KHR! D18: In the Margins
Title: In the Margins
Author: stearicacid
Rating: between PG-13 and R
Pairing: D18
Warnings: none?
Summary: {"Kyouya," he ventured, "do you know what you will be like in ten years' time?" This wistful query was met with a scoff; however could Hibari Kyouya change? If he was able to face better opponents, he would grow stronger, yes, but that was it, wasn't it?} A series of snippets from the beginning through TYL Dino's meeting with TYE Hibari.
---
Lunging, twirling, leaping, backpedaling, whipping, smacking, kicking--these were the elements of their war dance on the bloodied rooftop of Hibari's sacred ground. At this last frenzied practice, those were what drained them, exhausting their energy stores so that Hibari could not salvage the last of his pride, collapsing right along with the Cavallone.
Many minutes later, Hibari sat up and scowled when he saw that his idiot tutor was already doing so, assessing the damage to his most beloved garment: his coat. Blood turned the deep green-hazel a murky brown and matted the fur, the fur which had come from some unknown, fuzzily cute source that had previously roamed free, slinking along the forests, snatching up its prey in pearly razorblade teeth, ripping apart the pitiful creature, vermilion coated organs spilling everywhere as the animal sank into its meal only to be shot-
"Kyouya? Are you alright?"
Dino was looking at him, lips parted and brows drawn together. Hibari had been spacing out as he stared at the coat, imagining the viciously delightful violence, a pleased smirk just visible on his face. Dino's face lit up as he realized something, false though it was.
"Did you like this coat? Did you want one of your own? If you like, you can come back with me and we'll go to this guy I know, he's really good at clothes, his fur items are the best, he's been outfitting the Cavallone for dec-"
"I'm not interested, herbivore."
It really was a pity about the coat; it had served as a comfortable blanket and Hibari would regret its loss, no matter he said.
"You should still go, it'll be an adventure! We'd have a great time, it's warm year round, there's beaches, water, food, shopping-"
"I'm not interested. I thought you knew that I don't repeat myself." With this, Hibari's eyes narrowed as he stood, but the swaying unsteadiness made Dino take him a little less seriously, wondering how harmful a very tired child could be.
"-the birds-"
Hibari prowled toward him, sneering. He tightened the grip on his tonfa as he neared his teacher.
A grave mistake.
"-they're not in cages, you know. You can see them in their native habitats."
Dino thought that maybe he had gone a little crazy from overworking, but it seemed like the bash to his skull was just a bit softer.
---
It had taken three minutes for the Cavallone men to infiltrate enough into the government in order to get the information their boss desired:
information on his charge, the delinquent Hibari.
Dino was reclining in the chair at a desk in an unused classroom, reviewing the stack of papers. Powerful though he was at school and in Namimori, Hibari Kyouya did not have enough to wipe out and create what he wanted at the prefecture level. He could not completely eliminate the details of himself, that he was a May child and that he had just turned sixteen.
He was absorbed in the detail of the characters on the birth certificate, lines slanting this way and that, dots and dashes, lines crossing and touching, when the door opened. Prefect Hibari of the Namimori Junior High School Student Disciplinary Committee had been making rounds, scouring the building for stragglers and unauthorized visitors.
Dino was one such person, and he quickly stood, swinging over the desk and grabbing both of Hibari's hands when one swung out at him, and the other one followed after the lack of success.
"Kyouya!"
"What are you doing here, Cavallone?"
"Kyouya, Kyouya, I-!" Dino's face was bright, all lit up and shining at Hibari like the afternoon sun, full of warmth.
"I didn't know! Happy birthday, just a little late." His head leaned toward the side, buttery hair brushing his shoulders, his eyes crinkling, mouth expanded, half of his bare neck revealed, creamy skin taught agains the muscles and tendons exposed. His hands slid from Hibari's wrists and into his own pockets, relaxed.
It was that weakness that allowed Hibari to get a sound hit to Dino's jaw, right above where he would have liked to bite and sink his teeth in to spill the crimson blood against the tan flesh.
"Ouch! Ah, Kyouya, you know, it's usually the other way around. When someone has a birthday, the other people have to hit him as many times as his age, and sometimes with one extra for a little luck."
"I will not tolerate these herbivore-like practices," Hibari said, and he stalked out of the room, jacket whirling behind him.
Dino smiled, gathered up the papers, and decided to follow his student.
---
The wind was rattling the windows, and a cheery snow fell on the city of Namimori. It was the excess cold that led Hibari Kyouya to drinking more tea than usual, and which led his teacher to staring.
Slim fingers and a soft palm wrapped around the crisp green of a lacquered, ridged cup, creamy fingerpads occasionally tapping out a mindless rhythm. His slight wrist rested against the oak table, curved and bending back into a forearm bare of weapons and even a sweater. The arm flowed into a pointy elbow and taut upper arm, and a shoulder only beginning to broaden, with just enough space to give Hibird a constant perch but no tolerance for the hand of his teacher.
