Kateikyou Hitman Reborn © Amano Akira
This was mostly written by my whim, ended up 1827 words. It didn't even have a plot. And it was something I don't know if I should be posting. When I reread it and reread it again, I realize how out of sync I am with writing that I feel miserable and don't care anymore.
Winter Sky
He turned his back to the offer of coming inside. What was the point of waiting for someone not knowing when they would be available for you. Dino was not even home. Come to think of it, this was not something unexpected, he didn't feel as disappointed as the several first times when it happened. And when was that? Last week? Last month?
Who was he to the Chiavarone Boss?
Not a lover. Because then he could have a right to give the man a call, demanding him to go home. Because he was waiting for his big grin in greeting, then came his suffocating huge, then a kiss that would lead to a warm night, warm enough to take his mind off the cold weather and everything else. Just like when it started giving him the habit of expecting things would always be like this.
He was back inside his car. The driver seat was still warm since he hadn't left for so long. He passed the gate without a backward glance.
Who am I to you?
He knew he was making a sight. After all a Vongola sitting at his own doorstep like an idiot lost his house key practically screamed attention. But he didn't care at the moment, and fortunately this weather prohibited any sane individual to step outside. Here he was pressing his weight on his feet, hugging his knees and stared at the sky.
He loved cool weather. It was perfect to issue a selfish request to gather everyone in one place for a family meal. He wouldn't admit it but from time to time he craved his family. Though he always sat at one end of the table, silently listened to the sarcastic comments throwing carelessly around until the throwing became more physical, to the point of causing long term bodily damage… from the left-over food and occasionally untouched deserts, but most of the time just the silverware and china. It was not like he didn't know his inner circle was hardly powerless even if he banned Flames inside the house. He just wished they hadn't been so creative with whatever within arm reach. After all he couldn't remember how many times he snatched I-pin by her neck and threw her out from the window of his room whenever her Pinzu-Timed Super Explosion started counting down back then. He wouldn't dare to expect any less from his own family members.
At times like these he would stealthily slipped away from the war zone and waited outside until their hyper-energy all spent. He would go in, treat them properly and send them back to their respective rooms. And then went out sitting here like now. He couldn't remember when he had stopped complaining about their wounds, as long as those could be easily treated using the Sun Box he always carried with him. But…
He couldn't treat the wound in that person's heart. Will he come back today?
"What are you doing here?"
He didn't realize a shadow of someone blocking his view until he actually looked again. He wished he didn't. He stood hastily and reminded himself to stop fidgeting… too much.
"… Welcome back, Hibari-san…" His voice sounded uncertain in his own ears. He was unable to give this proud man a smile. Because the pain glistering in those liquid silvers made him feel so vulnerable, that if he did anything it could only be wrong. Everything he did would only be accused as pity and then chased the other even further away. It brought tears to his eyes but he dared not to let them fall… because then he would be crying in hopelessness. As long as he could hold them in, there might still be a chance to heal both of them.
He believed confusion associated with Sawada Tsunayoshi. That was his primary feeling involved the former little animal. By now he wasn't little anymore, and not just about his transition to adulthood.
"Before I know it, his heart has consumed me. And it will consume you too, before you know it."
He remembered the evasive and annoying illusionist told him so, on one day. Through best and worse, he knew better to not ignore the insight of certain individuals, it was unfortunate that Rokudo Mukuro was one of them. But he was uncertain as how to take those words into consideration seeing the object of their discussion always looked like he was about to cry at the sight of his own Cloud Guardian. He usually dismissed Vongola matters unless the situation was dire enough to rouse his interest in involving himself. The mood of their Boss was not his concern. But today he wanted to focus on someone else's wound than his own crumpled pride, or what left of it… which had reduced to a pathetic debris from pinning after someone who might only be looking for someone to warm his bed. If he had something else to take his mind off it, he wouldn't think about it. Or so he thought…
A phantom pain through his shoulder in remembrance of the time he and another one had shielded this person efficiently quieted his immediate denial about him caring for some herbivorous little animal. Previously had been the rage of loss for an unknown future without this same person until he was given a fragile hope in the true story told by Irie Shoichi. Before then, he never realized fighting to protect someone was way harder than fighting for something.
He ran the back of his fingertips on a flushed cheek, noting the coldness denounced a fairly long period of sitting in the weather hardly healthy for any human. "How long have you been outside?"
