Archive of Our Own

Kyoya was, of course, observant enough to notice Kaoru growing his hair out.

The date was the 14th of March. It was during Haruhi and the twins' high school graduation when Kyoya had already started his first year of university.

He was sitting on one of the many velvet chairs laid out across the hall, the seat exactly behind Kaoru. Practically nothing had changed since he left. As Kyoya looked around and took in the school he attended not too long ago, he let the familiarity of it all wash over him. That uniform he used to wear, the same rose coloured wallpaper, the tall, opulent windows showing off the European fountains and elaborate rose gardens, Corinthian columns, and the clock-tower he knew all too well that chimed just as the guest speaker had finished his words. In those moments, Kyoya found himself wracked with an odd nostalgia. He was most certainly not a sentimental person, these emotions didn't normally come to him. He did suppose that having spent a good portion of his life in this building meant these feelings would naturally manifest themselves, having suddenly thrust himself back into a world he was separated from for over a year. A world untouched since he left it, frozen in time so strikingly that the novel experiences of university nearly washed away in his mind, only leaving his old high school self.

So when the clock struck two and he turned to see the back of Kaoru's head look a little different than it did before, it had caught him off guard.

It was a subtle shift, not one to be caught at a first glance. Kaoru's hairstyle remained the same, but with a little more weight to it, and the hair at the back had changed in appearance ever so slightly. Those strands lingered further, not yet daring enough to reach his shoulders but tickling the back of Kaoru’s neck at his blazer collar. Kyoya noticed because, well, Kyoya noticed everything.

Any previous regression he felt simply melted away and he was shoved back to the present. He dissected the view in his mind as Suoh Yuzuru walked onto the stage with the board of governors and several fat stacks of certificates. It wasn't until Kaoru stood up from his seat with the other third years to collect his diploma that Kyoya thought it might be more productive to focus on the graduating year and find out which ones were set for actually good universities. He needed to prioritise his own future business opportunities.

Kyoya didn’t comment on it at all. Of course.

He barely spoke a word until the Host Club were chattering amongst themselves after the ceremony: Tamaki attempting to out-cry Ranka over his darling Haruhi finishing school, Hikaru calling him out for it while Haruhi herself could not care less, and Mori congratulating them all while holding back Hani by the collar as he attempted to ransack the refreshments. Meanwhile, Kaoru and Kyoya’s own mise en scene was much calmer, standing behind Hikaru and Tamaki respectively, as was typical. Their eyes met, which was to be expected. Planned, even. Yet the smile between them, this time, perhaps had a hair-related intrigue.

Kyoya wasn't sure if Kaoru wanted anyone to notice. Potentially this was some kind of teenage experimentation, a classic case of post-school freedom. There were people all over the globe radically changing their appearances, a 'new year new me', a 'take that, parents!', an 'if I don't pierce a hole through my nose and smoke marijuana at parties, people will hate me'. But knowing Kaoru, it was something more. A lifetime of shared identity must’ve had some part in it. Their year in Boston allowed the twins to further show their differences and properly become individuals, but that kind of growth was a long process.

As Vice President of the Host Club, it was his duty to check on his subordinates’ wellbeing and behaviours. Or, well, ex Vice President, as his services were not exactly necessary or available anymore. Admittedly, as Ootori Kyoya too, it was in his best interests to know exactly what his friends were up to.

Old habits die hard, it seemed. Either way, it was unnecessary to ask for details.

Now, he decided, was his time to speak to Kaoru. The pleasant silence they had just shared required an accompaniment of conversation, the main course to their unique appetiser. Walking up to him as perfectly as he'd timed it, he recited his first line as planned.

‘I suppose congratulations are in order.’

Kaoru’s eyes traced Kyoya’s frame as he walked up to him. After a well-timed pause, he properly turned to him with a cocky expression. ‘And who told you to say that?’

It was strange seeing him in the Ouran uniform again. After Kaoru's rather adventurous outfit choices in the uniform-barren land of their Boston school, the dress code looked almost shabby in comparison, despite its extremely high price and quality. Indeed, Kyoya believed a uniform was a necessity, but even he could admit that in Kaoru's case it held him back.

‘Tamaki, who insisted I fly all the way here mid-assignment,’ he sighed, then added, ‘I wouldn’t have missed it, anyway.’

Kaoru’s subtle smile transformed further into a massive grin before Kyoya’s eyes. ‘Lame. You shouldn’t have come, the catering’s worse than last year.’

Those sharp eyes of his scanned Kyoya up and down. Strangely, it made him feel a little exposed. Kaoru's next words didn't alleviate that.

‘You look the same.’

