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It had started as a silly experiment, something that Fuyumi had brought up when they were only children. Kyoya had been only starting kindergarten at the time, just beginning to outgrow fairytales and turn towards nonfiction. When their older brothers had scoffed at the idea, Kyoya had to agree. Soulmates didn’t exist. Ever relentless, Fuyumi had refused to give up until their father had finally devoted a small study to it as her twelfth birthday gift.
The results hadn’t been as black and white as anyone had expected, so the Ootori Group had quietly continued to research soulmates for the following decade. As Kyoya was completing his first year of high school they had finally gotten what they’d been searching for, proof of their existence and a way to monetise it. Since meeting Tamaki, Kyoya had slowly been paying more attention to the project. It had begun to yield fruit after all. It was foolish not to adapt one’s world view with new information and if you asked he would tell you the timing was pure coincidence. Just like how if you asked him why when at the end of his summer break the initial plans for the soulmarks were announced he’d stepped in immediately, he’d say it was for marketing purposes only.
One thing that didn’t come naturally to Ootoris was romanticism, which is why the original plan had been a simple serial number that would match with your soulmate’s. It was simple, objective, and relatively inexpensive. Great for business, not so great for the type of people that believe in soulmates without years of clinical trials. At first Kyoya had been brushed off, but his experience in marketing to more fanciful customers was undeniable. His father issued a challenge, if he could design a better way and present it to the board at the end of the month then he would consider it.
It was harder than he had expected, the problem came from the fact that he would need to generate a mark without perfect information. Once one soulmate took the test they would receive their mark and wait for their perfect match to also take the test, until then there would be no way to know who it was, so names or other personal indicators were out of the question. He needed a way to zhuzh up what data could be collected from one party, and then simplify it into a simple mark, and have billions of unique iterations. It was a tall order, but Kyoya had no concerns about his ability to rise to the occasion. All he needed was the right help.
Bribery was one of his strong suits, and a fistful of maple candies easily lured Kaoru into the back of his car. He hadn’t bothered to ask a single question, just climbing in and popping one into his mouth. They’d made it halfway to the Ootori estate before he spoke up.
“You know if you had a van and not a limo that would’ve looked very different.”
“It’s a good thing I wouldn’t drive a van then.” Kyoya replied, setting aside his notebook.
Chuckling at the mental image, Kaoru turned to him. “So what am I being kidnapped for?”
“I need your unique skillset for a project my father has given me. We only have until the end of the month to complete it.”
Kaoru raised an eyebrow. “We? I haven’t agreed yet.”
“People rarely agree when kidnapped.” Kyoya countered, “And you will once I tell you what the proposal is. Do you believe in soulmates, Kaoru?”
“Don’t tell me you do.”
“Actually, I started believing in them quite recently. Some new information came to light.” Kyoya flipped through the papers in his bag to find the latest report from the OSMTF (Ootori Soulmate Task Force) but was interrupted when Kaoru grabbed his arm.
“Wait a second, you’re serious? The Shadow King believes in soulmates, that's so cute!”
“I take it from your reaction that you don’t agree.” Kyoya raised an eyebrow, handing over the document.
Kaoru snatched it immediately, skimming the first few sentences. When the realisation of what he was reading hit him, Kyoya caught his face freeze, then his eyebrows pinched together. Going back to the top, he read the page more thoroughly.
With a scoff, Kaoru looked back at him. “You’re messing with me. There’s just no way that the Ootori group has been researching soulmates.”
“Is it so unbelievable? The projections for the new testing facility are very good. They’re on page 4.”
Kaoru stared at him, scrutinising his face for any hint of dishonesty. After finding none, he paged through the report again. “So, what did you want me for? Sounds like you’re right on schedule for the launch.”
“Exactly the reason for our tight schedule. I saw a flaw with the marketing, one that I’ll need your help fixing. You see, the original plan for the mark was a simple serial number.”
“Of course it was.” Kaoru rolled his eyes.
A smile pulled across Kyoya’s face. “I figured you’d disapprove, and god help me if Tamaki found out. So I suggested something a bit more whimsical, and what I came up with I need you for. Specifically, your knowledge of flowers and coding.”
“Oh, I get it. Instead of a boring number, everybody gets flowers.” Nodding, Kaoru tilted his head. “I don’t see why it has to be me though.”
“Well, I don’t have to draft an NDA for you.”
He laughed, but seemed to be satisfied by Kyoya’s answer. They rode in comfortable silence to the Ootori estate, Kaoru giving the report a more thorough read while Kyoya simply enjoyed the brief break between schoolwork and Ootori work. All too soon they reached their destination and as they stepped out of the car Kaoru broke the quiet with a groan.
“Please tell me Akito isn’t home.”
“We should be the only ones here for a few more hours.” Though he rolled his eyes at Kaoru’s grin, Kyoya had to admit he was glad for it too.
Once they settled together on Kyoya’s couch the work began. Kyoya as always started with a plan while Kaoru jumped straight into his sketchbook. By the time Kyoya had all of their deadlines laid out Kaoru had drawn out several different roses, ranging from minimalist to kitchy. Then, they swapped notebooks to review each other’s work.
“I think we should add some colour to these.” Kyoya said.
“Well obviously, knock yourself out.” Snapping a picture of Kyoya’s schedule, Kaoru passed the notebook back to him. “I need to take a look at this soulmate algorithm."
From his bag, Kyoya pulled his laptop and a set of markers. “You can use my computer as long as I can see the screen at all times.”
