Step #5
Avoid Awkward Moments, Sludge, And Rushed Apologies
...\~/...
Hikaru Hitachiin
I can't believe it. I just had five 'that awkward moment when...' moments in about two minutes. Sad part: the awkwardness didn't end after that. FML.
Like - Comment - 20 Minutes Ago
Yuzuha Hitachiin, Takashi Morinozuka, Fuyumi Ootori and 8 others like this.
View All 43 Comments
Yuzuka Hitachiin This just made my day!
Hikaru Hitachiin Thanks, mom. I'm glad my awkwardness amuses you.
Yuzuha Hitachiin You're welcome! Hey, you need to call your mother! Jerk...
Hikaru Hitachiin I will. I've been busy. I'll call you sometime this week.
Yuzuha Hitachiin Thanks, sweetie! That's all I ask for! Love you!
Hikaru Hitachiin Yeah, love you too.
Kaoru Hitachiin Hey, we need to have a video chat later today. You need to fill me in on your Red Hue match-up.
Hikaru Hitachiin I can do that.
Yuzuha Hitachiin Red Hue? My darling son got a Red Hue account? And he got a match? Hope she likes sourpusses!
Kaoru Hitachiin Yeah, sourpusses that don't call their brothers and mothers.
Mitsukuni Haninozuka Or their senpais! How come we always have to call you?
Yuzuha Hitachiin Yeah! I agree with Kaoru and Mitsukuni! You NEVER call me!
Hikaru Hitachiin What is this? Beat-up-on-Hikaru day? I'm not in the mood...
Takashi Morinozuka You're never in the mood.
Hikaru Hitachiin Ah, come on! Not you too!
Mitsukuni Haninozuka Yeah, cheer up, Hika-chan! We need you to be happy again!
Kaoru Hitachiin Yeah, I agree! An unhappy Hikaru is almost worst than an unhappy Kyoya!
Takashi Morinozuka Yeah...
Yuzuha Hitachiin Wait, my son's unhappy? When did this happen? See, he never fills me in on anything! How come no one told me?
Mitsukuni Haninozuka Mrs. Hitachiin, your son's been unhappy for awhile. He needs a hug from his beautiful mother!
Hikaru Hitachiin NO, I DO NOT! I DO NOT NEED A HUG FROM MY MOTHER!
Kaoru Hitachiin How about from your favorite brother?
Hikaru Hitachiin No...
Mitsukuni Haninozuka How about from Usa-chan?
Hikaru Hitachiin You still keep that stupid rabbit around?
Mitsukuni Haninozuka WAH! Usa-chan's not stupid! You're a meanie, Hika-chan!
Hikaru Hitachiin What else is new?
Takashi Morinozuka What about Piyo?
Hikaru Hitachiin The chicken...? Uh, sorry, sempai, but no.
Takashi Morinozuka :(
Kaoru Hitachiin Seriously, video chat sometime today. Okay?
Hikaru Hitachiin Yeah, I will, okay?
Kaoru Hitachiin Yep! That's all I want. I want to know all about this Red Hue stranger.
Hikaru Hitachiin Yeah, okay.
Mitsukuni Haninozuka Oooo, Hika-chan's got a girlfriend!
Hikaru Hitachiin She's not my girlfriend. I just met her.
Mitsukuni Haninozuka I want to know about her too!
Yuzuha Hitachiin Yeah, me too!
Takashi Morinozuka Yeah...
Hikaru Hitachiin Alright, alright, I'll tell everyone about her later.
Tamaki Suoh OMG! Hikaru has a girlfriend! NO WAY! When did this miracle happen! Is she pretty? Hikaruuuu! How come you haven't called?
Hikaru Hitachiin ...I'm leaving...I have a headache already...
Tamaki Suoh Wait, don't go! Quick! Someone fill me in!
...\~/...
Hikaru tore off a bit of his cinnamon raisin bagel, chewing it slowly as he watched the street before him. People passed him without the slightest sign of acknowledgement towards him, but he didn't care. Well, actually, there was this one group of girls that passed him, and giggled nervously when they saw him, blushes dusting their cheeks. He found it funny how women liked the look of him, but when they actually experienced his personality (he had to agree with his mom and Kaoru; he was a bit of a grump), women looked the other way. He was beginning to think he was going to die alone.
His phone buzzed every five seconds with another message telling him about a comment someone made on his Facebook status. Apparently, from what he read, his brother, Hunny, and Mori filled Tamaki in on what was going on. That idiot's comments gave him a headache just reading them. And the worst thing about it was that the fool seemed to have forgiven him for being a complete ass at his own wedding reception. Now, Hikaru wondered if Haruhi had forgiven him, too. Probably; she seemed like the kind of person that wouldn't hold grudges due to the fact they were too troublesome.
Hikaru sighed, hanging his head. Too bad he hadn't forgiven himself yet.
