Hi there! This is Éthel once more. As always, thanks for sticking with us, faving and following, and special thanks to those of you who take the time to actually review. We appreciate that very much!
We left off at a very bad moment for Dino last time. And to all of you Dino fans out there, it will get worse before it can look up again ;D Dino's doubts in his relationship with Hibari will get to him pretty badly. Anyone who already knows our works will know there's going to be a happy ending, and this chapter marks the turning point. So, please don't disappear and stick with us ^_^
There are no particular warnings for this chapter, except for maybe emotional turmoil and some stupidity XD For those readers that wanted to slap us for all the bad misunderstandings in "An Unexpected Spark", we tried to make it up to you a bit, since this is a pair that sometimes gets helped along by slight misunderstandings ;D
As always, we hope you'll enjoy this chapter, and we would be very glad if you could drop us a few words on how you liked it. The blackmail is still in effect - So, no review, no new chapter ;D Have fun!
All Dino saw was a metallic glint, and then the world exploded in white hot pain as something broke his cheekbone. If he could have thought logically about it, he surely would have surmised that it must have been Kyouya's most favorite weapon, but he neither had the time nor the mental capacity to think right then. Instinctively, his arms came up to protect his head, but it was no use.
Even in the confined space, the prefect gathered enough momentum to hit and kick him bad enough that bones broke. Dino took hit after hit without retaliating in the slightest. It wasn't that he didn't have any chance to fight back at all; it was the guilt that held him back. He had taken more, done more, than what he usually did. He had taken Kyouya in a public place, even though the other had told him not to. Also, he had made the skylark face him, which he never wanted. So yeah, he guessed he had this coming.
Thankfully, at some point, Dino lost consciousness. Romario's frantic attempts to wake him up, he did not sense. He missed the race to the hospital in the ambulance, too. It took two days for him to finally wake up again, and when he did, he wished he hadn't. It felt like every bone in his body was broken. Thankfully, in reality, Kyouya had left a few of them whole, but as it was, it was bad enough.
Dino had had short hospital stays after a visit with the skylark before, but he had always been able to get there by himself and conscious. This time, it was worse than ever before. He should have known the kiss was too much. The bronco berated himself for wanting too much at once. He had this coming, he guessed. He should have known better than anyone else about the consequences of crossing Kyouya's boundaries, but thinking of what he had gained, he felt his wounds were worth it. For the first time, he got to see the skylark's face as he came, and he had really kissed him for the first time, too.
When Romario told him that Kusakabe was in the hospital, too, the bronco felt really bad, though. The henchman had taken quite a beating as well, because of what he had done. Dino told Romario to take care of the young man's hospital bills and apologize to him. That was the least he could do. Because of his leg being broken, as well as a few ribs (he couldn't even support himself on crutches with this combination), Dino had to stay in the hospital bed and was unable to get around and visit Kusakabe to apologize himself.
The first few days, Dino looked at his cellphone again and again, hoping Kyouya would at least ask how he was, but he knew he had promised the skylark the full month of respite, so he didn't call himself. After a week, the swelling in his face had gone down enough that he was able to talk normal again, and boredom was starting to get to him.
That was when the Vongolas began to visit him. Dino was pretty sure Romario had a hand in that and he was thankful for it. Yamamoto and Gokudera visited him together, which was very nice, that is, until the moment that Gokudera realized what had really happened and tried to persuade him that he was in an abusive relationship and should get the hell away from the crazy cloud guardian.
Tsuna was a regular visitor and always brought him bento by either Kyoko or his mother. It was the end of the second week that Dino was in the hospital, when Tsuna visited once more. He told him what the other Vongola were up to at the moment before he mentioned he had met Hibari in the hospital once more on his regular visits to Kusakabe.
Dino never heard what else Tsuna told him. Time stopped for him in that moment. Kyouya came to the hospital regularly to visit Kusakabe. Because of Romario, the bronco knew the younger man was just down the hall from him. Kyouya visited Kusakabe, but he didn't visit him. Not once. He felt his heart clench as the implications finally hit him. Not one of his broken bones had hurt as much as the full realization did right then.
He had always denied it. He had grasped at straws, convincing himself otherwise. Finally, he had to come to terms with the truth. Kyouya really hated him. Kyouya hated what he did to him. He really had committed the worst sins. He had forced himself on the young skylark time and again, and had denied the struggle the prefect had put up, always thinking he should have struggled more. This time, Kyouya had made it pretty clear how much he hated his deeds. Dino guessed he should be thankful he was still alive, but he felt like the worst scum to have ever walked the earth right then.
God! What had he done? He was a rapist and a pedophile! He was the kind of scum his own family would wipe off the streets if they were found out around town!
Dino didn't know what to do with himself anymore. For the rest of his stay at the hospital, he received no more visitors except for Romario, who continued to worry about his boss.
As soon as was possible, Dino left the hospital. He let Tsuna know that he had returned home, although this wasn't true. He was still not fully healed, but he didn't want any of the Vongola around at the moment. Torn up by guilt and wondering if there was anything he could do to somehow make things better for Kyouya, he stayed at a hotel in Namimori. He knew only one thing for sure; he would not call or visit Kyouya himself anymore. Dino surmised that he could at least do that much for the skylark he had tortured. He would also have to let Reborn know that Kyouya would need a new teacher.
Whatever Hibari had been feeling that night after the incident, it seemed to have affected him during the following weeks, because he found himself occasionally sitting in Kusakabe's hospital room. He had contacted the hospital and everything to find out where his right-hand man was stationed, and through that, he found out that Cavallone's room was just down the hall from Kusakabe's, and that the bucking horse was paying for Kusakabe's hospital bill as well.
