x.X.x
Cranes
"What are you doing?"
Kaoru, sitting cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by brightly-colored paper squares, didn't look up from his folding. "Origami," he answered, squinting at the paper as he struggled to match the corners up perfectly. "I'm making a paper crane."
"Because of that story we heard today in school?"
Kaoru nodded as his twin leaned over his shoulder to watch the folding. "Maybe if you help me we could have a thousand of them in a few years."
Hikaru considered. He really hated origami – he had no patience for it. It took so long, and if you made just one little mistake, it could ruin the whole thing. But Kaoru seemed very intent upon making these cranes, so he shrugged and picked up a blue square and began to fold. They'd learned the crane in class that afternoon after hearing about Sadako and her own paper birds. Many of the girls had cried, and even some of the boys seemed affected by the inspiring story.
"What do you want to wish for?" Hikaru asked at length, now starting on his second crane. Kaoru shrugged as he tossed a bird into the basket before him.
"We'd share the wish," he replied. "Since you're doing half the work."
"I don't have anything to wish for."
"Me either," admitted Kaoru. "But I thought maybe by the time we're done, we might."
"Maybe," Hikaru agreed.
"So if you had to make a wish right now, what would it be?" Kaoru asked idly, tugging a bird's tail to make the wings flap.
"Maple syrup?"
"Be serious, Hikaru," Kaoru huffed.
"I'd wish for… someone to tell us apart."
"Really? I think I'd wish for us to be this close, forever."
Hikaru shrugged again. "Can't we have both?"
Kaoru didn't answer. And for a long time, they completely forgot about it. They kept folding cranes, but they didn't think of Hikaru's question for years – not until Fujioka Haruhi told them that yes, they looked very similar, but they were two completely different people, and then Kaoru remembered the query and felt his stomach lurch with fear.
"Can we?" he asked one night as they readied for bed. Hikaru blinked at him in the mirror. "Can we have both?" Kaoru elaborated.
Understanding lit Hikaru's golden eyes. "Yes," he said. "I'm sure we can."
Kaoru wasn't so certain. The day he finished their thousand paper cranes, Hikaru was on a date with Haruhi, and so Kaoru did the most selfish thing of his life – he took the wish for himself, and never told Hikaru that what he'd wished for was that the older brother might wait for him just a little bit longer.
It's been ages since I updated this story, I know. I'm very sorry! I'm not too happy with this drabble, either: I couldn't end it so it just kept getting longer and longer and longer. X.X Gah! The idea was better than the finished product.
Still, I hope it wasn't too disappointing. Hopefully you'll see me again soon!
(Oh, and I assume everyone knows the story of Sadako and her thousand paper cranes...? If not, just Wikipedia 'Sadako' and I'm sure you'll find the story.)