Kaoru stuck out his tongue but placed the laptop on the coffee table in front of them. Settling on the floor, he glanced up at the snap of a marker lid. Kyoya had opted to begin with purple and Kaoru couldn’t help but roll his eyes.
“Narcissist.”
“You have work to do.”
They worked in quiet tandem, only interrupted by Kaoru occasionally calling the code some increasingly elaborate synonym of gross. Once he’d parsed what he needed, Kaoru leaned his head back against the couch. From the corner of his eye he watched Kyoya using a peach marker to finish his last rose with a surprising amount of care. A smile pulled at the corner of his mouth, of course Kyoya would take even preliminary sketches too seriously. Just as quickly the smile faded.
“I can’t believe soulmates are actually a thing.”
“You don’t seem very pleased about it.” Kyoya didn’t look up from his work, but Kaoru knew that didn’t mean he wasn’t listening.
“Well, what’s the fun in having someone that you’re destined to fall for? That’s boring.”
“Several of our tests have come back with platonic or familiar soulmates, they’re not all romantic. Besides, just because you have a soulmate doesn’t mean you have to be with them if you don’t want to. Knowing you, you’ll probably choose to make them work for it anyways.” With a smile, Kyoya capped his marker and turned to him.
“If there’s one thing my soulmate won’t be, it's a slacker.” Kaoru reached a hand out, “Now lemme see.”
Each rose had been assigned a host club member, the simplest one coloured a dark blue, then red, purple, orange, light blue, pink, and the final one was white. Kaoru bit the inside of his cheek to refrain from calling Kyoya cute again. He had learned that he only got limited uses of that one.
“I think the one in the middle is best.” Kyoya said.
Kaoru felt a brush of satisfaction, “Actually, looking at the algorithm I was thinking everyone should get three flowers assigned to them. It would look better and there could be more variety. Maybe a mix of both of ours.”
“You’re making more work for yourself.”
“If I’m going to have this on me forever it’s going to look good.” Kaoru said, “Speaking of work though, what exactly is it that I get for doing this for you?”
“The satisfaction of my father picking our idea when Akito called it a waste of time.”
“I’m in.”
“I thought so.”
“Have you told them that you were asking me to help you?” Kaoru asked, picking himself up off the floor.
The corner of Kyoya’s mouth twitched up despite himself. “I wouldn’t want to deprive you of seeing my brother’s face when you turn up at the presentation at the end of the month.”
“How do you know he’ll even be there?”
“He’s already asked my father if he can sit in.”
With a snicker, Kaoru gathered his things. “Speaking of brothers, I should get going.”
“I’ll see you out.” Kyoya said.
“You just want to make sure I don’t say anything to Akito.”
“I never said otherwise.” Kyoya held the door open for Kaoru, “Shall we?”
Making small talk about upcoming club events on their way out, sure enough they passed Akito just entering. With Kyoya there Kaoru didn’t speak, but did give him a smug grin as they went by. After watching Kaoru’s car drive off, Kyoya turned to go back to his room but his path was blocked by his brother.
“Don’t you have more important things to be doing? The board's time is very valuable, all your energy should be on that presentation.”
Kyoya put on a neutral smile as he walked around him. “I appreciate the concern, but everything is perfectly on track for the end of the month.”
In fact, they were moving along ahead of schedule, as that night he received an email from Kaoru with several attached images. Each one was a page full of flower line art, from blooming chrysanthemums to elegant trilliums. There was no subject line and the only thing in the body was a simple ‘colour these’.
He still had some unfinished homework, but it wasn’t due until the end of the week, and he had been specifically told to devote all of his energy to the project. As he clicked print, he muttered to himself, cursing Kaoru’s negative influence. It didn’t stop him from retrieving his pages and retaking his seat on the couch.
As he was putting the finishing touches on a tiger lily it occurred to him that in the near future it would be his and Kaoru’s combined work permanently emblazoned on his wrist. His and Kaoru’s art would represent love to everyone that took the test. The thought lit a fire in his chest and warmed his cheeks. Taking a long drink of water, he tried to calm himself. When he continued it was with a smile he couldn’t force off his face if he wanted to.
There was still much left to do and not a lot of time to do it, so Kaoru made a habit of slipping away while Hikaru was distracted so he could work at Kyoya’s. As much as he’d like to tell him where he was going, there were too many questions that he couldn’t answer. Instead he came up with a variety of excuses to avoid talking about the program. They were making good progress working in parallel and Kaoru didn’t want to interrupt their flow.
He had also noticed that when he tried to work on it by himself it was much harder to focus on the task and not the implications behind it. Every line of code and new flower drawn brought him one step closer to finding out his soulmate. A permanent and irreparable change. Naturally he could expect that it would be a change for the better, but he wasn’t convinced. Alone in his room perfecting the hellebore he was certain would be on Honey’s wrist soon, his head filled with all the negative outcomes.
Of course there was always the option of not getting a mark at all, though it opened its own can of worms. Hikaru would go along with it if he asked him to, they could go on with identical bare wrists for as long as he wanted. It was something he would never ask for though. As selfish as he tended to be, he couldn’t keep Hikaru from his hypothetical soulmate for his own sake. Instead he sat by Kyoya’s side, occasionally taking breaks from his work to bother him when the dread began to build.
Of course he could only disappear so many times before his brother began to ask questions. With a week left until the dreaded presentation, Kaoru came home to a dark room. As he placed his bag down the desk lamp came on. Hikaru twirled around to face him from his desk chair, arms crossed and one eyebrow raised. And people called Kaoru dramatic.
