When I opened my eyes again, I was in my room. The sun was still out, and my eyes still felt a little puffy, so I probably hadn't been asleep too long.

Well that was pleasantly embarrassing… I thought to myself. I just hope they don't think they need to walk on eggshells like everyone else. Most teachers I'd had were aware of what had happened with my dad, so whenever we made something for father's day, they always sent me on some ridiculous errands for them. And whenever anything happened that had anything to do with dads, they made sure I wasn't a part of it. It was annoying as hell. It was a long time ago that he left, and no, I wasn't ok with it, but I could deal with it.

I got out of bed and began walked down to the kitchen. I was still half asleep, so I didn't even notice the three in sitting at the table, so I didn't even try to wipe the left over tears out of my eyes. I walked to the fridge to see if we had anything good to eat.

"What are ya doin'?" I turned around are finally noticed them.

"Oh, sorry. I'm still kinda out of it. I didn't even see you there," I explained, quickly running the backs of my sleeves over my face and walking over to sit with them at the kotatsu.

"Are you sure you're feeling ok, Ms. Takahashi?" Yuki asked, looking mildly concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine. And now that I have you talking, may I ask a question?"

"Ask away."

"Why are you so formal?"

"Excuse me?"

"Exhibit A. Most people would say 'what?' but you're more formal and say 'excuse me?' That, and you always call me Ms. Takahashi. No one calls me that. Why is that?"

"Hmm. I guess I've just always been like that," he answered after thinking for a moment. "It's how I was raised." The answer got me thinking. I'd never heard anything about Yuki's parents; or Kyo's for that matter. It made me wonder, and I was tempted to ask, but if they didn't talk about it, then they probably didn't want to.

"So what are we doing for dinner?" I asked, hoping to change the subject.

"Yeah, I'm starvin' over here!" Kyo added.

"Well, we didn't really have anything planned. I guess we could order take-out again," Yuki suggested, getting up to go call in an order.

"Wait, what time is it?" I asked.

"I believe it is six-fifteen," Shigure answered.

"The market should still be open. I could make a quick shopping trip and I could make some tempura donburi. I'm not the best cook, but after cooking for my mother and myself pretty much forever, I've picked up a thing or two," I said with what I hoped was a convincing smile.

"I'll go with you," Yuki and Kyo said at the same time, both getting up, then freezing to glare at each other for a moment.

"You're both welcome to come, and I know patience is a virtue, but if you don't hurry you will be left behind," I warned, already at the door. As I opened the door and began to exit in slow motion I heard them practically stumbling over themselves to grabs their coats and shoes. I smiled at their antics, and then, noticed something.

It was a genuine smile. I tend to consider myself the Queen of No-Emotions. Throughout my life, I've had plenty of smiles and plenty of laughs, the only problem was ninety-eight percent were fake; pretending to laugh at something that should be funny, smiling at something mostly because it would be rude not to. It's not like I wanted to be like this, it's just that very few things make me smile; but these two did. They barely had to do anything but they did.

I had just stepped outside when then they finally decided to join me. As we started walking, I felt kinda awkward about earlier, so I felt like I should say something.

"Hey guys, sorry about earlier. That wasn't very cool of me to just break down like that."

"There's nothing to apologize for Ms. Takahashi. It actually took me by surprise. I'd had no idea…" he trailed off, not wanting to repeat it.

"The damn rat's right for once," Kyo said, looking unhappy to being agreeing with Yuki. "Hey, I wanted to ask you- about that little pocket knife. Do you really still…"

"Yeah," I dug it out of my pocket and handed it to him. "I always keep it with me. I never intend to use it or anything. I used to keep it because I used to consider it, but I haven't even thought about it for a long time now. I guess it just became a habit." I watched Kyo study the thorny vines that curled up, and down and around the outer cover of the single blade with a single silver lily in the middle.

"It's really pretty, for something meant to be so destructive," Yuki commented, and I couldn't disagree.

Kyo handed it back and I easily flipped out the blade, and both of them seemed to tense a little. I could see how sharp and shiny it still was after years of careful handling and care. As we continued to walk (I know it was immature), I played with the reflection and shined it on Yuki and Kyo, managing to keep it just out of their sight, but still on them.

"Having fun?" Kyo asked. I had it shining on the tip of his nose, so I knew he'd finally seen it.

(Animal by Neon Trees)

"Yes I am. Does kitty like shiny light?" I taunted in a patronizing tone, earning a smile from Yuki and a glare from Kyo. "And if you're gonna ask 'Are you trying to start somethin'?!' yes, I am. I'd've liked to see the result of my 'starting something' last time."

