Here's episode eleven, readers! I hope you enjoy it!


Ill

Hikaru sighed as he looked at himself in the mirror. Why had he spent the last ten minutes staring at himself in the mirror? He had no clue. Yes, it had started that time he told Katie he thought she looked cute, but this time it felt different. He just knew it.

There were bags under his eyes - he felt tired, but he didn't think he looked tired - and he looked slightly paler than usual. His hair was messed up - he hadn't been bothered to do anything with it - and his eyes seemed dim, or dull.

Hikaru sighed. He didn't really want to go to school, but Kaoru and Katie…

"Hikaru!"

Hikaru turned to see Kaoru standing at his bathroom door, dressed in his uniform and ready to go. He had an eyebrow raised.

"Aren't you ready yet?" he asked

Hikaru shrugged. Yes, he had his uniform on, but he didn't feel right. He didn't feel… well… "Yeah, I guess."

Kaoru frowned. "Are you sure?"

Hikaru nodded. He picked up his bag. "Yeah, let's go."


Katie Brighten was known amongst her friends for being oblivious, and sometimes uncaring, to many things, especially when she was reading. Yes, she could hear her friends having conversations, but she didn't react until she heard her name being said. Then they would laugh, tell her what they said, and leave her to her reading.

So when she saw Hikaru walk in, following Kaoru, looking as if he was dead on his feet, she was surprised to find herself the first one to talk to him about it.

"Hey," she greeted him softly.

Hikaru looked up at her from where his head lay on his desk. "Hi."

Katie frowned. "What's wrong?"

Hikaru shrugged. "Just tired, I guess." He yawned. "Must've been up studying late again last night."

Katie raised an eyebrow at him. "But you don't like to study."

Hikaru shrugged again. "Oh well." He put his head back down on the desk. "It's probably a one-off thing."

Katie looked skeptical, but nodded. Hikaru was up late last night. That was all. It wasn't anything threatening, to her or to him.

Hikaru sighed as he lay his head on his arms. He just needed to close his eyes for five minutes…

"Mr Hitachiin? Mr Hitachiin!"

"Hikaru! Wake up!"

Hikaru's eyes snapped open, and he lifted up his head quickly. Everyone in the class was staring at him, including Kaoru, Katie and Haruhi. The last three had concerned frowns on their faces. It took him a few seconds, but Hikaru understood why.

He never fell asleep in Physics.

"Yes sir?" Hikaru answered.

"The answer?" The teacher waited impatiently.

Hikaru looked at the board. "Uh… 3.0 times 10 to the power of 8 metres per second, sir?"

The teacher frowned, but nodded. "Correct, Mr Hitachiin."

Hikaru gave a small sigh of relief, smiling a little. Now it was just a matter of time before someone confronted him about it…


Luckily for Hikaru, no one confronted him about it until he got home from school.

"Hikaru, what's going on?" Kaoru asked as he watched his brother head straight upstairs. They usually had snacks together right about now.

Hikaru waved a hand at him. "Just a little tired, that's all."

Kaoru frowned. "Are you sure?"

Hikaru nodded. "Yeah, I'm just heading up for a nap. I'll be down for dinner."

Kaoru sighed. "Fine then." He would eat alone, then.

Unlike what Hikaru had promised, he did not come down for dinner. The annoying older twin stayed upstairs, so a maid was asked to take his dinner up to him.

Kaoru really got worried when he was woken in the middle of the night by coughing. He sat up and listened out for the maids to see if they were up. Nothing. He slowly climbed out of bed and crept out of his room to Hikaru's across the corridor. Just as he reached the door, the coughing stopped. He contemplated going in there for a minute, before heading back to his own room. It was only Tuesday - they had school tomorrow.


The next morning, Hikaru woke up to not only the blinding sunlight streaming through his window, but a pounding headache as well. And the fact that he had to go to school.

He felt horrible - even worse than he did yesterday - and now he had to force himself into school? He glanced at himself in the mirror, and immediately regretted what he saw.

He looked horrible.

Messed up hair, with bags under his eyes and a pale face to match. It was as if he had just been resurrected. And he felt cold. He looked down and realised he was shivering in his pyjamas. He was cold. Plus, he still felt tired. He pulled himself groggily off of his bed and dragged himself over to his bathroom. Maybe a nice, warm shower would wake him up…


Of course, Kaoru had noticed when his brother had come down for breakfast looking as if he had just risen from the grave. He just chose not to comment on it.

In fact, the issue was only mentioned at lunch, when Katie and Haruhi decided to take a closer look at Hikaru.

