For the Secret Santa. Written for Angel Descendant. Hope you'll like it :)
Please keep in mind I haven't written fanfiction in years. I apologise for the inconsistency of each part's lengths and the awkwardness of the characters. Also, I know nothing about Japanese or Italian customs of paying respects so please excuse any mistakes.
This is set 10 years later.
—
He snorts. "Of course Hibari would have a private cemetery. To him, even the dead can crowd."
His green eyes cast over the entire cemetery. The place looks pristine, well-kept. Probably has a caretaker around to watch the place. It is large. Generations upon generations of Hibaris had been laid to rest here. Hibari's predecessors look as stern as the he does, with their furrowed eyebrows and pursed lips.
Hayato wonders if it's rude to smoke in a graveyard and decides Hibari's ancestors might smite him if he does.
"Jyuudaime made us do this, you know." He says to the two gravestones in front of him. "He said it's only proper to come and pay our respects."
The beginnings of a storm begin to sound overhead and while others may think it's a omen, to Hayato, it's only a sign the heavens agrees with Jyuudaime's wishes.
He crouches and lights two incense sticks. "He and the others will be here soon. They're distracting your son since he'll probably think we're desecrating his family grounds and freak out if he knows we're here."
Hayato places one incense stick under the picture of a stoic-looking man and the other under the picture of a woman of looks remarkably like Hibari. They seem to be judging him but then again, that seems like what every descendant of the Hibari line does. Look at you like you're the dirt beneath their feet.
Thunder growls in the distance. It's time to head back. He turns to leave, but pauses, and turns back. Every parent would want to know how their child is doing. He knows his mother would have.
"Your son is annoyingly difficult to work with. The cost to cover the damages he had inflicted made a dent in the Vongola fortune. And he's always so rude towards Jyuudaime!"
Hayato drags a hand down his face, sighing. "But he's reliable. A great asset to the Vongola family. So you have that, at least."
—
"I'm the Rain Guardian, one of Hibari's colleagues." He says brightly, but his smile is tinged with sadness as he looks at the two gravestones.
He's sure Hibari is grieving in his own way. The skylark's moods has worsened after the news of his parents' deaths at the hands of the Chinese Triads. It was all Mukuro and Ryohei could do to hold him back from rampaging in Beijing. In the end, Tsuna had gone to settle matters himself, accompanied by Reborn as always. Takeshi's lips curves up at the memory.
Tsuna's retribution was every bit as vicious as Hibari himself — even the Varia was impressed. The Vongola Tenth's message was clear. No one messes with his Family. And that includes his Family's family.
Takeshi wonders how deeply Hibari loved his parents, or if he ever loved them at all. He knows next to nothing about the Hibaris. But they must have been the ones who taught him how to fight, how to survive.
He could imagine it: little Hibari practicing with his tonfas with a single-minded focus, deadly even as a small child. Takeshi chuckles inwardly. Hibari would kill him for such thoughts.
"Well, we'll take care of him, don't you worry about that." He promises to Hibari's parents. And he would keep that promise too. They all would, whether Hibari liked it or not.
He places the flowers down, one bouquet on each grave. After a bow to each parent, he leaves, unheeding of the rain that begins to fall lightly.
—
"It is nice to the extreme to meet you, Hibari's dad and Hibari's mom!" Ryohei says brightly. "And to all of you too, Hibari's family!"
He reminds himself not to be too loud, for this is a cemetery after all. Wouldn't want the ghosts of Hibari's ancestors haunting him. They would totally get in the way of his boxing.
Sawada's idea of paying their respects to Hibari's parents was great to the extreme! But keeping it a secret from Hibari was hard. Kyoko had to drag him away whenever he saw Hibari for fear of him excitedly blurting it out. He even wrote down a memo on his wrist to remind himself.
Looking down at the two forefront graves, Ryohei scratches the back of his neck as he ponders on what should he say to them. Maybe he should keep it simple. Yeah, he will do that.
"Hibari is a great man! He fights extremely well! But I wish he would accept more of my challenges! I went to your house many times to do that but he always kicks me out!" He tells Hibari's parents. They look utterly unimpressed but also kinda interested so he goes on.
"The other day I went over to invite him for sake but he rejected me before I could even say a word! Harsh to the extreme! But he's a cool guy!" Ryohei says hurriedly. He doesn't want them to think he's badmouthing their son. "He never interferes in my battles and you can always count on him to show up in a fight! Dependable to the extreme!"
