(: Hello to everyone. This was my debut ficlet on LJ. XP But I thought I'd just post it here anyway. I hope you like it. If you strongly feel like criticising, please try constructive criticism. Advice is always welcomed, too.
I hang around LJ most of the time. X) But if you do review here, I'll do my best to reply promptly. :3
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Title: Crossroad
Rated: T
Pairing: D18
Word Count: 1707
Summary: 'Don't die.' 'I won't.'
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When the Milliefiore famiglia strikes, no one is prepared for it. Sawada Tsunayoshi rushes to pull his family together and save as many as he can before they are all gone. Gokudera Hayato spends twenty-two out of the twenty-four hours of the day protecting the Vongola 10th. Yamamoto Takeshi fights to protect, and eventually he is sent out to the frontlines of battle. Sasagawa Ryouhei has been at the frontlines since the moment the war between the two famiglia broke out. The Bovino protects base after base until each is finally razed to the ground.
While all this is happening, Hibari Kyouya is not just a bystander.
He is a participant of this new game. Sawada himself does not order him – he takes orders from no one. But when Sawada comes up to him after they lose two of their bases in ten hours, Hibari Kyouya cannot bring himself to take his eyes away from the broken figure the Tenth has become. His fiery eyes are still burning, but the flame is diminishing. The brown hair is limp and dirty, his clothes unwashed for days – maybe even weeks.
I need you to do something for me, Sawada says, his voice hoarse and tired.
Hibari Kyouya has perfected masking his emotions. He only gives a slight nod as acknowledgment.
I need you to go somewhere, Sawada coughs out and – behold, the Vongola Tenth finally collapses from exhaustion. Gokudera Hayato is sprinting over in seconds, with Yamamoto Takeshi – equally battered, struggling to limp over on a broken leg.
Stop! shouts one of the girls. Yamamoto nearly lost his leg protecting Sawada. With a contorted grimace, Yamamoto pulls himself over to Sawada's side, and finally collapses next to his boss, murmuring in soft, hushed whispers with Gokudera. A medical team – or at least, half of one – approaches immediately with stretchers, oxygen masks and boxes of medicine. It is not long before Gokudera himself passes out as well.
When Kyouya is informed that Sawada has finally woken again, he goes to the room the young man is in.
I need you to get something, Sawada rasps, from a friend.
The Tenth manages to get his instructions through, and promptly loses consciousness again.
Hibari Kyouya does not take orders from anyone. Technically, Sawada was making a request. Politely. And because he was injured, he fainted after giving instructions, skipping the whole sappy talk about not wanting to lose Kyouya, too.
He goes to the place Sawada tells him to go. It is a rundown, wooden old shack. There is nothing inside but a rusty, unused kitchen with rats running around, and a tiny bedroom with one single bed. Though dusty, it still looked usable. The floor was originally some kind of wood, but there were holes here and there, and boards sticking out at some parts.
The person Kyouya is to meet arrives half an hour later. Kyouya sits on the bed till then, entertained by his fluffy yellow bird's singing.
When the door opens, Kyouya looks up, his eyes meeting with that of Dino Cavallone.
It's been a while, says the Cavallone boss.
Kyouya does not reply, only stands up and holds out a hand to receive what Sawada wants. After this, he tells himself, I will leave.
I haven't seen you in God-knows-how-long, and you're that unexcited about meeting, Dino muses. Kyouya thinks he hears sadness in his former tutor's voice.
The Cavallone boss holds out a small-sized box, and drops it into Kyouya's outstretched hand. That's what Tsuna wants, the blonde says, make sure you deliver it to him.
Kyouya does not reply. He only starts to walk out of the room, past Dino. The blonde stands still like a statue. When Kyouya takes his second step out of the bedroom, a strong hand grabs him by the hand and swings him against the wall. The Cavallone wastes no time in pinning Kyouya's wrists against the wall on top of his head. The box falls to the ground with a thump.
I could bite you to death, Cavallone, Kyouya spits, until there would be nothing left but some pieces of hollow bone.
Kyouya, Dino breathes his name, as if it is the first time in a long while he has spoken it, Kyouya.
Release me, Kyouya orders.
He can easily break free from Dino's grasp and send the other man plummeting to the ground in a matter of seconds, but he decides that he could give the Cavallone about half a minute more before he bites the other man to death anyway.
Kyouya, Kyouya, Kyouya, Dino repeats his name like a mantra, I missed you. I missed you so much.
Kyouya.
Release me, Kyouya repeats.
Kyouya.
