Hikaru X Kaoru

Sorry about the teaser in the last chapter. :D A fan and I (yay!) decided we needed more Honey and Mori. They were gonna come in later rather than sooner but the chapter deserved something extra. :D:D

Weeks later Kaoru was sitting in club waiting for the last of the guests to leave. Aware of someone next to him he turned his head to find Kyouya sitting next to him. The older boy pushed his glasses back up and set his notebook on the table before him. "You'll be coming over."

"Yeah."

"Think you'll get tired of your new game soon?"

Kaoru shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know. I hope so."

Kyouya raised a brow. "Really?" He shrugged. "You can meet me at my limo after your done cleaning."

Kaoru just nodded.

They'd been together every day since that night. No one questioned it. Not even Hikaru. Everyone assumed Kyouya had his reasons for having the twin over. No one could guess what was really going on. Kaoru relaxed a little when Kyouya left his side. The relief didn't last too long though. Haruhi was now by his side. "Hello Kaoru."

Kaoru nodded his head in her direction. "Are you staying to help clean up?"

"Don't I always?"

Haruhi nodded. "Yeah."

"Then don't ask stupid questions."

"It wasn't meant to be a stupid question. It was meant to be an icebreaker to start a conversation."

Kaoru's grin held no humor. "You've never needed one before. Why would you need one now? You've always been one to say whatever was on your mind."

Haruhi gave a nod. "Right. So, what is your problem?"

"Which one?"

"The one that has this tension between you and your brother."

"You don't already know? Aren't you two best friends now? Ask him."

"I have. And I've gotten his side of the matter."

"He shouldn't have told you anything." What? Hikaru could talk to her but not his brother? If he had problems he knew he could come to Kaoru. He always did. Then again, they'd never had someone like Haruhi. All at once he resented her presence in the school, in the Host Club, and in their lives.

"Who else is he going to talk to Kaoru?"

"Me! He could come to me. He always has before and now, now he has you. Why would he come to me when you're here? He doesn't need me anymore."

"You are wrong Kaoru."

"The last time we talked was weeks ago. He's gone to your house every day after school and spends weekends there too. Do you think I don't know that I wasn't enough? Do you think I don't know he's replaced me with you?" Kaoru stood and glared at her. "I'm not stupid Haruhi. Don't treat me like I am."

Kaoru turned on his heel, grabbed his bag, and left the club without cleaning up a thing. By God Haruhi and Hikaru deserved that. That a much more.

At Kyouya's Kaoru lay in the bed staring up at the ceiling. "What happened today?"

Kaoru shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it."

Kyouya shrugged. "Your life."

"Yeah." Kaoru sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed resting his elbows on his knees. "See you tomorrow."

"Yeah."

At home Kaoru walked into the door and was enveloped into a hug. "Mom?"

"There is my Kaoru."

"I thought you weren't supposed to be here until next week."

"Ah, I wanted to come home early. I missed my babies."

Kaoru raised a brow. He knew his mother loved him but she usually wasn't so feeling. "You did?"

"Of course I did. Plus a big American designer is going to be here in the city. I wouldn't want to miss my chance to meet him!"

"No, that would be a shame."

That night at dinner they ate together as "a family." Their mom carried on most of the conversation by herself not really needing any encouragement from anyone. She asked the twins about school and their "little club." The twins answered her questions with little heart. Neither of them wanting to alert their parents to the rift between them.

Dinner seemed to last a lifetime. After words they went into a sitting room and continued the conversation there. Kaoru was counting the hours before he could make his excuses and go to bed. He loved his family, really he did, but right now he just wanted to be left alone. He had decisions to make. He'd returned the application to the two schools he was looking at and even sent one to America. He needed to know if he'd received anything yet. Naturally he'd have to tell his parents he wanted to leave Ouran Academy but before that he wanted to know if he really could go to another school.

Finally his mother was done talking to him and he kissed her cheek before heading up to his room, leaving his brother to deal with their parents. In his room he went straight to his desk and sifted through the mail. Nothing yet. Kaoru frowned. That wasn't right. There should have been, something by now. At least from the schools here in Japan.

Frowning he tossed the letters down and went into the bathroom to shower before bed. When he was ready he grabbed a book and settled into the bed. It had become habit lately to read before sleeping. The books he read weren't particularly interesting, and that was the point. If he read long enough he'd fall into a sleep so deep he didn't dream. Which meant Hikaru couldn't invade his dreams.

The rest of that week in school was pretty much the same. The only day that really broke the routine was when Honey and Mori decided to switch with Haruhi and Hikaru on cleaning day. Kaoru couldn't figure out why they'd do such a thing but decided it didn't really matter. Not five minutes after everyone else left Kaoru realized, it had mattered. "What's wrong Kao-chan?" Honey asked sweetly.

"Nothing's wrong."

"You can't fool me Kaoru. You've been acting real weird lately. So has Hikaru. Are you two fighting?"

Kaoru shrugged. "Not exactly."

"Well you two need to talk. It's not good for two people who love each other so much to not talk. Communication is key. Right Takashi?"

"Yeah," Said the baritone.

Honey smiled.

"It's complicated Honey. Just talking won't fix it this time."

Now Honey frowned. "You think too much." With that he turned around and started picking up teacups with Mori right behind him.

Kaoru frowned. For some reason he thought Honey had a double meaning in the sentence. But, nah. It couldn't be. Tossing the thoughts aside he started cleaning up the nearest table.