I have PROOF that Bisco Hatori has hinted at the possible KaoruXMori pairing…ok well not really. It just so happens that on a certain LaLa DX (no idea what this is) postcard, they're STANDING next to each other…yup, standing. But that makes you kinda wonder, huh? Or maybe I'm just reading too deep into this…

No lemon this time…just a lil lime. (prolly not even enough to count as it, actually)

CH6: Orange Range – Hana

"Welcome!" greeted the cheerful store clerk. Mori cast him a quick look and remembered meeting him the other day.
"…I'd like one extra large…you know what…" muttered Mori quickly.
"Ah, it's you again! Of course, of course, let me go get it from the inventory…" muttered the clerk nervously. Normally, people didn't have to talk to the clerk to buy condoms…but for Mori, it was a special case.
"Sorry for the wait!" exclaimed the clerk as he came back with one plastic package in his hand. "We have a very low demand for this size so it's not profitable to waste space out front for it…" he chuckled.
"I understand" replied Mori. He began to pull out his money when the clerk began talking again.
"If I may I suggest, why don't you buy a 6-pack? That'd be more convenient for you and you save money that way!" the clerk said, trying to be helpful. But Mori had already considered this. If he bought a 6-pack, Kaoru would think Mori merely wanted sex. Plus, the maids might find it in his room…or worse, his brother would find it. It was definitely not wise to buy a 6-pack.
"…No thank you."
"Are you sure? I mean―" Mori shot the clerk his death glare.
"Ah! I―I see. Point t―taken…" stammered the clerk as he gave Mori back his change. Mori picked up the condom and began to leave when he suddenly stopped and turned around.
"Thank you…Hanatarou…"(1) Mori said politely said after reading the name off his name tag.
"Y―You're welcome!" stuttered Hanatarou as he bowed and banged his head against the counter. 'What a scary spirit force…' he thought to himself.

Mori headed home quickly to change into a different set of clothes. Not that he usually dressed to impress, but he felt that meeting with the son of a fashion designer demanded some style at the very least. He re-ran the thought through his head again and corrected himself. He wasn't merely meeting Kaoru, he was…going on a date with him. A day-long date, to be exact. Mori smiled to himself. He didn't think he'd ever use that word. He returned his attention to his wardrobe and started to look for something suitable to wear.

-20 minutes later-

Mori's room was normally very neat and organized. Even without the maids, Mori made it his habit to do his own chores, clean up after himself, and organize all things in his room accordingly. But on that day, Mori couldn't care less. He had spent 20 minutes rummaging through his wardrobe to find something suitable to wear, but to no avail. Strewn across his entire room were the contents of his wardrobe. He sat down on the edge of his bed, breathing a heavy sigh. He really had no idea what to wear.
"Wah, Onii-san, you sure made a big mess huh?"
"…Yeah…" muttered Mori in reply. Without looking, he knew it was his younger brother (duh).
"Oye, what's this?"
"…I don't kn―" Mori stopped suddenly when he realized what Satoshi was referring to. Satoshi was holding the condom in his hand, grinning furiously.
"Oho…who's the lucky lady?" snickered Satoshi. Mori swiped the condom before Satoshi could even react. "Wah, Onii-san, you seem a little tense. Is it gonna be your first time?" continued Satoshi, trying hard not to laugh. Mori didn't answer. Guilt wracked his mind as he was reminded once again that he had kept his sexual preference secret from his brother and his entire family…except for Hunny. "To be honest, I'm jealous!" sighed Satoshi as he plopped himself next to Mori. "I'm guessing this big mess is because you don't know what to wear for when you go see her, huh?" Mori's face grew darker as he was once again reminded of his secret…a secret he could not bear telling his younger brother. "…You're awfully quiet. That nervous, huh? Here, I'll help ya out!" said Satoshi cheerfully as he jumped into Mori's wardrobe. He rummaged around momentarily and threw out a white tank top and a light blue sleeveless(2). "Simple, but stylish no?" asked his brother as Mori put on the clothes. Satoshi stood looking for a moment. "Bah…that's boring. Wear the sleeveless inside and the tank top on the outside!" Mori blinked and looked at his brother questioningly, but did as was suggested.
"…Thanks" sighed Mori as he looked at himself in the mirror quickly.
"Oh yeah, you should definitely wear this!" Satoshi held up boxer briefs. Mori chuckled as he wondered where Satoshi got it from. Mori only wore boxers. "It's a killer with the ladies!" Mori's chuckle vanished as he was once again reminded of the secret.

