The Brothers:

Masaomi

Sitting at the dining room table the condo was eerily still. Mournfully he stared at the steaming cup of coffee just sitting there between his palms, feeling the heat of the liquid inside, and was suddenly lost in the emptiness of his mind. This place is so…..still without her. It had been a week since Lex had run away.

"Masa?"

Abruptly he blinked to life, turning his gaze towards the stairs, to find Azusa standing there. As much as he tried he couldn't fake a smile so he just stared. Azusa crossed the quiet distance and stood opposite of him.

"Any news?"

He shook his head, "No." he sighed, "How're mom and Rintaro doing?"

Azusa shrugged hesitantly, "As well as any parent when their child goes missing."

Masaomi lifted his hands and buried his face in them. This is all my fault. The hatred that had grown bitterly in himself was near all-consuming but he couldn't let that happen because if Lex did come back, and by some miracle still wanted to be with him, he couldn't be ugly for her. To her. Lex didn't deserve to see such a side.

Azusa suddenly placed his hand on Masaomi's shoulder pulling his attention, "It's not your fault Masa."

Looking up from his hands Masaomi searched Azusa's eyes and found truth in his words.

"It's all of our faults. We all should've been more open to Lex made her feel like she could trust us. We all failed her."

Masaomi stood up and walked away, "Then I far more than anyone else."

Azusa

He watched Masaomi walk away, carry himself up the stairs heavily, until he disappeared beyond the landing. Azusa looked at the cup of coffee, noting that it had been untouched, and then stared out to the balcony. Outside it was blizzardy. It had been for the past week and a half. Softly he crossed the living room to the balcony doors and stared outside. He could barely see to the banister the snow was so thick. Lex I hope your somewhere warm.

Even though the police had put out a BOLO and were active in their search for her Azusa knew that by the weeks end, two more days to go, if they found no one they would stop looking. Too expensive to continue using manpower and resources to find someone who doesn't want to be found…Or someone who's no longer around. That nasty little voice forced tears to his eyes. Removing his glasses Azusa wiped at his eyes with the sleeve of his sweater. She's alive. She's too stubborn to give up.

As if trying to spare him agony his brain suddenly brought back a warm memory…A memory of everyone in an orchard going apple picking. It had been the first time they'd all met and instead of seeming overwhelmed Lex had welcomed the chaos. She was bouncy, full of energy, and zeal, like any little kid would be, but it was maturely balanced. For the first hour she'd bounced around between the brothers, talking with them, helping to pick until their baskets were full. But when she'd stopped to chat with him they'd hit it off rather well. She made him laugh, good deep belly laughs, and even climbed up into the top of a tree to retrieve an out of reach apple. Of course she fell from the tree but was nothing but giggles about it all.

He put his hand on the glass feeling the biting cold against his hand, "Please come back Lex. We need you here."

Hikaru

"While this once in a life time storm has gripped the core of Japan it has left the ports frozen over slowing shipments of food and….."

Sighing heavily he pulled the headphones off and stared at the screen in the headrest in front of him. The cabin was silent, it was easily passed the midnight hour, and in the air there was soft snoring. Every now and again a flight attendant would pace the isles to see how everyone was doing but other than that it was still.

"Lex….." he sighed looking out the window.

The world below was so dark for now, an endless sea, and it went on for miles. It made Hikaru wonder if Lex had felt trapped in such darkness, held in place by Ukyo who was trying to drown her and unable to be saved by Masaomi who was too clueless to see her drowning….No, that's not right. We all let her drown.

"Troubles of love, eh?"

Hikaru looked from the window to the seat next to him. A tiny little lady had ridden next to him, from Los Angeles, and had remained silent until now however her knitting needles hadn't ceased.

"Pardon?" he asked politely with a smile.

Her needles stopped and she looked up. Her face was wrinkled with years of life and her eyes were black as onyx. She smiled showing crow's feet.

"I have been around a long time, youngin', and I know the look of love. This girl, Lex, is she a good girl?"

He couldn't help but chuckle, "Oh, yes, very much so and she's rather brave or stubborn."

Those knitting needles picked up again with their soft rhythmic clicking.

"Hmmm. A perfect match for you I think. So, what happened? Have a fight? Lovers quarrel?"

Hikaru shook his head, "No-"and looked out the window again, "she's not mine. Lex is actually going out with one of my brothers."

"Oh? But you love her as your own, don't you?"