The snow had stopped, but there was a light breeze that blew snow off the roofs, coating Hikaru in a soft dust. He looked up when he heard laughing, only to see a group of kids across the street running on the pavement, building speed, then sliding across the icy surface. One boy lost his balance, falling backwards onto his rear. Everyone laughed at him, but he soon started laughing as well. Hikaru smiled softly at the sight. He remembered when he and Kaoru used to do the same thing, but they would have been quickly snatched by their nanny, and taken back in. She had always complained about their reckless behavior. He had to wonder how that old woman was doing now.
Taking another bite from his bagel, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket, but he didn't bother taking it out. His mind was too busy for it had wandered back to earlier that morning when he had left his apartment to pick up breakfast. When he had closed his door to his apartment, someone else had closed their's at the same time. He turned around, only to have met the eyes of Sarah herself. They had kept their gaze locked for about five seconds until they broke it off, taking their first step at exactly the same time.
That's when the awkward moments began.
1. That awkward moment when someone says 'hello' and you say 'good thanks'.
"Hey." she said softly when they had begun their descent down seven flights of stairs.
"Good. Thanks." That's when he realized what he said. "I mean...uh...never mind."
2. That awkward moment when you walk with a failed date in complete silence.
Neither of them had said anything to one another after the greeting. All he heard were the echoes of their footsteps bouncing off the walls, the jingle of their keys with each step they took, and the thump of her purse against her leg. He remembered how he had wished for her to disappear or for him to suddenly teleport back inside his apartment or for him to wake up from some nightmare, but no, nothing happened. The only thing that had happened was he performed awkward moment three once they reached the bottom.
3. That awkward moment when you stumble on the last two steps and your failed date stares at you.
He had tripped over his own goddamned feet once he had reached the second to last step. He went to make another and there he had gone. On his way down, he swore he heard her giggle, and he knew for sure she had snickered when he tried to act cool about his stumble. But Hikaru had found out the hard way that you can't make clumsy look cool.
4. That awkward moment when you push on a door you're supposed to pull, though it's clearly signed.
That stupid door hadn't budged no matter how many times he had tried to push it open. Finally, Sarah had nudged him aside, pulling the door open for him.
He had felt like an idiot. Still did, now that he thought about it.
But that hadn't been the end of the awkwardness.
5. That awkward moment when you say good-bye to someone and then walk in the same direction as them.
That's what happened exactly. He had said good-bye, as did she with a little wave.
And they walked in the same freakin' direction.
Not only that, but they walked into the same freakin' bakery.
The Heavens had not been with him this morning.
Hikaru remembered clearly what had happened after they walked into the bakery together. The owners of the store had looked up at them, large, cheeky smiles spreading across their faces. The woman behind the counter nodded a farewell to one of her customers, then had devoted her attention to Hikaru and Sarah.
"Aw, look at the two of you!" she had said. "Early to be out on a date, isn't it?"
"We're not on a date." he and Sarah had said at the same time. The baker had dropped the subject when she recognized their bitter tones.
Hikaru had allowed Sarah to put her order in first, the baker immediately focusing in on the bruise on Sarah's jaw. "Man, what happened to you?" Sarah hadn't answered, only taken her bag of baked goods and paid when they were given to her. Hikaru stepped up next, the baker giving him the same questioning gaze, and when the elderly woman had been about to ask him a question, he had run like the wind, calling out Sarah's name.
"Wait, hold on!" he had shouted, his breath coming out in visible clouds. "Wait..." he said, slowing down when she turned around.
"What do you want? I don't really want to talk to you right now." she had said sharply.
"I owe you an apology. I'm sorry about being an ass the other day. I was out of line."
Sarah had stepped up towards him, eyes and eyebrows narrowed. "Yeah, you do. You had to be the worst date I've ever had."
"Yeah, well..."
"And have you ever heard of people being entitled to their own opinions? So what if I didn't like your friend's cooking? Did it hurt you in any way?"
"No, but-"
"Plus, you kept on leaving me in the living room alone. What guy does that? I heard you talking to someone in the kitchen? Another girl?"
He couldn't get one word out before she had taken another step towards him. "I let that go, though, because I saw that you had been nervous."
She had kept going, complaining about how horrible he had been, and how bad she had felt throughout the entire date. Hikaru remembered how she had never failed to remind him of the fact she had cried all night due to his harsh words. That's when he begun to think of her as a bit of a crybaby. God, it had been one insult. It hadn't been like he degraded her whole family and future grandchildren. If people were entitled to their own opinions, wasn't him thinking her laugh was annoying and stating so just an opinion? Her words must have only been for her errors... Once she had walked away, once she was out of earshot, he had muttered, "Bitch..."
6. That awkward moment when you say something rude about someone and that same person can still hear you.
Sarah had turned right around and slapped him, right across his cheek.
He really needed to learn to watch his mouth.
