Hitori Asobi/ Solitary Play by yinyang80
一人遊び
Summary: Lazy and lonely Ayame Sakamoto thought she would have another lonesome pastime in the lunch break. But apparently, a certain skylark had other ideas.
Note: Inspired by the song Hitori Asobi from the Jigoku Shoujo Mitsuganae OST. Dedicated to my friend blackrabbit34. I thought I might please the Hibari fangirls with this oneshot. Don't worry about my current story Goin' Down; I'm working on Chapter 8. I really hope this would be fine. If you people want a sequel, please let me know. I hoped at first this idea would be expanded.
"To fall in love is easy, even to remain in it is not difficult; our human loneliness is cause enough. But it is a hard quest worth making to find a comrade through whose steady presence one becomes steadily the person one desires to be."
-Anna Louise Strong-
Ayame Sakamoto's February 14 was imperfect. It always had been. And this year, it was bound to be.
In February 10, Nami Middle was certainly a quaint little and typical middle school. Tall buildings rose to the sky, in its sleek glory. It basked under the heat of the shining golden sun. Birds sang and chirped. Students crowded in places, chatting with friends. Boys talked and laughed. Girls giggled and made goo-goo eyes at hot guys. It was so normal. But that, thought a certain blonde as she watched the others from an empty school rooftop, was beyond it. And it was lunch.
Ayame Sakamoto did not enjoy her life in Namimori. It was such a bore, she thought, playing with the strands of her pale blond hair. She usually tied it on a bun to be out of her way and at fifteen, she was a regular ice maiden with cold ice blue eyes and an unnaturally white pallor. For a moment, she wanted to get the two daggers burning in her pocket out but she knew she would never. Not in this state, at least. As long as she was in Namimori, she would never get those daggers to use. Yawning, she took off the tortoiseshell comb that held her shoulder-length blond hair in place, and the golden waves dropped to her shoulders. How boring. For a moment, she wished she was not here.
How boring. How troublesome.
Ayame did not want to be here. But unfortunately, she had to be. Her parents had migrated here from Italy; they met in Italy but went to Japan to raise their little daughter. When she was nine years old, her father had decided to go work in Italy, leaving his wife to set up a bakery to support herself. So growing up here, in reality, was a total drag. Her mother was a troublesome woman, one who made a fuss if you did not finish your food and you snuck out of the house. Seriously; even Takeshi Yamamoto's dad knew better! She always insisted on Ayame doing all the chores, and so, this had resulted in her leaving home and returning back late.
She hated her town, she hated her home. It was suffocating, because of her mother, it was suffocating because her family was not complete. Whenever she was out of her house, she made it a point to play with knives. When she sulked inside her room, she played with darts and mastered it. She was an average student, no question, smart but easily bored.
The thing about Namimori she hated most: the Discipline Committee Chairman with the big arse beating people up.
That was it. She disliked everything in her life. The lack of kinship with others, the lack of a father, the suffocation she felt when inside her home. The lack of lines and emotions on her face showed her boredom, and the fifteen years old blond sat on the teacher's chair. She stretched her legs on the table and since it was too hot, she unbuttoned two buttons from her collar. She didn't care.
The door opened, and inside stepped in the devil himself. Fluttering black hair, intense gray eyes, and a frown creased his face. He was alone.
Speak of the devil.
"What are you doing in here?"
Ayame yawned. "It was hot outside, and I was sleepy," she fibbed, and stretched her arms. Never mind the kinky abusive Discipline Committee Chairman.
"Students are not allowed to loiter inside the classroom during lunchtime. Get out or else I will bite you to death."
"I don't care."
The man grit his teeth. "Then I suppose I will have to bite you to death," he replied and quickly produced two shining silver tonfas.
"Bring it on," Ayame grumbled as she stood up. Her fingers dug inside the pockets of her skirt. She slowly revealed two sharp knives, which she had gotten from her mother's room.
He charged.
That was the first match she had. And it ended in a tie.
Thirty minutes later, she was panting and sweating. Her hair was now tousled. Her heart rate had increased. She had narrowly dodged his attacks. He sure was fast. It was her first fight but she felt like she had fought hundreds now. Looking at him, she smiled slightly.
His hair was also messy. He was perspirating, and there was a rip at his white shirt. A cut at his cheek and that had been her doing. He had gotten a few scratches at her but it was alright. He sure is handsome, she thought as she watched him crouch and take a few breaths.
He looked back at her.
The stare made Ayame's heart race. The disgusting Discipline Committee Chairman was actually looking at her. Her palms were clammy from grasping her daggers. But now, they were sweating more than ever.