Well, naturally. A year at university was nothing in the grand scheme of things, and it was in his nature to be consistent. Kyoya wasn’t one for spontaneous changes. Upon finding a rhythm that worked for him, what else to do but to stick to it? He’d settled for the most amicable group of people, the most productive study spots, the sharpest outfits, even the most reliable (and expensive) barber. Nothing needed to be any different.

His peer was clearly not of the same opinion.

‘Somebody peaked at Ouran. University didn’t make you any hotter.’

Kyoya also knew this would be the case. No need to dignify that with a response.

‘I see my absence has impacted you then.’

…But improvisation was sometimes a bonus.

Kaoru sniffed exaggeratedly, clutching a hand to his chest. ‘Oh, senpai, I yearned for your musty cologne! Your transparent tsundere schtick! Your CEO-chic! I’ve thought about it all year!’

Mysteriously, Kyoya’s hand just so happened to form a fist and slam itself on Kaoru’s head.

‘Owww!’

A little showy, he did admit, especially in a busy room, but it was regretfully the most subtle way to successfully shut him up. Years of dealing with his rabble's antics had taught him this. Kyoya's award winning smile afterwards would make up for it.

Kaoru did have a penchant for winding people up, but it was never so hypocritical. Kyoya knew that Kaoru was just as full of contradictions as his twin, craving variety yet simultaneously fearing it. That was a big reason why Kaoru's new style choice was so striking. Kaoru seemed to desire both routine and change…but Kyoya couldn't fault him for that. He, too, possessed the urge to have it all.

This was the reason they understood each other so well. And although Kyoya was teased for having no radical change, he could tell his familiarity was a comforting presence.

Kaoru couldn’t escape him, but Kyoya could test his intentions.

‘I thought you liked my style.'

To which came an eye-rolled reply: 'Maybe last year, but not now. Keep up.' His hand perched on Kyoya's shirt collar, pinching the fabric and wrinkling his nose.

'Instead of rudely commenting on my clothing choices, why don’t you make yourself useful for once, Kaoru? Make the most of your Hitachiin legacy.’

'You want new clothes?'

'If you think I'm so drab,' Kyoya nodded, barely hiding the thrill of comeuppance he felt as he gently swept away Kaoru's hand, 'help me out.'

Kaoru pursed his lips, not actually thinking deeply. He had already formed his response, Kyoya knew this, but Kaoru sometimes wanted to add a little conversational flair. Fake stakes, motivation, mere stage directions.

‘Deal. But you have no input in what clothes I give you.’ Kaoru waggled his finger against Kyoya's chest to the beat of each syllable.

‘20% input.’

‘No. That's not even how it works anyway.’

‘10%.’

‘Don’t you haggle me, Ootori!’

Of course, they had by now fallen back into the normal rhythm of their previous conversations. It felt well-timed, an almost choreographed push and pull. Certainly a lot more invigorating than a majority of the conversations he'd had with his university cohort, despite them supposedly being the world's most intelligent.

However, there were breaks in their routine. Kyoya couldn't help but be distracted by how frequently Kaoru's hand was tucking his hair behind his ear. Kyoya angled his eyeline perfectly to draw attention to it. Kaoru wasn't the only one with a piercing stare. He thought Kaoru should at least know. Know that he knew.

Kaoru’s face changed once more. He seemed…puzzled.

‘What are you—‘

‘Congratulations darlings!’

The peppy voice of Hitachiin Yuzuha cut his question short, as she kissed both twins on the cheek, after which they simultaneously groaned and furiously rubbed off the lipstick stain left behind. She merely let out a laugh like the careless jangle of falling change, smiling fondly at their disgust.

‘Oh, don’t be like that. Look, I brought your little sister!’

Kyoya looked up to see what was now a much bigger Ageha than last August, and behind her and her mother the clearly exhausted nanny scarfing down canapés. And behind her, Hani with his hands tightly curled into fists, finally having met his rival.

The twins’ father was notably missing. That was, until Kyoya looked behind and almost jumped in surprise. He should have been accustomed to that by now.

Yuzuha’s strategy seemed to work, as the twins’ eyes twinkled at the sight of their precious baby sister. Even Hikaru, who was still rubbing his cheek while whining about the 'performative habit' Yuzuha had 'picked up in Paris', went silent in awe. Ageha was exuding charm that would put the host club to shame, currently stretching her little arms as far as they would go. They seemed to follow the direction of Kaoru’s back, who was still facing Kyoya.

Some fight-or-flight instinct channelled through Kaoru, who dodged the attempted grab with a strangled grunt. Kyoya assumed there was a story there.

‘She likes to hold onto things,’ Hikaru explained monotonously.

Ageha was still closing and opening her fists towards Kaoru.

‘Awww, Hikaru, she loves you!’ Yuzuha let out that exuberant laugh once more. Kaoru simply let out a sigh.