"Oye, Kaoru, what do you feel like doing today?" asked Hikaru lazily as he got up from bed. The silence from his brother prompted him to hop onto his brother's bed to wage a tickle assault.
"…I really do think you love my pillow more than you love me…" sighed Kaoru sarcastically as he watched from the doorway. Hikaru looked up and grinned sheepishly.
"What're you doing up so early? And dressed up too?" asked Hikaru as he looked over his brother from head to toe.
"It's not that early…it's about 9" sighed Kaoru. "Anyways, I'm going to go out on an errand!" lied Kaoru straight-faced. He had a feeling he was going to be caught before leaving the house, so he tried to dress in regular clothes to avoid any suspicions of a date. He wore a thin light blue coat over a white tee with somewhat tight fitting jeans(2).
"Wait up then, I'll join ya!" Hikaru jumped out of bed and started to get dressed. Kaoru, seeing that this was his only opportunity, slipped out of the room unnoticed and ran straight for the door. There was no way Hikaru was going to find out about Mori and him.

Mori moped around the house. He tried everything to get his mind off his little brother, but no matter what he did, his little brother reappeared in his thoughts.
"Be good to the gal, okay onii-san?" were Satoshi's last words before he ran off to do God knows what. Mori sighed as he started to imagine what life would be like if he really were attracted to girls. For one thing, his brother's words wouldn't be bothering him. Also, he wouldn't have to be hiding from friends, or society for that matter. Perhaps he'd be more talkative…after all, it was society's general down-look on homosexuality that made him so reclusive. He thought back to his childhood, when he was more talkative, more playful, more…accepted. But he noticed early on that he was not a normal child. As he grew up, he noticed his distance from the opposite gender, and his distance from the same gender as well. But in the end, he realized his distance from other boys was caused by his feelings for them…his abnormal feelings. Feelings which he silently observed to be…wrong. And so, as a small child, having not even hit puberty, he accepted that he was indeed wrong. That he was not right. He accepted the fact that the world had no need for a mistake like him, there were enough mistakes in the world as it was. So, he decided that the only way to correct himself, to right the world in all its wrongdoings, was to slowly pull himself away from it. He swore himself to silence. He found it ironic that he could feel accepted for being so silent. So silent that even the ones closest to him misunderstood him.

He then reminisced about the pains of puberty. The first step was his growth spurt. He had his growth spurt early on, and it lasted a long while. But he convinced himself that his tallness wasn't a gift, it was just another abnormality about him. The next step of puberty was the influx of hormones. Hormones directed at other boys. Hormones that made him secretly lust for human contact like never before…hormones that just made him more abnormal. He remembered the days where the kids would invite him to look at hentai…and how he would reject silently. How he would instead read and look at yaoi, lusting for the perfect couples (and perfect sex) in them. And he remembered seeing the boys getting their first kisses…from girls. And how he longed so much to be able to kiss a girl, and like it. But the one time he tried, he had gagged, earning him a slap to the face. Sighing, he recalled the last step of puberty…surviving it. Surviving it, as in not going insane. Not once did he ever consider suicide…that was just abnormal.

Mori sighed again and again, over and over, thinking of his past. It made his breathing heavy and labored, rekindling the sadness he endured.
"Takashi! There you are!" Mori looked over and saw Hunny running up to him. He smiled as he tried to remember their first meeting. "What're you doing? It's cold out here!" True enough, it was windy outside and a murky overcast was hanging over the sky suppressing the little sunlight that was shed by the sun. It reminded him of the autumn day he met Hunny, but it was hard to recall the exact happenings of that day.
"…Hunny…"
"Yes?"
"Do you remember…when we first met?"
"Of course Takashi."
"Could you…could you remind me of it?"
"Mhm! It was a day just like this…" Mori smiled as he leaned back on the bench. He took a quick glance at his watch and saw that he had plenty of time left.

