Once Kaoru had dropped her off, Megumi immediately dug through her bag for her phone. Chiyo is going to die when she hears about my night.

"So. You'll never guess who I had dinner with tonight," Megumi started, kicking off her shoes and turning on the kettle.

"Just tell me," Chiyo said.

"Remember the Host Club?" Megumi had to hold the phone away from her ear as Chiyo squealed.

"How did you have dinner with them?" Chiyo asked. "Tell me everything. Are they still as good-looking as they used to be? Was everyone there? Is Huni still married to that awful girl?"

"Calm down, Chiyo." Megumi opened her cabinet, trying to decide what kind of tea she wanted. "Yes, everyone was there. And Huni is still married to Reiko, who is not awful—they seemed very happy. Yes, everyone is still very good looking." Chamomile? Or jasmine?

"So what you doing there, Megu?"

"It's a bit of a funny story. Hitachiin Kaoru came to my class today—"

Chiyo made a dismissive noise. "Still as horrible as ever, I assume?"

"Well, no," Megumi said slowly. "Actually, he wasn't horrible at all. In fact, I wonder if we may have misjudged the two of them a little bit back then."

"Remember how rude they were to me?" Chiyo replied heatedly. "We promised we would always hate them for the nasty games they used to play. I was just a young girl in love, and they humiliated me!"

"Oh come on, Chiyo." Megumi said, deciding on the jasmine after all. "You weren't in love with Hikaru; you hardly knew him. You had a schoolgirl crush."

"They still didn't need to humiliate me," she sniffed. "Of course, given their display in high school, I guess I know why they turned me down. Perverts."

Does she even realize she's talking about them as though they were one person? Megumi sighed. "Haruhi was there—did you know she was pregnant?"

"You're kidding. I can't believe Tamaki actually married her. I mean, they can't possibly have anything in common. Was she dressed like a man again?"

"Considering she's almost eight months pregnant, I think that would be difficult," Megumi said drily. What has gotten into her tonight? She knew Chiyo liked to gossip, but she didn't remember her as being quite this nasty. Then again, it had been a while since they actually had a conversation about anyone other than Chiyo.

"So, Kyoya was there too?"

That's right, she always had a thing for Ootori. "Yes, along with his wife. She left pretty quickly, so I don't have any details for you about her." Probably not the best idea to talk trash about an Ootori.

"I heard they only got married so he could get control of her father's company. He was completely forced into it by his father. I feel so bad for Kyoya," Chiyo said.

"He didn't seem particularly unhappy with her," Megumi said cautiously.

"Well, he wouldn't, would he? You know Kyoya, always the perfect gentleman." Chiyo sighed. "Trapped in a loveless marriage, and he was always the handsomest one of them all, too. What a waste."

"So, how's your husband doing?" Megumi asked, hoping the irritation she was starting to feel with Chiyo wasn't too obvious.

"Oh, we're blissfully happy, of course. He just left for a business meeting in China, but he should be home in another week."

"Maybe we could get together," Megumi suggested. "It's been what, five months?"

"Oh, Megumi, I wish I could. You don't know how much I do. But my schedule is simply packed. I'm having tea with my mother-in-law tomorrow, and then I have to get together with some of the wives of Goro's business associates, and then I have my tennis lesson." Chiyo laughed, a tinkly, insincere sound. "I'm afraid I just don't have the freedom of someone like you!"

"Someone like me?" Megumi repeated.

"You know what I mean. You're not involved in your family's business, so you don't really have any responsibilities."

I did not know that ogling your hot tennis instructor counted as a responsibility, Megumi thought. But she forced a laugh. "Oh Chiyo, you always say the worst things."

"Of course I do! That's why we're friends, right?"

After saying their goodbyes, Megumi stared into her teacup. When was the last time Chiyo acutally said something nice to me, or had time for me? She remembered what Hitachiin—no, Kaoru—had said about Ootori's wife as he drove her back home: She had a fairly tight group of friends back in DC, and she's really missing that here. She really doesn't know anyone outside of work and our group. I know she didn't exactly make the best first impression, but I hope you'll give her another chance. She's a good person, and a good friend. Megumi had the sudden uncomfortable feeling that she herself didn't have quite as many good friends as she had once thought.