‘If you keep swapping our names in front of Ageha you’ll confuse her.’

‘Please, she’s a clever girl! She’ll be better at telling you two apart than me and your father.’

Said clever girl was plopped into Kaoru’s arms not a second later.

‘There. Make sure she doesn’t confuse herself.’

Ageha babbled excitedly, unaware of the social customs of congratulating the graduating year. Her little starfish hands reached up at Kaoru.

Amidst Hikaru’s protests about how this didn’t mean anything and he was still Ageha’s equal favourite, it was strange to see Kaoru be so gentle with another being. He bounced on his heels to rock her, and the look on his face as he whispered nonsense to his baby sister was that of dumb love. In that moment, Kaoru was not shielded by jaded irony, one half of a duo unable to take anything seriously, but had let down his walls. Kyoya knew he had it in him, without a doubt he did, but seeing his face soften in real time still managed to catch him off guard. Somehow.

It was definitely impressive to someone who, admittedly, hadn’t a paternal bone in his body.

That wasn’t the only thing he realised. Ageha’s unexpected attachment to Kaoru wasn’t simply to do with personal preference. Her pudgy fingers had specifically targeted the back of his neck.

So. She had also noticed. Perhaps Ageha at her young age truly was more perceptive than Kyoya had initially taken her to be.

Ootori Kyoya had remembered the date. It was the 14th of November. And his very good friend Hitachiin Kaoru was expecting him.

The host club planned to see the twins at their university, as it had been a long while since they had all got together. Unfortunately, Kyoya's schedule meant he had to leave a day earlier than the others, so he opted to arrive a day earlier to make up for the absence. As it turned out, Hikaru had many classes on that day and Kaoru did not, so he would spend the first day mostly with the latter twin.

Kyoya was walking towards the campus, trench coat dramatically blowing out behind him. It felt a little ridiculous, the dramatic fit of the jacket, and students were staring at him as he walked past with his bodyguards. But he knew he looked good. Especially because Kaoru had chosen the clothes he currently wore.

Kyoya felt a sharp tap on his right shoulder.

He turned around with the left.

‘Ugh,’ the culprit whined, 'you’re getting too good at this for your own good.’

'Is this how you address your friend who you haven't seen in a good few months?' he raised an eyebrow.

Before the eyebrow was fully raised, Kaoru leaped into his arms and laughed, giving a crushing hug, in rather Tamaki fashion at that. Tachibana and Hotta even jumped a little at the suddenness of the movement.

'Oh my god, you DID buy that cologne I told you about!' a muffled voice emitted from Kyoya's trench coat. Pure delight was in the delivery (and relief at the lack of so-called 'musty cologne', which Kyoya chose to ignore). Kaoru raised his head with a twisted grin. 'Does that mean you're wearing the boxers I recommended too?'

Kyoya tutted and released the fiend from his grasp. He hoped the bodyguards hadn't heard that, for the sake of his image and jet lag.

Only when they parted did he process Kaoru's appearance.

As predicted, Kaoru's hair was much longer than before. His bangs were clipped back, to keep them out of his face while sewing, and the once tentative strands at the back had now announced themselves by now being much closer to shoulder length than at Ouran.

It was a bolder look, and it suited him. He looked less indistinguishable, more adventurous and cunning, if that was even possible. University certainly had played a part in it, and studying a different course to Hikaru definitely was a factor. He understood Kaoru's situation, and he wanted Kaoru to comprehend him in turn.

He decided to allow a small flicker of a smile, one that would surely be recognised and reciprocated by someone as detail-oriented as his fellow lurker.

‘What’s with that goofy expression?’

Ah. Yes. Kaoru was just as much of a Hitachiin as everything else.

Kyoya was aware of this. Kyoya was always aware of this. Perhaps a slight adjustment of the timing could achieve—

‘Hello? Earth to Kyoya. Too engrossed in those shadows of yours?’

‘I know what you’re doing.’

Silence.

‘What.’

Admittedly, that came out a little vague. Context was required.

‘With your hair.’

‘Well, jeez, way to be ominous!’

‘It will look good.’

‘Oh, will?’ Kaoru took a step forward, glancing up at him with a look of faux-offence. ‘So it looks awful right now?’

What a brat.

‘When it—‘ Kyoya pinched his temple ‘—gets long.’

‘Oh, so I’m doomed until then. Got it.’ Followed by the proudest little smirk Kyoya had seen all day.

