Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Such a work of genius is well beyond the reach of my insufficient imagination…*dark clouds of depression appear*

a/n;;; On a happier note, I am so grateful to all of you that reviewed on my latest update! I've received so much encouragement and reassurance that my confidence level has been boosted from the deep dark pits of gloom! I was honestly worried that Chapter 8 had been a disaster, because I had hardly taken any time to refine and look it over twice.

Alright. That's enough. You probably don't want to hear me talk all day. On with the chapter it is, and I apologize for any Ooc-ness in advance~!

Happy reading tout le monde~!


Chapter Nine: Seduction/Application

A soft fragrance flowed through the room. Graceful lavender, or perhaps gentle vanilla. Shadows of surrounding trees slipped in through the window, silent, unnoticed, mischievous. They crowded around the unmoving frame of a young girl, hiding her alluring features in their inky cloaks while whispering joyously to one another. Black hair spilled over her shoulders, loyal strands cupping the sides of her face as if in worship. From the other side of the room, a raven-haired teen's gaze burned with intensity.

His eyes traveled from her cheekbones and rested at her neck. The velvety, milk white flesh that looked every bit as delicious as freshly made ice cream. The pen in his hand screeched to an unorthodox stop, leaving blue ink marks at the corner of the page. He frowned, the corners of his mouth titled downwards in displeasure. Sapphire eyes clouded with frustration although his handsome face remained distant and calm. His eyes traveled a little further down, although he knew that he was not supposed to. Discipline was key for the feared Head Prefect of Namimori Middle School. However, at this moment, that familiar code of conduct suddenly appeared like an unattainable dream. Why. He questioned himself. Why did he allow a small, barely visible smirk-like smile appear as he thought about the herbivore's spunk. Her attractive posture as she angrily glared at him with her hands on her hips, her chest sticking out a little more than necessary. The way her bright verdigris eyes narrowed in rage. Images twirled around in his mind, darting in and out of empty spaces. Whenever he tried to keep them away they returned, with two times more frequency and triple the distraction.

Displeasure now branched off into anger and confusion. It did not make sense for a carnivore such as himself, to waste valuable mind space and time thinking about one pathetic herbivore of hardly any value. She did have a few rare sparks of brilliance, but as quickly as the flame would appear it was extinguished, and she was back to a weak and stupid herbivore again. Then why? Why in the seven oceans and five continents did he feel a strong attraction to the herbivore? Her bouquet, it intoxicated him, drowning him, pulling him deeper and deeper into the vast waters of a foreign, but warm feeling. He let the pen slip from his hands. It landed on his finely furnished desk with a sharp cling. There was no use in looking over these documents anymore, as important as they might be. His mind outrightedly refused to concentrate on anything other than the unconscious herbivore on the other side of the Discipline Committee Room today.

The skylark stood, his chair hardly making any sound on the rich carpet floor as it backtracked, and settled against the wall. She had yet to awaken. Slowly, with graceful strides, he paced to her side. He brushed away the hair from her neck, and before he, himself could register his actions, traced the mild purple blotch with his finger. She stirred a little under his touch, a slight grimace formed at the corner of her lips. This made Hibari smirk because she remembered, unconsciously, the pain of his discipline.

She was abnormally slim. He noticed as he sat down beside the limp frame. The close proximity of their bodies almost ran an electrical current through him. However, Hibari refused to surrender to the growing warmth in his cheeks. He was not blushing, the skylark decided firmly, and especially not because of this herbivore.

She moved a little under him. The chairman was immediately alerted. He stood up at once, watching her with his predatory eyes. Akira seemed to take a very long time to open her eyes. Hibari glared at her impatiently, his hands reaching for the tonfas that were on his person. He did not like to wait.

A few seconds later, he had figured out the problem. She was shivering, but still unconscious. The window of the Discipline Committee Room was opened to its fullest. Hibari liked to have a good view of his domain, and that included the large sports field in the front of the school. There was nothing to keep her warm with…except…

If anyone had seen the skylark's next actions, they would have surely been bitten to death thousands of times and back.

-080-

At first it was cold, as if there were glaciers surrounding her on all sides. She felt her body going numb. Limp and paralyzed, just like a doll on display. Then, the dullness faded, and welcoming warmth took over its presence. It enveloped and embraced her like hot chocolate on a cold winter night. Her mind slipped away, out of reach, along with the rhythm of this magical lullaby.