“Pretty late to be coming home from school, Kaoru.”
“Well I’m not coming from school. I had something to do today.” Kaoru rebuffed him.
“And yesterday, and last week. You know you can’t lie to me.”
“So I’ve been busy, is that a crime?”
“You’re really not going to tell me? We’re supposed to tell each other everything.” Clenching his fists, Hikaru looked away.
“Hikaru, it’s not a big deal. I ju-”
“Not a big deal?!” Hikaru sprung out of his seat, “He’s your first boyfriend and you’re hiding it! It’s a huge deal!”
They stood in silence for a moment until Kaoru managed to wrap his head around what he said. “Hikaru, what the hell are you talking about?”
“I wanted to know what you were doing but I knew you wouldn’t tell, so I followed you. You’ve been sneaking off with Kyoya senpai, I saw you get into his car.”
The noise that left Kaoru could politely be described as a cackle. He doubled over, struggling to breathe as the full weight of Hikaru’s misunderstanding settled on him. To his credit, Hikaru had the sense to realise something in his logic had gone awry. Once Kaoru managed to control his giggles and wiped the tears gathering in his eyes, he took a deep breath.
“Hikaru, I’m not dating Kyoya. We’re working on a top secret presentation for his father together.”
“Why did he ask you instead of the boss, his dad loves Tamaki.”
“Did you miss the top secret part? Besides, he needed my unique abilities.” Kaoru tried, and failed, not to preen when he said it.
Hikaru raised an eyebrow. “Oh really. So then why does he keep staring at you like that?”
“He stares at everyone.”
“Not like that.”
“Like what?”
A smirk spread across Hikaru’s face. “Actually, nevermind. I believe you now.”
“Hey! Hikaru, like what?”
“You started the secret keeping. I guess you’ll just have to figure it out yourself.” Hikaru shrugged and climbed into bed. “And could you turn off that light”
Huffing to himself, Kaoru hit the switch to the overhead on his way to the bathroom.
Time flew by much faster than Kaoru would’ve liked, it still felt too soon to be walking into the Ootori office. To say he was nervous was an understatement. Not that he was scared to face a board of stuck up office types, Hitachiins don’t bend to boring people. He was nervous for Kyoya, this was a big chance to prove himself and Kaoru really didn’t want to mess it up for him. On instinct his hand reached out, seeking Hikaru’s. Instead it met one that was a little larger, a little thinner and much colder. Admitting his mistake would’ve been embarrassing, so he opted instead to commit to it and interlocked his fingers with Kyoya’s.
Kyoya didn’t pull away, didn’t react at all actually. He just led Kaoru by the hand into the elevator. When they reached their floor, it was Kaoru that pulled away first. Rushing off ahead so Kyoya wouldn’t see the redness of his cheeks. The meeting room was empty when they arrived, waiting for them to set up their presentation. They set to work immediately and not long afterwards Yoshio Ootori came in.
“Father, thank you for coming.” Kyoya greeted him.
Kaoru gave a quick bow before getting back to arranging their poster boards. While he worked Kyoya spoke to his father. Business talk, if not for the obvious visual cue one wouldn’t even know they were related. After a few minutes others began to trickle in and Yoshio took his seat at the head of the table. From the corner of his eye, Kaoru watched him look around then check his watch. He could feel eyes on him, but he refused to look up from the laptop showing Kyoya’s powerpoint. It took a lot more than some staring to make him sweat. Finally he looked up when Yoshio cleared his throat.
“Only one Hitachiin?”
“Yes Ootori-san,” Kaoru hesitated, unsure if it would even matter, “I’m Kaoru.”
He wrote something down, and Kaoru decided to count that as a victory. Standing up straight, he nodded to Kyoya who joined him at the front of the room. With a minute to spare, Akito slipped into the room. When he caught sight of Kaoru his jaw dropped and his eyebrows furrowed. It took all of Kaoru’s self control not to give him the stink eye, but he couldn’t when everyone was looking at him. Instead he just wore a self satisfied smirk, doing his best to commit Akito’s dumbfounded look to memory.
The clock ticked over to 2:15 and Kyoya began the meeting. For the most part, he was the one speaking while Kaoru operated the visual elements. He only spoke when spoken to, staying firmly out of Kyoya’s spotlight. Yoshio’s face remained impassive the entire time, making notes on the paper in front of him. When they finished and all the other board members had asked their questions, he leaned forward in his seat.
“Kaoru, why did you agree to join this project?”
It caught him off guard, but he recovered quickly. “My friend asked a favour, and it’s always good to have an Ootori owe you a favour.”
Finally Yoshio’s straight face cracked the smallest smile. He stood and everyone else in the room took the cue to gather their things. With his neutral mask back on, he addressed the room.
“I will need a risk and feasibility report by Monday. And, Kyoya?” He looked at his son, who stood a little straighter, “We’ll continue to discuss this at home.”
It wasn’t the praise that Kaoru had expected, but Kyoya seemed to glow like it was. While the room emptied they waited, quietly maintaining their professional demeanour. As soon as the door shut, Kaoru heaved a loud sigh and flopped into a chair. Shaking his head Kyoya began to gather their things.
“I hate meetings. Why does everyone who works here look exactly the same?”
“They follow the dress code, I expect your company has one too.”
“Yeah, dress like an Ootori employee and you’re fired.” Kaoru scoffed, “By the way, what was with your dad?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Why did he ask me why I joined?”
Kyoya paused for a moment, “He’s a curious man, and it’s probably the first time he’s seen you without Hikaru.”