He wanted to wipe the grin off that face, really make him regret messing with him of all people, and the idea of lightly manipulating the twins’ reputation (in the most merciful possible manner) briefly crossed his mind. But nothing came to mind at that moment. Plus, Kyoya was too busy already dealing with the strangest ache in his chest. This was not like him. He put the pieces together and realised that he had missed the Host Club’s antics, especially Kaoru’s at this very moment. To be affected so suddenly by this spontaneous sentimentality…! It pissed him off.

‘Someone’s not up for jokes today?’

Kyoya cleared his throat. Leaning slightly closer to Kaoru ever-so-intently, he put them on equal footing with a matching smirk.

‘Well, don’t stop on my account…not that you would.’

Those shifty eyes of his met Kyoya's gaze. For some reason, the look Noir would give him after knocking over a cup of coffee on his desk immediately sprang to mind.

Then Kaoru distanced the gap between them a little too soon for comfort, with the deft removal of his hand from his pocket. Out emerged a tiny orange mirror and a bottle of hair gel, a new brand Kyoya hadn't seen before. In a matter of seconds, the hair clips were out and the gel was applied.

'I won't, especially because you have to meet my new friends now. Come on!'

Kyoya proceeded to spend the following few hours surrounded by fashion students. This wasn't an ideal situation by any means normally, but this was an exception for Kaoru and Kaoru alone.

Dressing in Kaoru's chosen clothes ended up a benefit, as he assumed it would. He thought that using his friend's upcoming style would help establish a proper rapport between the other students, and he was correct: he got showered in compliments and gained some interesting intel on them and their families. It gave Kaoru some merit too, who smiled proudly every time a comment was made and wiggled his eyebrows at Kyoya, explaining how he was such a good friend. Matsushima Ayato (son of famed prosecutor Matsushima Juichi), Ichinose Arisa (whom he had previously met at his father's conference with her parents, who had partnered with the Ootori Group several times in the past) and Hirose Ichika (who did not have any family worth properly looking into) were all equally impressed.

Reputation and first impressions were what mattered most to Kyoya. Kaoru being flattered by being allowed to dress Kyoya was merely another benefit.

Still, he could admit it was also an opportunity to grow accustomed to Kaoru's new methods of presenting himself. He payed attention to Kaoru's subtle mannerisms when interacting with his friends. Such a flawless performance, Kyoya thought. He timed his smiles exactly right, laughed with the same lilt and at the same time as the group, plus, at one point, he mentioned what appeared to be a nonsensically niche inside joke between the four of them, earning the loudest laughter of the day before turning to Kyoya with a deadpan 'you had to be there'. Which was not entirely appreciated.

And his hair was different.

What threw Kyoya off the most was how natural Kaoru's movements were. Moving his gelled fringe to the side, tossing his head, running his hand through the back whilst explaining the difficulty of the piece he was currently working on…it was as if his hair had always been this length.

For someone who spent his whole life unable to connect with others, Kaoru had adapted well. That was what Kyoya told him afterwards as they walked to the twins' apartment.

Well, wanted to tell him, had Kaoru not rudely interrupted what he was going to say.

'You still have that notebook?'

Kaoru's hand also rudely interrupted Kyoya's writing.

'It's a different notebook. The other one was filled up years ago.' Kyoya attempted to lift it up so he could continue writing, but Kaoru refused to take the hint.

He tutted, sliding the pen out of Kyoya's hand. 'All that growing up and you never stopped being an utter nerd.'

A snatch. A ruffle of pages. A beat. A gasp.

'Come on, those are my friends! You're evil!'

'I am considering your options as well as mine,' said Kyoya calmly, reaching for the notebook as fast as he could.

'You don't need to be all Regina George about it!' Kaoru huffed, breathless from hopping on the spot, flailing his arms above his head to avoid Kyoya from taking it.

'I do not know who that is, Kaoru.' Gracefully, he himself jumped a singular time, and with the advantage of his additional inch of height his retrieval was successful. Kaoru tried to grab it a second time but the notebook was stored safely in one of the inside pockets his new coat contained. Kaoru scowled and muttered something about 'biting myself in the ass with that one'.

They continued walking.

'Dunno why I didn't expect that from you. Guess you're still the same Kyoya.'

Kyoya gestured at his outfit. 'Not enough for you?'

Somehow, that made Kaoru smile a little.

'I didn't say that! I knew you'd look good with that coat. You finally got hotter.'

And he wasn't wrong. But the knowledge didn't stop a strange heat spread across Kyoya's face. Nevertheless he spoke in a completely ordinary manner, for composure was an easy feat for him.

'I might be the same Kyoya, but you definitely aren't the same Kaoru. Is university finally having the effect you expected?'

He stopped hearing the clicks of Kaoru's heeled boots. Kyoya's bodyguards halted from the corner of his eye. That was his cue to stop, too. He slowly turned to see a changed expression, more wistful now than cheeky. Kaoru spoke as Kyoya walked back towards him:

‘For a while I wished that things would stay the same. I wanted the school year to repeat over and over. Kind of like, uh. An eternal spring. Then I…got bored.’

