Warnings: Unbeta'd, OOC, Yaoi.

Author's Notes: This is placed about 12 years later or so. Really, I didn't think I would be writing another 8084 fic, but a reviewer made me change my mind. This is different than "Densita di False", because this one has no fluff, just angst. Gawd, I love angsty Yamamoto XD

Sorry to all the Hibari fans out there reading this! I love him (he's my 2nd favorite character and 8018 my favorite couple), but it had to be done! At first it was going to be Gokudera, but I don't really like 8059 (hides from tomatoes being thrown at her). Sorry again, really!

Disclaimer: I don't own it.


They say opposites attract, and, as cliché as it sounds, it's true. Sort of.

Basil couldn't help but feel amazed at how Yamamoto's and Hibari's relationship worked. It was obvious how much the Rain Guardian loved the Cloud Guardian, but it was also oh so painfully obvious just how different they were. Yamamoto may represent the rain, but he was as warm as the shining sun, while Hibari (if possible) could be related to ice.

Yamamoto was cheerful and talkative, Hibari was serious and quiet. Takeshi loved hanging out with his friends; Kyouya loved biting them to death. Really, Basil had no idea how they managed to stay around each other so much. Maybe that's what love feels like; not being able to stay away from the other and also never being able to see their defects.

But there was a little problem that could not be ignored. What that was, you ask? Their relationship (or the lack there of) was completely one-sided. It pained him deeply to see how much Yamamoto suffered from the times Hibari went to Italy to see the Bucking Bronco or when he and Mukuro mysteriously disappeared during meetings, or even when he would come later than expected from a mission with Gokudera and the latter wouldn't meet his friend's eyes for a whole week. Somehow, though, Yamamoto's smile never faltered. He kept on staying at Hibari's side at all times, not really caring –but still knowing– about what happens behind his back.

Basil tries to understand him; he truly does, but never succeeds. Yamamoto was…so full of life, to say the least, whenever Hibari came into his view. He would smile even wider and his eyes would shine brighter that it was almost impossible to see the tormented look in them. Almost. The blue-eyed man could see it; he has always being good at reading people, and though sometimes Yamamoto Takeshi was a mystery, as time went on he has learned to see the smallest twitches on his expressions. Yamamoto was suffering from all of this, but why was he still staying with Hibari? He deserved someone better, someone who would understand his pain, someone who would never cheat on him, who would stay at his side no matter what!

So when Dino comes to 'visit his little brother' and instead of being with Tsuna he's suspiciously in Hibari's room, Basil finally snaps.

He really has no idea why he's feeling so damn pissed (which was really out of character considering his calm nature) as he drags Yamamoto out of the meetings room where he was having a conversation with Tsuna, Gokudera, Ryohei, Lambo and the girls about where Dino was –even though Basil was 100% sure that the baseball-lover knew the answer to that–. He stops dragging him as far as possible from the Vongola Quarters and in a burst of unexpected rage, glares at the taller man.

"Why art thou still with him?"

Yamamoto blinks, his chestnut brown eyes widening slightly as they reflect his surprise.

"Whatcha talking about?"

Basil suddenly felt the need to tear off his hair in frustration. "Hibari-dono! I am referring to Hibari-dono!"

"Oh!" He chuckled, scratching the scar in his chin. "Well, because I love him, silly!"

"But he hurts thee! He does not think about thy feelings!" The azure-eyed man almost yelled when seeing the smile on the other's lips. "Thou know this and yet thou stay with him…why?"

The semi-hostile tone in Basil's words disappeared at the end, replaced by mere sadness and confusion. Yamamoto sighed and placed his hand in the shorter man's shoulder.

Basil stared at him long and hard. It wasn't very difficult to see the somber look in his brown eyes nor the way his smile seemed to be struggling to be there, and, really, he had no idea why he cared so much about it. It was Yamamoto's life, not his. He shouldn't be interfering with it. He should have followed Tsuna's advice of leaving them alone; they were, after all, grown adults and could make their own decisions and solve their own problems. Still, though, Basil just couldn't help but feel like crying whenever he noticed the sadness behind his smile.

"Kyouya's just like that." Yamamoto said matter-of-factly with a small, pained smile.

"Like what, Yamamoto-dono?" The tallest man didn't hesitate to answer.

"Like a bird. He's exactly like a bird, you know? Birds cannot be tamed, they don't have an owner; they never keep ties anywhere." The swordsman paused a little and sighed. "Birds are free and beautiful. There are people who want to capture them, but in the end they fly away, scared but determined. It would be cruel to try and keep one in a cage, almost like as if their wings were tied, ripped, even, and just plain unfair. Kyouya is like that. He never stays in one place unless is necessary. He's a free man, and I'm not about to change that."

Azure eyes stayed glued to the floor as the explanation went on. Noting the slight crack in the other's voice, he looked up to see Yamamoto's face clearly.

In that moment, when Yamamoto looked away and smiled exhaustedly with dark, purple circles under his eyes and shrugged slowly as if it pained him to move, was when Basil finally realized how much he wanted to make him happy.

He found the answer of why he was being so stubborn about that strange relationship, why his heart would break whenever Yamamoto's cheerfulness would fade, why he insisted to know the reason why Yamamoto never left Hibari's side.

Oh dear God! He has fallen in love with Yamamoto Takeshi!

Strangely, he felt as if a weight fell off his shoulders and his lips parted slightly in surprise. How did that happen? Though, now that he thought about it, it made perfect sense. The black-haired guy has always been there for him, either listening to his problems and helping him out or just being there as a friend; however, Yamamoto was in love with Hibari, what was that revelation going to help in with?

He frowned. He really wanted to do something about all this, but he wasn't sure how. Searching for Yamamoto's now vulnerable-looking eyes, Basil felt his heart break. His feelings were never going to be returned, he was sure. What was he, a plain-looking Italian guy, compared to Hibari Kyouya, a Japanese beauty? They were nothing alike!

People say that opposites attract, but that was not the case all the time, right? With that thought in mind, he unknowingly in his tip-toes began to inch his face closer to the other man's ignoring the latter's look of mild surprise until their lips were pressed against each other. It took his mind a moment to register what he just did, and when realization came to his head he gasped and tried to pull away intending to apologize for his foolish acts, but he found himself unable to do so.

Yamamoto had his waist trapped with his left arm while his right hand was tangled in Basil's sandy blonde hair. His mouth was pressed against his almost forcefully, like he had been waiting to do so for a long time, and it took the shorter male a second to realize that Yamamoto was probably thinking about Hibari right now.

Yamamoto's tongue licked his lower lip asking for entrance, and Basil couldn't help but not care that he was being used as a temporary replacement as long as the Rain Guardian was happy.

Who knows, maybe one day Yamamoto will forget about the skylark and learn to love Basil instead, and as he opened his mouth, he silently hoped that that would really be the case.


Seriously, what's with me and all this angst? xD

Title means "Behind his smile" in Italian (again).

I, as always, didn't double read, so if you spot any mistakes or anything point it out and I'll fix them as soon as possible.

Hm, somehow whenever I write something it never turns out the way I wanted it to -this was supposed to be fluff-, but I guess I'm okay with this fanfic. Anyway, if you like 8084, expect more fluffiness 'cause I'm already starting to write down more stories, so wait for them! =D

Reviews keep me alive, LOL xD