Title: Blanket
Author: Kanon
Genre: General/Romance
Rating: G
Pairing: D18, Dino x Hibari Kyoya
Disclaimer: Me owns nothing.
Distribution: Fanfiction and LJ
Summary: On one cold night during their training, Dino wakes up in the middle of his sleep.
Spoilers: Eh… Nothing much, I think.
Warning: Nothing. Very light shounen-ai.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-D18-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Author's Note:
Still not too through and through with KHR! fandom, not to mention that I've restarted on my Bleach fic, so please be nice XD
Blanket by Kanon
Hibari Kyoya was strong. Hell, that problematic kid's strength was to the point of being ridiculous, those deadly swings of the menacing-looking tonfas sharply honed for guaranteed fatality of any target they hit. Even he, the tenth boss of the Cavallone family, personally trained by the legendary hitman of Vongola, could not take these so-called training battles all that lightly.
Dino opened his eyes blearily and with a slightly irritated frown that rarely crinkled the handsome features, blinked a few times. His hand came up to block out half of his vision as if the sun burnt his eyes, though there was nothing but the soft glow of the warm campfire that dimly lit the small clearing in the thick forest. Between his fingers, he could see shreds of black inky sky visible between the generously leaved branches high up in the air, a handful of the fine diamond dust scattered unevenly. And even if he could not see the moon, he knew it hung somewhere in that vast canvas, hidden from his view.
The air was crisp, the night breeze even more so, and the blonde shuddered lightly when a rather sharp cutting edge of the teasing wind managed to dig in through his khaki jacket draped over him.
Yawning silently, his eyes not quite fully awake because the time was still late and the day had been another long and arduous one, Dino shifted onto his side, only to be greeted with the sleeping form of one Hibari Kyoya. Since the first moment they had met and the battle had ensued, it had been impossible to see his student asleep for any longer than a split second before the indifferent black eyes opened and glared at him; the prefect was a supernaturally light sleeper to a point where even the quietest rustle of a fallen dried leaf was enough to rouse him from his rest. And there were plenty of those bristly leaves on the ground that had been suddenly pruned of the years-old trees by the nifty, spiked-ended chains that made their appearance when Dino had succeeded in straining the lethal bars in much the same manner as their first fight on the school roof. Perhaps it was not the wisest move because it led to the barely tamed ferocity in Kyoya getting unleashed and poor, stationary mother-nature did not stand a chance.
It could not be helped though; even he, the Bucking Horse, had to get relatively serious so that he could accomplish the job Reborn had given him instead of getting his ass kicked by the one he was supposed to be home-tutoring. The kid was improving at a frightening speed.
Feeling like a ninja that had snuck in the enemy base with not an option about making a single sound, Dino eyed the slumbering teen. He had managed to pull the violent prefect away from Namimori in fear that Kyoya would find out about the location of the Ring Conflict --god, the horror that would befall if he did-- but the teen remained garbed in that uniform of his, the red insignia of the Discipline Committee stark against the dirtied sleeve of the school shirt, screaming authority. And at the current moment, the Cloud Guardian --whether he was interested in the position or not-- was slightly curled on the other side of the fire, his black jacket the only protection against the creeping chill.
Suddenly feeling wide awake for some reason, Dino narrowed his eyes and commanded his hazy vision to clear and to focus on his charge in the gently glowing radiance. The distance between them was close enough for him to be able to catch the scratchy injuries that Romario had failed to persuade what he called the 'killing machine' to let him treat but far enough to put him safely out of the range of the tonfas that were sure to be hiding in the Cloud Guardian's arms even now.
The obsidian strands fell across the milky face relaxed in the peaceful rest, the lips usually drawn downwards now lax in a neutral position. The long, sharp-tailed eyes that freely shifted from apathetic detachment to bloody threat and battle-thirst joy were now firmly shut from the world and the lower half of the face went into hiding behind the high collar of the black jacket.
