Disclaimer: I do not own KHR, because I am not worthy of its awesomeness.
Warnings: Uh… first time writing shounen ai?
Other notes: This occurs after the Ring Battles and before everyone gets stuck in the future.
Hibari stalked down one of the hallways of Namimori, taking his usual route of aimless patrolling for the day. Like usual, the other students made way for him; some actually turned around and "stealthily" ran away. Unlike normal, today Hibari didn't even glance at his surroundings, already preoccupied with fighting another foe of an inhuman nature.
Hibari Kyoya had once again caught a cold, and it irritated him to no end. He'd usually wait it out and only headed for the hospital if it got too bad; he intended to wait out the current one, but its symptoms, although he didn't admit it to himself, were escalating. As such, this did nothing for his ordinary already murderous demeanor; he swung aimlessly at the air, the student in the way luckily ducking at the last second.
Tsuna and Gokudera stood in his path, apparently unaware of the approaching demon, since they were already busy discussing another more minor problem at hand.
"Where's Yamamoto?" Tsuna asked Gokudera.
Gokudera shrugged, "Who knows. Maybe he's finally realized who is the better right hand man for you and ran off moping somewhere."
"We just saw him in class a few minutes ago, Gokudera," Tsuna replied, frowning.
"Why are so you worried anyway? It's not like Yamamoto will try jumping off the roof again. Maybe he's in the restroom…"
With a quick swing of his arm, Hibari took out the cigarette in Gokudera's mouth.
"Hey! Why'd you do that?" Gokudera snapped. He then tried to insult the other with what he thought was a ridiculous claim and continued, "Do you like Yamamoto or something, trying to defend him?"
The next blow sent him flying across the hallway. Everyone else besides Tsuna ran off, afraid to get in the Head Prefect's way. Hibari approached the Storm Guardian, tonfa raised, as Gokudera fumbled in his pockets for dynamite. However, the raging Cloud Guardian then suddenly stopped, eyes a little dilated as he wrinkled his nose slightly at the sensation in his throat and nasal passages.
"Smoking is not allowed in Namimori," Hibari choked out curtly and walked away. They heard someone sneeze around the corner that the Cloud Guardian disappeared to.
"Gokudera-san! Are you okay?" Tsuna ran over to him.
"Sheesh, what is his problem?" the Storm Guardian growled as he struggled to his feet.
"You were smoking inside the building," the Tenth said, sighing.
"I meant… oh nevermind." Gokudera frowned. He was grateful that Hibari stopped, but it still struck his curiosity how the prefect had suddenly just turned around and left. The sound that came out of the Cloud Guardian's throat also didn't sound normal at all. The Storm Guardian inwardly shrugged. He could care less what was wrong with Hibari.
...
Yamamoto stood on the rooftop, humming aimlessly to himself as he watched a few ominous clouds approach from the horizon. As he expected, a few minutes later the door behind him quietly opened and closed.
"Hey Hibari!" he said as he put on his usual grin and turned around to face the prefect. Said prefect glared at him, and Yamamoto suddenly found himself threatened by a tonfa several inches away from the side of his face.
"Yamamoto Takeshi. What are you doing here?" the Cloud Guardian whispered, his voice deadly and his breath uneven.
'Uneven?' Yamamoto suddenly realized what was wrong with the entire scene. Hibari Kyoya wasn't known to have sudden strange changes in his breathing, let alone restrain from instantly biting someone to death without explanation or adequate warning.
Hibari wanted to bite the other to death, he really did. Yet, he pulled away and stalked off to the water tower where he would most likely not be disturbed by the herbivore he had just spared. 'Not in the mood…' he justified his inaction.
"Oi Hibari, are you okay?" Takeshi called after him, making him turn around. The Rain Guardian reached for the other's forehead. "You're a little red."
Suddenly panicking, the Cloud Guardian swatted the hand away, and Yamamoto swore the red he saw just deepened a few shades. 'What the hell was that?' Hibari thought. 'When did…' He had never been concerned with physical contact before; he actually enjoyed the feeling of bones breaking against his hands and blood on his fingertips.
"Eh, Hibari?" he called the other.
"Get away from me!" the prefect said calmly and turned to leave.
"Wait!" Takeshi grabbed his wrist, making him freeze. Hibari was sure of it now; his muscles ached and stung even more from touch. The swordsman noticed the sudden tenseness and let go. "Hey, I just wanted to say thanks for saving me the other day during the Ring Battles. That's all." He smiled. "Um… sorry for bothering you! I'll be going then!"
Hibari didn't look as the other ran off, closing the door behind him. He looked at his wrist, flexing his fingers experimentally. 'Damn fever…' Hibari looked over Namimori and shook his head. 'Maybe a nap will make it go away… I'll go to the hospital afterwards if it does get worse…'
...
"Hey Yamamoto! Where were you?" Gokudera asked, irritation lining his voice. "We were going to leave without you!"
"Ah, sorry," Yamamoto laughed. "I had to take care of something." As they reached the front gate, he glanced back at the school. 'Hibari was acting stranger than usual…'
...
"The typhoon will pass over Namimori for an estimated three days. We advise everyone to remain indoors…" the television blared downstairs.
Yamamoto stared outside his window, his math homework untouched on the desk in front of him. 'I wonder if Hibari's still at school…' He shook his head. "Nah, he's probably biting someone to death on the streets or something at this time," he assured himself out loud, returning to the book in front of him.