'Bored?' Kyoya leaned down. 'I may have been giving you too much credit in that case. You're the same Kaoru in some areas.'

'Why are you surprised? It's not like some spell was cast on me.'

Kyoya let out a syllable, but what was going to be an intellectual discussion (their speciality) was shortened by the repeated sound of footsteps getting louder. Kyoya squinted to parse together the brown haired, plaid-wearing figure huffing and puffing towards them.

'KYOYA! KAORU!'

The figure had just finished his classes for the day. And was bending forwards in front of Kyoya, hands on knees, wheezing.

'I was following you this whole time!' said a very out of breath Hikaru. 'How did you two miss me?!' He turned to Hotta and Tachibana. 'And how did you two miss me? Lousy at your jobs, you are.'

'They most likely decided you weren't a notable threat,' Kyoya said, accompanied by his kindest smile. He swore he could hear Kaoru's laugh before Hikaru shot him a fiery look. He was secretly a little pleased at that. A slight smile appeared on Tachibana's face, but that was simply unprofessional behaviour Kyoya chose to ignore.

Scanning Hikaru's appearance after Kaoru's was a familiar, strangely comforting, experience. Same fashion sense, same hair, and this unchanged state was only disturbed by a new eyebrow piercing that wasn't there in March. It did suit him.

With that established, Kyoya could not stop himself from comparing the two brothers. After all, they were side by side, with Hikaru leaning on Kaoru's shoulder using his arm while his breathing settled. It would have been impossible not to think about the differences between them. Like a look into the past and the present. And all of a sudden, Kaoru's longer hair struck his intrigue for the third time in one day.

'Hey Kyoyaaaaaa, we just asked you where you wanna eat dinner,' the synchronised voices droned, snapping Kyoya back to reality. The twins both had hands on hips, looking up at Kyoya impatiently, with identical posture, expression…everything. But it only highlighted how much Kaoru had changed.

Hikaru turned to his brother with a look that appeared to say 'what's his deal?', prompting Kaoru to shrug as if to reply 'dunno, spacing out is his thing now'.

It did feel a little like a spell had been cast.

SLAM. SLAM.

As soon as Kyoya jolted awake, the date flashed in his mind by instinct as it usually did. It was the 30th of July. The host club were in Marseille for their yearly summer retreat.

And his window was being slammed over and over.

It was the last thing Kyoya wanted to wake up to. But it was extremely rhythmic, far too perfect for a natural draught. Kyoya knew only a person would be the cause, and a trickster at that. Someone who had a habit of sneaking into people’s rooms and waking them up.

He let out a groan. ‘I know you’re there, K—'

His eyes slotted open. The room was empty.

SLAM. SLAM.

The windows hadn’t been shut the previous night.

SLAM. SLAM.

Alright, this was getting annoying. He thought he was able to predict the guilty party, put his years of observation skills to good use once again, but apparently not.

Then, proper awareness hit him, as delayed as usual in the mornings. Kaoru wouldn’t do that. His habits were subtle and indirect, not so outwardly bold. And he wouldn’t be so mean spirited as to purposefully wake Kyoya up with such unpleasant methods, would he?

So why would he assume—

Kyoya’s train of thought was interrupted by a knock at the door.

After scrambling out of bed and getting decent, he opened the door, accompanied by a grumble that resembled the words ‘good morning’.

‘I think you mean good afternoon?’ said a Kaoru shaped blur.

Kyoya scrunched up his eyes to ensure that he wasn't just imagining things again. But no, this blur truly had the shape and voice of Kaoru. It was just like him to come and haunt him, almost as if he knew he was on Kyoya's mind.

‘Didn't wake you, did I?’

Kyoya froze, caught off guard. ‘What? Oh, no, no.’

‘Huh. That’s a first.’ Kaoru paused, narrowing his eyes. ‘You look frazzled.’

Did he really? Yes, he hadn’t properly freshened up, but he’d combed his hair and put a t-shirt and shorts on.

‘Tamaki wanted you to come for lunch. Put those glasses on and get rid of that cute squint.’

While he had an objection to that last part, he did want to be able to see. At least Kaoru would stop making unasked comments if he put his glasses on.

The blob standing in the doorway shifted quickly into Kaoru, arms crossed and leaning against the frame with that insufferable smile on his face.

And there he was, wearing about six necklaces, give or take, and loudly clanking bangles distributed festively on each arm. Kyoya angled his stare to each item of jewellery before properly making eye contact.

‘This stupid heat means I gotta compensate for the clothes I can’t wear.’

