Winter Romance
KHR
8018
Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn. But it's a fantasy of mine. :3 Any similarities in events or characters living or dead are entirely coincidental.
Enjoy!
Winter Romance
"WHOA! WHAT IS THAT IN YOUR DRINK TO THE EXTREME!"
Hibari Kyoya tore his eyes away from his cup of coffee to stare incredulously at the man standing above him, who was peering with utter fascination at his beverage. He was grinning with that annoying grin that herbivores often wore, which immediately made Hibari hate him. Hibari did not like herbivores. Especially loud, obnoxious, arm-flapping, punch-throwing, oh-my-god-I-must-shout-what-I'm-saying-24/7 kind of herbivores.
Much like the one standing next to him right now.
The herbivore was still staring at his cup, shouting nonsense and jabbing the air. Hibari honestly didn't know what was so fascinating about his drink, though admittedly, he'd been staring in slight confusion at the funny looking winged insect what was currently drowning in his coffee for several moments already.
"GOKUDERA! LOOK! THERE'S A BUG IN THIS GUY'S DRINK!"
Ah, so that's what he found so fascinating as well.
An extremely hassled-looking silverette came storming over to where the Hibari was sitting, making the raven's eyebrow twitch. It was getting way too crowded here. The silverette- Gokudera- grabbed his friend's elbow hissing, "Stop being an idiot" and gave an apologetic bow in Hibari's direction. Hibari merely glared. Gokudera hauled the herbivore away, who was now hollering "I WANT A DRINK JUST LIKE THAT TO THE EXTREME!"
Hibari massaged his temples, feeling a migraine coming on. Worse of all, the previously drowning insect in his cup was now rather still, floating around on its back, leg twitching. Hibari glared. But before he could dump the ruined cup of coffee in the trash can and walk up to the counter to bite those useless café herbivores to death, a shadow fell over his table and he looked up to see yet another man standing over him, a calm smile on his face.
"Here, let me get that for you."
Hibari watched as he picked up the cup and threw it into the trash bin nearby. He turned again, sliding into the seat opposite him even though Hibari hadn't invited him to sit down. The raven's eyebrows knitted together. But once again, before he could bite this herbivore, a waitress walked over and asked if he'd like to order.
The man said, "Green tea, please. And a medium cup of coffee, black, no sugar."
Hibari stared. The waitress walked away, and the man smiled at him again. "It's on me. Did I get your order right?" Hibari's eyes narrowed.
"I never told you what I liked to drink."
The man shrugged. "I've been here for a while, and noticed you. You stand out quite a bit, especially since the other guy started shouting around you this morning."
"Are you a stalker?"
The man laughed—the nerve of him! "No, just a fellow coffee drinker. I'm Takeshi, by the way. Takeshi Yamamoto. It's nice to meet you." He extended his hand. Hibari glared again and stood up.
"No, it wasn't. Leave me alone, or I'll bite you to death." He grabbed his coat and stormed out of the coffee shop, migraine pounding in his head as he passed the loud herbivore and his grumpy friend again, who was now yelling some joke about the doughnuts and the muffins.
"Hibari, I'm going out to the store. Do you need anything?"
Hibari poked his head out of his bedroom door, scowling at his roommate, Dino. The blonde was currently pulling his shoes on, ready to leave. He looked up when Hibari walked over, bundled in a sweater because they were, once again, on a tight budget and were sacrificing the element of heat during the winter season.
"A bento. Another pack of lead. Hot tea, no—"
"—sugar. Yeah, yeah." Dino grinned, already used to his friend's taste. Hibari's scowl deepened. "And for you to stop bringing in your herbivore hooker every night." Dino choked, tripping over the doormat.
"Wha-what- don't say that, Hibari!" Dino whined, his face red. Hibari sneered. "If I lose another minute of sleep because you and that annoying shark can't keep it down, I swear to god I'll bite you all to death, and then resurrect you so I can do it again."
Dino gulped, risking a little laugh at Hibari's angry expression. "Ah, okay. I'll…do my best?" Hibari rolled his eyes. "Get out," he snapped, shutting the door in his roommate's face.
The dorm was definatly quieter in the absence of the blonde. Hibari wandered into the sitting area, which was cramped, had mismatched furniture, and a huge bag of unwashed clothes waiting to be taken out. Hibari sighed. He might as well wash his portion first, before it started mixing in with the klutz's own clothes. Plus, the Laundromat had free heat. It was freezing inside the flat and outside anyway. Grabbing his jacket, scarf, wallet and his bag, Hibari left the dorm minutes after Dino went out and made his way down to the local Laundromat a block from the apartments.
