"Darker times can draw people closer..."

December 17, 2014

After Mitsukuni had finally stopped crying, Tamaki had managed to get the group downstairs to say their goodbyes to Arai. Standing outside in front of the Pension's entrance, Haruhi apologized for Hikaru's rude behavior.

Arai merely smiled at her and exclaimed, sitting halfway on his delivery bike, "It's alright. I don't know what I did, but it sure seemed to set him off, huh?" Suddenly hearing the door's bells ring, Mitsukuni turned in head in confusion and blinked, stunned to see Hikaru making his way over to them with a sheepish look on his face. Hikaru rubbed the back of his neck as he walked.

"Hika-Chan..." He said quietly, but loud enough to alert everyone of his presence. Blinking twice, Hikaru slowly lifted his head and stared at Arai for a moment.

After he appeared to gather his courage, he said, "I'm sorry for the way I acted... I've just been going through some hard times lately, but that didn't mean I should have taken my anger out on. Forgive me." Arai looked startled for a moment before he suddenly smiled and shook his head.

"Nah, it's fine. Don't worry about it, man. Everyone has bad days, I completely understand. Well, I gotta get going now. See ya soon, Fujioka." Haruhi smiled at him and waved, everyone watching as Arai rode away on his bike. Still smiling and waving as he rode away, Akiko-who had been hiding in the backdrop until now-turned to Hikaru and asked,

"Where's your brother?"

Hikaru turned and smiled at Akiko. He said, "Kaoru's checking on Alex for me right now, so-"

"That's not what I meant." She said bluntly, causing Hikaru to blink in surprise and stare at her with a look of utter confusion. "I'm asking where Hikaru is. You're clearly standing right in front of me."

Hikaru was about to protest that he wasn't Kaoru, when Haruhi suddenly reached up and pinched his cheek. "Ow-what are you doing!?"

"Akiko's right; why are you dressed as Hikaru?"

Everyone else froze, before turning their gazes to Kaoru curiously. The ginger laughed lightly, rubbing the sore spot on his cheek from where Haruhi had grabbed him. "Hikaru's temper isn't going to let up anytime soon," He explained with a sad smile, standing up straight. "He can also be pretty stubborn, so he doesn't really like admitting defeat or apologizing. That's part of the reason why I came outside to apologize for him."

Akiko raised an eyebrow, noticing how he worded it. "Part of the reason?"

Kaoru nodded, turning to her with another friendly smile. Kaoru had no idea at all as to how Akiko could tell he and his brother apart, but maybe... maybe it was just another thing passed on from knowing Alex. The one who knew them best. Or maybe she was just very perceptive. Kaoru could feel the aching pain in his chest at those thoughts, but he quickly shook them off and instead leaned over so he could stare into Akiko's eyes, the girl leaning her head back with light pink across her cheeks. She appeared a little intimidated.

Managing to keep her voice steady, she asked, "What's the other half?"

"The other half Akiko, is that I came down here to ask you something." There was a short silence for dramatic effect. Kaoru reached over and grabbed Akiko's hands, causing her face to become a shade darker as he grinned, "Are you free tomorrow?" Akiko's eyes widened. "Because I want you to go out on a date with me. You up for it?"

"Wh-Why," She started to say, stuttering in shock before she finally managed to control herself, "Why do you want me to go out on a date with you?"

Even Haruhi looked surprised. Kyoya pushed up his glasses and, grabbing the arm of a fuming Tamaki he pulled him back into the pension despite his protests. Mori calmly leaned down and picked up Mitsukuni, holding him very much like how a mother would to their three-year-old child.

Kaoru's grin seemed to widen just a little. He knew that with what was happening to his sister, going on a date would probably be the least appropriate thing, but... it could help him just a little bit and maybe, just maybe, they could become better friends with Akiko and repay her for what she did for him. And after a lot of thought... after very very much thought, and a little discussion with the person herself, Alex wouldn't want him and Hikaru to mope about. Now, the big question is if the rest of the club will realize this themselves? Hikaru doesn't even realize this, but maybe after this he just might...

"Well," He began, "There are times where our conversations are a bit rocky and I know that you and Hikaru don't get along that well, but you're a really nice girl. You're also my little sister's best friend and... I want to get to know you better. I know the timing is a little inappropriate," Akiko couldn't help but nod her head in agreement, but she wasn't able ignore the fact that her heart was pounding in her chest at what he was saying about her. "But I don't think Alex would want us to fret and be so depressed about her condition. She's always smiling for us, even though she's in so much pain... so, if you won't go on a date for me, at least do it for her? Do it for my little sister?"

