Disclaimer: I do not own KHR.
Warning: UNBETA'ed. Pardon the messy grammar.
Word count: 2,162
Author's Note: Thanks a lot for those five lovely people who reviewed.
Fulle
anydayanywhere
Wolf Den
Amaterasu17
KitsuneNaru
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Flame
A hot glowing body of ignited gas that is generated by something on fire;
A rapid, persistent chemical change that releases heat and typically give out bright light.
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We are all just the same.
We breathe and struggle in life, barely noticing the important matters about our existence. We are all but remnants of our society, bristling whiners that demands too much of the world and not giving something in return, engulfing the scattered snippets of ourselves – eating who we really are in the process.
We are all losing our soul in new ways of dealing with our everyday problems, pains and trifling moments of oblivious deaths.
We are nothing but pawn to the world, to the repeating histories.
We are all but impossible creatures who demands and forcibly pushing our way to what's on hand, not minding the thin care we have for the world and as long as we are not harmed in any way – nothing and no one really matters.
We are all just selfish creatures who kill for profit, fame, and fortune.
Our hands are long ago bathed in pool of blood. We are the sons and daughters of the sinful past that we are longing to break free. For we are all living in our 'what if's' world and walking obstinately and yet blinded by the wrong reality.
We are all trudging way past the borders of the earth pathways – not truly seeing the light that leads to our future.
We are all but pained souls hopelessly wandering on our self made prisons.
We are all human.
Vulnerable.
Pathetic.
We are all hollow, empty creatures who don't even know what they want.
We take, kill, and stole.
We push, torment, oppress, talk behind other's back, and lie.
We are all humans.
But we are not.
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Tsuna opened his eyes.
He slowly blinked, taking in the faint light that was caressing his face.
Where was he?
It smelled like mold… like those old books inside his mom's room.
Books.
Tsuna whisked the remnants of sleep to his system and looked around where he was lying and apparently slept like log.
He saw many books lying on the floor and…
Oh. Right.
Books.
LIBRARY.
Hibari.
Tsuna's eyes widened as he scrambled on the floor, his head barely missing the rough edge of the nearby shelf and hitting his head in the process.
Futile.
"O-oww…"
As he nursed his now getting swollen bump, he almost cursed when he realized what he had done again.
Shit.
There. Cussing (even if it was just on his head) felt great.
He fell asleep again!
Hibari-sensei would really have his head this time.
The brunette warily eyed the surrounding, checking for glinting red eyes in the vicinity.
He sighed in relief when he realized that, fortunately, he was still alone in the building and his head was luckily still intact on his lithe body.
Tsuna slumped on the floor again and slightly smiled.
He wasn't bitten to death yet.
He looked at the slightly opened window and stared at the view outside.
It was a fine afternoon.
Tsuna saw a yellow, fluffy bird flopping its wings towards his favorite tree inside the university – the magnificent Ginkgo tree that was shining so brightly under the warm rays of sun.
He rest his back to the wall and continued to stare, his eyes were slowly reflecting the light coming from the small window.
From afar, Tsuna's eyes looked like it was burning and his placid demeanor mirrored the idleness of the surrounding.
Everything was moving according to their usual activities.
The air was still blowing like before.
The sky was still up the sky.
The birds were still flying aimlessly around the old ginkgo tree outside the library and the ground was still etched on the, well, ground, where hundreds of falling ginkgo leaves were scattered around.
Everything was moving and living according their worth.
It would never stop from moving just because of him.
Tsuna smiled, his face was tinted with a hint of melancholy. He closed his eyes and felt the wandering air blowing on his face.
Time would never stop for anyone.
This place – the whole world – would never cease to exist just because of some feeble human like himself.
It would continue to revolve and exist.
Trees would still continue to grow.
The birds were still continued to sing.
Everything would still continue even if he were to be gone.
No one would really notice his disappearance.
But of course, Mama would be lonely if that were to happen, so Tsuna wasn't really planning on disappearing early.
His mother was living for him, so he would live for his mother.
Tsuna streched his arms and stared at the pile of books glaring at him.
He smiled again. This was not the time to pity himself. He's not alone and that was what really matters.
He stood, brushing the tiny dusts that clung to his pants while a ray of light from the slightly opened window brushed on the brunette's smiling countenance.
Time to start the work again.
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Was there an easy way to do these?
Tsuna heaved a sigh, his arms were ready to fall out of his shoulders.
He was so damn tired.
It was one week ago since he started cleaning the library. And by library, he meant the whole building. Hibari-sensei was indeed an oni. But Tsuna knew that no matter how many times he cursed the man inside his head, nothing would change. He was still forced to do the job bombarded to him and he must do it fast. The exams were coming near and Tsuna couldn't afford to flunk his subjects again. He wouldn't graduate for sure. And that was the last thing he wanted – to be stuck in this university forever.
Tsuna's shoulder slumped lower than before as he dragged his body towards the huge book shelf in front of him.
Uwaaah… So many books. He wondered if someone would really notice if he would leave one or two shelves unclean.
He gulped as the thought settled to his mind.
Maybe he could…?
"Wipe the books properly, Sawada Tsunayoshi and place them back to their proper shelves or else, I will personally deliver you to your rightful place."
Tsuna shivered.
No. He gulped as he stared warily on the books. He wouldn't even dare.
He continued cleaning, coughing and then cleaning again.
Damn. There were too many dusts on these books!
Tsuna was almost tempted to throw the books he was holding to at least appease his irritation. But he didn't. He just couldn't.
Something about these old, forgotten books clung to his heart and screamed right through his mind.
