Regarding Chapter: Hibari suffers the consequences of agreeing to go on a "date."
Hibari stared at his dark comforter, fingers running against the small seams, and frowning when he came to what looked like a loose thread. He'd have to cut that later, he reminded himself. He didn't hear any chirping, so he figured Hibird had flown off for its daily venture. His fingers retreated and he repositioned his arms under his head. His eyes closed and he let out an exasperated sigh. 20 hours ago - 20 hours ago, he was doing fine. 20 hours ago, before that damn baseball idiot burst through the door, he was doing fine. He just had to ask Hibari that... evil question.
"Please go out with me!"
It wasn't that Hibari had anything against the brown-haired teen. He was actually, rather... fond of him, but only for the fact that he had won their school many game, taking them to the nationals each consecutive years since first year and holding their firm position of being the best. ...But from a student of Nami High, it was only expected of him to do this. And while Hibari felt a sense of pride in having his school withhold such a position, he had to be honest, he didn't know shit about the sport.
It wasn't that it didn't interest him - okay, it didn't. He just found it... boring and pretty pointless. Okay, a bunch of guys hitting the ball, chasing after the ball, and running around some weird polygon - in tights - yeah, Hibari wasn't too much interested in that. However, he could not deny that he had been to most of all their games or was watching from afar - but that was only because he knew they would win. He was just watching to confirm this. It wasn't like he was there to stare at Yamamoto Takeshi's butt - as did 90% of the students/people who went to see their games - as he's gliding across the grass to touch the plate, grinning to the cheering crowd as he dusts himself off when it was called safe.
It wasn't like Hibari noticed that the smile being thrown was in his direction (or more specifically, at him).
Hibari noticed it, however - the way his body had filled out the past few years. In middle school, he was just lanky and awkward, but years of baseball proved to have done some good when Hibari noticed how well-toned he came out to be when he accidentally stumbled upon Yamamoto taking off his shirt after a game. Really, the guy should refrain himself from exposing so much skin in public so that he would be a less likely victim of fan girls attacks, even if he was, from head-to-toe, sweating under the summer heat.
B-Back to the point - Hibari had nothing against the teen. He just... didn't particularly like him. And then to have the guy him out... A guy no less! Why that guy even bothered was beyond Hibari. So, he did the only thing he knew: he resolved to beating some sense into the teen... and ended up being defeated - no, Hibari slipped! He refused to admit he was defeated by... by... that guy!
Hibari's hand tightened on the comforter. "..."
He had a nice smile - Hibari supposed. That was what everyone kept saying about it. That was what he was also popular for outside of just baseball. Contagious. Whenever he smiled, everyone else did as well. Hibari didn't particularly find anything special about it, however. Nope, not at all. And his stupid loyalty to that peep squeak Sawada. While Hibari could understand such a thing as 'loyalty' to one's 'friends,' he just found the guy to be... well, too much. It seemed like he filled in everything that was considered close to perfect. He had a nice body, everyone practically adored him, he had multiple fanclubs - Hibari would not be shocked if one day some group exclaimed that they had a shrine dedicated to the school's star - had a somewhat okay "out there" personality, and was the equivalent of a very seemingly devoted boyfriend, (due to the relationship - him and Gokudera Hayato - had with Sawada Tsunayoshi. Though, Hibari dared not want to venture onward on how deep their relationship were...) he supposed.
Of course, Hibari would never openly admit any of it. Especially not to a certain someone.
Hibari suddenly frowned, feeling almost frustrated that he was spending so much precious time thinking about the baseball star. It almost made him sick. But it was true - Yamamoto Takeshi... proved to be a good candidate in the "boyfriend" region. He served as a good loyal, devoted friend to Sawada, participating in those silly games. He seemed pretty nice to girls - awkward, but nice enough. Then again, he was an all around nice guy. He was nice to everybody and everything.
Hibari turned on his side, feeling overly frustrated now. Why did he accept that... stupid request? Why - Why!? He remembered being very tired and not at all 'too into' the precedence of the end of the day. Rather, he wanted to go take a nap. He had a dreadful feeling, he remembered. He had sensed that something was off and bound to happen. He just didn't expect that something to be Yamamoto Takeshi.
Who knew the baseball idiot wasn't straight...
But then again, Hibari had never asked. Or heard of him or anyone talking about his sexual preference. But then again, that matter was probably too trivial for Hibari to have never consider it a spot in mind. Then again, it should've been obvious, right? Hibari's thoughts drifted to Gokudera Hayato and Sawada Tsuna, two people he knew Yamamoto Takeshi spent most of his time with, outside baseball. He tried to imagine him with Sawada, and then the chain smoker. It didn't make sense - he didn't like either thoughts so he waved the thought away.