With a huff, Kaoru stood to help Kyoya. “So, did that go well? I can’t read him at all.”
“Extremely. In fact, as long as the risk and feasibility report doesn’t turn up any major issues we missed, I’d say it’s a sure thing.”
They tidied the room and left the building with their heads held high, though Kaoru’s hand still twitched for something to hold onto. Instead, he tucked them into his pockets until they got to his car. Hiding his nerves behind a wide smile, he waved goodbye as Kyoya opened his door before the driver could.
He moved to close it but paused, looking in with a smile. “Thank you, Kaoru.”
Practically melting into his seat despite the nip of fall air, Kaoru nodded. “Anytime.”
True to his word, when they sat down for dinner that night Kyoya answered every question his father came up with. He had planned for everything from finances to marketing to real estate, and each question he answered with ease. That is, until the final one. From the head of the table, his father studied him for a moment before asking him.
“You didn’t choose Kaoru Hitachiin for this out of convenience, or for his skillset, did you?”
He froze, fork halfway to his lips. With the way he’d said it, surely his father already knew the answer. This, as all things his father did, was a test. Swallowing, he met his father’s eye.
“They were benefits, but not the reason, no.”
Yoshio nodded. “You’ve done well Kyoya.”
“Thank you.”
Whether he meant with the plan or Kaoru, Kyoya wasn’t sure, but he would take any praise his father was willing to give. The next week he was glad to report back to Kaoru that the project had been approved. In rapid succession, land was purchased, new digitized versions of their flowers were made (under Kaoru’s observation of course), and the test was ready for trials by spring break.
Of course Fuyumi was the first in line a few months later once it was determined that the soulmate test had passed all of its safety trials. Only after she and her husband agreed that the results wouldn’t affect their marriage of course. Luckily, they returned with matching marks and soon their house was redecorated with zinnia motifs everywhere. It was a bit garish, but nobody could blame Fuyumi for her excitement. Yoshio took the opportunity to brag about him choosing the perfect husband for her. Though his brothers both rejected the idea of taking the test, Kyoya found himself just as eager as his sister.
He refused to show it, so he held off as long as he could. Though he had intended to wait and get his mark alongside the rest of the host club, it was two months before he found himself sitting quietly in the barren waiting room of the new facility with his nose buried in a book he wasn’t reading. When the nurse came to get him he followed her, biting back his smile. He was scanned and prodded and questioned all day, the system not yet refined into the streamlined customer service version, but it was worth it. In the end he stared down at his left wrist, a bit sore from receiving his mark.
It was so obvious, not just from looking at it now but also looking back. All that time it had been sitting right at the back of his mind. Sprawling across his wrist was a pumpkin vine, dotted with bright orangey-yellow blossoms. The centerpiece was a large orange alstromeria, framed by violet carnations. Loyal friendship, capriciousness, he wasn’t sure about the meaning of the pumpkin blossoms, but he knew for certain who they reminded him of.
Come Monday he would have to hide it, he couldn’t let Kaoru know before he took the test himself. Letting any member of the club know would be as good as telling Kaoru himself. Much worse, actually. So he rifled through his drawers, seeking something that covered the expanse of his wrist. He settled on a leather bracelet, one Kaoru had given him years ago in an attempt to improve his style. At the time he’d brushed him off and never bothered to put it on. He still thought the clean look suited him better, but the strap was the perfect thickness to hide the sprawling green vines. With a little chuckle, Kyoya donned the bracelet. Kaoru would be his own undoing.
After the final bell on Monday, Kyoya adjusted his sleeve, ensuring his mark was covered completely before entering the club room. Waiting at his usual table for the rest of the club to arrive, he ran through the plan in his head once more. He needed to get as much information out before Tamaki got distracted. When the doors next opened it was Haruhi and the twins that came in, Hikaru trailed after Haruhi while Kaoru came to sit next to Kyoya.
“Is that the bracelet I got you?”
Kyoya sighed, of course he wouldn’t be able to hide it from Kaoru. “It is.”
When that got no response, Kyoya looked up from his computer. The look on Kaoru’s face was indiscernible. Though he was grinning widely, his eyebrows were pinched together. He had a fire in his eye that looked almost angry.
“You took the test, didn’t you?” As he said it, he leaned in, just barely invading Kyoya’s personal space.
So off put by Kaoru’s reaction, Kyoya nearly lied. “I did.”
“You’re really going to hide it from me?”
Sensing the tension building, Haruhi and Hikaru quieted down and watched them. Usually the attention would be unwelcome, but at the moment Kyoya would gladly accept it if it meant the two people who could most reliably stop Kaoru from mauling him were watching. Just as Hikaru began to move to interrupt, Kaoru sat back in his seat. Crossing his arms and putting his nose in the air, he scoffed.
“Fine, I didn’t want to know anyway.”
Before Kyoya’s brain could catch up with the situation, Tamaki burst into the room. He let himself run on autopilot for a moment, cutting off Tamaki to make his announcement, but when his eyes caught on Kaoru joining his brother by Haruhi’s side, he stumbled over his words.
“Are you feeling okay Senpai?” Haruhi asked, keeping a keen eye on Kaoru.
“Yes, thank you. As I was saying, in two weeks during summer break I’ve arranged for you, and of course Honey senpai and Mori senpai, to join me at my family's newest facility.”
“So you want us to be your guinea pigs again.” Haruhi said.
“That sounds excellent Kyoya! What is it, another tropical resort?” Tamaki asked.
“I assure you, all of the safety checks have already gone through, and no, not exactly. It’s a botanical garden and a testing facility.”