"You are needed here, Sawada Tsunayoshi. This family is better off without impure tainting the family's history. We don't need to acknowledge you. You and your mother can just rot to death."
Tsuna flinched.
"Say, Tsu-kun. If I do this, will you still smile for me?" A sharp razor was now pointing on his chin and Tsuna couldn't help but trembled.
"Nee, Tsu-kun. Smile. You look gorgeous when you smile."
Tsuna could feel a warm liquid slowly caressing his neck and now flowing to his chest.
Tsuna didn't react. He just stood still. Afraid that any unnecessary movement would cause further injury to himself.
"Tsu-kun is really kind!" A manically laughter filled the magnificent garden. A hand was suddenly brushed on his face, wiping the tears which were now flowing freely on his cheeks.
"Don't cry, Tsuna-chan…" All of a sudden, Tsuna felt a pair of lips crushing on his and he felt the last ounce of dignity he had to himself suddenly crushed.
He tried to break free but the small arms hugging him were gripping his much smaller body with so much force.
"You're mine, Tsuna-chan…"
Tsuna tried to run.
"You are mine."
He really did.
Tsuna was now down on his knees, his body was practically shaking on their own accord, and color was quickly disappearing from his eyes. He wondered why breathing suddenly became so hard…
Tsuna was trembling so hard, he felt the world was the one rocking him.
Then suddenly, a pair of arms lifted him up and covered his face with some kind of damp cloth.
Warm gentle hands enveloped his face and Tsuna almost close his eyes in the sudden comfort. The next thing he remembered was a paper bag covering the half of his face, making him breathed on it.
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Hibari placidly stared from the windows of his office at the group of students walking on the university grounds. It was already noon. He looked at his watch and decided to go to the library to check the herbivore. He smirked upon remembering the scrawny boy who doesn't even have the guts to stare him in the eyes. Hibari assumed that flinching was one of the boy's favorite hobbies.
Such a weak creature.
He grabbed his coat and headed towards the door when it suddenly opened with no knock or whatsoever.
Hibari gritted his teeth in annoyance.
Who was this atrocity who dared enter his office without even knocking?
He stopped and waited for the person to appear.
After a few more seconds, a gloomy looking red-haired boy, probably the same age with the flinching herbivore, appeared on his door and dared stared at him like he was not there.
Hibari's eyes narrowed.
Student.
This atrocity was a student here.
"Didn't how to knock?" Hibari asked, his voice was laced with utter coldness. your parents teach you
The red-haired student just stared at like him. His face was surprisingly very timid, and his eyes were clear pictures of insecurity and fear.
But Hibari could see something awfully bold at those red orbs and he couldn't help but stare. It reminded him of someone he knew from the past…
"No… u-unfortunately, they died when I was still a kid." The student said at a very low voice and Hibari couldn't almost hear it.
Smart assed.
Irritation slowly crawled to him.
Then why the hell was this kid here?
"What's your business with me then?" Hibari glanced at the door and back to the scrawny boy in front of him.
"I…" the boy trailed, "I just want to tell you Sir that the student you punished last week was not fit anymore to continue the work you've given him." The red-haired boy stared at the floor and Hibari saw how he bit his lips.
Who was this kid?
"What do you mean?" Hibari's eyes scrutinized the pathetic lump in front of him and decided to hear what this delay was all about.
It'd better be good, or else… "Make sure your answer is reasonable, because I'd have you know that you are already troubling my schedule, kid." He growled, "And I'll bite you to death if you're just talking nonsense."
Hibari eyes cruelly glint, making the student in front of him flinch.
Che. Buch of pathetic, flinching herbivores.
"N-no Sir… I mean it. He's actually injured and yet he still –"
"Injured?"
Hibari was taken aback. Injured? The herbivore was injured?
"Y-yes…"
"What do you mean?"
"From last week's bullying. I am sure you have seen it. I saw you looking from your window."
Kyouya saw the small boy hit himself in one of the engineering students taking a break near the gate. His eyes narrowed as he watched him bow over and over while clutching his school things tightly on his arms. One of engineering students stood and walked towards the bowing brunette and grabbed his arms like a fragile stick and twisted it. Kyouya wasn't really sure about what he saw but he wasn't going to let those damn arrogant pricks caused commotion inside the university! He was about to turn over and head to the door when his eyes caught the brunette's retreating form, now running like mad away from the group of students and those honey-colored eyes…
Hibari's eyes narrowed.
Right. His arms…
But the herbivore didn't say anything.
And he didn't even notice it.
Hibari glanced at the red-haired boy in front of him. "Are you sure?"
The boy nodded.
Then Hibari remembered something and stared at the fidgeting student.
"Why are you telling me this? Is that herbivore your friend?
It is not surprising. Seeing that they both love to fidget and flinch.
A questioning look passed to his face.
"H-herbivore…?"
"Answer my question, kid."
The student flinched yet again; his gloomy eyes found the sofa lying on the left side of his office.
"N-no… We're not really friends… He… He doesn't really know me."
Hibari shrugged his shoulders as if saying, 'I really don't care' and headed to the door but stopped when he was about to twist the door knob.
"He's not at the library anymore." The boy said, not looking at him.
Hibari just stared and said nothing.
"He had a panic attack a while ago and I carried him to the clinic."
Something passed to the professor's face but it immediately disappeared as he kept on staring to the boy who was still looking at the floor, as if scrutinizing his messy black shoes.
"What's your name?"
The red-haired boy looked up to him and with his soft but strangely powerful voice, he said;
"Enma Kozato."
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Extra Note/s: The kanji for 'Enma' roughly means True Flame.