Dino sighed dramatically, slumping back further in the uncomfortable chair.
---
Hibari lay on his side in the futon bed. He was not quite awake or asleep and he would have gone back to sleep as it was still dark out if not for the dirty, undisciplined idiot taking up all of his precious space.
Propped up on one hand, he leaned over Hibari and murmured sweetly, nose brushing Hibari's hair at the temple.
"Kyouya." Dino exclaimed it like a pleasant greeting.
"Kyouya," he breathed like a whiny "you're no fun."
"Kyouya," he said, placating.
"Kyouya?" He paused; perhaps he had gotten better at sensing Hibari's moods for his own safety.
Laughing, the fool continued on.
"Oh, Kyouya," he sighed warmly, laughing more as he withdrew to his side of the bed.
'I've been defiled,' thought Hibari.
---
Sometimes, which was really quite a lot of his time, Dino pondered upon all manner of vast questions covering a range of topics to amaze any philosopher. At many of these times, he questioned himself, and specifically, his sanity.
Though he knew well the character of his dreadful charge, he could not be blamed for the thoughts which the most delectable Kyouya caused him to have. He could not be blamed for the strength and suppleness of that frame, covered tautly by pale flesh, as pure as any medieval fresco or sensous painting from a master. He could not be blamed for such soft, dark tresses, flying about in fight and looking so very touchable. He could not be blamed for black, black eyes that bored into the core of his being, nor the poutyness of mouth. Most of all, the afflicted Cavallone could not be blamed for his feelings, for in what soulless creature was there no reaction to such a beauty?
Was it his fault for being so inspired to action, that in such a land, this child-adult was legally fair game, just old enough and male enough? Was it his fault that he was required to spend so much time in the company of such a one? Could the answer have been any more obvious?
"Sir," the uniformed woman said, looking rattled as she hung up her phone and sought self-assurance by stroking the polished chrome badge upon her chest. "You may leave."
---
Stretched out along the gritty concrete of the roof, Hibari Kyouya's pale self was being subdued, the milky arch of his bare back pressing into the harsh cement, his white shirt riding up to reveal a slip of smooth stomach.
The taut and tanned Dino knelt above him, knees on opposite sides of Hibari's shin. He pinned down the arm closest to him and prowled in toward his grumpy student.
Hibari's glare smoldered from dark hooded eyes. He had not yet taken a swing at Dino.
This was some progress.
Half on and half off of the disciplinary committee's president, Dino trailed his free hand from the ends of Hibari's black, black hair, the side of his smooth cheek, the side of his soft neck, the front of his shoulder covered by the cotton that took too long to remove, his lithe torso, and resting just above the hip that jutted out.
Dino kissed Hibari.
The muscles under his hands tensed.
He caught the fist flying toward his stomach, soothed the fingers apart, and then had both of Hibari's arms pinned down, looking naked and pale as they were unadorned by the length of the tonfa.
Maybe he wasn't gradual enough.
Hibari's lips parted to spit acidic words and shut when he was kissed again, but on his cheek, temple, between his brows, his other cheek, jaw, that spot just under and behind his ears, and the tender skin of his neck. He hissed and Dino gave a laugh, hot breath strange against Hibari.
An impatient noise issued from Dino's student, so he kissed Hibari again and again on his white neck, and Hibari bent his neck just a bit to the side and his body just a bit upward.
Slowly, Dino's kisses trailed upward again, to the jaw, the chin, and finally, finally-- what are you doing to me why did that take so long-- finally he pressed one to Hibari's lips, slow and sweet, and before he could pull away there was a response.
Hibari had kissed him back; a victory for Dino.
Dino sighed as they pressed closer, removed his hands from Hibari's arms, and they touched and kissed and rubbed together, seeking out friction. Another hiss passed from between Hibari's lips and was replaced by a tongue, aching for more and searching it out and finding it, finding it, finding it-
There was no warning before Dino suddenly stopped.
He peeled himself just a little from Hibari, nestling his head in the crook of the other's neck.
Hibari made another sound, looking murderously at Dino, who began to laugh, quietly, sadly.
It was piteous.
"You're too young," he whipsered into the flesh of Hibari's neck. "You're just so young. You're far too young." He pulled away onto his hands, just an armspan away.
Hibari's face was mostly blank, slightly angry. Dino returned to his knees and drew his hand to Hibari's face, resting his palm on a cheek.
"You're really young."
He moved and settled himself next to Hibari, facing the wall at Hibari's head.
"You're too young."
Hibari glared intently at Dino.
