//hear those sleigh bells ring-a-ling;; [OPEN]

The sound of a chocolate fountain bubbling and silverware clinking echoed through the ears of the Hitachiin twins as the staff hurried about with last minute preparations before the event. Beautifully pressed and laid out table clothes were in place and ready as they rested atop tables on the far side of the ballroom. Beside them stood two residents of the mansion at which the great Host Club event was to take place and the two watched with vigilant eyes as things progressed. At the time in which they kept watch, the twins were careful not to waste the last precious moments in which they had to ready themselves and so, one by one, each fixed the other’s tie and straightened the other’s jacket before double checking themselves in a mirror hanging just across the hall. Minutes trickled by and soon the first guests began to arrive, the first song to played and the first greetings to be exchanged as the twins welcomed others into their home and showed the guests to the main ballroom.

“Just step this way Princess Kana,” “Please, let me take your coat Princess Mizuki,”

And so the twins went on, welcoming guest after guest until the ball room was filled with the clicking of heels and shuffling of dresses. By the time many of the guests had officially arrived, the twins became tired of ushering people in and soon left the task to the butler; not that they had really done much in the first place. Taking a coat, smiling and pointing the correct way before tossing an article or two at a waiting servant was more the manner in which they’d operated.

Sweeping into the room, side by side, the twins surveyed the event and seemed satisfied with the way things were going. A clock ticked the seconds slowly by somewhere in the room and the twins were oddly silent. Hikaru had turned to gaze out one of the grand windows as Kaoru leaned back against a white pillar with a rather placid, unreadable expression settling across his delicate features. The sound of many voices resounded all throughout the room as guests danced, cheered and laughed their way along; the music seemed to pound loudly in tune with the laughter as it sent familiar reverberations through the chests of anyone who happened to venture close enough to the speaker system.

A small noise escaped Hikaru’s lips catching the attention of his twin and Kaoru turned his head raising a curious eyebrow. “Where is the boss? He ought to be doing something productive to help the event run smoothly.” Hikaru muttered grouchily. Kaoru blinked, silent a moment, before smiling. “He’s probably entertaining the guests like he’s supposed to be. In fact we ought to get around to doing something ourselves before something happens.” he replied. “Something happens?” Hikaru inquired. “Mhm,” nodding his head, Kaoru discreetly turned his gaze in a pointed look at two rather tired, bored looking girls leaning against the wall to the right far enough away to be just out of hearing distance from the twins. Hikaru followed his brother’s gaze but didn’t reply as he turned away once more and continued to stare intently out the window. Attention diverted, Kaoru straightened and gazed at his brother curiously. “What are you doing?” he asked curiously.

Kaoru hated not knowing what was on Hikaru’s mind at all times. It was a bizarre, foreign feeling and he didn’t like the way it sat in his stomach and gnawed away at his innards until the other red-headed boy appeased the niggling feeling by offering some small comment or another. This time though, Hikaru simply raised a brow and turned, distracted, to return his brothers gaze. “Eh? Oh, nothing. Just scouting for Haruhi or the boss.” the twin replied with an uninterested sigh. “Outside? In the dark and in the snow?” Kaoru responded in a slightly injured tone. Hikaru was lying and he knew it but there wasn’t much he could do here and now to comfort his brother from whatever troubling thoughts that might be swirling in his mind nor anything he could do to really persuade his brother to share those thoughts.

A small pout crossed his features and instead of doing what he’d rather wanted to at the moment, Kaoru simply pressed himself up against his twin and hugged him gently. The surprise that crossed Hikaru’s face then was evident in the stiffness of his form as Kaoru hugged him tighter and pouted more deeply. Relenting, the older of the two, by a questionable second or so, hugged his little brother back and buried his face in the crook of his twin’s neck. A quiet whisper left his lips then before the two parted with mirrored, content smiles on each of their faces.

- - - Ninety-nine dreams I have had,
And every one a red balloon - - -



- - - It's all over and I'm standing pretty,
In the dust that was a city - - -

'Dum dum dah dah. Dum dum dah dah.' The music had a perky tune to it as the Host Club Prince leaned against the ballroom wall. His eyes scanned the dancing figures with a small smile placed on his delicate features. The holidays seemed to be his favorite time of year. Everything about it was fantastic! Giving! Receiving! All of the food and people coming over and dancing in gay merriment. Like at the Hitachiin house. Tamaki had not hosted a party in a long, long time and he preferred it that way. Why stress out his maids and butlers when the twins were happy to do it themselves? Not that he wouldn't mind a party or two at his home every once in awhile, he liked how the girls complimented the beautiful mansion.

