Chapter: 10

Kept Apart

Our Beginning

And you smiled…

It was the moment I thought my heart would forever fold into itself, as it elated in my chest. Oh, the joy and the passion that surrounds me, you know, I have a crush. I think it might be more, but even so, if I never tell him how I feel, my love for him will always be invisible. And yet it's hard, to be rejected, and here I am…

And you smile and I hope, it's for me.

Hao was silent.

His eyes looked up at the sky, with earnest. He could see the stars, and how different they looked in Izumo compared to anywhere else. They were simply beautiful. However, that was not the only thought entertaining his mind. The fact that when he had seen his twin near Ana the night before, he had acted a bit…possessive, was that correct of him to do? Even though, the strong connection he felt to Yoh could only be that he is his twin brother, his own flesh and blood. Hao's tongue came out then, and he licked his lips, at the thought of blood on Yoh's flesh.

He felt that was when it was sweetest.

It was exhilarating, the thought of being around Yoh. Even though he had a hard time believing that he might even have an inkling of like towards his twin…in the incest kind of way. He barely knew him, even if he had licked what he saw. And Yoh was so carefree it was nearly amusing what his twin was like. It'd really be sin to pour blood over that pure body, and lick it off with his own lips and tongue…It really was sin to think of his brother in such a sexual way. And yet, to him, it was not a sin in the slightest but a lustful desire that he craved, like a fat kid craved cake. Yes, Hao thought, it was a delectable wish unfulfilled.

Maybe he should let Yoh know all this. Nah, just letting him know would not be fun…he would play with him a little. Tease him here, and there, and just watch his reactions. It would be fun to see his twin brother flustered. Maybe he could even take the time to learn a little more about Yoh. Hao smirked, as he watched the stars, and the moon once more over him, a more serene emotion coming over him. Remembering once when he heard someone say, when it was time to give one's heart to someone, you had to make sure that person was in your heart. Hm, giving your heart to someone did not sound so bad, but he was still unsure of who even deserved his heart. Or how that was even possible.

"Master Hao"

Hao turned around to face the small girl, "Hmm, is something wrong Opacho?"

"No" she smiled "Can I sit next to you?"

"Sure" Hao returned the smile. She quickly moved to sit next to him, and eyed him with curiosity as she looked up at the moon and back at him.

"Are you thinking about someone?" Her sudden question startled Hao. He turned to look at her, with a raised eyebrow.

"What makes you ask that?"

"The moon is full and so bright" She giggled "Mama always said that was when it was easier to clear your mind and really think about the one you love" She then looked a little serious "of course, that was so long ago…I miss her so much" Opacho whispered. Hao nodded his head, and sighed looking back at the sky.

"Guess I am just thinking of the world and the time" Hao shrugged. "Something tells me something new is about to begin" Hao stood up fluidly from where he was. Opacho stood next, and followed him. She knew that whenever something new entered her master's mind, or took a hold of his interest, things could change. This, she didn't know what it was, but it was almost like showing an even more softer side of her master, it was something anyone rarely got to see, even her. She was not going to question him though, she was simply going to follow and support him in whatever else he had planned for his own. "It's almost going to be dawn," Hao murmured.

It was going to be morning soon.

This morning, Yoh felt as if someone was watching him.

When he opened his eyes, he found that it was not just a feeling, someone was watching him, and that someone smirked once he awoke. He, on the other hand, jumped out of bed startled, and away. "A-Anna, what are you doing here?" he asked, perplexed that she would even be in his room at such hours of the day. The smirk on Ana's face just seemed to widen even more, as if she was hiding something…or worse, planning something.

"Oh Yoh, you act as if you don't know" she mocked, chuckling to herself, and then getting serious. Yoh raised an eyebrow.

"Well, can we keep it that way so I can go back to bed and sleep, I really don't want to get up" He flinched when Anna stood up and stomped her feet.

"No!" she snapped. "You can't sleep your whole life away in fear, now come on, you are going to wash up and then are going to build a plan to confess to Hao how you feel for him" right now Yoh could cry as he watched the weird and scary blond snap at him orders. She was no longer his fiancée and yet she acted as if she owned him and could make him do as she pleased. Well she could, she had the power to do so, but this sucked so much! He rubbed his head, dismay placing itself right over his heart.

"And what if I am rejected, that won't be any fun Anna" Yoh muttered and Anna scoffed.

"So what, life doesn't end you know, it continues. You can't let something as small as rejection stop you" She crossed her arms as Yoh sighed and pulled himself together. He solemnly nodded his head, thinking already of a plan to escape her. He really wanted to think this over, and make his own decisions. He was not even sure if he even wanted Hao to know what he was feeling for him. It would be weird, wouldn't it? For him to meet his twin and before long be confessing such feelings, it was heavy.