Kaoru could never really stand the wind. He was more of a rain person. He cursed his insensibility in choosing a coat that didn't button up/zip up.
"You'll be needing this, won't you?" It was Hikaru, holding Kaoru's light green scarf out to him.
"Hi―Hikaru!" stammered Kaoru nervously.
"Thought you could ditch me, eh?" asked Hikaru in an annoyed tone.
"Well…well you were taking too long!" lied Kaoru once again. Hikaru stopped walking.
"…You've been lying a lot lately, Kaoru." Hikaru was facing the ground, but Kaoru knew more or less what his face looked like.
"Hikaru, I don't know what you're talking about" replied Kaoru, trying to act dumb.
"There, you see? You just lied again…" Hikaru's voice was a bit shakier than before. Kaoru didn't respond this time. "Is it because of me?" Kaoru looked up. Hikaru was still staring at the ground. "Cause, if it's me, I'm really, really sorry. It's just that Haruhi―"
"It's not cause of you" interrupted Kaoru.
"…You just lied again." Kaoru sighed and cursed twin telepathy. "Why? You've always told me everything before. Why now?"
"Because…"
"Because?"
"Just because."
"…The fact that you're hiding it from me makes it that much more important. What reason could you possibly have for not telling me?"
"…Because some things are better left unsaid―"
"Don't give me that bullshit!" Hikaru looked up now. Anger flushed through his entire face where grief had been moments before. "Between us, everything is better said. It's always been that fucking way!" shouted Hikaru. Kaoru turned around and started walking away. "Where are you going? Your own fucking identical twin brother is talking to you!"
"You just said, that between us, everything is better said. So I'll tell you right here, right now." Kaoru paused as his mind frantically tried to decide whether he should tell his brother. "I'm…I'm…" stuttered Kaoru. His mind had yet to decide. "I'm…"
"Tell me already!" Kaoru looked up and stared Hikaru in the eye. He didn't see compassion. He didn't see reassurance. He didn't see the brother he loved. He saw anger. He finally decided that Hikaru really didn't need him after all. After all, Kaoru was the burden making him angry right now.
"I'm…I'm not your damn brother!" Kaoru finally cracked. "Don't give me your 'We're brothers' crap." Kaoru couldn't hear what he yelled aloud in the next few minutes. But afterwards, when he realized that he was running away, he knew that he just wanted to be with Mori. But Mori couldn't see him like this. He picked up his cell and called him.

"And that's how we became the best of friends!" said Hunny as he finished his recollection. Mori smiled as he could now vividly remember that very day.
"…Thank you, Hunny" sighed Mori.
"Ah, no sweat!" cheered Hunny as he scrambled onto Mori's back for a piggyback ride. "So now that you're all happy, can we go fly a kite now?" Guilt ran across Mori's face once more.
"Uhm…" started Mori, but was cut off by his phone. "…Yes?" he answered the phone.
"M―Mori?" Kaoru's voice sounded a bit scratchy.
"Mhm?"
"I'll…I'll be a little late. I seem to have gotten lost on my walk over there."
"…Wait there. I'm coming" commanded Mori silently.
"Ah, it's alright, Mori-sempai!" Kaoru's voice didn't have the usual perk to it either.
"Just wait…I'll be there" said Mori as he hung up the phone. He turned to look at Hunny. He couldn't bring himself to reject him. "…Want to help me look for Kaoru? He seems to have gotten lost…" Hunny nodded fervently, and the two set out to look.

Hikaru had never cried before in his life. Kaoru was the one who was usually the one to cry enough for the both of them. Hikaru's job was just to look solemn and gloomy. But now, Hikaru sat on a bench in a park, staring up at the clouds. His eyes stung, but he had no idea what to do. Hell, he didn't even know what it was like to cry. So he just sat and stared, hoping that by inclining his head, he wouldn't be able to let his tears run.
"Kaoru…Kaoru's supposed to cry…for me…" he said as a tear trickled down his left cheek. He didn't know how he could possibly smile at a time like this, but he did.