He stood there for a little longer, his long fingers running through his golden hair. Was he looking for someone? Maybe. 'Haruhi isn't here.' Disappointment made his face fall. She was a part of the Host Club, wouldn't she be there? Tamaki brushed it away, only hoping that she would show up soon. Or... or maybe she was just hiding from him? But why would she hide from him? Maybe he was a little annoying but certainly she would announce her presence to him? Tamaki pulled the expression of a pout, his lower lip pushing out. Of course she would! He would not dwell on the matter any longer, but go entertain the rest of the girls. That was his job, his main goal, and he would certainly let them down if he did not go and converse and mingle.

"Oooh! Tama-chan! May I ask for a dance?"

The music had slowed down and a girl stood before him with an excited look on her face. She had long, black curls and cherry red lips. The princess had a fair skin-tone and she looked similar to a doll. "Of course, Princess!" Tamaki said happily, gently wrapping his large hand around her hand and leading her out to the rest of the swirling skirts and tapping shoes. He had always been a little nervous when dancing, especially when others were around him. It was not like Tamaki was bad at dancing, especially formal dancing! He just... he had slipped up so many times. Maybe it was his fear to seem imperfect.

It was a waltz. Tamaki quickly and fluently put his hand around her waist and he could see her cheeks flare a cherry red. 'Matches her lips.' The other arm's elbow was out and bent with her hand in it. And her other hand was on his shoulder. First beat, Tamaki stepped forward with his left foot and she followed his lead with muted enthusiasm. He then stepped toward the right with his right foot, she followed him once again. Apparently she knew how to waltz. The dance went on for a few more minutes, Tamaki leading and the pretty princess following. When it ended, he spoke a light goodbye and started to walk off when another girl called him. He was trying to get away and find the twins but... okay.

After awhile of entertaining many, many girls he walked with a purpose out of the ballroom and away from the music. A tiny sigh escaped his lips as he realized that he had not quite escaped the music. 'Dum dum dah dah. Dum dum dah dah.' Tamaki had a tendency to get such songs stuck in his head. No way of shaking it out. The blonde prince walked to the beat of the music in his head, gracefully accepting the fact that he would have to busy himself in order to forget the notes. Besides, he needed to find his comrades. The twins. They were devils in disguise and rather annoying but... he still loved them. They were his friends. Tamaki felt it was his duty to greet them as he had not seen them all night.

There they were, mirrored smiles on their faces. Where did their joy come from? Tamaki smiled happily, matching their smiles as he strode over in long steps. It was a moment that he felt content being with his friends. But that moment soon ended when his mind wandered to Haruhi. Eyebrows furrowed and a distressed look on his face, he slowed to a step in front of them. "Hikaru! Kaoru! How's the party going?" Tamaki said in his rather high-pitched tone of voice. In his opinion, anyway. Not leaving any room for a response, he continued on. "Have you seen... ah... Haruhi? She's supposed to be here!" The last words had a hint of a whine as he searched their expressions. Tamaki had wanted to talk with her but no... there was no Haruhi.

STATUS:: Finished
TAGGED:: Hikaru & Kaoru<3
WORDS:: 801 ( i think I did okay xDD)
NOTES:: -dances-
TEMPLATE:: template (c) Kazu

Turning at the sound of footsteps, Hikaru gazed over his shoulder and spotted the boss walking towards he and his brother. Placing his hands on his hips and turning fully away from Kaoru, Hikaru watched with a blank look on his face as Tono approached. So there he was, doing nothing productive as usual. At least he was out of trouble which stated a lot coming from the mind of the most mischievous one of the twins. Kaoru would have been surprised at the rather open hostility of his twins thoughts and Hikaru suddenly wondered if he really was hiding something from his brother. Was he?

“The party’s been fine boss!” Kaoru chirped cheerily. A content grin had settled itself on his delicate face that would have fooled anyone into thinking he was having the best time. Hikaru wasn’t one of those people who was easily blinded by his brother’s exterior cheeriness. He knew Kaoru was worried and probably even a little upset but at the moment the older of the two didn’t know what to do. “And Haruhi’s around; she was helping with the preparations earlier. It’s not like she really has a choice to be here or not anyways.” the boy continued. The last comment of his struck Hikaru and the red head momentarily glanced at the boss wondering what he might make of that.