Anna watched him and then sat down on his bed. It was the best advice she could give him, when even she knew how it hurt so much more not to speak up. You always keep wondering about the 'what if's' and that was what she faced. She wanted Yoh to be clear. As soon as Yoh was done changing he came back, and both of them headed down stairs to the dining area. Only Ren and Horo seemed to be there at the moment, both arguing about what they were eating. "Hey you guys" Yoh said with a smile on his face.

"Dude, tell Ren that it's not a crime to eat meat well done"

"Ah…" Yoh said, "I like it better extra rare"

"See, I told you" Ren smirked, and Horo looked appalled.

"I swear! You both just love your meat swimming in blood, which does not justify anything" Horo ranted, and Yoh chuckled while Ren shook his head.

"The two of you argue about the most absurd things ever" Anna scoffed, crossing her arms as she waited for someone to bring her some tea.

"Well, me and Ren were just trying to figure out our things in common, and what we both like, but it seems we don't have the same tastes or appetites" Horo sighed "I mean, he likes to drink blood more than he likes to eat anything else"

"We are vampires, we all love blood. You just happen to have a huge appetite" Ren smirked, completely amused by his lover. Yoh simply watched them with a smile on his face as the two bickered over nonsense. They seemed to be so at peace with each other, and so in love, even when they fought. It looked like they were having fun.

"Hey, can I ask you two something?" Yoh suddenly spoke, breaking their new argument about socks.

"Yeah, what is it Yoh" Horo asked, as he picked at his food and got some into his mouth. Ren sipped at his own tea and someone was already serving him and Anna.

"Well, I wanted to know how the two of you got together; last I was around you guys it seemed like you hated each other, no offence" That was the truth. Back before Yoh had left, Ren and Horo seemed like they could not stand each other. They would snap at each other and even try to get the other angry no matter the cost. They were always mocking, belittling the other, and vexing each other, it was so odd to see them now being playful and arguing just for the fun of it. And of course, Yoh had not been there for that change in them.

"That's a long story," Ren muttered.

"Oh, it was like just yesterday" Horo stated, over Ren's voice "When I was just skipping along, and having a fine day and then Ren had to show his face, and got me pissed" Ren scoffed at Horo's dramatics "He ruined my day for even speaking that day!"

"Alright, we get it, you ruined mine as well" Ren snapped, anger showing in his golden eyes.

"Oh…okay, and then what?" Yoh asked, hoping to move the story along.

"Well then, me and Ren were called up by Anna, she said that she had found you and both of us were going to go out to get you back" Yoh didn't even remember these two going out to try and get him, so he shrugged. He was not even sure. "I was all for going, but Ren was fighting Anna as to why he had to go with me" Horo shook his head "he insulted me, somehow this time it was different"

"How so?"

"Because I wounded his ego" Ren smirked.

"Hey!" Horo snapped, "You did no such thing"

"Yeah, right, whatever"

"Bottom line, they never ended up going because they were too busy fucking each other to even remember to do such a small task." Anna said angrily "They didn't come out for days, maybe even months as they really got down to what they were feeling, as to how they ended up doing each other, that is something I will never know." Anna closed her eyes and began to indulge in her own cup of tea, letting it warm her.

"Hey, we don't know either" Horo said, nearly thoughtfully and yet drolly. Apparently, he was amused by what had happened, and lost himself in the thoughts of when his and Ren's relationship first began to blossom. "Damn, I thought I had died and gone to heaven when that had happened, it was an amazing moment." Ren on the other hand frowned unhappily at his mate for even saying such icky pleasant things about their union.

"Okay" Yoh muttered, feeling as though it told him nothing about their relationship.

"It does sound confusing, doesn't it" Anna muttered this time.

"Yeah" Yoh sighed.

"What's so confusing about it? It was not planned, per se, but it happened" Ren shrugged "Well, I guess me and Horo ending up in bed together after the way we fight would seem a bit confusing"

"Well yeah, what happened the next morning after that?"

"I couldn't believe it" Horo said "I was in horror, and yet, I still wanted him"

"Oh shut up" Ren snapped "the next morning I was all set for running out of there, before he jumped me again…you could say it was kind of an addiction"

"Addiction"

"Look Yoh, there is no simple way of saying it other than me and Horo were just like two firecrackers bound to explode and just pursue what we felt deep inside. It was graceful, and it could have been done better, but I thought I hated him, I hated the way he made me feel and I hated the fact that he just was" Ren shrugged. "But I really didn't hate him, and that is where it gets confusing, because in a way both of us were fighting what we were attracted to, and we liked each other, but would never admit it since we…made bad first impressions on each other, per se." Ren then smiled at Yoh, sincerely. "But if it weren't for you, bringing us together, we wouldn't have met or even crossed paths, and that is where it all started in reality" Yoh stared at Ren, perplexed for a moment and then offered the smile back.