There was an avoidance from his gaze aside from the nervous fidgeting had yet to cease. "I… um… I just came ou—"
His eyes narrowed in response to the anger… "Don't lie," I have done more than enough to last me a life time.
…At himself.
I shouldn't have deluded myself there was something more between me and him.
He immediately closed his mouth, gritted his teeth in frustration. Nicely done. In less than ten words he got the man annoyed. He thought he grew out of the old "Dame-Tsuna" but in the presence of Hibari Kyouya, he felt like that same child all over again… someone who couldn't do anything without someone capable of stirring him in the right direction. But who could teach him to do the right thing for this person?
Should he call Dino? Dino would know how to deal with Hibari seeing how close they were. But the Hibari he heard from Dino's affectionate tales was too different from the Hibari he knew, could he really use Dino's advices? Part of him was envious. He and Hibari were like two strangers on rare occasions living under the same roof.
But Hibari was the Vongola Cloud Guardian.
A family.
Why was it so hard?
What can I do for you?
His whole body tensed at the added weight from the forehead leaned heavily on his shoulder without a warning. But his heart jumped, throat went raw at the soft-spoken words incoherently poured out from the other like broken confession.
"Sorry… I'm sorry… I don't know…"
"Sawada Tsuna—"
A chuckle cut him off. It was mirthless and plentifully bitter. The other straightened himself, refused to meet him in the eyes. A sardonic smile on his normally cheerful face. All of these expressions in a short time planted a deep-rooted guilt in the back of his mind and wouldn't seem to leave anytime soon. He didn't know why.
All he did was calling his name…
Name of the Vongola Sky.
It suddenly dawned upon him how ridiculous both himself and this situation were laying out. Standing before him was a Sky that belonged to him by default, while he had been drifting elsewhere, overlooking the only thing he might have been searching for.
Why would he always come here instead of his own house after leaving the Chiavarone?
How long would his Sky sit here, dared he presume, waiting for him?
A place to come back to. Someone to return to.
It felt… like home.
He held the squeaking former herbivore in his arms, easily hiding a smile in the mass of fluffy brunet locks and filled his lungs with the scent of another person that was not Dino.
"I'm home, little Sky."
"Hiiiii!" Tsuna, in a panic, forgot he hadn't let out that particular noise since the day he graduated from Namimori Middle. But between getting pulled over and flattened against the most impossible person to be flattened against, there was not much dignity left to remember something he shouldn't be doing anymore. Like stuttering. "Hiba—eeer?—Ack!—eh?—EEEHH?!—Hibari—uugh?!" He flailed his arms wildly, not knowing what to do with them in particular. It wasn't like he couldn't push Hibari away, but he doubted that was a wise thing to do given the fact that he had already been walking on eggshells with the man. So he tentatively tapped Hibari's shoulders, hoping to get him come to his sense, if Hibari happened to lose it somehow.
"I'm home, little Sky."
His breath hitched. He didn't dare to blink, fearing this was just him being delirious from nearly getting frozen to death. But another body heat and the tightening embrace were too real. He could feel the tears already blurred his vision.
He grasped Hibari desperately. Please no, don't cry…
"Welcome… home…" He gasped, trying to regulate his breathing, almost getting choked just to get words out, "Hi… Hiba—"
"My name," A whisper against his temple. "Call my name," A whisper in his ear.
"K—Kyouya-sa—"
Hands gripped either side of his head almost painfully. Their foreheads pressed forcefully together. Intense silver eyes bore into his like ravenous night predator out for blood. "Just my name."
"Kyouya."
Before he knew it, he was pinned between the cold left pillar several steps away from the main door and his Cloud Guardian, whose head buried in his neck. His name continuously brushed the skin of his throat. He wasn't faring any better with his hands circled around Kyouya's neck, eyes closed tightly, letting the midnight locks absorb his tears as much as they could while chanting a name he had finally been granted the permission to use.
He felt betrayed. But Kyouya wasn't acting against his will and clearly, he was the more aggressive one between the two. He couldn't even start blaming Tsuna for stealing Kyouya from him. This wasn't the proof he wanted. This was what he feared.
He feared he had lost before he could make Kyouya love him.
He shouldn't have tested the chances given to him so generously on too many occasions.
He shouldn't have doubted Kyouya.
Now, there was no longer an owner for the ring hidden in his pocket.
He was late.
End.