Disclaimer – I, unfortunately, don't own any of the characters from Ouran high host club…although if anyone knows how to…

On Monday morning, as he got ready for school, Kyoya decided that last weeks thoughts on Kaoru where due to an exhausted brain over a tiny gesture that he performed without thinking since Kaoru had failed to raise his own hand.

And Saturday…well, that was reading too much the night before, thinking too much, not sleeping enough, being tired and suffering a fit of hormones that had caused all that.

Furthermore, today he was back to normal, all ready for the new week ahead, various schemes he had in motion and maybe a few new ones as well. And of course, he was going to reintroduce the Ancient Egyptian theme again now that it had been properly adjusted.

He also vowed silently not to think or watch Kaoru at all, really, he needed to find someone more interesting to watch than the young boy now that the worst of his tragedy was over.

So he went to school fully resolved, and by the end of his first class, found that same resolve dissolving. There was no one interesting to watch. No one that had that same grace and feline nature as Kaoru, the same mysterious expressions and gestures, or eyes that spoke so many volumes.

It seemed he had failed on nearly all his vows and he'd only been there an hour.

Lunch lowered his mood further when he sat with Tamaki at lunch, determined to bring up the Ancient Egyptian theme only for the idiot blonde to point out Hikaru's 'indecent' behaviour of sharing his lunch with Haruhi.

Immediately, the Shadow Kings eyes looked for Kaoru, only to find that he wasn't there and, since Tamaki had rushed away from the table to separate Hikaru from Haruhi, he decided to go for a walk and cool down.

Today was quite probably worse than everyday last week put together.

Finding himself on the roof, he wasn't surprised to find Kaoru there, but was surprised as to why he was there himself.

Kaoru glanced up at him with hopeful eyes that quickly darkened. "Hello Kyoya."

It seemed he wasn't who Kaoru was waiting for. Sitting down next to the boy, he watched him carefully. "Tamaki is currently separating your brother from Haruhi."

"Is he?"

The tone suggested that this wasn't what Kaoru was actually asking, but more along the lines of 'I already know that, now go away'. Kyoya ignored the tone. "It's nice to eat up here sometimes."

"Do you eat up here often?"

"Occasionally, when the weathers nice and I don't have any business to see to."

"Not often then." Kaoru glanced at the Shadow King and frowned. "Have you already eaten?"

Kyoya frowned. "No, why do you ask?"

"You don't have your lunch."

Cursing himself, Kyoya sighed. "That idiot Tamaki knocked it over." A lie, but only half a lie, the blonde had spilled his own lunch onto the table in his effort to get to Haruhi. He blinked as a packed lunch was pushed in front of him.

"I don't feel hungry today." The younger boy informed him as way of an explanation.

"Thank you." Opening it, Kyoya noticed that it wasn't even touched. "Are you sure you're not hungry?"

"I haven't really had an appetite since Saturday."

Had he done something?"

Kaoru seemed to know what he was thinking. "Oh, the beach was brilliant, and I had a lot of fun – it's nothing to do with that!" He sighed. "I just had a falling out with Hikaru afterwards which spoiled the day a little, and I think I might have picked up a bug or something afterwards."

The Shadow King would sooner believe of mice walking on the moon than what Kaoru was currently claiming, but decided not to push it. "What did you and Hikaru fall out about?" He hastened to add an explanation at the odd look he was given. "If it's going to affect your performance…"

"Ah, of course. Actually, it was more Hikaru losing his temper at me than an argument, the performance won't be affected." He smiled thinly. "Only he might not be talking to either of us, he was annoyed at me applying suntan lotion on you yesterday instead of fending off Tamaki with him."

Kyoya frowned at the thought of Hikaru being bothered by anyone associating with Kaoru when he in fact didn't associate with Kaoru at all either. Did Hikaru want his younger brother to become completely isolated? "What was wrong with rubbing suntan lotion on me? I can't reach my back myself."

"That's what I said, and that you had put some on me as well so it wasn't like you were using me."

And now Kyoya felt he understood part of Hikaru's reaction, jealousy, how dare someone touch his little brother other than himself? He nearly laughed at the thought. "It's not that odd."

"Apparently it is." The younger brother smiled. "Its something that people who like each other do, but I did point out that everyone would end up burned if they waited for someone they really liked to apply suntan lotion on them!"

The Shadow King just nodded. "Would you like some of your lunch?"

"Its ok, I'm not hungry." And with that, the younger boy placed his head on his raised knees and watched the sky quietly, thinking.