---
The lazy cat was napping again, curled into the floor. A warm midafternoon sun lit up a spot just big enough for this cat and Dino, whose hand was resting on its head.
Dino frowned as he gazed down over the edge of the roof and at the students milling about on the grounds. He curled his fingers into the thick hair, mindlessly stroking the currently peaceful Hibari as he thought.
Was he a terrible teacher, an immoral person? Was he unfit? Was he just the same as the Poison Scorpion and what she did with her middle school charges? Was he going to hell and dragging his student alongside him?
... I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault... forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell...
Lead us not into temptation.
---
Hibari was on the roof with Hibird, drinking tea, and though he wouldn't admit it, relaxing. It was, after all, quite nice to be away from all those herds of herbivores and their stupidity. He was content to watch Hibird flit from place to place, chirping bits and pieces of the school anthem.
It was therefore with extra force that he struck down on the head of the cheery Cavallone who disturbed his peace.
"Ah, Kyouya," he pouted. "You're always so mean."
"It is undisciplined fools like you who bring it upon yourselves. I was just maintaining order."
---
Hibari took care of himself, but the most recent tussle with Dino over his excessive casualty had left both hands injured, and he could not bandage them himself. He would not embarrass himself to Kusakabe or the severely bruised Dino before him, so he resigned himself to washing his hands of the blood, but it didn't work and he could still see all the bright clotted crimson against the light cream of his flesh.
"Kyouya," Dino breathed, "let me take care of that."
"I don't need the help of an _idiot_ like-"
"You obviously can't do it yourself. You just tried, remember?"
"I'll-"
"bite me, specifically to death. I know, I know." Dino opened the kit in his hands and withdrew several items. Kneeling, he took one of the smaller hands in his own and wiped it clean, then the other. The cuts were not all clean lines, so he patted a cream into the jagged red marks and followed it with a careful wrapping of bleached white bandages and tape.
"I don't doubt you."
---
{It used to be an upper arm diagonal to a shoulder, an elbow pressing to the upper spine, the back of light but tan a forearm draped against dark hair which it so starkly contrasted with, ending in fingers that lazily toyed with soft tresses, but that was long ago, six years previous, and what stood before him was no longer his vicious sixteen-year-old student but a twenty-two-year-old man, taller and broader and deadlier.
This was not his precious, violent disciplinary president (though Hibari was no more "his" than ever, only in his fantasies) but rather a sly minx, a hunting cat, a snake, quietly slithering before snapping out for the lethal blow and then returning to his secret lair, no longer a small town middle school but some intricate underground hideout born of a need for seclusion, a retreat from the herbivoric herd which called itself a mafia, yet not so far out of reach as to be unattainable for the Vongola should said snake's goals coincide with theirs. The cloud, always in a different spot, never reliable, always gone, would at least now resign himself somewhat; it wasn't his fault that those fools had chosen his town as their home.
Instead of ignoring the fools for as long as possible and snarling when what little patience he had was gone, beginning to engage in a round of "biting to death," this Hibari Kyouya was content to give him a look out of the corner of his eye. Dino, cheerful as ever, couldn't help but take this as a sign of hope, a single sparkling beam of sunshine within the dusty depths of Miseries Which His Very Own Student Has Caused, Purposely or Accidentally.
"Kyouya," he'd breathed, blinking quite a bit.
Content to remain silent, something resembling a smile mutated Hibari's face into something unfamiliar yet very welcome, and another ray of sun broke through the moldy basement of Dino's heart. He rushed forward and met with a harsh crack to his jaw that reverberated within his skull and toppled his balance. This did not perturb Hibari's expression of what Dino now recognized as murderous glee combined with unending anger. There was another hit across his clavicle and he was dragged up to his feet in a sad attempt at standing, receiving another hit to the elbow that he tried to shield himself with.
Dino was finally able to collect himself, and was relieved that this barrage seemed to have ended until his precious darling rammed the end of a tonfa into his stomach, just for good measure.
"You-you insolent pig, you think that you can just do whatever you want, trotting all over? Do you find me a mere calf, happy to suck at the pathetic Vongola teat?"
Hibari Kyouya was not someone to get out of breath from a simple jog, to have minimal stamina. No, he was a fighter, always violent; this was something else.
"Kyouya, Kyouya, what do you mean? I taught you like Reborn said I would. I did my job-"
"I don't care about that baby. Are you still as much of a fool as when you left?" By now, a full-on snarl has stretched across Hibari's face, an arms' length from the befuddled Dino's, no longer a head-height lower.
"Kyouya-"
Dino did not know, or simply chose to remain oblivious to Japanese name arrangement. Family before given; shouldn't it have been obvious to call others by what was used first, that calling by personal name like that was rude? Shouldn't it have been obvious that even if he was familiar with someone, such a lengthy gap might require caution? Thanks to his stupidity, or perhaps ignorance, Dino earned himself another smack of a tonfa, though he evaded most of the force.