Both of them knew Tono hated the idea of forcing Haruhi to be part of the Host Club even though, well, they all kind of did. She had seemed to accept it as of late though and over time, Haruhi had really become party of their fragile little ‘family’ to the point where nobody seemed to really worry about who was forced to do what anymore. For Kaoru to bring this up like this was a little tactless of him but perhaps it was just his way of pointedly attempting to communicate to the air headed Tamaki that the topic of Ms. Fujioka was not a welcome one at the moment.

Hikaru suddenly snickered. “Trying to be sneaky are we my little Kaoru-chan?” he murmured as he cupped his twins chin in a fluid movement. “Eh?!” A heated blush dotted Kaoru’s cheeks as the absurd randomness of his twin’s sudden actions alarmed him. Eyebrows twitching and mouth agape, Kaoru faltered for a response not knowing what Hikaru was suddenly playing at. Glancing at two, wide eyed females hidden just behind a column behind them, Hikaru smiled - absorbing the admiration in their gazes. “S-sneaky about what?! H-hikaru!” pushing lightly against his brother’s chest, Kaoru turned away, having caught onto the scheme, and the mischievous glint in his eye was nearly drowned by the fabricated confusion that was swirling there. “Oh you know very well what,” his twin whispered lightly pulling his face closer to that of his twin’s.

A light growl escaped Kaoru’s lips and the boy pushed away roughly, stumbling backwards in the process. Hikaru laughed and in one clean swipe he snatched a candy cane right out of his twin’s pocket and pointed upwards with it. At least three pairs of eyes must have glanced up because at that moment, Kaoru’s eyes widened and two squeals were heard from behind the column. “Y-you wouldn’t,” Kaoru squeaked. “Not now, not here! H-hikau there’s too many people.” Kaoru closed his eyes as tears slowly began to gather at his lids. The mistletoe above loomed threatening but Hikaru’s gaze softened and the boy relented, or so it seemed.

“Alright, Kaoru. I’ll let it slide this time but in return you get a punishment tonight!” the older twin declared pointing the end of the candy cane right at the tip of his twins’ nose. Cross-eyed a moment, Kaoru blinked then tears welled up in his eyes once more as a smile crossed his face. The twins then went silent as the girls behind the pillar squealed and rushed off to tell their friends about what they had witnessed. After a short pause, the twins straightened and Hikaru draped his arm around Kaoru’s shoulder turning once more to the boss as if nothing had happened.

“C’mon Tono, we need to get something started here.” Hikaru began. “Yeah, we might be hosting the event but there needs to be some sort of special treat to keep the guests interested.” Kaoru replied. Popping the now open candy cane into his mouth, Hikaru nodded.

- - - Ninety-nine dreams I have had,
And every one a red balloon - - -



- - - It's all over and I'm standing pretty,
In the dust that was a city - - -

Tamaki was rather happy to see the twins, as he hated not having his family around. Amethyst colored eyes clouded with dull confusion as Hikaru put his hands on his hips and watched him approach with a blank expression. Tamaki hesitated for a moment, pulling his head back slightly in childish confusion. Had he said something, or done something to make his family angry with him? Or was Hikaru just in a bad mood? The golden haired boy's expression resumed the distressed look but he was no longer thinking of Haruhi, but Hikaru. Surely the boy had not said anything to hurt them?

“The party’s been fine boss!”

Tamaki's face lit up at Kaoru's comment and his distressed expression melted away from the time being. For some reason... Kaoru seemed happier than his brother and he nibbled on his lip. So much confusion! Yet Tamaki did not let it get him down. "Good to hear, Kaoru! I myself have been entertaining the lovely ladies that arrived." He ran his fingers up his forehead and flipped his bangs outward, turning and winking to a bunch of girls who were hiding behind the column. There were a bunch of muffled giggles as he turned away toward the twins again.

“And Haruhi’s around; she was helping with the preparations earlier. It’s not like she really has a choice to be here or not anyways.”

Tono's face hardened as he looked at the twins, opening his mouth to speak and then closing it. The golden haired boy did not force her to be anywhere (despite the fact that he eagerly awaited her arrival)! She had joined openly! Tamaki felt childish anger wash over him. Was he really possessive over her, was that what Kaoru was hinting at? Instead of speaking, he merely shook it off. Never mind, maybe it was just the twin's way of saying that the topic was not welcome? Surely they did not mind answering his innocent question? Tamaki told himself to never be frustrated with his family but it was rather hard. 'Leave it alone, Tamaki.'

“Trying to be sneaky are we my little Kaoru-chan?”