He walked into the store ten minutes later, relishing in the warmth and inhaling the smell of soap. He walked around to the back, picking out a washing machine and dumping his clothes into it. Shoving a few coins into the slot machine, he picked out the soaps and watched as water began filling the washer.
Settling back into his seat, Hibari closed his eyes and enjoyed about fifteen minutes of peace and silence before he had a feeling that he wasn't alone. Eyes snapping open, he found himself face to face with none other than Takeshi Yamamoto, who was leaning right into his personal space with a curious expression on his face. When Hibari's eyes opened, the taller man grinned, looking pleased.
"I thought it was you! What are the chances of us meeting again, huh?" he asked, taking a seat right next to the raven. Hibari's eye twitched, his brain trying to catch up with the events. Yamamoto continued to talk like there was nothing wrong.
"Man, it's freezing today. I woke up and the heater was down, and my breath was coming up in smoke, can you believe that? Then I realized that I had completely forgotten to do my laundry and I had almost nothing left to wear, haha. It started snowing when I was walking here! Say, do you come to this Laundromat often?" and there was that herbivore smile again. Hibari's rage hit the roof.
"I told you to leave me alone or I'd bite you to death!" he threatened, leaping to his feet to put some distance between them. Yamamoto continued to smile at him, unaffected by Hibari's anger.
"You forgot to take your coffee before you left last time, did you know? Are you busy right now? I'll buy you one again if you like."
"No, I would not like it." Hibari hissed, clenching his hands into fists. What was wrong with this guy?
Yamamoto smiled, standing up. "Well, we're both going to be here for a while anyway, so I'm going to go out for a bit and I'll get you something too. Wait here for me, okay?" and with that being said, the herbivore left the Laundromat and into the sweeping snowstorm outside, leaving Hibari standing by himself in utter confusion.
The raven's immediate thought was to leave and never come back to the Laundromat ever again, but the load spinning slowly in the washing machine begged to differ. Hibari scowled heavily, half wanting to yank the door open and drag his sopping wet clothes out and just go home, but the machine groaned again as it started another rinse cycle, and the raven sat down resentfully on the plastic chair.
Yamamoto did come back, much to Hibari's regret, just as the machine finished its last rotation. There was snow collected in a wet, mushy layer on his shoulders and tiny sparkling droplets in his hair. In Yamamoto's hands were a cardboard coffee holder with two still-hot drinks together and a bag in his other hand.
"I brought muffins too, would you like one?"
Hibari glowered at him, ripping the door of the washing machine open and yanking out his sopping wet clothes one by one and stuffing them into the dryer below. The sooner he gets out of here, the better. Yamamoto took a sip from his cup of coffee and set the tray down before checking the washing machine washing his clothes. Hibari jabbed the start button on the dryer and sat down, scowling. Yamamoto chuckled, taking a seat as well. Hibari moved away from him. Yamamoto followed.
"What are you doing?" Hibari snapped, staring at Yamamoto. The other grinned, tilting his head.
"Nothing, I just want to talk to you. Say, what's your name?"
Hibari sneered. "Like I'd tell you." The other only laughed.
"I told you mine, so you should tell me yours, to be fair."
"The world isn't fair, idiot."
"True, but you don't seem like an undisciplined person. So really, what's your name?"
Hibari's resistance crumbled a little. Despite really not wanting to show it, Yamamoto's words had made a critical blow to his personal morale. He prided himself in being a much disciplined person, but he really didn't want to tell this guy his name. In the end, his manners won over and he grudgingly muttered, "Hibari Kyoya." Yamamoto's face couldn't be any more radiant.
"That's a wonderful name, Hibari! I'm so glad to meet you!"
"Stay away from me." Hibari warned, edging away again. This guy was getting way too close for comfort. Yamamoto laughed again. "Don't be so cold."
"You're an idiot." Hibari snarled, jumping to his feet was the dryer buzzed, signaling its finished cycle. He stuffed his clothes into his bag, not caring if they creased badly. Yamamoto watched him, making Hibari feel like some animal being studied in the zoo. When he finished packing, Yamamoto stood up, blocking Hibari's way out the store.
"Here's your coffee." He said, smiling lightly. Hibari tried to push past him. Damn that idiot for being so tall!
