[Admin] Updates + [Fic] Il Proverbio di Pace
Hey, guys. The ABOUT US page has been updated. If anyone else happens to want an update on that, go ahead and leave a comment there (if you can't catch me online) and I'll update it to your liking. Mika, your name tag has also been updated so proceed with the use of your new account! Also, happy 50+ posts, yay! ♥
And for the sake of making this post with sustenance, I will post this cheesey lame thing that is overdue for archiving (although much to my embarrassment).
[Fandom] Katekyo Hitman Reborn!
[Title] Il Proverbio di Pace
[Pairing/Characters] D18
[Rating] PG13
[Word Count] 6887
[Prompt] "I feel within me a peace above all earthly dignities, a still and quiet conscience." -Shakespeare. (Either TYL, PD or 25!D&18!H. Can be Non-AU or AU.)
[Note] For D18 Exchange. Original post: here.
{I}
Middle school. The turbulent years, the time of trials and tribulations, the rise and fall of resolutions and ambitions, the time to be tested, and the time everything started. The very birth of the tenth generation Vongola family rooted from Namimori Middle School, grounds that would continue to be the center of battlefields, the center of storms in the mafia world, and the center of Dino Cavallone’s concerns-for more reasons than one. While it was still the tenth generation Vongola family that faced its most stormy trials in Namichuu, Dino also found himself hopelessly trapped by a tempest there himself, relentless and chaotic in disrupting his otherwise stable peace.
Hibari Kyouya was indeed, as Reborn had so bemusedly told him from the very start, a problem child above all others. He was difficult to manage whether in fights or conversation, a force of nature simply impossible to pause or hinder for even a moment. Every meeting was a valiant battle to keep up with him, and even then as his tutor, Dino was still swept up in that problem child’s pace, folding to his demands for more fights and repeated challenges of strength. It was difficult to maintain his calm at times in the face of such occasions. Hibari never failed to surprise him somehow or knock him off track-or his feet, whichever was managed first.
After some time, Dino grew used to losing his precariously managed mental calm in his visits to Namimori Middle School. Even after their first trial in the battle of the rings came and passed, he visited the familiar grounds against most logic (and his work schedule, Romario frequently reminded him). He escaped for a visit whenever he had the opportunity, a difficult and chancy feat he continuously tried to make more frequent. With the utmost subtlety, of course. Checking in with Tsuna and Reborn was always his first course of action upon arrival, making his usual promises of help and support whenever his cute little brother needed. It was his duty as an older brother, a former student, and an allied boss. Only afterwards, with a knowing smirk from Reborn, would he saunter a bit hopelessly toward the reception room, whip coiled lightly around his hand in anticipation.
“There’s no need to make excuses to check up on your student,” Reborn commented finally, after a number of rather questionable visits.
Dino’s eyebrows quirked in surprise, a mildly surprised “huh?” escaping his lips. The sheepish smile Tsuna returned at him told him that he seemed to be the only one who had yet to realize, even though his actions were his own. Embarrassed, Dino could only give an awkward laugh and stammer mindlessly whatever excuses came to mind.
“But I was really worried about Tsuna too- I also wanted to visit you, Reborn- I’m just checking in on how your family was doing, and ah-…”
A pause.
And surrender.
“I didn’t really realize I did that,” he laughed, face turning a faintly rosy shade that was reminiscent of his younger self.
“That’s why you’re still a novice,” Reborn said with a grin, making Tsuna match Dino’s awkward laugh with his own. He paused for a lingering moment before continuing in a tone that took Dino some number of years to recognize as one of fondness, “But as a fellow tutor, I understand. You can’t help but worry about your student; even more so for a naïve softie like you.”
“Even though the student is Hibari-san,” Tsuna trailed off, awkward smile still pinned firmly to his lips.
While there was truth in Tsuna’s half-conjecture (Hibari was far from being one that needed concern), Dino felt a stir at Reborn’s words. His concern, his inability to remain calm unless he checked up on Hibari every once in a while-they were the result of his feelings as a tutor. Even with a strong, independent, rebellious student like Hibari, he was still his student, and he could not help but mind and want to see him. His feelings were not strange, and somehow he felt reassured, even though he had not realized he was anxious in the first place.
“You can go now,” Reborn said pointedly, clearly only interested in dismissing his former student. “That Hibari gets in a bad mood if he doesn’t fight you at least once while you’re here.”
“Really?”
The new comment also came as a surprise to Dino, eyes lighting with a pleased gleam of cheer. Because Hibari was who he was, he never showed anything but his usual cold demeanor in his expression and ruthlessness in his attacks. That that Hibari might show some inclination of interest towards him (or in this case, just his strength), made him inexplicably pleased, allowing a peaceful wave of relief wash over him.
“By that I mean he just picks fights with twice as many people.”
Tsuna winced at that. “Everyone is banned from the roof too.”
Dino laughed heartily, reminded fervently that Hibari was still a problem child of violent nature, his dear tempest of a student. His feelings of unrest without seeing the boy every now and then was not something he dared to even wonder was reciprocated, but the strength of his attacks and the reassurance from Reborn put him at ease (at least somewhat). Instead, a different part of him stirred in a mess of disorder, though he could not say what or why. Rising to his feet, he excused himself with a grin.
“Sorry, Tsuna, Reborn. I’m going to see Kyouya now.”
His feet had long since memorized the path to the reception room, carrying him instinctively without a hint of hesitation. The familiar route was one he had cautiously tread before, but with time became more confidently taken. The number of his visits slowly increased with the number of trials the Vongola seemed to undergo, his brief walks to the reception room becoming a habitual action that even Hibari’s irritated attacks (verbal and physical alike) could no longer falter.
“If you’re here, let’s fight,” he always said without fail, hands steadily gripping his tonfas in the same way Dino so tightly held his own weapon. Single-minded anticipation made his fingertips tingle.
“I’m not always here to pick a fight with you,” Dino responded, his calm in front of the boy more practiced with time.
For only a moment, Hibari waited in reverberating silence. No change in expression or flicker of interest even marred his cool façade. It was a face Dino never knew how to interpret, whether for better or for worse. Unsettling and nerve-wrecking, but somehow still alluring-that look of his never failed to send chills down Dino’s spine.
“That’s right,” he said finally, mockingly almost, venomous words dripping from his sharply curved smile. “You only ever come to talk about useless things.”
The routine of battle restarted from there, all other words lost between a barrage of clashes. Metal, leather, and the cool bite of the wind, the sharp-edged language of violence that Hibari spoke and understood best absorbed all their time. The wordless exchange of blows consumed the minutes until they found themselves both exhausted and worn with numerous fresh cuts and bruises. After all that had come to pass (the battle for the rings, the episode in the future, the inheritance ceremony), Hibari had grown stronger as his infinite potential could tell. And though he was still his tutor in name, Dino found himself with his back to the cold cement of the floor with his student poised above him, whip coiled tightly around one arm but the other with a tonfa pressed dangerously upon his throat.
Despite his position, he found the will to laugh, making the dark crease in Hibari’s eyebrows press ever lower. His smile spoke silently of the pride he felt, though the sentiment was lost in translation. Releasing his whip’s tangle on the boy’s arm, he let his weary arms rest with a light sigh from his smile.
“I don’t only ever want to talk about the mafia with you, Kyouya. I want to talk to you about a lot of other things too. I have questions I want to ask you, and I want to hear your answers. It’s only natural as your tutor, right?”
The chill of his expressionless gaze remained without change with a childish stubbornness, Dino could only guess. Hibari never listened or changed, having words fall dead upon his ears whenever his interest wavered. Words were wasted on him in many ways, but Dino still had to speak.
“You’re nothing but an eyesore,” he finally said with a brief but rough downwards press of his tonfa. He retreated from the roof then, leaving Dino in the wake of his cold silence, still resting motionlessly where he lie.
Dino breathed in deeply to re-supply his lungs with fresh air, allowing his bruised throat some semblance of healing. The pressure upon him had left with Hibari, swept away with the light sound of his footsteps, but still the sky and earth beneath him seemed to spin wildly. As he carefully brought a hand to his neck to gingerly trace the remaining metal mark left there, he could only dizzily smile and think-
Ah, how turbulent a feeling.