“And what does it test for Kyoya?” Kaoru asked.
“Well, last year my family was able to prove the existence of soulmates. This test can find them.”
Raising an eyebrow, Hikaru asked, “Soulmates?”
“Soulmates!?” Tamaki grabbed him by the shoulders, “Kyoya, how could you not tell me sooner?”
“So that’s why Kaoru was acting weird? You took a soulmate test.” Haruhi said.
Nodding, Kaoru poked her cheek. “I didn’t expect you to accept it so easily.”
“Well he said that it was proven, right? It would be a pretty weird thing for the Ootori’s to lie about.”
Kaoru sighed, “You’re completely hopeless.”
“Kyoya, is it true? You’ve taken the test already?” With tears in his eyes, Tamaki gripped his shoulders tighter.
“Yes, and before you ask, no you can not see my mark.”
“How could you?”
“Quite easily, actually.” Kyoya shrugged him off.
Crumpling dramatically to the floor, Tamaki clung onto his pant leg. “After so many years of friendship, I’ve been spurned like this. Traître, how would you feel if I didn’t let you know my soulmate?”
“Well, if you don’t want to join us you’re more than welcome to stay home.”
“Yeah boss, why don’t you stay home while we all go get tested together.” Kaoru draped himself across Haruhi’s shoulders.
Hikaru mirrored him a moment later, “Haruhi, I think blue really suits you, you know. Maybe a blue rose.”
In an instant Tamaki was back on his feet snatching Haruhi away, jostling her around like a rag doll. Poor girl, Kyoya thought, tuning out whatever nonsense Tamaki had started spouting. In a few weeks that would be permanently her problem. Without Haruhi between them, the twins were left leaning against each other. Kaoru’s face remained impassive, but his fingers sunk into Hikaru’s shoulder.
That evening they all filled out the very long questionnaire Kyoya gave them. After only a few minutes, Kaoru had to move to a different room to fill his out. The constant glances from Hikaru were driving him crazy. Tucked away in the corner of the garden, Kaoru spent hours answering each question with care. It wasn’t until the sun had set and one of the maids came to find him that he came back inside. Reading it over once more before bed, he sighed. It would take too long to come up with a plan to break into the Ootori building and find Kyoya’s questionaire. He would just have to have patience.
He did not have patience, but neither did anybody else. In the last week of school before break, each member of the host club made an attempt to see Kyoya’s mark. At least once a day Tamaki would point and yell ‘what’s that?’, even though it hadn’t worked the first time. Once several of the twins' attempts were thwarted, including the ‘Plan B(rute force)’, they enlisted Haruhi. She used her height to her advantage, trying to sneak a peek while Kyoya was writing in his notebook. Honey came closest during a visit to the high school, shamelessly using his training to sneak up and almost managing to remove Kyoya’s bracelet. If you asked Kyoya, he would say that Mori’s attempt was the best though. He had walked up and asked so earnestly it was difficult for even The Shadow King himself to say no.
Luckily, it wasn’t a long wait until they were all piled in his family’s car and headed out of town. Chatter surrounded them as Kyoya watched Kaoru watching trees and signs go past out the window. When he perked up, he knew they had arrived. Haruhi was the first to point it out, commenting on the bright rainbow of flowers visible surrounding the glass building. Everyone glued themselves to the windows except for Kyoya and Kaoru. As praise filled the car, Kaoru gave Kyoya a satisfied grin.
Tamaki was the first to burst out of the town car once they reached the testing facility, Kyoya wasn’t even sure they’d reached a full stop before he had opened the door. Behind him Haruhi struggled to keep up as she was dragged by the wrist, Hikaru pushing at her back to usher her forward. Kaoru hung back, allowing Honey and Mori out first, and Kyoya had to fight to keep the smirk off his face. Oh how he enjoyed being in the know.
“You’re really not going to show your mark until after we all get them?” Kaoru asked.
“You really think I would go this long just to give up at the finish line?”
Kaoru got out of the car and stuck his tongue out at him before rushing off to rejoin the group. Trailing behind them, Kyoya watched Kaoru smoothly extract Haruhi from Tamaki and Hikaru’s grasp. He sped to catch up with them, if for no other reason than to make Tamaki stop yelling ‘Mama’ where his father might hear it. Haruhi took the opportunity to free herself, standing next to Honey and Mori.
“Isn’t this so exciting Haru-chan?” Honey beamed up at her.
“I still don’t really get how all this works,” Haruhi said, “Is it really safe?”
Abandoning Tamaki, Kyoya joined them. “Don’t be silly, it’s only a few scans and an extensive psychological evaluation. Plus there’s a lavish waiting room to stay in once your mark is developed, one with plenty of snacks.”
Haruhi sagged. “Fine, let’s go.”
They quickly fell in line and from the corner of his eye Kyoya saw Kaoru grab his brother’s hand. Led by Haruhi, the group entered a bright lobby full of plush cream couches and vases of red tulips. On one wall was a screen looping the welcome video, and on the opposite side the drawings he and Kaoru had prepared were framed. Standing behind a pink marble counter, a woman smiled at them.
“Welcome, we’ve got everything ready for you. Please take a seat and our nurses will be with you shortly. Can I get you anything while you wait?”
Kyoya jotted down a few thoughts in his notebook, “I’ll have a sparkling water, thank you. They will be going three at a time, yes?”
“That’s right, we will be starting with Fujioka, Haninozuka, and Hitachiin Hikaru.”
Hikaru’s grip on Kaoru’s hand tightened. “Do we have to go in order?”