"You left, Cavallone." Without warning, you left. You left me.
---
Outside raged a biting wind, one that snatched breath away and froze flesh, chilling all the way down to the marrow. Though this lair was nicely sealed off, there was a distinct lack of cozy warmth which made visitors wonder if it was to hold them at bay (not like anybody would visit when they knew it would result in many bruises and fractures). However, one person could not be kept out, and because this one person was much beloved, high numbers of the Cavallone family consequently could be found there. Consequently, Hibari was in a very sour mood even more than usual and took any chance he could to escape as far as possible, for it was not plausible to wipe out all of the suited men when more would keep coming in their place, "coincidentally" spending their days outside.
One place of refuge was the bath, a large room tiled in cream with a large pearly tub, silver showerhead, and a yellow plastic stool. Water was beading up on every surface and remants of white foam were on the floor. Steam rose solidly from the nearly full tub, in which sat and half-slept the most fearsome of all, Hibari. The door barely opened, and the footsteps seemingly nonexistent, but the entrance into the tub made enough of a splish-splash that Hibari's eyes snapped open and he pinned his ulna against the intruder.
"There's enough room."
"Get out."
"But Kyou~ya~."
"Get out."
"There's no reason why-"
"You filthy swine cannot even observe the proper bath ritual-"
"Actually, I just took a shower in the other-"
"Silence, Cavallone."
Dino smiled, a thousand watts of cheer visible even through the steam.
---
Since Dino had so rudely made himself a constant factor of the Hibari lair, his victim decided that it would be in his own best interest to put the herbivore as far away as possible, in a seperate room with enough space for his herd of useless family. It had so far proved useful, for which Hibari was amused--really, weren't herbivores so simple and easy to predict?
Padding down the halls, Dino crept along until he reached his destination. He held his breath as he fluidly opened the door and stepped in, shutting it behind him. In the corner across from the sole window lay his goal toward which he tiptoed. At the edge of the bed, he lowered himself and sat crosslegged, knees pointing at the side of his dear, dear--what was their relationship? He didn't know if Hibari was asleep or not, but decided to make the very stupid decision to begin quietly babbling on and on.
"So, Kyouya, you know I was just thinking about how dreadful everything is, how depressing this house-thing is--I mean I'm not saying that Japanese decor is bad! I just thought you could do some of that ikebana that I was reading about. I've heard about it a lot but I never read anything until yesterday when Romario and I went to Tokyo University and looked around, it's really fascinating! You know all those different concepts, the-the contrasts and optical illusions, volume and line and-"
"You're tiresome."
--
"It's only a month. That's not so long," he said, pulling Hibari sideways into him. Hibari continued to face forward as Dino kissed the side of his cheekbone. "Just one month." Dino kissed his cheek again, softly, softly, softly, and Hibari did not turn his head.
---
Sunset on the same day of the next month arrived, and then it had been another week. Then another, and another, and there was a flurried rush into Hibari's office as he sat and read. He deigned to look upward at the disheveled Cavallone, whose mouth was hanging stupidly as he sought the proper words. Before anything was said, Hibari calmly stood and then flew at Dino, smashing his arm into the other's stomach. Gasping, Dino pulled out his whip but only managed to catch Hibari's legs just a foot from his own. He tried to say something, to placate the beast, but Hibari's hand was soon clasped about his neck, too tight for comfort.
"Lies," he hissed, narrowed eyes hidden in the mess of blond hair which brushed against brown eyes and neat brows drawn together in shameful defeat.
---
It was altogether far too strange and complicated, but Dino could not say no to the man who had taught him so well, and it was thus that he returned to Japan with his gut in knots. He found his Kyouya, but this was not quite his Kyouya. Instead, he was training another boy, just like the first time, except he was older and this was in the future and the boy was from the past. As he looked at the child starting to reach his prime, Dino gave a resigned sigh, for what thirty-two year old man wouldn't at the sight of that? He could only long for his own youth as he looked at the still-thin boy, all glossy raven black hair and pasty skin that covered so tautly his muscles, and Dino felt doughy in comparison.
Yet he wasn't, though he still felt rather depressed as he sat across from his favorite delinquent, wondering and wondering and wondering. He shifted and fidgeted and gave a few sighs until Hibari stood before him, the end of a tonfa pressing into his solar plexus.
"Spit it out, Bucking Horse."
Dino sighed again, and tonfa pressed harder against him.
"Kyouya," he ventured, "do you know what you will be like in ten years' time?" This wistful query was met with a scoff; however could Hibari Kyouya
change? If he was able to face better opponents, he would grow stronger, yes, but that was it, wasn't it?
