Hello new and old readers alike. As the summary states, this story deals with how Hibari and Dino got together. Though it can be read as a standalone, we recommend any new readers to eventually check out our other fic, A Different Choice, which takes place several months after the end of this story. For those of you who are coming back, I'm sure you are aware of our usual posting schedule. However, this fic will be somewhat irregularly updated in order to keep with the chronological order of the oneshots we are currently posting.
You're in for quite a long and bloody ride. We hope you enjoy! Please don't forget to review!
The First Punch
A crack filled the air on the roof of Namimori Middle as Hibari sidestepped another blow from the leather whip. He rushed forward, pulling back a tonfa and swinging it forward, aiming straight for Dino's jaw. He was already pulling his other hand back for a follow-up attack because, as he expected, Dino dodged. He always dodged.
Hibari rushed forward again, keeping close. He kept moving, never still, and swung his tonfa, attack after attack, doing his best not to let Dino use his whip because he'd gotten enough of it.
Dino grinned slightly at his student's tactics. The boy was a relentless monster, but he was an obvious one, especially once he was beginning to wear down. They had been at this for a couple hours now without a single break. Dino found it easy to see the other's patterns now.
"Don't let your temper get the better of you, Kyouya," Dino advised as he dodged the next few blows. "You're leaving openings in your stance," he informed him as he sidestepped to the left and let his whip lash out towards the other's side.
Hibari winced at the pain that burst in his side. It only served to fuel his rage. He rushed at Dino, not listening to his words or his advice, wanting only to fight and to attack this strong and infuriating person.
Dino sighed slightly at the other's lack of reaction. This wasn't going to work unless he got more serious. "Come on, use your head a little!" The blonde ducked the next blow and loosened his two-handed hold on his whip before flicking his left wrist forward. His whip moved to loop around his student's knees and Dino grabbed hold of the returning strap of leather before pulling.
Hibari toppled backwards though he continued tipping back, landing on his hands and flipping back up to his feet. He held his tonfa up and glared at Dino. "Stop telling me what to do."
Dino grinned slightly as he pulled his whip taut before him. "Until you manage to beat me, I won't stop drilling these lessons onto you." Dino let his whip fly off towards the other once more.
Hibari saw the whip coming at him, and in a split second, he ducked his head, just enough to dodge the blow. He frowned slightly, wasting a single moment of regret in remembering to 'use his head.' He rushed forward again, a bit more wary of his arms as he did.
That's better, Dino smiled slightly to himself as he returned to his dance of dodging. Kyouya's attack patterns were already improving. It seemed like the trick was to continuously cool the other's temper down.
He needs to learn not to lose it in the first place⦠Dino thought as he dodged the blow aimed for his jaw. He twirled on his feet and let his whip crack lightly against the other's back before stepping away, out of the other's range.
Hibari fought relentlessly, not letting up. But it seemed that right when it was getting to be too rushed, Dino flung out his whip and caught Hibari's back. He growled and glared at him. "Stop that."
"Stop what?" Dino teased slightly, quirking an amused eyebrow at the demand.
"You're playing." Hibari's narrowed as he stared at Dino's hands. He lowered his tonfa and directed his glare to Dino's face, insult and anger lacing his tone when he spoke. "You're not fighting seriously. How am I supposed to beat you and make you leave me alone if you don't fight me?"
Dino gave the other an incredulous look. "You're gonna have to do better if you want to see me go all out. Anyway, you're my student, not my enemy. I'm not planning on injuring you more than necessary," he reminded him.
Hibari scowled. "You don't think I can handle it?" He gripped his tonfa again, the fury rising at being called weak. Well, if Dino wouldn't pay attention to his words, Hibari would make sure he paid attention to his actions. "I'll bite you to death," he muttered lowly, before rushing forward at a quicker speed, his movements fueled by rage. Fight me, his body said. FIGHT ME.
Oh, brother... Dino sighed internally and doubled up his speed as he began to dodge the reenergized flurry of attacks. So much for keeping the others temper in check. Though Dino had to admit it was kinda funny to see the other so quick to anger. He reminds me of a stray cat, Dino thought as a small amused smile began to stretch over his lips. The image seemed to fit with the prefect perfectly. The sixteen-year-old was so defensive and proud, and he had the agility and ferocity of a feline.
Hibari growled. The blonde was just dodging again. And no matter how much Hibari pushed himself, he just couldn't hit him. If he swung right, Dino stepped to the left. Hibari swung his tonfa after him, and Dino leaned just out of reach. The most infuriating thing was that Dino wasn't even trying. Hibari could see the relaxed muscles and the loose grip on his whip that he used when Dino really had no intention of wielding it. Hibari narrowed his eyes. "Stop smiling," he growled lowly, aiming a kick to Dino's jaw.
Dino dodged once more and stuck out his tongue in the direction of the prefect. "Make me!" he teased.
Anger flared up in Hibari, stronger than before. "I'll make you eat the concrete," he snarled, and rushed up, trying to get close and in his face where it would be harder to dodge.
Dino wondered for the second time today if he should let the other run out of steam or not. Though this has been going on for hours already, it didn't look like the prefect would be tiring soon. He was the type to push his body past his limits after all.
With a sigh, the blonde finally relented and let the other land a blow on his face before quickly moving to grip the prefect's forearms. "There. Satisfied?" he asked, tilting his head. He was already regretting letting the blow hit him. If he had allowed the other to hit him at full strength, Dino would have probably passed out.
Hibari narrowed his eyes and looked at the hands grabbing his arms. He gave a couple tugs but found the blonde's grip to be extremely firm. "No." He spoke truthfully, aiming a glare straight into Dino's eyes.
Dino grinned slightly at the candid response. "Well, I'm afraid that's all for today though." He shrugged lightly, looking amused. "We can continue tomorrow, so why don't you let Romario take care of your injuries before you head on home, hmm?"
Hibari glared at Dino before glancing over towards the older man waiting at the sidelines. He looked back at the blonde. "Is he a doctor?"
Dino blinked at the question. "Hmm, well, he's as good as one, I guess." He chuckled slightly.
Hibari frowned. "Forget it. I'll deal with my own injuries," he said, giving his arms another tug. "Let go of me."
Dino frowned worriedly and didn't let go. "Hey, don't take your body lightly. Just because I was holding back, doesn't mean you should ignore your injuries."
"Who said I was ignoring them?" Hibari growled. "I said I'll deal with them on my own." This infuriating man. Who was he to question him so much?
Dino's frown deepened but he finally let go of the other, making sure to step back well out of the range of his student's tonfa. He sighed then, running a hand through his hair as he looked down at the prefect. "Alright, fine. But you better take good care of yourself, Kyouya. Or I won't fight with you tomorrow."
Hibari let his arms fall to his sides and narrowed his eyes at Dino. "Hmmph." He shot a glare at Romario as well before walking past Dino, towards the door leading off the roof. Hibari didn't have to be told to take care of himself. But at the same time, he knew that this man was strong. The prospect of fighting him again made Hibari's arms tingle. Well, fighting him, period. So far, all the blonde had done was dodge.
Hibari found himself thinking of what he could do with that whip as he walked home.