She took a sip of tea. Why would he think I'd do him a favor? And more importantly, why do I feel like I owe him a favor? She thought back to the other surprising statement he'd made: You never bothered to get to know us. He'd had an excellent point. In seventh grade Chiyo had slipped a love letter onto Hikaru's desk, and he'd passed her a note asking her to meet him in the courtyard after school. Megumi had never gotten the exact details of what had happened at that meeting, but Chiyo had run away from the courtyard in tears, telling her that both Hitachiin brothers had humiliated her for no reason. Megumi had instantly and without question taken her best friend's side. The two swore eternal hatred for the Hitachiins, and Megumi had never bothered to question Chiyo's story.

But Kaoru has been really nice, and Chiyo has been … not so nice, lately, Megumi mused. I wonder what really happened that day.

XxXxXxX

After dropping Megumi off, Kaoru went straight to Hikaru's apartment, unlocking the door with his key. The apartment was empty. He checked his phone; he had one text from Mori. –He just dropped me off. The time stamp was about 20 minutes ago.

-He talk to you?

-Nope.

-You talk to him?

-Nope.

Kaoru sighed in frustration. –You're very helpful, you know?

-He'll talk when he's ready.

-Sure, but I'd prefer that to happen before he gets alcohol poisoning or something else equally as stupid.

-He had only two beers. You were distracted.

-He had three, and I'm never so distracted that I don't notice what he's doing.

-That's going to be a problem for you someday. Goodnight, Kaoru.

"What the hell does that mean?" Kaoru said to himself. Before he could try to parse it out, the door opened and Hikaru walked in. He took one look at Kaoru and groaned.

"Really, Kao? You had a chance to get lucky tonight, and you're here instead to bust my balls?"

"I'm not here to bust your balls," Kaoru said, ignoring the first part of his brother's comment. "I'm just worried about you. I thought maybe you'd want to talk."

"I thought I was the big brother. Why are you so set on taking care of me?" Hikaru wandered into the kitchen. "Want something to drink?"

Kaoru followed him. "Do you really think you should be drinking more?" he asked, wincing when he heard how waspish he sounded.

Hikaru rolled his eyes as he pulled two bottles of Ramune out of the fridge. "Strawberry or plum?"

"Oh," Kaoru said, trying not to feel like an idiot, and failing. "Plum, I guess."

"Here," Hikaru handed him the bottle. "You're not going to leave this alone, are you." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Probably not." Kaoru nudged Hikaru aside, poking his head into the fridge. "You got anything to eat?"

"Bottomless pit," Hikaru grumbled good-naturedly as Kaoru sniffed interrogatively at a container of leftover noodles.

The brothers settled at the table, both picking half-heartedly at the cold noodles. "Well?" Kaoru prompted. "What was that all about tonight, Hikaru?"

"I don't know, Kaoru. Your little friend certainly seemed receptive to you, so I have no idea what you're doing at my place instead of hers right now," Hikaru replied, stabbing at a noodle viciously.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it. You spent half the night glaring at your phone. And it's not just tonight. You've spent the last two and a half weeks in an increasingly foul mood, and honestly, Hikaru, I'm sick and tired of having to put up with it."

Hikaru sighed and leaned back, interlacing his fingers behind his head. "I told Jen I was getting a little tired of this whole long-distance thing. She … wasn't really pleased with that."

Kaoru took a sip of his drink. He knew any discussion of his brother's relationship, or lack thereof, with Jen Shapiro was always like walking on thin ice. He had to move delicately. "Okay."

"I told her I thought she should move here. Kyoya could get her a job in one of his hospitals, no problem. And you know Laney would love to have her closer."

"And her reaction to that?"