"You're always alone aren't you?" Ayame managed to ask, ignoring the heat on her cheeks.
He frowned at what he saw.
"I do not like crowds." With one last look at her, Hibari straightened his posture. Getting his black jacket, he slipped it and got his tonfas. "I expect to see you here, tomorrow, Sakamoto Ayame. Alone. Same room. Same time." He quickly left the classroom.
Ayame found herself blushing furiously.
…
He hated others. He had a big head and a pride to match. He disliked crowds. He hated to be restrained. So that was Kyoya Hibari's personality, Ayame learned through the next three days. At lunch, she found herself excited for the small sparring she shared with the boy. So he was like her, unwilling to restrain, and cold. He hated to be suffocated. For once, Ayame found herself kind of glad he was there. For the first time in her life, she had someone to talk to a bit, she had someone to consider her own.
She started to love the way their meetings carried on. A few words or two, and then the incredible speed and adrenaline the fighting they did. Sweating, huffing. The clashing of metal. She enjoyed the way their meetings were kept so secret. They were alone, no one watched and it seemed like a delicious meal with a spice to make things interesting.
She liked the way his hair flew with the wind so naturally. The hard glint of his strong white teeth. Soft white skin.
As far as she knew, he seemed lonesome, but definitely not lonely. Maybe he was. And for the record, she would find herself worrying about him.
As far as she was concerned, she playing a solitary game with him.
…
The Third Day:
February 13
"It's Valentine's Day tomorrow, Kyo-san," Ayame declared as she wiped her face with a yellow face towel. Her blond hair tumbled to her shoulders, loose and soft.
"I don't care." Hibari's reply made it clear he did not like talking about such matters. "Such an occasion is above me. People of your gender make it seem like an important affair."
"I don't. I don't give people chocolates. I don't really have friends, you know." She put her tortoiseshell comb in her hair. "I never gave chocolates to people in school. Every year, I send my father in Italy one bar of chocolate I make myself. Besides, Valentine's Day is important to girls because it gives them the chance to show their love for the boys they love. Public, private confessions."
"Who is the unlucky young man you are going to give?" Was he trying to be polite to her?
Ayame rolled her eyes. Jerk, she thought affectionately. "For your information, I don't confess to guys. It will be very troublesome. It's bad enough school is a drag, you know. I don't like troublesome things."
"You did not answer my question, Ayame-chan."
"Excuse me?" She stuck out her tongue. "It's my business. Besides, I thought you consider yourself to be above such occasion. It's not your business."
"You are my business."
…
"Shut up, Hibari. I thought you wanted to keep to yourself. I mean, keep your own hands to yourself."
He looked at her again and stood up. Getting his jacket, he slipped his arms in the voluminous black sleeves.
"Do you have plans tomorrow?" she asked.
"Meet me here tomorrow. Same time, same place, Ayame Sakamoto."
He looked away as he opened the door and left. That way, he wouldn't have to see her face. The little naïve herbivore with cold blue eyes, two wicked knives for weapons and was certainly quite lazy. How solitary she was. Despite that, he hardly considered her loneliness enough barely to tolerate her loitering three days ago.
It was enjoyable, playing around with the tonfas and her. No one to restrain him, not like Kusakabe. Here, he could go all out and do what he liked. If the little girl named Ayame liked it, he did not care. He was only doing what he liked.
…
She thought about him all day. His questions, the way he played with her, the way he played around. Never thinking, always drifting. She thought about it, how before he had come in and started making her heart race, she had been a solitary little nobody who kept to herself, kept her mouth shut, sending her father chocolates, ignoring the bonds laid in front of her. She clung on to her small pride, her small world, with the small loneliness and frustration inside of her. Keeping to herself, avoiding people, hating the suffocation. That used to be her.
Why her? She was a small nobody with no friends and a mind of her own.
But he came along. It was him who bought her from the bakery to the classroom, a makeshift little battlefield. It was their little place, their hideaway to play around alone, bored and tired. A small castle where she became a flesh-and-blood human, where she learned to appreciate the boy the more. He got her out of her loneliness, her friendless little self, made it into someone else. From a girl who helped her mother in the bakery, to a girl with a friend.
Walking home alone, she felt almost normal.
The wind brushed her hair, strands loosening from the tight clasp the tortoiseshell comb had on her golden locks.
Tomorrow would be Valentine's Day. She would do her assignments once she got home, and make another bar of chocolate for her father. By home, she knew her mother would already buy milk chocolate and all the necessities for making homemade chocolates.