Well, if Cavallone was good for one thing, it was definitely his ability to pay for anything. At least Hibari didn't have to dish out money for the horrendous bill (which he surprisingly had been thinking about doing after he realized that maybe he had taken his confusion and anger out on Kusakabe too much). Besides that, though, Hibari found himself not minding his visits to the hospital. Kusakabe had gotten his own room due to Cavallone's money, and it was in the quietest part of the hospital, so it was actually a good place to doze off for an hour. The other disciplinary members visited Kusakabe, too, but Hibari specifically told them not to show up during his designated time, just to make sure he got his peace and quiet (along with Kusakabe, of course).
Whenever Hibari would wake up from his naps, he would always converse a little with his right-hand man. Kusakabe would always ask how he was doing, although, in their situation, it should have been the other way around. Hibari didn't pay too much attention to such things, though. He knew that Kusakabe was healing just by looking at him, so it would be trivial to ask.
It came down to some very awkward moments, though, when Kusakabe would ask him if he was going to see Cavallone. Hibari would immediately go tight lipped, and he'd glare a little bit, but his immediate response would always be about him keeping his end of the one month bargain—so, no, he wouldn't be seeing Cavallone. This happened on the several times that he visited, and each time, Kusakabe would add something to his question about Cavallone. He'd say that he'd heard from Romario about the older man's condition, and Hibari had to wonder if Kusakabe was actually trying to guilt trip him. Sure, his stomach had turned when he heard about how badly the other one was actually hurt, but the prefect would always say that it was the least he deserved for humiliating him. He did believe that to be true, anyway, but the skylark hated how his stomach would always twist uncomfortably when he was reminded of the other man's injuries. Nothing really made sense any more.
After all his visits to Kusakabe, and that one time that he ran into the head herbivore of the Vongola, Kusakabe was eventually released from the hospital, and Hibari couldn't have been more relieved. This way, there was less of a chance of him running into Cavallone or one of his men. The skylark didn't understand why he was so…nervous…about seeing the other, but he was; and he hated it. The past few weeks, and the weeks following the rest of the month, Hibari couldn't stop thinking about that embarrassing moment in the back of the bronco's sports car. It always made his stomach tie into knots, his heart would beat faster, and his face would become hot like he was contracting a fever. It was all sorts of strange, and Hibari couldn't understand why the mysterious feelings were taking place when he knew that he was still a little irked about the whole ordeal. If anything, he should hate Cavallone forever for doing such a thing to him, but Hibari found that he couldn't bring himself to. The only thing the skylark hated was that he realized that he had actually enjoyed what had happened in a twisted sort of way. What was even more annoying was that when the dark-haired teen reflected back on all the other moments he shared with Cavallone, he would remember that he had enjoyed those moments as well, even though they were beyond humiliating, and, for the most part, annoying and stupid. For some reason, though, he got a thrill out of the actions, and Hibari really couldn't understand why.
These sort of thoughts plagued the prefect day and night until the morning after the one month had expired. Hibari just sighed to himself and resigned in the fact that he'd actually have to face Cavallone in some way now, because he was sure to call the moment he could (which was usually when Hibari was starting his day). Strangely enough, the call never came that morning, that afternoon, or that evening. Slightly disturbed by this, since Cavallone had called him and texted him like crazy last year after their two weeks of respite, Hibari just chalked it off for the other being an idiot and being one day off. Cavallone probably forgot the day they had started, and still thought the month of respite was still in effect.
Laying down in his futon for the night, Hibari just sighed contentedly to himself. At least he had gotten another day to relax before Cavallone would annoy the shit out of him.
It was strange to say that by the second day, though, which showcased the same results as the day before, Hibari began to feel a begrudging twinge of concern. It wasn't like Cavallone to refrain from calling him. The skylark assumed then that the older man was just bogged down with his work, and didn't have time to mess around with him. Needless to say, Hibari just took this in stride and tried to enjoy the new solitude.
When the third and fourth day passed with no contact from Cavallone whatsoever, Hibari began to feel uncomfortable. He assumed that maybe Cavallone was in the middle of battling another family in Italy, and couldn't afford to contact him in any way. Although, when that happened, Cavallone at least texted him and said that he woulnd't be able to talk to him for a few days, but maybe the other family caught them by surprise?
By the fifth evening with no contact from Cavallone, Hibari actually considered calling the annoying bronco to see if he was actually dead. This behavior was beyond strange (for Cavallone, and for himself, if he thought about it), and the peeved skylark didn't know what to do. He knew that he should be happy with the extra days of respite, but this whole non-communication thing between Cavallone and himself just didn't sit right with him. Hibari was bothered to find out that he actually cared, or actually felt concern for the other, but he chalked it up to him just being used to the constant annoyance. Did it really matter if Cavallone wasn't contacting him? He should be relieved for the silence, right?
When a full week passed with no sign from Cavallone, Hibari found himself unable to stand it any longer. He was completely annoyed with the silence as much as he usually was annoyed when Cavallone actually talked to him like an incessant, gossiping housewife. Nothing made sense anymore! His emotions were completely out of whack, and the skylark found himself more confused with every day that passed. He really couldn't stand it anymore, so when the evening came and Cavallone still hadn't contacted him, Hibari finally took matters into his own hands. The raven-haired teen stared down at his cellphone like it was a foreign object, a feeling of disbelief consuming him as he realized what he was actually going to do.