So, here he was, nibbling absentmindedly on a bagel, while watching the kids across the street glide across the icy pavement.
"Hey, mister!" a voice from across the street shouted.
Hikaru looked over, seeing a young boy staring straight at him, beckoning him over. Hikaru pointed at himself, the kid nodding, still waving him over.
"Wanna join us? You seem bored!"
Hikaru hesitantly stood up before walking over, watching how every kid stopped to stare at him. The young boy gestured towards the icy spot. "Go ahead, mister, you can go."
And he did. Hikaru walked backwards a bit, then ran forward, stopping just when he reached the slippery surface, sliding across the ice perfectly. Kids laughed when he started to chuckle, which turned into a full-fledged laugh when he slid across the pavement a couple more times. Being around these kids made his worries melt away. Something about their care-free, laid-back nature calmed him and he found enjoyment in what he was doing. Just goofing off, something he hadn't done in awhile. Heck, the last time he actually played around was when he was in the Host Club, and that had been four years ago.
Man, he missed them all.
"What happened to your face, mister?" a little girl asked him, tugging on his sleeve.
"I got into a fist-fight when someone." he replied.
The girl's eyes grew wide, her lips shaped in the perfect 'O'. "Wow! Didja win?"
"No..." Great, now the kid was probably think he was pathetic or something.
"Hey," It was the young boy that invited him again. "Was it that big guy that walked into your apartment building yesterday? He had a black eye and he was walking with a girl that had a bruise on her face. Mama said they looked bad."
"Uh, yeah. That was him."
"Man, you're lucky he didn't kill you. You know he just got out of jail, right?"
He was afraid to ask. "What did he do exactly to land himself in jail?" Why'd he have to ask?
"Mama said he beat a man to death. Says the man he killed pissed him off. Shot their mouth off about his sister, uh, Samantha...Sally...?"
"Sarah...?" He just had to say it.
"Yeah! Sarah! That's what it was!"
God, he felt sick.
"Ray, my feet are cold!" a little girl to the young boy's side complained, tugging on his shirt. Hikaru looked down at her sneakers, seeing how they shined from the water that had settled on them. The water had to be freezing and it had probably soaked right through, drenching her little feet. "Can we go in?" she asked, a whine in her high-pitched voice. Hikaru felt himself frown when the young boy known as Ray nodded. Hikaru watched the boy take each of his sisters by the hand, guiding them inside.
Ah, loneliness, how you were not missed.
Hikaru looked down at his own feet, noticing how his boots had managed to keep the water from soaking through. One of the many benefits of being rich was the higher quality of his clothes and materials and for once, after hearing that little girl complain about her cold feet, he felt grateful for what he had. Whenever he bought something, he never really thought anything of their value. That's when a light bulb went off in his head. What if he opened a chain of clothing stores that sold designer labels, but for cheap prices, the kind that commoners could afford. If the less fortunate found out the great quality, they would surely flock those stores, and buy things all the shelves like there was no tomorrow. it would make a good profit and the lower class would be a bit warmer during the winter holidays.
"Hey, get yer ass out the middle of teh fuckin' road!"
Hikaru jumped back when a horn blared at him. His foot slid onto something slippery, causing him to fall back on his rear.
Water splashed onto him, soaking into his coat, causing a chill to run up his spine. No other car bothered to slow down to see if he was alright or to help him up. Rude... Hikaru stood up slowly, careful about his footing as he stepped towards the sidewalk. His pants were drenched, the flesh beneath prickling from the sudden change in temperature. There was an imprint of his ass in the sludge where he landed. He had to smirk at that. It looked pretty funny.
Sludge. He was noticing it now.
Ripley was right. It did make everything dirty. Hikaru looked to left and right, taking notice of the sludge that rested in the curves of the curbs.
He guessed that everything beautiful had an ugly side as well. Snow was gorgeous when it fell, but then it melted into filthy sludge.
He hated sludge now.
...\~/...
"I don't give a damn if he was in jail."
"But Tara, he killed someone. You punched him, remember?"
"Of course I remember. If he comes after me, I'll make sure he regrets it." Tara leaned forward, arms folded on top of the island table. "However, what are you going to do about yourself. You live right across from that broad and if he really did kill someone because they were making fun of her, shouldn't you be more worried for your own safety?"
"I can always call the police."
"Yeah, sure, whatever. That gives the asshole at least twenty minutes of playing around with you until they actually arrive, and that's if traffic's light."
He felt himself gulp. He felt like he was going to puke. He should never have been worrying about Sarah being a serial killer, he should've been worrying about her freakin' brother being a murderer. Once Kyoya got up, Hikaru was going to ask him immediately to look up Sarah's brother and see if the accusations were true. If they were, well...Sarah's monster of a brother was just one more thing to add to the list of things that would devoid him from sleep. Hikaru sighed, running his hands up and down his face, rubbing his eyes in order to get rid of some of the droopiness in them. His whole body felt heavy and he just wanted to curl up and sleep, but his mind prevented him from actually having a good's night sleep. He was beginning to hate his mind.
