A/N: I've been gone how long?

Yah, I'm sorry for not updating. I have been really busy with life and school. But I'm finally back after my little hiatus. For those of you who read A Picture Is Worth Everything I'll be working on getting the next chapter of that up as well.

Okay, on with the chapter

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own it…and after this all time.

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Kyouya didn't bother to turn around and discover if the young Hitachiin was following him. The slight slap of the rubber soles of his shoes as they hit the hard concrete was enough for him to know that he was right on his heels. He shoved his chilled hands into the pockets of his dress pants, pleading for warmth but only finding the wind stabbing at his hands through the thin material. A shiver ran from his neck, down his spine, and to the very toes of his feet. A scowl crossed his face as he realized that his driver was late. Right now though, he wouldn't have the energy to punish him.

All of a sudden Kyouya spun around to face the twin. Startled, Kaoru jumped back and tripped over his own undone laces, falling backwards and landing hard on the ground. He gave a grunt of displeasure and quickly scrambled up, attempting to dust himself off with his sore, scraped hands. Kyouya raised an eyebrow and waved his hand toward a nearby bench. Kaoru eyed Kyouya wearily and then took a seat with the older male following suit in his silent manner.

For some time, the two were quiet. Kyouya felt the cold spreading through him but showed no mannerisms towards this. Kaoru stared straight ahead, possibly admiring the tall buildings laid out before him. Kyouya could only guess what was going through his mind. He hadn't yet convinced himself that he wanted to find out. Time passed and the two remained quiet, occasionally throwing an awkward glance at the other person seated on the bench with them. Finally, Kaoru spoke.

"So…that's their graves?" His tone was shaky and unsure. Kyouya could tell he was trying to be polite when talking about the subject of his dead family.

"Yes. That is the Ootori family grave site. My mother, unfortunately, was not buried with them."

Kaoru looked up abruptly. Kyouya had never spoken of his mother. He had never known what to assume about her. Had he ever even thought of her?

Kyouya could see the curiosity in Kaoru's face. He knew that the twin was eager to hear more, but too polite to ask about his dead mother. Kyouya would simply fill in the blanks for him.

"I'm sure you don't remember my mother. You were very young when she died…but so was I," Kyouya crossed his ankles and uncrossed them in a deliberate manner, "She was beautiful. She looked just like Fuyumi does now. Her hair was the richest black and she always had it pulled up in a bun. Her eyes sparkled out from under her overgrown bangs. And she loved to laugh. God, did she love to laugh.

"Whenever I had done something wrong and my father was displeased she would be there to cheer me up with her wonderful laugh. But…but it wasn't to last, I suppose." Kyouya picked his gaze up just as his car turned the corner. "Our ride's here." He cleared his throat before setting both hands on his knees and pushing himself into a standing position. The car pulled up in front of the two boys and the driver quickly got out of the car and raced toward Kyouya.

"Excuse my tardiness! I-"Kyouya waved his hand for silence.

"Please call and inform the maids at home that a friend will be dining with me tonight. That is all." Kyouya spoke in as much of an authorative tone as he could muster. It seemed to work as the driver quickly snapped opened the door and beckoned to the boys to step in. Kyouya waved him away and waited for Kaoru to step in. He was still sitting on the bench. Kyouya raised an eyebrow at him and pointed a figure into the interior of the car. Kaoru sighed and stood up, slowly making his way to the open door. Once he was in Kyouya gracefully took the seat across from him. "Drive on."

Kaoru instantly fell into a standard slouch over the arm rest so he could gaze out the window as buildings and streets and people passed by in blurs of all colors. Kyouya stayed sitting straight up, his hands laid gently on his sides. All he wanted to do was fall onto his back and see nothing but the dark roof and drift off into a similar darkness until his dreams had consumed him completely. But it just didn't seem right.

"Please drop me off at my house," Kaoru's weak voice floated through Kyouya's ears. He looked up to find Kaoru turned around and quietly whispering instructions to the driver. The driver looked nervous. Lucky for Kyouya, he had very keen hearing.

"It would not be wise for me to disobey Master Kyouya. I have already made a grave mistake."

"Oh stop talking about it as if I'm not here. Drop him off at the Hitachiin residence on the way!" Kyouya barked his orders at the young man. He jumped at Kyouya's tone and hastily nodded before turning a sharp corner. Kaoru slunk down in his seat and strained his eyes to watch Kyouya's next action.

But he did nothing. He did not attempt to finish the story he had started earlier, nor did he attempt to throw a look of contempt at Kaoru because he had refused his offer. He simply stared with those blank eyes. But they weren't the same blank eyes the Host Club was accustomed to. No, these had no hint of a smirk or of a new way to make money. They were simply dead and dark.

Kaoru forced himself to look away, scared by the depths of darkness. He would hate to get lost in such a hopeless state. A few moments of silence passed and then a few more. Only a stray honk from a car cut through the dead quiet. Kyouya seemed to be looking at the front windshield but Kaoru could tell he was too lost in his thoughts to realize anything going on around him. And then he spoke.

"What's your mother like?" he whispered. Kaoru was so startled by this sudden voice that he had to do a double take to make sure that it was actually Kyouya who was speaking to him. He was silent. The question again. "What's your mother like?"

Kaoru wiped his eyes. "She's wonderful, though we don't see her often. She's always on business and debuting her newest fashion line somewhere. But she always remembers to bring me something back. Hi-hikaru always receives something chocolate, while I…she always brings me home something mint, my favorite." He dug his toe into the rough material of the floor. Kyouya had been nodding this entire time. That must have been what he had been looking for.

"We've arrived Master Hitachiin," the driver spoke up, sounding slightly anxious as if he was afraid Kyouya would be angry with him if they didn't start moving soon. Kaoru climbed out of the car and stood on the sidewalk leading up to his house. He looked through the open door to Kyouya's expressionless face and imagined the same one on his own face as he turned around and started up the walk.

Kyouya watched him go, if only for a heartbeat, before pulling the door shut. With a flick of his wrist the car was off again. He stared across the aisle to the empty seat Kaoru had just abandoned. And slowly he lay down on his back and stared at the dark ceiling. But there was no sleep to be had, no good dreams to whisk him away from reality. All he could do was sit and stare at the darkness that he knew was slowly consuming his entire being.

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A/N: I know, I know. That was pretty much a whole lot of nothing. I have a lot of other things on my mind and I need to give myself some time to get back into writing before I advance the plot any more.

Thank you to all of you who believe in this story and won't diss it because I have a serious form of off-hiatus block.