[fic] Amorphous
Title: Amorphous.
Summary: Her conscience told her she was a fool, an idiot, but curiosity won every time.
Rating: PG-13.
Word Count: 2090.
Pairing: Kyouya Hibari/Bluebell.
AN: This is nowhere near how I intended this one-shot to be, but I'm happy I was finally able to write one for my OTP. This is set in an AU, obviously, where Bluebell is a student within the middle school. akanoaki awkwardly beta'd this for me, as I was not able to scroll up.
Her heartbeat was a ripple within the surrounding puddles of water. The timing in synchronization so precise that they seemed ironic. The melody of the falling rain cascading, while changing course frequently, caused the soft patter to intensify and overpower her quiet breathing, the same breathing that would hitch with every shiver.
“Get under the umbrella.”
Another tremor shook her body, the elegant wisp of white that escaped her lips revealing the temperature. As her breath disappeared, Bluebell shook her head in silent rejection, the firm set of her pale jaw emphasizing the decision, along with the dampened tresses that were caught in movement.
“It's not an offering, get underneath, kid.”
His speech was not one of a mother hen, rather, it was blunt as there was no concern leaking into the low tone.
Meeting his stoic gaze, Bluebell firmly crossed her arms over her chest, the mocking glint partially hidden within her irides from the downpour. Idly she wondered whether the amount of farewells that had piled up had turned him bitter, accustomed to being alone.
“If I'm a kid, does that make you a pedophile, Kyouya?” The question was to rile him up; their most heated conversations usually came from when that happened-though, they were highly one-sided, despite Bluebell making herself read between the lines.
Possibly she could have been accustomed, too, as the number of farewells she'd received were hearty.
The rain showed no sign of relenting as it poured down, the eerie patter joining the gusts of wind. Albeit a heavy downfall, where they were situated could have been considered the eye of the storm.
“I've changed my mind, you can catch a cold,” Hibari replied, scowling, with an obvious flick of his bangs to the side. The ebony strands moved tauntingly, rivalling hers that clung soaked to her skin. “Just don't come near me.”
Reading between the lines was one of her favourite things to do, although the sting of his words took longer to be forgotten.
“Are you scared of catching a cold?” Raising her head, some drops escaped from the tresses of her hair; one in particular elegantly sliding down the arch of her nose, the cerulean shade that was reflected being from the strands.
The only thing that had pierced his heart had been loneliness. She knew that clearly, yet still persevered. Though, it was obvious he enjoyed the company of only himself. Somehow whenever she called him out-or simply put, Bluebell had ran into him accidentally-Hibari took all the time in the world to push her away. Seconds had ticked by and he had only just retracted his hand. The previous movements had caused no rain to fall upon him, nor had it shielded her.
“Absences are not permitted,” was the blunt response. As always the school was his first concern-Bluebell had believed that individuals were born for someone else's sake, but it was a something in Hibari's case.
“True, true,” she humoured him, a lithe finger tapping against her chin mockingly. “I'm sure the teachers would miss me.” As would Hibari's committee, Bluebell added mentally.
Naturally one of the ways she amused herself happened to be causing havoc. No one could strike her, only words being thrown thrown her way. Though, a tonfa being raised was considered a threat to some.
“That's none of my concern,” Hibari said with a bored tone, eyes almost half-lidded. “Get out of here already.” School hours had passed, yet she was still there.
“I'm waiting for the pool to open.” Bluebell shrugged, as if waiting in the rain was natural.
“Wait somewhere out of my sight.” Tender words would have been a cruel act for Hibari. Being cold, indifferent and aloof was as nice as he got.
“No,” she drawled. The downpour continued as her words were still audible. “I actually wanted to talk to you.”
“We've spoken. Now go.” A dismissive wave of his hand was added.
“Very funny.” Bluebell jutted her lower lip out dramatically, the humour only reflected within her expression, rather than the set of her lips. “Since you're so stern with your little rule, I have no choice but to wait outside, even if it's raining.” Hibari was adamant on conversing as little as possible, even more so when they were in public. At least, what the older male considered public. Crossing her arms, furrowing her eyebrows, too, Bluebell eyed the other curiously. Reading his expression was a hard task, but she believed she would soon master the art of it.
A twitch of the eyebrow meant annoyance, the upper lip frustration while the subtle furrowing of his eyebrows meant confusion. That's what Bluebell had concluded from their conversations, even if there was a fair chance of being wrong.
She swore she saw him furrow his brows. “I'm not looking for a fight again,” she pointed out quickly, still sore from the last time she had attempted to run away and happened to slip through a puddle and meet a wall, one that happily greeted her face and left a small bruise. “Can you just be normal for once?”
Hibari's eyes had narrowed before she realised what had been said. Of course, Hibari had taken it as an insult, the set of his frown becoming deeper in record time. If she squinted, Bluebell swore she cold see his fur standing on end from displeasure. Although his reaction was amusing, certainly so as her lip as twitched in pleasure, Bluebell had to wonder if she was a masochist.
“It seems you're begging to be bitten to death.” There it was, she observed, Hibari's favourite phrase. The very same one that she loved to twist, just to see the sick gleam of anger within his obsidian irides.
If she was going to hell, Bluebell had to thoroughly dig her grave first. “Not in the way you're thinking about.” She grinned wickedly.