Ayame felt a pang of affection and love for her mother. She had a high opinion of her mother; despite being a troublesome woman, she was quite warm. She was petite and slender and had her hair cut in a short hime cut. Before she was born, her mother used to have long hair until she decided to have it cut when her husband left for Italy. Ayame got her looks from her father.
But perhaps, she could spare a spare bar of chocolate for someone else.
Stopping in front of the two-storey house called the Sakamoto home, Ayame got out her keys and opened the gate and proceeded inside her house.
Just as she expected.
Her mother in the kitchen. The smell of chocolates; her mother making chocolates, rush orders for tomorrow, no doubt.
"Mom, I'm home."
"Aya-chan!"
"Mom, you need help?" Ayame took off her school bag and went to the kitchen.
Her mother laughed.
"Aya-chan! What is it you need?"
"I would like to make a bar of chocolate for Father."
"That again. No lucky guy you will be giving to?"
Ayame blushed.
"I would also make an extra one."
And she got to work.
As she boiled the brown chocolate, Hibari lingered around in her thoughts. Both of them were two lonesome people. Two who liked to play a lonely pastime to divert their minds nicely.
…
Waiting, Hibari checked the clock hanging on the wall. Where was the blond herbivore? She took so long today. It was Valentine's Day already and it was lunch and she was running late for crying out loud. He did not like waiting. The skylark ran a hand through his hair and looked at the cream-colored wall.
The door opened.
"Sorry I'm late," Ayame offered. Her face was pale and some pink brutally occupied her cheeks. Her hair was worn loose in a crimp and she looked nice today. She wore the uniform properly and it fit her. Her hands were clutched behind her back, as if hiding something.
"I do not like waiting, Ayame Sakamoto," Hibari replied.
"Goodness, Hibari-san!" Ayame grinned, a naughty face creasing her delicate features. She looked prettier than he had seen her. And she smelled like vanilla. Why did she decide to fuss with her appearance today of all days? Besides, he had expected her to go here like the earlier, but instead, she had not. Usually, he would just fight with her and talk a bit, so he would annoy her.
"Out with it, Ayame. Drop the fuss." He was a hawk, with his sharp eyes and all. His eyes were lions, ready to pounce at the sight that awaited him. He looked so handsome, Ayame found herself a little exasperated at it.
"Why should I? I feel normal, okay. We can spar if you like."
Before another word could run away from her lips, the Discipline Committee Chairman put a hand to her lips.
"What's that for, you outer space alien?" she hissed.
Hibari rolled his eyes. He had no choice so he kissed her.
"I said what was that for?" Her cheeks flushed, giving her the look of a wild rose.
"To keep your mouth shut," he answered brusquely, folding his arms over his chest. Could she just get to the point?
"Get to the point, you jerk." For such colorful language, she said it so easily and lazily.
"Can you just tell me why were you late? Unless you want to be bitten to death."
Ayame blushed. She could not contain the intense beating inside of her. "You want the truth? Fine, but it's troublesome, Hibari."
"I do not care if it's troublesome, Sakamoto."
"I – I was scared."
"Why were you scared?"
"Because I am about to do something so troublesome and well…" Her blush was like fire on her face.
"Get to the point." He was impatient.
"Fine!"
Ayame came closer to him. She took a large wrapped bar of chocolate and held it close to him. So close she could feel the heat from his body. She could smell his light perfume. She liked it. "Hibari, I – I –" Ayame's lids went shut. This was troublesome.
"Just say it."
"Later."
"Let's just get to business." He took off his jacket and put it on the table. "You go first, Sakamoto."
"Fine, fine." Ayame put her own school jacket on a nearby chair. She hid the chocolate underneath the layer of cloth.
…
After thirty-five minutes of endless fighting and sparring, she found out she was stronger than before. Faster, and she could actually manage fine on her own. His presence made her more confident, more sure of herself.
"Hibari?"
Hibari gazed at her.
"What do you want, Sakamoto?"
"I –" She grabbed her jacket, her chocolate and ran to him. She held onto him, so tight, smelling him. She loved it. Her heart was twisting in its depth. A lot of words she could not bear to say. Only the chocolate mattered.
She pushed the sweet in his chest.
"Hibari…" She pecked him softly on the lips.
"What's wrong with being alone, Sakamoto?" He seemed to smirk. She did not care.
That day, Ayame Sakamoto's February 14 was finally perfect at last.
"In solitude, where we are least alone."
-Lord Byron-