"Have you tried sleeping with music or the TV on?" Tara asked, staring straight into his light-colored eyes.
"No, it doesn't work. With music, I just want to listen to it and hope a good song comes on next, and with TV, I always have to watch what happens next."
"Read a really boring book."
"Like what?"
"A chemistry book. I always wanted to fall asleep while studying."
Tara raised an eyebrow when a grin broke out across Hikaru's face. Seeing a smile on his face was almost foreign now, but she liked seeing it on him. She always thought he was handsome when he was smiling.
"That smile's kinda creepin' me out. What?"
"Just...what you said. It sounded like something Ripley said last night."
"Oooo, Ripley, you say? So, what's she like so far?"
"She's...um... Let's just say it was refreshing to talk to her. We just talked about meaningless stuff, something that I haven't been able to do in awhile."
"So talking to her helped you relax?"
"In a way; the whole time I was nervous that I would say something she didn't like or found creepy."
"Damn, kid, you need to stop worrying all the damn time. It's going to kill you."
"Great, another thing to worry about: death." He said it with light-heartedness and he meant it as a joke, but Tara's expression told him she didn't find it funny. Did she really think he didn't know his way of thinking nowadays was unhealthy for him? No, he was highly aware of it, but he couldn't help it. Thoughts of Haruhi, thoughts of how he didn't get her due to his personality, thoughts of everything bad that had happened to him growing up seemed to plague his mind. He hated...no, loathed his mind. His thoughts seemed to be slowly draining him of energy, changing the way he did things. Hikaru remembered how he used to do things with enthusiasm and vigor, but now he shuffled along with his feet dragging and he wasn't excited about anything. Nowadays, he had to force himself to continue on, he had to fight off the want to just pass out and hopefully get some sleep. Hikaru looked up at Tara, watching how she pulled lent off her sweater. She had insomnia for a long time; maybe she knew ways to fall asleep.
"How did you finally sleep without your mind getting in the way?" he asked her.
Tara looked up at him, "A proper sleeping medication the Ootori family developed and..."
Hikaru noticed how her face took a deeper hue, a blush taking over her fair complexion. "Go on. You can tell me."
Before Tara could open her mouth, a pair of arms wrapped around her shoulders from behind. Kyoya had entered the room when Hikaru had asked her his question and had heard his girlfriend's answer. Now, Tara's whole face, neck, and ear were a perfect shade of scarlet as Kyoya pulled her against him, her back pressed firmly against his chest.
"And I would hold her at night and make all the horrible visions that infected her mind go away. Wasn't that what you were going to say, love?"
"Um...well...I...uh..."
Kyoya leaned forward, his mouth near her ear. "Hmm? Wasn't that what you were going to say?"
That's when Tara pushed him off, jumping from her seat. She shoved the box full of bagels towards him, shouting, "Here, breakfast!", and rushed out of the kitchen. Kyoya stood there, staring at the door his girlfriend rushed out through, one hand secured on his waist and his other hanging freely at his side. Then he sighed, running his fingers through his messy hair. His sempai hadn't gotten ready for the day yet, still dressed in his pajamas, hair messy, and his glasses were off.
"The consequences of having a prude for a girlfriend." Hikaru muttered. The whole scene that had unfolded in front of him bothered him greatly. He hoped they would never do it again. Tara was probably stuttering apologies to him, ones that he would never hear, since she knew how uncomfortable he felt when people displayed affection in front of him. Kyoya looked over at him after Hikaru made the comment and smirked. "It's fun tormenting her. She gets so embarrassed." Hikaru had to feel sorry for Tara sometimes; having a boyfriend that enjoyed tormenting people and making them squirm must be rough for her sometimes.
Kyoya sighed again, "I should go see if she's alright."
Once Kyoya stepped through the door, Hikaru shouted, "Hey, don't do anything gross in my bed! I don't want to buy a new one!"
A devilish smirk from the Shadow King was all he got.
...\~/...
Dear Hikaru,
I managed to sneak in a message while no one was looking. How's your day so far, Mr. Hitachiin?
From,
Ripley B.
P.S. Is it still snowing there?
...\~/...
Dear Ripley,
What exactly are you doing? And how was your paper route? Also, my day's been pretty crappy so far. You?
From,
Hikaru H.
P.S. No, it's not snowing anymore. I have a feeling my friends are going back to Massachusetts today. Sadness...
...\~/...
Dear Hikaru,
My paper route went fantastic, considering it was freezing this morning. I got a big paycheck though with lots of tips from the customers. They appreciate the paper being delivered to them on time and they take pity on the deliverers due to it being so flippin' cold. Now, I'm with my dad and brothers, and we're cutting up this tree that fell yesterday during the storm. My dad and eldest brother own an arboring business, plus they do landscaping on the side. My two other brothers and I help out most of the time. Today's been pretty busy. We've already cut up four trees and we keep getting calls. Then, my friend and I work at a bookstore until four to closing time, which is usually ten. Then, we're all going to a late night movie. I hope to get some drawing, writing, or video game playing in there.
