There was blood. There was always, always blood, but this time there was more and more and more of it, the bandages kept getting soaked, and Hibari— he wasn't even struggling anymore. This was the man who had only a few years before been smashed against the ceiling and floor until his body was broken and had gotten up shortly after, snapping at anyone who dared try to help him, because nothing could fuck with Hibari Kyouya, nothing could really hurt him, it was never his life on the line only endless, stupid pride.

He was a frightening, beautiful beast and Dino had gotten complacent in thinking, knowing that he would die first, that only Hibari could remove Hibari from his life, because worrying about Hibari was a worry wasted.

He approached Hibari's bedside after the Vongola doctors had declared that this was everything they could do, the bleeding had stopped and the holes had been closed up and maybe it would be okay, but only because Hibari was Hibari. Dino felt cold, unsure for the first time since that notion had finally clicked in his head that maybe this kid really was as invincible as he seemed to think. He almost laughed, an uneasy mockery of a chuckle coming out instead.

Dino had lost men before. He had lost the men closest to him, the ones who relied on him for strength and protection,his men. But somehow the knot in his stomach was worse now, because Hibari wasn't one of his men. He had no responsibility over Hibari beyond an outdated idea of being his 'teacher,' he had no control over this, this was Hibari in raw form and he wasn't waking up. Dino had lost men, but he had never lost someone he had been so certain couldn't die.

It all seemed so, so unreal, until he reached out a hand to touch Hibari's arm, and wasn't met with a growl to stop getting sentimental, didn't even get a glare, and god he had never missed a dirty look so much in his life.

His knees went weak, and he let them, because there was nothing he could do about anything anymore. It was all he could do to lean over the bed and wrap his arms around the unmoving body of his once-student, holding tight onto something that had never let him hold on before.

And that was the scariest part. But he kept holding, waiting for the protest.

Just one hint of protest was all he needed.

He stayed that way until Romario came to get him.