For once there was no reaction from him. The volume of the next gust of wind was increased, almost deafening as the cerulean tresses slapped against Bluebell's face, making her more alert in the process. The goosebumps were strikingly clear across her pale arms, the colour being lost as she waited outside in the minimal amount of clothing that was allowed. Namimori was strict about uniforms, after all, and it was due to the male silently seething in front of her.
A forceful gust brushed past, some of the air getting caught up in the umbrella. The event only lasted a few insignificant seconds, yet the image in Bluebell's mind of the umbrella bring rendered useless as it was inside out and then the small flash of surprise that would surely appear in Hibari's would have been satisfying. A laugh escaped her lips as she chuckled, the sound hardly being covered by the weather. It was against her more than ever, especially as the rain decreased as her air supply was getting shorter.
“Hey!” she cried, hands clutching the crown of her scalp not a moment after. “That hurt, Kyouya!” One of his tonfas, which had been wielded within his free hand, had made contact with her head. The hit hadn't been as harsh as usual, but from Hibari it still stung. Sucking in a loud breath through her teeth, Bluebell decided to be over dramatic. “What if that blow made it so all I could do for the rest of my life was drool?”
Mockingly, Hibari raised an eyebrow elegantly, the slight smirk that was becoming more prominent across his lips revealing the minor amusement he was feeling. “It would give me another reason to stay away from you,” he proclaimed, the stubborn set of his jaw appearing. Refusal of their relationship of sorts, of course. “I have enough right now.”
“Then why are you still here, Kyouya?” Still tolerating her, she meant, wiling him to read between the lines, as she did to his sentences.
They always had their differences; mostly Hibari being, as Bluebell had humorously put it, a stubborn mule. The older male preferred solitude over a buzzing room, at first glance not needing company, too. Bluebell had been curious of the rumours she'd heard from first entering the school, hardly believing they were about a normal student. As soon as his weapons were revealed, however, she started to doubt he was as normal as the appearance he portrayed.
Purposely looking down at her, silently stating their difference in importance, Hibari said, “Someone needs to discipline you.” Subtly he took a step in Bluebell's direction, only the quiet tap and the echo of the water giving away the movement. “You're an idiotic herbivore like the others,” he pointed out blandly, as if disgusted by the thought. “But you seem to enjoy threats too much.”
“I'm athletic, you mean,” Bluebell corrected his cheekily, beaming afterwards. “Although I'm a sore loser, competitions are fun.”
Snorting quietly, Hibari smirked. “They're trying to injure you, not race.” Clearly he was referring to himself; a specific incident before was when a tonfa narrowly skimmed her face, denting the plaster of the wall as she turned the corner quickly, Hibari not following after.
“Minor detail,” Bluebell scoffed, dismissively waving her hand. The movement caused droplets of water to fall onto her face, surprise shown across her expression before she grinned. It was a type of reaction yet deemed her weak, but she was easy to entertain. The threats that made her laugh proved that, too.
“When that stupidity gets you killed, I will laugh.” The rain was becoming lighter, though the droplets crashing against the material of his umbrella were loud. Hibari was still untouched by the liquid, while Bluebell was thoroughly coated and dripping.
“You don't laugh,” Bluebell pointed out, grinning as she flashed him a peace sign with her index and middle finger. “Therefore I'm invincible.”
“Your logic makes me wonder why I tolerate you,” he deadpanned, clearly unimpressed with the answer he had received. Bluebell had wondered, too, but chose not to strain her head for an answer. It was good that it was unanswered; whenever she had asked an insult was thrown her way. “You are nothing special,” Hibari mused, eyes trailing over her soaked form, “and yet, you're still here.”
Instantly Bluebell's interest was piqued, so she settled herself by holding her hand up in front of her, palm only a few centimetres from his face. “Stop!” she exclaimed, purposely taking in a deep breath. “Your inner monologue that's leaking will give me false hope.”
“...That was a clear insult at you.”
Interrupting him before he could continue was Bluebell's intention. “Read between the lines, Kyouya, read between the lines!” she sang, smiling brightly as a shiver ran down her spine. The ticklish feeling within her nose came back, having long since gone before he had appeared. “Clearly I'm less of an annoyance than you make me out to be.”
As expected at the implication at being fond of someone, the tonfas came out. The same one as earlier was pressed against her forehead. Surprisingly, the metal was warmer than her skin. “Don't develop an ego,” he warned lowly, “you're wrong, herbivore.”
Pushing the blunt end away with her hand, Bluebell grinned sheepishly. “Of course, of course,” she said, nodding, trying not to sound as patronising as she felt. “As if I'm ever right when it's concerning you.”
“If you understand, leave already,” Hibari commanded while retracting the tonfa, the movement tauntingly slow. “I have better things to do.” He needed time to recover, probably, as talking for an extended period of time was surely tainting his personality. Or possibly, it hurt to be civil' that could have been one of the answers. As Bluebell speculated, she was too wound up to answer. “Answer me.”
“It wouldn't hurt to say my name, you know,” she teased, knowing full well that he would never utter it. Hibari hadn't beforehand, and it took weeks for her to be able to say his first name. A couple of tonfas has flown past her through her attempts, though never steering her from what she wanted to accomplish. Somehow referring to Hibari by his first name through classes made it easier to be exempt from certain duties, especially ones related to the teacher handing out orders.
“Earn it.” Hibari smirked, tilting his head back to look down at her. “The pool should be open now.”
“It's been open all day,” she admitted, pushing the wet strands of her hair behind her shoulder. “I wanted to annoy you first.”