Feeling his discomfort, Hibird came and perched onto the prefect's shoulder and nuzzled his fluffy body into Hibari's neck as a form of comfort. The skylark was still amazed that a bird Hibird's age was still as fluffy as a chick, but he assumed that it was just the way Hibird's species was…whatever species of bird he was.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Hibari took a deep breath, internally chastised himself for actually doing what he was about to do, pressed on Cavallone's number in his phone, and then brought the cell up to his ear. As the phone began to ring, Hibari found himself internally debating on what he was actually doing. There was a chance that calling Cavallone, if he really was in a bad situation, could only make the situation worse. On the other hand, though, he knew that even though Cavallone was stupid, he wasn't stupid enough to actually leave his phone on when he was fighting or infiltrating an enemy base. Seeing that the phone was actually ringing and not immediately going to voice mail meant that Cavallone probably wasn't in any harm whatsoever at this point in time. Maybe he was in the hospital again?
As the skylark rubbed his temples, irritated with himself at how he sounded like a mother-hen, he came to realize that if Cavallone actually picked up the phone, he had no idea on what to say to the other. Cavallone had always been the one to call him and initiate most of the conversation. What Hibari was doing was…completely weird, to say the least. He felt weak for actually calling the other now, like he had lost in some sort of silent battle with the older man. The affronted prefect was about to hang up for being ridiculous and regain some of his snubbed pride, but then he heard someone on the other end of the line pick up. As soon as he heard Cavallone's voice, his whole body froze up, unsure of what to do.
Although most of his body was fully healed by now, Dino still felt sick. Romario was trying his best to somehow cheer his boss and best friend up, but nothing seemed to help. The Cavallone boss was in a deep depression. Romario had no idea about the deal the bronco had made with the skylark, but he did see a change once the fifth week after the incident rolled around. Dino looked almost worse than when he was admitted into the hospital. He barely ate anymore.
Romario finally got so worried that he wondered if he should call Hibari-san and ask him to at least text his boss to shake him from these blues, but when he mentioned the young prefect's name to his boss, there was so much pain in his eyes that Romario refrained from trying anything of the sort.
Dino himself had no idea how he was going to get better. He had tried to think of some way to make it up to Kyouya, but how could he ever? He was the worst kind of scum. Dino hated himself. He knew for the sake of his family that he had to get over it, but it seemed almost impossible.
Out of the blue then, his cell rang. Even before he looked at the screen, he knew who was calling. Only one person had this ring tone; if you could call it that. It was a secret recording of Kyouya's voice.
"I'll bite you to death…! I'll bite you to death…! I'll bite you to death…!"
When he had made the recording and installed it, Dino thought it was funny and cute. Of course, he knew Kyouya wouldn't feel the same way, but he wouldn't call when they were together, so he would never find out, right?
Inner musings aside, Dino's heart soared when he heard the voice, and he actually smiled for the first time since his revelation, but as soon as that thought came back to him, the smile vanished. The cute ring tone soon became a threat he was willing to subject himself to if Kyouya felt it was the only fitting punishment for him.
His hand shook slightly as he finally took the phone off the nightstand and took the call. Only silence greeted him. Dino's heart was pounding in his chest. Guilt was turning his stomach. A second of silence felt like an eternity. He had no idea what to say, but he still had to say something.
"I'm sorry, Kyouya...I'm so sorry...I know it can never be enough...but I truly am...Tell me...tell me if there is anything I can do...anything at all," the words were pressed past a constricting throat. Dino felt like throwing up when he thought about what he had done. If Kyouya came and beat him up enough that he'd have to go back to the hospital, Dino still felt like that wouldn't be enough of a punishment.
If it was even possible, Hibari was more confused than he had ever been since he had first met Cavallone. The older man was apologizing to him non-stop, and by the way the words were leaving his mouth, it sounded like Cavallone was close to crying.
Hibari tried not to sniff disdainfully at Cavallone's herbivorous actions. Just what was he apologizing for? And why was he so emotional? Was it for what the blond man had done to him in the parking lot, or for not calling him?
"…I guess that means you are alive…" Hibari eventually spoke, his voice curt and slightly annoyed. "Just what are you blubbering about, Cavallone? You do know that the one month was over a week ago, do you not? I was beginning to wonder if I addled your brain too much when I beat your face in…"
The skylark shifted uncomfortably after that, almost not believing that he had spoken so much in such a small time frame. He wasn't sure if he had ever talked that much all at once in his entire life. And what was worse was that he had just said whatever came to mind, since he had no idea on how to act in this strange situation. Not only had he called Cavallone of his own free will because he had been worried (Hibari was still mentally gawking at that), but Cavallone had answered the phone and started to apologize in an extremely emotional manner. Hibari wasn't good with emotions in general, so it was hard to figure out on what was right to say, or if he even wanted to say things right. Hibari had no idea on what he wanted from this in general!
"I guess that means you are alive." These cool spoken words made Dino's stomach turn. Had Kyouya really hoped he had killed him? But when the skylark continued to talk, the bronco became just as confused as he was.
"Eh...ehm...well, yeah, I know. I-I just didn't think you would want to see me ever again after...after that," Dino stuttered, trying to understand the other man. Shouldn't Kyouya be happy to finally be rid of him, after all he had done? Maybe the other one thought he had to go through that for some reason? Did the skylark think of it as a sort of sick payment for him being his teacher? "I'm terribly sorry for what I've done to you, Kyouya. I should never have... touched you in that way in the first place. I never meant to hurt you. Please believe me for that, at least. I love you, although I have no right to say it after what I've done. I...I can't be sure I can restrain myself around you, so...so to keep you safe, I will keep my distance."
Dino felt his heart tear at his own words. He had had these thoughts ever since his revelation, but, somehow, speaking them out loud made them more real and final. After understanding what he had done to Kyouya, he just couldn't look him in the eyes anymore. His greatest fear was that he would have no restraint and try to do the same things again. He could not hurt the skylark any further.