He beams down at Hibari's parents. Their expressions don't change but Ryohei likes to think the cloudless skies and sun shining down on his back are indications of their approval.
Ryohei unpacks the manjuu from the backpack he brought and settles them down carefully in front of the pictures. He puts his hands together and prays, "I hope you'll like this."
He straightens up. "Don't worry about Hibari now. I'll never give up on befriending him." He reiterates his vow with an energetic punch, "I extremely swear it!"
—
Lambo really didn't want to go.
He had pouted and whined and threw tantrums but then Tsuna-nii gave him that look, the one that is pleading and disappointed at the same time so Lambo had to suck it up, take the flight to Namimori, wait for the other Guardians to distract Hibari and then sneak into Hibari's private cemetery. Lambo hopes they're successful.
Hibari is really scary when enraged.
His eyes are steadfastly fixed on Hibari's parents' graves, refusing to even glance at the older graves. The memory of watching Japanese ghost movies with Stupidera unwittingly comes to mind, sending shivers crawling up his spine.
He can't wait to get out of here.
Lambo lights the incense sticks and places them in the appropriate places before bowing three times each to both of them. The flowers - a mix of hyacinths and hydrangeas - are settled in front of the incense sticks. Dark clouds had gathered above and it looks to be a heavy one. He can already hear the thunder booming. He bows again and spins on his feet to leave when a memory strikes him.
He's the very last one, Tsuna-nii murmured beside him on the plane, the corners of his lips downturned and fingers agitatedly drumming on the armrest. There is no one left.
What about the Storm Arcobaleno? Lambo had asked.
Tsuna gave him a small smile, Fon-san doesn't count, unfortunately. Not to Hibari-san.
Hibari had no family left. Lambo couldn't even imagine that. Could not imagine not having Maman, I-Pin, Tsuna-nii or any of his Family, really, by his side. He would miss even Stupidera.
Lambo turns around, his mouth set in a determined line and says, "Hibari-san is monstrously strong and he terrifies me and he beats me up for being loud sometimes. But!" He takes a deep breath and forges on, " But I am sorry you are dead. Everyone deserves to have families. A-and now that you're gone, we'll take care of Hibari in your place!"
He nods once righteously before dashing off, a flash of lightning in his wake.
—
Two pairs of footsteps echo on the gravel paths, each in sync with the other.
"Mukuro-sama, are you in a bad mood?" Chrome asks softly, eyes clouded with concern. She could see it in the twist of his lips, the way his red eye twitches in random intervals.
"No, dear Chrome. I am just perplexed as to why we have to do this at all." Mukuro doesn't pout but it is a near thing, "Surely there must be other ways to… comfort Hibari-kun."
Like beating him up to a pulp. Mukuro grins sharply at the thought. Should have let him destroy Beijing. Why didn't he?
Chrome gives a small smile and says, "Boss insisted."
Ah yes. "Sawada Tsunayoshi…" Mukuro murmurs, "…threatened us."
"No, Mukuro-sama. Just you."
Mukuro grumbles at the reminder. In the face of his unwillingness to visit Hibari's parents, Sawada Tsunayoshi had slowly and sweetly said, with no hesitation at all, he would kick Mukuro out of the Vongola mansion for an indefinite period of time, knowing how much Mukuro valued his lavish bedroom and ridiculously soft bed.
Mukuro had broken down embarrassingly fast after that.
"I think this is them." Chrome says softly.
Mukuro peers at the pictures, "Oya oya, he looks like his mother-"
"- but his countenance is like his father's." Chrome finishes.
"Yes…" Mukuro murmurs, "They must have the ones who raised him to be so disgustingly strong."
Chrome smiles. She bows and gingerly sinks down to her knees, hands clasped in a prayer.
"Yes. Thank you for raising Hibari-san to be such a disciplined and strong person." Besides her, Mukuro snorts but Chrome knows he appreciates Hibari's strength and stubborn nature as well. It isn't obvious but in the past ten years, Mukuro-sama has grown to care for even Hibari. His lips had twisted into a displeasured growl when they first heard about the tragic news. He had searched for the Cloud Guardian on his own volition and had willingly drawn Hibari's bloodlust towards him. Had held him down with illusions so Hibari wouldn't do stupid things like rampaging in one of the most populated cities in the world.
The leaves rustle in the wind. Mist creeps into the cemetery, tendril-like. Chrome stays in her kneeling position, praying for them to watch over Hibari while Mukuro stands silently, heterochromatic eyes staring at the graves.