Akiko bit the inside of her cheek, almost yelling at the last remaining members in her head for going into the pension, but the look in Kaoru's eyes... as he spoke, they became moist-as if he were holding back tears. She realized he had a point... Alex wouldn't want them to get depressed about her condition. She probably just wants them to be happy and to act like nothing is happening to her. The selfless fool... talk about an idiot...

"F-Fine but... only if you stop making that face." She removed her gaze from him, trying to ignore how warm his hands were. Her eyes widened when she realized what she said and she cried out, looking at him in alarm, "I-I didn't mean it in that way, I-I could care less if you look upset! I still hate you and your brother, s-so don't get any of the wrong ideas! I'm-I'm not doing this for you, I'm doing this for Alex!"

Kaoru looked surprised for a moment, having no expected her flustered reaction or her cherry red face, but he soon smiled so tenderly at her...

I-I think my heart just died a little... God, what was going on with her? Why did Kaoru have to be a nice guy? Freaking-why couldn't he be a jerk like his brother; if he was anything like Hikaru then her life would be so much easier! I hate twins... She held back a sigh as Kaoru released her hands, crossing her arms and walking back nervously into the pension, feeling a bit like she was walking on air. Alex... poor Alex... I wish I was as strong as you. How do you put up with all this? How do you not cry? Why is she still able to smile at them when she sees them while she's awake? Why does she do that even though she's obviously in so much pain...

She was so different compared to the girl she used to be when they first met. She's more... motherly now. She appeared to have gone from a child who wanted nothing but to be entertained, to this... mature teen who tries to look after everyone, who does her best to stay strong for them and not to worry. The look in her eyes were always that of a tortured soul, but her eyes held hope... held love for everyone she met. Akiko wished she could be like her.


December 18, 2014

"K-Kaoru! Kaoru don't do this! Don't-Don't you get sick too!" Hikaru hovered over his brother, staring at him with terrified eyes. Tears were dropping from his cheeks, splashing against Kaoru's face. "C-Come on, don't you dare leave me!"

"I-I'm fine, Hikaru..." Kaoru coughed, looking rather pale. He felt incredibly guilty for what he was doing-no, not even that. He felt like a cruel bastard for doing this to his brother. He knew how torn he was about Alex, but... this was the only way he could get him to go in his place. "It's-It's just a little cold, see?" There was sweat beating down his face; his skin was slightly damp. He coughed again.

"E-Even if it's just a small cold, it-it could get worse and-" Kaoru cut his brother off by placing a hand on his arm, the younger twin rolling onto his back with the blankets covering most of his face. "Kaoru...?"

"I... need you to do me a favor. I-Yesterday I asked Akiko on a day and... I need you to go in my place." Kaoru coughed again, Hikaru's emotions completely conflicted. He was beginning to break down. "I-I can't just leave her there, you know?"

"Y-You want me to go out with that silver-eyed demon!? I-I need to look after you and Alex; I can't waste my time-"

"W-We'll be here when you get back, Hikaru... I'll probably be better by then. I just need some rest." Kaoru let out a small groan, causing Hikaru to reach a hand down and brush the bangs out of Kaoru's face, feeling his temperature. He was really warm. "B-Besides, if you think about it... we have Kyoya-Sempai and his sister watching after her for us... so there's nothing to worry about. They're from a family of doctors after all."

"I-I know that, but don't forget how useless the doctors in the hospitals were-"

"I know, Hikaru... but I really need you to do this for me. I-I really like Akiko, see?" Hikaru's eyes widened. "I really wanted to show her a good time but... I-I can't now. The timing of this is terrible but... please, go in my place, Hikaru." Kaoru removed the blanket from his face and shivered, before reaching up and cupping Hikaru's face with his hand. "Be nice to her, just this once... please?"

I don't get it... Hikaru just didn't understand. Why does his brother want him to leave his side when he might end up badly sick as well? Why doesn't anyone care!? She's-His sister's dying and no one but him and Kyoya seem to care! What's does he like about her? Sure, she's kinda nice I guess since she saved him from that pot... Guilt hit him like a ton of bricks and he winced, before placing a hand over his brother's, which was still on his face. "What do you like about her? She's just... another girl. She's not Haruhi or..."

Kaoru tried for a smile. He said weakly, "I know you two don't get along well, but... she's a good person. You'll understand once you spend time with her. ...You felt it that day too, right? How... How she was breaking into our world?" Hikaru bit the inside of his cheek, balling his free hand into a fist. "It'll be good for you... just don't ruin my chances, okay? Show her a good time or I'll never forgive you. If you hurt her feelings and I find out you made her cry..."