Tamaki's eyebrows furrowed deeply as the eldest twin cupped his hand under the latter's chin in a swift and fluid motion. Another one of their acts. He could not help but smile and watch, after all... they were merely trying to entertain the girls that were hiding out and watching their conversation. Tamaki had learned that since his popularity had risen he did not have much privacy. Girls wanted to see everything and it did not bother him too much. Maybe sometimes when he wanted to speak with his fellow comrades alone but... the girls would be pleased first. His attention was snapped back to the twins as Kaoru blushed and uttered an "Eh?!" and blushed. Maybe it was rather creepy, their antics but... Tamaki was used to it.

“S-sneaky about what?! H-Hikaru!”

A smirk crossed the prince's expression as Kaoru quickly caught on and acted like he still had no idea. 'Humph. I could do that.' Maybe he was a little competitive but it did not bother him too much that they got attention from the girls. After all, he got more girls by a landslide. Tamaki continued to smirk as the latter twin pushed against Hikaru's chest and turned away. Such acting. He was almost as absorbed as the girls were as Hikaru continued to get closer to Kaoru's face. Tamaki licked his lips and shuffled to the side, his expression was a little confused as he tried to get a better view of the antics. Sometimes their acting was just so interesting! Tamaki honestly could not act like that, even though he secretly admired it.

“Oh you know very well what,”

Tamaki's eyes lit up as his interest peaked. Kaoru growled and shoved Hikaru away, stumbling backward in the process. Tamaki could not help but think of how homosexual it was, mainly in his opinion, and how disturbing it was that they were twins. But it was merely what they did to peak the interest of the girls. They melted, as usual. Tamaki couldn't help but turned and stare at the girls as they giggled and watched with determined interest. The blonde smiled his weak smile and turned back to the twins. Hikaru laughed and snatched a candy cane out of Kaoru's pocket and pointed it at the latter. Tamaki chuckled as the girls squealed from behind the white column.

“Y-you wouldn’t,” Kaoru squeaked. “Not now, not here! H-hikau there’s too many people.”

Tamaki was intensely silent, watching as Kaoru's eyes welled up with those fake tears. They were so convincing though it was... like he was watching a drama show. Mistletoe hung up above them and Tamaki couldn't help but utter another chuckle. Hopefully he did not sound evil but he could not help but chuckle. It was so convincing... and it was funny how the girls just fell over themselves over it.

“Alright, Kaoru. I’ll let it slide this time but in return you get a punishment tonight!”

The blonde haired young man smirked as Kaoru looked cross-eyed at the candy cane that Hikaru pointed at his nose. The antics ended quickly and he leaned backward against the column that the twins had once been leaning on as well. He had the urge to start shouting 'Bravo!' but it was ruin the effect that it had on the girls. Tamaki grinned shrugged as the girls squealed and galloped off to go scream it to the heavens that the twins had another scene. Funny how interesting their acting was, and how it even captured Tamaki's interest in it. His blonde bangs were moved once again as his long, lanky fingers ran through them.

“C’mon Tono, we need to get something started here.” Hikaru began. “Yeah, we might be hosting the event but there needs to be some sort of special treat to keep the guests interested.” Kaoru replied.

Tamaki merely shrugged, staring the candy-cane that was dangling from the latter's mouth. He nibbled on his pink lips for a moment, shrugging again. "First and foremost, that was some fantastic acting." Tamaki spoke in a hushed tone. "... Maybe..." The prince had watched many dramas in his life and began thinking of something to spice up the party. "I suppose we could always... fake a disaster? Or maybe go on a wild goose chase after something fake...?" Tamaki prompted quietly, eyes skirting over the twins with a bored expression. He was bored. Tamaki would rather spice things up, as the twins would too.

STATUS:: Finished
TAGGED:: Hikaru & Kaoru<3
WORDS:: 1110 O___O
NOTES:: -dances-
TEMPLATE:: template (c) Kazu

{Drench yourself in words unspoken}
Live your life with arms wide open

A soft sigh could be heard by anybody that currently resided in the empty hallways that filled the Hitachiin residence. And where exactly did this sound of discontent reverberate from? After all, it was only the most awaited party of the year, hosted by the appropriately named Host Club, held in honor of the holidays. Every girl that attended the large school was all atwitter with giddy feelings and anticipation as the day of the formal dance was set. They were all so excited for the dance, the day they could show off the expensive dress that they had begged daddy dearest to purchase, no matter the insane cost of it, hopes high in catching the heart of one of the famous hosts. So, with these facts known, where exactly DID this soft sigh come from? Why, it came from none other Ariana Valentine, one of the only girls in the school who wasn’t desperately out for the heart of a host member as if it was some kind of prize you could win. She was also one of the few that didn’t want to attend the dance.