By this point, his hand was holding his cell so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. Dino knew that he needed some kind of end to his blues. This wasn't what he had hoped for, but at least he got to hear Kyouya's voice one more time, and it wasn't even dripping with hatred.
At first, Hibari began to understand Cavallone's answer to his questions. It truly sounded like the older man felt sorry for the embarrassment he put the skylark through in the parking lot a month ago. But after that, Cavallone's answer became all the more confusing for the startled prefect. It sounded like the blond regretted dominating him from the very beginning of this weird relationship, felt like he had done the absolute worst thing he could possibly do to Hibari, and because he loved him (there was that confusing word again), he thought it would be safer for the prefect if he stayed away.
It was like Cavallone was saying goodbye.
A maelstrom of twisting emotions overcame the younger teen then. He didn't know what to think with all of this news, but the main emotions at the forefront of his mind were irritation and anger, so he just followed his gut towards what those feelings brought to him.
"Safe?" Hibari spat out scathingly, hating the word with a passion, especially in the way it had been used in regards to him. "Stop treating me like a frightened woman, Cavallone! I don't need anyone to keep me safe. I can do that perfectly fine on my own. If I saw you as a threat to my well-being, I would have truly bitten you to death by now!"
The skylark froze after he belted out such a statement, a blush of embarrassment flourishing across his cheeks. Why couldn't he control what he was saying at the moment? He was usually so calm and calculated with his approach, but now, it seemed that he couldn't stop the words that were pouring out of his mouth or the feelings that were overwhelming him. For some reason, he couldn't calm his anger no matter how hard he tried, and it actually scared him that he could lose so much control over the part of him he had always been able to control. Cavallone had truly turned his life upside down.
"So after everything you've done to me," Hibari continued then, his words coming out in an infuriated whisper, "after every confusing, and irritating thing you did and made me feel, you're just going to run away with your tail between your legs?! You're going to leave me here feeling these absurdly weird emotions and with these damn infuriating questions I haven't gotten answers to?!"
The dark-haired teen could feel his body begin to shake with the rage and at the injustice he felt then.
"You bastard," Hibari continued, his irritation rising when he noticed his voice was beginning to shake now; the action inadvertently causing Hibird to fly off his shoulder in fear. "You have no right to leave after what you've done to me. You have a responsibility to uphold you herbivore, and I intend to keep you in my sights until I can figure these things out and finally take you down in a real fight!"
When Kyouya hissed into his ear with disgust, Dino's eyes went wide. His heart stopped for a second, before it started to beat in his chest again like crazy. Kyouya was telling him what he had thought from the start, the one conviction he had clung to for so long. If the skylark didn't want him to do all those things, he'd put up a stronger resistance. But, still, what about this last time?
Kyouya had fallen silent for a moment, and Dino used this time to think. It really was like what he had first thought in the hospital: he had gone too far, and had been too desperate to smother the skylark in the love he felt for him, so, the younger man had retaliated in the only way he knew how. And...and the only reason he hadn't visited him was because their promised month of respite wasn't over? That...that was all, right?
When Kyouya continued, Dino thought his heart might burst, because a deep happiness was flooding him. The low, seething whisper might have been a deadly threat to anyone else hearing it, but to Dino, it just showed the depth of his young love's feelings. Feelings. For the very first time, Kyouya admitted to have real feelings for him, and he actually demanded that he did not leave!
The change in the bronco was so sudden that it might have been considered a wonder. Only minutes prior had he been lost to depression, pale and listless, but now there was a new spark. His eyes glinted with his new knowledge, and a blissful smile lit up his face. He even sat up straight in his bed now. The hand that had clamped itself around the cell, desperately holding on, was now cradling the phone like a precious treasure.
Overflowing with happiness, Dino grinned at being called a bastard by the skylark. Yeah, he definitely had an obligation, and he definitely did not plan to run from it, not anymore.
"You're absolutely right. It wouldn't be fair to leave without giving you a chance to finally win a training match." There was a slight mocking undertone to his amused words. "How about I'll give you another chance to try right now? As it happens, I'm still in Namimori."
If there was one lesson he had learned from their last encounter, it was that he had to go slow in showing the depths of his feelings to Kyouya. His current light and mocking response still put across his feelings without overwhelming the anti-social skylark. "I was an idiot. Of course I'll stick around if you want it! Actually, I want to see you right now." It was a code the bronco was sure his skylark would understand.
Through his seething anger, Hibari was able to hear Cavallone's response. The skylark shouldn't have been surprised that he was thrown off yet again from the older man's words. Now he was agreeing and teasing him, and of all things, he said he was still in Namimori!
"You mean to tell me that you've been in town for the past week, and you haven't bothered to contact me?" Hibari hissed out incredulously. "And here I thought you had been too busy with work or destroying some herbivorous mafia family in Italy! Unbelievable, Cavallone…"
The skylark stewed in the knowledge that he had been worried for absolutely no reason, and had to wonder if Cavallone had done this on purpose to test him in some way.
Wanting nothing more than to take the older man up on his invitation now, Hibari quickly got to his feet, grabbed his disciplinary jacket, and placed it over his shoulders as he made his way towards the door; cellphone still placed against his ear.
"You need a lesson in manners, Cavallone," the prefect growled out as he made his way outside. He had no idea where the blond was held up at the moment, but he'd soon get the address out of him.
"I'll only come over on one condition," Hibari semi-lied (since he was already on his way) in a threatening tone. "You have to answer any questions I have, Cavallone, even if you defeat me again. And they better be good answers that I can understand or I'll bite you to death for your incompetence. If you agree, then tell me your address."