-
{II}
Time allowed the graduation of years, the shift of schools, the change of uniforms, and the growth of resolution. They were marks of change Dino found nostalgic, remembering his own past with some fondness. With the passing of years, he watched the Vongola grow with a careful and kind eye, ever vigilant as a supporter and ally. Tsuna’s struggles and doubts had begun to reside, and in its place, his resolve began to flower most elegantly and proudly as another fruit of time in its passage. The Vongola continued to flourish with time under its newly crowned Tenth, as Dino blithely watched.
The changes brought about by school and status kept them busy, and all Dino could do for much of that time was watch and listen to whispers of their exploits. He still felt uneasy at times, a slight nagging concern, when he was unable to check up on Hibari, but his student was as illusive as ever, disappearing and reappearing without sign or notice. Even Tsuna could only smile apologetically and shake his head uncertainly, reporting only: “he shows up only when he wants to.” Even as a high school student, Hibari had become difficult to track, leaving Dino only to wonder what he could possibly be so busy with.
Because Hibari always came and went as he pleased, Dino never felt completely at ease and could stand in dully, honest shock when his student appeared so casually before him in the living room of his own home in Italy.
It had been some number of weeks that Dino had seen him last, patrolling Namimori in the name of discipline in the same manner he did as a middle school student. Presently, he lounged lazily on a lavish armchair with an Italian newspaper and pen held loosely in his fingers as if he were in his own home. Hibari’s presence was shocking and his manner even more so, but Dino also felt some relief in his chest and some knots carefully smoothed. Questions of why and how the teen had so easily gotten into his home went forgotten (his men, no doubt, had a hand in the matter).
“I have some business here,” the teen said without care, idly marking something on his newspaper with a twist of his hand. “Until it’s done, I will be staying here. That’s all.”
Truth or lies or convenient excuses, Dino cared not to ask, only grinning brightly as a response and moving to glance cheerfully over the boy’s newspaper. The paper jerked upwards in sudden irritation, but the older man’s eyes were still quick enough to see the medium-sized dictionary laid open in the teen’s lap and the number of finely printed Japanese translations written on the side margins of the newspaper. The dark scowl that sounded from behind the paper shield told him it was something he was not meant to see, but only served to make him grin gleefully.
“Are you learning Italian, Kyouya?”
“I was tired of listening to your foreign babble,” he retorted coldly in response, eyes that peeked over the top of the paper sharp without a hint of humor. Dino had no doubt the boy was telling the truth, and it somehow pleased him.
“I’ll teach you,” Dino said with a pleased smile, gently pushing the newspaper to the side to better see the boy’s face. “After all, I’m still your tutor.”
Hibari allowed the action surprisingly, but the sour twist of his expression dully noted the tested limits of his patience. He jerked the paper back up again between their gazes like a towering wall before commenting snidely, “You’re barely qualified to be called that, Cavallone.”
The familiar childish stubbornness made him smile again in fondness, reminded of the first time they had met and those numerous encounters on the roof of Namimori Middle School that now seemed somehow so distant in the past. That stubbornness along with his ever-present icy demeanor seemed to be the untouched by the passage of time, as inevitably even the boy’s appearance had changed (though not really by much). Then, of course, was Dino’s quietly stormy feelings in his presence, another quality unmarred by time nor distance.
“Oh?” the older man replied in a humored hum, obediently giving up on removing the daunting paper barrier between them. “In that case, I’ll work hard on regaining my rights to that title.”
The newspaper prevented him from seeing Hibari’s faint glare and rolling of his eyes, but he was familiar enough with his student to sense the action taking place anyway. The comforting silence that followed felt vaguely like an approval of sorts, or at least recognition. Time had also eventually gifted Dino with the ability to better understand his student to a certain extent, or at least how to handle him with greater ease. It was a feat Reborn had complimented and all the others who knew of the teen’s temperament had marveled at, but there was still much he had to work at, he knew. With Hibari Kyouya, it was a never-ending venture with graduation in progress only allowed with the changing of his whims.
For the next few days that passed, Hibari became his constantly difficult-to-find houseguest. Even though they were in the same house, the teen’s behavior was just as Tsuna had said before: only appearing when he wanted to. His sporadic appearances were somewhat questionable, and Dino was not naïve enough to imagine that the boy’s only purpose in his stay was to undergo language studies. Brief visits (status reports of other business, he suspected) by Kusakabe were also becoming characteristic, enough to make the Cavallone boss curious of what their true intentions actually entailed. But Hibari was a secretive person as always, and not even a whispered word of his true intent ever reached Dino’s ears.
After all that had transpired over them through years, Dino had learned to be content with not knowing. A twinge of concern always sat in the pit of his stomach still, an unchanging factor he had yet to manage to dismiss. Nevertheless, he continued silently to oversee the margins of Hibari’s newspapers gradually filled, spaces filled in gross amounts every time he reappeared. He found some solace in this lifestyle, feeling somehow more at ease knowing Hibari was somewhere nearby.
Unfortunately, it was too good to be true perhaps; too easy. After some number of days, perhaps even a week or two, Dino had begun to take for granted the closeness they had. He had developed some feigned illusion of peace and grew careless, though he had not come to realize his error until it was already spoken.
“Even after all these years, you’re still a problem child,” he had said carelessly after some countless numbers of rebellious silence from Hibari. The intention behind the statement was one of fond reminiscence, supplied with a smile, but worked ill in translation.
Hibari’s eyes flashed dangerously at the comment, a familiar rage that Dino had not seen in years flooded back within seconds. His lips suddenly twisted into a dangerous sneer as the older man’s smile disappeared in cold shock. In a cold tone re-supplied with age-old venom, he replied simply, “Oh?”
Dino immediately blinked in response, preparing one of hundreds of apologies zipping chaotically through his mind. A crooked smile reappeared sheepishly on his lips, an awkward laugh escaping as he stammered, “Not that I mean you were or are a problem or bother-”
The teen’s chilling sardonic laugh informed the man he had apologized for the wrong slip, a grave error that he could no longer repair. The sound made him wince, and Hibari’s silent move to put distance between them caused a dull ache in his chest.
“…Kyouya?”
“Though you’re useful as a tool,” the boy began in a steely tone as he casually glanced over his shoulder with a twisted smile, “I still dislike being treated as a child.”
With that, he left the room before Dino could regain the composure to apologize. The words that were left in his wake brewed a storm of guilt and panic, more turbulent feelings of familiarity surfacing when he was unable to find Hibari again later. While he expected to greet the next morning with news of the boy’s departure, Dino was surprised to find him still there the next day. Wholeheartedly relieved, he offered his sincerest apologies in carefully practiced words. They were treated with Hibari’s usual silence that the man dared not comment on again but took some relief out of.
In simple words and a flat tone, Hibari restated his purpose from his first arrival: that he had other business and would be staying until it was complete, that was all. He then brushed past and continued about his routine without another word, leaving Dino to his own storm of thoughts. He continued about as if nothing had changed, only his eyes bearing a darker gleam than they had before.
Another two days passed before he departed officially, leaving nothing but a stiff “addio” and a small stack of crumpled translation-littered newspapers. With troubled feelings and a restless mind, Dino could only sigh to an empty room.
-
{III}
With the change from school uniforms to suits, Hibari Kyouya became a name well-known in the mafia world. Not only was he the formidable Cloud Guardian of the Vongola but also a fearsome entity on his own, unbound by any family name. In time he had become a conqueror without peer, with any and everything he did for no one but his own sake or interest.
His exploits were still unchangingly a secretive matter. He never spoke confirmations of goals or objectives, only traveling about the world in search of something unknown and disappearing whenever he pleased. With what knowledge they had gathered from their own experience in the future, Dino and the others of the Vongola had some idea, remembering what the Hibari of that era had been so interested in and the vast empire under his command. No doubt of present times, Hibari was also taking advantage of his knowledge from the future to build up what he had seen then, to make the strength and power that he had then a reality again.