WHY ARE YOU HAVING A CRAPPY DAY? I forbid you from having a crappy day!
From,
Ripley B.
P.S. I'm sorry about your friends possibly leaving today. By the way, what are your friends' names?
...\~/...
Dear Ripley,
Have you ever heard of something called sleep?
And the reason for my crappy day is a very long reason. Okay, here goes. There's this girl I took on a date a while back and I kind of...insulted her. Well, you can probably guess that it ended rather horribly, and she's kind of making a big deal over it. In my defense, she wasn't being a very polite guest. She was complaining about dinner and everything else. Anyways, today, we left our apartments at exactly the same time (she lives right across from me) and we ended up going to the same freakin' bakery! I tried to apologize and she went all off on me. I called her a bitch under my breath, but she heard it, and slapped me. But you should've heard her, Rip! Can I call you that? So, that's my day so far. Plus, my face hurts, and I haven't been able to sleep at all lately.
Sorry...I just had to get all that out.
From,
Hikaru H.
P.S. My friends' names are Tara and Kyoya, they're a couple.
...\~/...
What if she thought of him as a complete asshole after this message? It all just came out. Talking to a stranger was so easy. He'd have to try it with another person. Watch that person be a complete jackass and punch him in his other eye. With how his luck has been going, that person would most likely be Sarah's father or cousin who's a bodybuilder of some kind.
His phone buzzed and he was nervous to read it.
He opened it anyway.
...\~/...
Dear Hikaru,
What did you say to her that made her so pissed off? And how rude was she for complaining about dinner? If I complained during a date and my dad found out, he'd work me to death, making me do hundreds of chores around the house, and make me feel bad for being an ass on the date. And how awkward? Dude, I wouldn't even know what to do in your situation. At least you tried to apologize; if she wants to be a complete bitch, then let her. And...why does your face hurt?
It's fine to rant. Sometimes it's better to get everything out. I'm cool with you ranting to me.
By the way, what's sleep? I've never heard of such a thing.
From,
Rip B. (It's okay if you call me Rip. Everyone else does.)
P.S. My dad and brothers say hi.
...\~/...
A warm feeling spread throughout his body when she said all that. He was glad she didn't think he was an ass after what he said.
...\~/...
Dear Rip,
Thanks for letting me rant, so here's some more ranting. Yesterday, I was at my favorite café, and the girl I took on a date came in with this guy. At first I thought he was her new date, but I'll tell you what I found out about him a little bit later. So, I was minding my own business, when her date comes over. This guy was HUGE! Picture the Hulk, except he wasn't green. He demanded that I apologize to her and I said no. After that, things got kind of heated. He kept on demanding and I kept on getting more and more mouthy. Finally, he went off and socked me a good one in the eye. Black eye... Then, he wouldn't stop. I was on the ground and he kicked me in the stomach and punched me in the jaw and nose. Bruised jaw and broken nose... In the end, Kyoya and Tara came to my rescue. Tara punched both the brute and the date.
But guess what I found out? He wasn't her date, he was her BROTHER, and he had just gotten out of JAIL!
You want to know what he did to get in the slammer? He beat a guy to death for making fun of his sister...and I insulted her on our date!
From,
Hikaru H.
P.S. Tell them I said hi back.
...\~/...
He was kind of hoping she'd fawn over him. He wondered if Ripley was the kind of woman that fussed over people when they hurt.
Hikaru had his chin rested on his folded arms, staring at his phone for a few seconds to wait for the screen to light up, and then he would close his eyes. He tried clearing his mind for five minutes, hoping that maybe he would finally slip into a deep sleep. If he did, he especially hoped that he wouldn't be plagued by dreams about Haruhi. Those were the worst. They were always about a life married to her. In his dreams, they would do couple-like things, like stick Post-It notes on every surface of the house (or he would because Haruhi would think it was stupid), and every Post-It would be about how he loved her and adored her. In his dreams, he would hold her close, press her flush against him during the night, and he would feel like the luckiest man in the whole world because he had the most beautiful woman in his arms. In his dreams, he would kiss her with passion, and she would return it. But, in the end, he would wake up, surrounded by his empty apartment, and there wouldn't be Haruhi sleeping next to him, and there would be no love around him. It would be just him. His thoughts of her never escaped him and the results of those thoughts were beginning to show.
It had been twenty minutes and there was still no message from Ripley. She probably went back to work. Man, he needed a job.
He wondered if Ripley would think the Post-It note thing was stupid.
He wondered if she thought cuddling was stupid.
He wondered if she would think a lot of his ideas were stupid.