"Hikaru, maybe you're coming down with something," Katie suggested.

Hikaru shrugged and pushed his food around on his plate. "Really?"

Katie nodded. "Yeah. Do you feel alright?"

Hikaru nodded, and immediately regretted it when he was met with a headache. The fact that he was cold did not help at all, and his nose felt blocked.

He just wanted to go home and sleep.

"You look really bad, Hikaru," Haruhi pointed out.

Hikaru shivered a little. "Okay."

Katie frowned. "'Okay'?" She reached out and put the back of her hand against his forehead. "You're burning up!"

Hikaru winced. "Please, not so loud."

"Maybe you should see the nurse…" Haruhi suggested.

"No." Hikaru didn't want to see her. He was fine. He didn't need to see the nurse.

Kaoru rolled his eyes. "I'll take you, Hikaru."

Hikaru sighed. He wasn't going to win this one. "Alright, then."

Kaoru smiled softly and helped Hikaru up from the table, walking him to the nurse's office.

Katie stared after them. She hoped Hikaru would be okay…


Kaoru sighed as he got ready for bed.

The nurse had sent Hikaru home immediately after giving him some aspirin for his headache, and since then Hikaru had not come out of his room once. He'd slept the whole time, and only came out of his room for dinner.

Kaoru had skipped the Host Club that day to take care of his older brother - he'd never seen him so ill before. He was the only one who got ill, and that was only a short bout of the flu last winter.

When he heard uncontrollable coughing coming from his brother's room, he rushed in there immediately to see Hikaru sitting up in bed, coughing and spluttering. He sat next to him on the bed and started rubbing his back reassuringly.

"Go… get… nurse…" Hikaru managed to splutter out between coughs.

Kaoru nodded and headed downstairs to the phone. He needed the doctor, and he needed him now.


Katie sat in the corner, taking a brief break. When there was no Hikaru or Kaoru, the Host Club was so much more boring. The guests were a lot meaner and more arrogant - especially Tamaki's. She sighed.

"Katie-chan?"

Katie looked up to see Hunny-senpai looking up at her adorably, holding his Usa-chan in his arms.

"Yes, Hunny-senpai?"

Hunny looked down briefly before looking back up at Katie. "Do you miss Hika-chan?"

Katie's eyes widened. "What makes you think that?"

Hunny fingered the bunny's ears nervously. "You seem awful sad today. And Hika-chan isn't here."

Katie smiled. No matter what people said, Hunny-senpai really was a genius. "Well, I guess I do."

Hunny smiled a little. "Do you like Hika-chan?"

Katie's smile faded, and her cheeks were covered in a light blush. Did she like Hikaru? As a friend, yes. But more than a friend? She wasn't exactly sure. "I… uh…"

"You don't have to lie to me, Katie-chan," Hunny explained.

Katie blushed even more. "I…"

Hunny smiled. "I thought you did."

Katie looked away. "He is kind of cute…"

Hunny smiled. "Maybe you should tell him?"

Katie snorted. "It isn't as easy as that, Hunny-senpai."

Hunny shrugged. "If you say so, Katie-chan." Hunny skipped off to see if he could find Mori.

Katie sighed. Hunny was too good.


When Katie saw Kaoru entering the Host Club the next day without Hikaru, she was genuinely worried. Hikaru always came to the Host Club, with or without Kaoru. And the day before, neither of them had come in.

"Where's Hikaru?" she asked Kaoru as she served him some tea.

"At home," he answered.

Katie frowned, waiting for further explanation.

"He's got the flu." Kaoru told her. Well, that was what the doctor had told him after he'd given his older brother a checkup. Influenza was what he had said, and Kaoru knew from enough of his Biology lessons that it was better known as the flu, especially amongst commoners. And the fact that his brother had had symptoms for the last couple of days without him noticing was frightening.

Katie smiled sympathetically. "Hopefully he'll get better soon." She set down a plate of cupcakes.

Kaoru nodded and picked up a cupcake, spinning it in his hands. Every time he saw the cupcakes, he thought of Hikaru. And when Hikaru wasn't there, he felt as if there was a part of him missing. Suddenly, he had an idea.

"Hey, Katie?"

Katie turned to look back at him. "Yes, Kaoru?"

Kaoru smiled. "Do you think you could make some cupcakes for Hikaru? He would love them."

Katie smiled. "Sure. Just wait for me after the Host Club, and I'll bake them for you." Then she had a bright idea. "How about I come over?"

