Hikaru stared gloomily at the board as he sat inside the classroom, trying to focus on what the teacher was saying. He had been quiet all morning, barely speaking to anyone, but that was mainly because he soon got tired of answering all the "where is Kaoru?" questions that the other students asked, more out of curiosity than concern.
The mansion had felt a lot lonelier and gloomier that morning when he woke up, what with his mother gone and Kaoru still asleep – the fever still burning within his lithe, slender body. Hikaru had debated on waking him up before he left, but then decided against it. Better to have him rest than be awake and lonely by himself in that big house, unable to do anything but lie in bed.
Haruhi glanced over at him for the seventh time that day, wondering what was going through the older twin's head. She could tell he missed his brother simply by his body language alone if not from the way he didn't even bother to put in an effort during his favorite subjects – like this one.
There was no way she could possibly understand what he was feeling, but that didn't mean she didn't miss Kaoru too. The younger twin was always willing to help her out, especially during English and Art – two subjects he was particularly good at. Finally she leaned over and whispered to Hikaru.
"I'm very sorry for what I said to you and Kaoru yesterday. I shouldn't have, it wasn't like me at all. I was just so tired that I got cranky and didn't think straight."
Hikaru turned his head to look at her, and was about to reply when he felt the teacher's eye on them.
"Fujioka Haruhi, the answer please," he snapped.
Haruhi blinked and stammered, trying vainly to recall the question. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Hikaru quickly scribble down something on a piece of paper and subtly push it to the edge of his desk while clearing his throat. Haruhi glanced and saw that he'd written the answer down for her. She hurriedly responded, then breathed a sigh of relief when the teacher turned back to write on the board.
"Thanks," she whispered to him.
"I'm sorry too," Hikaru murmured. "I should have believed him, but I guess I was tired as well."
The bell rang, signalling the end of class and they stood up along with the other students. It also signalled the end of lessons for the day and the beginning of extra-curricular activities which, to both of them, meant the Host Club. Haruhi fell into step with Hikaru as they walked to the music room.
"I made some chicken soup for Kaoru," she said. "Its not much, but its good to have when you're sick. Can you make sure he has some?"
"Why don't you come back home with me and give it to him yourself?" Hikaru suggested.
"I'd like that. I'd be able to apologize to him personally, too," Haruhi replied. "Are you sure you don't mind?"
Hikaru shook his head. "I could use the help. I don't know the first thing about looking after a sick person."
"Oh," Haruhi started to say, then stopped when she saw the notice pasted on the door of the Music Room.
"What?" Hikaru asked, then saw the sign for himself. He frowned, then looked at the girl. "Wait here," he said, before pushing the door open and going inside.
Kyoya was there just as he had expected, leaning against the wall and scribbling in his ever-present notebook that was braced against one forearm. Tamaki was there as well, sitting on the window-ledge and reading from a book of French poetry. Hikaru shut the door, then went up to Kyoya.
"What do you mean, Host Club activities are cancelled for the day?" he asked.
Kyoya shut his notebook and raised an eyebrow. "I would have thought you'd have rushed home to be with your brother instead of bothering to come in and ask me something as obvious as that."
"What do you mean 'obvious'?"
"Well we can't possibly have the 'brotherly love' act with just one brother now can we?" The boy pushed his glasses up his nose and prepared to open his notebook again. "I don't see why you're wasting time arguing this with me, Hikaru, especially with a sick twin at home and your mother out of the country."
"How do you know my mother's left the country?" Hikaru asked, hazel-green eyes narrowing.
His senior seemed merely content to look down at his notebook again. Swearing colorfully, he snatched the notebook out of the dark-haired boy's hands and tossed it aside on to the couch.
"Damn it, Kyoya, how?" he snarled, crossing his arms. "Are you spying on us?"
Tamaki raised his head from his book and glanced over at them.
"Your mother mentioned it to the doctor yesterday," he replied calmly. "She was worried about whether or not it was okay to leave Kaoru alone with just you."
