Okies. So. I was distracted for a while. xP This is sorta the non-official end and all. The next one a kind of the epilogue of it all.

Warning and Disclaimer: I don't own the twins at all, and I don't own the props I mentioned in this one. Cookies for those who find them though. :D

Moment Eighteen-

-Kaoru

"Do you really think I like to answer to Kao-kun, to Kaoru-kun, to Hitachiin-san?"

I don't get it.

I really don't.

I remember everything that he has done with me, for me, and I can piece together why he does everything, but I don't understand.

Why me? Why Kaoru, the aloof, workaholic fashion designer who hates trouble and annoying people?

I stuff my chilled hand deeper into my pockets, a cold breath expelling in front of my face.

Why him? Why Hikaru, the child-like, immature twenty-three year old who loves to mess around with the world?

My lips are tugged into a deep frown, as I close my eyes, shielding them from the regular cold of the street air.

Why does he do things for me?

That time: it's like he knew that I was tired, that I was sleepy, that I normally slept at three in the morning.

That time: it's like he knew that I was addicted to pocky since I first tasted it, but never ate it since.

That time: it's like he knew me inside out, like a normal brother would.

He knows me, and yet I don't him.

I sigh, a depressed feeling welling up in my stomach. My eyes blank, I sit myself on a random bench on the side of the street, not caring whether or not people were being inconsiderate and playing pranks on me.

I don't know him. I don't know Hikaru.

I saw how animated he was when he was drawing his slyly disguised sketches within his scribbles, and how much he really loved designing. And yet, I crumbled when he just frowned and started crying that he didn't like it. I saw how much he really knew- but I never said anything- I saw his sketchbook, I saw his letter, his confession, everything-

And then, his masquerade cracked and I knew that I shouldn't have asked him, should have left him and continued on with having no idea about what Hikaru was thinking and doing.

I'm not being a brother to him.

He was weaving a web of lies over me, orchestrating a happy-blissful-tragic fairytale around us.

And when I finally noticed, everything broke.

It's all my fault.

And he broke, because I believed her. That he was playing with me, that he was lying to me, that he was really just an insane psychopathic nutcase which he really ever isn't-

I shift my eyes towards the street lamps, pausing as I cross my left leg over my right, an unnerving feeling in my heart as I try to think this over.

And he left, because he believed her. That he was annoying me, that he was making my life hell, that I was failing because of him, that I hated him since the beginning-

But I don't. I always loved him.

I blink once, as a small smile creeps onto my face.

And that's it; that's why I always tolerated him, that's why I never said that I hated him, that's why I let him push me around.

I stand up from my seat, turning back towards the bakery.

But this time, I'm not confused; I know why he left, I know why I want him back, I know why I can't say anything against him.

I just… I curl my gloved hand into a fist, my eyes scanning the crowds, never did notice that Hikaru's left me something when he left.

And that's what would bring him back.

His stubbornness.

Which is now mine.

My hand's set onto the glass door, before pushing it open.

He blinks, and looks at me, almost confused to as why I'm there, his hands pausing in the motion of sweeping the tiled floors.

"Kao-kun? May I help you?" he says, in such a timid, unassuming way that I almost falter. He just smiles, in that "you're a customer so I have to be nice to you" smile, not that "I'm going to bother you right now!" smile that I'm always used to. He cocks his head, placing his broom aside, "Do you want cookies, Kao-kun? Or do you want some bread as a snack or something?"

I've never stood up for what I believed in.

I take a deep breath before wandering into the store, the door tinkling shut. My hazel eyes scan the counters along the walls, small cookies and cakes lining the surfaces. But I didn't come for that.

"Hikaru, I really, really want you to stop this," and it's quiet, like I don't want him to hear and hear anyway.

"Stop what?" he says, almost innocently, but I know he knows what I mean.

"I don't want you doing this anymore-"

"But I have to," he cuts in, and I'm shocked for a while, before he turns away from me, grabbing the broom aggressively.

I don't say anything as he begins to ignore me again, and a sense of irritation pokes me into action-

"But you don't have to."

"Do too," he stubbornly asserted, not meeting my eyes.

"It's not an obligation, Hikaru," I retort, crossing my arms, my eyes catching his slight pause.