He had become a king with his kingdom still rising, a fearsome name with a fearsome reach. His appearances were scattered as always, unpredictable in time and place. When there was need by the Vongola, he would appear for duty, but even Tsuna was not in command of whether or not Hibari deemed any matter worthy of his presence. Only some vague sort of communication was loftily exchanged between them in a barely recognized mutual balance of necessity (after all, Tsuna was still not yet a boss Hibari fully acknowledged). Tsuna agreed to keep his guardian’s actions a secret in a bout of trust; he was the only one who ever had a hint as to where Hibari was or what he was doing.
Dino called Tsuna often, as the object of his concern made it a point to ignore and dismiss every call he attempted. Days that had passed since he had last seen his sharp eyed student had numbered to an amount he was beginning to lose track of, and calling Tsuna every now and then was his only solace.
“Sorry, Dino-san,” the young Vongola boss apologized every time, “but I can’t really say.”
When he knew, he could only smile regretfully and apologetically say he could not tell. And when he didn’t know, he still smiled apologetically and honestly replied with a faint note of remorse in his voice.
“He really does go at his own pace, doesn’t he,” Dino sighed loudly, as his little brother chuckled lightly and somewhat sheepishly from the projection screen on his wall. Running a hand through his already ruffled hair, the blond sighed a second time in a softer tone and mix of feelings. “I’m just worried about him, Tsuna.”
A look of understanding crossed the younger man’s face in a gentle expression, a look that become more frequent as of late. The constant sympathy he seemed to receive made Dino feel guilty for always calling so shamelessly and asking questions he knew would go unanswered.
“I know,” the younger man stated understandingly in his gentle manner. “You’ve always been concerned about Hibari-san.” He paused for a moment, either remembering something or contemplating how to proceed. “I’ve said this before but-it is Hibari-san, after all. You don’t have to worry too much. If it’s not out of place for me to say, I don’t think he’s really the type who likes to be worried over.”
Though he had nothing but good intentions, Tsuna’s words caused Dino’s guilt to change into an ugly bitterness. How nice it must be to know and not have to worry, he thought to himself with a slowly clenching fist. Even if it was just a little every now and then, how nice it really must have been to just know something, anything. On his face, he still smiled and gave a stiff nod, blankly repeating thanks and apologies for his repeated calls before cutting the line. Tsuna was not the one at fault, he knew. There was no need to be bitter with him (or at least show his bitterness).
The restlessness and unease he always seemed to feel ever since their first meeting still persisted. Even though the center of all his troubles was no longer centered at Namimori, he still tried to visit when he could. Thinking, wondering, hoping he could perhaps somehow catch that tempest in passing or by chance. Once would have sufficed to placate him for a while, to put some worries at ease, if even just for a short day or two. But he was not so lucky and Hibari was not so careless.
After being chastised for his excessive travels, he resorted to collecting rumors. Work for his own family had to come first, but he pressed for information on his student’s whereabouts when he had time. Though not much could be said or found, some whispers here and there told of Hibari Kyouya’s appearance in some number of countries but never lingering long enough to be found. It was frustrating, but Hibari’s nature simply dictated that he would always be as difficult and unpredictable as he was before.
Then, with that same unpredictability he made his appearance again, just has he had done as a high school student-only this time, he appeared behind Dino’s desk instead of in his living room.
“Kyouya!” Dino exclaimed in complete and utter shock upon finding said person sitting nonchalantly at his desk. For a long passing moment, the Cavallone boss was too surprised to even move, mouth opening and closing wordlessly as the reports previously in his hands fluttered lightly to the ground. “Y-You…!”
“You’re noisy,” Hibari cut in dully, pushing back against the fine leather backing of the seat and folding his hands before his chin. His actions were calm and smooth, mindless of the fact that they had not seen each other in some time and uncaring of how worried the other man had been. “I was getting tired of waiting.”
“I wasn’t really expecting you,” the older man finally managed to say weakly, eyes still transfixed where they were, as if testing an illusion. He mentally counted to three and breathed in shakily before convincing himself that Hibari was really there and was not some illusion or joke in ill-taste. There were a thousand questions he wanted to ask, things he wanted to demand, reprimands he wanted to yell, but all were lost within a second in a blank. All he could do was exhale slowly and walk towards his desk. “Where have you been? I looked everywhere for you.”
“I didn’t want to be found.”
Sighing once more, Dino placed his hands on the top of his desk and leaned forward. His gaze was returned evenly by eyes he almost could not recognize anymore on a young man he could no longer call a boy. Dino gave a wry smile, directed at both the change noted and the curt response to his question.
“But you’re here now. Why didn’t you ever contact me?”
“Because I didn’t want to.”
It was as good an answer as he had expected and all too characteristic. In truth, Dino did not have high hopes to have his questions answered, only hoping all the deliberate distance that was put between them was not a result of his error somewhere. He had not wanted to admit he was somewhat jealous of Tsuna's knowledge of his student's whereabouts, but he honestly could not deny the bitterness that had caused him to so abruptly hang up the phone so many times. His smile did little to fool his little brother's hyper intuition, he figured, and it did even less to cause even a reaction in Hibari. Yet seeing him behind his desk in his own home again after so long, Dino could not help but smile in relief anyway. He abandoned his hundreds of other questions for one last one.
“Then what brings you here this time, Kyouya?”
The long silence that followed made Dino think for a moment that perhaps this question would have to go unanswered as well. Seconds ticked silently by as Hibari slowly traced his fingers along the desk's mahogany surface, eyes following casually. When his motions finally stopped, he brought his gray gaze back up to the older man's and narrowed to a devilish slit to match the familiar cruel twist of his lips.
“I want information,” he said simply, replacing his hands in their folded position before his chin. His icy tone, gestures, and posture cried wordlessly of authority and intimidation, making Dino feel as if the room they occupied was Hibari's office instead of his own.
“What kind of information?” Dino asked slowly, his honest smile changing to something tried. He knew Hibari Kyouya had become a man of business from long before the rest of the world did, but to be on the receiving end of that business facade was a bit unnerving. He could only wonder what kind of information the younger man wanted, curious but concerned.
“There's something I want,” Hibari replied vaguely, not revealing any details until he had a confirmation of cooperation like a true master. “Are you going to cooperate?”
There was almost nothing in Dino's mind keeping him from immediately replying “yes” without a second thought, but words died on his lips, paused by the spinning of his mind and the unrest his unanswered questions were beginning to cause again. The logic in him told him that it was an acceptable arrangement, as this was a member of his allied family as well as his own student. There should be no harm in assisting him in that matter. Logically. Selfishly, he thought of it as something akin to an offered advantage. If providing information could allow him to know something and not be left to do nothing but worry in his distance, then he was ready to answer yes again another hundred times.
“Yes. Anything for you, Kyouya.”
The appended part of that agreement surprised them both, somehow shocking Dino even more so. His hand flew up to his lips in surprise, brows furrowed as he deliriously wondered when that had become true.
“How convenient and obedient of you,” Hibari said appreciatively, his angular smile quirking upward a bit more. With that he pushed the chair back away from the desk and rose lightly to his feet, his figure framed by the orange glow of afternoon light drifting in from the window behind him.
“Don't disappoint me now.”
Thus began their relationship of information exchange. Hibari still went about as he pleased, just as always, without much change. He disappeared into the far corners of the world without notice and went about his own affairs just as always. The only change was that he now made occasional stops in Italy when he needed new information or tips. Dino told him what he wanted as long as it did not disturb his Family's affairs, and in return, Hibari graced him with his presence for a few passing days.
There was something unfair about the exchange, it could be said, but Dino felt content. Calls to Tsuna were no longer riddled with cautious inquiries of Hibari's whereabouts, and his concern had managed to settle to a calm. Though the visits were few and far in between, he at least knew something. From the younger man's demands, he could learn a little of what he was planning and where he was going. There was no doubt in his mind that it was better than not knowing.
Although his concern over Hibari himself had subsided as of late, varying other difficulties began to surface in his mind, causing him new concerns and mixed thoughts of confusion. It worried him that he had become so greedy. He used to be content with the occasional visits and check-ups, the cold attitude and silent disregard. He used to be content with proudly calling Hibari his student and watching him from afar. He used to be content. Constantly worried and somewhat anxious, but still content. Without knowing when or how, those same things he had been content with before were no longer enough.
Anything for you, he had said without thought that time. The words slipped out too easily, making him wonder. Really, he marveled at himself, how greedy could he get.