"With just me?" Hikaru's eyes flashed. "Do explain."
Kyoya sighed. "For goodness sake, you didn't even know he was sick. What makes you think you can take care of him?"
"Because I'm his brother – his TWIN brother."
"And you're doing a very good job of it," Kyoya dead-panned. "You couldn't even tell there was something wrong with him yesterday to begin with, and now you're still here arguing with me."
"Because I don't trust you," Hikaru snapped. "You wouldn't cancel club activities out of the goodness of your heart just because Kaoru was sick and I couldn't be here. You still have four other people to work with."
During this time, Tamaki had put down his book and was now on his feet, wondering if he should intervene and defuse the situation.
"It would not have come across well with our customers to show that we could carry on as normal without two of our key members," Kyoya said, indifferently. "It was far better to play up the 'all-for-one, one-for-all' angle, to show we care for each other and win the sentiment of the ladies."
"Except you don't care at all, do you?" Hikaru asked, with a glare. "You don't care about Kaoru at all, you're just using this situation to make money off your online auctions by playing on people's feelings. Has your desire for profits really pulled you down so low that you would use your friends' misfortune to make money?"
"Hikaru, stop it," Tamaki said, taking a few strides towards the pair.
"If I didn't care, I wouldn't have sent a doctor to your house to check on Kaoru while you were here in school," Kyoya countered.
"You WHAT!" Something inside Hikaru snapped and he lashed out at the older boy, grabbing the lapels of his uniform jacket and pulling him closer. "How DARE you! How dare you send some stranger to my home where my brother's all alone and defenseless! And behind my back! When were you going to tell me, Kyoya? When? Or were you going to keep that to yourself as well?"
By this time, Tamaki had reached them. "Control your temper, Hikaru," he said, trying to pry the younger boy's hands off his friend's jacket. "Let him go, and go home. Kaoru needs you."
"Do you want to use this for future blackmail!" Hikaru yelled at the vice-president. "Do you want my mother to be indebted to your estate in return for this! Just so you can make your position as the third son seem a little better!"
"HIKARU!" Tamaki said loudly and firmly, finally shoving both boys apart. "GO HOME!"
The older twin backed towards the door, glaring venomously at the two second years. "You." He pointed a finger at Kyoya. "You and your people stay away from my family," he hissed, before heading back outside and slamming the door behind him.
Haruhi jumped at the sudden loud noise and looked at him with worried eyes. "Is everything alright?" she asked. "What happened in there? I heard yelling."
"Everything's fine," Hikaru replied a little curtly. "Nothing happened, I was just discussing something with Kyoya."
Threatening Kyoya was more like it, she thought as she followed the boy along the hallway and down the stairs, but decided not to press the issue on seeing the dark expression on his face. She watched him as he whipped out his phone and sharply asked his driver to bring the car around.
Something had obviously happened in the Music Room, and less-than-pleasant words had probably been said, most likely by Hikaru to cover up some of the guilt he no doubt felt at not having realized his twin's illness before anyone else. He was probably also irritated that Kyoya had been the first to notice.
They reached the main entrance/exit, and found the car waiting for them. Hikaru hung back and let her get in first, before sliding in himself and pulling the door shut a little harder than was necessary. Then he proceeded to slouch against the door, surrounded by a black cloud of thunder and brimstone.
Haruhi sighed. This was going to be a long drive.
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A/N - So this chapter kinda reveals what Hikaru can be like when he doesnt have Kaoru around to reign in that fiery temper of his... i like to think he's the type that uses anger as a way to mask his worry sometimes as well as an outlet for his feelings, thus sometimes, the anger he feels towards himself can sometimes be directed at others since he hasnt learned how to channel it the right way... something i'm sure Kaoru's working on... probably why Kyoya didnt try to fight back
- see if anyone can guess the reference to that, and why i used it... answer to be revealed in the A/N of the next chapter, which will be up once is back up... till then, enjoy this one...