“Hikaru, it’ll be fine. Just like going to the doctor.” Bumping their shoulders together, Kaoru grinned at him, “Come on, don’t be a baby.”
“I’m not a baby, we both know you’re the one who’s going to be sitting here getting yourself worked up until it’s your turn.”
“Don’t start with me today.” Kaoru rolled his eyes, playfully shoving him away.
The nurses arrived to cut off the conversation, whisking away Haruhi and Honey. The third nurse approached the twins with a smile.
“Hitachiin Hikaru, are you ready to begin?”
With a deep breath, Hikaru stood and followed the nurse towards a set of double doors. Just before he went through he glanced back and gave Kaoru a little wave. Kaoru waved back, but once the door shut his shoulders sagged. Stepping away from the desk, Kyoya went to join him. He was cut off by an employee handing him the water he’d requested.
“Your father had requested you in his office.”
“Thank you.”
Resisting the urge to drag his feet, Kyoya walked a bit faster than needed to his fathers office. As he entered his father set aside the notebook he had been writing in. Kyoya waited for his father to begin speaking, but instead he just watched him. After a moment he realised he was staring at the bracelet hiding his mark.
“Did you need something father?”
“You’ve always been the most sentimental of your brothers, Kyoya.” He paused, and they both sized each other up for a moment, “It gives you an edge that they don’t have. In more things than I realised.”
“Thank you.”
Kyoya stood in silence as his father gathered up his papers. One in particular caught his attention. Hitachiin Kaoru in bold letters at the top of the page. Upon closer inspection, all the papers were related to him in some way. His family's stocks, his school records, a critics review of some of his designs. When Kyoya came in he’d been writing notes about Kaoru.
“He’s here now, yes?”
“The entire host club came today.”
“He wouldn’t have come if not for your project.”
Kyoya’s lips twitched into a smile before he could stop them. “No, I expect not.”
Yoshio stood and walked past Kyoya. When he reached the door he turned back. Meeting his eyes, Kyoya braced for whatever may come.
“Kyoya, whatever you do, don’t allow Yuzuha to change your name to Hitachiin.”
It took everything he had to hold it together until his father had left. When he had, Kyoya deflated into laughter. The tension bled from his shoulders with each chuckle, leaving him feeling weightless as he left the office.
When Kyoya returned to the lobby Kaoru had disappeared, the magazine he’d been reading abandoned on the end table. A quick glance confirmed that Tamaki and Mori were occupied, so he set off to find him. He had a good bet on where he’d be. Following the decorative arrow hung on the wall, Kyoya made his way out to the botanical garden.
He made his way through the rainbow of roses, past camellias that were just beginning to mature and budding cosmos until through the greenhouse window he spotted bright orange hair. Bending down, Kaoru gently lifted a forget-me-not that had begun to droop. Surrounded by only flowers, Kyoya allowed himself to smile as he watched him. When Kaoru stood again Kyoya continued on his path. He briefly lost track of him amongst the lilies, but eventually found him sitting with the carnations. With a faraway look in his eye, Kaoru took a deep inhale of the yellow carnation by his side.
“Shouldn’t you at least wait to see your mark first?”
Kaoru jolted, looking up to see Kyoya sidestepping a fallen delphinium flower. He glanced back to the flower in his hand and chuckled. Taking the hand Kyoya offered, he stood and brushed himself off.
“You should tell your gardeners these need sweeter soil, they’re discolouring.”
“I’ll make a note of it.” Kyoya said, stroking his finger over a nearby purple carnation, “They’re a personal favourite of mine, such a range of meanings.”
“It was probably a weird choice to include yellow here anyways, isn’t everyone here supposed to end up happy?” Gazing over the variety of colours blooming, Kaoru’s eyebrows pulled together.
“That remains to be seen, but I don’t think you have anything to worry about in that regard.” Kyoya said.
“Really? All I’ve been doing since you told me about this is worry.”
“Can you honestly say you wouldn’t be worrying about Hikaru if I hadn’t?” Starting down one of the paths, Kyoya glanced over his shoulder to make sure Kaoru was following.
He was, though visibly not happy about it. “That’s not the point. Besides, I’m not only worried about Hikaru. I still haven’t even figured out which possibility is worst case scenario.”
“Oh? And what would those scenarios be?”
“Either nothing changes, Hikaru and get matching marks and we’re destined to be one unit forever, or everything changes, Hikaru and I get different marks and I have to just count on fate that I get someone who-” He huffed, gazing over the chrysanthemums, “I guess I just prefer old fashioned pining over perfect matches.”
“If it helps, just because I know my soulmate hasn’t reduced any of the pining.”
“You already know who it is?” Kaoru asked.
“Once I saw my mark I had no doubt, I just have to wait for him to get his too.” Kyoya reached the fence and turned to face Kaoru.
Looking straight past him at the vines sprawling across the base, Kaoru’s breath caught. Kyoya couldn’t stop the smile on his face at Kaoru’s wide-eyed shock. First came a wheeze, then Kaoru broke into full peals of laughter. Doubling over he wiped at the tears forming in his eyes.
“Who grows pumpkins in a flower garden? And they’re in such a prime spot too! What are they even supposed to mean?”
“Why don’t you see for yourself?” Kyoya gestured to the plaque.
Still fighting down giggles, Kaoru approached the plaque. In the same golden lettering as the others, it read;
Pumpkin Blossoms
Pumpkins are commonly held as a symbol of prosperity, protection, and good fortune. Their blossoms have been used in art and literature to represent ephemeral beauty and the inevitability of change. In Buddhist practices the pumpkin blossom also represents sacrifice and devotion.
