It was Monday on the second, last week of the summer holiday. It's been three weeks since Tsuna kissed Hibari's cheek.
His left one, to be exact.
Somehow, Tsuna was still thinking about it. He's given kisses to all his guardians before, even Mukuro, but never Hibari. He was the aloof and cold prefect that generally shunned crowds. He still does, although he does seem to enjoy Tsuna's company. And Reborn's. Well, company with Reborn would mean Hibari asking for a duel.
He talked to Yamamoto and Gokudera about it. Since they were his right hand men, partners in crime and his hommies, of course they had to know! As close as Tsuna is to his mom, he couldn't dream of having this conversation with her, the one about him suddenly crushing on Hibari. Mostly because she'd get over-overexcited and tell everyone that Tsuna was going to be Hibari's husband. Wife. Whatever.
" Maybe it's because he's starting to really open up to you. That's why you'd feel different about it...well, unless you had a crush on him and didn't know about it until you kissed him. Who knows, the human mind is weird when it comes to love, haha" said the baseball ace, grabbing another piece of sushi and reaching for cold green tea. Summer days could be so hot sometimes.
" Finally, Yakyuu-Baka is speaking sense. Judaime, if you fall in love with Hibari, you have my full support. I'll blow up anyone who tries to separate you" the brash teen announced, something totally different to the sword master's words.
" Even if it's Reborn? Besides...I don't actually think this could develop into love. I mean...we know so little of each other...and we're both men...and well...gah, I'm mumbling out crap" Tsuna gave up on continuing, deciding to look into the distantce. He could see the whole of Namimori from the place where they were having their little picnic. Climbing up the hill and taking cover under a huge tree on Namimori Hill was their plan. The sky was so blue and clear, you felt like you could just grab it with your bare hands.
Gokudera and Yamamoto looked at each other. They wanted to say something to their precious friend, but they just couldn't. Something stopped them. Was it because they were hypocrites themselves? They both knew that both had feelings for each other. Feelings that were overlapping between the boundaries of friendship and love. How could they tell Tsuna to be true to his own dawning feelings when their own present ones were suppressed?
" Judaime, whoever you choose, to love, to hate, I'll be right there beside you. Yakyuu-baka here would probably say the same but he'd end up saying something funny so you wouldn't get the point" Gokudera said, his green eyes showing nothing but loyalty to his best friend and leader. His boss.
" Isn't that a bit rude, Hayato? Haha"
" Only because you're an idiot"
" You're so mean. You know that you'll age faster if you keep on being mean to me? Haha!"
" Oh really?"
" Ya really, haha"
Gokudera gave a look at Yamamoto which made both the baseball ace and Tsuna laught. They waited for the sun to set a little before trekking back home.
Meanwhile, Hibari was busy fighting with Dino. Wait, I meant training with Dino. The Chiavarone boss had come over to Japan to enjoy its summer, as Italia's summer's tended to be overwhelming for him. Well, sort of. That was just an excuse to visit his adorable little student. Well...not so little anymore. It's been 3 years since he first met Hibari and was intrigued by the boy's grace and ferocity. Two years on and the boy had gotten even more graceful and ferocious.
They parried blow after blow, the horse and the skylark, like it was a casual conversation. " Hey?" " Whatssup?" and all that whatnot. Dino eventually had to up his efforts, Hibari was getting even more aggressive, more dedicated to sparing rather than just trying to beat Dino to a pulp. Even Romario noticed the change in his boss's student's way of fighting. And then he saw it. The smile on Hibari Kyoya's face. A genuine smile, not just a smirk. 'Did hell freeze over?"' Romario wondered, his surprise concealed by his poker face and the fact that the sun made his glasses glitter.
The spar ended with Hibari's tonfa at Dino's throat, Dino's whip curled around Hibari's neck. Without choking him of course. Dino wouldn't take the chance of doing that to the said teen, knowing how gruesome the find would be after the prefect was done biting him to death. " You've improved Kyoya~" Dino said, bent over, trying to catch his breath. The heat made training even more aloof skylark said nothing. Dino was the only other person he allowed to call him Kyoya. But that was because he was used to it and besides, Dino could be pretty annoying when he was persistant. Hibari sipped the isotonic drink Romario had kept cool for them while Dino chugged his.
" So...is it a girl?"
Hibari felt like hitting the elder but he decided to keep his anger in check " It's not a girl"
" A boy then?"