His thoughts were still jumbled in his head when Hibari appeared in his office again with new questions on something hidden in the depths of Romania. It was the first time Dino could not hear what words Hibari said, everything sounding like a monotone buzz in the jungle of his mind. He could only watch silently as the younger man moved lightly across the room, words still buzzing in his ear. When Hibari realized he had not been listening appropriately, he stepped over firmly in irritation, lips curved in some sharp demand.
The buzzing persisted until Dino finally moved.
His arms moved as if they were possessed, reaching out to pull the slim body before him closer into his embrace. One hand was freed to rise upward, lifting Hibari's chin upward. His lips crashed firmly against the other's before he had realized what was happening. For a long two seconds (that was as long as Hibari allowed it), Dino kissed him fervently with all the worry and greed he had kept bubbling inside until he was pushed aside sharply. The blunt chill of metal hit him before he even saw the tonfas raise, a blow stronger than one he had ever felt before that was enough to cause him to stumble onto the floor.
Hibari rubbed his lips with the back of his hand slowly, eyes glinting with an unreadable emotion. Spinning on his heel, he spat in annoyance, “I really do hate being treated like a child.”
Even though he proceeded to disappear (again), Dino did not move from where he sat on the floor, hand pressed lightly over his newly bruised cheek. Hearing Romario’s arriving footsteps, he fell back against the floor and lay on his back heavily, contentment inexplicably restored.
“Are you all right, Boss?” Romario asked uncertainly from the doorway.
“It seems I’ve lost favor with the king,” he replied with a slight laugh, rubbing away the blood that trickled from the side of his mouth.
He knew now; he understood better, himself and his feelings. And for the first time, he felt fully at peace, a still and quiet peace. Closing his eyes, he smiled dizzily thinking-
“I’m in love with Kyouya.”
Ah, how peaceful a feeling.
-
{IV}
As was expected, Hibari slipped completely off the world's radar again. Even Tsuna reported honestly to not having any contact with him in a long time, longer than ever before. No whispers of his whereabouts were heard of, not even a shadow left in his wake.
Dino had not seen him since their first and perhaps last kiss. Since then, Hibari did not come to him for information again, but he had not been seen by another soul in the world, so it was not entirely surprising. Though before when the distance was unknown and the time and grown too long, Dino had panicked and worried, he felt calm this time. It had taken him too long to recognize and come to terms with his feelings, and the understanding itself was enough to keep him in content placidity.
“You're really not worried?”
Tsuna sounded understandingly surprised, concern tinged in his own voice. Over the projection, he could see the Cavallone boss smile serenely, despite all questions unanswered. It almost felt like a swap of positions, Tsuna felt. After a long pause, he asked slowly, “Dino-san, do you know where Hibari-san is?”
“I don’t,” was the calm and honest reply, surprising the younger boss with a matched unchanging smile.
“Then you really aren’t worried,” Tsuna repeated, somehow managing to come to smile himself, although more sheepishly. “I haven’t heard from him in a long time as well, so even I was getting to be a little concerned. But if you can be so calm about his lack of appearance, then it must be all right somehow.”
“You’ve said it before, haven’t you, Tsuna? It is Kyouya, after all.”
At that, Tsuna managed a laugh, memories of that age-old reassurance returning to his mind. “Right, right,” he said with a changed smile and a nod. “Hibari-san is still Hibari-san. I suppose he'll show up whenever he wants to, only when he wants to. Just like always.”
“I think that too,” Dino said decisively, expression gentle as the one Tsuna had showed him so many times before. “He’ll be back for sure.”
The call ended on a peaceful note, both parties coming to some mutual understanding. While it was not to say the lingering question of where that drifting cloud was did not still pass their minds, it was simply more patiently waited on with better understanding. In truth, Dino did wonder every day how long it it would be before Hibari would appeared before him again, but he had resolutely made up his mind then to wait patiently. His self-realization had granted him a stable peace, and he was grateful. Even if Hibari was some unknown distance away, Dino could still think of him fondly and love him in peace.
Time passed slowly and with it, he put himself to work dedicated to his own family. His previous thoughts and feelings of turbulence interfered with his work more than was desirable, and he was intent on compensating. While he could not meet Hibari, he made sure to prioritize his family affairs entirely without other hinder thoughts. Too long did he waver, and for that he was sorry.
Before he had realized, the world around him had slowly grown more and more similar to the future he had gotten a glimpse of before. It was a memory that was turning into reality, but lacking the threats, despair, and war. The future he had come to live in was one in which the world was not at threat and the mafia existed in quiet balance with the rest of the world.
He had still not seen Hibari in some time. The Vongola Cloud Guardian was no longer a ghost to the world though, having shown himself when his family required him. Some mission gone awry that had led Tsuna into a panic was saved in one sweeping moment with the last guardian's arrival. As conflicts there slowly subsided, he went about his own business again without notice, just as predicted. In that time, Dino did not manage to catch him before he disappeared again. Though there was some ache of regret that he felt then, he remained steadfast in his patience, reminding himself again that Hibari would present himself when he needed. Unpredictably, as he always had.
Some more time had passed before Dino’s patience was finally rewarded.
It was evening, and the Italian sky had already shaded purple under the rising colors of night. Not the office nor the living room this time, but in his bedroom, perhaps the most dangerous place of them all. He was not sitting as he had been those number of times before, but he stood with his back leaning lightly against the door. He had slipped in so silently, Dino could not pinpoint when he had entered.
“Kyouya…” he breathed slowly, surprise mixed with delight in his voice.
“Your responses have gotten more boring.”
“Time has just made me more boring, I’m afraid," the blond replied with a chuckle as he hung up the coat of his suit. As much as he wanted to see him, Dino turned his back to him cautiously. “Actually, I’m so happy to see you, I can barely stand still.”
Hibari only let out a soft “hn” in response.
“There's a lot I want to talk to you about,” he began again slowly, smiling up at the wall before him without turning around. “I have a hundred questions to ask you and answers I want to hear from you.”
“Greedy, aren't we?”
“Just like always,” Dino laughed guiltily. As his chuckle slowly drifted back into silence, he continued slowly, “I always worry about you, but I know you're not a child anymore. I'm your tutor, but, Kyouya-”
Suddenly, a hand gripped the back of his shirt firmly, tossing him to the side like paperweight. Dino blinked furiously in response and stumbled until his back rest against the nearest solid wall, words lost in the progress. His breath slowed when Hibari pressed nearer, holding his collar at arm’s length, threateningly, in a most enchanting manner of danger. Mutely, Dino stared at him in confusion until finally the younger man scoffed in irritation.
“You’re slow and only ever talk about useless things,” he said darkly, eyes narrowed in visible annoyance. “You’re about to say something now you should have said last time.”
Dino blinked again in confusion as the younger man glared relentlessly in response.
“I said I hate being treated like a child. I don’t like being played with.”
“And here I always thought I was the one being played with,” Dino laughed blithely, only to be immediately silenced by Hibari’s reproachful glare. He sufficed with a smile, reaching out to gently caress the side of the younger man’s face, fingers memorizing the feel of its soft skin.
“I love you, Kyouya.”
The kiss that followed was twice as bruising as the first one. Dino could not remember how far forward he had to press to taste the other’s lips, but he felt the grip on the collar of his shirt tighten before turning into a sharp tug. Teeth bit down mercilessly on his lip to draw blood, but they made no protest to stop. Their arms and legs and hands and lips were tangled into a mess, whispers and gasps melted into pillows and sheets. Unrest and peace alike changing into long-suppressed passion in a raging storm that beat soundly until finally falling, falling, falling into back into a calm, returning the world to speed it was meant to spin at, slowly.
And when it had all come to rest again, Dino lay with his back to the bed with his student slew lazily on top of him, head resting wearily on his chest. Arms encircled loosely around Hibari’s bare back, the older man breathed like he had not tasted air in ages. And he breathed until he felt rejuvenated, his serenity restored as he had it.
“I could die in peace like this,” he said.
“I won’t allow that,” came the icy response. For just a moment, Dino paused and waited.
“There’s still information I need. You can’t die until I’m satisfied.”
