Welcome to Gaia! ::

A hotel unlike any other around. This hotel houses some of the biggest names in the financial world and is home to many of the students who don't wish to return home. With the same decadence as the school, the hotel is designed to cater to the wealthy students every whim. No matter if they reside there for one night or a hundred, they are treated as if they are the most important person. So those in need of a place to stay... come to the Ouran Marriott and reserve a room. Just make certain your gold card can handle the price.


((This place is made for those students who need a place to stay. If someone wishes a day away from their rich homes, come by and get a hotel room. Is currently the home of Kaoru Hitachiin, so that way we don't have to explain Hikaru's absence. Come visit him... for he'd love the company.))

“K-Kaoru…” There was a note of longing in the tense voice of the young master Hitachiin, sitting with his back to the edge of the window frame, one leg dangling while the other propped his arms and head up so he could look out the window. He was still in pajama pants with his torso bare, despite the lateness of the morning – he’d been awake for sometime now, just sitting at his window, staring into oblivion. Reddish-brown hair fell over his eyes, giving his view of the world outside the window a red tint. Fitting really, for the anger he felt deep within his gut. The sweet name passed his lips once more, muffled against his arm.

Hikaru Hitachiin, the elder brother in a set of twin – the Hitachiin Brothers. Notorious bandits, troublemakers, little devil types… they were a pair of hula gains with almost angelic faces (it was only ‘almost’ because of Hunni’s cherubim-like appearance). And together they had helped in the making of an odd little club, The Ouran Highschool Host Club, with four other boys. Good times. Much better compared to life before the Host Club… and life now.

“Kaoru…” How hard was it to say he was sorry? Sorry for getting angry so easy, for forcing him out into the world outside their own? Hikaru had broken the padlock on their lives to force away… what? His better half? But they were each a separate entity, weren’t they? So he must have a better half within himself, surly? And yet… his eyes moved from the window to scan the large bedroom. Things torn. Things broken. Things tossed about willy-nilly. A mess. A shambles. Representation of his current life.

