Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman Reborn is Amano Akira's
Credit: many thanks to renrenren3 & zenelly for beta reading
Warning: non-citrusy 18D shounen-ai narrated from an OC's POV
Timeline: 11 years in the future
Author's Note: This fanfic uses British English (some spelling and punctuation differences, such as single quotations for normal speech)
The happiest birthday to you, ceasefire! Aw, I envy you for having the same birthday as Hibari…
Made guy = one who has taken the Omertà oath and becomes a member of the Mafia
Omertà = code of silence (not giving any information of friends and allies even when one is tortured by the enemy); the Omertà breaker is punishable by death
Consigliere = an advisor to a leader of organized crime, especially Mafia
Boss' Inamorato
'Corrado.' Romario accosted Don Cavallone Decimo's new chauffeur, who was polishing the Ferrari in the front yard. Unlike the other members of the Cavallone Famiglia, the called name was not of a made guy. It belonged to a boy of seventeen, a stranger to the Omertà, whom Dino personally had saved from some street thugs.
The youth did not answer. Whenever he tended any of Dino's cars, he was in a world of his own — that was the extent of how much he loved automobiles.
'Corrado,' the dark-haired consigliere called again, this time with an additional gentle tap on the teenage boy's shoulder.
The brunet turned. 'Oh, blimey, sorry, sir. Didn't know you were there.'
He was an uncouth, but very honest yokel whose parents died as victims of a clash between two opposing famiglie. Don Iosco had been sipping his espresso when the underlings from the Mauriello Famiglia stormed the café to assassinate him, along with some twenty others in the vicinity, mostly civilians, in a hail of gunshots — that was what reported in the news anyway; Corrado had still been at school, scribbling the answers for his final middle school exam questions, at the time of the massacre.
After his graduation, Corrado's financial state did not allow him to continue his education to the high school level. For a little more than a year, he worked as an assistant mechanic in a garage shop. Nonetheless, his income, even when combined with his parents' savings, could barely suffice to provide for food and his two younger siblings' school fees. His life had been changed by a twist of fate when a street thug had refused to pay for his motorcycle's repair fee and brought his gang to destroy the garage. That had been when Dino, visiting the place for his car wash, stepped in.
Today, Corrado was still unable to attend further education, but at least his brother and sister could continue their schooling. The salary he received from Dino was nearly three times as much as his previous one, so he could even begin saving for his own future. That, in addition to how much Dino cared for his subordinates, made Corrado idolise his employer. He would do anything Dino asked unquestioningly, be it an order or a request.
'Never mind.' Romario spoke again, 'Listen sonny, since you've just joined this famiglia less than a month ago, I take it that you haven't met Hibari Kyouya.'
''Ibari Chioia? Oh, the name that boss often mentions wit' a dreamy expression? No, indeed, sir.' The youth folded his polishing cloth.
'He's the one you need to collect at the airport today. Boss has always picked him up personally before, but given the present circumstances…' Romario's voice trailed off, but Corrado did not need the bespectacled man to continue. It was a heavy blow for them to see Dino hospitalised. The Tucci Famiglia had challenged his power two days prior, and this they had not done honourably either, but through a cowardly ambush. Still, Dino could have won, had it not for the hostages they had taken. As it was, although in the end the Bucking Horse had managed to free the hostages as well as finish off the henchmen, the victory came with the heavy price of having fifteen bullets embedded in his body.
The bespectacled man heaved a sigh. 'Anyway, heed my word before you meet the boss' inamorato if you want to go home in one piece.'
Inamorato, eh? So … boss right is gay. No wonder 'e seemed to be on cloud nine the other day, when 'e shopped for this so-called 'Ibari Chioia's birthday gift. The young man blinked, but nodded. Don Cavallone had been kind enough to entrust him the job of a chauffeur, when plenty of other, better men could effortlessly fill up the post. Something like homosexuality was not going to make Corrado lose his gratitude and respect for his boss.
Romario continued, 'Rule number one: Hibari Kyouya is to be treated like a diamond. You must handle such a jewel as delicately as you can in spite of the unrivalled hardness of the stone.'
The young Corrado stared at his senior with great doubt overshadowing his eyes. How could a man be that fragile?
'Don't get me wrong, sonny; I'm saying this to save your skin, not his. He took down hundreds of Millefiore men single-handedly sixteen months ago. He is the Cloud Guardian of the Vongola, who is the strongest famiglia in our world as well as our most important ally. Boss even regards the head of the Vongola as a brother. You must not offend our guest at all cost.'
The Adam's apple bobbing up and down on Corrado's throat was enough to verify how he saw the matter in a new light.
'Rule number two: The quieter you manage to be, the better impression you will leave in our guest's mind.'
The youth looked aghast. How could Italians not show genial hospitality to their guests?
'I repeat,' said the older man, 'If you value your life, don't make any attempt to kiss his cheek or hug his shoulder … not even clasp his hand. In fact, it's best if you don't do or speak anything unless he asks you to. Just wait quietly for him. No waving. No saluting. Nothing. I've messaged him that boss wouldn't be able to go to the airport today and sent your photo to his mobile phone, so he will recognise you even without a word of explanation. Oh, and this is his picture, by the way.'
