classified as a first date?"
"It was never a date to begin with!"
"It wasn't?"
"No! For one thing, we aren't dating, and second, guys are supposed to plan the dates. I'm tired of planning them."
"Then you wouldn't mind if I took this over once we get outside?" Kaoru asked.
"Depends. What do you have in mind?"
"A surprise. Tamaki, would you mind leading us your secret way out I apparently don't know about?"
"You have to put a blindfold on. You don't need anymore ways in and out of this building."
"Who would've though that the Boss was a bit of a trouble maker too?"
"How did you think Haruhi and I were seeing each other without being found out by anyone, including other hosts?"
Kaoru didn't answer. Part of me wondered briefly if he still liked Haruhi. For some reason, the thought made me jealous.
Pushing the thoughts aside, I put the blindfold Tamaki offered around Kaoru's head, making sure it covered his eyes.
Then I took his hand again and lead him after Tamaki. Tamaki opened another door, and suddenly there was sunlight on my face.
"Should I expect either of you or your counterparts at the club today?" Tamaki asked, not stepping outside after us.
"Not us. And I doubt Furukia and Hikaru will show, either," Kaoru answered. I didn't know. I didn't know what his plans for us were.
"Then goodbye, and I will see you both again tomorrow. No more free days."
"Okay, Boss," Kaoru said with sarcasm. It seemed it was frequent that he and Hikaru skipped out of class, but not club. Yet, they still had perfect grades. Explain that.
The door closed quietly, and I lead Kaoru down some steps and across part of the gardens. They looked different in the light.
When Kaoru tripped, I fell with him. He landed underneath me, catching me with his hands on my hips.
"I suppose this counts as holding each other?" he said in a teasing tone, even as a blush colored his cheeks.
"I suppose it is. At least it's nice to know you take the game seriously," I said, smirking while he couldn't see it.
Then I reached up and pulled away the blindfold. He blinked into the sunlight, before his eyes focused on mine. Amber eyes, orange hair, and a certain knack for getting me to say things I probably shouldn't to him.
"You want to know what I was thinking about in the closet that ai shouldn't have been?" he asked me quietly.
"What?" I whispered.
"How your lips look so kissable every time I see you, and I've been aching to kiss you since I saw you, even while I was under the impression you were a boy. I didn't completely think you were a boy, but even if you were, I wouldn't have cared."
"You wouldn't have?"
"No. I'd still have had to have gotten at least one kiss, eventually. But now that I know you're a girl, the temptation is that much sweeter, and that much harder to resist."
"Remember, part of Players is kissing," I said, trailing off as I stared into his eyes. His face moved slowly closer.
"Then you won't mind if I steal one now."
He pressed his lips to mine. They were soft, warm, inviting. He tasted like green tea and chocolate, which was actually really good.
My eyelids fluttered closed as Kaoru pressed a little closer. My hands reached up and tangled in his hair, and I could feel a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
I melted. Just for a moment, I let my slick, ice covered walls melt, and I let Kaoru climb over.
Then, I pushed Kaoru back into the grass, got up, and ran to the limo.