"Kyouya?"
---
Author: stearicacid
Rating: between PG-13 and R
Pairing: D18
Warnings: none?
Summary: {"Kyouya," he ventured, "do you know what you will be like in ten years' time?" This wistful query was met with a scoff; however could Hibari Kyouya change? If he was able to face better opponents, he would grow stronger, yes, but that was it, wasn't it?} A series of snippets from the beginning through TYL Dino's meeting with TYE Hibari.
---
Lunging, twirling, leaping, backpedaling, whipping, smacking, kicking--these were the elements of their war dance on the bloodied rooftop of Hibari's sacred ground. At this last frenzied practice, those were what drained them, exhausting their energy stores so that Hibari could not salvage the last of his pride, collapsing right along with the Cavallone.
Many minutes later, Hibari sat up and scowled when he saw that his idiot tutor was already doing so, assessing the damage to his most beloved garment: his coat. Blood turned the deep green-hazel a murky brown and matted the fur, the fur which had come from some unknown, fuzzily cute source that had previously roamed free, slinking along the forests, snatching up its prey in pearly razorblade teeth, ripping apart the pitiful creature, vermilion coated organs spilling everywhere as the animal sank into its meal only to be shot-
"Kyouya? Are you alright?"
Dino was looking at him, lips parted and brows drawn together. Hibari had been spacing out as he stared at the coat, imagining the viciously delightful violence, a pleased smirk just visible on his face. Dino's face lit up as he realized something, false though it was.
"Did you like this coat? Did you want one of your own? If you like, you can come back with me and we'll go to this guy I know, he's really good at clothes, his fur items are the best, he's been outfitting the Cavallone for dec-"
"I'm not interested, herbivore."
It really was a pity about the coat; it had served as a comfortable blanket and Hibari would regret its loss, no matter he said.
"You should still go, it'll be an adventure! We'd have a great time, it's warm year round, there's beaches, water, food, shopping-"
"I'm not interested. I thought you knew that I don't repeat myself." With this, Hibari's eyes narrowed as he stood, but the swaying unsteadiness made Dino take him a little less seriously, wondering how harmful a very tired child could be.
"-the birds-"
Hibari prowled toward him, sneering. He tightened the grip on his tonfa as he neared his teacher.
A grave mistake.
"-they're not in cages, you know. You can see them in their native habitats."
Dino thought that maybe he had gone a little crazy from overworking, but it seemed like the bash to his skull was just a bit softer.
---
It had taken three minutes for the Cavallone men to infiltrate enough into the government in order to get the information their boss desired:
information on his charge, the delinquent Hibari.
Dino was reclining in the chair at a desk in an unused classroom, reviewing the stack of papers. Powerful though he was at school and in Namimori, Hibari Kyouya did not have enough to wipe out and create what he wanted at the prefecture level. He could not completely eliminate the details of himself, that he was a May child and that he had just turned sixteen.
He was absorbed in the detail of the characters on the birth certificate, lines slanting this way and that, dots and dashes, lines crossing and touching, when the door opened. Prefect Hibari of the Namimori Junior High School Student Disciplinary Committee had been making rounds, scouring the building for stragglers and unauthorized visitors.
Dino was one such person, and he quickly stood, swinging over the desk and grabbing both of Hibari's hands when one swung out at him, and the other one followed after the lack of success.
"Kyouya!"
"What are you doing here, Cavallone?"
"Kyouya, Kyouya, I-!" Dino's face was bright, all lit up and shining at Hibari like the afternoon sun, full of warmth.
"I didn't know! Happy birthday, just a little late." His head leaned toward the side, buttery hair brushing his shoulders, his eyes crinkling, mouth expanded, half of his bare neck revealed, creamy skin taught agains the muscles and tendons exposed. His hands slid from Hibari's wrists and into his own pockets, relaxed.
It was that weakness that allowed Hibari to get a sound hit to Dino's jaw, right above where he would have liked to bite and sink his teeth in to spill the crimson blood against the tan flesh.
"Ouch! Ah, Kyouya, you know, it's usually the other way around. When someone has a birthday, the other people have to hit him as many times as his age, and sometimes with one extra for a little luck."
"I will not tolerate these herbivore-like practices," Hibari said, and he stalked out of the room, jacket whirling behind him.
Dino smiled, gathered up the papers, and decided to follow his student.
---
The wind was rattling the windows, and a cheery snow fell on the city of Namimori. It was the excess cold that led Hibari Kyouya to drinking more tea than usual, and which led his teacher to staring.
Slim fingers and a soft palm wrapped around the crisp green of a lacquered, ridged cup, creamy fingerpads occasionally tapping out a mindless rhythm. His slight wrist rested against the oak table, curved and bending back into a forearm bare of weapons and even a sweater. The arm flowed into a pointy elbow and taut upper arm, and a shoulder only beginning to broaden, with just enough space to give Hibird a constant perch but no tolerance for the hand of his teacher.