And Kyoya wondered why he didn't just act instead of think himself as he finished eating the food.

During the Host Club that day, things didn't seem to be improving any time soon as Kyoya found himself near distracted by every one of Kaoru's movements, even something as casual as running a hand through his hair or yawning like a little cat. And it also seemed that Hikaru was ignoring Kaoru apart from when they initiated their brotherly love routine.

Which made Kyoya seethe to the point that he was surprised that he wasn't foaming at the mouth as Hikaru trailed his hands so carelessly over his brother, and how meaningless the touch on his brothers waist really was to him.

So he distracted himself by talking to Tamaki, which wasn't a distraction really as Tamaki was particularly popular that day with the ladies who wished to know why he had went to the beach on Saturday.

It felt so long ago when Kaoru had so delicately massaged his back as he applied suntan lotion on him, and the pair had talked in soft riddles. By this point, Kyoya was forced to accept that he seemed to have developed a crush on the younger boy.

Not that he ever intended to act on it, of course.

Glancing up, his eye caught the slight form of Kaoru who had been collecting some water but now seemed to be utterly enraptured by something, so, shifting his gaze, Kyoya watched Hikaru and Haruhi. What was Kaoru so – oh.

Hikaru had his arm lazily slung over Haruhi's shoulders and as she laughed, she placed her hand on his leg and slowly brought it up his thigh, the pair sharing a smouldering look.

His eyes were torn away by the sharp tinkle of glass to land on Kaoru who was literally seething at the pair. The glass in his hand had cracked into sharp shards and a thin trickle of blood was snaking over the pale skin and onto the floor.

Moving, he found himself grabbing Kaoru and then near dragging him to the backroom where he rolled up his sleeves and started to wash his hands. Being the son of a medical firm at least gave him some idea as to what to do.

The young Hitachiin was standing dumbly next to him, watching the blood trickle through his long fingers and into the sink, making no action to stop the bleeding.

"Kaoru?" Kyoya waited for the boy to look at him, after a moment, he sighed and just took the bleeding hand, the broken drinking glass had been set to the side and now it was just the fragments that needed removing.

Luckily, there were only a few pieces, but Koaru's hand had three deep gashes on it. One across the palm, one nicking the side of his hand and the other on his wrist. This one he paid careful attention to, although he reckoned that if any arteries had been severed, the boy would be bleeding a lot more.

Blinking slowly, Kaoru managed a weak cough. "Did you see Hikaru and…Haruhi?"

"Yes, I shall to be telling them to curb that kind of behaviour at the Host Club, if one of our clients noticed…it might not be so good for business."

"Yeah…business…"

Pausing, Kyoya frowned at Kaoru who was now pale and shaking. "I think you need to go to the hospital, I've bandaged the cuts but…" he looked at the clumsy 'bandage' – a towel wrapped tightly around the injured hand. "It needs to be seen to properly."

"I'm fine."

"Kaoru."

"If it's really bad, Hikaru will make sure I go." The younger boy smiled. "And you know how observant he is of -"

Kyoya snapped. "He didn't even notice you breaking that glass!" Getting a hold of his emotions, he sighed and dug around for the first aid kit for some real bandages. "Is it not enough for me to tell you to go?"

"I'm fine."

"I'll tell Hikaru to take you then." Kyoya was doing his best not to hit the boy in front of him as he removed the towel and examined the wounds again. The wrist he held in his hands was so slender, but the red gashes made any beautiful imagery he would have thought up all but vanish. "Kaoru, you know that if you need to talk I am here to listen."

"You're always busy."

Looking at him, true. "Not really, I can easily put aside most of my duties."

"Why?"

Kyoya looked up at Kaoru's eyes, ones filled with depthless sadness. How had he not seen how sad the boy was? When had he missed the change of happy Kaoru to sad Kaoru? "Because…"

The pair just looked at each other for a long moment in awkward silence.

The young Hitachiin managed a half smile. "Because?" He blinked as Kyoya cupped his chin and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "Kyoya?"

"Just because, Kaoru." Washing his hands again to rid them off the blood now that Kaoru's hand was bandaged, he quickly left the back room where he tapped Hikarus shoulder, to the older Hitachiins annoyance. "Hikaru, Kaoru cut his hand, its pretty bad and I would like for you to make sure he has it looked at in a hospital."

"If it's bad, he'll tell me."