She slowly came around after what felt like hours of slumber. Her eyelids fluttered briefly like a dancing butterfly before hazy images swam before her vision. Akira saw white, white as the clouds in the sky, white as the snow that fell during winter holidays, white like the wings of angels. Everything was white. She closed her eyes again, tired. This warmth…she didn't want it to slip away. Vaguely, her brain registered the feel of steady arms around her waist. Leaves rustled outside in the wind…but they only registered as faint echoes to her hazy mind.

"Don't pretend that you're still asleep herbivore." a cold, but oddly enchanting voice shattered the moment.

Emerald eyes melted into blue. Akira froze, unable to breathe. Words caught in her throat as she stared at the mesmerizing face of the Head Prefect. The charm of Hibari Kyouya, why hadn't she noticed it before? Perhaps she did, but refused to acknowledge its existence in her stubborn and biased mind. Was she falling for him? That couldn't be. But why is her heart pounding so heavily against her rib cage? Why couldn't she take her eyes off him? Why did she suddenly find herself wishing that this moment will never end?

Akira expected him to let go once she was able to register her surroundings. She expected him to push her away and then threaten to bite her to death if she ever looked so pathetic again. The skylark's lips curled into a refined smirk as if reading her thoughts. He tightened his hold about her waist, pressing their bodies even closer together with a powerful grip that his thin frame could not possibly be able to provide. "You are insolent, herbivore." His cool breath tickled her neck. She felt his lips moving just millimeters above the exposed skin. He was still smirking, Akira knew this for a fact. Electric currents ran through her body, paralyzing her petite form. She could neither reply nor think.

"Making a spectacle at the school gates during class hours. Sakamoto Akira. I'll bite you to death."

Sharp teeth pierced through her skin like fangs. Her mouth was open in a silent cry. Deja-vu. Did he really expect to put her in line with this? The pain was less compared to the first time the vicious skylark attempted this. Seconds. Minutes. Hours. Passed. Illusions of the mind. She felt his tongue lick up the remaining of the crimson liquid that had spilled and splashed like a fountain spring. Collapsing. Her breathing was heavy. His smirk grew wider by a diminutive fraction. Like the demon he is.

"I…I hate you…" she finally forced those words out of her mouth. They were cut up and broken. Tears formed at the corner of her eyes.

"This is why you are a pathetic herbivore. Weak, and vulnerable." He was taunting her.

"S-shut up!" She turned away from him, nursing her bruised neck with one hand. Why did he have to do this to her again?! 'Don't you like it though?' a small voice pestered at the back of her head. 'You won't admit it Akira, but you like the feel of him close to you. It gives you the illusion of a damsel in distress, being rescued by her prince.' No! She wanted to shake her head furiously in denial. 'Don't deny it Akira.' the voice continued. 'Having his lips against your skin is a guilty pleasure. If you say no to that, then you are the worst liar on earth.'

To that. Akira had no comeback. It was true. It was all true. Damn it. Reality b**** slapped harder than her cousin's baseball bat.

"Come here, herbivore." He had slipped away from her while she was thinking, and was now sitting behind his desk. The command was hard to disobey even if she wanted to. Her body moved forwards like a puppet.

Several items of clothing were flung against her face like a flock of ravens. A large envelope hit her square in the head. Sports Day Festival was printed on its cover in bold black lettering.

"What's the meaning of this?! Why do I have the festival budget and…and…Discipline Committee Uniforms?!" Her pupils could not get any wider in disbelief, surprise, and confusion.

He gave her look that said: You are clearly too stupid to live. "From today forth herbivore, you are part of the Discipline Committee."

Akira almost choked on her own saliva.

"What?!!"


Haha~ How do like this my dear readers~? An immediate update filled with spongecakes of romance~! I wrote this chapter especially for my dedicated reviewers who did not loose faith in this lazy, and not very punctual authoress~! There might be a chapter coming soon, but it could take a while. (Probably a few days.) Please don't forget to review, and tell me what you thought of Chapter 9 and anything else you may have in mind for "The Raven"!

P.S I'll apologize here for the short chapter. As romance is difficult to write with Hibi-san, I couldn't dwell on sweet and cute moments as I could for other characters such as Yamamoto-kun and Tsuna-kun. Was this a pass-able job, or was it just terrible? Well....I'll leave that up to my dear readers to decide~! Chao~