Dino marveled at Kyouya's next words. Was he imagining things, or did the prefect admit to having been worried about him? This phone call was getting better and better! For the very first time, Kyouya let him have a glimpse at his feelings. Dino felt more special than ever before.
"Well, you see, I hadn't fully recovered from our last encounter. So, no—no fights against other families. And like I tried to tell you before, I didn't think you'd want to talk to me," his voice was very soft when he explained this.
The bronco was incredibly relieved that he was wrong in that regard. But as it turned out now, being wrong might have been the best thing that could have happened to them. This was the first time the lone skylark had called him of his own free will, and he was more open with him than ever before. So, upon reflecting on it, Dino decided this was worth the pain he had felt.
His relief and happiness showed in his soft laughter then. "And you're the one to teach me? I guess we'll see about that, Kyouya." What ever happened today, nothing would be able to quench his happiness at knowing the skylark did not hate him, and that he even liked what he did to him.
The younger man told him his condition for visiting him then, and Dino smiled at the deal. He sometimes forgot how much younger Kyouya really was, and with the tiny glimpses he sometimes had into the other's past, he should have realized sooner that all of this might be very confusing to the skylark.
"I promise to answer any of your questions to the best of my abilities, even if I defeat you," he answered Kyouya more seriously. "I would have answered any question, even before now, if I had any idea you had them." Dino's voice was warm and soft and he tried to sound as reassuring as possible. Kyouya always seemed so strong and independent that the bronco never would have guessed he might be insecure about anything.
He told the skylark the name and address of his hotel then. Only after their call ended did Dino fully realize what he had agreed to. The prospect of seeing the skylark again had invigorated him so much that he didn't think of too much else. He was barely fully healed, and his leg still gave him some trouble. As much as the bronco would like to deny it, he wasn't in the best fighting condition, not by a long shot. Maybe Kyouya would go easy on him? No chance of that, he guessed.
Dino shrugged his shoulders. So, he would get beat up once more. As long as Kyouya still wanted him around, he didn't care too much. He called room service then and ordered the best green tea the first class hotel had to offer, some fresh fruits, and mixed Japanese treats in preparation for this most important visit.
He called out to Romario in the adjacent room next. When the henchman came into the bedroom, he told the older man that Kyouya would be over any minute now and that he should let him in. He could see that his right-hand man wasn't absolutely happy with this news, but kept his thoughts to himself, at least. Dino knew Romario was only worried for his well-being, and couldn't hold that against him. It was his job, after all, but it wasn't just that. They were friends, and Dino guessed that was the reason why Romario did not try to persuade him to stay away from the skylark; because the older man knew his heart.
Hibari could feel his eye twitch when Cavallone said he would have answered his questions beforehand. The skylark was certain he had tried to ask questions when Cavallone had him restrained in his sports car, but the older man had pushed his questions to the side in order to dominate him.
Before the prefect could scathingly bring this up, the bucking horse gave him the address. Letting things slide for the moment, Hibari just hung up and headed in the direction of the hotel. It sounded slightly familiar, so he had an idea on where to go.
As the dark-haired teen walked, he couldn't help but think about how relieved he actually felt then. Sure, he was still as irritated and more confused than ever, but knowing that Cavallone wasn't going to run away had put his spirit at ease for the moment. Hibari had no idea why that was, and he had to consider if that would be one of the questions he'd ask Cavallone that evening.
Blanching at the thought of being so open, Hibari continued to make his way until he reached the business district and arrived at the hotel Cavallone was staying at. As the prefect stared up at the extravagant hotel, he remembered that Cavallone had stayed there plenty of times before, and one of those occasions was during the Arcobaleno battles.
Heading into the fancy hotel, Hibari passed the front desk and took the elevator to Cavallone's designated floor. As the skylark leaned against the back of the elevator wall, he was surprised to notice how calm he actually was considering the circumstances. He had to fight Cavallone again (and hopefully the older man was actually healed from his stay at the hospital or it wouldn't count as a true win for him if he defeated the other), and then he had to ask the other the most infuriating questions that had been plaguing him for years. Truthfully, this would probably be the most Hibari had outright talked to the older man, and this would be the first time he'd be voluntarily 'open' (if he was, it wouldn't be by much) with him as well.
When the elevator dinged and the doors opened, Hibari made his way out into the hallway and down a few doors until he reached Cavallone's room. Wanting nothing more than to just let himself in, but knowing that was physically impossible unless he wanted to destroy the ornate door before him, Hibari begrudgingly knocked. It only took a minute for an unhappy looking Romario to open the door and tell him that Cavallone was still in his bedroom.
Eyes narrowing both at Romario's unfriendly behavior and the word 'bedroom', Hibari just scowled and passed Romario into the living room. He vaguely heard Cavallone's right-hand man mention that room service would be there shortly, but he didn't pay too much attention as he headed in the direction that looked like Cavallone's bedroom. The hotel room was huge and divided into a spacious living room, dining room, and master bedroom and bathroom from the looks of things, and Hibari was yet again reminded at how loaded Cavallone was.
Opening the door to the bedroom without so much as a courteous knock, Hibari stood in the doorway and glared at the smiling man, who was still sitting upright in his king-sized bed. The prefect would really have to teach the other some manners if he hadn't even bothered to try and get dressed (he was wearing satin pajamas) or stand up, even though he knew the skylark had been coming. Wait…or maybe Cavallone hadn't gotten ready because…
No. Hibari was definitely not going to stand for this.
"How rude of you to still be in bed, Cavallone," Hibari glared heatedly at the taller man with an icy tint to his tone. "You better not be expecting me to crawl in there with you. I came for a fight and some answers; not a repeat of last month."