Hikaru could sense the looming threat. Stress lines formed down his face and he swallowed, "Y-Yeah, alright. I got it."

"Are you sure?"

"W-What? You think I can't do it?"

"Well... you've never really gone out with anyone before," Kaoru responded with a small smile, hiding his face underneath the blankets so his brother couldn't see his grin. "But remember Hikaru... you have to tell other people you feel, otherwise... they'll never know. And remember...whenever you care about someone, it's important to pay attention to any subtle hints they drop." Hikaru was confused at his brother's words, not understanding why he was telling him this.

Kaoru was the one who liked Akiko, not him. Did he just want him to inform him on stuff the silver-eyed demon liked or something?


"Why are you here and where's Kaoru?" Hikaru almost recoiled at the blatant rejection of his presence and scowled at Akiko in annoyance, not liking her attitude with him.

"He got sick so he asked me to come in his stead. You got a problem with that?" Akiko made a face at him and slumped her shoulder, disappointed. She rather liked Kaoru, he made good company. He also had a rather calm and more serious head compared to his brother, who was a world-renowned hothead. She wondered if he was alright. So in an attempt to annoy Hikaru for his rude way of asking, she said,

"No, just bugged 'cause I got dressed up for nothing." Hikaru was about to make a retort when he finally realized what the girl was wearing. His eyes widened in surprise.

Akiko was actually wearing something really simple. A plain black dress with a slight poofy skirt, the top covered by a red cardigan. She wore a pair of red Mary Janes. Her dark hair was braided over her left shoulder, a few strands framing her face. Her bangs were parted. Akiko's eyes looked more silver than usual, almost like that of the moon.

She didn't look bad, she actually looked really pretty-Hikaru just found it really weird that she was dressed up. "Aren't you supposed to be the daughter of a cosmetics company? Why are you dressed like that?" Her eyebrow twitched in response.

"Okay, Hikaru; news flash, I'm adopted." She then pointed a finger at him, shaking her head at him sassily as she said, "Which means that I'm not some spoiled little rich brat who likes to flaunt her stuff and how much money she's got in her wallet. You hear me? I quite like wearing things like this; simple, yet cute. And I've been wanting to try out these pair of shoes since I bought them a few days back but I haven't had a reason to, so I thought I'd try them out now since they matched my outfit. You got a problem with that?"

Hikaru raised his hands in defense as he glared at her in irritation. "I was just asking, Miss Medea! You don't have go and snap at me like that!"

"Then don't ask me so rudely! And why'd you bring up my family anyway!? Just because I'm not wearing make-up doesn't mean you have a right to make fun of my foster family!"

"I wasn't making fun of anything you jerk!" Lightning crackled between them, and from behind a telephone pole Kaoru sighed, sweatdropping exasperatedly.

They can't get along even once, Kaoru thought in despair. And... His gaze trailed to Akiko, causing him to frown in slight envy. She looks so cute! I can't believe he said that to her. Hikaru... As much as he loved his brother, sometimes he just wanted to smack him, but it was good thing Kaoru has a lot a patience. He wasn't lying however when he told his brother he liked the girl-sure she was a little temperamental at times and a bit bi-polar, but weren't all women?

Following them as they walked away, the two teens bickering back-and-forth like an old married couple, Kaoru hid behind a wall and watched them speak to each other as they stood in the middle of the marketplace, looking at the town map.

"I don't know where to go!" Hikaru snapped, before wincing a little. Kaoru frowned, hoping his brother remembered his words. "I-I mean... where do you want to go?" Akiko narrowed her eyes at him and Hikaru steadily kept her gaze. The girl sighed after a few moments and tore her eyes away, instead looking at the map.

"I have no idea... Kaoru said he'd have this all planned out so-hey, what's that?" She pointed at a place on the map. Hikaru looked to where she was pointing and blinked.

"Looks like some kind of fair or festival is goin' on." He then looked at Akiko curiously, malice no longer in his gaze. He actually looked a little interested now. He asked, "You wanna go there?"

Akiko smiled and nodded, "Yeah. Haruhi told me about the town fairs she went to when she was little, so I always wanted to go to one. I never really had much of a chance before." Hikaru quirked an eyebrow.