"It is."

I narrow my eyes, "Stop it, Hikaru."

And he glances at me, again, his eyes innocent, stop what?

"I have nothing to stop. It was meant to be like this," he sighs and pushes me away, before busying himself in fixing something on the shelves, fingering a bag of cookies, his voice low, "We weren't supposed to be together so we were separated…" he turns towards me, a sad smile on his face, "I just…" and I watch curiously as he averts his eyes from mine.

"I was just… too attached," he takes a deep breath, "I've always liked being around you. I just wanted a moment, a couple of days."

I stay in place as he rambled, listening, my eyes following his movements.

"But you know," and he pauses, "I knew that several weeks was too long. Kao-kun couldn't be oblivious for weeks, months," Hikaru smiles, and only a small glint of sadness in his eyes, and I know that he doesn't want me back.

"It was enough for me, you know. I got a new job that I like," he shrugs, wiping the windows with a towel, "The employer isn't bad, even though I'm all by myself here…"

"You're okay here?" I ask, tentative to his answer. He just looks at me, his hazel eyes blank. I bite back my words, wondering how- how I can convince him, when he cuts me off.

"So, do you want chocolate chip or shortbread, Kao-kun?" he chirps, a happy-cheery-fake smile on his face. "Or do you want to try the cakes? I might've charred one, but I think I followed the recipe correctly! Taicho taught me it and all; and if Miyune-san, she does the night shift you know, if she doesn't think that I did it well, she could just redo everything, y'know-"

I just keep silent, wondering why I'm feeling so strange-

"-and I always save cookies for the little bird- I have a friend who volunteered to take care of it-"

I look up, to see his smiling face- so then that bird wouldn't be there anymore-

"-and I'll give the cookies to him. Even though he's kind of already a bird maniac; he's kind of crazy, crushing on this cute little lawyer," he comments a sly smile on his face, "Totally out of his league! Plus senpai already has this huge, huge crush on her-"

"What about you?"

He stops abruptly, and glances at me, a contemplative expression on his face.

And then he smiles, as if he wasn't the one who changed my life, "I'll be fine; Usa-chan-"

"You gave Usa-chan to me," I whisper, retorting softly.

He blinks, before waving dismissively, "Senpai gave me his Kuma-chan, so-"

"You gave Kuma-chan to me too," I press.

This time he doesn't falter, "I don't need stuff animals to keep me company, Kao-kun. I'm not a kid. I can take care of myself."

"So you know they're only stuffed animals," I challenge, my eyes raking across his nonchalant expression, wondering if I can just find something, how- how-?

"Of course!" he says again, before turning around and furiously scratching at the surface of the counter, as if there's a stain of something on it. "Kao-kun should know that even I'm not that shallow!"

My eyes fix on his hand, and I think I know.

"But you were pretending."

"I was always pretending."

His rag rubs harshly against the pale counter.

"You're pretending now."

His hand stops. He fists the rag, and his voice is just as casual as before.

"That's… I'm not pretending," he denies, his fingers loosening around the cloth, and resumes scrubbing against the counter, "I'm… I'm perfectly happy with what I'm doing."

And something's off now.

I blink, as my eyes meet that stain. My voice echoes across the empty bakery.

"I get it now."

"Get what?" he says, turning back towards me, his hand clenching around the rag again.

And everything's fitting in now-

"Hikaru." I look up as I see him look at me curiously. I continue, crossing my arms, "You don't like baking, Hikaru."

His eye twitches, just for a second, and I get it.

"What's that supposed to mean, Kao-kun? Baking's fun," he pouted, his hazel eyes flashing defensively, "It's just that you don't like baking."

"You like designing though," I add, but this time, he only looks at me.

"Didn't we already go over this, Kao-kun?" he says distastefully, his eyes crossing, "I don't like designing. All the numbers confuse me-"

-but they don't-

"-and the measurements are annoying-"

-but they aren't-

"-and I'm no good with designing anything anyway-"

-but you are-

"-so I don't like designing!"

"But you do, Hikaru!"

"I don't!" he denied, and it's again, like that time before, but this time, I have something that can help me.

I place my hands onto his hands, hoping that maybe he would just stop and listen to me for once. He pulls his hands away from me and whips around, away from me-

Maybe to find somewhere to hide and deal with it on his own-

"Hikaru!"