Please now, there was a certain level that you could tease someone who was prone to violence.
" You know, it doesn't matter if it's a girl or a boy, I'm happy for you"
Hibari couldn't take it anymore. He whacked his teacher on the head with one of his tonfa's. His left one to be exact. " Please refrain from asking things like that or I'll bite you to death"
Even while his eyes were blinded by the tears caused by the unsightly bump hidden in his wavy golden locks, he still saw that slight blush on Hibari Kyoya's face as he turned away. " Pfft, kids are so cute when they fall in love"
" Boss...you're bleeding"
" Crap"
Hibari went home, greeted his parents and took a shower first, then soaked in the ofuro. There were minimal bruises on his body, just little ones when he was less cautious while sparing. He felt his muscles relax as he reclined in the bath, which smelled like yuzu today. " Was I that easy to read" he wondered, hearing Dino's direct hit guess again. And he started to feel like this because of a kiss?
Please, he was Hibari Kyoya. The fearless head of Namimori's Discipline Committee, who has bitten to death more people than his age, CUBED. Well, not that he actually kept count anyways. There were things far more important matters to think about. Such as why he became even more motivated about his life...from just a kiss. From his...friend? Acquaintance ? Colleague? Boss?
Companion?
" Kyoya! Dinner's ready!" called his mother from the bottom of the stairs. He quickly rose from the water, slowing going from lukewarm to cold. Shaking his head, clearing out the whimsical thoughts. And trying to keep his blush down.
Tsuna was eating his own dinner, made with love by Mama. Today's dinner was marinated salmon, with all the bones removed so that it was easier for everyone to eat. Especially Tsuna. Mama learnt the hard way that Tsuna would never really master the art of eating fish and not choking. Oddly enough, it wasn't only fish that he had problems with.
Reborn was sipping a cappuccino while reading the newspaper, Bianchi offering to feed him dinner. He stared at his not-so-dame-anymore-student. Something was definitely on his mind. Tsuna would usually be so chatty during dinner...which was because Lambo would always steal his part of dinner. Today, he didn't even make a sound when the 7 year old reached over and took the rest of whatever Tsuna had ate...which was like a quarter of what was given. Hey, children eat a lot. It's part of the growing process.
Tsuna asked to be excused. He quickly rushed up the stairs, entering his room without so much as a peep.
" Mama, did something happen to Tsuna?" Bianchi asked, a tinge of worry at the tip of her tongue.
" Well, you know how teenagers are. Tsu-kun's been swinging from depression and being happy for these few weeks. He cheered up a little when Kyo-kun talked to him a few days ago and when he got back from the picnic with Haya-kun and Taka-kun" Mama said, washing after everyone.
" Hibari?" Reborn asked
" Why, yes! Isn't he one of Tsu-kun's friends too?"
Reborn lowered his fedora, deep in thought. When did Hibari Kyoya ever came down from his clouds to talk to Tsuna? Or anyone else for that matter?
Tsuna laid on his bed, spread like a frog. He stared at the ceiling, being carried away by Ashe's singing softly in English. He learnt the easiest way to improved his English was listening to songs.
I want to show the world things
Even the parts i haven't seen
I wonder if forgotten people
Know they've been replaced?"
He had finally saved enough money to buy a decent sounding stereo last year, after graduating from Nami-chu. He was drawn into music after having a sleep over with Gokudera, who introduced him to classical and rock music. Tsuna would later discover that he liked soothing, soft acoustic tunes and not overplayed pop tunes. The summer breeze wafted into the room, through the open window. Warm air tickled Tsuna's face as he closed his eyes.
Rashinban ga,
sashita no wa,
Hitomi no oku,
Where my tears will rain in blue
Nano's Dive in Your Eyes. Tsuna liked her voice. Strong, yet soft. Like him.
" You like Nano?"
Tsuna would have jumped ten feet in the air if he didn't know who the voice belonged to. " Yeah, you like her too, Kyoya-kun?" Tsuna opened his eyes, greeted by the sight of Hibari perched like a cat on his window ledge. Well...his legs were hanging inside so it should really be called siting on his window ledge...but you get the point, right?
" She's a good singer"
Neither made an effort to continue the conversation. They were just glad that the other was there, silently taking in the late summer atmosphere. It was precious, times like this, where they were all alone. Hibari didn't make a move or tried to talk about that kiss. Tsuna didn't either. But they wanted to.