At that, Dino laughed and tightened his arms’ grasp around the younger man’s waist. He smiled calmly and replied in a whisper, “Anything for you, Kyouya.”
Ah, he thought, how perfect a feeling.
And for the sake of making this post with sustenance, I will post this cheesey lame thing that is overdue for archiving (although much to my embarrassment).
[Fandom] Katekyo Hitman Reborn!
[Title] Il Proverbio di Pace
[Pairing/Characters] D18
[Rating] PG13
[Word Count] 6887
[Prompt] "I feel within me a peace above all earthly dignities, a still and quiet conscience." -Shakespeare. (Either TYL, PD or 25!D&18!H. Can be Non-AU or AU.)
[Note] For D18 Exchange. Original post: here.
{I}
Middle school. The turbulent years, the time of trials and tribulations, the rise and fall of resolutions and ambitions, the time to be tested, and the time everything started. The very birth of the tenth generation Vongola family rooted from Namimori Middle School, grounds that would continue to be the center of battlefields, the center of storms in the mafia world, and the center of Dino Cavallone’s concerns-for more reasons than one. While it was still the tenth generation Vongola family that faced its most stormy trials in Namichuu, Dino also found himself hopelessly trapped by a tempest there himself, relentless and chaotic in disrupting his otherwise stable peace.
Hibari Kyouya was indeed, as Reborn had so bemusedly told him from the very start, a problem child above all others. He was difficult to manage whether in fights or conversation, a force of nature simply impossible to pause or hinder for even a moment. Every meeting was a valiant battle to keep up with him, and even then as his tutor, Dino was still swept up in that problem child’s pace, folding to his demands for more fights and repeated challenges of strength. It was difficult to maintain his calm at times in the face of such occasions. Hibari never failed to surprise him somehow or knock him off track-or his feet, whichever was managed first.
After some time, Dino grew used to losing his precariously managed mental calm in his visits to Namimori Middle School. Even after their first trial in the battle of the rings came and passed, he visited the familiar grounds against most logic (and his work schedule, Romario frequently reminded him). He escaped for a visit whenever he had the opportunity, a difficult and chancy feat he continuously tried to make more frequent. With the utmost subtlety, of course. Checking in with Tsuna and Reborn was always his first course of action upon arrival, making his usual promises of help and support whenever his cute little brother needed. It was his duty as an older brother, a former student, and an allied boss. Only afterwards, with a knowing smirk from Reborn, would he saunter a bit hopelessly toward the reception room, whip coiled lightly around his hand in anticipation.
“There’s no need to make excuses to check up on your student,” Reborn commented finally, after a number of rather questionable visits.
Dino’s eyebrows quirked in surprise, a mildly surprised “huh?” escaping his lips. The sheepish smile Tsuna returned at him told him that he seemed to be the only one who had yet to realize, even though his actions were his own. Embarrassed, Dino could only give an awkward laugh and stammer mindlessly whatever excuses came to mind.
“But I was really worried about Tsuna too- I also wanted to visit you, Reborn- I’m just checking in on how your family was doing, and ah-…”
A pause.
And surrender.
“I didn’t really realize I did that,” he laughed, face turning a faintly rosy shade that was reminiscent of his younger self.
“That’s why you’re still a novice,” Reborn said with a grin, making Tsuna match Dino’s awkward laugh with his own. He paused for a lingering moment before continuing in a tone that took Dino some number of years to recognize as one of fondness, “But as a fellow tutor, I understand. You can’t help but worry about your student; even more so for a naïve softie like you.”
“Even though the student is Hibari-san,” Tsuna trailed off, awkward smile still pinned firmly to his lips.
While there was truth in Tsuna’s half-conjecture (Hibari was far from being one that needed concern), Dino felt a stir at Reborn’s words. His concern, his inability to remain calm unless he checked up on Hibari every once in a while-they were the result of his feelings as a tutor. Even with a strong, independent, rebellious student like Hibari, he was still his student, and he could not help but mind and want to see him. His feelings were not strange, and somehow he felt reassured, even though he had not realized he was anxious in the first place.
“You can go now,” Reborn said pointedly, clearly only interested in dismissing his former student. “That Hibari gets in a bad mood if he doesn’t fight you at least once while you’re here.”
“Really?”
The new comment also came as a surprise to Dino, eyes lighting with a pleased gleam of cheer. Because Hibari was who he was, he never showed anything but his usual cold demeanor in his expression and ruthlessness in his attacks. That that Hibari might show some inclination of interest towards him (or in this case, just his strength), made him inexplicably pleased, allowing a peaceful wave of relief wash over him.
“By that I mean he just picks fights with twice as many people.”
Tsuna winced at that. “Everyone is banned from the roof too.”
Dino laughed heartily, reminded fervently that Hibari was still a problem child of violent nature, his dear tempest of a student. His feelings of unrest without seeing the boy every now and then was not something he dared to even wonder was reciprocated, but the strength of his attacks and the reassurance from Reborn put him at ease (at least somewhat). Instead, a different part of him stirred in a mess of disorder, though he could not say what or why. Rising to his feet, he excused himself with a grin.
“Sorry, Tsuna, Reborn. I’m going to see Kyouya now.”
His feet had long since memorized the path to the reception room, carrying him instinctively without a hint of hesitation. The familiar route was one he had cautiously tread before, but with time became more confidently taken. The number of his visits slowly increased with the number of trials the Vongola seemed to undergo, his brief walks to the reception room becoming a habitual action that even Hibari’s irritated attacks (verbal and physical alike) could no longer falter.
“If you’re here, let’s fight,” he always said without fail, hands steadily gripping his tonfas in the same way Dino so tightly held his own weapon. Single-minded anticipation made his fingertips tingle.
“I’m not always here to pick a fight with you,” Dino responded, his calm in front of the boy more practiced with time.
For only a moment, Hibari waited in reverberating silence. No change in expression or flicker of interest even marred his cool façade. It was a face Dino never knew how to interpret, whether for better or for worse. Unsettling and nerve-wrecking, but somehow still alluring-that look of his never failed to send chills down Dino’s spine.
“That’s right,” he said finally, mockingly almost, venomous words dripping from his sharply curved smile. “You only ever come to talk about useless things.”
The routine of battle restarted from there, all other words lost between a barrage of clashes. Metal, leather, and the cool bite of the wind, the sharp-edged language of violence that Hibari spoke and understood best absorbed all their time. The wordless exchange of blows consumed the minutes until they found themselves both exhausted and worn with numerous fresh cuts and bruises. After all that had come to pass (the battle for the rings, the episode in the future, the inheritance ceremony), Hibari had grown stronger as his infinite potential could tell. And though he was still his tutor in name, Dino found himself with his back to the cold cement of the floor with his student poised above him, whip coiled tightly around one arm but the other with a tonfa pressed dangerously upon his throat.
Despite his position, he found the will to laugh, making the dark crease in Hibari’s eyebrows press ever lower. His smile spoke silently of the pride he felt, though the sentiment was lost in translation. Releasing his whip’s tangle on the boy’s arm, he let his weary arms rest with a light sigh from his smile.
“I don’t only ever want to talk about the mafia with you, Kyouya. I want to talk to you about a lot of other things too. I have questions I want to ask you, and I want to hear your answers. It’s only natural as your tutor, right?”
The chill of his expressionless gaze remained without change with a childish stubbornness, Dino could only guess. Hibari never listened or changed, having words fall dead upon his ears whenever his interest wavered. Words were wasted on him in many ways, but Dino still had to speak.
“You’re nothing but an eyesore,” he finally said with a brief but rough downwards press of his tonfa. He retreated from the roof then, leaving Dino in the wake of his cold silence, still resting motionlessly where he lie.
Dino breathed in deeply to re-supply his lungs with fresh air, allowing his bruised throat some semblance of healing. The pressure upon him had left with Hibari, swept away with the light sound of his footsteps, but still the sky and earth beneath him seemed to spin wildly. As he carefully brought a hand to his neck to gingerly trace the remaining metal mark left there, he could only dizzily smile and think-
Ah, how turbulent a feeling.