He had on a purple tank top that was the result of a lengthy video call between them, and long denim shorts (Kyoya refused to call them ‘jorts’, as they were too often dubbed among commoners). For Kaoru, not wearing an overload of clothing layers was practically a state of undress. Frankly, Kyoya rarely saw Kaoru wear so little, and even he was a little thrown off by it.

And of course, Kaoru's now considerably long hair. It completely transformed since they had last seen each other, now sporting layers and a choppy side bang he'd styled himself. It wasn't gelled on this particular occasion, looking softer and falling across his face much straighter.

'I told you the longer hair would suit you.'

'Hm?' Kaoru looked up, crossing his arms against the doorframe. Just briefly, delayed surprise flashed across his face. But his relaxed face returned so smoothly that Kyoya nearly doubted there was any shift at all. 'You're not normally so civil when you wake up. Who even are you?'

That was true. Kyoya tended to lack a filter when barely awake. His thoughts clearly did not contain much malice on this occasion if that one was the first he had said aloud.

'You didn't wake me up this time. I've decided to spare you.'

Kaoru rolled his eyes and beckoned him out the door. As they walked downstairs, Kyoya processed the view of Kaoru front of him. This involved staring at the back of his head, mostly. He spent the short journey to his other friends in the garden comparing the difference in length between now and over a year ago.

Kaoru had not exaggerated about the heatwave. It was practically oppressive, claustrophobic; it pressed against Kyoya's clothes and reached the concealed skin underneath, almost enveloping him completely. Being with his friends, positioned in their typical tableau, was his distraction. He was seated next to the twins with Haruhi and Tamaki opposite, while they waited for Hani and Mori to appear with dessert. He would not allow the heat to affect him. Instead, he listened to Hikaru and Kaoru tell them all about their upcoming year abroad in Paris. Haruhi's new internship at a famous law firm, Tamaki's growing passion for his business course. Kyoya was able to discuss, able to glance at the surrounding garden every so often without thinking about how the powerful sun had given the plants a slightly yellow tinge. Something to complain about on review after they left, as he could not let lazy gardening slide.

‘How are you still so serene? It’s boiling!’

Kaoru was correct, Kyoya was managing it well. But the one asking was evidently struggling.

‘Says the man wearing denim in summer.’

‘You don’t know what real style is,’ said Kaoru, sticking out his tongue, predictably. ‘I give you clothes and fashion tips, and this is how you repay me?’

'Clothes that I only had 5% input deciding on.'

'For good reason!'

'Count yourself lucky I obeyed.'

'Put on that cologne again and we'll see if I will.'

Kyoya realised the rest of the table was silent before he could come up with a reply. This wasn't a side conversation like he'd assumed. Blaring crickets in the grass around him deafened his ears as he felt the eyes of the other three on him—

'Look what we got!'

Conveniently timed, Hani bounded towards them while Mori, further behind, slowly lifted two heavy bags.

'Let's cool down in this heatwave!'

Now was the time for watermelon. While extremely cheap, the fruit was very flavourful. He managed to secure himself a slice, despite the twins violently charging towards Mori and tackling Hani. Both were body slammed into the ground simultaneously.

He was glad he hadn't fully missed lunch. Nowadays, the time they all spent together was much scarcer, and he wanted to be with them all as much as he could. That being said, Tamaki's energetic lecture about the markets in the area was a little much for someone who had been awake for less than an hour.

Thankfully, Kaoru relieved him of this tirade again.

'Hey. Guess what this reminds me of.'

'Karuizawa.' Obviously. He could hear Hikaru scoff on the other side of the table.

'Well. Yes. But specifically that was one of the first times you decided to speak to me like a person instead of a business opportunity.'

'In a way I'm surprised.'

Haruhi had interjected the conversation with a mouthful of melon.

'I mean, the way you two interact made me think you had properly spoken before that. Only since then?'

The pair glanced at each other, confused. She surely knew how both of them acted at the time.

Haruhi swallowed and wiped her mouth.

‘It’s funny, Kyoya,’ she said, ‘You’re usually so stubborn with the rest of us. But with Kaoru, you always end up in agreement.’

‘No he doesn’t,’ said Kaoru.

‘No I don’t,’ said Kyoya.

Haruhi looked at them both, saying nothing. Somehow, it felt even more humid than before.

‘Okay, I actually can’t take this temperature anymore,’ said Kaoru, putting what Kyoya realised was a black hair tie from his wrist in between his teeth.

Oh, this was an interesting development.

Kaoru scooped back his hair in his fingers in an oddly natural way. The tank top he'd sewn himself raised itself with the upward movement of his arms, making the buckle of his shorts briefly visible. As his hair lifted, it revealed the tanned skin of his neck, further displaying the sharp outline of Kaoru’s jaw.