"I don't want it. Get out of my way."
"C'mon, please?" Yamamoto said somewhat pleadingly. Hibari almost punched him; he was acting like a herbivore! Reaching out, the raven snatched the drink out of Yamamoto's hand.
"There, I took it. Now move."
Yamamoto grinned, and then, in one swift movement, swooped down and kissed Hibari lightly on the cheek. Hibari froze on the spot, nearly dropping his bag. Yamamoto laughed, ruffling his hair and stepped around the shorter of the two to get his laundry.
Hibari stared ahead, in complete shock. His hand reached up to touch the spot where Yamamoto had kissed, and to his horror, he felt an unfamiliar heat crawling up his cheeks as his heart pounded in his chest. The 100% recyclable cup slipped from his numb fingers and fell to the floor, spilling now lukewarm coffee over his shoes. Finally coming back to his senses, Hibari bolted for the door.
To Hibari's horror, that guy went back to the Laundromat a week later. Again.
The raven stood stock still at the sight of the taller man sitting on one of the plastic chairs, reading a paperback novel to pass the time. He turned on his heel immediately to escape, but as if on cue, that guy—Yamamoto—looked up and caught sight of him.
"Hibari!" Yamamoto called out, leaping to his feet and blocking Hibari's way out the door. "Hey! Long time no see!"
"Got to go," Hibari retorted scathingly, determined to push Yamamoto out of the way. The dark-haired man caught his hand and laced his fingers through Hibari's, laughing lightly, making the corners of his eyes crinkled. Hibari stared, almost mesmerized. Wait—why was he staring?
"You ran out so fast last time," Yamamoto grinned, swinging their interlinked hands together. "I didn't get the chance to properly ask you."
"What?" Hibari asked, brain struggling to catch up with the events unfolding before him. Why wasn't he punching the lights out of this guy? Nobody just goes up and messes with him like that. Especially with the stunt he pulled last time. He was so going to bite him to death—
"Will you go out with me?"
The effect was simultaneous. Hibari punched Yamamoto as hard as he could in the face and ran for the door again. He stumbled out into the frozen street, breathing heavily, and ran. He ran down the street, through intersections, past shops closing down for the day. It was starting to snow. Hibari ran and ran until his legs felt weak and his breath was coming out in broken pants. Why, why was he acting so…dramatic? Yamamoto was a complete stranger. Nobody in their right mind would do something like that. He was probably a stalker, some random pervert, or—
For a moment, the dark-haired man's smile appeared in his head.
Thump. Thump.
Hibari grabbed at his chest. This feeling…?
"No," he choked to himself, legs starting to run again. "I don't like him back."
The sky was already darkening as he dragged himself home.
Hibari couldn't pay attention. The professor was going on and on about the verbs that they would be covering in their next lesson, but no matter how hard he focused, Hibari couldn't do it. There was nothing in his mind but Yamamoto. A sharp poke to his side made the raven jerk back to reality.
"Kyoya, the bell's rung."
It was Dino who was hovering over him. The blonde peered curiously at the raven's notebook, staring at the blank page. "Are you feeling sick? You've been dosing off this entire period. Do you have a fever?"
"I'm fine," Hibari snapped, swatting away his roommate's hand. "I'm not sick. I'm fine."
"No, you're not," Dino said firmly, now trying to peer into Hibari's eyes. "You look ill."
"I was paying perfect attention to the lesson, baka. Leave me alone."
"You don't even have the date down, for Pete's sake. What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing!" Hibari snarled, shoving his books into his bag. "Get out of my way—"
"Hibari?"
Both the blonde and the raven turned, and Hibari dropped his bag in shock. It was Yamamoto.
"Hibari? Are you okay?" Yamamoto asked, walking forwards. The raven's eyes zoned in on the white bandage on the other's cheek. He bit his lip. Had he really hit him that hard?
"Ah, you're Yamamoto," Dino said pleasantly. "Did you get the notes from today's lesson?"
"Hm? Oh, yes, I did," Yamamoto said brightly, pulling a binder out of his knapsack. "Today was a fairly easy lesson, don't you think?"
"Wait," Hibari interrupted. "Why do you have notes from this class?"
Dino gave Hibari a funny look. "Kyoya, he's in this class. Don't you recognize him? He was my midterm partner, Yamamoto Takeshi."
Hibari's jaw actually dropped. He stared at Dino and stared back at Yamamoto. "You're lying," he said immediately.
