A/N: This was written for Xanxus's birthday, which - of course - was on October 10! As a result, this entire week has been dedicated to Xanxus on the MangaFox KHR forum, and this is my contribution. :)
So here's the fluff. Please enjoy, and leave a comment!
Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman Reborn and all characters belong to Amano Akira.
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It was the tenth of October, and Varia headquarters was surprisingly quiet.
"He's not coming down, is he?" Belphegor said with a grin, twirling a birthday hat around his finger.
Squalo glared at him. "He'll be here."
Belphegor just chuckled, then ducked as a plate went flying past his head.
"If this isn't going to happen, then I'm leaving," Mammon said from the other end of the table. "You seem to forget that I have obligations outside this organization."
"Don't you even want cake?" Lussuria asked.
Mammon stared at him blankly.
"I decorated it myself," Lussuria said, holding out a piece.
Mammon hesitated, then snatched the cake, mumbling, "But I'm not happy about it."
"Someone should go get the boss," Levi said from his post near the door.
Squalo glared. He knew very well that Levi wanted to be the one to save the day and bring Xanxus down to the impromptu birthday party.
"Give him a minute," Belphegor said. "He's only a half hour late."
"If he doesn't come down in two minutes, I'm leaving," Mammon said, spearing a bite of cake.
"Are you sure he knew he was supposed to come?" Lussuria asked.
Levi stepped away from the wall. "I can get him –"
"I'll go," Squalo snarled, slamming his wine glass onto the table and spilling its contents all over the tablecloth. He stormed out of the room without another word.
Silence filled the dining hall.
"Does this mean the party is done?" Lussuria asked with a pout.
- - - - -
Squalo stomped up the stairs, fuming. He had known this was a bad idea. Xanxus never wanted to celebrate his birthday. He never wanted to celebrate anything. But Lussuria had proposed the idea, and it had sounded good at the time, so preparations had been made and now only one thing was missing.
Squalo hesitated as he approached Xanxus's closed door. There was a good chance the boss didn't want to be bothered at all, and Squalo knew better than most how violent he could get when he was in a bad mood.
Finally just deciding to go for it, Squalo rapped on the door and waited for the familiar voice to answer.
"Go away."
"Why won't you come down?" Squalo demanded.
"Why won't you listen to orders?"
"Because it's your birthday."
There was silence for a moment, and then the door swung open, revealing Xanxus's dark face. He grabbed Squalo by the collar, tugged him into the room, and shut the door behind them.
"Hey -!" Squalo began, but Xanxus clapped a hand over his mouth.
"I don't want a party," he growled. "I don't want presents, I don't want a fucking cake, and I don't want any of you making a big deal out of today."
Squalo's eyes narrowed and he mumbled something against Xanxus's hand, but the dark-haired man just glared.
"Do you understand?" he asked. Squalo wavered for a second before nodding, and Xanxus removed his hand. "Good." He stepped back and slouched into his throne-like chair. "Now go downstairs and tell those idiots not to bother me for the rest of the day."
But Squalo didn't leave. He stared into the scarlet eyes of his boss.
"We didn't throw you a party to be annoying, you know," he said. "We threw one because we care."
Xanxus snorted and looked away, glaring.
"Fine!" Squalo said. "You're impossible! I'll tell them to cancel the whole thing. Stay up here and rot, why don't you. I hope you have a blast."
He was halfway out the door when a hand caught his arm and tugged him back against a solid chest.
"Let go, you bastard!" Squalo snarled, wriggling to escape the iron grip.
"I said I didn't want a party," Xanxus muttered, his lips playing against Squalo's neck. "I never said I didn't want you."
"And why should I do anything for you when you're being so fucking stubborn?" Squalo snapped.
"Because it's my birthday," Xanxus said, his voice a low rumble.
"You can't not care about that one minute and then suddenly change your mind!" Squalo squawked as Xanxus began to play with his hair, letting the silky strands flow through his fingers.
"Why not?"
"Because that's not how it works!" Squalo yelled, finally managing to shove away from his boss. His gray eyes were livid, his face flushed. "I'm going downstairs. Don't bother following."
Xanxus heaved a great sigh, rolling his eyes to the ceiling.
"Wait," he said.
"What?"
"I'll go down."
Squalo blinked. "Huh?"
"I'll go down," Xanxus repeated. "I'll go to the stupid party." Squalo eyed his boss suspiciously.
"Why did you change your mind?" he asked.
"Because it's my birthday, and I can," Xanxus snapped. Squalo shrugged.
"Fine. But you'd better hurry, Mammon's leaving as soon as he finishes his cake."
Xanxus reached out and grabbed Squalo's wrist before he got to the stairs, then interrupted the swordsman's irate cursing by kissing him full on the lips. He brought one hand up to cradle the back of Squalo's neck, lacing his fingers through the long silvery hair, and – once he was satisfied that Squalo wasn't going to try escaping any time soon – he slid his other arm down around Squalo's waist, drawing him flush against his chest.
"I hope you know this counts as part of your present," Squalo muttered when they finally came up for air. Xanxus smirked and placed a chaste kiss on his swordsman's forehead before firmly pinching his butt, eliciting an indignant squawk from the other man.
"I know," Xanxus said, leading the way downstairs, "just as long as the other part includes you coming to my room tonight wearing nothing but a creatively tied ribbon."
Before Squalo could reply to that, Xanxus burst into the dining hall to rambunctious yells of "Happy Birthday" and the subject was lost.
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Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment! If I get some good feedback, I may write a ribbon-themed sequel... :3