Here's chapter 12. I give Tamaki some time in because Kyouya and Hikaru shared a moment, so I thought I'd worship my second favourite non-canon pairing for a bit. No, first isn't KyouHika. If you want to see my favourite non-canon pairing, check out A Reward for Selflessness.

I know I take artistic liberties with Nekozawa, but...meh. This takes place directly after Hikaru leaves the preparations in the 3rd floor music room. Enjoy. And REVIEW, DAMNIT.

Chapter 12: Doubtful Commitment

Tsuki's tiny fangs clamped over a twitching brown ear and made Yuhi squeak. Distracted, he turned from batting at Akatsuki's whipping tail and pounced on the black and white offender. Both tumbled back, squealing and letting out playfully hisses. Nekozawa put his finger over their heads, and before long, they were after him instead.

Akatsuki, nestled in Kaoru's lap, took the opportunity to wrap her tail around her legs tightly. She regarded her brothers' play with dignity, holding her head high, but the long finger that reached down to rub her chin diverted her attention. Comforted, she closed her eyes and leaned into Kaoru's touch, purring softly. Tamaki smiled.

"Can't tell you how grateful I am to you, y'know," he said. Nekozawa was respectful enough to remain silent, and continued to play with Tsuki and Yuhi while Kaoru glanced up at Tamaki's warm eyes.

"What for, milord?"

"You know what for." Tamaki's face was overflowing with meaning; his eyes showed gratitude, his smile showed loyalty, and his blush was a clear indicator of how much joy flowed through him. Kaoru returned the smile almost shyly.

"I really didn't do anything," he murmured, looking down at the smile on his kitten's face. "I'm the voice of reason, not the push in the right direction."

"Aren't they the same thing?"

"In Hikaru's case? Not even close."

Tamaki looked down at Akatsuki fondly, reaching out to scratch her behind the ears. At the foreign touch, her eyes opened and she stared at Tamaki curiously. After a moment, her ear tilted back and she swiped at his fingers.

"She's so cute," Tamaki sighed.

"You don't mean Akatsuki, do you?" Kaoru nudged playfully, and Tamaki laughed.

"Not really. Took me long enough to admit to myself I liked Haruhi. I never would have even thought about the possibility of her liking me back until you told me to get a move on."

Kaoru winced, his smile vanishing. "Don't mention that. I feel like a traitor to Hikaru by doing that. But…he did say he wasn't sure if he was in love with…not that I wanted him to be, because I want him to…" He trailed off of the uneven path, thinking. A moment after speaking, he almost blushed; he hadn't really considered the impact of the words until they had reached his own ears.

Tamaki kept his smirk lowered, away from Kaoru's gaze. He allowed the younger boy a few minutes of silence, and instead turned his attention to Akatsuki, who had her paw on his hand. Her claws were slipping in and out of delicate pads as if she were stroking him. Her eyes were squinting, which made her smile much more adorable. She smushed her head into the palm of Kaoru's motionless hand, seeking attention.

"When are you going to tell Hikaru?" Tamaki said quietly.

"I'm still not sure I want to," Kaoru replied, rubbing the soft spot behind Akatsuki's left ear. "I rather like having her to myself, and keeping the three kittens a secret is a rush that I really-"

"Kaoru," Tamaki interrupted, his tone more serious. When the Hitachiin looked at him, Tamaki bowed his head insistently. "I mean, when are you going to tell Hikaru?"

Kaoru averted his gaze quickly, a blush creeping over pale cheeks. To his left, Nekozawa looked up, solemn, but curious. Kaoru was unnerved by his presence.

"I can't…I mean, I don't understand what you're talking about, Tamaki."

'Slip of the tongue. Damn it. Please don't let him pick up on-'

"Tamaki? What happened to 'Tono,' hm?" His smile was wry and victorious, but still friendly. Kaoru's blush was so evident that it embarrassed him; he wanted to cry. Biting his lip, his flicked his gaze back to his senpai. Tamaki seemed to have sensed Kaoru's discomfort, because his smile was more gentle now, his eyes warm. "No need to be so pink. You're talking to the one who fell in love with a girl before he even knew she was a female."

"Pointing out your idiocy doesn't diminish mine," Kaoru retorted defensively. Tamaki's smile didn't flicker at all.

"Nope, but idiocy can help you in the long run. Something the stupid things, those bizarre little quirks, help you love someone even more."

"No wonder…" Kaoru murmured softly, then broke off and fell silent. He lowered his gaze to Akatsuki. The tip of her tail waved back and forth slowly, mesmerizing him and distracting him momentarily. When he spoke next, it was with renewed confidence in his well thought-out words. "Haruhi's ability to put up with you astonishes even Kyouya."

