A/N: I hope everyone had a great summer. I've had an eventful one and have yet to make it home to St. Louis. LOL. I did have my very first book signing though and have another one planned in Sept. I also finished my new novel and it will be released on 9/8. Exposed. I got a new editor and it was a bear to fix. But enough about all of that. This story is not finished and we still have a few chapters to go. I don't like to leave things hanging and as it is right now, I have holes the size of the Grand Canyon. Enjoy the new chapter!

Chapter 25 – Hikaru's Truth

His brother hated him. There was no other reason why Kaoru would believe Kyoya over his own twin. Hikaru and Kaoru had been together since the womb, never once had they turned on each other…until now.

When Kyoya had returned with his younger brother, Hikaru tried to convince Kaoru that it would be best if he was released from Kyoya's care, but like Kyoya predicted, Kaoru would not cave. Hikaru was stuck until he was done with detox, or whatever the fuck was going on with him.

Detox? How the hell was this considered withdrawal if he felt like utter shit? Yes, he knew he had brought this upon himself. Yes, he understood that he had lied and gained everyone's mistrust, but did that mistrust mean that he had to live a tortured existence until his brother or Kyoya deemed him healthy enough to leave? He supposed so…unless he could manage to find a means of escape, which there were none. Kyoya thought of everything. No one entered his room without Kyoya or his brother present. Not even the cleaning crew. He had no means of escape, and therefore, he remained stuck in the hospital.

A stay he loathed and dreaded.

The times he found himself alone were too long and far too many. He feared those times. His demons would come to visit him…to torment him. And he could not escape them. Sometimes he would hear their voices, whispering in his ear to remind him how much he wanted another drink. And sometimes, they would remind him of the smell, the taste, and the abyss that awaited him in the glass of amber liquid.

He wanted that, and yet, he didn't want it at the same time.

Would Kaoru visit today? When his brother refused to allow him to leave, he threw a bedpan at his brother's head out of fear and anger. Hikaru hadn't been thinking clearly, but that didn't excuse his behavior.

Not even his behavior with Haruhi could be completely excused. He had done her wrong, and in the interim, he had wronged his friends. The people that cared about him not because he had paid them to like him – as his parents used to do when he and Kaoru were children – but because they truly cared about him and his wellbeing. And what had he essentially done? Spat in their faces and laughed the whole time

He hadn't seen Kaoru in almost 48 hours. Would he see him today? He really wanted to see his brother. Hikaru needed to know that he had not lost his brother too. Could he mend the hurt and brokenness he caused? He had to try. Anyone could leave him and he would heal, but not his brother. Not Kaoru.

The sound of the door opening, drew Hikaru's attention towards it. Expecting to see Kyoya, his jaw dropped open when he spotted the last person he ever thought he would see in his room alone. "What do you want, Haruhi?"

"I had a doctor appointment and I thought we could talk. Kyoya said it would be fine if I came in for a few minutes; however, he did warn me that I may want to be sure my 'ducking' skills were perfected before I came in. Have any idea what that's about?" she responded. Her mouth was set in a tight smile, which told Hikaru she was trying to make light of the situation, but was terrified of being in the same room with him.

'Throw one bedpan and they label you for life."

"Damn them," she snickered.

"They can all jump off a bridge," he chuckled. As much as he wanted to kill someone only moments ago, this felt good. And it felt amazing to temporarily get his mind off of other things "What did you want?"

Her lips pulled further upwards into a real smile. "I just wanted to check on you."

"Here I am. A monkey still in his cage."

"You are not a monkey, nor are you in a cage." Her eyes flittered to the windows and noticed the lack of ability to open them more than two inches. "Not much of one at least. Damn rich bastards."

No, there wouldn't be bars on the windows. That would be beneath a member of elite society. But that did not mean he was not a prisoner against his will; and he didn't care if this was what was best for him. "You could have fooled me." Leveling his gaze on her, he asked, "What are my legal rights as a patient?"

She narrowed her eyes, "You aren't getting out of here. If I have to press charges against you to keep you here I will."

"You wouldn't."

"Try me!" Her voice raised in volume and octave. Clearing her throat, she noticed how gob smacked his expression appeared and shook her head. In a calmer tone of voice, Haruhi told him, "Hikaru, you need help. I don't know everything that is going on with you, but I do know that. If you don't get it, I'm afraid we're going to lose you." She dropped into the chair next to his bed with a thud.

Hikaru stared at her for a moment before he sneered, "What the fuck are you doing here anyway? Loverboy know you're here?"

"Chika knows. He didn't want me to come, but he wouldn't stop me. I just wanted to talk to you. I know this isn't–"

"You don't know anything!"