"Please," Kyo said. "I would 'a beat ya in no time."

"Is that so? Then let's try again!" I said, running over to the nearby public soccer/football field as Kyo chased after me and Yuki walked behind, taking his time. When we reached the center of the field, I quickly turned around and defensively put up my left arm since I'd noticed Kyo was right handed, it was logical that was where he'd strike first. Right arm for next punch. Left knee for that low right hook he'd tried to use earlier. Opening straight out on left. Right arm for the flying picture frame. Another left for her beer bottle. Step back to avoid being clawed at. She gets a lucky shot on my right side. Kyo hitting me finally snapped me out of it. It also left me disoriented. He got another jab at my left shoulder. I tried getting a another punch in, but instead of blocking, he grabbed my arm, whipped me around, and pulled my hands behind me, but before he pulled me all the way in, I wanted to get him, so I stuck my foot up as if to kick him in the face. Of course I missed, but I managed to hit his shoulder enough to get him to loosen his grip, and I kept pushing through the kick and managed to knock him down. I didn't waste any time getting down and pinning him.

"I win!"

"Is that so?" he mimicked me. Before I even realized what was going on, he flipped me up and over him, and rolled back so he was on top this time. Sadly, he was much stronger than me, so when he pinned my arms, I knew I had no hope left. I sighed, but heard someone sigh at the same time. I looked up and noticed Yuki had finally reached us.

"Hi," I said, still pinned. "How are you?"

"Just fine. It doesn't seem like you could say the same, though Ms. Takahashi."

"Eh. I'll manage." I looked around Kyo's head and looked up at the sky. I gasped with surprise.

"What? You ok?" Kyo asked, seeming worried, as if he'd done something.

"Move."

"What?"

"Your head. Move it. Lay down. Yuki! Come here. Lay down! Look!" As they lay down on either side of me, I pointed up at the sky. "Can you see it?"

"What am I looking for, exactly?" Yuki asked.

"Just keep looking." I waited for a moment as they kept searching.

"There's nothin' there," Kyo said obviously bored.

"Stupid cat. If you had any intention span, you might actually find it."

"Hey!-" Kyo began, but I cut him off.

"Actually, he's right. There isn't anything there. At least not that I've found." They both sat up and stared at me with equal looks of confusion. "Just because there's nothing of beauty, doesn't mean you shouldn't look."

"Who's that?" Yuki asked.

"It's me. I actually feel pretty proud of that saying, because that was totally on the spot."

"He means who's that walking toward us," Kyo informed me. I sat up, ending up shoulder to shoulder with them, and looked where they were looking. It didn't take me long to realize who it was; the in-sync walking, identical loose ties, the one ear bud in on opposite sides so they could hear each other, the black hair with dye in it to make it look green where it shined to match their eyes.

"It's Hikaru and Hikari Sasaki. Their friends of mine." I felt Kyo tense at Hikaru's name. I raised my hand in a wave, and Hikari excitedly waved back, but Hikaru just raised and dropped his hand like he didn't want to be here. I knew why. He out-of-the-blue-kisses me earlier today, and now I'm sandwiched between two attractive young men, neither of which was him. I wasn't sure if Hikari knew; she probably did, I'd be amazed if she didn't. She was a better actress than Hikaru though. When they reached us, Hikari kept smiling and sat down in front of me, while Hikaru remained standing.

"Hey sexy, what's up?" she asked, making Yuki and Kyo redden a bit, and me laugh.

"Not much sexy what about you?" That made them redden even more. Hikari noticed.

"Oh relax. We're practicing for the promise we made," she explained totally losing them. I sighed, and got up to recite our promise with her.

"We hereby swear, if my best friend is being hit on by a drunken, homely man in a bar, I shall pretend to be her homosexual lover, in order to protect her from the previously mentioned drunken, homely man." This had Kyo looking like he wasn't sure if he should laugh or just think I'm weird while Yuki only smiled. It also actually got Hikaru to smile a little. I made the mistake of calling him out on it and starting the snowball.

"Ha! You smiled!" His smile disappeared.

"Well I was smiling a majority of the day. Emphasis on was."

"And may I ask you to finally say what is bothering you? I swear, you were bad after first period, then better, now worse," Hikari asked. So she doesn't know.

"Oh, I believe Ari-chan knows very well what it was."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, threatening him with my eyes not to tell.