Mori took off at a dash when he saw Kaoru standing perilously close to a lake. He forgot all about Hunny on his back, thus giving the boy the best piggy back ride of his life."WHEEEE!" screamed Hunny as he bounced along. But when they got to Kaoru, their faces turned to stone. It was apparent that something was wrong, even though Kaoru showed no signs of crying.
"Kaoru, is there something wrong?" asked Hunny.
"Oh? Hunny-sempai, I didn't know you were coming…" Kaoru said as he shot a death glare at Mori. Mori just shrugged.
"...There's something wrong between you and Hikaru!" declared Hunny. Kaoru stood back, astonished by the boy's perception. Mori sensed this too as he got closer to Kaoru and hugged him.
"M―Mori! Not in front of…"
"It's alright" said Mori as he cut him off. He pulled Kaoru into a deep kiss, hoping that this could at least lift some of the weight off Kaoru's shoulder.
"Ohh, so kawaii!" yelled Hunny. Kaoru just stared in fright. "Ah, no worries, Kaoru. I already know! Or should I say, I already knew." This time, Mori looked in surprise. "I figured it out on Tuesday!" he continued. Kaoru recalled that fateful day, and falling down the stairs.
"I saw Takashi carrying you, that's why" he said, clarifying what he meant. Kaoru and Mori sighed out of relief.

Kaoru told them both about everything. About their confrontation, about him blowing up, about his insecurities, even about his conversations with his inner self(s). The two sat silently, listening intently. After Kaoru stopped, Hunny was the first to speak.
"You guys always had me fooled!" he said cheerfully. Kaoru looked at him, clearly confused. "What I mean is, you and Hikaru had me fooled! Making it look like you were the weak and fragile one and him look like the stronger one." Kaoru was still confused.
"What…what do you mean? That's who we are…"
"Not from what I just heard. True, you're always the one playing the pansy (Kaoru's eye twitched at this) but it seems that you really are the stronger one." Mori thought this over. Kaoru's body was lean, but it was definitely flexible and sturdy. "When I say strong, I mean emotionally stronger. I mean, look at how much Hikaru depends on you!"
"Hunny…I think you're a little confused…" started Kaoru.
"JUST LISTEN!" Hunny's death glare was unbelievably over-powering. "What I mean is, Hikaru may act like he's always taking care of you, like he's always watching out for you. But in reality you're actually like an outlet for…for his 'brotherly love', for lack of a better term." Kaoru sat quietly, trying to make sense of Hunny's words. "He must be frustrated…no, depressed, because without you, he has no real ways to express his feelings. Love, especially." Kaoru really didn't understand this.
"Love? He can love anyone like me…"
"Nuh-uh! He's just as lonely as you are…or were. You two have been secluded in your own world, but when you suddenly left your brother like that…for him to be all alone without the other half of his identity, for him to alone without the guidance of other part, for no one to love him, and for him to have no one to love…kinda makes you feel unneeded and unwanted in this world, doesn't it?"
"…Makes you feel, wrong…" added Mori. The other two turned to look at the boy whose face had went from unreadable to a dark complexion. Kaoru sat quietly thinking about everything…about the past 5 days, about what he did to his brother and what he should've done, and especially about what Hunny just said.
"I'm…I'm the one that's not a brother…" he muttered quietly. True, it may have been just 5 days, but 5 days in their world seemed like 5 eternities. Kaoru stood up and thanked Hunny. He then turned to Mori for a kiss.
"Sorry we can't have a real date…" sighed Kaoru after their long embrace.
"…Hikaru's more important…" reassured Mori. Kaoru started to turn around when he noticed…a condom on the ground. He picked it up and turned to Mori.
"…You…" sighed Kaoru with a twitch in his right eye.
"…I was just being safe…I wasn't really expecting…sex…or anything…" stammered Mori as he started to defend himself.
"…We'll sex it up tomorrow. Promise!" smiled Kaoru. Mori sighed in relief. After watching Kaoru run off, he turned his attention to Hunny. Hunny had changed from a bright peach to a dark blue hue, ogling him wide-eyes.
"…Hunny?"
SFX: POW!
Hunny landed a powerful flying roundhouse to Mori's face.
"I can't believe you would molest Kaoru-kun!"

TBC

Sorry for the corny lines in there…but I mean every single one of em.

By the way:

1) Hanatarou from BLEACH! Just felt like having a cameo…

2) This would be what Mori and Kaoru are wearing on the postcard I mentioned. Sorry if the description is a bit vague.

R&R plz! This was definitely a character development chapter so I need some insight if I made some of them seem outta character, too fluffy, etc.