"Kaoru, remind me why we're doing this again...?"

Kaoru smiles to himself, extracting a luxurious quilt from the closet across from their bedroom. His breath is baited, his eyes darting about now and then to make sure they are still alone in the dark hallway.

"You know why, Hikaru. Don't act like you don't enjoy it. And shut up, will you? We'll get caught." Hikaru knows this is ridiculous. In response, he rolls his eyes, offering an irritated rebuttal without bothering to keep his voice down.

"Baka. We're sixteen now. It's hardly adventurous to spend a night in our own courtyard," Kaoru turns his eyes to him, his brow furrowed. Sensing an argument he'd not like to take part in, Hikaru provides a last-second protest: "It's cold, though..." he says, his voice low and purposefully pathetic. Kaoru, whose mouth is open to say something, pauses to consider this... but then smiles, shaking his head.

"Take an extra blanket, then," he says with a smirk, shoving the quilt into Hikaru's arms. Stumbling slightly to regain his footing, it is now Hikaru's turn to frown disapprovingly.

"I'm not getting out of this, am I?" He questions sharply.

"You don't have to come," is the nonchalant response. Hikaru rolls his eyes.

Kaoru never insisted, but perhaps that was what made it so hard to say no to him.

"Set it down there."

"I know, I know." The quiet voices of the Hitachiin brothers carry through the trees of their courtyard. One story up from ground level, nestled in the branches of a hearty oak tree is the open porch of an elaborate, designer treehouse constructed in their youth. It's 10 PM on a chilly March evening, and Hikaru does not know why tonight of all nights, his brother wants to stargaze. Crawling atop his blanket, he leans back on his arms in the proper stargazing position, pillow laying forgotten for the time being.

Kaoru is blissful. He hums to himself as he sits upon his own plush blanket, switching off his flashlight and laying it to the side. The wind rustles through the trees, mussing his ginger locks, and it feels good. Assuming his place next to his brother, he lays back, taking his first proper glance at the sky as his eyes adjust to the darkness.

"K-kaoru..." The whine breaks the silence. Kaoru shakes his head, and pulls up slightly, fetching the third and heaviest blanket they'd brought along for their nighttime adventure. Opening it, he then gingerly splays the corners along either side of himself and his twin. Catching his half of the blanket, Hikaru keenly wraps it around himself, muttering things. Kaoru rolls his eyes into another amused smile, leaning on an elbow as he scoots closer to offer his body heat.

"You're such a baby, Hikaru..."

"Only around you, though," Hikaru can't help but smile back. Chuckling, Kaoru removes his hand from behind his head and reassumes his stargazing, eyes locking in place and squinting tightly in concentration as he combs the skies over.

"Found it yet?" Hikaru asks, trying to mask his amusement with boredom.

"Shh."

"Ahh, proper constellation-spotting requires complete silence; forgot."

"No, I'm just tempted to look at you when you keep talking," Kaoru offers slowly, and Hikaru can feel a slight blush he'd never admit to tingeing his cheeks.

"There!" Suddenly, a hand shoots out, pointing eastward. Hikaru's eyes follow the thin digit skywards, and after a bit of studying, they are both sporting identical, nostalgic grins.

"Gemini," Kaoru says simply. Hikaru nods.

"D'you remember when..." Hikaru's voice trails off, but Kaoru doesn't have to ask what he's recalling- he already knows.

"Yeah..." he says breathlessly, watching the stars within their constellation twinkle. Instantly, he's reliving his past.

The twins had never been much for bedtime stories in their younger days. Hikaru hated that all of the princes wasted so much time and effort, rescuing fair damsels when they could easily be off stealing chickens and running amok, and Kaoru could never quite identify with those princesses that sat around, content to dream their lives away about the prince they'd someday marry- how dumb could they have been, to be captured by an evil queen and left to rot in a tower? No, Hikaru and Kaoru hated traditional stories. They were boring, conventional, and not at all personal to them.

Perhaps this was why the story of the Dioscuri had always enthralled them so much- traditional stories rarely had twins, let alone such mischievous ones! Kaoru could still remember the day the story of Gemini had been offered to him... He and Hikaru were six, and had just finished changing into their pajamas for the night. Kaoru was feeling drowsy enough, but Hikaru would not stay in one spot even long enough to put his own pants on. Slightly exasperated, their nanny had offered up many stories, all of which Hikaru and Kaoru both turned down with surprising enthusiasm. Out of choices, the maid disappeared into the adjacent room, where the twins stored their books and smaller playthings. Figuring she had given up, Hikaru began jumping on their bed. It was only when he had finally convinced his brother to join in on the act that the maid returned, shushing their giggles and forcing them to sit down. The book in her hands was one that Kaoru could vaguely remember receiving as a birthday gift that past year; something about ancient Greek Myths, full of brightly colored illustrations. Without skipping a beat, she flipped the book around to the page she had been saving with her thumb, baring the image for the both of them to see. Hikaru gasped.

"I want to ride a horse like that!" he said loudly, staring jealously at the two powerful men in the picture, both of which were rearing thickly-muscled horses back onto their hind legs. Kaoru, having always been the more sensible twin, quickly noticed the real reason their nanny had chosen such a specific page to show.