-
{II}
Time allowed the graduation of years, the shift of schools, the change of uniforms, and the growth of resolution. They were marks of change Dino found nostalgic, remembering his own past with some fondness. With the passing of years, he watched the Vongola grow with a careful and kind eye, ever vigilant as a supporter and ally. Tsuna’s struggles and doubts had begun to reside, and in its place, his resolve began to flower most elegantly and proudly as another fruit of time in its passage. The Vongola continued to flourish with time under its newly crowned Tenth, as Dino blithely watched.
The changes brought about by school and status kept them busy, and all Dino could do for much of that time was watch and listen to whispers of their exploits. He still felt uneasy at times, a slight nagging concern, when he was unable to check up on Hibari, but his student was as illusive as ever, disappearing and reappearing without sign or notice. Even Tsuna could only smile apologetically and shake his head uncertainly, reporting only: “he shows up only when he wants to.” Even as a high school student, Hibari had become difficult to track, leaving Dino only to wonder what he could possibly be so busy with.
Because Hibari always came and went as he pleased, Dino never felt completely at ease and could stand in dully, honest shock when his student appeared so casually before him in the living room of his own home in Italy.
It had been some number of weeks that Dino had seen him last, patrolling Namimori in the name of discipline in the same manner he did as a middle school student. Presently, he lounged lazily on a lavish armchair with an Italian newspaper and pen held loosely in his fingers as if he were in his own home. Hibari’s presence was shocking and his manner even more so, but Dino also felt some relief in his chest and some knots carefully smoothed. Questions of why and how the teen had so easily gotten into his home went forgotten (his men, no doubt, had a hand in the matter).
“I have some business here,” the teen said without care, idly marking something on his newspaper with a twist of his hand. “Until it’s done, I will be staying here. That’s all.”
Truth or lies or convenient excuses, Dino cared not to ask, only grinning brightly as a response and moving to glance cheerfully over the boy’s newspaper. The paper jerked upwards in sudden irritation, but the older man’s eyes were still quick enough to see the medium-sized dictionary laid open in the teen’s lap and the number of finely printed Japanese translations written on the side margins of the newspaper. The dark scowl that sounded from behind the paper shield told him it was something he was not meant to see, but only served to make him grin gleefully.
“Are you learning Italian, Kyouya?”
“I was tired of listening to your foreign babble,” he retorted coldly in response, eyes that peeked over the top of the paper sharp without a hint of humor. Dino had no doubt the boy was telling the truth, and it somehow pleased him.
“I’ll teach you,” Dino said with a pleased smile, gently pushing the newspaper to the side to better see the boy’s face. “After all, I’m still your tutor.”
Hibari allowed the action surprisingly, but the sour twist of his expression dully noted the tested limits of his patience. He jerked the paper back up again between their gazes like a towering wall before commenting snidely, “You’re barely qualified to be called that, Cavallone.”
The familiar childish stubbornness made him smile again in fondness, reminded of the first time they had met and those numerous encounters on the roof of Namimori Middle School that now seemed somehow so distant in the past. That stubbornness along with his ever-present icy demeanor seemed to be the untouched by the passage of time, as inevitably even the boy’s appearance had changed (though not really by much). Then, of course, was Dino’s quietly stormy feelings in his presence, another quality unmarred by time nor distance.
“Oh?” the older man replied in a humored hum, obediently giving up on removing the daunting paper barrier between them. “In that case, I’ll work hard on regaining my rights to that title.”
The newspaper prevented him from seeing Hibari’s faint glare and rolling of his eyes, but he was familiar enough with his student to sense the action taking place anyway. The comforting silence that followed felt vaguely like an approval of sorts, or at least recognition. Time had also eventually gifted Dino with the ability to better understand his student to a certain extent, or at least how to handle him with greater ease. It was a feat Reborn had complimented and all the others who knew of the teen’s temperament had marveled at, but there was still much he had to work at, he knew. With Hibari Kyouya, it was a never-ending venture with graduation in progress only allowed with the changing of his whims.
For the next few days that passed, Hibari became his constantly difficult-to-find houseguest. Even though they were in the same house, the teen’s behavior was just as Tsuna had said before: only appearing when he wanted to. His sporadic appearances were somewhat questionable, and Dino was not naïve enough to imagine that the boy’s only purpose in his stay was to undergo language studies. Brief visits (status reports of other business, he suspected) by Kusakabe were also becoming characteristic, enough to make the Cavallone boss curious of what their true intentions actually entailed. But Hibari was a secretive person as always, and not even a whispered word of his true intent ever reached Dino’s ears.
After all that had transpired over them through years, Dino had learned to be content with not knowing. A twinge of concern always sat in the pit of his stomach still, an unchanging factor he had yet to manage to dismiss. Nevertheless, he continued silently to oversee the margins of Hibari’s newspapers gradually filled, spaces filled in gross amounts every time he reappeared. He found some solace in this lifestyle, feeling somehow more at ease knowing Hibari was somewhere nearby.
Unfortunately, it was too good to be true perhaps; too easy. After some number of days, perhaps even a week or two, Dino had begun to take for granted the closeness they had. He had developed some feigned illusion of peace and grew careless, though he had not come to realize his error until it was already spoken.
“Even after all these years, you’re still a problem child,” he had said carelessly after some countless numbers of rebellious silence from Hibari. The intention behind the statement was one of fond reminiscence, supplied with a smile, but worked ill in translation.
Hibari’s eyes flashed dangerously at the comment, a familiar rage that Dino had not seen in years flooded back within seconds. His lips suddenly twisted into a dangerous sneer as the older man’s smile disappeared in cold shock. In a cold tone re-supplied with age-old venom, he replied simply, “Oh?”
Dino immediately blinked in response, preparing one of hundreds of apologies zipping chaotically through his mind. A crooked smile reappeared sheepishly on his lips, an awkward laugh escaping as he stammered, “Not that I mean you were or are a problem or bother-”
The teen’s chilling sardonic laugh informed the man he had apologized for the wrong slip, a grave error that he could no longer repair. The sound made him wince, and Hibari’s silent move to put distance between them caused a dull ache in his chest.
“…Kyouya?”
“Though you’re useful as a tool,” the boy began in a steely tone as he casually glanced over his shoulder with a twisted smile, “I still dislike being treated as a child.”
With that, he left the room before Dino could regain the composure to apologize. The words that were left in his wake brewed a storm of guilt and panic, more turbulent feelings of familiarity surfacing when he was unable to find Hibari again later. While he expected to greet the next morning with news of the boy’s departure, Dino was surprised to find him still there the next day. Wholeheartedly relieved, he offered his sincerest apologies in carefully practiced words. They were treated with Hibari’s usual silence that the man dared not comment on again but took some relief out of.
In simple words and a flat tone, Hibari restated his purpose from his first arrival: that he had other business and would be staying until it was complete, that was all. He then brushed past and continued about his routine without another word, leaving Dino to his own storm of thoughts. He continued about as if nothing had changed, only his eyes bearing a darker gleam than they had before.
Another two days passed before he departed officially, leaving nothing but a stiff “addio” and a small stack of crumpled translation-littered newspapers. With troubled feelings and a restless mind, Dino could only sigh to an empty room.
-
{III}
With the change from school uniforms to suits, Hibari Kyouya became a name well-known in the mafia world. Not only was he the formidable Cloud Guardian of the Vongola but also a fearsome entity on his own, unbound by any family name. In time he had become a conqueror without peer, with any and everything he did for no one but his own sake or interest.
His exploits were still unchangingly a secretive matter. He never spoke confirmations of goals or objectives, only traveling about the world in search of something unknown and disappearing whenever he pleased. With what knowledge they had gathered from their own experience in the future, Dino and the others of the Vongola had some idea, remembering what the Hibari of that era had been so interested in and the vast empire under his command. No doubt of present times, Hibari was also taking advantage of his knowledge from the future to build up what he had seen then, to make the strength and power that he had then a reality again.
He had become a king with his kingdom still rising, a fearsome name with a fearsome reach. His appearances were scattered as always, unpredictable in time and place. When there was need by the Vongola, he would appear for duty, but even Tsuna was not in command of whether or not Hibari deemed any matter worthy of his presence. Only some vague sort of communication was loftily exchanged between them in a barely recognized mutual balance of necessity (after all, Tsuna was still not yet a boss Hibari fully acknowledged). Tsuna agreed to keep his guardian’s actions a secret in a bout of trust; he was the only one who ever had a hint as to where Hibari was or what he was doing.