Dino's face lit up with a smile that even made his eyes shine with happiness. Kyouya really was here! His heart was beating faster just being able to gaze at the other again.
At the other's furious glare and glacial tone of voice, Dino laughed uneasily. In a self-conscious gesture, he pulled at his very messy hair. "Hahaha, yeah, I guess I should have greeted you in the living room." The bronco knew his next words wouldn't make things easier on him, but he couldn't hold them in. "Haha, I kinda hoped for it. We could have a little fight in here, too..."
If he riled Kyouya up enough, maybe the skylark would just beat him up without expecting a real fight, which he definitely couldn't offer. Dino feared the skylark would be disgusted with how weak he was if he tried, and that he'd just leave him, deeming him not worth the effort.
Since the skylark did not jump him right in his bed then, Dino knew he had to put in more effort. "I didn't think I needed to change, 'cause this is gonna be over fast," he said, trying to sound self-confident. With a grin, he took hold of his whip that lay on the nightstand beside him (considering the state he was in, he needed to have his weapon ready if an enemy family tried anything) and stood from the bed to rush at Kyouya.
This fast form of movement was the stupidest thing he could have done. For the last week, Dino had barely eaten anything because of his depression. His blood sugar was so low that it needed a ladder to climb up again, and with all the excitement about Kyouya coming over depleting his last reserves, the strain was just too much. Dino heard a swooshing noise in his ears, and he felt kind of woozy then. He managed to reach a hand out for Kyouya before the world went black. Dino didn't even feel the impact as he crumpled to the floor the next second.
Romario heard the noise and rushed into the room. Had Hibari-san really no heart?! His boss was still recovering! How could he beat him up now?! But once he entered the room, he saw the baffled look on Hibari-san's face and that his tonfa weren't even out. By the look of things, his boss had lost consciousness of his own accord.
"Merda (Shit)!"
He rushed to his boss' side, picked him up, and dragged him back onto the bed.
"I am very sorry, Hibari-san, but the boss is in no condition for this kind of...conversation." The last word he spoke almost scathingly. He tried to keep out of Dino's love life, and to keep his own opinion to himself, but this was going too far. His boss needed to recover fully before Hibari-san and him could carry on in their usual manner, at the least.
As he felt his boss' pulse, and reassured himself that Dino was just out of it for a moment, he looked at Kyouya, trying to judge the younger man. He had respect for his abilities, but he also was a volatile force that was possibly dangerous to his boss and friend. How much could he say? How much could he trust the man? He was a guardian of the Vongola, so there had to be good in him, right?
"The boss hasn't eaten in days—for a whole week, to be exact." Romario couldn't suppress the accusation in his eyes then. "He is still recovering from numerous broken bones. His leg is supporting him again without crutches, but he will need more time before he can fight again," he explained before he turned and rushed to the bathroom to get a cold washcloth.
"Oh?" Hibari sounded out with slight intrigue when he heard Cavallone say that the fight would be over shortly. The skylark couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the taller man's confident smirk, and just hoped that Cavallone was going to give him an amazing fight like he said he was.
In the blink of an eye, Cavallone was grabbing his whip from the nightstand and jumping out of bed…only to fall to the floor unconscious the next second. There was a short, awkward pause as Hibari stared dumbfounded at the prone body on the floor, and while he heard Romario shout out in worry from the living room; the other man rushing into the bedroom then. The prefect honestly had no idea on what to think, or do for that matter, as Romario's scathing remark reached him the next instant.
Glaring daggers at the man for talking to him in such a manner when he literally hadn't done anything, he watched as the Italian subordinate dragged his unconscious boss into bed and checked his pulse. Hibari was beyond disappointed in Cavallone, and a little disgusted by such a weak and pathetic display, but as soon as Romario's next words reached his ears, the skylark stiffened. Why on earth would Cavallone starve himself when he needed energy to heal?! Maybe he really had hit Cavallone's head too hard…That would explain why he was acting stupider than usual.
As Romario rushed from the room to do who knew what, Hibari went up to the unconscious body of the older man, who confused and irritated him like nothing else. Glaring down at the blond, the prefect growled out, "You better wake up soon, Cavallone, because I don't have time for your pathetic displays. I need answers now, or I…"
But Hibari didn't even know what he wanted to say next. Biting his lower lip as he stared down at the peaceful face of the bucking horse, Hibari finally noticed how sunken in the other's features were from his starvation. The prefect had never seen Cavallone asleep, but with the state he was in now, and since his slow breathing made it look like he almost wasn't breathing at all, Hibari found himself thinking that Cavallone almost looked like a corpse.
All of a sudden, a serious jolt went through Hibari's system, making his eyes widen in disbelief. He had always said that he would kill the older man someday, but now, for some reason, the thought of the other man being dead before him really made him uneasy; almost sickeningly so.
Swallowing thickly, Hibari turned towards the doorway just as Romario came in holding a bucket of cool water and a wash cloth.
"I don't care what Cavallone says when he wakes up, but make sure you stuff whatever food you have down his idiotic throat!" Hibari spat out angrily (more at the situation than at Romario, although he was mad that Cavallone's right-hand man couldn't even keep his boss healthy and safe like he was supposed to) as he stormed out of the room to go and sit in the living room. "Just make sure you don't give him too much or his stomach will bloat and he'll die."
And with that, Hibari sat on the couch in the living room, crossed his arms in a huff, and glared at the wall. Cavallone was so infuriatingly annoying, and Hibari seriously didn't know why he was staying when he didn't know when the other would actually wake up. Damn that bucking horse!
When he returned, Romario found Hibari-san looking at his boss. The younger man turned and hissed some angry reprimanding words at him then, making it sound like this was his fault, and then he left. The Italian felt anger rise in him. He usually was a very good-natured man, but this was stretching his kindness too far.
