A/N: Hello; 3rd chapter. I just hate how the setup to the real plot is pacing so slow. :\
Regarding Chapter: Progressing Yamamoto's story/resuming the story with the original current time setting. I hope it's not confusing.
Yamamoto stared at the phone that laid near his face on the pillow in the dark. It was 5:45, hours before he should be awake on a weekend. But he just couldn't sleep - and he would be a liar if he said his phone was not at fault. He tried to contain his smile. Grabbing the phone, he rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand before staring at the dark screen that lit up from a touch of the keys.
He rolled onto his back and exhaled almost uneasily as he tugged at his blanket. He placed his hand that wasn't holding the phone onto his chest and realized he was trembling slightly, but he blamed it on his fast beating heart. But for reasons why his heart was beating so fast - was unknown to him. He couldn't think of an excuse - an answer. He slid the screen close and open again repeatedly for the next minute or so, the happiness only becoming bigger as the message repeatedly lit up and closed, up and closed, showing him its contents over and over again - those simple five words:
'I don't like public places,'
It had started with Yamamoto staring at the the number on his phone for the longest time, contemplating on whether he should call or not. His nervous eyes continuously glanced to the time on the phone and to his clock on the wall - then to his alarm clock. He wanted the time to be right so that it wasn't too late. Although the time read 9:34 for the last 20 times he'd look, he was paranoid that time would shift forward magically about an hour or two while he stood there if he wasn't looking.
It had taken him a while to convince himself that he could actually call Hibari after acquiring the number from Tsuna (with much convincing) - for "business" purposes Tsuna had replied when asked about it - and when he had successfully called Hibari, he had to spend even more time trying to convince Hibari that he wasn't a salesman. But Hibari, being who he was, wasn't convinced by Yamamoto's horrible excuses and hung up without having heard the other explain his intentions...
He was just scared, really, really scared.
Then just 3 hours later after they hung up awkwardly - 20 minutes after Yamamoto had finally told himself that he should sleep. He had hoped Hibari would call back or something - anything, really - but got tired of waiting. It looked as though there was no hope for him for the briefest of the 3 hours interval that he waited, but he just felt so happy when Hibari had responded - although via text. It was still good.
Yamamoto sighed as he rolled onto his side, on his back, and on his side again. He couldn't sleep anymore. In the span of a few hours, Hibari had made him experience all the possible emotions an average human could feel: Fear - in whether Hibari would pick up or not; Anxiousness - from what Hibari would say, when he found out it was Yamamoto who called; Relief - when they had a conversation, well, somewhat of a conversation; Sadness - because Hibari didn't let him explain himself fully and instead, chose to hang up at the last moment; Anger - at himself, for always hesitating and not making Hibari stay on the phone longer; Regret - because after he replayed their conversation over, he came up with sooo many different things he would've said for that scenario that probably would've kept Hibari on longer; Frustration - when he realized how much of an idiot he was; and extreme utter happiness when he replied with that text message...
Really, this concept of love was very confusing to Yamamoto... (Yamamoto blushed.) It really wasn't his fault that Hibari was his first... (He turned redder, trying to fix the thought to a less... suggestive, non-sexual way.) He's never... really liked anyone before. His love has (and will always) be baseball. He's said the occasional "Oh, she's cute," thing about girls when he was with his team, when they would ask him what he thought of "Busty-Takana-chan" or "Big-Thighed-Mizu-chan" but it never got any further than that.
The problem was...he could never imagine them naked. When he did, he... well, he was rather scared.
It wasn't until puberty hit him pretty late (and hard) that he's suddenly began to notice it - tits and asses didn't attract him. He was not an ass man, he had decided - until he noticed Hibari. When he really, really noticed Hibari. It happened on one of those once in a while "surprise uniform checks" Hibari liked to conduct randomly - for his own sick enjoyment, Yamamoto liked to believe.
Everyone was lined up side-by-side, evenly separated and all stood firmly as Hibari walked through, checking one side - the side Yamamoto just happened to be on - while his subordinates checked the others. Yamamoto preferred being checked by Kusukabe - he was let off the hook lightly with a warning or at times, he would be given a spare tie secretly to wear by the straw...stalk of grass-chewing VP. With Hibari - er... it was... different.
Hibari was merciless; Yamamoto was pushed back against the wall with the tonfa in his gut while Hibari threatened to bite him to death - as always. He didn't mean to tease or intimidate Hibari; something about seeing Hibari made Yamamoto want to make him angry. It wasn't on purpose. Honestly. And as Hiabri beat him until he slumped over, Yamamoto had looked up while Hibari continued on - the fluttering of the jacket and how it stayed on the perfect's shoulder always amazed him - and with the tilt of his head, he noticed the (cute) way Hibari's backside moved as he walked away.
Really, Hibari was very complicated. "But so... very cute," his eyes squeezed shut as he felt his cheeks flare up at the simplest thought of the raven. He shook his head, trying to clear away his thoughts. All this was frustrating. But it also makes him smile. Maybe it's because it's 5AM. Maybe it was because Hibari was the cause of it. Whatever it was - he just knew that tomorrow, he had a date with Hibari.
"Hm," Reborn placed his finished juice box down and stood with his arms behind his back. "This may pose a problem if you had any thought of wanting to marry Hibari."
Dino's cheeks turned redder. "Well… you see…"
Tsuna sweat dropped. "Dino-san, you…"
Dino's head fell in a guilty fashion. "I… was planning to ask him maybe… this upcoming week, y'know, since tomorrow is before Winter Break also… And… well, I wanted to ask you guys what I should do. I was planning on bringing all of you to my villa in Italy… and then maybe asking him there… What do you think, Tsuna?"
Everyone fell silent, all eyes set on Tsuna. Finally, he understood what "deer caught in headlights" mean. Glancing back and forth between Dino and Yamamoto who stood (almost shocked) at the doorway, he chewed on his lip, considering the options, suddenly horrified that Yamamoto had to walk back in at the worst time. He could agree and they all go to the villa and spend their winter break there and hopefully everything goes well and Tsuna's no genius BUT he knew the risks at hand: (1) Dino being rejected; Tsuna doesn't think he can handle a suicidal Dino and a homicidal Hibari, (2) a depressed Yamamoto, along with a depressed Dino too; Tsuna was no therapist (3) this was Hibari – Hibari Kyouya – they were talking about; somebody was guaranteed to be bitten to death.
'Someone's going to die… I just know it…! But… But I can't…' Tsuna became nervous at the hopeful look Dino sent him, the squeeze on his elbows tightening a few moments late. He didn't know what to do; he knew that whatever answer he gave will wage a war of sacrifice on who will get hurt - his "nii-san" or his best friend. It was like the beginning of WWIII and Tsuna would be the cause of it! And he knew - all too well with those history lessons with Reborn, that World Wars were not to be kidding with.
"I… I guess we can all go for a break…?" Shit. Shit. Shit. Tsuna knew he was gradually digging his own grave.
But the real problem at hand was: how were they going to persuade Hibari to go?
Next Chapter: How will they persuade Hibari? Does Tsuna even know what he's doing? And, exactly, what happened on the date? (Ohh, mysterious.) Till next time.