Kyoya just sighed; it wasn't his place to tell Hikaru that Kaoru was waiting for him to notice, or to tell Kaoru that Hikaru no longer watched him.

It wasn't even his place to tell the young boy that it was he who watched him, that noticed him, that could see and feel the sadness that threatened to overwhelm him.

No, all he managed was to make things more complicated.

Unbeknownst to Kyoya, Kaoru was now beginning to think things through with a speed he felt was frighteningly familiar to that of the Shadow Kings as he went home by himself, Hikaru having left before he had the chance to finish packing his bag.

The bandaged hand throbbed as if it was aware that he was trying to ignore it.

By the time he had arrived home he had settled on a course of action. First of all, he'd have his family doctor look at his hand, not because he wanted to but because the pain was beginning to make things a little too fuzzy and, by the time Hikaru noticed the injury, his hand could have fallen off by then!

So he had his hand looked at, received several stitches and painkillers before happily taking the painkillers and moving on to step two of his plan.

Waiting.

And waiting.

And waiting.

Until Hikaru entered their shared room. The older brother smiled at his younger half before beginning to strip out of his uniform, pausing only when he went to place his notes on their shared desk that was currently holding fresh bandages, an assortment of disinfectant creams and pain killers.

And part two now started as Hikaru turned to his wordless brother.

"Did something happen?!"

Wordlessly, Kaoru raised his bandaged hand.

Carefully, Hikaru took it and began to remove the bandages, only to wince at the messy black lines of stitches. "What happened?"

Sighing Kaoru started to bandage his hand again. "Hikaru, I'm going to move into my own room, I think you and I need the extra space."

Hikaru looked crushed. "Did I – what did I do?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Precisely, nothing." Kaoru rose to his feet and carefully moved to the other side of the room where the desk and his precious painkillers where kept. "Have you even noticed me in the past few weeks, except when I practically throw myself in front of you?"

"I noticed you on Saturday when -"

Kaoru sighed. "Only because Haruhi pointed it out."

"Well…" Hikaru was rapidly becoming appalled at himself as no answers immediately leapt in front of him. They were sharing the same routine, sure, but they weren't sharing it. "How did you cut your hand?" He cringed suddenly. "Does this have something to do with Kyoya telling me to take you to a doctor?"

"Yes, I broke a glass, but you didn't' notice because you and Haruhi were sharing smouldering looks and little touches." Kaoru sighed. "When did you become an item? Saturday on the beach before we all arrived?" Hikaru's blush was answer enough. "I thought so. Now, I'll tell servants I'll be moving to my own room."

"Kaoru, you don't have -"

"Hikaru!" Clenching his fists, the younger brother ignored the stab of pain in his bandaged hand. "You constantly ignore me, push me aside and shove me further and further away, but the moment I so much as touch someone else, or think about doing anything that breaks our routine – one you've already destroyed – you start on at me as if I've done something horribly wrong!"

"But -"

"No buts, I'm moving room, you'll get the space you and Haruhi need and I'll get some space for me…for me to get my head together."

Hikaru frowned, twisting his hands nervously, not wanting to aggravate his brother any further but wanting to shout his opinion all the same. Although the blood beginning to blossom on the bandaged hand was definitely helping him make his decision. "Fine, we'll move rooms, but I'm not happy about it."

"Neither am I." Kaoru replied quietly. Now it was on to part three of his plan. "What are you doing this weekend?"

"I was planning on taking Haruhi to -" Hikaru stopped. "Ah."

Managing a weak smile, Kaoru looked at his brother. "Do you see what I'm saying now?"

"You can come as well!"

"And make you two uncomfortable? I'll pass." Kaoru picked up his painkillers with his good hand and read the bottle quickly. It looked like he had to wait another three hours before he could take them again. Typical, his hand was really hurting now. Although the pain was good in a way, it reminded him why he was now actually doing things.

Hikaru shifted uncomfortably. "Are you ok?"

"No, I'm not." Putting the painkillers down, Kaoru sighed, part three of his plan was actually moving room, but he was loathe to do so at the same time. Almost seeming to sense this, Hikaru moved closer and put a hand on his shoulder.

"If you want -"

Pushing the hand away, Kaoru sighed shakily. "I'll tell the servants to prepare a room for me." With that, he turned and left.

Now after he finished part three, he was going to have to move on to the final part of his plan. Getting a life without relying on Hikaru.

That looked so painfully bleak he shoved it to one side and worked on what colour he should make the room. Different from their – Hikaru's – room, but something that was still him.

Black was very tempting.

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