It's called animal magnetism, but today it can be called New Year's kiss
Prompt: kissu while on animal date UuU hanging around Hachiko (because same dog as Jirou)
Synopsis: It's their first New Year's together, so Yamamoto isn't really sure what to expect when Hibari shows up at his doorstep half an hour until midnight bundled up for a long walk. But; good things come to those who wait.
Notes: kekeke, Happy Belated birthday, Katie, and thank you for the prompt. Because I am a cheap person this is also now a New Year's fic. Thank for you sticking with me, dear readers, and I hope 2013 will be kind to us all. Also, what a long title that is.
Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn. Any similarities in events or characters living or dead are entirely coincidental.
It's called animal magnetism, but today it can be called New Year's kiss
It is not the first time Yamamoto is spending the end of another year with someone special. When he was younger, it would be his pops. They'd eat sushi together and then watch fireworks explode in the sky as their own tiny sparklers crackled on the pavement, gleaming red and gold. When he got older, it would be his friends from school; Tsuna, Gokudera, Ryohei, Chrome and the kids. There would be sushi from his father too, and the shop would be loud and lively, filled with laughter and the warmth of all the people packed together away from the snow and wind outside.
But this time, it would be different. This year, Yamamoto honestly doesn't know what to expect. Of course, Hibari Kyoya tends to have that kind of effect on people.
It's 11:30 pm right now, and he's sitting on the ratty sofa of his new flat, gazing out into the hazy, streetlamp-lit street. Snow drifted silently onto the ground, peaceful and quiet. Yamamoto wrung out the bottom of his sweater, gnawing at his lip nervously. Hibari had left a message on his cell phone in the afternoon while he'd been visiting his pops, telling him to be ready half an hour before midnight. The message had been brief and quick, barely getting the most essential details across. This had surprised Yamamoto greatly; up until now it had been him who'd been initiating contact, and rarely was it the other way round. He was excited to see what his boyfriend had come up with for the night, but at the same time, he was also a little nervous.
Bzzt.
Yamamoto jumped, startled. He'd been so wrapped up in his own thoughts that his own doorbell had surprised him. He scrambled off the couch and jumped for his window, squinting down at the street as his warm breath misted over the cold glass. There was a trail of footprints leading up to his building's doorway, already being filled in by the falling snow. Yamamoto hurried away from the window, grabbing his jacket and his keys, heart in his throat.
Hibari was standing outside, shifting slightly from foot to foot to keep warm. He was bundled up in a charcoal coat and had a dark purple hat pulled over his head and a matching scarf wrapped around his neck to keep him warm. The raven's breath rose in little clouds in the wintery night before being swept away by the light wind blowing through the bare branches of the tree. Yamamoto swallowed, his mouth dry all over a sudden.
"Hey," he said lightly, hoping his voice wasn't as scratchy as it felt.
"Hello," Hibari replied, brushing snow off his shoulder. "Are you ready?"
"I—yeah, of course," Yamamoto stuttered, yanking his jacket on, his arm getting caught in a sleeve in his haste. He stumbled, trying to shake it out. A sudden snort in front of him startled the taller of the two. Hibari blinked, the ghost of a grin stuck on his face.
"Here," he mumbled decisively, reaching out to yank the sleeve loose. Yamamoto gratefully slipped his arm in, dragging the door closed behind him. He shivered a little as the wind blew through the back of his jacket.
"Where're we going?" he asked, mimicking Hibari as he stuffed his hands deep into his pockets. Hibari shrugged one shoulder, taking a big step over a little hill of snow piled up by the curb.
"Thought it'd be nice if we went for a walk," he said, jerking his head towards the direction of the road. Yamamoto raised his eyebrows, but grinned, bumping his shoulder into Hibari's. The two of them walked silently down the street, side by side, leaving a trail of footprints in the loose snow. It was colder than Yamamoto had expected, and his nose was frozen within a couple of minutes, but he could feel the slightest of heat radiate off of his boyfriend. He stuck close, and if Hibari had anything against it, he deigned to allow the closeness. That warmed Yamamoto even more; his normally stoic boyfriend was more than quick to resort to violence at any form of publicly displayed affection.
"Here," Hibari said suddenly, taking a sudden left. Yamamoto followed, and he found himself a little distance away from the park a block away from his flat. He hadn't been around lately, being caught up with visiting family and other friends for the time being, so he was wholly unprepared to see the Christmas lights still strung up on the branches of the skinny trees. It was a glowing orb of red, gold and yellow, sending dazzling spots of lights onto the ground. There were a few other people milling about on the other side of the park, but it was mostly empty and serene.
