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Chapter 10-

Manifest Emotions

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They say twins have special bonds in which one can feel or think what the other is feeling or thinking. Is it such a coincidence for the Hitachiin twins to be sighing about their complex relationships? Hikaru is blameworthy, and he regrets his slip of words. Kaoru, on the other hand turned sick from the rain, and lovesick from Eri.

"How'd you do it?" they hear a voice coming from the corner of the third music room.

"Leo?" Everyone looks over to him. 'When did he come in?'

"I mean…how my brother-in-law got Niki so peeved," he got off the couch and hopped over to the group, because his costume disabled movements of his legs. He placed a flipper on each of the Hitachiins, still unable to tell between the two. He looked back and forth between them. "I don't know what you did, but I know she really likes you."

"I'm Kaoru," Kaoru clarifies.

"My bad," he removes his flipper from Kaoru's shoulder and faces Hikaru.

"Anyways, I can tell she really likes you…no idea why though…" Leo comments.

"What's that suppose to mean…" Hikaru mutters a bit offended.

"I mean…she had a choice…she doesn't have to marry you, but she's going to. When she first came over here to see you, she was looking to see if she wanted to go through with the marriage or not. Dad would never force her to do something she didn't want to do." He blurts out. He pats Hikaru a few times with his flipper, turns around and hops back to the couch.

"Somehow, I think his words would be more effective if he wasn't speaking to you as a whale…" Tamaki remarks.

"Oh, but she's easily bought over with chocolate…so if you plan on apologizing, I suggest you get her some chocolate. Just don't get the ones with almonds or peanuts; she's allergic to them. She'll get as swollen an apple. If you accidentally see that happening, then I'm afraid you're as good as dead…" Leo suggests.

"Hikaru," Kaoru places a hand on his arm.

"I know…" Hikaru groans. Just leave it up to the Matsumoto siblings to make him feel like a complete jerk.

…

Hikaru grudgingly drags himself to Niki's classroom. Peeking in, he sees her at her desk with a bunch of packaged sweets scattered all over her desk. In the midst of it all, stood a lone chocolate bar with a giant peanut decorating the center of the wrapper.

Of all the possible candidates she could have chosen to ingest, she picks the one with the peanut on the wrapper. She peels open the wrapper. As if in slow motion, Hikaru pounces in and slaps the chocolate bar out of her hands, just as it was a centimeter away from her mouth. She gaps horridly at the fallen chocolate bar, and stares almost longingly at her true love on the floor.

Was she too blind to see that giant peanut on the wrapper?!

"Are you stupid?!" he stares disbelieving, depleting her of all dignity.

"What is your problem?" She looks at him through squinted eyes as if he's the insane one.

"I just saved your life!" he said indignantly.

"You did that on purpose! It's because I slapped you, right? I can't believe how short-tempered you are!" she accused.

He picked up the candy bar and threw it on the desk with the peanut wrapper facing up. He points at the peanut in frustration.

"You're allergic to that!"

"No I'm not! Who told you that?" she toned down the madness in her voice.

"…I did." The two looked over to the person at the door. It was none other than—Leo. The only difference is he's actually dressed normally in the school uniform.

"I should have known…" Niki shakes her head at herself for overlooking the matter.

"Before you boil me alive," Leo notices the, un-amused look on Hikaru's face. "To make a long story short…I'm allergic to peanuts. I was the one who wanted chocolate. It was my fault. I was the one that left tissues in the laundry. I was the one that farted in the elevator. I was the one who sharpened a crayon with your pencil sharpener when you were six…"He confesses, as if it did any good.

The look on their faces—it was as if they planned to gang up on him.

"On second thought…haven't we all made little white lies to get what we want, haven't we all accidentally left tissues in the laundry…haven't we all farted in the elevator…" He reasoned.

"You ass…" Niki growled. Leo fled.

"Notice, he confesses, but wouldn't apologize." Niki laughs almost bitterly.

"Another reason why the two of you are siblings…" Hikaru mutters.

"Well then, you're worst." Niki scathes, bearing a hole in his head.

"I guess we're even then," Hikaru suggests, trying to squirm his way out apologizing.

"How would you feel if I called your brother a dirty, fat, scumbag?" She stood on her tip toes to tower over him. Just as he was about to retaliate for Kaoru, and his own dignity (Mostly his own dignity), she continued. "Huh? I would imagine that you'd be extremely offended!" she poked at him in an intimidating way.

Damn right, he's offended. Talking bad about Kaoru is like talking bad about him, for obvious reasons. He'll let it go. Breathe in, breathe out…

"Imsgforry," Hikaru mumbled hesitantly.

"Did you just curse at me?" she pretends not to hear. Hikaru sucks in air as if trying to hold his temper.

"I'm sorry," he mouths out clearly. Niki grins impishly.

"I think you're starting to like me," she pinches his cheeks.

"No I'm not," he grumbled. Instead of the expected persevering debate on whether he is starting to like or not, in which he prepared himself for, she shrugs.

"If you say so..." That was the last thing she said to him before she left. The next few days, she was no where to be found.

…

The next day…

…

Someone must have told Eri that Kaoru got sick. She actually came to school and the Host Club. Anyone with eyes can see the two of them sneaking glances at each other every five minutes or so. Kaoru tried to talk to her, but she always found a way out.