"They're twins too!" he said with a start, having recognized the writing near their picture. Without warning, his brother was scrambling over his back to get a better look.

"Really? Aw wow, that's even better!" He said, a satisfied grin on his face. Taking his seat at the edge of the bed directly next to Kaoru, they both opened their mouths.

"Read!" It was a command, and one the nanny was all-too-happy to oblige to. Castor and Pollux- those were their names- had been twin sons of a lady named Leda- the mighty king of gods, Zeus, was the father of Pollux, and Castor's father was Leda's husband, king Tyndareus. They had different fathers, but were born at the same time, thus making them twins, their nanny explained. The two were excellent hunters and horseback riders, with many brave deeds to their names.

... Naturally, this was not interesting in the least for Hikaru and Kaoru. No, it was not until the mention of Pollux and Castor stealing away married women and escaping with them to Sparta did Hikaru's eyes glow fondly.

"Wow... they just took them from their husbands and ran off?!" Hikaru asked, jolting Kaoru from a premature slumber. At the nanny's confirmation, Hikaru offered Kaoru a smirk. "Sounds mean, eh...?"

"Er... mmhmm," Kaoru responded, attempting to quell a yawn as he watched his brother's interest curiously. Their nanny continued the story, explaining their infamous cattle raid, the chase to Sparta, and the pursuing of the twins by their cousins, the husbands of the women they had stolen. It wasn't until the mention of Castor being stabbed by one of the men did Hikaru show real emotion, however.

"What?!" He cried out in indignation. "But Kaoru- I mean, Castor can't live forever, right? He's not Zeus's son, like Pollux?" Hikaru had imagined himself as Pollux, and Kaoru as Castor- it seemed the correct personality fit- Kaoru had unconsciously made this connection himself. Hikaru wrapped his arms protectively around his brother, willing the story to turn out positively for the twin Greeks. Kaoru, who by now was also intensely interested, began to cry.

"Pollux won't let Castor die, right...? W-what happens?" He sniffled, leaning back into Hikaru. Balking slightly at their disquiet, the nanny turned back to the book.

"Well, it says here that Zeus and Pollux killed the two men together-"

"GOOD!" Hikaru shouted, Kaoru nodding enthusiastically at this point. The both of them waited, hearts beating hard, as their nanny read the outcome of the story to them.

"Once the deed was done, Pollux returned to Castor's side. His brother was dying." Kaoru felt tears well in his eyes again.

"No..."

"Sensing the distress of Pollux over having to lose his brother, Zeus gave his son two options. Being immortal, he could choose to follow Zeus back to Mount Olympus and live forever as a god... or-" Hikaru and Kaoru both perked up. She smiled.

"Or, he could transfer half of his immortality to his brother, and the two of them could live forever amongst the stars."

"He did that right? He'd better have!" Hikaru nodded indignantly. She smiled.

"Of course." Kaoru was flooded with relief, even as his brother yelped directly into his ear.

"Yay! We get to live in the stars, Kaoru! Sounds better than living on some dumb old mountain forever anyway, right?" He looked down at him from over his shoulder, his eyes sparkling.

"Yeah..." Kaoru smiled, but paused shortly after their rejoicing, having hit a revelation.

"... The twins are in the stars?" Smiling brightly, their nanny had offered the book to them, pointing at the illustrated constellation. Kaoru stared at it in wonder.

"Ge-me-ni," he read the syllables aloud. "Is it really out there?"

"Mmhmm, and on another night, I'll take you out after dark to show you. For now... bed!"

"Hahaha, Hikaru, do you remember that time we were playing cattle-raid in the dark, and you fell on top of the computer chair, rolled across the room, and knocked our bookshelves over?"

"Ahhhh, do I ever... I still have the scar on my-"

"Ooooh, don't say it! I'll laugh forever!" Kaoru groans, laying a hand to his forehead as he tries to stifle himself. Hikaru raises an eyebrow, looking over towards his brother.

"Oh yeah...? Well, I'll never forget the time I was mad at you and refused to give you my immortality. I left you to die. You cried for a whole day, and Mom made me apologize to you..." He rolls his eyes. Kaoru blinks, recalling this incident for the first time in at least a year, and pulls himself over onto his side to face his brother, tugging his gaze away from the stars.

"I remember that," he smiles softly. Hikaru studies his brother's face, and he swears he can see the stars above them right in his eyes. Magnetized to his warmth, Hikaru comes closer, yanking the blanket up to their necks and wrapping his arms around Kaoru. Suddenly, drowsiness has him.

"Mmmm, Hikaru...?" Kaoru's voice penetrates the silence that has been building. Hikaru's eyes flutter open, looking down into his brother's.

"Hmm?"

"You won't ever leave me like that, right...? Me and you, to the end, in the stars..." There is hope and insecurity both in Kaoru's voice. Considering this emotion, Hikaru smiles to himself, nuzzling his head next to his brother's as his eyes close for the night.

"Yeah... To the end, in the stars..."