Romario almost wished to hear the front door slam shut and for the prefect to be out of his bosses life, but this didn't happen. That beside the point, the other's words did show a minimalistic degree of care, right? Romario tried to think calmly on how best to act then as he turned to his boss to wipe his face with the cool cloth, placing it on his forehead after that.
Just as he was about to head into the living room to set the young prefect straight anyway, there was a knock on the door.
"Room service."
Romario opened the door, checked the waiter with a look over, and let him in then. After the man had put the trays down that had the treats, fruits and tea, the Italian ordered some pasta with plain tomato sauce.
As soon as the man was gone, he turned to Hibari-san. "Don't believe I haven't tried to make the boss eat. He wouldn't listen. He was in bad enough shape when you wouldn't visit him at the hospital, even though I know you were there, but one week ago, it got even worse. You are the reason why he didn't eat, and I think you are the only one who can make him eat again." Although Romario started out heatedly and even accusingly, his last sentence was more of a plead. He wasn't too sure on what exactly had happened and why things had turned worse in the last week, but he was sure that Hibari-san knew, and could make it better if he wanted to; if he actually cared enough.
When the skylark heard the call from room service, he practically jumped in surprise. Hibari chastised himself for being so jumpy when he remembered that Romario had mentioned that room service would be arriving after he came in, but he just couldn't calm the slight nerves he felt then. He really just wanted answers at this point.
As the prefect watched Romario head towards the door and allowed the waiter to bring in a cart full of delicious looking snacks and delicious smelling green tea, a weird fluttering flourished in the skylark's chest as he stared at the tea pot containing his favorite beverage. Cavallone must have finally paid attention and had noticed this little fact about him. Hibari didn't know how to take this information.
Before the younger teen could think too much on it, though, Romario was suddenly accusing him of being the reason for Cavallone's physical state. White hot anger consumed the skylark then as he glared menacingly at the bronco's right-hand man. How was it his fault?! Romario told him that Cavallone had become upset after he hadn't visited him in the hospital, but, yet again, how was it his fault? He had only been upholding his end of the one month bargain?!
Before the skylark could rush from his seat and teach the older Italian a lesson, Romario's features turned from slightly accusatory to pleading. Hibari gawked at the older man like he had just asked him to do something unsanitary, but he finally understood what was going on. It was obvious that Cavallone had somehow taken things the wrong way because of the whole parking lot and one month respite issue (although he had every right to feel horrible by normal standards), and his guilt had caused him to stop eating. Since Hibari had inadvertently been the reason behind this depression for reasons he couldn't quite understand, he was now the only one that could fix the situation. Although feeding the other wasn't something Hibari wanted to do (not by any means, actually) he knew that he would only be able to get answers from the other man if he did, so there was no choice in the matter.
Sending Romario a long and calculating look, Hibari closed his eyes and bowed his head in acceptance as he continued to sit on the couch.
"Fine," he uttered in slight defeat, "what do I feed him?"
When he received an utterly appalled look from the young prefect, Romario felt his heart sink. Maybe he would have to break his promise to Dino and call the young Vongola boss. He could only hope Sawada-san could talk some sense into his boss and get him to eat again.
After a long moment of silence, though, Hibari suddenly agreed. Hope shone in Romario's eyes again, and a soft smile appeared under his thick mustache.
"The waiter will be back with some noodles soon. They will give him back some energy and are easy to digest," he explained.
Romario knelt before the table across from Hibari then. He took an apple, and the knife that was placed with the fruits, and busied himself with cutting and slicing it. Keeping his eyes on the task, he softly said, "Thank you."
When he heard a knock on the door again, he rushed to it, took the tray with the pasta from a startled waiter's hands, and handed it over to Hibari with a bow after placing a plate with the apple slices on it, too. Romario was sure Dino would take up eating again only if the young prefect asked him to.
Romario's answer was simple, but Hibari really hoped he wouldn't be forced to hand feed Cavallone. It was bad enough that he had to ask questions for the sake of his sanity, so he didn't need to degrade his pride further by acting like a doting mother. Cavallone should have enough energy to eat on his own, right?
As the prefect thought this, he saw Romario begin to slice up an apple. It was a very common practice for people to cut up an apple for sick loved ones, but Hibari knew it was just another thing he had to stuff down Cavallone's throat. It was embarrassing to imagine what the other man would think when he presented him the cut up apple as well.
Before he could think too much on this, Hibari was startled out of his thoughts by Romario thanking him. The dark-haired teen didn't say anything, but his body visibly relaxed at knowing that whatever hostility Cavallone's right-hand man had for him was dissipating. Hibari knew it had probably taken a lot for Romario to thank him, especially when he thought the skylark was at fault for this whole mess.
When room service reappeared with noodles in tow, Romario practically forced the tray carrying the plate and utensils, along with the plate of sliced apple, into his hands. At least the older man had bowed after he did so, or else Hibari knew he would have beaten him to a bloody pulp.
Sighing to himself, Hibari just made his way into Cavallone's room with his tray of food. From what he could tell, the blond man was still unconscious.
Placing the tray of food on the bronco's nightstand, Hibari just stared down at Cavallone's pathetic, corpse-like form. He really didn't have time for this. The disgruntled prefect just wanted answers to his questions! But now, it seemed like he'd have to wait for Cavallone to wake up, and then he'd have to force him to eat before he'd even get what he desired!
…Or maybe he didn't have to wait.
Feeling his vindictiveness get the better of him, Hibari thought of ways to wake the taller man up. Figuring out the best approach, the young skylark grabbed hold of the unconscious blond's nipples and twisted them as hard as he could, like they were an 'on' switch. Cavallone just needed a jolt to restart his system.