"Whoa," Yamamoto breathed, walking forwards. "Didn't know they still kept the lights up."
"Me neither," Hibari responded, catching up. "I came by a couple of nights ago and saw them."
"Didn't know you were one for romantic walks in the park at night," Yamamoto grinned, earning him a punch to the shoulder.
"It's quiet here," Hibari grumbled. "No herbivores. Makes thinking easier."
"It looks like something out of a storybook, doesn't it?" Yamamoto laughed, rubbing the sore spot. Hibari lifted another shoulder.
"I didn't read much as a kid," he confessed.
"You must've read something?" Yamamoto pressed as they trekked through the pathway, turning up the perfectly flat snow. Hibari wrinkled his nose.
"Not much. Only a couple of stories mandatory in the school curriculum, nothing more. I was too busy biting all the herbivores to death."
"It figures," Yamamoto chuckled, gently reaching out to tug at Hibari's hand. The raven looked up and raised an eyebrow.
"Our hands will freeze," he said, correctly interpreting Yamamoto's unspoken request.
"Worth it, wouldn't it?" Yamamoto replied, giving another little tug. Hibari rolled his eyes.
"You're too sappy," he grumbled, as though it was a strange, foreign concept.
"You love me when I'm clingy," Yamamoto teased, finally succeeding in pulling Hibari's hand out of the pocket. Quietly, he laced their fingers together. They were both stiff with the cold, but nonetheless it did feel rather tranquil. Hibari picked up their pace now, slowly leading Yamamoto through the path. They wound around the icicle-covered fountain, skinny trees decorated with lights on their gangly limbs, and past benches buried in the still-falling snow.
It was getting late now, and the old watch on Yamamoto's wrist was indicating that there was only ten minutes until midnight. He could imagine the pubs and the city centre downtown, packed with people and gleaming with even more lights. Tightening his hold on Hibari's hand ever so slightly, he leaned in conspiratorially and whispered to his boyfriend, "Where're we headed now, Kyoya?"
Hibari smirked and pushed Yamamoto's head away from him, replying with a simple, "Somewhere, herbivore. Now stop breathing down my neck."
Pouting, Yamamoto allowed Hibari to lead him along the way, tripping over an uneven step every now and then. Hibari seemed to be picking up the pace, winding out of the park and into the street, silent and mysterious as ever.
"Kyoya? What're you doing?" Yamamoto asked, only to be answered by another stare and an impatient huff. Taking the hint, he fell silent once more, but Yamamoto couldn't shave the nerves that had come back to him with a vengeance. Surely it wasn't something bad, was it?
It took another five minutes before Hibari began to slow down, puffing soft clouds into the sky. Yamamoto's fingers were frozen solid against his boyfriends. He glanced up the street, momentarily thrown by his surroundings.
"Hey, isn't this were Reborn and Tsuna live?"
"Excellent deduction," Hibari noted with a dry smile, nudging Yamamoto up the street towards their friend's townhouse.
"What're we here for?" Yamamoto babbled, tripping over the curb as he opened the gate.
"You'll see," Hibari hummed, still giving nothing away, the bastard. Yamamoto wondered briefly if this was a party, but he squashed the thought almost instantly. Hibari didn't do parties. It would be like Gokudera doing ballet, or Dino without his clumsiness.
Coming up to the door, he glanced back at the raven before reaching over to ring the doorbell. Suddenly, as the bell rung loudly behind the door, Yamamoto heard a loud bark. Wheeling around, he asked Hibari, "When'd Tsuna get a dog? I thought he was scared of them." Hibari simply tilted his head.
The door creaked over as Reborn stuck his head out, sideburns bouncing a little in the wind. "Hello there," he chuckled. "About time you showed up."
"What?" Yamamoto asked, momentarily confused. Hibari, however, spoke up and said, "I'll have you know I timed this perfectly, you ass."
"I'm sure you did, perfectionist," Reborn rolled his eyes, opening the door further. "Well, come in, I suppose you're freezing after a walk in the park, aren't you, Yamamoto?"
"Well—I, uh, yeah," Yamamoto spluttered, brushing the snow off his shoes before stepping gratefully into the warmth. "Did Hibari tell you? About the walk?"
