**ALTERNATE ENDING ONE**

I think this alt. ending... may come as a shock. Please ignore if you do not like.

Hikaru was lying there as stiff as a board. His mind swayed in and out of consciousness. Everything was a haze.

He tried to move his legs… they were tingly but not numb. He stopped immediately from the pins pricking at his veins. Slowly, Hikaru groaned, shifting his head to the side. "Kaoru," he breathed.

There was no answer. It was quiet. Hikaru froze. What had happened?

His mind sifted through the earlier events. Kaoru, he had a nightmare, and… Hikaru's eyes flew open, staring around wildly for his younger twin brother. "Kaoru?" he called in fear.

Was Kaoru hurt? Even worse, was he dead? No, Hikaru wouldn't think like that.

Hikaru frowned, sitting up and looking down at his hands. His head pulsed as he tried to think through what exactly what happened. They were at the tree house… Kaoru almost jumped, Hikaru stopped them, and then…

But then Hikaru froze in his thoughts. He was staring at what he was sitting on. It was a couch. Shouldn't he be at the hospital if Kaoru had fallen? His hand flew to his head, and when he pulled it away, his hands were clean.

Hikaru looked up. The room held a set of chairs around a coffee table. Stairs spiraled up into an upper floor. The walls were painted a pale cream. Flowers were held in expensive vases. Hikaru stared around at it all in confusion. This was the Hitachiin family mansion. What had happened? Where was Kaoru!

Suddenly the door slammed, taking Hikaru by surprise in a startled jump. Hikaru flew to his feet in an instant and something fell off his lap with a thud. He found himself holding his cell phone in his hand; he looked from it to the item on the ground. The item was a book, lying haphazardly beneath the coffee table.

"Hikaru?" a soft, familiar voice called.

Hikaru spun quickly to the sound. His eyes caught a hold on the amber eyes which were tightened in worry. "Kaoru?" Hikaru uttered, feeling completely surreal.

"Hikaru are you alright?" Kaoru asked, leaning against the closed door, tilting his head.

"Kaoru, you're okay!" Hikaru cried happily. He raced forward and gathered his younger brother in a tight embrace. His heart thudded in his chest; somehow, both he and Kaoru had both survived the fall. It must be a miracle.

Kaoru pulled out of Hikaru's arms with a small smile on his face. "Hikaru, I've been gone for maybe twenty minutes. You couldn't have missed me that much, especially with the fight we just had."

"Fight?" Hikaru asked, suddenly confused.

Kaoru rolled his eyes. "Now you're playing dumb? Nice, Hikaru. How about we both say sorry and we'll be even. Okay?"

Hikaru frowned, confused even further.

Kaoru groaned. "You're not going to apologize, are you? Fine, I'll go first. Sorry, Hikaru, for getting on your nerves when I don't even know what I did wrong. There. Your turn."

"But, but, but," Hikaru sputtered, "you fell out the tree house. You could have died. Y-y-you didn't… You were…"
Kaoru placed a cool hand on Hikaru's forehead. "Are you okay? Did you have a nightmare or something?" Kaoru turned his hand so that the back of his hand was rested against Hikaru's skin. "I really don't you should go to Tamaki's game night tonight. You are really out of it."

Hikaru stared at Kaoru's worried eyes. At first Hikaru didn't say anything as he tried to piece everything together but then he finally said, "Do you know an Arisa, Kaoru?"

Kaoru tilted his head and his bangs swished across his eyebrows. "What, do you mean the new girl that transferred into our class today?"

Hikaru gaped. Kaoru was staring at him like he was a crazy person. "Really, Hikaru, if you want to stay home—"

"Kaoru, show me your back."

Kaoru's eyes widened and he let go of Hikaru. "What the heck are you talking about? Why do you want to see my back?"

"Just do it, Kaoru!"

"Okay, okay," Kaoru said, throwing his hands out in defense. Slowly, Kaoru turned and pulled his shirt up his back, revealing… nothing. His skin was pale and smooth; it had no imperfect in sight. It was a complete mirror of Hikaru's own skin.

Kaoru pulled the shirt back down and turned. "Now what was that all about?"

Hikaru shook his head as his face suddenly broke out into a wide grin. "Nothing, Kaoru, nothing. I just had… the weirdest, scariest dream ever."

"So…" Kaoru said slowly. "Do you want to stay home then?"

"C'mere!" Hikaru cried suddenly, pulling Kaoru into another lengthy hug. Hikaru buried his head into Kaoru's shoulder. "I'm sorry," Hikaru whispered quietly. "I'm sorry about our stupid fight."

Kaoru froze underneath Hikaru's arms. "Hikaru?"

"We're never fighting again, got it? And you aren't walking outside by yourself ever again. And you aren't allowed on the tree house by yourself. Never talk to strangers and always keep your phone in your pocket," Hikaru murmured.

Kaoru pulled Hikaru away, looking Hikaru right in the eyes with worry. "Hikaru… are you really okay? Maybe you need some sleep."

Hikaru shook his head again, wiping at his watery eyes. "No, I'm just…" glad you are okay, Kaoru, he thought. He punched Kaoru lightly and playfully in the arm with a grin. "Come on, Kao. Let's go to that party."

He turned and walked to the front door and opened it. Hikaru turned when Kaoru didn't move. "Come on, you idiot!" He cried, waving Kaoru towards the chilly, winter night.

Kaoru laughed in exasperation. "Who are you calling idiot, idiot?" Kaoru slipped past him into the snow-filled yard.

Hikaru chuckled, feeling warmth spread across his chest. The relief was heavy. He would never EVER let anything like that ever happen to Kaoru. Never.

And Hikaru closed the door to follow his brother.

Kaoru woke abruptly in the night, breathing heavily. He clutched as his chest. The dream he just had… Wait, was it a dream?

He turned his head, glancing at his brother's bed. Hikaru was sleeping, breathing softly. The glow sticks from Tamaki's party were still dimly glimmering in the darkness.

Kaoru breathed slowly calming himself. It was all just a dream, just a dream. He closed his eyes, warding away the frightening visions. Maybe his next dream would be a happy one.

THE END.

STAY TUNED for Alternate ending Two.