He really wanted to do the Post-It note thing with someone...
It had now been twenty-five minutes. Yeah, he was sure she went back to work. He hoped she wouldn't hurt herself...
Hikaru scanned the island tabletop, spotting a piece of paper that was at arms reach. He brought it over to him, pulling a pen out of his back pocket he always carried, and began to write questions down, questions that he wanted to ask Ripley.
If you were in a relationship, what's one romantic thing you want to do with your significant other?
Do you want kids? If so, how many? Do you want boys more than girls or girls more than boys? What would you name them?
How old were you when you went on your first date?
Do you want the guy to make the first move or do YOU want to make the first move?
What would be your ideal honeymoon?
What kind of wedding do you want to have?
Do you think cuddling is stupid?
Do you think I'm stupid for asking all these pointless questions?
Let's say your best friend is a guy and he's been hung up on this girl for about six years, but she's married now and your guy friend is tearing himself apart over it. What would you say to him to comfort him? Or would you think he was completely and totally stupid for loving that girl for so long, even if you knew she was never going to be his?
What if you'd never known that about your guy friend and he had suddenly told you all about it? How would you feel?
What if you secretly liked him? Would you be jealous of this girl, want to help your guy friend because you care about his feelings more than yours, or both?
Would you want to listen to him talk about this girl, despite the fact that you like him?
Would you confess your feelings to him, despite the fact that he's still hurting?
How would you react if he said he didn't like you back?
Would you
"Hikaru," a voice said from the kitchen door. He stopped writing, looking up from his work. Tara was standing in front of the door, her coat on. That meant one of two things: one, she and Kyoya were going out for awhile, or two, they were leaving to go back home. He assumed it was going to be the latter of the options. By the way she looked at him told him it was. He was going to miss them. "Kyoya and I...well, we have to leave. We were due back yesterday and we both have people calling us in panic already. Are you going to be okay?"
Was he going to be okay? He knew she already knew the answer. "Uh, yeah, I'll be fine. You left me enough food to last a year." he joked.
Tara didn't like his attempt at lightening the mood. "Hikaru, I'm serious. I don't want you doing anything stupid when we're gone."
What did she mean by stupid? Stupid being getting-himself-beaten-to-a bloody-pulp-by-killer-brothers stupid or throwing-himself-off-buildings-in-an-effort-to-fly stupid? Hikaru stood up, sighing. "Alright, sempai, I promise not to do anything you would do."
She smirked at that. "Good. 'Cause I know if you did something I did, you'd find yourself behind bars."
"Tara-senpai, someday you're going to be put behind bars."
"Yeah, I know. I'm constantly reminded by that smartass bastard I'm dating. He told me he wasn't going to bail me out. And here I thought your significant other was supposed to be comforting and always there for you. Glad to find out that I thought wrong. I hate being wrong."
"We know that. The last time you were wrong, you punched someone out of random because you were angry, remember?"
Tara didn't answer, she just pushed through the kitchen door. Hikaru followed her, hands shoved deep into his pockets. Kyoya was standing in the living room, pulling on his coat. Tara stopped beside him, grumbling.
"What in the world are you grumbling about now?" Kyoya asked, buttoning his coat.
"You."
The man smirked, "And whatever did I do now?" he asked casually.
"Nothing. I was reminded that you're a bastard."
"Is that all? Because we'll definitely be staying here another night if we listened to you complain. Come along, we're wasting precious time."
Hikaru walked to the door, opening it for them. His two guests walked out and he followed them to the stairs.
"Hey, look, it's fucktard himself." Tara said loudly.
Hikaru, who had been busy watching where he was stepping, didn't notice Sarah's brother coming up the stairs. The brutish man's face was screwed up in a scrowl and Hikaru saw that Tara's upper lip was pulled up in disgust, her eyes narrowed and eyebrows furrowed. The two glared at each other until the brute broke it off to stare menacingly at Hikaru. The ash-haired twin met his angry gaze for five seconds before he diverted his eyes to the ground. The brute and Hikaru passed each other on the stairs.
He should've known something was going to happen.
Once a hand pressed firmly on his back and pushed, he knew he was in trouble. Once he did the first somersault down the stairs, he knew he was going to hurt like hell after. Once he stopped, he looked up at the brute, and cringed visibly when he smiled sinisterly at him. Hikaru didn't want Kyoya and Tara to leave. When they left, he knew already that this man, this killer, was going to put him through hell. He know wished he had the ability to go back in time. If he did, he would stop himself from asking Sarah out, warning himself that if she asked him out, he would tell himself to say no. But he couldn't and he was now suffering the consequences of having no control over his mouth. Hikaru's body ached when he stood up shakily, clutching his wrist. He probably sprained it. No biggie...
"What the hell, man?" Hikaru shouted at him, eyes narrowed. "I tried apologizing to your sister! She went off on me!"