Dino called Tsuna often, as the object of his concern made it a point to ignore and dismiss every call he attempted. Days that had passed since he had last seen his sharp eyed student had numbered to an amount he was beginning to lose track of, and calling Tsuna every now and then was his only solace.
“Sorry, Dino-san,” the young Vongola boss apologized every time, “but I can’t really say.”
When he knew, he could only smile regretfully and apologetically say he could not tell. And when he didn’t know, he still smiled apologetically and honestly replied with a faint note of remorse in his voice.
“He really does go at his own pace, doesn’t he,” Dino sighed loudly, as his little brother chuckled lightly and somewhat sheepishly from the projection screen on his wall. Running a hand through his already ruffled hair, the blond sighed a second time in a softer tone and mix of feelings. “I’m just worried about him, Tsuna.”
A look of understanding crossed the younger man’s face in a gentle expression, a look that become more frequent as of late. The constant sympathy he seemed to receive made Dino feel guilty for always calling so shamelessly and asking questions he knew would go unanswered.
“I know,” the younger man stated understandingly in his gentle manner. “You’ve always been concerned about Hibari-san.” He paused for a moment, either remembering something or contemplating how to proceed. “I’ve said this before but-it is Hibari-san, after all. You don’t have to worry too much. If it’s not out of place for me to say, I don’t think he’s really the type who likes to be worried over.”
Though he had nothing but good intentions, Tsuna’s words caused Dino’s guilt to change into an ugly bitterness. How nice it must be to know and not have to worry, he thought to himself with a slowly clenching fist. Even if it was just a little every now and then, how nice it really must have been to just know something, anything. On his face, he still smiled and gave a stiff nod, blankly repeating thanks and apologies for his repeated calls before cutting the line. Tsuna was not the one at fault, he knew. There was no need to be bitter with him (or at least show his bitterness).
The restlessness and unease he always seemed to feel ever since their first meeting still persisted. Even though the center of all his troubles was no longer centered at Namimori, he still tried to visit when he could. Thinking, wondering, hoping he could perhaps somehow catch that tempest in passing or by chance. Once would have sufficed to placate him for a while, to put some worries at ease, if even just for a short day or two. But he was not so lucky and Hibari was not so careless.
After being chastised for his excessive travels, he resorted to collecting rumors. Work for his own family had to come first, but he pressed for information on his student’s whereabouts when he had time. Though not much could be said or found, some whispers here and there told of Hibari Kyouya’s appearance in some number of countries but never lingering long enough to be found. It was frustrating, but Hibari’s nature simply dictated that he would always be as difficult and unpredictable as he was before.
Then, with that same unpredictability he made his appearance again, just has he had done as a high school student-only this time, he appeared behind Dino’s desk instead of in his living room.
“Kyouya!” Dino exclaimed in complete and utter shock upon finding said person sitting nonchalantly at his desk. For a long passing moment, the Cavallone boss was too surprised to even move, mouth opening and closing wordlessly as the reports previously in his hands fluttered lightly to the ground. “Y-You…!”
“You’re noisy,” Hibari cut in dully, pushing back against the fine leather backing of the seat and folding his hands before his chin. His actions were calm and smooth, mindless of the fact that they had not seen each other in some time and uncaring of how worried the other man had been. “I was getting tired of waiting.”
“I wasn’t really expecting you,” the older man finally managed to say weakly, eyes still transfixed where they were, as if testing an illusion. He mentally counted to three and breathed in shakily before convincing himself that Hibari was really there and was not some illusion or joke in ill-taste. There were a thousand questions he wanted to ask, things he wanted to demand, reprimands he wanted to yell, but all were lost within a second in a blank. All he could do was exhale slowly and walk towards his desk. “Where have you been? I looked everywhere for you.”
“I didn’t want to be found.”
Sighing once more, Dino placed his hands on the top of his desk and leaned forward. His gaze was returned evenly by eyes he almost could not recognize anymore on a young man he could no longer call a boy. Dino gave a wry smile, directed at both the change noted and the curt response to his question.
“But you’re here now. Why didn’t you ever contact me?”
“Because I didn’t want to.”
It was as good an answer as he had expected and all too characteristic. In truth, Dino did not have high hopes to have his questions answered, only hoping all the deliberate distance that was put between them was not a result of his error somewhere. He had not wanted to admit he was somewhat jealous of Tsuna's knowledge of his student's whereabouts, but he honestly could not deny the bitterness that had caused him to so abruptly hang up the phone so many times. His smile did little to fool his little brother's hyper intuition, he figured, and it did even less to cause even a reaction in Hibari. Yet seeing him behind his desk in his own home again after so long, Dino could not help but smile in relief anyway. He abandoned his hundreds of other questions for one last one.
“Then what brings you here this time, Kyouya?”
The long silence that followed made Dino think for a moment that perhaps this question would have to go unanswered as well. Seconds ticked silently by as Hibari slowly traced his fingers along the desk's mahogany surface, eyes following casually. When his motions finally stopped, he brought his gray gaze back up to the older man's and narrowed to a devilish slit to match the familiar cruel twist of his lips.
“I want information,” he said simply, replacing his hands in their folded position before his chin. His icy tone, gestures, and posture cried wordlessly of authority and intimidation, making Dino feel as if the room they occupied was Hibari's office instead of his own.
“What kind of information?” Dino asked slowly, his honest smile changing to something tried. He knew Hibari Kyouya had become a man of business from long before the rest of the world did, but to be on the receiving end of that business facade was a bit unnerving. He could only wonder what kind of information the younger man wanted, curious but concerned.
“There's something I want,” Hibari replied vaguely, not revealing any details until he had a confirmation of cooperation like a true master. “Are you going to cooperate?”
There was almost nothing in Dino's mind keeping him from immediately replying “yes” without a second thought, but words died on his lips, paused by the spinning of his mind and the unrest his unanswered questions were beginning to cause again. The logic in him told him that it was an acceptable arrangement, as this was a member of his allied family as well as his own student. There should be no harm in assisting him in that matter. Logically. Selfishly, he thought of it as something akin to an offered advantage. If providing information could allow him to know something and not be left to do nothing but worry in his distance, then he was ready to answer yes again another hundred times.
“Yes. Anything for you, Kyouya.”
The appended part of that agreement surprised them both, somehow shocking Dino even more so. His hand flew up to his lips in surprise, brows furrowed as he deliriously wondered when that had become true.
“How convenient and obedient of you,” Hibari said appreciatively, his angular smile quirking upward a bit more. With that he pushed the chair back away from the desk and rose lightly to his feet, his figure framed by the orange glow of afternoon light drifting in from the window behind him.
“Don't disappoint me now.”
Thus began their relationship of information exchange. Hibari still went about as he pleased, just as always, without much change. He disappeared into the far corners of the world without notice and went about his own affairs just as always. The only change was that he now made occasional stops in Italy when he needed new information or tips. Dino told him what he wanted as long as it did not disturb his Family's affairs, and in return, Hibari graced him with his presence for a few passing days.
There was something unfair about the exchange, it could be said, but Dino felt content. Calls to Tsuna were no longer riddled with cautious inquiries of Hibari's whereabouts, and his concern had managed to settle to a calm. Though the visits were few and far in between, he at least knew something. From the younger man's demands, he could learn a little of what he was planning and where he was going. There was no doubt in his mind that it was better than not knowing.
Although his concern over Hibari himself had subsided as of late, varying other difficulties began to surface in his mind, causing him new concerns and mixed thoughts of confusion. It worried him that he had become so greedy. He used to be content with the occasional visits and check-ups, the cold attitude and silent disregard. He used to be content with proudly calling Hibari his student and watching him from afar. He used to be content. Constantly worried and somewhat anxious, but still content. Without knowing when or how, those same things he had been content with before were no longer enough.
Anything for you, he had said without thought that time. The words slipped out too easily, making him wonder. Really, he marveled at himself, how greedy could he get.