He then tried to imagine him with a girl. Impossible. Hibari couldn't find a good match. It just made him wonder if the guy liked big boobs or small ones. Or the athletic type of the drama queens, the shy (but sexually adventurous in bed) girls, or the dense busty girly girls. Off-topic thoughts led him to the fact that Gokudera Hayato would fit beneath drama queens and Sawada under the shy one. He permitted himself to not go any further than just "shy." Sawada... adventurous in bed? Slightly creepy - but Hibari believed Gokudera and Sawada were more made for one another. (Maybe they'll work something out...)
But that guy-- that guy was a mystery.
Hibari pondered further on why he even let Yamamoto Takeshi have his number/e-mail address. He wanted him to leave - yeah, that was it! He just wanted the guy gone. Of course. Damn, Hibari should have given him the wrong number... Really, he was so...
"Annoying..."
While he could not confirm whether Yamamoto Takeshi was straight or... otherwise and the type of girls he liked, he did not let himself go into further details on why the baseball idiot would ask him out on a date. It was illogical - it was... not Hibari's cup of tea. Besides, what could they--two guys-- possibly do?
"..." Hibari crossed his arms, hugging his body. It was cold; he only wore a sweater on top of his long sleeve. His eyes glanced around, landing awkwardly on the people standing nearby. Like many others that were standing around or sitting on the benches, Hibari, too, was waiting for someone. (No, he refused to call it his "date"!) About an hour ago, Hibari decided that he would just get this over with, the sooner the better. Especially when Yamamoto texted him and asked where his address was. Hibari decided against meeting up at his own place; he was sure Yamamoto would help himself to come bother Hibari more than necessary, unannounced.
They decided to meet at the park, and then go from there... wherever it was that this was going to.
He pretended to busy himself--he didn't want to be here--by staring around, not really admiring the winter flowers or the dead trees. Hibird had decided to not follow him; maybe the bird was at home where the nice heat was... or out... somewhere. Whichever, he was more concerned on what he should do to the late teen. Maybe he should beat him on the spot--no, that would cause too much attention... Attention would mean crowding... "...Nosy herbivores..."
"Haha, hiya, Hibari!"
Hibari refrained from jumping when he felt heavy arms clasp around him. His eyes not even glancing back, he elbowed the offender, causing him to double over in pain; Hibari frowned when he heard some gasps that followed. "...Yamamoto Takeshi. You're late, as usual,"
Hibari wasn't surprised; the guy was late for everything. How many many times have he seen this guy while passing the Detention Room?
"Haha, so-sorry," he grinned at Hibari with that stupid grin of his as he rubbed his neck. "I had to help my old man take out the fish first... Did I make you wait long?"
Only for an hour or so. "No," Hibari replied.
Yamamoto smiled this time, but then frowned when his eyes landed on something. "Your hands! They're all pink!" he suddenly grabbed them and Hibari tried to draw away, but he didn't have the time to protest or anything before Yamamoto had pulled him closer. Close enough for Hibari to tell that Yamamoto Takeshi had just taken a shower, a mingled scent of Old Spice and some fruit shampoo--nothing evident of fish. (Hibari hoped no one was watching them...) Yamamoto lifted the stray strands and peeked at Hibari's ears. "I knew it! Your ears are all red from the cold!"
This guy was an idiot...
"C'mon, I know a place where we can warm up!"
They ended up at the Sasagawa family sweets shop that Sasagawa Kyouko and that Haru girl worked at/ran. Hibari wasn't all that excited and was reluctant to go inside when he noticed the all too familiar route. He had a sweet tooth and Yamamoto Takeshi wasn't going to find out about it.
"Why're we going in here...?"
"Oh? You don't like sweets?" Far from it, Yamamoto Takeshi... "I promised Sasagawa-san that I'd come by here to try her cakes! I heard they were really good! ...And also because Haru threatened me." Hibari wanted to punch that grin from Yamamoto's face when he felt large hands at his lower back, pushing him gently inside. "I promise you'll like it too!"
Hibari tried to fight off those hands that made him ticklish, but the sudden greeting from Sasagawa caught him off guard and he almost lost his balance. (How ungraceful...) But he quickly caught hismelf. Good one, Hibari. "Hello~! Welcome to our shop!" she bowed gracefully, the round silver platter close to her chest. As usual, she was cheerful, but not loud. Well he supposed someone had to be normal between the two Sasagawa siblings.