"So you've never been to an Amusement Park?" He looked amused and slightly disbelieving. "How lame are you?" Her smile turned down into a deep frown and she scowled at him, telling him to shut up before grabbing his arm and dragging him along with her, using the map for instructions. "Hey, slow down! You're gonna rip off my arm-"

"You're a big boy, you can handle it! At least Kaoru wouldn't insult me!" She let out a "Hmph" and turned her head away, annoyed at his behavior. Damn idiot... I was so looking forward to spending the day with Kaoru. "Jerk," She muttered under her breath. I hope Kaoru's alright... I don't want him to end up like Alex.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" She faked a smile and paused, having finally arrived at their destination. Hikaru stopped behind her and stood up straight, barely managing to stop himself from bumping into her as she had quit running so abruptly. He blinked and looked on thoughtfully, saying,

"Huh. Guess they're packing up. It's no surprise seeing how it's December and all..." Akiko loosened her grip on his arm and looked back at the map, heart dropping in her stomach as she finally saw the words-written in very small letters- closed for the season.

Trying to hide her disappointment she forced a smile and turned to look at Hikaru, folding up the map in her hands neatly as she could. He looked down at her, noticing how her shoulders were slumped instead of being held confidently like they were before. He noticed how fake her expression was. "Well, seeing as that isn't going to work, any suggestions?"

He raised a hand up and rubbed the back of his neck, thinking. "...Not at the top of my head. I wasn't expecting to come out today so I didn't plan anything." Her smile faltered a little and she looked at the ground for a moment.

"R-Right... Well, are you hungry? We can... we can go and get something to eat if you want. Misuzu suggested a few places that had good service and food; we can go eat at one of them?"

He raised an eyebrow at her suggestion. He almost scoffed at the idea of eating low-grade food, before pausing and remembering the chips Alex had been eating one day while watching a really sad anime. He and Kaoru had stole them while she was in the midst of sobbing at a sad scene and tried them and they were actually surprisingly good. His chest ached painfully at the memory, but he sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets, asking, "Like what?"

She gave him a look. "Well, what are you in the mood for?"

"How should I know?"

"You're not being very helpful!"

"Neither are you!"

More electricity. Blue and yellow auras clashed together in a fight for dominance, neither wanting to give in due to their stubbornness and pride.

Hikaru growled at her, "It's a wonder why you're even adopted; I doubt even a hobo would want to pick you up off the street!" Akiko almost winced at her words, but she held her ground.

"At least I know there a people way nicer than you; I'm so glad I get so spend time with you, because I'm reminded of what a jerk you really are!"

"What did you just say, Urushihara!?"

"You heard me!"

"I hope you get lost one of these days, because then some perverted geezer will attack you!"

"Says you! There are plenty of perverted geezers who would want to ravage a pretty-boy like you! And for your information, I'm good with directions so my getting lost is practically impossible!"

Kaoru sunk to the ground, planking at the scene before him. They were getting along so well for a second, dang it! They were finally getting somewhere! He groaned and sighed, pushing himself up. Something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye and he turned his head in confusion, seeing a man with brown and dark eyes peeking out from a store corner. He followed the man's gaze and was stunned to realize that he was staring straight at Hikaru and Akiko. His eyes widened and Kaoru turned to look back at the man, only to see he was gone.

And when he looked back, his brother and his date where missing as well.


"Hey, so what restaurant are we going too?" Hikaru asked as they walked, the ginger turning his head to look at his companion only to stop walking and look around frantically. A sudden sense of panic took over him, worry building up quickly inside of him as he tried to locate the girl. "Akiko?" He took a step back, wondering if he accidentally left her behind. His hands started to shake, his breathing starting to get a little shallow. "A-Akiko?"

N-No... No, no, no...

"Akiko!" He shouted, running back the way they came as he looked around for her. Where is she? She-She's gone-She's leaving me! She-She's leaving just like Alex! "Akiko!" Where could she have gone? N-Nothing bad happened to her, right? Right? His eyes started to sting, sweat forming on his hands and forehead nervously. Hikaru was terrified.

Everyone was leaving him. Everyone he cares about is being taken from him. He was just joking when he said he wanted her to get lost; he didn't really want her to get taken away by some dirty old pervert. She was gone...

"AKIKO!" He screamed, balling his hands into fists and squeezing his eyes shut. It was as if walls were enclosing around him, suffocating him.