Dino sighed dramatically, slumping back further in the uncomfortable chair.
---
Hibari lay on his side in the futon bed. He was not quite awake or asleep and he would have gone back to sleep as it was still dark out if not for the dirty, undisciplined idiot taking up all of his precious space.
Propped up on one hand, he leaned over Hibari and murmured sweetly, nose brushing Hibari's hair at the temple.
"Kyouya." Dino exclaimed it like a pleasant greeting.
"Kyouya," he breathed like a whiny "you're no fun."
"Kyouya," he said, placating.
"Kyouya?" He paused; perhaps he had gotten better at sensing Hibari's moods for his own safety.
Laughing, the fool continued on.
"Oh, Kyouya," he sighed warmly, laughing more as he withdrew to his side of the bed.
'I've been defiled,' thought Hibari.
---
Sometimes, which was really quite a lot of his time, Dino pondered upon all manner of vast questions covering a range of topics to amaze any philosopher. At many of these times, he questioned himself, and specifically, his sanity.
Though he knew well the character of his dreadful charge, he could not be blamed for the thoughts which the most delectable Kyouya caused him to have. He could not be blamed for the strength and suppleness of that frame, covered tautly by pale flesh, as pure as any medieval fresco or sensous painting from a master. He could not be blamed for such soft, dark tresses, flying about in fight and looking so very touchable. He could not be blamed for black, black eyes that bored into the core of his being, nor the poutyness of mouth. Most of all, the afflicted Cavallone could not be blamed for his feelings, for in what soulless creature was there no reaction to such a beauty?
Was it his fault for being so inspired to action, that in such a land, this child-adult was legally fair game, just old enough and male enough? Was it his fault that he was required to spend so much time in the company of such a one? Could the answer have been any more obvious?
"Sir," the uniformed woman said, looking rattled as she hung up her phone and sought self-assurance by stroking the polished chrome badge upon her chest. "You may leave."
---
Stretched out along the gritty concrete of the roof, Hibari Kyouya's pale self was being subdued, the milky arch of his bare back pressing into the harsh cement, his white shirt riding up to reveal a slip of smooth stomach.
The taut and tanned Dino knelt above him, knees on opposite sides of Hibari's shin. He pinned down the arm closest to him and prowled in toward his grumpy student.
Hibari's glare smoldered from dark hooded eyes. He had not yet taken a swing at Dino.
This was some progress.
Half on and half off of the disciplinary committee's president, Dino trailed his free hand from the ends of Hibari's black, black hair, the side of his smooth cheek, the side of his soft neck, the front of his shoulder covered by the cotton that took too long to remove, his lithe torso, and resting just above the hip that jutted out.
Dino kissed Hibari.
The muscles under his hands tensed.
He caught the fist flying toward his stomach, soothed the fingers apart, and then had both of Hibari's arms pinned down, looking naked and pale as they were unadorned by the length of the tonfa.
Maybe he wasn't gradual enough.
Hibari's lips parted to spit acidic words and shut when he was kissed again, but on his cheek, temple, between his brows, his other cheek, jaw, that spot just under and behind his ears, and the tender skin of his neck. He hissed and Dino gave a laugh, hot breath strange against Hibari.
An impatient noise issued from Dino's student, so he kissed Hibari again and again on his white neck, and Hibari bent his neck just a bit to the side and his body just a bit upward.
Slowly, Dino's kisses trailed upward again, to the jaw, the chin, and finally, finally-- what are you doing to me why did that take so long-- finally he pressed one to Hibari's lips, slow and sweet, and before he could pull away there was a response.
Hibari had kissed him back; a victory for Dino.
Dino sighed as they pressed closer, removed his hands from Hibari's arms, and they touched and kissed and rubbed together, seeking out friction. Another hiss passed from between Hibari's lips and was replaced by a tongue, aching for more and searching it out and finding it, finding it, finding it-
There was no warning before Dino suddenly stopped.
He peeled himself just a little from Hibari, nestling his head in the crook of the other's neck.
Hibari made another sound, looking murderously at Dino, who began to laugh, quietly, sadly.
It was piteous.
"You're too young," he whipsered into the flesh of Hibari's neck. "You're just so young. You're far too young." He pulled away onto his hands, just an armspan away.
Hibari's face was mostly blank, slightly angry. Dino returned to his knees and drew his hand to Hibari's face, resting his palm on a cheek.
"You're really young."
He moved and settled himself next to Hibari, facing the wall at Hibari's head.
"You're too young."
Hibari glared intently at Dino.