Romario extracted his iPhone from his pocket, tapped the LCD screen a few times, and presented the image of an oriental man, seven years below Don Cavallone Decimo, clad in a black suit.
Corrado studied the photo on the screen. While it was fair to call this man 'good-looking', surely it would be an exaggeration to call him anything above 'charming'. Taking the Japanese's personality quirks into account, the young Italian failed to see how his boss — who could probably pass for an Armani model — was head over heels with this freak. The chauffeur still remembered clearly the brimming joy of his boss' expression in the rear-view mirror while dialling Hibari's number. What does boss spot in 'im?
'For the same reason,' continued Romario, 'comes rule number three, which is: Never present yourself in the company of two or more while escorting our guest. The two things that irk Hibari Kyouya most are rule breaking and crowding.'
'Yes sir.'
Corrado was about to turn on his heels when Romario called him again, handing him a one hundred Euro banknote. 'One more thing. On the way to the airport, drop by at a pet shop and buy Enzo his snacks, will you?'
###
Corrado carried out Romario's instructions without encountering any hurdle. The packages of turtle food had already been cooped in when he hauled the foreign guest's medium-sized suitcase into the car boot. Judgin' from 'is baggage size, this man's visit won't be brief, the chauffeur told himself.
Soon, Corrado learnt that his senior's words were not exaggerated: the Japanese guest was completely saturated with the law of silence. During their eighty-minutes-long journey, Hibari's pouting lips only moved once to utter, 'Take me to your boss.' His Italian accent was not impeccable, but far above standard, showing the frequency of his practice.
'Yes, sir.' Those were the only words Corrado dared to speak. Even if Romario had not warned him to refrain from conversing unnecessarily with this foreigner, he doubted he would have done so. Hibari was encased in such a grim aura that it brought a chill to Corrado's bones. This raven-haired man was the exact opposite of his boss, who was clumsy and kind. Satan and Saint, Corrado told himself, carefully avoiding eye contact with the guest. If some bloke that isn't a godfather is this scary, how menacin' will the Vongola leader be?
At the hospital, the Cavallone bodyguards were stationed in various positions. Some were obviously guarding the door of Dino's room and the ground underneath Dino's window, while others presented themselves in a more discreet manner. Romario, however, was not among them. As much as he wished to stay at Dino's side, necessity urged him — the boss' right hand man — to handle the Cavallone general affairs from the main mansion and to trust Ivan to lead the guarding duty in the hospital in his stead.
As Hibari headed to Dino's room, Corrado phoned Romario to inform him that the guest requested to be taken to the hospital instead of the Cavallone mansion.
'It's all right. Do as he says and wait for him until he tells you otherwise. Also, you can give Enzo his snacks while you're there,' replied the voice over the line, followed by a soft click.
Thus, Corrado went on his way to Dino's room, carrying the packages of turtle food. He deliberately made his steps tardy, for he did not wish to interfere with the two lovers' reunion. He planned to wait outside the door and to hand Dino the pet food after Hibari had come out.
When he arrived there, he heard Dino's voice. 'It doesn't matter, Kyouya. They're dead.'
It was evident that the hospital walls were thin enough to give ways to eavesdropping. Now Corrado understood why Ivan and the other bodyguards chose to stand by the opposite wall, farther away from the door, rather than having their back on the wall where the door was. The young driver would have backed up himself had his boss' words been more intimate — something along the line of 'I miss you'. Yet, this was not the case and, at any rate, Corrado was itching to know what Hibari thought about the assassination attempt, so he lingered to listen to their conversation.
Corrado leaned his head closer to the door, but dared not pressed his ear against the wood. Such conduct would surely get him into trouble, for Ivan and three more men were stationed less than two metres away. The driver could not hear Hibari's reply nonetheless. Damn, that Japanese is too quiet for 'is own good; 'is voice is too low!
What followed instead came from Dino. However, it was not a properly articulated word with intelligible meaning. It was, much to Corrado's embarrassment, a moan. What the 'eck are they doin', then? What is 'e doin' to my boss? Wait, does this mean boss gets the receiving end — whoa, whoa, that's not me goddamn business!
In a matter of seconds, there were the sound of footsteps approaching the door and Corrado hastily backed away. After a click, Hibari re-emerged from behind the door.
'Sir, is it okay if I take this package to boss first, then, eh?'
Hibari glanced briefly at the shopping bag in Corrado's hand, but he did not ask what its contents were. Face as impassive as ever, he nodded in approval before turning his heels towards the car park.
Corrado knocked the door and entered Dino's room with hurried steps, knowing full well that he must not keep Hibari waiting for too long.
'Boss, 'ere's Enzo's snacks. I'll put 'em on the table, okay?'
'Yes, please. Thank you, Corrado.' Colour was drained from Dino's face. His hair was unkempt. Fifteen new sutures were etched across the different parts of his body. And yet, weak though he was from the bullet removal surgery, the bedridden Don Cavallone looked happier than any other time Corrado had ever seen him.