"Hey, what are you doing screaming like that stupid!?" A hand on his arm caused him to jolt and whirl around in alarm, eyes wide and scared. Akiko looked up at him in annoyance, "Don't go shouting my name like that; you'll draw unnecessary attention-!" She went completely still when Hikaru suddenly grabbed her and pulled her to him, the teen holding her close. His grip on her was tight, making sure she couldn't escape. "H-Hey, Hikaru-?" She cut herself off, realizing he was trembling. She awkwardly raised her arms and patted him lightly on the back, hoping that it came across comforting. "What's the matter?"

"Don't you go vanishing on me like that!" He snapped, voice wavering a little. "It's not... It's not safe..."

Oh.

Oh.

Oh...

She understood now. At least, she understood part of what was going on. Akiko swallowed the lump that was beginning to form in her throat as her eyes watered, and she lightly squeezed him to return the hug. "Hey... I'm here, Hikaru. I'm not going anywhere. I'm not hurt." He was breaking. Hikaru was breaking from what was happening to Alex. And knowing how he and Kaoru used to be in Middle School, so detached from the world and all its inhabitants except for themselves, she could only imagine how painful it must be to be losing someone who was so close to them... "It's alright."

His grip tightened and she flinched. He was hurting her.

"H-Hikaru... it hurts. Not so tight." Hikaru suddenly tensed and pulled back as if he were on fire, seeming to have realized what he had done. Rubbing the lowerpart of her back she gave him a worried look, asking, "You feel any better?" To her surprise though Hikaru merely looked at her like a deer-caught-in-the-headlights, as if unable to believe what he had just done. She furrowed her eyebrows and stood up straight. "Hikaru?"

"You..." He wasn't able to say anything else. He just ran off, leaving Akiko alone by herself in the middle of town. She stood there for a moment, stunned, before attempting to follow after him. However her attempts to find the Hitachiin was useless as they got separated even further because of the crowd. She looked around for a bit, determined to find him, when she saw something at a store window that caught her eye.

When I find him there's no doubt that he's going to be hungry, so maybe it's not a bad idea to buy some. She tried to remember if Hikaru liked spicy food or not. Ordering a few boxes of it to-go she carried the Italian pasta in a bag. Kaoru and Alex might appreciate some too... "Now, just to find the bastard." She had no idea where he could have gone. Deciding to just go in the direction he vanished in, she made her way down the street, cursing in her head when it started to pour. She quickly tied the bag so no water could leak in and squinted, trying to make out a redhead anywhere.

"Hey, girlie, you just gonna walk out there in the rain or are you gonna come in?" Akiko paused and turned her head at the voice, seeing a man in his thirties waving at her from a store entrance. Running over she entered the store, warmth hitting her face and causing goosebumps. She shivered and shook her head, feeling the rain drops trickle down her face, her hair clinging to her skin. "What were you doin' just walkin' out there like that?"

Akiko responded, "I'm looking for someone. He's about this tall," She held her hand up above her head to demonstrate his height, "with red hair. He has a pair of earphones around his neck. Have you seen him? We got separated." The man raised a hand to his bearded chin, scratching it thoughtfully.

"Hm... I get a lot of customers missy, but I don't recall ever seein' anyone like that-Wait! Actually I saw a man with red hair runnin' just down yonder with a frightened look on 'im's face. He yer boyfriend?"

"No..." What was Hikaru to her? Definitely not boyfriend and not an acquaintance either. "I guess you could call me a family friend." That much was true. Akiko quickly bowed to him, thanking him. "Thank you for your help! I'll be going now!"

"Wait, don't you at least want," The door closed behind her and he watched her run out in the rain, "an umbrella..."


Alex remembered. She remembered this part in time. This was "Operation: Haruhi and Hikaru's First Date" and yet... Haruhi was still here. Why was she still here?

The girl flinched, clinging onto the stair railing tightly as her legs threatened to give out on her. She coughed harshly, blood and saliva dripping off from the corner of her mouth down onto her chin, drops of liquid falling onto her shirt. Leaning over the rail with an aching back and chest, she wiped the mess away and tried to catch her breath. Almost... have to warn them. Have to save Akiko... He was out there. She knows he is. He hasn't left her alone yet.

"Pitiful. It appears our time together is coming to an end, my little "Defender"." Truth. She wasn't in the mood to deal with him, but if he was contacting her now... "Indeed. Your time is almost up. Best say your goodbyes while you still can." She'll only do that when she's on her deathbed. Right now Alex has something to deal with. She cringed as her clothes stuck to her skin, cold sweats trailing down her back and all over her body. It was disgusting.

"H-Hikaru..." She wheezed, halfway down the stairs. She needed to get to the main hall... the lobby. "Akiko..." I'm coming.

"...but they can also draw people apart."