Nodding, tears pooled in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "You're right. I don't know what you have been through, what is going through that fool head of yours, or what made you turn to drinking because you never talked to me about any of it. You just started to invite Kaoru over and then invited him into our bed! You're right! I don't know anything! I don't understand anything! Maybe if really would have done everything that you said I did, maybe you would have confided in me, but then again, we both know I could never bring myself to do that to you." He flinched and she sighed, sinking into her chair further. "I wish it wouldn't have come to this, and I wish you would have gotten help or turned to someone even if it wasn't me, but you didn't. You need help, and I'll do whatever it takes to make sure you get it…not only for your sake, but for your brother and friends. You can hate me all you want. I don't care right now, but you will get help."

"Anything else?" he snapped.

"Yeah, one more thing. I still love you and I want to see you better. And I forgive you for everything that happened. I hope you can forgive my part in it all." She stood up and walked out the door, missing his next whispered words.

"There's nothing to forgive because it wasn't your fault."

The next person that entered about an hour later, was the one person Hikaru had decided was a true enemy of the state: Kyoya. "What do you want now? To put me on the rack? Draw and quarter me? The iron maiden?"

"In high school that dramatic nature of yours served you well, but here, it won't get you very far. That said, I suppose the fact that your old self is starting to make an appearance could be considered a good thing," Kyoya remarked.

"Haruhi came."

"I am well aware of everyone that comes and goes through that door." Kyoya pushed his glasses up and opened his black notebook, his pen held at the ready.

Without looking at his friend, Hikaru told him, "She said she forgives me."

"She has always been the bigger person when it came to the Host Club."

"She wanted me to forgive her for her part."

"And?"

"There's nothing to forgive."

"Why did you do those things to her?"

"I don't know."

"Hikaru–"

"I'm serious, Kyoya. I don't know. She was there and I knew she wouldn't leave, so I used her to express my aggression and anxiety."

"And?"

Hikaru still couldn't look at his friend as he continued. He wasn't sure his tongue all of the saddened decided to spill everything, but he couldn't stop the floodgates once they opened. "From the moment my parents found out about Haruhi, they have been pressuring me to pursue her. I knew it was hard on Kaoru because he had feelings for her too, but if push came to shove, he would back down. Plus, our parents told him to leave Haruhi alone. When I was in my second year, I messed up and got a girl pregnant."

"I am well aware of that."

His head whipping around, large amber eyes settled on Kyoya. Hikaru shook his head. If anyone managed to find out it would be Kyoya. With a derisive snort, he said, "Figures."

"Please continue."

Hikaru's gaze returned to the window, "My parents were afraid that she would mess up my life since her family had recently been shunned by high society due to a huge scandal with her father and mother. So, they paid the family off and they left Japan. I never heard from them again. I suppose I could have looked for her, but I felt…relieved to have the problem taken care of. There was also the fact that Kaoru and I shared her one night. She actually told my parents about everything. When she left, I didn't feel sad or angry, I felt relieved. I don't even know if I have a son or daughter, and up until now, I didn't care."

"A son."

"Excuse me?"

"You have a son. The girl is married though and he adopted the child as his own."

Tears burned and spilled over. Hikaru's body shook with sobs as he cried, "Good. Good. They deserved to have someone that would take care of them."

Pushing up his glasses again, Kyoya spoke, "After she got married they had two more children and are now living in Canada."

"Honestly, I didn't want Haruhi to have a baby. I was terrified of having a baby. And my parents were pressuring us to get pregnant, just like they pressured us to get married. They tried to pressure me to force Haruhi to quit law, but it was the one thing I couldn't do."

"So you took everything out on her?"

"Yes."

"In the hopes she would leave?"

Hikaru's head dropped to his chest as the tears continued to spill out of his eyes. "Yes."

"Why? Afterwards, you treated her like–"

"Total crap. I know I did. She didn't deserve it, but I didn't want there to be any possible way that my parents would use her ever again."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Why?" Kyoya pressed. He had a feeling there was more to all of this than Hikaru was saying.

"Just because."

"Hikaru, why?"

"BECAUSE! Because they were going to try to convince her to be with me and Kaoru. Because one of their friends mentioned that they thought Haruhi was lovely and they wanted me to convince her to sleep with him as part of a business arrangement. Because I knew deep down, she wasn't for me."

"Hikaru…" The Shadow King didn't know what to say about this revelation.

"I always noticed the way Yasuchika looked at her, and how she returned his gazes. I was always jealous how they could always open up and talk to each other, but she didn't have the same relationship with me. And I still forced her into marrying me because my parents wanted me to marry Haruhi and no one else. They threatened to disown me if I didn't marry her. And after I did, they acted like she was a Hitachiin possession available to do their bidding whenever they felt like using her."

Kyoya softly shut his black book.

"Kyoya, can you please leave me alone."

"Of course."

If what Hikaru said was true, and Kyoya had a bad feeling that it was, then the Hitachiin parents were worse than Kyoya initially believed. This was a precarious situation to say the least. They had to move cautiously, and it was high time he looked more closely at Mr. and Mrs. Hitachiin again. They would not get away with their crimes against Haruhi or their own children. The Shadow King would see to that.

A/N2: I promise, more Chika/Haruhi next chapter!