Catching a particularly angry-looking wound on the prefect's cheek, the Cavallone sighed exasperatedly with an unhappily lifted eyebrow. With pride like his, that Kyoya refused Romario's expert treatment and being the eerily light sleeper that he was, it was impossible to attempt tending those scrapes even after he had gone to sleep, never failing to state the only rule of his dark hour's game beforehand; you wake me up and I'll bite you to death.
It was just as Dino was mulling over on how to persuade the delinquent on the matter, because horror-inducing or not, that was one hell of a dangerously beautiful face that should not be marred in any case, when his eyes caught something so unexpected that he could not help but wonder if he was now hallucinating. However the dumbfounded self-doubt did not last long. Blinking in surprise, the blonde sat up from his make-shift bed, paying great attention not to disturb a single piece of dirt, let alone a leaf.
In those few seconds, it came again; tiny shivers were coming and going away, the lean frame shaking minutely despite the cosy heat from the fire elusively illuminating that flawless --perhaps not quite so now, but it really was one that would have enchanted anyone had it not been the notorious reputation-- visage.
Wondering if hell had frozen over, because the black-haired teen showed no signs of waking up despite the trembling, Dino cautiously got up from his place, grabbing his coat. Once he safely made it to the prefect's side, he got down on one knee and took the rare chance to really look at the fighting maniac's sleeping face. If he would only admit it, it was quite a captivating still-life picture, the sound of the regular breathing just barely audible over the night's rapt silence. The golden-tufted head tilted to a side a little, the young home-tutor staring at his first student in an inexplicable gaze.
Hibari Kyoya was nothing but mystery that no one could grasp; no wonder Reborn had his eyes set on this kid as the Cloud Guardian. Dino did not even know how old Kyoya really was. What made him hate crowding to such an extent? How did he start fighting? What about his family? Were there any significant events that had triggered his love for Namimori?
There were only questions with no answers --and he would most likely never get one either-- when it came to the currently sleeping problematic kid and though it was not really of his business since they were Hibari's personal history, the Cavallone found himself often wondering about them nevertheless. Was there anything he did know about the tonfa-wielding skylark?
Hibari Kyoya liked to fight, all the more if the opponent was strong, whatever the reason was; disruption of Namimori's peace and crowding of 'herbivores' were obviously the most frequent ones. Most importantly, there was no one who suited the position of the Cloud Guardian better than this fighting maniac. Trying to understand this delinquent prefect's thought process was virtually impossible because it was as free and unrestrained as the Ring of Cloud demanded from its wearer. Something so mundane as common sense and logic did not exist in the aloofly floating world of Hibari Kyoya who was bound by absolutely nothing.
Another shudder shaking the curled body in front of him snapped Dino out of his musings and after checking that the teen dubbed as the most feared person in Namimori was actually asleep, he slowly, ever so slowly started to softly add his coat over the thin school jacket.
-- Until a hand, deceptively delicate-looking though callused, shot up and clutched his almost painfully. Instantly and instinctively halting any movement, Dino cursed inwardly and offered a sheepish smile when the midnight orbs started to open, already glowering coldly at the world at large. And all he had hoped for had been precisely this not to happen. The warning the Cloud Guardian always issued prior to his sleep, the blonde had found out, was followed through more at the level of intuitive subconscious in shrouding drowsiness; it considerably upped the chance of his signature phrase, 'I'll bite you to death', becoming dangerously real to the last word of it, given that what little self-restrain --if there was any to begin with-- the prefect had was all but thrown out of the window.
"Uh… hi."
"What do you think you're doing?"
Well, that was a better start than anything I had expected, Dino thought to himself, although he was not sure how long this unusual lack of violence would last.
"Keeping you warm?"
The answer, its tone mirroring the uncertainty in the grin plastered on the Callavone's face, had the measuring gaze finally catching the problematic jacket half-draped over him.
Dino watched Kyoya blinking slowly in his typical detached manner, somehow completely mesmerised by the scene; the quiet whisper that he should not be gawking at his student like this was nothing but an incomprehensible buzz at the back of his mind. There was no lethal swipe from the glistening, blood-scented tonfas, which was, honestly speaking, shocking enough as it was, but there was just something enrapturing in how the prefect was eyeing his hand and consequently, the extra layer of warmth, as he remained in his sleeping position on the leaf-scattered ground, his pale skin glowing in pastel orange.