The life without Kaoru – his better half.

~~~

Several hours later, the same morose boy stood with hands shoved deep into his pockets and head tilted back to gaze up the side of the Ouran Marriott Hotel. His hair was still disheveled, as if he'd just got out of bed, and there was a tired air about his sagging shoulders. In the crook of one arm, there was a little package in the rough shape of a ball, though there were parts sticking out.

'"Get out!"'

Hikaru flinched as his own voice echoed in his head. He could only imagine what such a harsh tone had done to Kaoru. So that first step towards the hotel was hard, his foot felt as if it was made of lead, but once that was over the boy found himself making his way smoothly into the lobby of the hotel. Hikaru hoped to god that his mother had told the truth about where his twin was staying - he could almost see her popping out from behind one of the pillars to say she fooled him, ha!

Hikaru made his slow, deliberate way up to the front desk; head bowed beneath the folds of his hood, as if he were hiding from everyone. And in ways, he really was. Should any of the Host members be here, see him AND have heard the story… well, the boy wasn’t in any mood to get a chewing out. There was one thing; one thing, only, on his mind and he had to follow through with this.

Because if he didn’t break the long (3 day) silence – it would continue until he did.

Kaoru knew his twin, probably better than Hikaru knew himself. The better half. Always Calm. Always Cool. Always Collected. Of the pair, the younger twin had been the voice of reason and logic where he, Hikaru, had been the instigator; the blunt one who usual spoke first. But that was little nothings compared to his most important purpose… Hikaru protected Kaoru… his dear Kaoru.

The boy grimaced slightly in the shadow of the hood, teeth clenching almost painfully. Then he was at the desk, ringing the little bell for the attendant. Hikaru didn’t have to wait long… A portly man dressed in a sharp, fractionally too small, red suit came out from the back room; there was a slight frown on his thin lips. "Can I... help you?" Such a smug tone, the boy could have laughed. Tossing his head back to throw off the hood, the young master of the Hitachiin house revealed his face, wide brown eyes rolling slightly at the changed expression on the man’s face.

“Ah! Master… Hitachiin. I didn’t see…”

Hikaru leaned back on his left leg, tilting his head and smirking. It wasn't even worth what little energy he had left to explain that he was Kaoru's twin; that the Hitachiin boy this man knew was still up in the pent house - though Hikaru, himself, didn't know his brother was so close. “Don’t worry about it. Here…” He pulled the little bundle from under his arm and held it out to the attendant, who took the little package into his porky hands with the utmost care – as if it were made of glass which, for all he knew, it could be. “Make sure this gets up to Hitachiin Kaoru’s room immediately.” Hikaru shoved his hand back into his pocket.

“Yes yes! Very good, sir. In fact, Master Hitachiin, your meal has just come up from the kitchens. I’ll see to it personally that this goes up with it.” And quickly the man turned away and went back through the door behind the desk from whence he came. This left the young teen to wander back across the lobby until he stopped at one of the tall marble pillars and kicked it lightly with the toe of his shoe.

So – Kaoru was here.
And he was eating.

That was good, he thought. His brother was a little too skinny anyway; if he got much thinner, people would be able to tell than apart easy because he’d be standing next to a skeleton. Hikaru sighed, bowing his head and leaning forward until skull and marble met with a dull thud.

But then…

At least, they would have been matching skeletons.

Hikaru had stayed in that position, with his forehead pressed to the pillar, mulling things over until he heard the chime of the elevator as it arrived on the main floor. Nervously, he turned his head, opening his eyes, to see who came off it. His shoulders relaxed; he started breathing again… it was only the bell-hop pushing his little food cart off as gently as he could. With a heavy sigh, the young man lifted his head, backing away from the white marble column, and watched as the door slid closed once more. And then, the numbers that indicated what floor the lift was on began to increase. Taking a slight interest, Hikau drifted toward the elevator with his head still tilted back and eyes narrowed as he watched each number illuminate as the lift passed each one…

“Ah! M-Master Kaoru…” It was the bell hop, a note of irritation and amazement shaking the man's voice. Level 8.

“Yes… what is it?” Pure irritation in Hikaru's own voice.

“I’m sorry, Sir. It’s just… Well, how did you…” The lit numbers had reached the teens and were still rising.

“Bungee jumping. You should try it sometime.” There was a tautness to his jaw that made the words almost hiss through his teeth and not once did he look away from the little, half circle dial of numbers on the wall above the lift doors. Hikaru heard the rustle of the cart and knew the man had taken the hint from his tone to shut up and go away. All the time, the numbers kept up their slow steady pattern of lighting up, going dark, staying dark, lighting up, going dark, staying dark, lighting up; it was torture.

Pent House.

Hikaru’s eyes widened when the two words flashed and his fists clenched more tightly in his pockets – he bowed his head, feeling a sort of flimsy, numbness in his legs. Kaoru was coming down. Slowly, the brown eyed boy walked over to the wall to the right of the elevator doors and turned to lean back against it as he had with the pillar. This was it, another 3 or so minutes and he would see his younger twin; Hikaru felt his pulse skipping as if it were playing hop-scotch, bouncing up into his throat than falling to somewhere around his stomach. Apology after apology ran through his mind as he tried to make sense of what he’d say when Kaoru stepped off the elevator… but, when the younger twin actually came running out from the sliding doors; Hikaru couldn’t remember a thing.

“K-Kaoru!” Was the only word he could remember as he reached for his brother.

Months ago, their friend Kyouya had started publishing a series of magazines that centered around each member of the Host Club. Hikaru and Kaoru had shared on such magazine which bore the title, ‘Brotherly Love’. And even before that… girls that had come to be there customers had mentioned how enchanting it was to see such love between brothers; from their mirrored appearances, to the way the started and finished each other’s thoughts… and all the little caresses and nuances in their words to one another. They could see it. They could love it. They might even be able to appreciate it…

But they could never understand the depths and bonds that connected these two. That was something solely Hitachiin. Brothers around the globe might respect, care for and love one another; but for these twins, love was even too weak a word.

Hikaru felt himself really smile for the first time in days as he looked into the brown pools of Kaoru’s eyes, then slowly, he nodded. “And I can have you all to myself... Kaoru.” He stepped forward a little, closing the distance between them and lifted his brother’s hand to his own heart. It was as if nothing had happened between them; they were… ‘us’… again.

---

From the door frame behind the desk, the bell hop and the porky desk attendant exchanged a wide-eyed glance then looked back to the scene unfolding before them.

“I’m seeing double, Sir.” The bell hop whispered.

“Perhaps… we should lay off the saké when on duty, Eh?”

Hikaru laughed softly, leaning back on his left leg and looking toward his brother as the lift doors slowly slid together. “Of course I remembered… I treasure every word that passes your lips.” With a quiet thud, the doors were fitted and the lift shook slightly as it began its long assent. Hikaru squeezed his brother’s hand – seeing that snowy day again from their kindergarten year – before he looked down, turning his head away slightly.

“You haven’t been eating enough.” He started quietly, then he chanced another look at his brother, relaxing slightly. Hikaru couldn’t help another smile – just the mere sight of his brother exhilarated him passed all weakness or pain; it was Kaoru that made him strong. “What say we enjoy that little feast you just had brought up and then…then…” His throat caught and the smile failed. Turning away, Hikaru released his twin’s hand and covered his face to hid the shame in his eyes. Thoughts of their first fight.

Their first REAL fight.

The tone in Kaoru’s voice held no blame or anger against his rash elder twin. It was the same calm, reassuring tone that he always used with Hikaru and it made the elder boy relax as the elevator came to the pent house floor with its usual chime. He looked up, letting his hands down to his sides and smiled at Kaoru, motioning him off the lift first then moved in to follow close behind.

“Mom has it sent up doesn’t she?” Hikaru asked quietly as he stepped into the room behind his brother. It was about the size of the bedroom back home with an impressive view of Ouran through the large living room windows. But unlike the room at the mansion where Hikaru had spent the last three days; this room was still rather orderly… it even had a stale-ish air as though Kaoru had not used it much since he’d been here.

Then there was the food. Hikaru glanced over at his twin then smiled. “Shall we?”

Kaoru couldn't help but smile softly at his brother. "Yes, she made certain that I had no choice other than what was sent up." Kaoru watched his brother for a moment before moving to take a seat at the table, across from his brother. "I'm just really glad that you're here. I've missed you. I wanted to talk to you a lot the whole time we were seperated, but I figured you were still mad at me. So I just never said anything."

Kaoru turned his eyes on his brother, never looking away from him. He just could look away. It was important to him to take in every little thing of his brother, just in case he decided he didn't want to forgive him and once more separated from his side.