"You know he is right, we might have been brought into your life as your friends, and then as enforcers to protect you…since you did turn out to be royalty, but Ren was too, even if their father didn't want his sister to be heir," Horo spoke. "You somehow made everything alright, and now Jun is queen with her husband Bailong as king" Horo then let a smile grace his features as well "Ren would have never been made part of your court, and do as he pleased, neither of them would"

"That had been a bad year huh" They had only been around fourteen when that had happened, but Jun was seventeen, going into eighteen and she wished to ascend the throne. Ren was also always caged in all the time, taking lessons, and being pressured, he rarely ever got to go outside. That much suppression made Ren jealous of his sister, and grow angry with life at such a young age. Ren was good, he was agile, he was well prepared for battle and could even be a leader, a lord, or a king if he so wished it. But he didn't.

Especially would not want it now that he had Horo. It was hard for Yoh to understand, but he thought he understood, in a way. "Very bad, but like you had said at that moment, not to worry, things will always turn out alright in the end. Somehow, that always seems to be true when you are around" Ren murmured, with slight admiration, but he would never admit it.

"Yup, things sure do" Yoh smiled, knowing that was true.

"Well, We have to go" Ren said standing up "We have to go and make sure everything is in order, our break is done"

"Ah man and I was enjoying this little chat" Horo whined as he got to his feet.

"You are worthless; you should just stay here" Ren snapped "Always whining about everything!" Horo smirked.

"Ahh, come on Ren, you love it when I whine"

"This fool" Ren muttered under his breath as he stomped away, and Horo winked at Yoh before he followed behind his lover.

"Those two are a headache," Anna muttered. Yoh turned to her and smiled.

"Hey Anna"

"Hm, what is it?"

"Will you….give me the chance to find what they have with each other, just find a way to Hao and let things happen without the pressure of you breathing down my neck, please?" Yoh looked at her with hope, and she was a little startled by his request. She sighed, and nodded her head, making him offer her a huge grin "Thank you Anna, you are the best" Yoh said, and went to eat his meal more at ease, and Anna watched him with a faint smile on her lips. She loved Yoh, as her own brother, and she would never want anything to hurt him or ever want him to do something he did not want. But at least it was a solution and she was going to be there to support him through to the end.

Once Yoh finished his meal, he excused himself and left.

Hao was walking slowly, not much of a thought in his head other than the fact that he was bored out of his mind. No one seemed to dare come near him or talk to him, almost as if they were not just afraid of him, they did not seem to trust him. Sighing for what seemed to be the hundredth time that morning, he started to think of a way to amuse himself. Opacho followed behind him as he started to make his way out of the palace. Both alerted themselves when they heard footsteps coming towards, them, but calmed when they found it was just Yoh. "Hao!" the boy called, running towards them.

"Hey Yoh, what's all the hurry?" Hao asked, a smile gracing his lips.

"Ah, I was looking for you, and just found you now" Yoh smiled back, as he caught his breath. "You are very elusive"

"Trained skill" Hao muttered.

Yoh nodded, it felt a little awkward to just have ran up to Hao, with no real motive. He sure as hell was not going to confess. Even so, when Hao gave him a raised eyebrow as to what he wanted, he grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head as he said, "So…what are you going to do today?"

Hao was perplexed by the question, but then offered a smirk "I was going to go find something to do, I'm bored…maybe out of Izumo"

Yoh stared blankly now "You are leaving?"

"I was not made to stay in one place Yoh, besides I have nothing to do here" Hao shrugged "might as well look for something to amuse me" Yoh nodded, in understanding, but he still didn't want Hao to leave.

"Well…can I go with you?" he lamely asked, a little to hastily for his own liking. Still, it was his way of making a move. Once more taken aback, he wondered what Yoh was up to. As future king, he would be expected to stay now, like a loyalty. Still, their parents had just gotten back together and were starting again, and besides that, both he and his twin were still young. There would not be much expected of them right now.

"Of course Yoh" Hao smiled, and offered his hand. Yoh did not hesitate to place his hand in Hao's and trusted him. He was, although, startled when flames surrounded both of them, but even more pleasantly surprised when he found they did not burn.

"Where are we going?" Yoh asked.

Hao shrugged "Wherever life takes us, I guess" and they were gone.

Because I want to embrace, the moment when we are more than just what we seem to be. To find a plane in the world that we can call our own…Maybe it is a dream.

But I really wish we can start something here….This is our beginning.

Hello there, all, I updated and thank you for all your wonderful reviews, it means alot and I'm glad you are liking the story :) Hope you are all still enjoying this story. This is where the fluff and Yaoi begins for HaoYoh, surely you are all happy about that.

Please review.