Haruhi made a mad dash out of the twins' room and was in her own in mere seconds. She fumbled blindly for the lock and only opened her eyes when she heard that reassuring click. Then she ran to the bed and tried to strangle herself in the sheets.

Well, not really. But the idea did cross her mind.

She lay there for the longest time (fifteen minutes), waiting for her breathing to become regular again. Usually, she wasn't one to use profanities, but it seemed that the only words her muddled brain could construct at the moment were fuck-shit-fuck-shit-fuck…

Why the heck did she even react that way? Kaoru just caught her, didn't he? No motive behind that whatsoever. They had been on close contact like that a gazillion times before, right? She had absolutely no reason to be turned on. And it didn't explain why she almost blew up during that little episode with the maple syrup. Haruhi quivered a little. Just recalling it gave her that unexplainable feeling again.

Why, why, why? The feeling that haunted her in her dreams… Why did have to manifest itself while she was awake? Heat crawled on her body, and she grumbled with frustration. There was a most peculiar sensation somewhere down there. A few seconds of stunned silence passed before it clicked. Haruhi repeated it to herself just to make sure and was bowled over when the meaning of the sentence came to life.

I feel horny.

She grabbed a pillow and used it to muffle her screams of indignation. The sounds came across as something else to someone who was standing outside, though.

--

Kaoru raised his hand to knock on the door just as Hikaru came up behind him and tapped his shoulder.

"What are you planning on doing?"

"I don't know. I was hoping you'd come up with something, being the devious one and all that."

"Me? Hey, you're supposed to be the smarter one, Kaoru."

"Tch, comparison is pretty meaningless," he snickered and then pretended to be lost in thought. "No harm in admitting it though… I am the smarter one, aren't I?"

Hikaru rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I'd rather not go in there while she's having one of her mood swings. I think I'll have a snack first, and then come back later. You coming with me?"

"Fine. I'll be right behind you."

Kaoru smirked a little at the thought of how immature his brother could be. A girl's mood swings were scary, he admitted to himself, but you had to buff up and face them sometime. As he thought of this, he heard a muffled sound from the door behind him.

--

Haruhi was still busy venting her frustrations at the pillow, screaming into it and pummeling it, when a sharp rap came on her door.

"Haruhi? Are you okay in there?"

"Kaoru? Y-yeah! I'm fine!"

"Can I come in?"

She steeled her nerves. Nothing was wrong. She was going to control herself even if it killed her, damn it!

"S-sure."

"…"

"…"

"Haruhi?"

She definitely heard a smile there. "Yeah, what?"

"Your door is locked."

Kaoru was greeted by the red-faced girl as she let him in. In an attempt to hide her embarrassment, Haruhi cracked a smile and tried to start some small talk.

"You're alone? Where's Hikaru?"

"Grabbing something to eat." He noticed beads of sweat around Haruhi's forehead. She was bursting with the effort to keep her composure. Haruhi noticed something too; there was that Hitachiin smirk again.

"Is there something going on that I should know about?" she asked suspiciously.

"Definitely."

Haruhi timidly gestured to the couch, but Kaoru was already making himself comfortable on the bed. He spied the deformed feather pillow and laughed inwardly.

"Well, come on over here. Let's talk."

She swallowed. "About what?"

Alright, the boy couldn't control it any longer; he burst into innumerable chuckles.

"What's so funny?"

"Give it up, Haruhi. As much as you might despise it, it remains a solid fact that any normal teenage girl has raging hormones. And you, my dear little tanuki, are no exception. Especially in your state."

"You mean this is normal?"

"I didn't think it was possible for you, but I guess I stand corrected. Haruhi Fujioka, however miraculous it may be, can be turned on just like any other girl on this planet."

"What makes it so miraculous?"

Kaoru looked up, and sure enough there was that delightful little pout of hers. She looked so adorable when she was flustered. He reached out and grabbed her arm so that she fell beside him. He ignored the startled squawk and began cuddling her.

"Uwaa! Haruhi, you're so kawaii!!!"

"Gah! You sound like Tamaki-senpai!"

"But it's true… You really are cute!"

"Thanks. Can you get off now?"

"Let me think about it… No."

Somehow, Kaoru felt that it was against his better judgment to treat Haruhi like his personal teddy bear. There was a little pang that gnawed at his chest, but he wanted to keep holding onto her. She fit perfectly in his arms. Couldn't he take this one moment to be selfish, for once? He placed a soft kiss on the tip of Haruhi's nose—

"Hey Kaoru, what's taking you—"

Everything froze.

"So this is how Haruhi's being busy? And you're helping her out?"

A livid Hikaru stood under the doorframe.

"Kisama!" he spat.

--

"Hika—"

"Oh, don't even bother. Don't!"

Hikaru had stormed away and even attempted to lock his twin out of their room. Good thing Kaoru was a fast runner. Now he stood at the foot of his twin's bed, trying to convince him to listen. So far, nothing was coming across.

"But—"

"I said I don't wanna hear it! Shut up!"

"Hikaru?" he half-whimpered.

There was a hesitant pause. Kaoru knew that his older brother was doing his very best not to lash out, and it was paining him.

"Kaoru…" the voice was softer, but evidently holding the anger that threatened to come flooding back. "Just… Just leave me alone for a while? Please."

There was silence.

"If it bothered you so much, then go ahead and make your move."

After saying that, Kaoru left. But every step he took away hurt him. He was only about three feet away from the door when his knees gave way and he stumbled, landing on all fours. He tried to pull his body up, but he seemed to be paralyzed at the moment. He was not going to cry. He was just tremendously shook up, remembering what his brother had said.

Kisama…?

He gulped.

A small warm hand on his shoulder willed him to stand.

"Kaoru?"