Did I? Ever since she'd gone missing he'd lost countless hours of sleep, missed three deadlines, and been nothing but restless. Maybe I have fallen in love with her. It was a flighty thought, one he couldn't quite grasp, because it was a love somewhere between passion and peace.

"I'll take that as a yes. So, what has gone wrong? Why mix such a dark look with that of love?"

A cloud suddenly blocked the view from the window, "She's gone missing. Ran away."

"Oh-"

Buzz. Quickly Hikaru dug in his pants pocket and pulled out his phone. The screen was a light with a text message. He pulled up the message and sighed inwardly. It wasn't what he was hoping for.

Subaru

Practice was over and the locker rooms were full of his teammates. Lockers slammed, voices laughed and showers boomed as they rattled to life with steaming water. Sitting on a wood bench in a far row Subaru stared down at his phone reading the text Hikaru had sent him. Before leaving to the States Hikaru had asked him to send updates but there was nothing to really update about.

"Subaru!"

He tucked away his phone as Koji came around the corner, "Hey we were going to go celebrate! Come with us Suba."

"Thanks but no thanks."

Stupid snow. The white stuff crunched beneath his shoes and the cold wind ripped at his wind breaker. To his right the street was still busy with cars, people on their way home from work, and there were patches of ice here and there. People that were out this late were bundled up with heavy coats and traveled in packs to keep warm.

With all this snow it only brought him back to that night. He'd stepped out for some fresh air, just a moment to think, and then he'd heard shouting from the condo. As soon as he reached the lobby door Lex had come bursting through it, tears streaming down her face, nearly running him over in the process. He'd watched her curiously, called to her, and then that's when Yusuke called to him from the balcony. "Stop her!"

He turned and followed right away but somehow she was faster than him. He chased her down the block, around the corner…..How could she move so fast on snow in bare feet? The question haunted him. Why didn't he stop her? How couldn't he have? How did she get away? Subaru suddenly stopped amid a huge structure with bright lights and stared up to the sky. If only I'd been faster….Lex would be home.

"Subaru?"

He turned and saw Natsume walking towards him. Behind his brother the large grey structure came out of the haze and Subaru realized he'd mindlessly walked to Natsume's work.

"Natsu."

Natsume frowned, "What're you doing wandering around like this? You're going to get sick?"

Subaru gave him a knowing look. Sighing, sending puffs of haze into the air, Natsume pulled his coat tightly around him.

"Go home. I'll look for her now."

"Nats-"

Natsume stepped up, equal to Subaru, "Suba if you get sick, if you throw everything away, do you think that would make Lex happy?"

Subaru glared at his brother.

"Go home. I will look for her as long as I can."

Stubbornly Subaru turned aside, in the direction of home, "I want to be the first to know if you find anything."

Natsume nodded and watched his brother go.

Natsume

Damn this frigid cold. Natsume couldn't help but curse in his mind as he lit a cigarette with a cold nipped hand. Downtown Sakura Mall had always been one of Lex's favorite places to hang out. She loved the corner bookstore that was four stories tall and smelled of paper, ink and coffee beans. He went through every isle, on every floor, searched every nook and cranny but he couldn't find her.

Stepping back outside he lit another cigarette, stepped away from the main street in an alley threshold, and blew out a puff of smoke. He felt exhausted, drained from work and worry, and rubbed his face with aching hands. Damn Lex. What had unfolded from Masaomi's mouth had defiantly come as a shock for two reasons. One, the most striking, that Ukyo would treat Lex and Masaomi in such an ugly way and Two that Lex was dying.

In a way he understood her motive clearly for secrecy. Lex was obstinate and believed she could handle everything on her own. It wasn't a bad trait, he had it himself, but…..Pulling the cigarette from his mouth he puffed out another cloud and looked aside…..The cigarette fell from his hand…

"Lex!"

At the other end of the alley he saw the pale ghost of the girl bathed by a street light. She turned when he called, watching his with hollow eyes, before turning and running.

"LEX!"

Natsume dashed down the alley, his steps echoing up along the towering buildings, as Lex took the corner in a flash of golden hair. Reaching the end he took the corner to the left too sharp, hit ice and skidded into a post box that stopped him from going out into traffic, ahead he saw Lex, he knew it was her!, saw her limping as she ran full force down the icy street. Her pants were torn, frayed, covered in mud and her shirt was sagging off her bony shoulders.

"LEX COME HERE! STOP!" he yelled.

Before he could find his footing she disappeared into the crowd beyond another cross street.