"I think she does more than put up with him," Nekozawa said sullenly. Belzenev tickled Tsuki behind the ear. "What I don't understand is how you, Kaoru-kouhai, can spend so much time with Hikaru and still be in denial when someone even as slow as Suou-san can point it out."

"Gee, thanks," Tamaki said dryly, glancing indifferently at Nekozawa just in time to miss the next wave of blood rushing into Kaoru's cheeks.

"I always suspected it, you know," Nekozawa continued, glancing up at Kaoru with piercing blue eyes. Belzenev looked up silently. "My suspicions were confirmed when you came to tell me about the cats and didn't press the issue about your brother. I'm heliophobic, Kaoru, not homophobic. Your blush was obvious."

"How many other people know, do you think?" Kaoru muttered uneasily. His left hand nestled so close to Akatsuki's throat that she wrapped her paws around it and chewed his fingers, pummeling the back of his hand with her hind legs. The claws made tiny scratches against his flesh; when he moved to draw his hand away, she dug her claws in fiercely. Tamaki put his hand over Kaoru's to distract her so the younger student could pull away to nurse his wounds.

"Approximately? Or names?"

"Names, please." Kaoru's voice trembled, his eyes misty. Tamaki and Nekozawa shared a glance until Umehito looked away, moving his hand like a spider so Yuhi and Tsuki could tackle it. Tamaki tried to meet Kaoru's eyes, but they were hidden beneath lowered lashes.

"Haruhi and I know, and I'm pretty sure Kyouya does too. Mori-senpai and Hunny-senpai almost definitely know. Renge might know, but she's still partially under the impression that both of you like Haruhi. I'm fairly positive the only hints the customers picked up on were disregarded as Club activity."

"And obviously, I know," Nekozawa added unnecessarily. "As far as we can be sure, however-"

"Hikaru doesn't know," Tamaki finished. Kaoru finally looked up; Tamaki withdrew his hand from Akatsuki's clutches. She leapt from Kaoru's lap, ignoring the fingers the Hitachiin had stretched out to her in vain, and pounced on Tsuki, causing both to yowl playfully. Kaoru watched.

"So the club and maybe Renge." Kaoru blinked and looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully, hope returning to his eyes, along with something else entirely. "That's not so bad. The only real problem is that I'm in love with my twin brother!" He leapt to his feet upon the last words, which were shouted, his tone changing as fast as his attitude. He glared down at Tamaki, panting softly from the overflow of negative emotions, while his senpai stared up at him with only the smallest amount of shock in his eyes. Nekozawa didn't acknowledge the outburst, but all three kittens froze and stared at Kaoru silently.

Tamaki had known both twins long enough to tell what their emotions were; behind Kaoru's narrowed, golden eyes, there was a firm layer of sorrow that threatened to spill over. His fists were clenched and trembling. Tamaki's mind worked fast, and he remained still, waiting to see if Kaoru would continue yelling, run away, or – and Tamaki feared this immensely - fall to his knees and break down into tears.

After a few moments of Kaoru's irregular panting and Tamaki's even breaths, the former let out a sharp huff. He collapsed onto the ground, his legs splayed beneath him, and pressed his hands against his eyes in a struggle for internal stability. He said nothing for a while. Then:

"Even if I tell him," he whispered, his voice so soft that Tamaki leaned in slightly to hear it, "it'll be a miracle if he doesn't turn on me, let alone return my feelings. It's unnatural in too many ways, and it's just what our customers say…taboo. Forbidden love. It's just not…"

He was cut off by a gentle hand on his shoulder and he looked up, startled, dropping his hands. Tamaki's violet eyes were incredibly warm and trustworthy.

"You're twins," Tamaki said, his voice even and honest. "If something like this breaks you apart forever, there's absolutely no hope for the rest of us."

"But," Kaoru said in a nervous undertone, allowing Tamaki to help him to his feet carefully, "how am I supposed to confess something like this to him? And don't use you and Haruhi as an example," he tossed in with a stern glare that almost made Tamaki laugh. "Because that's an entirely different thing."

Tamaki put his arm around Kaoru's shoulders comfortingly and walked him to the door.

"I wouldn't worry about it, Kaoru," he said, reaching for the door-handle. "There's no rush to do it, and these things have ways of working themselves out."

Upon pulling open the door and stepping back, Tamaki jumped to avoid the boy that collapsed onto the ground, unbalanced from the lack of support previously provided by the door. Kaoru stared down, his eyes huge with disbelief, as Hikaru groaned and moved into sitting position, rubbing his head. When the elder Hitachiin looked up to meet his brother's eyes, his cheeks turned redder than Kaoru's.

"Oh," he muttered weakly. "…hey, guys."

As Hunny said earlier, bust-eddddd.