He grinned at Haruhi (how he found the will to do that, he really didn't know). Her face was etched with concern, and he didn't want her to look at him that way.

He clasped his hand behind his head. "Sorry about that,Haruhi."

"What in the world are you apologizing for?"

"For kissing you without remembering the Third Law of Motion."

Haruhi tried to remember what that was and why physics was suddenly involved with what had just happened.

"Ah…" she said, still not getting it. "But you were only playing around, weren't you?"

No, I wasn't.

"Hikaru does have the tendency to overreact," she sighed. "I wouldn't worry about it; I'm sure he'll get over it sooner or later."

Yeah, right.

"He doesn't have the right to call you a bastard though, and you know it."

He simply feigned a small smile in reply. Nah, I deserve it.

"But Kaoru, what did he get so mad about?"

And the queen of density returns.

"Ne, Haruhi. Are you really that ignorant?"

"Huh?"

"Aww c'mon. Hikaru's speech and actions easily give it away. No?" he sighed at her puzzled expression. "He's head over heels for you."

Her eyes widened. "Oh."

"Do you feel the same way?"

"Well… I guess I never really thought about my love life…"

"You'll put it into consideration now though, right?"

Her eyebrow arched. "You want me to do that?"

"It would mean a lot to me if you did."

"Hmm."

"Promise me you will."

"Alright, I will," she paused thoughtfully. "Kaoru, it might be out of my place to say this, but… You don't have to keep doing this, you know."

Hold it… had she caught on?

"Doing what?"

"Trying to be on the same ground all the time. Even if you two are twins, there'll come a day when you two have to make separate choices."

Oh, that.

"I'll keep that in mind, thanks. Okay. Well, I think I'll take a breather, Haruhi. I'll be in the gardens."

Kaoru walked leisurely to the gazebo and sat in its shade. That moment of self-interest cost him dearly; now his twin was angry with him. He shouldn't have played around with Haruhi anyway; he knew better than that, and yet he still gave way to temptation… What a stupid, stupid, stupid thing to do, Kaoru. He needed to receive a bigger blow other than his twin calling him a bastard… That still wasn't enough punishment. He had spent all that time trying to get him and his brother on an equal pace, and yet he had gone and tried to take advantage just now. That was just wrong, wasn't it?

Why be fair at all if he would just lunge at every opportunity he had?

--

Hikaru stepped out of the room. His brain was buzzing with guilt, and he meant to look for his twin to at least try and apologize. Before he could get two steps up the hall, a door creaked open.

"Hikaru? Can we talk for a bit, if you don't mind?"

It was Haruhi.

She beckoned him inside her room.

He entered a little reluctantly. "Is this important? Because I really have to—"

"Kaoru's in the gardens. But before that, I just have something to tell you."

"Uh, okay."

Haruhi bored into him with those big eyes of hers. "What you saw earlier... Kaoru only came in to help me out, and we started to play around. There was nothing going on."

The memory jarred him again. "If you say so. Well, later."

Hikaru turned around, but she stopped him again.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"That you were in love with me."

The boy's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. How could she say something so casually and out of the blue like that? And how did she figure that out?

"I-I don't…"

"Kaoru told me."

Hikaru began shuffling his feet. "Oh."

"Okay, just making sure. You can go now."

What, that was it?

"Haruhi, I'm sorry for not coming in here earlier to help you out."

"That's alright. Kaoru told me it was only natural for me to feel… Hikaru?"

He had taken hold of her hand and drawn her so that their chests were gently touching. She blushed; that feeling was making a comeback.

"Haruhi," he breathed. He made up his mind. If this was how Kaoru wanted to play the game, then so be it. "Do you know who Akachan's dad is yet?"

"No."

"Do you even want to know who it is? Because you can just pick one of us already and get it over with. It doesn't matter, really. Kaoru and I have the same genes anyway…"

"What are you saying?" her blush was intensifying, and she weakly tried to pull him away. Somehow, she only ended up pulling him closer to her needy body.

Hikaru felt that. "I can help you out right now. I'll give you what you've been wanting…"

"Hika—"

And he drowned out her words with a kiss.

--

Kaoru made his way back into the mansion and straight upstairs, hoping that Hikaru had cooled off enough to talk to him. But he wasn't in the dining room or in the kitchens, not in the living room or the parlor. So he must be in their bedroom. But he wasn't there either.

The younger was already contemplating if Hikaru would actually hang out in the library, but a small noise attracted his attention.

Haruhi left her door open. Was she still beating up that poor innocent pillow? He sighed.

Peering in, his eyes fell on two people making out on the bed. He stared long enough to see his twin cage Haruhi under his arms and legs. Rage seared in his chest until something dawned on him.

This dirty trick his brother had pulled was the punishment he was asking for. And from now on, it really didn't matter who the father was anymore. Hell, when did it ever really matter? Deep down, he always knew that Hikaru would win her over. He didn't stand a chance; and even if he did, he wouldn't take it. His selfish act from earlier was more than enough.

Carefully, he backed out and even had enough courtesy to close the door without making a sound.

Back in the sanctuary of his room, Kaoru quietly repeated Isaac Newton's Third Law over and over under his breath to convince himself that he deserved it.


A/N:

~Isaac Newton's Third Law of Motion = Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

-:-

Ooooh. 0.0

Okay, I really must apologize for this chapter because it's written so messily. It's basically a huge thought spewed out from my brain at 2 a.m. and that's why it turned out this way. :P

I worded out the Third Law for those of you who didn't get it. Hope it clears up any confuzzlement. :D

Anyway, what do you think? They're going a little OOC, yes? xP Don't worry, any confusion left on your minds shall be taken away gradually.

Please do not forget to leave your lovely opinions and vote in my poll! x)

l
l
V