CHAPTER 70

"This is more than what I signed up for," a disgruntled Hikaru informs Kaoru as soon as lunch is over and Kyouya goes back to entertaining the customers together with Tamaki-san.

"The hosting?" Haruhi asks dryly. "Or Kaoru's shameless ogling?"

"Both." Hikaru grimaces.

"I wasn't aware that you'd signed up for anything in my relationship!" Kaoru retorts, when what he really wants to say is I don't think people having exciting threesome sex should be judging anyone but hey, Kaoru is a good brother/brother-in-law.

No, it's much better to leave such tasks to their grandmother and sister instead. All the enjoyment, but with the luxury of clean hands and a clean conscience.

"The customers are quite nice. I don't mind them," Haruhi comments. "And weren't Hikaru and Kaoru happy to catch up with some of your old classmates? I think it's really nice that they still recognise the two of you and Kyouya-san from school."

"Yeah, well," Hikaru grins. "It's pretty great."

Kaoru nods in agreement.

"My main problem is Kao – "

Kaoru accidentally kicks his brother's chair, unfortunately dragging it right out from underneath Hikaru's butt. "Oh, sorry."

Hikaru glares at him poisonously as he picks himself off the ground. "I just don't know why you have to – to – drool all the time."

"I don't drool," Kaoru sniffs contemptuously. "I gaze in admiration."

"For fuck's sake," Hikaru grumbles.

"Yes," Kaoru agrees amiably, and waits for his brother to take his meaning.

Understanding comes to Haruhi first, and she turns away with an unimpressed expression. Hikaru needs more time but eventually he gets it and flings a mousse cake at Kaoru. "DID YOU SERIOUSLY JUST!" he yells, absolutely outraged. "You – YOU – !"

"What's going on?" Kyouya pokes his head in to interrupt as Kaoru laughs hysterically in his corner.

Hikaru trembles with speechless enraged frustration and, tugging crazily at his vibrant red hair, finally decides to stomp past Kyouya out to where Tamaki-san is. "AAARRGHH!"

Haruhi sighs and goes to do damage control.

Kaoru keeps laughing even as Kyouya comes up to him, mild confusion painted across his features. When he manages to bring himself under control, he looks at Kyouya adoringly and says, "You really are perfect, you know."

Kyouya blinks.

"So brilliant," Kaoru whispers, running his fingers lightly over Kyouya's lips. So resilient, so ambitious, so hardworking. I wish your mother hadn't died like that. I wish your father hadn't been murdered. I want you and your siblings to get back what is rightfully yours. I know what you believe happened at that time, and I want to help you catch the people who did this to your family.

Will you let me carry some of that burden for you?

Will you?

Please, will you?

Can I even be of any help in the state I'm in…?

"What's this all of a sudden…?" Kyouya catches Kaoru's fingers to still them against his lips.

"I can't hold a high opinion of you?" Kaoru smiles.

"Naturally I have no objections to that, but I can sense when you're not telling me something," Kyouya says. "And few things on earth have the power to make me this anxious."

Surprise shocks more laughter out of Kaoru. "I know you didn't mean it as a compliment, but… ugh I'm a terrible person."

Kyouya smiles back at him and is about to open his mouth to say something when the other three flood into the kitchen noisily.

"Kaoru! What's this about you bullying Hikaru?!" Tamaki-san demands loudly, apparently embracing the misguided cause of his husband wholeheartedly. Beside him stands the said husband, miserable and downtrodden, except Kaoru can see the fucking tiny smirk on his brother and wow, did he really sucker Tamaki-san into fighting for him? Did he really?

"You asshole," Kaoru tells Hikaru calmly and sweetly, so patronising it burns. He can feel an unholy grin stretch frightfully across his face. "You think you are the only one with a champion?"

Hikaru tosses his head in a movement that screams, Bring it.

So Kaoru does.

.

06/04/2014