Kaoru’s face locked into his signature mischievous grin, but he couldn’t hide the slight mistiness of his eyes. “Aww, did you plant these just for me?”
“Not just for you. I’m sure there will be plenty of people who will find this very informative.”
Raising an eyebrow, Kaoru scoffed. “And how many will still be blooming when this place opens next year? C’mon, you can lie better than that.”
Kyoya didn’t reply, instead looking back at the testing facility. “You know, they’re probably almost ready for you. That is, as long as none of our friends have caused any problems.”
“I’d say the chances of that are low.” Kaoru turned and started heading back. Shooting a smile over his shoulder, he put a hand on his hip. “Not coming?”
With a blink, Kyoya realised he had just been leaned against the fence watching Kaoru walk away. Keeping the embarrassment off his face, Kyoya quickly caught up with him. Side by side they made their way through the paths of flowers and this time through Kaoru could appreciate the bright blooms of the clematis vines a little better.
When they got back, a nurse was fawning over Tamaki. Another was craning her neck to make eye contact with Mori as she discussed the procedure. Waiting by the front desk was the third nurse. When she spotted him she waved.
“Hitachiin Kaoru, we're ready for you now.”
“I'm going to go see how the others are, I'll see you in the lounge.” Kyoya absconded, leaving Kaoru to be swept away by the nurse.
As he made his way down the hall he heard Honey’s voice from the lounge, telling Haruhi all about the meanings of his flowers. Reaching for his wrist, he removed the bracelet hiding his mark. It felt good to finally be able to show it to his friends. When he stepped through the door the three of them looked up, Honey and Haruhi on one couch while Hikaru sat a fair distance away.
“Kyo-chan look! These flowers are so pretty, and I’m sure I know who they mean.” Honey raised his hand so Kyoya could see the black hellebore and pink camellia sitting side by side, bracketed by vanilla flowers.
“I’m glad you’re pleased with the result, senpai.” Kyoya smiled down at him.
“Do we finally get to see your mark Kyoya senpai?” Haruhi asked, eyeing his exposed wrist.
“It only seems fair if I want to see yours.”
Without hesitation, Honey grabbed his wrist and pulled him over. Even Hikaru who had been quietly brooding off to the side joined in crowding to see the mark Kyoya had been hiding from them. All three recognised the colour scheme immediately.
“Wow, yours is really nice senpai.” Hikaru said.
“Actually, it looks pretty similar to Hikaru’s.” Haruhi said.
After a brief hesitation, Hikaru showed his mark. It was laid out in much the same way as Kyoya’s. A bright red Amaryllis flower in the center, framed with violets and finished with two red chrysanthemums. Kyoya smiled, Kaoru would be glad to see it.
“It suits you. Haruhi, what about yours?”
“Oh, I got some roses.” With a little shrug, she showed her wrist.
Side by side were a red and a white rose, accented by baby’s breath. Though it had nothing to do with him, Kyoya still felt like he’d won. He did feel at least a bit of pity for Hikaru. At least there would be someone else for him, hopefully soon. Hikaru had returned to the armchair he’d commandeered and Kyoya couldn’t blame him for it.
“Haru-chan’s flowers means pure love, isn’t that sweet?” Honey said, a little quieter than necessary. “What does yours mean Kyo-chan?”
“Loyal friendship, capriciousness and change.” Kyoya said.
“So you definitely know who it is then.” Haruhi said, more to herself than to make conversation.
“Time will tell.”
Though he tried to keep a casual demeanour, his eyes flicked up to the clock. Still so long to go until Kaoru’s test was finished. He sat between Haruhi and Honey, listening to the historical meaning of camellias. Naturally, Kaoru’s algorithm had made the perfect selection. He would have to reserve a spot for Honey’s soulmate as soon as the facility opened to the public.
Not long after conversation had faded, nerves began to build. Hikaru picked at his nails, Haruhi rolled a cherry back and forth across her plate, Kyoya pretended to work on his laptop, and Honey ignored the tension in everyone else in favour of cake. Each minute passed slower, and Kyoya had begun to doubt his initial positivity. After all, Kaoru had spent months worrying over his soulmate, there was no guarantee that he would be happy that it was Kyoya. If it even was, perhaps all the hours spent together had deluded his mind completely.
Looking back at the document he’d been typing aimlessly on, it read like a concession speech. Kaoru would either laugh in his face or kill him if he tried to say anything he’d written. Setting aside the computer he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, willing away the headache that was slowly making its presence known. Haruhi sat next to him.
“This is more nerve wracking than I thought it would be.”
“Really? Do you have doubts about your soulmate?” Kyoya asked.
“Well yeah, of all the people in the world the odds have to be pretty low.” With a sigh of her own, Haruhi leaned back. “I don’t know. Maybe there’s more choice to this than it seems.”
“Oh?”
“Like, maybe there’s a reason it seems like most of us already know our soulmates. It could be a chicken or the egg situation, if you know what I mean.”
They sat in silence for a moment, “A very i-”
“Intriguing notion, yeah, I know.” Haruhi chuckled, “Sometimes you can be so predictable.”
Kyoya’s response was interrupted by the sound of footsteps bounding towards them. A blonde blur knocked Kyoya aside and tackled Haruhi.
“Haruhi! Did you see? It must be you, we were fated from the moment we met!”
Groaning, Haruhi tried and failed to escape Tamaki’s grip on her. “Yes I saw, now let go.”