His thoughts were still jumbled in his head when Hibari appeared in his office again with new questions on something hidden in the depths of Romania. It was the first time Dino could not hear what words Hibari said, everything sounding like a monotone buzz in the jungle of his mind. He could only watch silently as the younger man moved lightly across the room, words still buzzing in his ear. When Hibari realized he had not been listening appropriately, he stepped over firmly in irritation, lips curved in some sharp demand.
The buzzing persisted until Dino finally moved.
His arms moved as if they were possessed, reaching out to pull the slim body before him closer into his embrace. One hand was freed to rise upward, lifting Hibari's chin upward. His lips crashed firmly against the other's before he had realized what was happening. For a long two seconds (that was as long as Hibari allowed it), Dino kissed him fervently with all the worry and greed he had kept bubbling inside until he was pushed aside sharply. The blunt chill of metal hit him before he even saw the tonfas raise, a blow stronger than one he had ever felt before that was enough to cause him to stumble onto the floor.
Hibari rubbed his lips with the back of his hand slowly, eyes glinting with an unreadable emotion. Spinning on his heel, he spat in annoyance, “I really do hate being treated like a child.”
Even though he proceeded to disappear (again), Dino did not move from where he sat on the floor, hand pressed lightly over his newly bruised cheek. Hearing Romario’s arriving footsteps, he fell back against the floor and lay on his back heavily, contentment inexplicably restored.
“Are you all right, Boss?” Romario asked uncertainly from the doorway.
“It seems I’ve lost favor with the king,” he replied with a slight laugh, rubbing away the blood that trickled from the side of his mouth.
He knew now; he understood better, himself and his feelings. And for the first time, he felt fully at peace, a still and quiet peace. Closing his eyes, he smiled dizzily thinking-
“I’m in love with Kyouya.”
Ah, how peaceful a feeling.
-
{IV}
As was expected, Hibari slipped completely off the world's radar again. Even Tsuna reported honestly to not having any contact with him in a long time, longer than ever before. No whispers of his whereabouts were heard of, not even a shadow left in his wake.
Dino had not seen him since their first and perhaps last kiss. Since then, Hibari did not come to him for information again, but he had not been seen by another soul in the world, so it was not entirely surprising. Though before when the distance was unknown and the time and grown too long, Dino had panicked and worried, he felt calm this time. It had taken him too long to recognize and come to terms with his feelings, and the understanding itself was enough to keep him in content placidity.
“You're really not worried?”
Tsuna sounded understandingly surprised, concern tinged in his own voice. Over the projection, he could see the Cavallone boss smile serenely, despite all questions unanswered. It almost felt like a swap of positions, Tsuna felt. After a long pause, he asked slowly, “Dino-san, do you know where Hibari-san is?”
“I don’t,” was the calm and honest reply, surprising the younger boss with a matched unchanging smile.
“Then you really aren’t worried,” Tsuna repeated, somehow managing to come to smile himself, although more sheepishly. “I haven’t heard from him in a long time as well, so even I was getting to be a little concerned. But if you can be so calm about his lack of appearance, then it must be all right somehow.”
“You’ve said it before, haven’t you, Tsuna? It is Kyouya, after all.”
At that, Tsuna managed a laugh, memories of that age-old reassurance returning to his mind. “Right, right,” he said with a changed smile and a nod. “Hibari-san is still Hibari-san. I suppose he'll show up whenever he wants to, only when he wants to. Just like always.”
“I think that too,” Dino said decisively, expression gentle as the one Tsuna had showed him so many times before. “He’ll be back for sure.”
The call ended on a peaceful note, both parties coming to some mutual understanding. While it was not to say the lingering question of where that drifting cloud was did not still pass their minds, it was simply more patiently waited on with better understanding. In truth, Dino did wonder every day how long it it would be before Hibari would appeared before him again, but he had resolutely made up his mind then to wait patiently. His self-realization had granted him a stable peace, and he was grateful. Even if Hibari was some unknown distance away, Dino could still think of him fondly and love him in peace.
Time passed slowly and with it, he put himself to work dedicated to his own family. His previous thoughts and feelings of turbulence interfered with his work more than was desirable, and he was intent on compensating. While he could not meet Hibari, he made sure to prioritize his family affairs entirely without other hinder thoughts. Too long did he waver, and for that he was sorry.
Before he had realized, the world around him had slowly grown more and more similar to the future he had gotten a glimpse of before. It was a memory that was turning into reality, but lacking the threats, despair, and war. The future he had come to live in was one in which the world was not at threat and the mafia existed in quiet balance with the rest of the world.
He had still not seen Hibari in some time. The Vongola Cloud Guardian was no longer a ghost to the world though, having shown himself when his family required him. Some mission gone awry that had led Tsuna into a panic was saved in one sweeping moment with the last guardian's arrival. As conflicts there slowly subsided, he went about his own business again without notice, just as predicted. In that time, Dino did not manage to catch him before he disappeared again. Though there was some ache of regret that he felt then, he remained steadfast in his patience, reminding himself again that Hibari would present himself when he needed. Unpredictably, as he always had.
Some more time had passed before Dino’s patience was finally rewarded.
It was evening, and the Italian sky had already shaded purple under the rising colors of night. Not the office nor the living room this time, but in his bedroom, perhaps the most dangerous place of them all. He was not sitting as he had been those number of times before, but he stood with his back leaning lightly against the door. He had slipped in so silently, Dino could not pinpoint when he had entered.
“Kyouya…” he breathed slowly, surprise mixed with delight in his voice.
“Your responses have gotten more boring.”
“Time has just made me more boring, I’m afraid," the blond replied with a chuckle as he hung up the coat of his suit. As much as he wanted to see him, Dino turned his back to him cautiously. “Actually, I’m so happy to see you, I can barely stand still.”
Hibari only let out a soft “hn” in response.
“There's a lot I want to talk to you about,” he began again slowly, smiling up at the wall before him without turning around. “I have a hundred questions to ask you and answers I want to hear from you.”
“Greedy, aren't we?”
“Just like always,” Dino laughed guiltily. As his chuckle slowly drifted back into silence, he continued slowly, “I always worry about you, but I know you're not a child anymore. I'm your tutor, but, Kyouya-”
Suddenly, a hand gripped the back of his shirt firmly, tossing him to the side like paperweight. Dino blinked furiously in response and stumbled until his back rest against the nearest solid wall, words lost in the progress. His breath slowed when Hibari pressed nearer, holding his collar at arm’s length, threateningly, in a most enchanting manner of danger. Mutely, Dino stared at him in confusion until finally the younger man scoffed in irritation.
“You’re slow and only ever talk about useless things,” he said darkly, eyes narrowed in visible annoyance. “You’re about to say something now you should have said last time.”
Dino blinked again in confusion as the younger man glared relentlessly in response.
“I said I hate being treated like a child. I don’t like being played with.”
“And here I always thought I was the one being played with,” Dino laughed blithely, only to be immediately silenced by Hibari’s reproachful glare. He sufficed with a smile, reaching out to gently caress the side of the younger man’s face, fingers memorizing the feel of its soft skin.
“I love you, Kyouya.”
The kiss that followed was twice as bruising as the first one. Dino could not remember how far forward he had to press to taste the other’s lips, but he felt the grip on the collar of his shirt tighten before turning into a sharp tug. Teeth bit down mercilessly on his lip to draw blood, but they made no protest to stop. Their arms and legs and hands and lips were tangled into a mess, whispers and gasps melted into pillows and sheets. Unrest and peace alike changing into long-suppressed passion in a raging storm that beat soundly until finally falling, falling, falling into back into a calm, returning the world to speed it was meant to spin at, slowly.
And when it had all come to rest again, Dino lay with his back to the bed with his student slew lazily on top of him, head resting wearily on his chest. Arms encircled loosely around Hibari’s bare back, the older man breathed like he had not tasted air in ages. And he breathed until he felt rejuvenated, his serenity restored as he had it.
“I could die in peace like this,” he said.
“I won’t allow that,” came the icy response. For just a moment, Dino paused and waited.
“There’s still information I need. You can’t die until I’m satisfied.”
At that, Dino laughed and tightened his arms’ grasp around the younger man’s waist. He smiled calmly and replied in a whisper, “Anything for you, Kyouya.”
Ah, he thought, how perfect a feeling.