The brute grinned maliciously, "Yeah, but then you called her a bitch. Better luck next time...if there is a next time."
Tara stepped up, "If you lay one hand on him, you'll wish you were setting a deal with the devil rather than dealing with me."
"And what are you going to do, bitch, slap me silly?" he retorted mockingly.
"Fuck you..."
"No thanks. I already have a girl waiting for me at home."
Tara quirked an eyebrow, "Oh, I thought she was your sister."
That set him off. He started running down the stairs, the three of them rushing down the flights before them. The brute was hot on their trail when they reached the exit, pushing the door open. Tara ripped the passenger seat open for Kyoya and Hikaru, diving into the driver's seat. Once Kyoya crawled in after Hikaru and closed the door, a fist collided against the passenger window. They all looked to see Sarah's brother bringing his fist back for another punch, but Tara had started the ignition by then, and they were off.
Tara rolled down the window, yelling, "See ya never, fucktard!"
...\~/...
The ring of the bells on the front door of Alexander's Café caused many people to look up from their lunch. One person in particular was Nathan Alexander, the owner of Alexander's Café and Tara's father. His jaw dropped when he saw Hikaru's appearance and rushed over. "What the hell happened?" he said loudly. A customer to his side cleared their throat loudly and Nathan looked over, nodding. "Um, sorry about that, ma'am. No more pottymouth comin' from me." Nathan then put a hand on Hikaru's back, guiding them through the many tables. Hikaru heard many gasps come from women when they saw his face and he even heard a child say, "Mommy, what happened to that man?"
When they were safely secured behind kitchen doors, Nathan turned to the three of them. "What the hell happened?"
"Well, you see-"
"Did Tara say something to cause this? She pissed someone off, didn't she? Tara!"
Tara gaped at him, "How come something bad happens, you always think it's me that causes it?" she exclaimed.
"Because I know you."
Hikaru's head hurt, the wounds on his face pained him, and he just wanted to sleep. He saw how everyone in the kitchens stopped what they were doing to stare at him. He felt like the main freak in a freak show and he hated it. He wanted them to stop staring, he wanted them all to go away, he wanted to disappear. His eyes felt heavy and he probably looked like shit. He sure felt it.
"Can I...can I sleep?" he asked Nathan quietly.
He felt Nathan rest a hand on top of his head, ruffling his hair gently. "Sure, kid. You can take my bed for tonight. I'll sleep on the couch." Nathan turned towards a teenage boy who was silently standing in the far right corner of the kitchens, working intently on a dish he was preparing. "Hey, Luke, show Hikaru where my room is upstairs, please."
The boy known as Luke nodded quickly, walking out of the kitchens, Hikaru following him.
When Luke opened the door to Nathan's bedroom in the apartment upstairs, Hikaru pushed past him, dove into the bed, and allowed his world to turn black.
...\~/...
Kaoru Hitachiin to Hikaru Hitachiin
Hey, you jerk, when are you going to call me? I keep calling, but you won't answer.
Like - Comment - 2 hours ago
View All 6 Comments
Tara Alexander Hikaru won't be calling for awhile. He's finally asleep. Thank God 'cause he needed it.
Kaoru Hitachiin Is everything alright? Are you at his place right now?
Tara Alexander No, we're at my dad's. There was a little...mishap...
Kaoru Hitachiin Again, with the mishaps! What happened this time?
Tara Alexander It would be better if I called you.
Kaoru Hitachiin Okay...
...\~/...
"So, he's fresh out of jail, huh?"
"Yeah, but he's not as dangerous as we thought. Kyoya looked him up and he was only thrown in jail for battery, not murder."
"Yeah, but he's still attacking my brother, and that's unacceptable."
"I know. I asked my dad and he said that Hikaru was allowed to stay for however long he wanted. I think it would do your brother some good to stay with someone for now. I'm...worried about him."
"Me too. Hikaru's always been rash, but he was always smart about it. This whole thing with Haruhi is really changing him."
Silence.
"Do you think he would do anything...drastic? Do you think he's that broken-hearted?"
"I don't know, Kaoru. He's your twin. Use your twin telepathy or something."
"Sorry, it's out of order." There was a small chuckle on the other line.
"Does Haruhi or Tamaki know what's going on?"
"I don't think so. Hikaru's pretty much shut them out of his life after the incident at the wedding."
That was a time no one wanted to remember.
"I could talk to her. Maybe she could talk some sense into him."
"No, That's not a good idea. I don't think he can handle being shot down a second time at the moment."
"You're right. Stupid idea."
More silence. This wasn't a usual phone call for them. They usually joked around when they called one another.
"There is...one thing that could work."
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"I don't know. Are you thinking about a certain person on Red Hue?"
"Yep. Maybe they'll form a connection and he can finally move on. If not, he'd need to get help."
"Kaoru, he talked about her earlier today. He smiled."
"That must've been a sight to see."
"It was. Indeed, it was."