Bolts of lightning shot through Dino's nerves, sending them spiraling with pain, and waking him up instantly. With a scream, he bolted upright.
"Aaaah!"
Suddenly, the bronco was wide awake. Groaning, he rubbed at his hurting chest. Wondering what had happened, he saw Kyouya standing over him. Damn, why was he still in bed? Or...or was it that he was in bed again? Except for his nipples, nothing really hurt on his body, so the skylark hadn't beaten him up. But...but what had happened?
"I...I guess we didn't fight...?" Dino asked uncertainly, rubbing the back of his neck and looking pretty sheepish. Since he couldn't remember anything, and didn't feel like the skylark had hit him, he seemed to have lost consciousness some other way.
With a scream of pain, Cavallone awoke with a start and immediately sat up. Hibari was pleased with his handy work, but he didn't let it show. Keeping a look of disinterest on his face, he just let Cavallone groan and question him.
"Yes," Hibari answered easily as his eyes narrowed in irritation, "your body thought it would be better to pass out the moment you stood up, so you fell unconscious like the pathetic herbivore you are."
With his last words coming out in a growl, Hibari quickly grabbed the tray of food from the night stand and almost slammed it down onto Cavallone's lap.
"Romario told me about your increase in stupidity, because you decided it was best not to eat for a week, so here's your food," the skylark reiterated as he glared menacingly into Cavallone's caramel orbs to show him how pathetic he thought the other man's actions were. "I would suggest you eat it before I force it down your throat. You still have questions to answer, Cavallone, and I'll do anything to get them."
With a stern glare, Hibari sat down alongside the edge of the bed then as he looked between the tray of untouched food and Cavallone's surprised face, the prefect's eyes demanding the older man to obey or else he'd regret it.
Kyouya's explanation was what Dino had feared had happened. It definitely wasn't the first time the other one had called him a pathetic herbivore, but tonight, at least, he was absolutely right. This scared Dino. Would Kyouya leave him because of his weak display?
The skylark just growled at him and shoved a tray at him, though. Startled, Dino looked at it. There was food on it. When he heard what Romario had told Kyouya, Dino felt betrayed.
"He shouldn't have..." He grumbled out, glancing at the door, which his right-hand man was sure to be lurking behind.
As Dino feared, this knowledge made him out to be even weaker and more pathetic than before in Kyouya's eyes, because he was threatened by the other. Only, this threat showed a degree of care on the skylark's part that the bronco had never expected. Did the younger man really care? Was he...worried?
A smile formed on his lips as he looked into Kyouya's eyes. In the dark pools of blue, there were specks of violet that only appeared when the skylark felt strong emotions. Since it didn't look like Kyouya was about to kill him, Dino decided that he actually did care about his well-being. The warmth that filled his being then was indescribable.
"I wouldn't want to inconvenience you. I'll eat myself."
The pasta actually looked pretty good now that he had the company of the skylark, and now that he knew the other didn't hate him. To his surprise, he discovered the sliced apple. Could it be...? Did Kyouya do that for him? Dino got very excited at the idea. He started with a piece of the fruit before he dug into the pasta.
To the Italian, it would have been natural to tell Kyouya to ask him any question, and he would have answered them while he ate, but he had learned the Japanese prefect considered this horrible table manners. So, he ate and watched the skylark with a stupidly happy smile as he did so. When the plate was empty, he took another piece of the fruit and ate it slowly; enjoying the idea that Kyouya had cut it for him.
"Now I'm all ready to answer your questions," he said with another smile then.
Hibari was more than relieved when Cavallone offered to feed himself. He stood by his statement in that he would do anything to get his answers, but not having to feed the taller man was just one less humiliating thing he would have to do that night.
As the sickly looking blond stared down at the food before him then, Hibari could see how Cavallone's eyes stayed on the sliced apple for a moment longer than necessary. The skylark's eyes narrowed further in irritation as he felt heat begin to congregate in his cheeks. Cavallone better not have been thinking that he had sliced that apple for him…
The prefect's mind was consumed with this nagging thought as he watched the older man begin to eat. Cavallone seemed to be smiling and enjoying himself, even though he looked like Death had dragged him across the rocky bottom of the river styx before the shinigami on board decided to throw him back onto the land of the living, because he was too annoying to bother with. Hibari tried to not be annoyed by this thought, but it was hard to when Cavallone shouldn't have been logically enjoying himself because of his present condition. This man was just beyond anything the prefect could describe, and he was confused because he couldn't figure out if that was a good thing or not.
When the taller man was done with his noodles, and was beginning to nibble on his apple slices, he finally gave Hibari the go ahead to ask the questions that had been plaguing him. All of a sudden, even though the younger teen was relieved that the moment had finally come, he found himself unable to think of what he wanted to ask. There were just so many questions, and it didn't help that everything the bucking horse did was the reason behind his confusion. Just what should he ask first?
Seeing the plates of food before him, Hibari decided to ask the question that he wanted to know the answer to since Romario had told him of Cavallone's condition. It was the most concrete question that would come to his mind at the moment, and maybe it would help him with asking other ones once he got started.
Closing his eyes to gather himself for a long night, Hibari's cobalt eyes stared up into Cavallone's caramel then, piercing the other's orbs with confusion and his desire for knowledge.
"Why didn't you eat for a whole week?"
Hibari didn't know then, but that night would be the catalyst that would cause one of the biggest changes of his life. And it was strange to think that, when he would reflect upon it in his older years, he'd actually be secretly glad for it, despite how life altering, and infuriatingly annoying it had been.