---
The lazy cat was napping again, curled into the floor. A warm midafternoon sun lit up a spot just big enough for this cat and Dino, whose hand was resting on its head.
Dino frowned as he gazed down over the edge of the roof and at the students milling about on the grounds. He curled his fingers into the thick hair, mindlessly stroking the currently peaceful Hibari as he thought.
Was he a terrible teacher, an immoral person? Was he unfit? Was he just the same as the Poison Scorpion and what she did with her middle school charges? Was he going to hell and dragging his student alongside him?
... I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault... forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell...
Lead us not into temptation.
---
Hibari was on the roof with Hibird, drinking tea, and though he wouldn't admit it, relaxing. It was, after all, quite nice to be away from all those herds of herbivores and their stupidity. He was content to watch Hibird flit from place to place, chirping bits and pieces of the school anthem.
It was therefore with extra force that he struck down on the head of the cheery Cavallone who disturbed his peace.
"Ah, Kyouya," he pouted. "You're always so mean."
"It is undisciplined fools like you who bring it upon yourselves. I was just maintaining order."
---
Hibari took care of himself, but the most recent tussle with Dino over his excessive casualty had left both hands injured, and he could not bandage them himself. He would not embarrass himself to Kusakabe or the severely bruised Dino before him, so he resigned himself to washing his hands of the blood, but it didn't work and he could still see all the bright clotted crimson against the light cream of his flesh.
"Kyouya," Dino breathed, "let me take care of that."
"I don't need the help of an _idiot_ like-"
"You obviously can't do it yourself. You just tried, remember?"
"I'll-"
"bite me, specifically to death. I know, I know." Dino opened the kit in his hands and withdrew several items. Kneeling, he took one of the smaller hands in his own and wiped it clean, then the other. The cuts were not all clean lines, so he patted a cream into the jagged red marks and followed it with a careful wrapping of bleached white bandages and tape.
"I don't doubt you."
---
{It used to be an upper arm diagonal to a shoulder, an elbow pressing to the upper spine, the back of light but tan a forearm draped against dark hair which it so starkly contrasted with, ending in fingers that lazily toyed with soft tresses, but that was long ago, six years previous, and what stood before him was no longer his vicious sixteen-year-old student but a twenty-two-year-old man, taller and broader and deadlier.
This was not his precious, violent disciplinary president (though Hibari was no more "his" than ever, only in his fantasies) but rather a sly minx, a hunting cat, a snake, quietly slithering before snapping out for the lethal blow and then returning to his secret lair, no longer a small town middle school but some intricate underground hideout born of a need for seclusion, a retreat from the herbivoric herd which called itself a mafia, yet not so far out of reach as to be unattainable for the Vongola should said snake's goals coincide with theirs. The cloud, always in a different spot, never reliable, always gone, would at least now resign himself somewhat; it wasn't his fault that those fools had chosen his town as their home.
Instead of ignoring the fools for as long as possible and snarling when what little patience he had was gone, beginning to engage in a round of "biting to death," this Hibari Kyouya was content to give him a look out of the corner of his eye. Dino, cheerful as ever, couldn't help but take this as a sign of hope, a single sparkling beam of sunshine within the dusty depths of Miseries Which His Very Own Student Has Caused, Purposely or Accidentally.
"Kyouya," he'd breathed, blinking quite a bit.
Content to remain silent, something resembling a smile mutated Hibari's face into something unfamiliar yet very welcome, and another ray of sun broke through the moldy basement of Dino's heart. He rushed forward and met with a harsh crack to his jaw that reverberated within his skull and toppled his balance. This did not perturb Hibari's expression of what Dino now recognized as murderous glee combined with unending anger. There was another hit across his clavicle and he was dragged up to his feet in a sad attempt at standing, receiving another hit to the elbow that he tried to shield himself with.
Dino was finally able to collect himself, and was relieved that this barrage seemed to have ended until his precious darling rammed the end of a tonfa into his stomach, just for good measure.
"You-you insolent pig, you think that you can just do whatever you want, trotting all over? Do you find me a mere calf, happy to suck at the pathetic Vongola teat?"
Hibari Kyouya was not someone to get out of breath from a simple jog, to have minimal stamina. No, he was a fighter, always violent; this was something else.
"Kyouya, Kyouya, what do you mean? I taught you like Reborn said I would. I did my job-"
"I don't care about that baby. Are you still as much of a fool as when you left?" By now, a full-on snarl has stretched across Hibari's face, an arms' length from the befuddled Dino's, no longer a head-height lower.
"Kyouya-"
Dino did not know, or simply chose to remain oblivious to Japanese name arrangement. Family before given; shouldn't it have been obvious to call others by what was used first, that calling by personal name like that was rude? Shouldn't it have been obvious that even if he was familiar with someone, such a lengthy gap might require caution? Thanks to his stupidity, or perhaps ignorance, Dino earned himself another smack of a tonfa, though he evaded most of the force.