The lights have been flickering all day in the kitchen. A bit worried about Eri's safety, Kaoru occasionally 'passed' by the kitchen door (the pass-bys happening in slow motion). As he was 'passing by' again, he felt irritation build up in his throat. He coughed out twice. He noticed a halt in Eri's movements, as she appeared to be contemplating whether she should come out and show her concern. He actually only needed to cough twice, but to get the desired reaction from Eri, a coughing fit seemed necessary. He continues to cough (dramatically). She rushed to the coughing Kaoru.

"Kaoru, are you okay?" her voice was full of concern and guilt. She patted him on the back. "If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be sick."

Enjoying her presence besides him, he continues his act, kicking it up a notch.

"My head hurts…I feel kind of faint…" he says wearily.

"Your head hurts?" she felt his forehead with her palm. "Sit down," she helps him to a chair. As she was turning around to get the nurse, he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him. She stumbled and fell upon his lap.

"I know you still care about me," he searches the depths of her eyes. She avoided his eyes knowing she wouldn't be able to look away once she does.

"You were just playing me…coughing so dramatically…" she mumbles.

"You're gullible…in a cute way." He places a hand on her cheek, feeling the heat emit from it. She bit her bottom-lip. He inches closer to her face. She subconsciously closes her eyes.

Her eyes opened up with a jolt as she realized what she was doing. Before he could reach her lips, she backed away.

"I'm sorry," she feverishly gets herself up from his lap, and scampers toward the exit. 'Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!' she yelled at herself.

Kaoru was too stunned to follow, realizing that this has got to be at least the third time she walked away from him. At least the fifth time she left a bruise on his heart—unintentionally too.

…

The next day…

…

Eri came to school again. Yet, she tries in every way to avoid Kaoru. But she can only go so far when the two are but a door away from each other. If she really wanted to avoid him, she could have stayed home. She obviously wanted to see him.

The lights of the kitchen were flickering again. Eri complained to Tamaki about it, and Tamaki told the janitor. The janitor just quote-un-quote didn't get around to doing it. Fearing Eri's periodic absentmindedness, Kaoru monitored her every movement—just in case she accidentally bumps into an oven in full heat.

"Is it just me, or are you guys getting a little sick of this couple?" Leo polls, with no participants. The Host club was more worried for the two of them than sick. "Guys? Are you ignoring me?"

Yes they are.

Being the attention-whore he is, being ignored is not ideal—at all.

Leo marches up to Kaoru and gently, pushes him into the kitchen with one swift movement, and locks the door from the outside. He also adds a padlock—just for the heck of it.

"There, now they're together." Leo said in an accomplished tone. Tamaki walks up to him and places a hand on his shoulder.

"Leo—no, Leo-senpai, that was ingenious."

…

Inside the kitchen…

…

Right when Leo pushed Kaoru in and slammed the door closed, the lights burnt off.

"Ah!" Eri yelped. The sound of metal bake-ware dropping to the floor followed.

"Eri!" Kaoru rushed over to the source, having a vague view of the room from the light peeking in from the cracks of the door. She clung onto his blazer, acknowledging his presence. He wrapped his arms around her protectively, pulling her to his chest.

"Turn on the lights! I can't see!" her muffled voice cried out.

"It's okay. It just burned out." His voice was enough to pacify her. Her breath evens out a bit but her heart is still beating rapidly.

"Kaoru, at this pace, I'll never be able to let you go," she sniffles.

"I don't want you to let me go," he holds her tighter. "I really, do love you." He pecked her forehead.

"I want to stay by your side; even if I have to be kept in your shadows…even if I have to be forced into the darkness. It doesn't matter anymore…" tears escaped from the corners of her eyes, absorbing into his shirt. "I want to be with you."

"Don't cry," he wiped away her tears.

"But I'm scared…I can't see anything right now!" she reminded him.

"Don't be…I'll be your eyes. I'll protect you—" she interrupted him with a short and sweet kiss, void of burdens.

"I'm afraid you'll run out of sweet things to say to me later on, if you say it all now," she grinned.

"If it turns out this way every time you interrupt me, I'd like that." He whispers in her ear, earning a giggle. "I promise I won't make you stay in the darkness by yourself."

…

Outside…

…

"Ew, those two are too much…" Leo makes a face.

"Ah, young love!" Tamaki sighs dramatically.

"They're only a year younger than you…" Haruhi reminded. Tamaki looks at her hopefully. "What's with the face?"

"Nothing," a smile is still present on Tamaki's face. (Tamaki is thinking of the possibilities between Haruhi and himself, through Tamaki inner-mind Theater)

"I'm hungry…" the sound of Honey's stomach growling confirms his hunger. "I want to each cake."

"Well, I guess I should open up the door now," Leo decides. "Let's just hope we aren't interrupting anything…" he digs through his pockets for the key to the padlock. It wasn't in the first pocket, so he continued to search in every single pocket of his clothing. "Guys…good news and bad news. Bad news is….I lost the key. But…but the good news is, I just saved 15 percent or more on car insurance by switching to Geico…"

Cricket-sounds…

"You...you don't get it?" The Host club shakes their head no. "Of course, I'm in Japan…that's why it's not funny," he tells himself. "Well then…gotta go!" He sprinted, leaving a cloud of dust behind him.

…

A/N-

A pretty long chapter of mostly fluff…

I'm happy to finally be able to update after so long!

There should be about 2-3 more chapters left in this story…I don't like to drag things.

Anyways, thanks to all my reviewers and readers.

Stay tuned for chapter 11- All for nothing.