Hikaru laughed. "What do you think? She was pissed, man. You know Jen. She said she didn't think she should have to be the one who uprooted her whole life, and that if being so far apart was bothering me, maybe I should be the one to move."

"And you said what?" Kaoru asked, with a sinking feeling in his stomach. Probably something stupid.

Hikaru had the grace to look mildly ashamed. "I told her that was impossible. I can't leave our company, and I certainly couldn't leave you, could I?"

"No! Of course you couldn't!" Kaoru said swiftly. In the back of his mind he thought about Mori's text: That's going to be a problem for you someday.

"Anyway," Hikaru went on, interrupting Kaoru's chain of thought, "I texted her tonight, letting her know I was going to be in New York in two weeks, and asking if she wanted to get together. Evidently she doesn't."

"So let me get this straight," Kaoru said, taking another bite of noodles. "You tell her you don't want a long-distance relationship, but you're not willing to change the situation so that's not a factor anymore. Then you ask her for a booty call. And you're wondering why she's upset."

"Well, when you put it like that," Hikaru frowned. "I wasn't asking for a booty call. I just wanted to get together for dinner or something. I just … I miss her, is all. I miss talking to her."

"Did you try telling her that?"

"Once she starts in with the Yiddish, she's pretty much past the point of listening to reason."

"Hikaru, did you ever think that maybe this thing between you two is never going to work out? Maybe you just ought to think about finding a girlfriend here, rather than pining after someone on the other side of the world," Kaoru said cautiously. He'd made this suggestion a couple times before, and the result had always been Hikaru blowing up and refusing to speak to him for a few days.

"I don't know," Hikaru sighed, folding his arms on the table and resting his head on them. "Maybe you're right." Just then, his phone pinged. He dug it out of his pocket and looked at the screen, then grinned. "Then again, maybe you're wrong." He showed the text to his brother.

-Dinner Friday night, my place? You need to bring the food, though.

"Great," Kaoru tried to muster up some enthusiasm. So now they're just going to start the whole vicious cycle over again. They're neither of them stupid; why can't they just leave each other alone? Why do they insist on tearing each other apart like this?

Hikaru's grin got wider as he continued to text Jen. "You bad girl," he chuckled under his breath.

"Ugh, I do not need to hear this," Kaoru stood, ready to collect the empty dishes and bring them back into the kitchen.

"Sorry." Hikaru did not sound the least bit contrite as he put away his phone. "You were right—I told her I just wanted to talk to her, and that seemed to mollify her a bit." He leaned back in his chair, balancing on two legs, and looked up at his younger brother. "But enough about my love life. You never answered my question. What the hell are you doing here instead of with Hisakawa?"

"Unlike you, I am a gentleman," Kaoru sniffed, turning his back on his brother as he brought the dishes over to the sink. "Besides, there's absolutely nothing going on between us except professional respect."

"She's certainly come out of her shell," Hikaru mused, making no move to help Kaoru. "Those are always the wildest ones, I think."

"You'd know better than I would," Kaoru said mildly. "But it turns out she never was all that shy; she just hated us."

"That's ridiculous. Who could hate us?" Hikaru sounded insulted. Kaoru just looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "Oh come on, we weren't that bad."

"Yes, we were, and you know it. We were absolute pills before Tamaki came along. Evidently we pissed Megumi off at some point, and I guess she held a grudge."

"Oh, Megumi, is it now? And there's nothing between you two but professional regard, right?"

"That's right." Kaoru finished washing off the dishes, and stacked them neatly in the dish rack. "Honestly, Hikaru, there's not exactly a lot of time in my life right now for a relationship. And believe it or not, I'm really excited about this project Megumi and I have going for the kids. I don't want to do anything to screw that up."

"Kaoru." Hikaru walked over to his brother, grabbing his shoulders and looking him straight in the eye. "You really, really, need to straighten out your priorities."

Author's Note: Thank you so much to mutemuia for the review and foreveradreamerinlife for the favorite! Thank you all so much for your patience, as I know I've been on the slow side with updating this story.