Kyoya blinked.

In choreographed motion, the elastic was carried and stretched, forming a ponytail upon release.

Kaoru’s hair, layered and only a little past shoulder length, made up a small spiky ponytail with bits that stuck up defiantly. Some locks remained loose and fluffy beneath the elastic, not long enough to be tied up. His bangs behaved, but only just, and some strands escaped at the front.

For such a simple hairstyle, it was rather complicated. And that was so, very, Kaoru.

Kyoya was suddenly overcome with the urge to kick him out of the villa.

He heard the sound of his own throat clearing.

Kaoru's eyes darted over as his fingers threaded between strands, shaping over. 'Problem?'

Kyoya's mouth opened.

Kaoru cocked his head to the side, catlike.

Kyoya's mouth closed.

'Kyo-chan's a little red,' Hani snickered into his watermelon. 'He must really be affected by this weather.'

It was remarkably hot outside.

'It is remarkably hot,' Kyoya stated. 'Outside.'

The watermelon would cool him down.

After the watermelon did not cool him down, his next actions proceeded to involve disassembling his travel wardrobe and attempting to put it back together, filling out a couple dozen spreadsheets, refreshing stocks on the internet over and over, and organising 4 future trips with his friends at the same time, only to realise he had planned them to take place all on the same days, and right in the midst of his eventual fourth year final exams.

Kyoya quickly shut his eyes, lying on the bed, but he could still sense the bright light emitting from the laptop. Even at its lowest brightness, he could feel its glare. He slammed his hand down to close the laptop. He missed.

Checking his watch begrudgingly, a pang of guilt washed over him. He'd missed dinner, perhaps not completely if he was lucky. Two partially missed meals in one day! Kyoya could admit he had flaws (well, only a few to be frank), but he was anything but disloyal to his friends.

He could not believe that something so minor—

No time to waste.

He exited his room.

No…

He wrinkled his nose. It wasn't minor. Not to him. Kaoru wasn't insignificant at all. Rather the opposite.

Just the thought of that was enough to tempt him to another round of holiday planning. But only tempt him.

Kaoru mattered. And they all knew it. No wonder Haruhi made those observations, Hani laughed at him so blatantly… even Tamaki, infamously oblivious as he was, probably had some motive in sending Kaoru to wake him up. Mori was unchanged, and he wasn't sure if Hikaru's constant scowling was something to consider, or if it was his usual attitude. But they all still knew it.

Why, Kaoru had changed so much over the course of a couple years. It was truly dawning on Kyoya now. The best parts of Kaoru that had remained shone brighter, and the new parts…excited him. It was almost dangerous, the thrill that surged through Kyoya at that effortless confidence radiating from one of his closest friends. He himself could no longer passively endure those adventures, nor the feelings within. His own bright flame was stuck in his throat and prevented the good old method of putting his feelings aside that had served him so well before.

If anything, he had caused Kyoya to change too. And he had done so much for Kyoya during that time, it would be only fair if the favour was returned.

Huh. His footsteps going down the stairs had some sort of echo to them. He never remembered the acoustics of the hall being so good.

'Kyoya.'

Turns out someone else was going up the stairs simultaneously.

Both voices on the middle step spoke at once.

'I was looking for you.' Kyoya's voice.

'I was looking for you. Stalker.' Kaoru's voice.

It was dark in the room, but his form was perfectly visible to Kyoya. His hair was still tied up, but more clumps at the front had loosened, covering his neck more. Shame.

Dinner was probably over by now.

With purpose, Kyoya put an arm round Kaoru's shoulder and steered him back upstairs.

'Hey, where are you taking me? Unhand me!'

He let the outdoor balcony speak for itself. It was dark and everyone else was downstairs, indoors. No host club to secretly spy on them. The extravagant gardens of the villa seemed so small from this angle, the yellow tinge of the plants no longer visible. Kaoru was the focus. Luckily, the suffocating heat had long vanished, and a cool breeze took its place.

Kaoru leaned towards him slowly. Kyoya froze, uncharacteristically unsure what to do.

He heard Kaoru slowly sniff.

'You're wearing the cologne.'

Kaoru backed away, Kyoya chuckled, releasing some of the rigidity in his muscles. 'It's a good cologne.'

'It's an excellent cologne.'

And they were silent again. Kyoya's fringe, due for a trim as well, was swept by the wind into his eyes. They covered the sight of Kaoru in front of him, which Kyoya refused, swatting away the clumps of hair. Then he could see how the ponytail was only just holding itself together. It was getting irritating. Kaoru would surely lose the hairband if he didn't tighten its grip! Better to just take it off.

And Kyoya did just that.