"Oh! Hibari-san and Yamamoto too! Here for the usual, Hibari-san?"
"Usual?" Yamamoto seemed confused, Hibari fumed, and Sasagawa Kyouko giggled.
Hibari mumbled a "I'll be over there," and dragged Yamamoto by the sleeve before he could ask any further questions. When they got to the far end of the many white and red checkered tables, Hibari settled to one near the far back next to a window--away from everyone else. "You, sit over there," Hibari ordered when Yamamoto made his way to sit next to Hibari.
"O-Oh, okay," he only smiled as he did what Hibari said; this was still good, he could stare at Hibari this way...
"Yooo, Yamamootooo~!" Yamamoto almost shrieked when Haru glided over in all her yellow and white glory, clapping him on the shoulder.
"H...Hey, Haru,"
"Why didn't you tell Haru you'd come by!?" Even after all these years, she still referred to herself in third person, but that was just Haru... "And Hibari-san! Why didn't you say anything about bringing this guy here? Haru's been trying to convince him to come here for soo long! But he kept on going on and on about wanting to bring his girlfriend or something here!"
"...Girlfriend?" Yamamoto pretended to ignore Hibari's suspicious look as he nervously pulled the colorful menu closer to hide his face.
"Mmhm! Haru was sure she heard him say something about bringing someone special! Oh-! Yamamoto-!?" Haru suddenly pulled at his collar as she cupped a hand over his ear. "Did you mean-?" Her eyes glanced to Hibari who quickly ignored the conversation now that he found out what Haru's whispering voice was like.
Yamamoto said something back to her and from the corner of his vision--from the corner! He was not looking!--Hibari noticed her cheeks become red and didn't need to know Yamamoto's response after she clasped her hands in front of her face, giggling madly. "Ohh-! Haru has to tell Kyouko-chan!"
"B-But, we-!" Yamamoto was about to say they didn't order yet... but Haru had already flown away to Fangirl Land--a place Hibari was sure neither him or Yamamoto wanted to go... Settling for a pout, the baseball plater sat back, looking almost nervously to Hibari who intently stared back, looking as if he wanted to burn a hole into Yamamoto's face... Sensing he was going to say something, Hibari quickly cut in.
"Don't talk,"
Hibari sat back and looked off elsewhere, glad that at least this person knew how to shut up when asked. About three tables away, he heard some giggling and hushed conversations, as if he didn't see their occassional glances or the way they cupped their hands over their mouths secretly. As if it was wrong for two full grown teenagers - two males, no less - to be out on a Saturday morning in a sweets shop.
...Okay, so maybe there was something wrong with that, but Hibari wasn't all too concerned about it. It didn't take a genius to know that they were talking about him. It bothered him that people were staring, yes, but he didn't want to make a ruckus and make Sasagawa Kyouko close business.
"Hibari?" Yamamoto had inched forward across the table to quietly pass on this message again. "Are you okay?" It wasn't until their knees touched and he felt that large callused hand on his knee did Hibari drew himself from imagining just how, from such a distance, did those houses - I mean, women - could see Yamamoto's, supposedly, "defined jaw line."
Hibari tried to convince himself that he could burn holes through the hardwood table with his glare - or just enough to burn Yamamoto's hand that was on his knee. Whether he was trying to molest Hibari or reassure him, Hibari didn't appreciate it and sure as hell didn't want to draw more attention to them by punching a crater into that idiotic face; curse the fact that Yamamoto Takeshi had long legs. "You seem to be fidgeting a lot."
He tried to imagine them as strangely obese - hence the fact the described them as 'houses.' Even though they were saying supposedly good things - "compliments" - Hibari felt a strange sense of possessiveness overwhelm him when one of the women complimented on how sharp Yamamoto's collarbone was. He didn't want to know how she could see that nor did she want to know what she was going to do to him when he caught, "Oh the things I'd do to him."
Lifting his eyes, he followed past the choppy brown hair, along those curious eyes, the surface of his tan face, and to the - supposedly - defined jaw line. His collarbones stuck out very noticeably, but, that was normal, wasn't it? His collarbones, as well, stuck out… more or less, in an awkward way.
But it was only because he was anorexic.
"Hibari?" Hibari didn't care if Yamamoto finally heard them or not, but was almost relieved when the food came. Hibari settled on concentrating on the food that was placed in front of his: his usual, a large vanilla sundae with waffled sticks, decorated with strawberries and kiwis, covered in hot fudge, nuts, and whipped cream, topped with a cherry. This calmed his anger down a bit, a small smile playing on his lips as he noticed there were extra strawberries alongside his ice cream.