"Oh. Well, well, well. Keeping secrets now, are we?"

"Hikaru."

"Everyone has secrets, as do we. Shall I fill everyone in?" I grabbed him by the knot in his tie and dragged him away, leaving everyone bewildered. We rounded the corner of the restrooms before I let him go.

"Having fun?" he asked sarcastically.

"I was, until you decided to make an ass of yourself! What the hell was that about?" I think he could tell he'd made me pretty upset, so he stopped with the sarcasm.

"Okay, I'm sorry. That wasn't cool."

"No, it wasn't."

"Why does it matter if they know?"

"Because I don't know!" I shouted, hoping we were far enough away that the others wouldn't hear.

"Don't know what?"

"Anything! Them! You! Me!" This conversation was giving me a headache already.

"Yeah, I kinda figured that," Hikaru said, putting one hand behind his neck, and one in his pocket. "I don't even really know why that happened. I just," he sighed. "I just wasn't thinking. Then I saw that guy and you leaving together, and I got pissed. What's with him, anyway? I'm feeling some seriously hatred from him."

"It's because when he found me outside, I was upset because I was confused, and he tends to overreact when he's mad," I explained, leaving out the part where he threatened to kill him.

"So what are you guys doing out here anyway?"

"Oh my god! I totally forgot! We gotta go! Sorry! Bye!" We ran back over to where the others were sitting, but I noticed Yuki wasn't there.

"Where's Yuki?"

"I believe he went to the bathroom," Hikari answered.

"Shit, we gotta go" I said, earning a half snort/half laugh from Hikari. "You, are immature." I think that only made her laugh harder.

"I know! Hey, there he is," she said between laughs.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"Stupidity," I said.

"Shit," Hikari said at the same time. "Twinning for the win!" she yelled, pumping her fist in the air.

"Awesome, but we gotta go. We need to get to the market before it closes. Bye guys!" I said, grabbing Yuki and Kyo's arms and dragging them away.

Hikari & Hikaru…

(DHT Listen to Your Heart techno)

"Well that seemed to well. Ish." Hikari said. "Although I must wonder if Yuki only went to the restroom to listen in on your conversation. How'd you do?"

"Pretty well I think. She said she was confused, but she also seemed very, very vulnerable." They both stopped their happy smiling and waving good-bye to look at each other, bright green eyes glinting. Hikari smoothed out her black and white dress that few would recognize as cosplay as Eruka from Soul Eater, which was exactly why she loved it.

"Hmm. That could definitely help us. Kyo is for the most part out of control, reckless. Yuki will dig himself into a hole unless he learns to relax and stop being a child; Ari-chan won't be able to deal with the arguing, but him saying childish things like 'stupid' so often will drive her positively insane. Their constant fighting will make matters even worse. They've screwed themselves over before it even began," Hikari contemplated out loud.

"But they both care about her a lot. They would change for her." I know I would. Hikari pursed her lips, and linked arms with Hikaru.

"Well then we have work to do."

"I believe we do."

O. M. F. G. I JUST LOOKED AT ALL MY VIEWS AND I AM ASTOUNDED! :D Then, I realized something. I have 362 views (1:14 AM 8/13/12) and 4 people who reviewed… WHAT IN THE HELL IS THIS?! I need feedback people! Feedback is like my Pez; I can't get enough. I want grammar errors pointed out and overly OOC moments acknowledged! I need to know this stuff guys! Seriously. If you hate it, let me know what you hate! I like hate! It means that I can only improve. And by the by, I want to apologize for Kyo seeming OOC every now and then. It's easy to write Arisu's part because I have her think kind of like I do, therefore, easier. Kyo is a whole other matter; I can barely get inside his head at all. I've only seen the anime, but I would like to read the books and plan on doing that soon, but in the anime you get to see very little of Kyo's mind so I don't have a real good feel for him yet. I am a very logical, quiet person, so someone violent and outspoken like Kyo is difficult for me to wrap my head around. I'm doing my best, & I'm asking my brother about what he would say sometimes because he's more outspoken then me, so I hope that will make it a little better. I hope that you liked seeing the darker side of Hikaru and Hikari, I've been really excited to write this part for a while now! I hope you liked the music I picked out as well, I made sure to listen to it at full blast (with my eyes closed because I'm awkward, and I'm home alone, so why not?) a few times before I was sure I wanted it. Sorry for writing an author's letter instead of an author's note! It's easier so say all this at once than saying a piece at a time! ~Stormy:3