20. just throw it on me
The problem, the older Dino reflects, is not so much that he does not act his age as that he now grows excited over different things. He knew when he had hit the thirty benchmark when Romario had accidentally (or so the Cavallone boss hopes) left a coupon for L’Occitane’s anti-aging cream on his bureau, and the blond suddenly felt radiant butterflies in his stomach.
“Do I look old to you,” he muses out loud to Hibari, who does not even turn his back as he is seated before his Spartan dresser. It is a rhetorical question, of course, for Hibari is not one to ever pass up an opportunity to bite (not so old) ex-tutor mentally dead.
The second incident regarding Dino’s awakening acknowledgement to his own insistent aging process was the glee over the ridiculous long warrantee that came with his Italian mansion’s new security system. With the rising threat of a few new families in the mafia underground, Dino had expressed to Romario the possibility of updating the electronic security system. Unfortunately, while poring over countless of magazines and pamphlets of the latest designs, the Cavallone boss became painfully aware that he was spending more time comparing warrantee lengths and prices, than actually examining the prodigious details of the new systems.
“I mean, I got carded about a few months ago when I was in the States, but I think it was a joke, right, Kyouya?”
The third incident (the most unforgivable and outrageous by far) was when Dino had opened his full thirty car garage and decided that he should probably donate half of his cars to charity. When his mind had finally snapped back to reality two seconds later after the silent proclamation, he cried in his room for a week.
“Hey, have you worn that red kimono yet, Kyouya?”
The last incident, which occurred last week, was when he had been wandering through the Ginzo district and stumbled upon a store opening. It was one of those places where everything was written in English and French, yet sold traditional Japanese clothing, and had kimonos worth more than Squalo’s shampoo + conditioner + mousse allowance. Dino had wandered in out of curiosity and practically tripped his way (much to his men’s dismay, for they were actually present at the time) to a gorgeous deep crimson kimono draped with white water lilies and lanky cranes. When he had expressed his desire to observe the decadent silk across his cute (not so little) ex-pupil’s white skin, Romario decided to point out one little obvious fact.
“That’s a woman’s kimono, boss,” he coughed, shaded eyes betraying nothing.
Dino reassured his exasperated men with a wave of the hand. “Minor details.”
“Kyouya?”
Hibari slams the drawer to his dresser shut. The noise startles Hibird, who peeps, ruffles his feathers, and falls back asleep in Hibari’s hair. (Dino had long gotten over the comical appearance of this scene, because last time he had laughed, Hibari managed to beat him into a bloody pulp … even with his men around.) The Cloud Guardian whirls around with fire igniting behind those cold eyes. “What. Are you doing here.”
Dino rolls over on the bed. “Visiting you.”
The Disciplinary Committee had formed this underground base a few months before, but Hibari had just moved in a few weeks ago. Of course, he had not informed Tsuna of it being adjacent to the Vongola boss’s base, but that was only expected (and plus, Tsuna probably knew anyway).
Hibari stands up so abruptly that the chair nearly tips over, causing Hibird to flutter indignantly and relocate to the window. He makes a beeline for the door when Dino’s whip lashes out from nowhere. The Cloud Guardian blocks the first strike with his tonfa, but Dino withdraws his arm and then flicks his wrist, causing the tip of his whip to wrap around Hibari’s right knee and the Cloud Guardian to trip. A grim smile flicks across Hibari’s face as he steadies his balance.
“You’re less clumsy without your men now,” the younger man allows.
And you’re not putting up as strong of a guard around me, Dino believes, but he is not stupid enough to voice such statements. However, he is provoking enough to add, “Well, if you’re not going to wear that kimono, show me a cute face.”
The Cloud Guardian grits his teeth and he violently shakes loose of the whip. A white hand snakes out and pulls suddenly on the tip, causing Dino to lurch forward. However, the blonde, hiding a low grin behind his tumble, rolls over on his head and pushes up against his feet so that he dives for his (not so little) ex-pupil’s shoulders. When the tonfa comes slamming down on Dino’s back, it becomes the blonde’s turn to grit his teeth, and when he stands, he falls back two paces. Hibari takes the cue to step forward, but Dino reveals the trap when he all too quickly pushes the Cloud Guardian off balance and strikes the weakest spot on the wrist with well practiced precision. The tonfa shudders along the ground. Dino bends Hibari’s elbow so that it is either turn or die, and when the Cloud Guardian spins, Dino jabs the valley between Hibari’s skeletal shoulder blades, causing the latter to pitch forward, and grabs the other arm during the fall.
Both men attempt to catch their breaths as the Cavallone boss now straddles the Cloud Guardian with one hand firmly holding both of his (not so little) ex-pupil’s wrists and the other with a fistful of silky hair.
“That,” Dino gasps between breaths, “was not very cute.”
A low growl of pure animal resonates from the back of Hibari’s throat.
The irritated smile that had been plastered across the blonde’s face throughout the brief altercation now melts into a wider, more wicked grin. He leans forward and blows along the sweat beading down the back of the younger man’s neck, and then breathes, causing the shivers of cold and hot to run down his (not so little) ex-pupil’s spine. Then, shifting aside, Dino runs his tongue down the inner curve of Hibari’s ear, and feels him squirm under his grip. Raising his gaze and peering into Hibari’s face, the Cavallone boss notices with satisfaction the red stain across Hibari’s pearly cheeks and the hard shine in the eyes.
“That’s the cute face I was talking about, Kyouya,” Dino teases with an even bigger smile.
Hibari lunges forward with gashing teeth so suddenly that he nearly bites Dino’s nose off.
“Don’t be difficult. I know you hate foreplay but if you’re not going to behave, I’m not going to let go.”
And so, for the next twenty minutes, the Cloud Guardian quakes and shivers as Dino traces kisses down the nape of his neck and grinds into the small of his back. He attempts to kick his (not so old) ex-tutor from the back but the blonde insists that it actually resembles a curious massage, much like the ones he had gotten in the Hokkaido spas earlier that year. Finally, Hibari’s struggling body lays still.
The blonde leans forward into the younger man’s ear and whispers, “Why haven’t you worn that kimono?”
“Because it’s for a goddamn woman,” comes the snarl.
Dino shrugs ever so slightly. “You’d still look better in it than any woman.” The blonde opens his mouth again, but chokes down on his following words; the phrase, “It was for either you or Squalo,” seems like it will be a completely unnecessary provocation. The Cavallone boss enjoys feisty, not jealously deranged.
Hibari issues a variety of other violent noises but the blonde understands that the worst of the storm is over. Slowly, he releases his prisoner and holds his breath until Hibari’s clenched fists relax.
“I’m not wearing it,” the (not so little) ex-pupil persists.
“You moan like a woman,” the (not so old) ex-tutor reasons as he raises from his knees a bit to roll Hibari onto his back.
“Vulgar, tasteless, old bastard.”
“Cute, little, violent kitten.”
Hibari’s hair stands up on the end as he resumes snarling and biting, but, Dino, laughing, is too quick.