[A/N: Something old I found lurking in my files. I originally intended it to be longer, but I don't know, so I might as well publish it, ne? Hope you like. Reviews~? 3]

Why?:

A Katekyo Hitman Reborn! One-shot.

By: HeatherTheVillain.

There was a loud, irritating buzzing beside Hibari Kyoya's bed: his phone vibrating violently against the polished wood of his nightstand. It would have awoken a normal person, given that it was well past one in the morning. But Hibari was not normal, which went without saying. He was also not asleep, but he still didn't appreciate getting a call at this ungodly hour. It had to be a member of the Disciplinary Committee, for they were the only people who associated with him enough to earn his phone number.

Well, whatever; Hibari would bite them to death in the morning. Scowling, he reached for the phone and answered it without even bothering to check the number, something he would regret once he heard the voice on the other line. "Yes?"

"Kyoya~!" A horrifyingly familiar voice sing happily and the dark-haired teen swore, not caring whether or not Dino heard him. Apparently he did, for he laughed as he asked, "How is my favorite student?"

"I was asleep," Hibari replied, using any excuse to get rid of his former teacher; as if he hadn't spent the last week cleansing himself of that stupid herbivore's influence.

"Liar," Dino countered, tone sickeningly sweet-so sweet, in fact, that anyone but Hibari would have missed the thick layer of smugness layered beneath. But Hibari knew better, for they'd both seen each other's darkness. That was the point of training, after all. Now, however, that training was over and they had gone their separate ways. Or should have, at least.

Which brought up another question: why the fuck was Dino calling him? "Dino, why the fuck are you calling me?" Hibari never had been one to beat around the bush.

Again, that condescending laugh; Hibari could picture it in his mind as if the stupid man were sitting in bed beside him, the image of handsome features tugging, brightening, of white teeth and sparkling eyes. It made him flush; he had to be coming done with something. "Are you allowed to speak to your elders that way?" Dino asked in a murmur that was shockingly. . . intimate. Flu, Hibari confirmed to himself as he felt uncomfortable heat crawl beneath his skin; he'd better get himself checked out.

"Don't you have better things to do than make prank calls to underage Japanese boys?" Hibari asked coolly.

"Are you underage? I always wondered. . ."

Blue eyes, black in the night's darkness, narrowed. "Why?" He asked, suspiciously.

"Simple curiosity."

"I bet."

"And maybe other things," Dino added, smirk evident in his voice.

There was a long pause before Hibari replied, rather flatly, ". . . I'm hanging up."

"Oh, Kyoya is so cruel~!" The image of Dino grabbing wildly at his chest like a wounded dove made Hibari smirk ever so slightly, though he all but ripped the expression from his face once he felt it.

"You're an idiot," was all he could say in coldest, stiffest tone.

"And you're a murderous, spoiled brat. Saying offensive things that happen to be true isn't the same as insulting someone, you know."

". . . Touche." Damn how he hated being bested. But damn if he didn't miss the thrill of someone trying.

"Soooo, let me guess," Dino began again, as if his phone buddy didn't despise him and didn't threaten his life whenever they met. "You miss me?"

". . . Is that a serious question?"

"Of course~! The affections of a mob boss are to always be taken seriously!"

Or what, you get shot? Hibari thought blackly before Dino's words sunk in. "'Affections?'" He repeated, incredulous.

"Well, you are my favorite student," Dino said, as if it were obvious.

But Hibari could taste the lie in his words, so he merely replied, awkwardly, "Okay." This was mortifying. "Why did you call me?" Hibari demanded again.

This time it was Dino who paused before answering so softly Hibari had to strain to hear him, "Maybe I just wanted to hear your voice."

Hibari swallowed. "I'm hanging up," he repeated, voice far less steady than before.

Dino laughed, loudly and openly. "You'll never change, Kyoya."

"Did you really expect me to?" Hibari asked skeptically.

"Of course not."

Uncharacteristically hesitant, the dark-haired teen decided to take a risk, since the question was nagging at him. "Did you want me to?"

This time, there was no pause. "Of course not." And then Dino hung up.

Puzzled as to what had just happened, Hibari closed the phone, staring at the small silver device for a moment before shaking his head and tossing it on his bed.

And then he realized it: the question wasn't "why did Dino call him," it was "why didn't he hang up."

And that was a question there were no pleasant answers to-pleasant, at least, for Hibari.

Scowling something furious, Hibari stuffed his face into his pillow, cursing himself to sleep with talk of biting that Italian bastard to death.