And I'm just getting even more annoyed.

Which is funny: shouldn't I be calm, nonchalant Kaoru, who doesn't respond at all to anything?

He doesn't stop, and I don't stop either. My hand grasps his hand tightly, the other on his shoulder and I turn him around, stopping him in his tracks.

"Hikaru, you're pretending."

He doesn't respond, stubbornly looking at a spot above my shoulder.

I press on, my voice harsh, and I just want him to get it and stop all this, "You're pretending that you hate things that you like and like things that you hate."

He doesn't meet my eyes.

"You pretend to be a loud-mouthed, outspoken person, but you cut my statements off whenever you don't want to hear something," I continue, a deep feeling powering my words.

He doesn't move.

"You pretend to be this annoying, blissfully ignorant child, that irritates me to no end and always ends things with trouble."

His eyes scan the tiled floor.

And I just follow his gaze before closing my eyes.

"I hate you, Hikaru."

And when I open my eyes, he's looking at me, like he's surprised.

"Because that's what you wanted, Hikaru," I continue, pulling away from him slowly, my eyes averting, "You wanted me to hate you. And so I did."

He just looks at me, like his brain shut down on him, his eyes wide.

"Are you happy with that?"

I watch him as he looks at me, staring into my eyes, all the pretense, all the lies stripped away. His voice goes quiet, soft, timid, un-Hikaru like-

"Do… Kao-kun, do you…" he shuffles his feet nervously, cautiously, and I'm wondering what he's about to say when he takes a deep shuddering breath, "Kaoru…do you really hate me?"

He looks up at me, his eyes slightly moist, his normally strong voice wavering, "Because… I don't get it now."

"You don't get it?" I breath, as he nods, shifting uncomfortably. I soften my tone, taken aback by his weakness, my hands letting him go, "Then… why did you lie to me?"

He doesn't answer, and instead drops his gaze to the floor, still, speechless.

"Hikaru," I prod, just a little and he perks up slightly, "Do you know why I want you back?"

"Not really," he murmurs softly, timidly, "You didn't like me, Kao-kun."

"Kaoru," I correct him, sternly, crossing my arms, "You have to call me Kaoru."

He blinks, confused, his hazel eyes searching mine, "Kao-kun, what do you-"

I quirk a brow, my voice testy, "Do you really think I like to answer to Kao-kun, to Kaoru-kun, to Hitachiin-san?"

He just looks at me, before his eyes widened slightly, and the normal Hikaru-spark glints in his eyes, "Kaoru? You want me call you Kaoru?"

I nod, before exhaling softly, "We always had something in common, Hikaru. But since I never got to show it, you kept pushing me away."

"So, it's my fault-"

"But you brought it back too," I continue, cutting him off, before a smile graces my lips, "You can't just leave and expect me to accept it without a fight," I narrow my eyes slightly, and all the feelings disappear, my voice confident, "I'm not that weak."

He just watches me, his mouth opening slightly.

"So, I want you back."

He closes his mouth, before he shrugs happily, like he doesn't really care anymore, and wraps his arms quickly around me, his warmth surrounding me, and I smile just a little brighter, because it feels funny, nice-

"Kaoru," he ponders slowly, before tightening his grasp, and I'm just happy that he's finally being himself again. His voice goes quiet, like he's telling me a secret, telling me something, and I could only faintly hear-

"I missed you too."

And I'm taken aback just slightly, my eyes moistening slightly, and he knows why I needed him, wanted him.

He pulls away quickly, before smiling a blissfully white smile, his eyes sparkling, "Let's go get you chocolate chip then, Kaoru!"

And for the first time in my life, I laugh, just… laugh.

Because Hikaru finally understands me, finally gets it, and because I finally know why I loved Hikaru in the first place.

Hikaru was always stubborn; he wouldn't let me do anything that he didn't want me to do.

And when he left, he wouldn't let me do anything about it-

-until I found out he just pushed me away, pretended he didn't want me anymore, pretended that he couldn't do anything about it, the thing that I've always done to him.

I just needed him, just needed his will to break the shell that he's created.

I just needed to become Kaoru for him to love me back.