So much softer than he imagined. Clearly a correct choice of products, he wouldn't expect less. The listing of brands in his mind almost distracted him from the feeling of his own fingers lightly dancing over Kaoru's scalp. Electricity flickered up Kyoya's spine, extinguished as soon as he let go. Kaoru didn't yell, slap or bite at the touch of Kyoya's fingers gently pulling away the hairband. He merely shivered at the contact, eyes snapping towards him with an unreadable look in them.

'What are you doing.'

The hairband stretched between Kyoya's fingers as he moved it around in his hand. He slowly looked up at Kaoru.

'I like your hair.'

No response. Just the soft whistle of wind in his ear, a stream, like the cascading of Kaoru's locks on the tips of his fingers. Numb except to the ring of elastic in his palm. Oh.

His hand moved forward, dangling the hairband over to Kaoru. After a pause, Kaoru took it sheepishly with his left hand, his brows furrowing while staring downward.

Kyoya hoped he had explained it all.

Kaoru stepped back.

‘You’ve been staring into my soul like some kind of spectre because you like my hair?’

Kyoya didn’t know what to say for once. He clearly had explained nothing. This would not do.

‘If you’ll let me elaborate first,’ said Kyoya in an intonation that was regrettably more wobbly than intended. His jaw tightened as he cleared his throat. ‘You look like yourself now. You are yourself now. Ever since I decided to pay attention, I’ve had the privilege of knowing you as you are. But you didn’t always let others see you as an individual, for the better. Now, you don’t hide behind that façade and you are no longer simply the twin who isn't Hikaru. It's been an honour witnessing you grow into your own person.'

Still not enough. He had no script, no director in his mind to plan out such a foreign ritual.

Kaoru had always possessed the fascinating talent of making Kyoya completely distrust his own common sense. Constantly second guessing, improvising, making reaches and jumps in his logic. Thoroughly un-Kyoya-like behaviours. Yet at the same time, he was the only person who could follow Kyoya's lead, create a refreshing back-and-forth that left Kyoya wanting more. Predictably unpredictable. Now, he had to use that to his advantage.

'I could tell you’ve envisioned this for a while. Don’t think you can slip past me, Kaoru. I knew from the beginning. I knew you wanted longer hair. I know you, Kaoru.’

He found himself clutching his hands together. Sweating! How vile! While the person standing in front of him was so…

'Beautiful,' he murmured. His hands reached up to touch Kaoru's hair on their own volition. 'Your longer hair looks— so beautiful. You…' Kyoya trailed off. The script was stuck in his throat.

Or was that his last line?

Kaoru's mouth was ever so slightly open. His response was brief.

‘Fucking creep.’

But he was smiling.

And, not for the first time, he did something that Kyoya did not predict.

It was over before he processed it. What lingered was the sensation of Kaoru’s hair tickling his cheek. Slowly, the sound of Kaoru’s laughter became audible to Kyoya.

‘Just call me hot and ask me out like a normal person.’

He giggled in an obnoxious manner. An obnoxiously cute manner. Oh, there were not enough walls for Kyoya to bang his head on, not enough drawer contents to rumple, not enough spreadsheets to meticulously fill!

He put a stop to the madness by poking Kaoru’s forehead.

‘I’m not one for stating the obvious.’

Kaoru’s arms snaked around his neck as a particularly devilish expression crept across his face, not the first, and certainly not the last. The sound of jingling bangles filled Kyoya’s ears as the two became closer in distance.

‘Oh, I’m well aware.’

The arms lured Kyoya in.

'I know you, Kyoya.'

The worst part about that first kiss was its brevity. Kyoya's surprise had made its presence practically nonexistent. So there was only one solution. Go in for a second.

Then a third.

Then a fourth.

It was a mesh of senses, uncertain where hands ended and hair began. He found it unlike anything he'd ever experienced before. Kyoya wasn't one for new experiences, but…

Then a twenty fifth.

…that meant he needed to get used to it as soon as possible.

Kaoru broke away with a gasp. He pulled back his hair, hairband moving, looking sly. 'We should go.' His glance lowered, then sprang back up with an accompanied grin. 'Somewhere else.'

Kyoya stopped counting after that.

It is one morning of many. It’s a much later date Ootori Kyoya should probably have memorised, but he didn’t. He’s drifted awake from one of many good sleeps he’s had recently.

Orange locks softly tickle his neck, a reminder of their caresses the night before. The night before that. And the night before that too. He slowly strokes them away, but some strands still dance over his body. He strokes them again. His hands repeat the motion. Fingers gleefully run through the soft hair.

He remembers the shopping trip they had 17 hours ago, and the name of the brand that makes the new conditioner they bought together. He hopes Kaoru never stops using it.