"Something along the lines of that," Reborn said, waving an airy hand.
"Where's Tsuna?" Yamamoto frowned, loosening the collar of his coat while Hibari shut the door behind them. As if on cue, Tsuna poked his head out from around the corner.
"Hey guys," he grinned, looking a little disheveled. "About time you showed up!"
"That's what Reborn said, Tsuna," Yamamoto called. "What're you up to over there?"
"Oh, nothing really, I just—whoa!"
A sudden blur shot out from where Tsuna was standing. It was big and furry and—
"A dog!" Yamamoto cried out in delight as a tanned pup came bounding out. There were patches of cream-coloured fur lining its tail and the front of its muzzle, with an odd blueish patch on the forehead. The dog leapt onto Yamamoto in an instant, panting happily as it circled Yamamoto's legs.
"Maa, maa, that's a beautiful dog," Yamamoto laughed, kneeling down to ruffle the dog's fur affectionately. "When'd you get him, Reborn?"
"S'not my dog," Reborn chuckled.
"It's yours," Hibari cut in, quiet from the back. Yamamoto spun around, confused. The dog began licking cheerfully at his chin.
"Mine?" he asked. "But how—?"
"I brought you a dog, you idiot," Hibari interrupted, exhaling a long breath. "I saw him at the pet store and the thing slobbered all over my blazer, as I recall."
The dog barked happily again and wagged its tail frantically back and forth. It bumped into the raven's leg every time, though Hibari didn't look mad at all.
"You brought me a dog," Yamamoto repeated dumbly. "You—got me a dog?"
"Think the man's in shock," Reborn snickered, walking back towards the back of his house while Tsuna peered happily on from around the corner.
"Yes, you idiot," Hibari all but cried out exasperatedly, dropping down to his knees so that he was level with Yamamoto. "I brought him and asked Reborn to keep him here, as a surprise. That mutt there was at a pet store, and I saw him, and you know what? It's honestly just like you. Carefree, cheerful, optimistic, heck, I think it's actually smiling right now, and that's actually kind of creepy, you know?"
"You think I'm creepy?" Yamamoto asked, but he was grinning, because Hibari was blushing, and when Hibari was nervous or embarrassed he tended to ramble at great lengths and in great detail about nothing at all.
"No, of course I don't—arrgh!" Hibari shouted, throwing his hands up. "You'll be the death of me, I swear it, Yamamoto Takeshi—mrrff!"
Yamamoto didn't think twice as he tackled his boyfriend to the ground in a breath-crushing hug, laughing and yelling, "Thank you! Thank you, Kyoya, he's beautiful!" The dog bounded around them, lapping at Hibari's face at a moment and then leaping over Yamamoto in the next. The raven wrestled Yamamoto off him before pushing them all upright again, breathing hard. The pup managed to wriggle itself in between the two, tongue lolling as it stared up with bright, intelligent eyes.
"His name's Jiro," Hibari said quietly, for Yamamoto to hear. "That's what they called him at the shop. I don't know if you'd want to change it—"
"Jiro's perfect," Yamamoto cut in, smiling. Jiro, as if in confirmation, let out a happy bark.
Ding, ding, ding.
Yamamoto perked up, surprised. "The clock," he said, looking in towards the direction of the old grandfather clock standing at the end of his friends' home's hallway. Hibari looked down at his watch.
"It's midnight," he said, sounding a little surprised. "New Year's."
"So it is," Yamamoto breathed, a smile creeping onto his face. "Happy New Year's, Kyoya."
"Oh, for goodness's sake, it's just another day."
"True," Yamamoto agreed, reaching over to wrap his arms around the raven. "But it's another day with you, and a new day with Jiro now! That deserves some celebration, don't you think?"
Hibari stared. And stared. And started. Then—
"Oh, for crying out loud—"
And Hibari's lips were suddenly against Yamamoto's, his hands curling into the collar of his coat, and Yamamoto was kissing back, a sort of warm bubble threatening to burst in his chest as he felt Hibari's cold hands brush against his chin. He could feel his boyfriend's hair in his fingers and Jiro squirming between them, letting loose a happy bark every so often. For a moment everything just narrowed down to the three of them, sitting in Reborn and Tsuna's foyer, kissing like nobody's business.
Outside, the snow continued to fall softly and quietly, blanketing the city and a layer of white as a new year rolled around and a new start began for them all.
End
Well that was incredibly cheesy. Happy New Year's!
Love, BlackStar