"Hikaru! Where are you going Hika?" Kaoru cries chasing after his older brother. The older twin turns around to face him.
"I'm running away." Hikaru states shifting the bag on his shoulder to a more comfortable position. Kaoru ran over to his brother as fast as his small legs would let him.
"Well…well then I'm going too!" He decides trying to grab hold of Hikaru's small hand in his own. The older Hitachiin yanks his hand out of the younger's grip and frowns at him.
"No you're not. You're gonna stay right here. You have to be momma's favorite little boy." He reaches over and pats Kaoru on his head. "Be good." Hikaru starts down the driveway again and tries to ignore the little sniffles and whimpers coming from his twin behind him. He focuses on the crunch of the gravel under his small tennis shoes and holds the strap on his duffle bag tightly. The next Hikaru knows his twin has tackled him to the ground.
"I'm not gonna stay here with out you Hika! You can't make me!" Kaoru cries gripping his brother tightly. Hikaru struggles out of his grasp and gets back on his feet. He glares at his crying sibling and pulls him unto his feet also.
"Kaoru. I'm older so you have to listen to me and do what I say. And right now I say you have to stay here and that you're not supposed to follow me." Hikaru orders brushing the dirt off his companion. So Kaoru lets him go, he has to Hika said.
Kaoru limps back up the driveway and looks back at Hikaru's retreating figure. Once inside he drags himself up the long flight of stairs leading to the third floor and goes into the room he and his brother share. He watches his brother slip further and further away with each step from the window. Then once he can't even spot Hikaru's bright orange and blue bag he makes his way over to the bed and crawls underneath the covers. And there, Kaoru stays, day and night. Even when his parents ask his where his brother is Kaoru only lays in that big bed all alone. He doesn't eat; he doesn't drink and hardly even looks as though he's breathing. He just lies there with his eyes screwed shut and tears occasionally rolling down his pale cheeks.
His parents are frantic. They take turns between calling the police for updates on whether they're found any sign of Hikaru and begging Kaoru to eat or drink. "Kaoru…my sweet Kaoru, please…just take a sip of this tea mommy brought you, It has honey and lemon in it, your favorite." His mother pleads holding the tiny teacup out toward her youngest son, who does nothing but roll over away from her. Down stairs the normally quiet and reserved man know as Mr. Hitachiin shouts angrily into the phone.
"YOU USELESS IMBECILES! HOW IS IT THAT A 6-YEAR-OLD LITTLE BOY CAN EVADE AN ENTIRE POLICE FORCE! FIND HIM DAMN IT!" He yells slamming the phone back into it's cradle so hard its amazing it's still in one piece. Mrs. Hitachiin walks down the stair wearily wiping the tears from her eyes. All this, it seems like a dream. She breaks down holding onto her husband and cries, cries for her little boys. The doorbell rings and one of the maids calls to Mr. Hitachiin. He walks to the door and finds himself faced with Yoshio Ootori himself along with a young boy who is obviously his youngest child. He invites the calculating man into his home and they go to his office.
"I've heard your youngest twin is sick." Mr. Ootori states, pulling his own son into his lap. "My son says neither of your children have been at school for the past few days." The little dark haired boy looks up at his father and then back to the where his hands rest folded in his lap." Kyoya would like to see if he could cheer young Kaoru up." The man stated petting his child's head. Mr. Hitachiin goes to the doorway and calls for one of the maids to show Kyoya to the twins' room, then turns back to Yoshio.
"My son, Hikaru is missing." He states taking a seat once more.
"I've heard." Mr. Ootori nods. " I can understand you both must be worried to death about both of your children. My own son was worried enough himself. He came home from school yesterday and demanded I come here and help." He shakes his head. " It is foolish to give into the child's demands but I can't help it knowing that when he gets older he'll have to fight for a position in our own family's business." The man says adjusting his tinted glasses.
Upstairs Mrs. Chatinch leads the youngest Ootori boy into the twin's bedroom. "A visitor, young master Kaoru." She states as Kyoya walks in and then closes the door again and goes back downstairs. Kyoya walks over to the bed and stands there for a few minuets staring at the listless twin before speaking.
"Do you know here he is?" Kyoya asks sitting down on the bed cross-legged in front of Kaoru. The younger boy sits up and shakes his head causing his red-orange locks to fall into his face messily. The two boys sit just staring at each other before the older boy stands up and begin pacing the length of the room. "Did you know he was going to run away?" He inquires running a hand through his black hair. Kaoru feels the tears welling up in his eyes as he nods slowly.
Mrs. Chatinch suddenly raps on the door before opening it. The second she knocks Kaoru flies back under the covers and face the opposite direction. Kyoya sighs a quiet stressed sound and takes woman's hand letting her lead him back down to his father.