"Maa, maa, I promise you I'm not," Yamamoto said, smiling down at him. "I even came over to your dorm to work on my project with Dino."
Hibari froze, thinking back, and to his horror, realized that Yamamoto was right. He had been over once before. It was in the middle of May, and Hibari was crawling out of bed to grab a drink of water around 2am because he'd fallen asleep in the middle of his essay and had woken up with an extremely stiff neck. There was a light on in the living room, and Dino was crashed out on the floor while a dark-haired man was typing wearily away on a laptop. Hibari walked past him, grunting in response when the guy said a worn-out hello, not awake enough to bite the intruder to death. He went to the kitchen, accidentally drank Dino's bottle of soda instead, and went back to bed without a second glance. Had that guy been Yamamoto?
"Dino? Could I have a word with Hibari?"
The raven snapped back to attention for the second time that day at Yamamoto's words. "Wait—"
"Sure, no problem," Dino said brightly, picking up his bag and waving to Hibari. "Catch up with you later, Kyoya."
Hibari watched somewhat helplessly as his roommate left the lecture hall, leaving just him and Yamamoto alone. The silence was thick. Hibari looked down at his feet. The lump on Yamamoto's cheek was practically screaming at him. He couldn't just let it go like that.
"About your face—"
"That time at the Laundromat—"
Both of them froze. Yamamoto grinned nervously, scratching the back of his neck. "Sorry, you go first."
"No, you," Hibari said quickly, frowning.
"You were talking first."
"Was not."
"You—"
"Just say it!" Hibari shouted, his voice echoing in the hall. Yamamoto bit his lip. "Uhh…well…I'm sorry. About everything. I didn't mean to force myself onto you, so…please, don't be mad at me. I'll leave you be." He smiled, but it wasn't the same one as he did before. Somehow, to Hibari, it looked wrong on the other's face.
"I won't bother you again, so…I guess this is goodbye." Yamamoto turned and gave Hibari a little wave. "See you around."
Yamamoto was halfway towards the door when Hibari worked up the courage.
"Does that mean you regretted it then?"
Yamamoto stopped and turned around. Hibari chewed his lip. "Did you…regret…trying to ask me out?"
The taller of the two smiled sheepishly. "Naw…I don't think so. Even if I didn't get what I wanted, I still learned. I won't try this method again."
"You're going now?"
"Yeah, probably."
"I still haven't finished my sentence yet." Hibari said stubbornly. Yamamoto raised an eyebrow and turned around to face the raven. "Okay…what is it?"
Heart pounding in his chest, Hibari walked up the steps so that he was almost level to the dark-haired man. He reached out a thin hand to touch the bandage on Yamamoto's face, making the other's eyes go wide.
"About your face…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hit you so hard," Hibari whispered. "I was just…startled. I didn't believe what you were saying, and I was so confused. Why did you ask me out? How long have you known me?"
Yamamoto hesitated. "Do you remember the time I stayed over at your dorm to finish midterms with Dino? I didn't see you in the beginning, but sometime during the night, you came out of your room to get a drink or something. Dino didn't tell me he had a roommate, and I was…shocked. You were so pretty."
Hibari blushed. Yamamoto though he was pretty?
"I've liked you since. I finally figured out you were in this class when I asked Dino. You sat in the front and I was always in the back, and since you never turned around, I never saw you. But since that day, I've liked you. A lot."
"And you best idea to try and ask me out was to stalk me and buy me coffee?"
"Yeah," Yamamoto said sheepishly. Hibari scoffed loudly. "I'm not a coffee drinker, Yamamoto Takeshi. I prefer tea."
"Are you now?" Yamamoto asked, interested. "I actually happen to know a great place around this area for hot drinks, down by the Vongola Plaza. You should check it out sometime."
"…well," Hibari said slowly, "I think it's better if you showed me where it was, don't you think?"
Yamamoto's eyes widened. "You'd let me take you there?"
Hibari felt the heat creep up on his cheeks and quickly looked away. "Che. Only 'cause I didn't know where it was, okay?"
Yamamoto grinned. When he slipped his hand through Hibari's, the raven didn't complain. "Ne, it's cold outside today. It's almost winter break, right? We should go someplace when we've got time off."
"You're treating." Hibari smirked, tugging his scarf around him. Yamamoto wrapped an arm around his shoulders in response.
"Sure, Kyoya."
End
Thank you so much for reading! Happy Holidays!
-BlackStar (December 25, 2011)