Don’t get her wrong, she isn’t the anti-social type that just doesn’t like to attend big gatherings and would rather be at home reading or drawing or something (which, at this moment, sounded so much more appealing). No, she actually liked to attend parties when she had the hopes of making a new friend. However, at this specific occasion, it was very unlikely for her to meet somebody that would be willing to be her friend. Every other girl here looked at other unknown females such as herself as the possible enemy. It was all a waste of time really. Why do all these girls constantly fawn over the Host Club? It was with this thought that Ariana let out another sigh, hanging her head ever so slightly. Sure, the Host Club members were extremely handsome, much more handsome than quite a few men she had ever seen, but what exactly was the true character that each member held? Were they really just like they acted or not? In Ariana’s opinion, you should at least get to know the true personality of someone before you started to fall as hard as the girls around her seemed to think they had.

And yet, here she stood, at the party that she totally didn’t want to be at. Why was she here again? Her parents, of course, were the reason once more. They seemed to be the reason she was attending so many parties and social gatherings recently. She had to uphold the name of the Valentine family by going to the parties that her peers would all gather. You know, spread the name and keep the Valentine family in good respect and get in good with the girls her age. Basically, she was a walking billboard. And tonight, with the outfit that her parents had specifically bought and chosen for her, she was definitely just that. Her parents, the kind souls that they were, just had to choose the prettiest dress they could that they expected their daughter to wear. And it was a pretty dress. It was a deep, forest green that extended to her ankles with several tiers to the dress. Just beneath the bust of the dress was a chocolate brown band that tied into a bow in the front. It really was pretty. However, it was not exactly the bet choice for a girl such as Ariana.

For one, the length should have ended at around the knee, lessening the chances for the young woman to trip on the extra fabric. But, the most obvious mistake was the fact that it was strapless. Really, for a girl with Ariana’s figure, this was not a good move. It was hard enough for her to wear a dress with straps without showing to much cleavage, but a strapless? It much made it impossible for her to do anything. It could be an explanation as to why all the other girls stared at her with hostility. It was a pretty dress, and surprisingly comfortable, but not a good choice for the poor girl. Her shoes, which were hidden beneath the fabric of her dress, were a simple brown pair of flats. No flashy sparkles, no pretty bow, just plain brown ballet flats. When you stand at five feet, nine inches, you tend to stray from heels, especially when you’re as clumsy as Ariana. To finish off the outfit, her parents had lent her some of the new jewelry in stock. Her wrists were adorned with a number of silver bangles while around her neck hung a beautiful silver and diamond heart with silver stud earrings. Really, she was a walking billboard!

As for her hair, she got to choose how she did that herself. The light orange locks fell to her lower back in wavy curls, her bangs covering her forehead, almost getting in her eyes. She was actually rather happy with how her hair came out. It was simple, in a way, but she liked it. No elegant and complicated bun, no fancy twist, just curls that didn’t take much time. It was her favorite part of the entire outfit, even over the extravagant jewelry. A sudden thought popped in her mind and a wide smile formed on Ariana’s lightly make-uped face. Her parents said to wear the jewelry to the party and everything, but how would they know that she had kept on the flashy silver pieces the entire time? Happy with her geniusness, she was quick to remove the pieces of jewelry, storing almost all of it in the confines of her handbag. She kept two of the bangles on, for a little flash, but it wasn’t nearly as much as she had on at the beginning.

With a content smile, she snapped her little bag closed, putting it back in its regular position at her side. It was as she did this that a strange sound began to fill her ears, getting louder with every passing second. ”What the hell,” Ariana muttered to herself, her large brown eyes noticing two dots becoming bigger and getting closer. So that’s the source of the sound, she thought, watching as the two squealing girls ran past her, screaming things like ’Omg, wait till they hear about this!’ and ’I can’t believe we are this lucky!’ Well, these statements peaked the interest of the young woman. What exactly had they seen? So, moving from her leaning position against the wall outside the large hall, she began to walk slowly towards the direction the two girls just ran from. What exactly would she find in this direction? She hoped that it would be worth her while.

DRESS
HAIR

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- - - - Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten - - - -

tagged:: Twins/Tamaki
words:: 1,133
notes:: HTTYD music is the shizz!
credit::Kazu