“I’ll never let go, we’ll be together forever!”
“Kyoya senpai, forget what I said. There’s no choice in this.”
At the mention of his name, Tamaki popped back to Kyoya’s side. “Kyoya! You can show me your mark now right?”
“I’d say you first, but it seems redundant after that entrance.”
He held out his wrist as Tamaki did the same. Sure enough the same roses from Haruhi’s mark adorned his wrist. Grabbing Kyoya’s arm, Tamaki yanked him forward for a better look.
“It’s Kaoru! Of course, and I was the one to introduce you!” Tamaki said. It wasn’t true, they’d met for the first time before Tamaki had even left France, but it was too late to tell him that as he faded into delusion. “To imagine, what would’ve become of your relationship if I hadn’t been here! It was truly fate, divine intervention, that led us to this day.”
He continued, but Kyoya had stopped listening. Mori had arrived, and Honey immediately bounded to his side.
“Takashi! How did it go?”
“Success and everlasting love.”
Even Tamaki cut himself off as everyone crowded to see Mori’s mark. In the center was a dahlia, bracketed by delphiniums and encircled by baby’s breath. There were oohs and ahs, but Hikaru was the first to ask,
“Do you know who?”
Mori shook his head, and some of the tension built up in Hikaru’s shoulders dissipated. They took their seats once again, this time with Hikaru sitting by Mori’s side. Watching the clock, Kyoya could feel his nerves fraying. Technically Kaoru had been a bit late, so it made sense for him to be last to arrive. It didn’t make the wait any easier. He tried to allow himself to get absorbed in the conversation, but he kept an ear out for anyone approaching the door.
Finally, the sound of shoes clicking on tile came down the hall once more. He perked up just as the door swung open to reveal Kaoru. One hand on his hip and the other gripping the knob, his gaze quickly landed on Kyoya.
“You asshole, you knew the whole time!”
Kyoya couldn’t restrain his grin. “What happened to preferring ‘old fashioned pining’, hm?”
“Shut up. You suck.” Despite his words, Kaoru plopped down on the couch next to him.
Tamaki took this cue to continue his delusion of their lives had he not invited the twins into the host club, but with a quick glance to each other, the twins cut him off with harsh reality. They laughed, but privately, Kyoya was truly glad for Tamaki’s unintentional interference with his love life. They’d met before, sure, but without the forced proximity of the club Kyoya had to wonder how many more years he’d’ve had to spend without Kaoru. He flopped dramatically against his shoulder in response to a jab by Hikaru, and Kyoya decided he’d rather focus on their future together.
“You’re thinking something cheesy aren’t you.” Kaoru said, gazing up at him with his eyes narrowed.
“That’s none of your business.”
“Oh, just like how us being soulmates was none of my business? I’ve been jealous of myself for two weeks, you jerk.”
“I wanted you to make the decision yourself. If you already knew the outcome then it wouldn’t be a leap of faith, would it?” Kyoya smirked down at him.
Rolling his eyes, he looked away to hide his smile. “Yeah, whatever. We’re getting married somewhere tropical by the way, and I’m thinking pumpkin blossoms for the appetizers, maybe pumpkin risotto, or pumpkin ravi- oof”
He was cut off by a pink velvet pillow to the face. From the opposite couch Hikaru laughed, grabbing another pillow to defend himself from retaliation.
“Hikaru! What was that for?”
“Sounds like you needed a reality check.”
Kaoru looked at Kyoya expectantly, and when he got no reaction he prodded his side. “Hello? Defend my honour or something. What kind of host are you?”
Turning to Hikaru, Kyoya smirked. “Better hit him again, the first one seems not to have worked.”
He only had a moment to see Kaoru’s shocked face before he was struck by a second pillow. In the aftermath of the ensuing fight, Haruhi helped Tamaki up while Honey and Mori kept the pillows far from the twins. Kyoya took the opportunity to pull Kaoru away from the others, leading him to a secluded area of the lounge made for this express purpose.
“You had makeout corners added to the floor plan? You really do think of everything.”
“That is not what these are for.” Though Kyoya did make a mental note of that to mention to the manager, “I wanted to talk to you in private.”
“I guess that’s a bit more important.” Kaoru crossed his arms.
“Are you… happy with the results?”
Gazing up at him with wide eyes, Kaoru smiled. “You’re nervous. That’s so cute, you can’t even ask me if I like you back like a normal person!”
Kyoya pinched Kaoru’s cheeks, tugging on them. “Just because we’re soulmates doesn't mean I’m not your senpai anymore. Show some respect.”
“Okay, okay, can I answer your question now?”
Releasing Kaoru’s face, Kyoya moved to step away. He was stopped by a hand wrapping around the back of his neck and tugging him forward. As their lips met and Kyoya froze in surprise. Kaoru’s eyes were squeezed shut and his other hand rested on Kyoya’s shoulder. Allowing himself to melt into the warmth, Kyoya’s eyes slid shut. He wrapped an arm around Kaoru to pull him closer. Both of Kaoru’s arms slipped around his neck and the thought crossed his mind that perhaps he could feel the hammering of Kyoya’s heart the same way he felt Kaoru’s breath hitch.
All too soon Kaoru was pulling away, cheeks flushed and wearing a cocky grin. “Is that a good enough answer Senpai?”
“It’ll do, for now,” Kyoya said.
He removed Kaoru’s left hand from his neck, bringing it down so he could see the flowers that sprawled across his wrist. Identical to his own, but somehow Kyoya thought they looked much better on Kaoru.