Title: First set
Author: Taywen
Rating: T
Fandom: KHR!
Pairing/Character: Hibari/Ryohei; Mukuro/Chrome; Hibari/Dino; Lambo/Hana; Xanxus/Tsuna
Disclaimer: KHR! does not in any way belong to me, it's the property of Amano, etc.
Prompt: sunburn; water; stay; leave; postcard.
Notes: 'secret' became 'unrequited love' more often than not, I think. aha ~
o9. sunburn
Hibari is the cloud that floats effortlessly overhead, cold and aloof. Naturally, Hibari is untouchable and isolated.
Ryohei is the sun that blazes, light and warmth gracing all who are near him. Naturally, Ryohei is a tactile person.
Despite Hibari’s repeated threats about crowding, the sun guardian continues to casually brush past him, or touch a hand to a bent elbow, or sling an arm around tense shoulders. Once, he dared to ruffle Hibari’s raven hair.
Every time Ryohei’s hand brushes against Hibari, he leaves a burning impression behind, a yearning for more of the sun guardian’s irrepressible heat.
Wanting to rely on someone, for any reason, is a sign of weakness. Hibari is not weak; he will not succumb. Instead of leaning into Ryohei’s touch, or tilting his head to the side to brush his lips against Ryohei’s face, Hibari pulls out his tonfa and resorts to familiar violence - a punishment to himself for his weakness, and to Ryohei for making him weak.
Hibari will never admit to needing someone. If it remains unspoken, it remains unreal.
o6. water
Mukuro dreams of a cave deep beneath a mountain in a remote, arctic climate. He dreams of drip-drip-dripping droplets of moisture slipping to the cold stone floor. He dreams of seconds-days-years spent suspended motionless in a prison of water.
(They’re not really dreams - they’re memories, and they continue to haunt him months after the fact. Nightmares.)
“Mukuro-sama. Mukuro-sama,” someone murmurs anxiously at his side.
Mukuro blinks, awake. “Chrome-chan?” he responds, a smile curling his lips. It feels fake-transparent-weak but Chrome doesn’t seem to notice.
“You were tossing and turning... I thought you might be having a nightmare, Mukuro-sama,” she explains meekly.
He wraps an arm around her bare shoulders, pulling her closer. “Nothing of the sort,” he lies, and kisses her.
2o. stay
Hibari does not like to be caged. He does not like to be beholden to anyone, nor does he like having to ask for anything for another. Hibari is self-sufficient; he doesn’t need anyone else.
So why does he feel such an ache in his chest when the blond mafia boss leaves?
Dino grins in that goofy, self-conscious way of his as he stands in the open doorway, one hand on the doorknob.
“See you later, Kyoya,” he says, sounding slightly awkward, like he always does in this situation.
Stay, Hibari wants to say. It gets stuck in his throat, choking him. “Don’t trip on your way out, herbivore,” he says instead, indifferently.
19. leave
Lambo isn’t a bratty five year old anymore. (So maybe he’s still bratty - but he’s not five, damn it.) His tendency to be rather cavalier about the Ten Year Bazooka continues long into his childhood, though. It’s irritating, the eighteen year old thinks, that his ten-year-younger self continues to abuse the Bazooka.
Lambo’s secretly pleased though when Hana is there, though. Five minutes with the girl - young woman, now - is not enough to sate him, just enough to make him want more. More of her kisses and her laughter and her light.
And then he’s back in the present (future?). He sees Hana and Ryohei smiling and happy and married.
Lambo hates leaving his Hana behind. (But what could he say to the Hana and Ryohei from this timeline?)
21. postcard
It’s not Tsuna’s first time visiting Italy, and it won’t be his last - however, this is the first time he left Japan since he started dating Kyoko-chan.
There are bruises like bracelets around his wrists, red-dark handprints branded to his hips - Xanxus is not gentle; he doesn’t know how to be gentle, and has no interest in learning. He is the complete opposite of Kyoko-chan.
Tsuna stares at the blank postcard sitting on the desk in front of him, pen poised to write. His mind is blank; he can’t think of anything to say.
“Idiot, if you don’t finish your fucking postcard, I’ll finish it for you,” Xanxus threatens from where he is lounging on the bed. “And then I’ll punish you for taking so damn long.”
The brunet shudders; while that sounds tempting, the thought of Xanxus writing a postcard to Kyoko-chan is horrifying. “I’m almost done!”
Wish you were here, he scribbles, and signs it, Tsuna. No x’s, or o’s, or little hearts. He flips the card back over and gazes at the picture for a moment - clear blue sky, storm clouds gathering in the far distance, above a beautiful Italian landscape.
He thinks it’s fitting, in an ironic, not-so-nice way.
“Time’s up,” Xanxus growls in his ear, pulling Tsuna out of his chair, towards the bed.