Half Asleep at Noon
Rating: PG
Pairing: TYL!1827, TYL!Gokudera & Yamamoto
Warnings: Character Death, I'm not sure about OOC so, a warning just in case.
Summary: Based on chapter 219. Hibari describes Tsuna as incomprehensible and Gokudera buys the wrong cigarette brand.
Notes: This is my first Reborn fic (dies of embarrassment) so uhm, sorry for any mistakes. D; I'm not too sure if they're OOC (I hope not but then, I can't be too sure. XD) I tried to at least delve a little deeper in what TYL!Tsuna was possibly thinking at that time. I hope you guys like this fic. 3
* * *
Light footsteps threaded through a dusty concrete path. The sun burnt through their black suits and their shadows were twice as tall as they were. Everything was quiet. It felt as though the world had fallen asleep.
Perhaps they were asleep. Neither of the two men could tell.
"It's incredibly quiet, isn't it?" Sawada Tsunayoshi, the tenth Vongola boss said as he looked at the pale blue sky. "What month is it anyway?"
With his eyes cast on Tsunayoshi's back, Hibari replied: "April."
"School days begin in April and end in March, don't they? Come to think of it, the distance between April and March is an incredibly long interval of time." Tsunayoshi smiled to himself. "How nostalgic."
Hibari closed his eyes, pulled his head back and let the harsh wind blow across his pale face. "I don't feel like trudging around these things. So, I'll say it now."
The shorter man turned around and looked at the lean figure that stood behind him. "Hm?"
Hibari shifted his weight to the left leg and dug his right hand inside his pocket. "Of all the people who have stood beside you for the last ten years, you chose to have me beside you as you made that decision. It irritates me. In fact, just looking at your back makes me angry. "
"Why?" Tsunayoshi almost sounded breathless. "Does Hibari-san dislike keeping secrets from other people?"
Everything returned to silence. Hibari glared at him, eyes downcast on the shorter man with the kind of stern look that was unique to Hibari Kyouya.
The transition from April to March seems longer than the span of a decade. Tsunayoshi thought. This person hasn't changed at all.
Hibari clenched his fists. "No. It's nothing of that sort. I'm angry because I don't understand. You're as incomprehensible as ever, Sawada. I should kill you right now. "
Tsunayoshi furrowed his brows and sighed.
"I'm sorry, I can't explain it very well either. I'm not very good with talking. I've never been good with talking." The brown haired man looked away and started walking again. "But, I do know a couple of important facts." He said these words with such conviction that it forced Hibari to listen closely as he followed Tsunayoshi.
"Really now?" The black haired man rose an eyebrow.
Tsunayoshi nodded. "Yes. What I do know is that Hibari-san is incredibly strong and I can rely on him. I've always believed that. Also..." He looked at his leather shoes and felt something warm gently enveloping his heart. "...I'm certain that even Hibari-san has something that he'd like to protect. When I think of it like this, I realize that the worst way to deal with this problem is to deal with it idealistically. So I-- I wanted to borrow Hibari-san's strength for a little while."
"Look at me when you're talking." Hibari said. "It makes no sense to talk to someone if your back is turned like that."
Tsunayoshi laughed. "I can't do that."
"If you don't look back, I'll be very harsh with the Sawada of ten years ago. Regardless of what I've promised, I might even kill him. So turn around and look at me. Do things properly Sawada." Hibari said in an iritated voice.
"Ah," Tsunayoshi gasped. "That's a surprise."
"What is?" Hibari was taken aback by the young man's reaction.
"Hibari-san seems to be talking a lot today."
"Sawada, you'll hurt a lot people."
"That's right. I thought so too. It must be because I'm a very bad person." He laughed yet again, it was a melancholic sound. Hibari wished never to hear it again.
* * *
On the day of Sawada Tsunayoshi's death, Gokudera didn't buy his usual brand of cigarettes. The taste it left in his mouth was different, it was so alien to him that it made him want to gag.
"Geez, this is really gross." He mumbled.
Beside him, Yamamoto cried.
Guys like him don't like showing their emotions but when they're pushed to the limit they breakdown like badly beaten machines. Gokudera thought. He glanced at that hunched form that sat on the cold grass. Yamamoto's calloused hands covered his eyes and the tears streamed in between his fingers.
Yamamoto cries in a manly way, it's really cool. At this point, Gokudera didn't know who he was talking to. He was numb all over, as though someone had put a stop to what made him feel. Everything was switched off and he was left in the dark.
Gokudera blinked.
His cigarette smoke tried to reach heaven but it disappeared before getting anywhere.