The stoic gaze climbed up the tattooed arm awkwardly held out above him, bare to the cool rustle of the quiet night air before finding the softly and uncertainly smiling eyes of the blonde. Dino had all the reasons to look like a child about to be kicked into a slave house; today had been rows and rows of life-threatening battles --he knew the teen was now really not holding back at all-- as tomorrow would no doubt be and frankly, he really did not want to have to deal with extra-cranky Kyoya in the middle of the night, his murder intent boiling even harder than usual from having his sleep disturbed.
"Whatever."
"Huh?"
Dino gawked and gaped as his student dropped his hand and closed his eyes, evidently settling back to return to the dreamland --or maybe it was blood-splattering battlefield for this terrifying kid's case-- without even taking a well-aimed right hook at him. Then even more bewilderingly, the long coat that was already cosily warmed from the time it had been over him was snatched away and lithe fingers curled around the neck of it, pulling it up as high as the black school jacket.
The Cavallone knew that it signalled the end of the brief encounter but did not move from his place; he could not, stunned with shock like that. He had not expected to escape the moment without any brawls and he had definitely not foreseen Kyoya taking the offered clothing himself.
Still speechless from the astonishment and disbelief, Dino watched the teen shifting to the other side, turning his back to him. Yup, there was definitely no way of predicting Hibari Kyoya; and that was what made him so capturing and addictive, deadly devastating it might be.
"Eh, Kyoya?"
"I'll bite you to death if you say one more word."
Dino almost stuttered out a hasty 'okay' before he stopped himself. It was not the actual fight with the problematic kid that prevented him from provoking the prefect; Kyoya was too good for his age but the blonde knew he still had upper hand if he was to get genuinely serious about it. However he was supposed to be home-tutoring Kyoya which meant adjusting his level accordingly without making it obvious and really, he just did not fancy lashing his whip out and forcing the fast-improving tonfas away even before the crack of the dawn.
Resigning to the reality and not at all saddened by the loss of his 'blanket', Dino stared at the back of his charge's silky-looking --was there anyone who knew if it was as soft as it looked?-- strands with unknown longing. He was not sure if Kyoya could feel his gaze; if he could, he was certainly not showing any sign of it.
A particularly icy wind whirled around the newly created glade and Dino sucked in a sharp breath at the stinging sensation on his bare skin, goosebumps rising on his arms and on his neck. Furiously rubbing his arms, he turned and stood up to take a seat nearer to the warm heat the roaring fire was providing. And just when he was about to take the first carefully measured, small step-
"Get in."
Dino blinked then shook his head. He was hearing things now. Perhaps the training was wearing him out more than he had thought.
…Or not.
"Get in. If you so much as touch the leaves, I'll bite you to death. If you get ill and can't fight me properly tomorrow, I'll bite you to death."
And with that, an extra space within the small confinement was provided for the astounded Cavallone by the courtesy of Hibari Kyoya who had scooted a little, his eyes firmly closed.
After a moment of ogling, a small smile finally surfaced at the blonde's lips and the double-layered 'blanket' soon found itself housing two bodies pressed flush against each other, the touching backs conveying each other's heartbeat over the thins shirts they wore.
"Oyasumi, Kyoya."
"Shut up or I'll bite you to death."
Dino rolled his eyes exasperatedly and shrugged, calling for the sleep to return.
"Hai, hai. Don't worry, it'll be another action-packed day tomorrow."
When he did not hear any reply, the young home-tutor assumed the prefect had already fallen asleep and pulled up the overlapped coat and the jacket that faintly smelt of cold steel and blood, relishing in the snug warmth that the supple frame next to him emitted in the tight space with a quiet, content sigh.
Hibari smirked, feeling the firmly-muscled back against his falling into the relaxed pattern of rising and falling, and let it be suffice to say that it was not only because of the promise the Cavallone had made.
Tomorrow was going to be a good day. And perhaps, it was going to be another good night, too.
Maybe.