"I'm worried about him. I...don't know what to do. It's all up to him to get over her."
"Hun, I think everyone's worried about him right now."
"I'm...scared. I don't want him to do something horrible to himself. If...if...he..."
"Kaoru, calm down, take a deep breath. He has friends here. Kyoya and I have been talking about moving here to be with him. He won't say it, but I think Kyoya's the most worried out of all of us over here."
"Heh, yeah, he probably is."
"Kaoru, I have to go. We have to start heading back to Massachusetts."
"Alright. Hey, tell him I love him, 'kay?"
"Yeah...I'll do that." Click.
Tara turned her body slightly, looking down on Hikaru's sleeping form. He was hugging a pillow to him, his head resting on another, and for once in a really long time, he looked peaceful. Tara remembered the first time she had met Hikaru and she couldn't tell him from Kaoru. It had frustrated her to no end, plus she and Hikaru had never really gotten along. She and Kaoru connected quite easily, but she and Hikaru...nuh uh, there had been no connection for the longest time. Until one day, when he said something nasty to her, and she pinned him against the wall, was when they actually started to bond. She had told him that she would try her hardest in telling them apart, that she could approach either one of them and call them by their name without getting them mixed up. And she did, finally. After that, they clicked. He was her confidant on most issues and she was his. She had cheered him on silently for his battle for Haruhi and she, too, felt defeated when he got rejected. It had been like watching her favorite soccer team lose the championship, but worse. He had put on a smile for everyone, faking it for everyone, but she had seen right through his mask, as did everyone else, except for the two oblivious idiots- Tamaki and Haruhi.
"Haruhi, I bet you have no idea how much pain you've caused for him." Tara muttered.
She knew how Hikaru felt; she had been in the same place all those years ago. She had asked Kyoya what he thought of the brunette and his answer had suggested that he had harbored some sort of feelings for her. That was when Tara found herself hosting that hideous green beast and she remembered how awful she felt every time she saw Kyoya and Haruhi talking to one another, walking with one another, being with one another. Envy can be an ugly thing when not controlled. She remembered the pain she had felt, the anger that coursed through her entire body all those years ago, and...she felt the helplessness, too. Tara hated being helpless, all her life she had no time to be helpless. When she had imagined herself helpless all those years ago, it would have been because she got into some terrible accident and was left disabled, not over some boy. But she had, she had felt powerless when she realized that she had no power to control the feelings of others. If Kyoya had fallen for Haruhi, Tara wouldn't have had any power to change that.
"But look where I wound up." She looked at Hikaru. "However, I don't think it'll be the same for you."
Silence.
"There are other fishes in the sea and it looks to me like you caught one."
More silence.
"You...smiled."
Even more silence.
"Please...I...please, don't do anything...stupid..."
Tara stood up, looking down on his sleeping form. She bent down, pressing her lips against his hair, running her hand through it.
"Don't do anything I would do...please..."
She almost didn't recognize her voice. It had cracked with the sound of pleading laced through it.
"Please..."
...\~/...
They had finally left with reluctance, but Nathan had assured them that everything would be okay, that he would handle everything. Tara's hands grasped the steering wheel firmly, focusing on the road ahead. Kyoya was in the passenger seat, typing away on his laptop, the light from the screen reflecting off his glasses. Night had fallen on them when they left and they were miles and miles away from the city. She wanted to turn back, but she knew she couldn't. She and Kyoya had their lives to deal with and they both knew that they couldn't do anything to help Hikaru but allow himself to accept his defeat in obtaining Haruhi.
Cars passed her.
They went under overpasses.
Semi-trucks rumbled past them.
Green signs with white letters told her where to exit and where to enter.
Suddenly, she slammed on the brakes, swerving onto the shoulder, and threw the car into park. Kyoya's laptop slid from his lap and clattered to his feet loudly. He carefully picked it up, checking for any damage.
"Could you please explain what in the-"
He paused when he saw her. Her eyes were focused on the road in front of her, but they were narrowed, like she was trying to contain something. Kyoya watched her rest her elbows on the top of the steering wheel, running her fingers through her hair, leaving them there.
"Just...give me a moment..."
And that's when she started to shake. He heard a sob escape her and she wouldn't look at him. He knew she hated crying in front of people, even him, the one that she was supposed to run to for comfort. Kyoya rested his hand on her back and she turned into him the best the console between them would allow her. He unbuckled himself, leaning further towards her, wrapping his other arm around her, the hand on her back reaching up to wrap her ponytail around it, a habit he had. The sobs continued and she shook. Kyoya, watching her now, never felt so helpless in his life. There was nothing he could do but allow the events to unfold and endure whatever was thrown at him. He wished he could fix it, he wished he had a plan, but it was all up to Hikaru.
Kyoya cooed her softly, whispering words to her that he wouldn't say on a normal basis.
He almost didn't recognize his voice.