Kaoru looked stunned for a brief second before smiling. "That's a great idea!"

Katie smiled. "I know. He'll love to have me visit."

Kaoru nodded. "Of course he will." He took a bite from his cupcake. "And I can see why he loves these."

Katie smiled. "Thanks, Kaoru."

"No problem."


Katie was thoroughly impressed when she climbed out of the limousine with Kaoru. "Woah."

Kaoru smiled. "It's not that big of a place."

"It's bigger than mine!" Katie turned to look at the black limo. "And so's the car!"

Kaoru chuckled. "Well, why don't you come inside? I'm sure Hikaru will love you being here."

Katie smiled and nodded. "Alright." She picked up her box of cupcakes and followed Kaoru inside.

The main entrance was large, with a tiled floor that caused an echo every time you took a step. Katie looked around in awe at the large paintings hung on the walls, as well as the beautiful decor. There was a staircase right ahead of her, which she assumed headed up to the boys' bedrooms.

"Here, follow me," Kaoru instructed as he headed up the central staircase.

Katie nodded and followed him up.

"Master Kaoru!"

Kaoru stopped halfway up and turned to see one of the head maids standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"Yes?" He noticed she was holding a tray of soup and bread.

"Could you please take this up to Master Hikaru? He has not eaten much today."

Kaoru nodded once and jogged past Katie down the stairs to get the tray of food. Katie watched as he grabbed the tray from the maid before heading up the stairs to Hikaru's room. She followed him to the room, and waited whilst he knocked.

The knock was answered with a couple of coughs and a small, "Come in."

Katie and Kaoru both entered the room, one with a tray and one with a box.

Hikaru managed a weak smile as they both came in. "Hey - it's the gingers."

Katie rolled her eyes at him. "You're ginger too."

Hikaru coughed and smiled. "I know," he croaked.

Katie smiled and sat on the bed beside him, handing him the box. "I made you something."

Hikaru smiled. "Cupcakes."

Katie smiled. "How did you…?"

"That's the only thing you can make decently… apart from-" Hikaru started coughing again, "-bacon sandwiches… and… cereal…" His coughing fit started.

Kaoru placed the tray on his bedside table and sat Hikaru up fully, helping him to breathe better. "Just breathe, Hikaru. Breathe."

Hikaru struggled to breathe, but eventually managed to breathe regularly again. He took a couple of deep breaths before sitting back. "I hate being ill."

Katie smirked. "Everybody does, Hikaru." She put a hand on his shoulder. "Just make sure to get a lot of rest, and drink a lot of fluids."

Hikaru nodded. "I will." He shivered, and wrapped the covers tighter around himself. "I'm so cold…" he moaned.

Kaoru chuckled. "Just go and sleep, Hikaru."

Hikaru's eyes drooped. "I'm not tired."

Kaoru rolled his eyes at Hikaru. "Just eat and sleep, Hikaru." He handed the tray to Katie. "Try and feed him. He won't eat anything on his own, so can you do it?"

Katie smiled and nodded. "Sure."

"I'm not a baby," Hikaru protested before breaking into another coughing fit.

"But you'll spill the soup," Kaoru pointed out as he got up to leave. "We don't want you to spill the hot soup, Hikaru."

Hikaru pouted as he stopped coughing. "But…"

Katie just forced Hikaru to sit back. "Oh, just shut up."

Hikaru frowned, and did as he was told, waiting for the first spoonful of soup.

Katie smiled. He was already getting the hang of things.


Hikaru shook his head. "I can't eat anymore, Katie."

Katie sighed as she held the spoon in her hand. He's nearly done… please don't give up now… "It's just one more spoonful," Katie begged.

Hikaru shook his head, wincing as he felt his headache coming on. "Katie, I really can't."

Katie sighed. "Why not?"

Hikaru closed his eyes. "I think I could be sick if I ate any more of that stuff."

Katie smirked. "Alright, then." She put the bowl of soup down on the side, hopefully for Hikaru to finish later.

Hikaru smiled sleepily. "Thanks." He yawned. "Wow, I'm tired."

Katie smiled and planted a small kiss on his forehead before she even thought about what she was doing. "Just sleep, okay?"

Hikaru pouted. "Are you going?"

Katie looked outside. "It's getting dark, Hikaru."

"But you could stay the night!"

Katie shook her head. "Maybe another time." She stood up. "Night, Hikaru."

Hikaru closed his eyes. "Night, Katie."

Just as Katie was leaving the room, there was a light snoring. She smiled.

Goodnight Hikaru.


So, what do you think? Review!