"You should be hearing from the Capitan of the Ootori police force should be contacting you soon." Yoshio says reaching down and pick up his son. The twins' father nods solemnly.
"He misses his brother." The dark haired boy looked over at the man sitting at hi desk. "If you find Hikaru, Kaoru will get better." He says with a knowing glint in his dark eyes. Then the Ootoris leave. Their tail light fade out of sight as the limousine pulls down the long driveway.
That night Mr. Hitachiin sits with his youngest son and watches his slow almost nonexistent breathing. Exhaustion has finely made the redheaded boy collapse into a restless sleep. Kaoru tosses around in his sleep now. One arm reaches out for an identical body to comfort him but finds only empty air. The youngest twin's tossing continues and then suddenly…he screams. A loud, heart-wrenching cry pierces the night and echoes through out the house. Outside the storm that started not long after the Ootoris left grows stronger. Sheets of rain smash against the windows, booms of thunder shake the house and flashes of lightning light up the rooms. A crash of thunder is met with another scream from Kaoru even as his father tries to clam him down.
Kaoru sits up and pulls his small knees up to chest. His body I wracked with sobs as he starts to cry again comes running into the bedroom just as lightning brightens the room. The pain and fear in Kaoru's wide amber eyes is obvious as he stares at his mother with tears pouring down his cheeks. She runs to his side and pulls the shaking boy close. Her son struggles out of her gasp and she lets him go, her own eyes filling with hurt. Another flash of light and a boom of thunder coincide and then Kaoru loses it. "HIAKRU!" He screams curing up in a tight ball as far away from his parents as he possibly can on the bed.
"My babies." Mrs. Hitachiin cries slumping into her husband's arms.
"Our boys." Mr. Hitachiin sniffs holding his crying wife.
On the new the next morning the maids watch a reporter talk about the missing Hitachiin boy. " It has been five days since Hikaru Hitachiin, son of the famous fashion designer Yuzuhan Hitachiin was reported missing from the family estate. Mrs. Hitachiin says her son was wearing a yellow and white basketball jersey with a 5 on the back, jeans and blue sneakers. Also assumed to be with the six-year-old is a bright orange and blue backpack. If anyone has seen this child," A picture of Hikaru is flashed onto the television screen. "Or has any information on his whereabouts please contact the authorities." The woman says. "Poor thing." She whispers as the director yells cut for commercial break. It is a busy morning at the Hitachiin house. Fifty men from the Ootori's personal police force, including the Capitan are all standing in the living room with Mr. and Mrs. Hitachiin. They ask for anything Hikaru has worn recently, if they have any clue where he might go and if they can think of anyone who has a grudge against the family. The Capitan clears his throat.
"I'd like to speak to your other son now." He says and Mr. Hitachiin takes the man up the stairs to the room Kaoru is in. "I'd like to speak with him, alone." Capitan Jankio specifies and the twins' father nods going back to the living room. "Kaoru." He says in a quiet tone and the boy stirs slightly under the covers on the bed. The man walks over to a chair sitting beside the window and sits. "Kaoru, my name is Capitan Jankio. I'm trying to find your brother but I need your help." The little boy on the bed sits up slowly and stares at the Capitan. " Kaoru, where did Hikaru go?" He asks getting straight to the point. Kaoru's mouth moves but no words come out. He takes a deep breath and tries again.
"He left." He states so quietly Capitan Jankio barely catches it.
"Do you know where he went?"
"Hika walked down the driveway and then he was gone." Kaoru says wiping his running nose on his sleeve.
"So you knew your brother was leaving?" The younger twin nods slowly bowing his head. "And you didn't tell anyone?" Again the boy shook his head. "Or even try to stop him?" At this amber eyes lock on the Capitan's and the little boy speaks.
"I tried to stop him. I tried real hard, but Hika's older so I have to listen to him. He said he's gonna go and I gotta stay here." Kaoru says rubbing away the tears that start to fall once again.
"Is there anything Hikaru said that might be important? That might help?" Capitan Jankio asks.
"H-he said, "I'm running away" and "You have to stay here and be momma's favorite little boy." The boy on the bed hiccups.
"Thank you Kaoru." The Capitan says as he shuts the door and rejoins his force. "The boy ran away." He tells the waiting group. "And it might have to do with some sort of favoritism being shown to the younger boy." Mrs. Hitachiin collapse into a sobbing mess and one of the maids is called in and leads her from the room. "I need two groups. Farah, you take one half and I'll take the other. Start at the top of the driveway and spread out, the boy said he walked down the driveway and 'disappeared'" The groups file out the house and sweep the entire property to no avail. "Keep looking! We're not leaving until we find this kid!" The Capitan shouts from the front door where everyone met back up. The men are dismissed with a salute and begin combing the nearby woods and neighborhoods.