And Dino's lips are descending on his own, his hands slipping down to grasp the sides of Kyouya's cheeks, moving up slowly, getting entangled in the soft black strands. Kyouya is stunned to the point of being unable to move. His eyes are wide, and his whole body is rigid. Dino's lips are still pressed together against him, soft and gentle. The callous hands are lightly massaging his scalp. One hand moves down and slips under his shirt, warm against his cold skin.
D-Dino…
Kyouya.
Dino guides them to the bed, and pushes Kyouya down beneath him. He pulls away then, looking down at a flustered Kyouya, whose cheeks are tinted with pink and his usually alert, killer greyish-black eyes hazy and half-lidded.
Kyouya, Dino breathes, and leans down for another kiss.
Kyouya does not fight back anymore. He lets Dino lead him on like a child, like when they were still teacher and student. When Dino bites down suddenly on the white skin of his neck, Kyouya clenches his teeth and fights back the urge to cry out.
What's wrong, Kyouya? Why are you holding back? There's no one here.
He clutches onto Dino's upper arms for support. His eyes are pricking with tears, though he does not know why. His body is wrecked with impossible amounts of pain and pleasure till there is only a thin line between the two emotions. It is bad enough that he is ready to cry – the first time in ten years, he might add, so when Dino moves against him, his fingernails dig into Dino's flesh, and he jerks one hand away and sinks his teeth into his own wrist to prevent that shameful sound from coming out of his throat. He bites so hard there are red teeth marks on his wrist. Dino stares down at him quizzically, and at his bitten wrist.
He stops moving.
Kyouya, what are you doing?
None of your business…m…move…
Kyouya, don't hurt yourself, Dino runs a tongue over the shell of his ex-student's ear, frowning as Kyouya starts biting his wrist again. Kyouya, stop that.
…n…n-no…
Kyouya…
As Dino restarts his movements, it gets increasingly difficult to breathe and Kyouya cannot stop the tears that are flowing freely now. His wrist is red-raw and starting to bleed. Blood stains the corners of his mouth, his chin and trickles steadily down his neck, but he pays no heed to that little bit of pain. Grimacing, Dino grabs Kyouya's wrists and locks them above his head.
What…?
Don't bite yourself, I said. Let go. It's all right, and the Cavallone boss flashes his irritating smile. It's all right, Kyouya.
Soon, he cannot stop the whimpers and cries escaping one-by-one, or prevent the thin trail of saliva that trickles steadily out from the corner of his mouth.
Don't cry, Kyouya, Dino soothes, leaning down to kiss Kyouya's eye. Don't cry.
And then, suddenly – a brilliant, blinding light explodes, and for a moment he can see nothing but white. His body writhes and twists, his tears fall uncontrollably and a half-muffled scream pushes its way out. Dino grips Kyouya's shoulders so tightly he is sure his ex-tutor has left reddish marks.
The last thing he remembers of that night is slowly coming down from his high, and Dino pulling him against his chest.
The next morning, he wakes up to find the Cavallone gone and the self-inflicted wounds on his wrist bandaged neatly. The box that Sawada asked him to get from the Cavallone is sitting on the floor next to the bed.
Kyouya rises to his feet carefully, wincing as a sharp, jacking pain runs up his spine and paralyses his body momentarily. When he gets a hold of himself, he bends down to pick up the box and takes laborious steps out of the house.
In the distance, a mess of sunny blonde hair can be seen. The jacketed Cavallone boss is walking away.
It may have been a whim, it may have been instinct, it may have just been his unspoken desire.
He drops the box. Ignoring the pain that flares as he quickens his steps, he runs towards the Cavallone. The pain gets more brutal. A few metres away from Dino and ready to collapse, Kyouya takes a deep breath, sprints a few steps and grabs the Cavallone by his waist.
Dino stops moving.
Kyouya's breath is harsh and panting. His arms are locked around the taller man's waist, and he does not feel like budging yet.
Kyouya?
Kyouya cannot find the voice to answer.
Images of Sawada collapsing, his entire platoon, save himself, destroyed by Milliefiore, Yamamoto, taking the brunt of a grenade's explosion, the Arcobaleno's destruction and the gradual collapse of the entire Mafioso world.
Kyouya…?
Don't die.
His voice is barely a whisper.
Dino chuckles lightly. I won't, he says.
Don't die.
Okay, Dino promises.
Okay, Kyouya says.
Then he pulls away from Dino, who does not turn around.
Dino Cavallone returns to the Cavallone headquarters, and Hibari Kyouya walks back to where he dropped the box and picks it up.
And then he, too, starts walking.
Don't die.