"You left, Cavallone." Without warning, you left. You left me.
---
Outside raged a biting wind, one that snatched breath away and froze flesh, chilling all the way down to the marrow. Though this lair was nicely sealed off, there was a distinct lack of cozy warmth which made visitors wonder if it was to hold them at bay (not like anybody would visit when they knew it would result in many bruises and fractures). However, one person could not be kept out, and because this one person was much beloved, high numbers of the Cavallone family consequently could be found there. Consequently, Hibari was in a very sour mood even more than usual and took any chance he could to escape as far as possible, for it was not plausible to wipe out all of the suited men when more would keep coming in their place, "coincidentally" spending their days outside.
One place of refuge was the bath, a large room tiled in cream with a large pearly tub, silver showerhead, and a yellow plastic stool. Water was beading up on every surface and remants of white foam were on the floor. Steam rose solidly from the nearly full tub, in which sat and half-slept the most fearsome of all, Hibari. The door barely opened, and the footsteps seemingly nonexistent, but the entrance into the tub made enough of a splish-splash that Hibari's eyes snapped open and he pinned his ulna against the intruder.
"There's enough room."
"Get out."
"But Kyou~ya~."
"Get out."
"There's no reason why-"
"You filthy swine cannot even observe the proper bath ritual-"
"Actually, I just took a shower in the other-"
"Silence, Cavallone."
Dino smiled, a thousand watts of cheer visible even through the steam.
---
Since Dino had so rudely made himself a constant factor of the Hibari lair, his victim decided that it would be in his own best interest to put the herbivore as far away as possible, in a seperate room with enough space for his herd of useless family. It had so far proved useful, for which Hibari was amused--really, weren't herbivores so simple and easy to predict?
Padding down the halls, Dino crept along until he reached his destination. He held his breath as he fluidly opened the door and stepped in, shutting it behind him. In the corner across from the sole window lay his goal toward which he tiptoed. At the edge of the bed, he lowered himself and sat crosslegged, knees pointing at the side of his dear, dear--what was their relationship? He didn't know if Hibari was asleep or not, but decided to make the very stupid decision to begin quietly babbling on and on.
"So, Kyouya, you know I was just thinking about how dreadful everything is, how depressing this house-thing is--I mean I'm not saying that Japanese decor is bad! I just thought you could do some of that ikebana that I was reading about. I've heard about it a lot but I never read anything until yesterday when Romario and I went to Tokyo University and looked around, it's really fascinating! You know all those different concepts, the-the contrasts and optical illusions, volume and line and-"
"You're tiresome."
--
"It's only a month. That's not so long," he said, pulling Hibari sideways into him. Hibari continued to face forward as Dino kissed the side of his cheekbone. "Just one month." Dino kissed his cheek again, softly, softly, softly, and Hibari did not turn his head.
---
Sunset on the same day of the next month arrived, and then it had been another week. Then another, and another, and there was a flurried rush into Hibari's office as he sat and read. He deigned to look upward at the disheveled Cavallone, whose mouth was hanging stupidly as he sought the proper words. Before anything was said, Hibari calmly stood and then flew at Dino, smashing his arm into the other's stomach. Gasping, Dino pulled out his whip but only managed to catch Hibari's legs just a foot from his own. He tried to say something, to placate the beast, but Hibari's hand was soon clasped about his neck, too tight for comfort.
"Lies," he hissed, narrowed eyes hidden in the mess of blond hair which brushed against brown eyes and neat brows drawn together in shameful defeat.
---
It was altogether far too strange and complicated, but Dino could not say no to the man who had taught him so well, and it was thus that he returned to Japan with his gut in knots. He found his Kyouya, but this was not quite his Kyouya. Instead, he was training another boy, just like the first time, except he was older and this was in the future and the boy was from the past. As he looked at the child starting to reach his prime, Dino gave a resigned sigh, for what thirty-two year old man wouldn't at the sight of that? He could only long for his own youth as he looked at the still-thin boy, all glossy raven black hair and pasty skin that covered so tautly his muscles, and Dino felt doughy in comparison.
Yet he wasn't, though he still felt rather depressed as he sat across from his favorite delinquent, wondering and wondering and wondering. He shifted and fidgeted and gave a few sighs until Hibari stood before him, the end of a tonfa pressing into his solar plexus.
"Spit it out, Bucking Horse."
Dino sighed again, and tonfa pressed harder against him.
"Kyouya," he ventured, "do you know what you will be like in ten years' time?" This wistful query was met with a scoff; however could Hibari Kyouya
change? If he was able to face better opponents, he would grow stronger, yes, but that was it, wasn't it?
"Kyouya?"
---