"Any sign of him?" Mr. Hitachiin asks hopefully. His hope is met with a downcast headshake.
"I'm sorry sir, but we've been at this for 7 hours straight. If we don't find anything in the next 20 minutes I've to let these men get home and get some rest." Capitan Jankio says looking at the distraught man sadly and placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."
"CAPITAN!CAPITAN! CAPITAN, WE'VE FOUND HIM!" A young man comes running up driveway and is met halfway with Mr. Hitachiin. Curled up and shaking in the man's arms is a little bundle with a mess of dirty orange hair on top.
"Hikaru?" The twin's father asks, his voice cracking as he reaches for the boy. The child groans and twists around so that his unusually pale face is visible to his father.
"Dad?" Hikaru coughs weakly. The officer hands the sickly boy over to his father as the Capitan calls for an ambulance. In mere minutes sirens are blaring and flashing lights bounce off the windows of the house.
"HIKARU? MY BABY! WHERE IS HE? IS HE ALRIGHT?" Mrs. Hitachiin cries charging down the driveway toward the ambulance. A glimpse of red-orange hair sends her flying to her husband to whom she clings sobbing and petting the hair that caught her attention. The flashing light cause Kaoru to stir and made his way from the bed to the large window. Peeking out from behind the curtains he sees the ambulance and his parents crying, harder than ever and lets the fabric fall back into place shielding him from the outside world. During all the commotion and chaos the little boy upstairs was left to mourn for his lost twin alone. Had anyone been inside the house they would have heard the child crying as what was left of his mangled heart shattered into millions of pieces. They might have heard him screaming Hikaru's name as he continued slipping deeper and deeper into a world he found was made up of only pain and tears. But no one comes inside.
The Hitachiin parents climb into the ambulance with their eldest son and as the doors are slammed shut neither one remembers Kaoru, alone inside that big house believe his brother to be dead. The thought never crosses their minds. They rush to the hospital and Hikaru is hooker up to an IV to try and overcome his dehydration. New casters swarm the lobby fighting to get a statement from the parents of the recovered child but are soon forced out by hospital security trying to give Mr. and Mrs. Hitachiin time to cope and resemble themselves.
Later that night a car comes for the family and they take an alive but frail six-year-old boy home. As they walk into the dark house it suddenly occurs to Mr. Hitachiin that little Kaoru was left at home by himself while they rushed Hikaru to the hospital. That his youngest son doesn't know his brother is safe and sounds just a few floors below him. As this realization hit him he shifts Hikaru carefully in his arms and he climbs the stairs slowly one by one until he reaches the third floor. Yuzuhan follows close behind and turns the brass doorknob opening the door. The shivering pile of sheets on the bed doesn't make a sound anymore other than hiccup-y gasp for breath. The cracking of the hardwood floor doesn't even seem to faze the child who only continues crying.
"Kao…" A sleepy voice whispers from where Hikaru is wrapped inside blankets and Kaoru freezes. Mr. Hitachiin sets the older twin on the bed next to his doppelgänger before stepping back out into the hall with his wife. Shutting the door the two head back down the stairs to their own bedroom. "Kao…don't cry…" Hikaru breathes wrapping his arms around the shaking mound of covers that is his twin.
"Hika…"Kaoru sniffs twisting around to face his brother. All the anguish that filled his eyes is washed away as he grips Hikaru tightly. His little body still shudders as tears fall down his cheeks and he hears the other boy sigh quietly.
"I'm sorry Kaoru." Hikaru says looking into identical amber eyes.
"It's okay Hik-up." A worn out twin yawns rubbing his eyes before lying down and snuggling as close to his brother as possible. Hikaru lies down as well and pulls his baby brother close. "Hika can you promise me something?"
"What Kao-Kao?"
"Can you promise you won't ever leave me again?" Kaoru asks nodding off.
"I promise." Hikaru murmurs drifting off to sleep as well.
That night was the first time Kaoru ever called Hikaru Hik-up. It was the first time they realized what really meant to be a twin, to have another half of yourself. Tears fall softly onto the pillow where Hikaru lies missing his brother all alone on that big bed meant for two He understands how Kaoru must have felt those nights being all alone without his big brother. With a heavy heart Hikaru Hitachiin closes his eyes and let the nightmares in once more.
Annie Tatterton says hi. I do not own OHSHC. But this story is mine. Hope you guys enjoy this little fluff/filler chapter. I put a lot of work into it and had fun writing it. ^-^
Questions you might like to answer:
Who do you think the Gamemaker is?
Who do you think he'll try and take next if Hikaru doesn't find him?
What did you think of this chapter?