"It's time to go, Chrome."
"Yes, Mukuro-sama."
After another bow from Chrome, the pair walks away, disappearing into the mist, leaving only a branch of sakura flowers on the gravestone as proof they've ever came at all.
—
"Haa, it's finally my turn."
Tsuna shrugs off his suit jacket and tugs at his tie to loosen it. He makes his way towards Hibari's parents, weary feet trudging the path already walked by most of his Guardians. He inspects the gravestones, his expression wistful.
"Hello, my name is Sawada Tsunayoshi. Hibari-san is doing better now." He tells them, "Being in Namimori has done him well. And Hibird and Roll has never left his side."
He'll never regret what he had done to the Chinese Triads. Even if he didn't know Hibari-san's parents personally, seeing what their deaths did to Hibari was painful. Family is still family.
Reborn had greatly approved of his actions. Of course he did.
Hibari — not so much. He had stormed into Tsuna's room the day after, demanding to know why he himself could not take revenge. And Tsuna had to calmly tell him, while still in bed wearing pyjamas, that he couldn't let him. It would destroy him.
Hibari looked like he was about to explode.
Tsuna had hurriedly added on, don't worry Hibari-san. There would be further opportunities down the road. He looked Hibari in the eyes, warm brown meeting burning steel-blue, I promise you that.
Hibari had levelled an icy stare at him before stalking off, Tsuna breathing a sigh of relief, his life was spared.
"He's my Cloud. I won't tie him down but I won't let him destroy himself either. I don't pretend to know him very well but losing your parents must be hard on anybody. " Tsuna says softly.
He burns some incense for them and puts his hands flat together, in a prayer. "Please watch over Hibari-san from where you are. He keeps provoking other people into fights and it worries me because I can't do anything about. So please, make sure he doesn't get hurt."
He places incense on all of the other graves too. It's only proper and maybe, just maybe, if he's lucky, they'll watch over all of his Family. He knows Alaude already is.
"Hibari-san is irreplaceable to us, both as a Guardian and a person," Tsuna says to Hibari's ancestors, "We won't leave him alone. I mean, we will because he hates crowding but we won't let him be lonely. That's my promise to all of you."
He had also promised Hibari more frequent spars and watched with quiet delight as Hibari's eyes glinted with anticipation and satisfaction. It meant more bruises, more broken bones and more pain coming his way but it was worth it to see his Cloud happier.
"Now I have to get out of here. I want to be far away when Hibari-san finds out we've been here." He bows to Hibari's parents, "Goodbye."
Above him, the sky shines bright and blue as he leaves the compound.
—
Kyouya is displeased.
He stares at the many, many incense sticks, the flowers, the manjuu and the branch of sakura flowers lying on his parents gravestones.
They've been here. He closes his eyes, his fingers twitching as he attempts to restrain the monster rising up inside him. Not here, not in front of his parents' graves.
"Oh, Hibari-sama."
Kyouya opens his eyes. The caretaker, an aging man with balding hair and crinkles in the corners of his eyes. He bows his head in acknowledgement, "Takahashi-san."
Takahashi glances at the offerings displayed on his parent's gravestones, a smile growing on his wrinkled face. "Your friends have been here."
Friends. "…Yes." He says impassively.
"They were very interesting. And very respectful. You are lucky, Hibari-sama, to have such caring friends." He says thoughtfully, peering at Kyouya with smiling eyes. "They were telling your parents how grateful they were to have you as their Guardian."
Kyouya returns his gaze to his parents' graves. He wasn't close to them, not by any means but they were the ones to raise him, to teach him how to be strong and to survive, before they left him in charge of Namimori.
He didn't love them but he respected them. And the idea of the other Guardians, of Sawada Tsunayoshi, coming and paying their respects to his parents… Kyouya hates to admit it but it is a comforting thought. Just a mild one, mind you.
Such insolence however... He cannot forgive. Breaking into his family's private cemetery without his permission… He'll bite all of them to death!
"Excuse me." He says to Takahashi-san and bows. Takahashi only smiles knowingly at him and inclines his head in a goodbye.
Kyouya stalks off in a huff, his tonfas already out and in his hands. He has people to track and bite. First off is Sawada Tsunayoshi, for surely all of this was his idea. Such impertinence.
And Kyouya doesn't notice, but it is very cloudy that day.