What magic 'as this 'Ibari Chioia fellow done to boss? Corrado excused himself and hurried towards the car to drive Hibari to the Cavallone mansion.
Had the young chauffeur paid a closer attention, he would have also noticed that his employer's lips were slightly more swollen than usual.
###
Although Romario had done his best to offer Hibari all the hospitality that Dino usually showed him, the skylark shut himself in the guest bedroom. Corrado did not find this too surprising. After all, it was raining buckets all afternoon and Hibari carried a laptop; he had to be working. What the young Cavallone chauffeur did not comprehend was why the Japanese guest kept his bedroom window open in such chilly February weather. Furthermore, the sun had set; sightseeing couldn't be what the guest had in mind.
The answer did not come until hours later, when the rain had ceased and a fluffy yellow bird flew into the open window of the second floor. Hibari's torso appeared, framed by the windowsill. The Japanese man's eyes softened considerably as the small creature landed on his shoulder. It was this expression that made Corrado gape. The young Italian intended to puff his cigarette in the back yard, but changed his mind and enjoyed the scent of the wet grass after the rain instead.
I think I start to get the idea of what sort of treatment 'e gives boss despite puttin' up that cold, uncarin' front. With that, Corrado entered the house, intending to warm himself with a cup of coffee.
By the time Corrado came out from the kitchen, Hibari had already descended the marble staircases. The bird was not with him, nor was his laptop, but a portion of a GPS protruded from the bulging pocket of his coat.
'Take me to the town centre,' he commanded.
'Yes, sir.'
It was not until they reached the town centre that Hibari gave his next instruction, 'I'll get off here. Go back to the mansion.'
'But what about your return journey, sir?'
With one look from the Vongola Cloud Guardian, the driver's tongue froze in his mouth. The passenger closed the car door and walked away as if nothing happened.
Corrado did not see Hibari for the rest of that day. Neither did he receive any order to pick Hibari up. His best guess was that the Japanese guest took a taxi after he was done with all his shopping, sightseeing, or whatever business he had, though this would mean that he might have to pay double the standard fare since most taxi drivers would refuse to approach the dominion of a don.
The next morning, when he visited Dino in his sickbed to hand his boss the newspaper, he noticed how the blond's eyes flickered at sight of first page. Its huge words imprinted on the headline blared: 349 MANGIARDI MEN CRIPPLED OVERNIGHT.
'Wait. Don't leave yet, Corrado.'
Corrado, who had already retreated towards the door, halted his step. His boss did not speak anything for the next half a minute, eyes skimming the lines of the newspaper. The article stated that despite the various degrees of broken ribs, fractured limbs, bruises and cuts, no death casualty was found among the Mangiardi Famiglia.
Then, in a voice that was too grave to Corrado's liking, Dino enquired, 'Where was Kyouya last night?'
Even though he was worried he might have unintentionally committed some blunder, the driver gave the full account to his employer, every fact uncovered. At the end of his story, Corrado asked, 'But boss, you can't be thinkin' that 'e alone cleaned the Mangiardi 'eadquarters…' He took a sharp intake of breath. '…no?'
There was no need for the don to convey his answer with words. Corrado comprehended his boss' silent confirmation and he could not help but feel air get caught in his throat. He remembered Romario mentioning that Hibari had obliterated hundreds of the Millefiore thugs, but had assumed such feat did not happen through a single combat. Was the Vongola guardian really capable of wiping out the Mangiardi Famiglia in a single night?
Corrado's complexion blanched at once. Come to think of it, the Mangiardi Headquarters was within walking distance from the town centre. The time Hibari isolated himself in the bedroom the day before was probably used for online research.
'B-boss, I'm sorry. It won't 'appen again. I swear. Please, don't fire me…' he gulped, '… don't k-kill me.'
Dino chuckled. 'Calm down, Corrado. There's nothing to be sorry about.'
'But boss, what if the mates and relatives of the victims want a vendetta? What if they gather a large number and attack us guest or us 'eadquarters?' Eyebrows knitting in a great worry, the young driver voiced his concern.
'If they come openly, it will even be easier for me to handle them.' The answer did not come from Dino's mouth, but from the door instead.
Turning his head, Corrado stared open-mouthed. The quiet swing of the door had slipped from his ears, but the sight of Hibari did not escape his eyes. The Vongola Cloud Guardian was framed in the doorway, bearing the look of a lone bystander in the eye of a hurricane.
'See, Corrado, even if he you hadn't driven Kyouya to the town centre yesterday, he would have taken another means of transport instead, just like today,' remarked Dino.
The youth could only reply with a small 'oh'. Realisation dawned on him; the skylark must have taken a taxi to get there.
Dino spoke again, 'Kyouya is not the sort of man who turns up with a bouquet of roses or woos with a sonnet. Punishing those who injured me is his way of saying how much he cares.'
'Stop this preposterousness at once or I'll bite you to death!'
No sooner had the feral growl come out of Hibari's mouth than Corrado dismissed himself from the room. As he began to walk away, he heard a faint moan from behind the closed door. 'Oh well,' he shrugged, starting to get the idea what the skylark was doing to his boss, 'As long as they're 'appy.'
OWARI