Hibari took note that, not only was this bigger than usual, but there was only one serving of this. And there were two of them.
"Here you are~!" Haru handed them two spoons and drifted away.
Yamamoto stared while Hibari helped himself; he looked uncertain. Hibari mused with the thought that Yamamoto was contemplating on whether Hibari would spoon his eyes out if he tried to eat some of the ice cream. But all Yamamoto did was smile as he watched Hibari, which... made Hibari all the more uncomfortable. He was sure now that he'd rather Yamamoto had eaten than stare at him. So spoon halfway to his slightly agape mouth, Hibari looked to him with a puzzled face.
Sensing this, Yamamoto suddenly smiled, "No, no, continue... I'm sure you don't want me to ruin it."
(How can such a nice looking boy be with someone like that! Did you see how skinny he was and that sour look on his face? What kinda face is that! And his hair! You can't even tell what gender he is! Really, people these days. It's as if they're all rebelling. Do you think that other boy set him up to this? Maybe threatened him? My god, how desperate can people be these days...")
Hibari frowned as he ate, but Yamamoto acted as if he didn't hear anything. A few more spoonfuls and "complaints" from the women at how Hibari didn't "properly comb his hair," his "tight clothing," "anorexic figure," and the assumption that he was a gold-digger, Yamamoto suddenly chuckled as he laid his cheek on his propped hand. Hibari threw him an accused look as being their accomplice; he knew.
"I like your hair," he felt their knees touch and a callused hand rest on top of his, the warmth traveling from the large hand all the way to his stomach. "...I think it's... cute."
When school started again, Yamamoto Takeshi had... sought him out; yet again when all Hibari wanted to do was have nothing to do with him. His best guess: what happened that weekend. He might as well have been wasted and had no clue what was going on. If only that were the case... He was just standing on the roof, staring off at the clouds that day - no, it was more like a cloud. What usually looked like a kid's bad coloring page now looked like... a cloud-orgy.
It was Hibird who noticed him first. Exclaiming happily, "Takeshi~Takeshi~" as it flapped, at first clumsily, out from between Hibari's sweater and towards the direction behind him. ...Which annoyed Hibari. That thing had somehow managed to teach Hibird how to say his name. "...Yamamoto Takeshi,"
"Hiya, Hibari~" The baseball star waved while Hibari glared at him and the small bird that flew into his shirt. "Hey! Hey-!? Hibird, where are you-!? Heyyy! I'm ticklish!!" Hibari frowned before turning back around, away from the teen who was flailing around awkwardly. "Stopppp itt!"
"You're being loud," Hibari growled, regretting the fact that he had left his tonfas back in his office. He should've known that this annoying herbivore would bother him... "If you continue to annoy me, I won't hesitate to bite you to death."
"O-Oh, sorry," Hibari rolled his eyes when Yamamoto moved over to the railings next to him, Hibird popping its head out innocently. "Ohh, the wind's harsher up here... Why are you up here when it's so cold?" Hibari was tempted to hit him for being nosy; he didn't feel like talking to this person... "And you're only wearing a sweater. Where's your jacket? Don't you have a coat or something?"
Hibari didn't understand his concern, but his next comment greatly agitated Hibari. "You know, they said that short people are likely to feel colder," Hibari glared at the offending hand on his forehead. "Woah! It's really cold! You just get inside before... EEK!" Hibari frowned when his punch missed; Yamamoto Takeshi screamed like the girly Sawada Tsunayoshi. "E...Eh, sorry I touched you without asking..."
Hibari turned away, paranoid that his face would heat up from hearing that phrase yet again, "You're class cutting."
"O-Oh, well... you see, lessons ended early today,"
"Then go bother someone else. Or... do you have a death wish?"
"Well-" Hibari was suddenly startled when he was pressed against the railing, his arm sticking out awkwardly from the weight of the off-angle push. He stared, shocked, and then angry when he realized how close the other was to him. Just like that time.
"Let go,"
"I... Um..." He noticed the redness in those cheeks and frowned when he realized he was boxed in when he closely observed the situation at hand. Great; not only was he stuck in an awkward position with Yamamoto Takeshi, but his hipbone grinding up against the cold metal wasn't helping at all. It probably didn't help either that he couldn't take his hands out of his pockets to bash that face in... "I- I want... I want to continue where we left off-!"
Next Chapter: Yamamoto continues to relive the memory of that weekend while Hibari just wants to leave it just that; Tsuna gathers the courage to negotiate with the indifferent Hibari who, more or less, suffer from sociophobia.