I was too young when I became the 'Bucking Horse'.

He was too young when he had his first taste of another's blood.

We were too young when we met.

We are still too young for this world of death and decay.

The Head of the Cavallone family sank tiredly into his leather chair, a soft sigh escaping from his chapped lips. Golden rays from the setting sun cast a tranquil glow in his mansion's office, juxtaposed with the Italian's inner turmoil.

He was older now, at age thirty-two, more matured. He could handle the sight of death and blood better than he could ten years ago but that didn't mean the instinctive repulsion ever faded when he was faced with those horrid scenes. A frown creased his elegant brows. He wondered how some men could actually take pride in keeping track of how many they had killed with their tainted hands, laughing and bragging whenever their kind gathered.

He could never do that. Ever. For the sheer amount of lives he had taken, whether with his own hand or through someone seemingly unconnected to him, would suffocate him when he slept, when his conscience was free to prey on his guilt.

He let his eyelids fall, just halfway, eliciting a wistful expression. He was afraid of the things he might see if he shut his eyes fully. The scenes of burning buildings and screaming children. Of guns and the cacophony of fights with rival gangs. Of the sheer amount of blood on his hands -

The door slid open, the soft creak echoing in the silence of the room. Dino was thankful. It had snapped him out of his reverie. Amber eyes regained their glint when he saw the familiar head of black sauntering through the doorway.

A gentle smile. "Kyoya, what brings you here? I thought we were meeting at the restaurant later?"

The Cloud guardian shrugged, a barely noticeable action. "I heard you were back early."

Dino chuckled softly. "What's this now? The great Hibari Kyoya is actually concerned about me?"

Dino's remark was met by silence from the Japanese man (Dino had to remind himself that Hibari had mellowed over the years and didn't fall for his teasing quite that easily anymore). Hibari had made it across Dino's office and was gazing out of the large window next to the Italian's desk, his face an unreadable mask. Dino didn't face him, eyes fixed on the closed door opposite.

"How many."

A pause. Dino didn't care that his fingernails were digging into the flesh of his palm. "I don't know. Their entire famiglia is gone." Dino's voice barely registered above a whisper. He felt weary, oh so weary and just sick of everything.

Hibari cast a sideways glance at his former tutor. "Do you still resent the mafia then?"

A harsh laugh emitted from Dino's throat, like a man who knows he can't do anything to fight his fate and laughs just to make it seem better. "How can I? They are family. They are a part of me and I was always a part of them, whether I liked it or not." Amber eyes traced the intricate pattern on his tanned skin, contempt no longer present in his eyes (he had hated the tattoo when he was younger, as if it were chains binding him to a world he despised and wanted no part of). "This is proof. Proof that I am the same as the ones I used to resent. Proof that I too, shall walk this path of blood and decay." Dino leaned back further into his chair, vaguely aware that the sky had turned navy. "Proof that I am my father's son, and that I must walk the same path he did."

Hibari almost missed the last sentence, straining his ears as Dino's voice became a near murmur. The night did something to people. It either comforted them with its enveloping darkness, egging them to reveal their secrets, or it scared them, for the stillness allowed the mind to wander and be reminded of the evils performed during the day. With Dino, it was usually the latter.

Hibari continued staring at nothing outside the window, fingertips unconsciously gripping the window sill. He exhaled deeply, knowing Dino would recognise it as a kind of chiding aimed at him.

"It doesn't mean you have to walk that path alone."

The moment those words left Hibari's lips, Dino had practically jolted out of his seat, gripping the other in a tight embrace. He buried his nose into the crook of the younger man's neck, softly repeating Hibari's name over and over like a mantra, as if it were the only word he knew in his current state.

Hibari grimaced slightly, arms on either side as he growled out a "Stop it" but to no avail. Holding back the urge to hit the blond, Hibari merely stood as Dino held him.

After a few moments, Hibari could feel Dino smiling against his neck and demanded to know what was so funny.

"You providing me comfort was the last thing on my mind when I first met you all those years ago."

A smirk tugged at the edges of the skylark's lips.

"You used to say you had nothing left in your world, so why not?"

A laugh, Hibari could see the spark in those brilliant amber eyes again and he felt oddly at ease.

We're all too young for this shit.

Yes~ finally, my first D18 here (is happy)

Therefore if you review, I shall present you with... A HIBIRD COOKIE! :D