A few minutes later, a tap against his window made him look up. 'Rain…'
He sighed again and tried to regain his focus on the numerous numbers and symbols before him. Meanwhile, the rain outside began pounding on the roof, on the street, and even against his window. 'Can't concentrate…' He gave up, abandoning his homework.
Yamamoto grabbed his jacket and umbrella and headed downstairs.
"Hey! Where are you going?" Tsuyoshi asked. "It's pouring out there!"
"I'm just stepping out for some fresh air," his son answered, grinning. "I'll be back soon."
"Okay! Don't come back too late!" The door closed. "Ha! That's my son! Training in this kind of weather!" Tsuyoshi said dotingly as he pulled out his trusty sashimi knife.
...
Yamamoto found himself on the rooftop, rain practically sliding off his umbrella like he was under a waterfall. "I guess he really isn't here…"
"Hibari! Hibari!" he heard a familiar chirping above him.
Yamamoto looked at the water tower above the door. 'Could it be? No way…'
Regardless, he climbed the ladder to the water tower and found a mass of black and white with a familiar red and gold arm band curled up on the floor, soaked to the bone. He was used to the prefect sleeping in the middle of nowhere, but never in this position or in this type of weather. It was almost as if he were shivering…
"Hey! Hibari!" Yamamoto called out, reaching out to him. 'Damn! He really is shivering!' The little bird jumped around the Cloud Guardian worriedly, trying to avoid the rain but unwilling to leave until it was sure that Hibari was okay. The Rain Guardian felt the other's forehead. It was burning.
"Shit!" He took of his jacket and wrapped around Hibari.
'What should I do? His hands are freezing…' The sky roared again threatening lightning, and Yamamoto lifted him up and hurried back home.
"Back already?" his father called out when his son came crashing through the door, trailing water and mud inside.
"Can you grab some of my dry clothes from my room?"
"Huh?" Tsuyoshi looked over to his son and finally noticed the bundle of clothing he carried in his arms. "Friend of yours?"
"He's running a high temperature," Yamamoto explained as he placed Hibari on a futon in their spare room.
...
Hibari opened an eye and found himself in unfamiliar territory. He bolted upright, looking around. It was still raining outside, and someone had changed his clothes. He observed the room with a wary eye; this definitely wasn't the hospital. It was a Japanese styled room; he was in a futon, and the ice bag that had slid off when he sat up lied limp beside him.
"Hey! You're awake!" The voice made him look up. He watched the other like a hawk as Yamamoto made his way across the room and set the steaming covered bowl down next to the futon. Hibari froze when the other felt his forehead. "Oh, you're still a little warm," Yamamoto said, frowning.
Hibari sprang backwards away from the other's touch, half tripping over the covers and ended up with his back against the wall.
"Huh? Did I hurt you?" Yamamoto asked, worried.
Hibari looked away, shaking his head. He wasn't used to this much attention. His heart pounded fiercely, and he felt the sweat on his clammy hands. "I…" He swallowed, trying to regain his voice. "It's nothing…"
"Oh, okay." Yamamoto got up. "I'll just leave your food here. You should eat it before it gets cold."
The door slid shut behind the Rain Guardian, and Hibari slowly felt his own forehead, noting the presence of the fever. 'It's just the fever…' he concluded mentally.
...
Yamamoto returned later, slowly opening the door. He chuckled in relief to see that the prefect was back in the warmth of the futon, asleep, with an empty bowl next to him. Yamamoto tiptoed to the futon and took the bowl when a noise at the window made him look up. A yellow ball of fluff pecked at the window as the wind tossed it mercilessly about.
"Hey there," he whispered to Hibird as he opened the window, letting the bird in. "I have to keep the window closed to keep out the cold; you don't mind staying here, do you?" The bird gave him a peck of gratitude on the cheek.
After ruffling its feathers to shake off some of the water, Hibird flew over the Hibari and landed right in front of his face on the pillow.
"You'll wake him up," Yamamoto whispered, putting a finger to his lips.
As expected, Hibari, who wakes even to the sound of a falling leaf, opened his eyes and saw a yellow ball of fluff a few inches from his face. "Hey…" he said sleepily, smiling. He petted the bird softly before letting sleep take him again.
'Oh…' Yamamoto felt his face go red, feeling that he just witnessed something he shouldn't have. He excused himself to get some food for Hibird while said bird settled on the pillow, warming itself from the cold wind and rain outside.
...
"How's the food?" Yamamoto asked during the evening as he watched the other slowly eat.
"Passable," came the response.
"Ah ha ha! That's good to hear," he replied, grinning. He glanced at the window; the rain wasn't relenting. "The forecast said it's going to stay like this for another two days or so."
Hibari made a sound of acknowledgement.
"If you want to, you can stay here until then. It's not like your fever's going to go away for at least another day." When Hibari didn't respond, he stood up to leave.
"Why…" Hibari suddenly said, making the other stop.
"Huh?" Yamamoto turned around.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Well, friends help friends, right?" Yamamoto said, grinning awkwardly.
Hibari put the bowl down. "I'm not your friend."
"Sure you are. Oh… I think I hear the water boiling," Yamamoto left, half running.
"Hibari!" Hibird called out, landing on his shoulder.
Hibari touched the area over his heart lightly. 'Saying that… Why does it hurt?'
...
"Hey Takeshi-kun! Is something bothering you?" Tsuyoshi asked.
"It's nothing," Takeshi answered, grinning as usual. Of course there was something bothering him, but it's not like every son could tell his father that he suddenly thought his guy friend was cute. Also, when Hibari told him that he wasn't his friend… that hurt too…
"Oh come on. I know something's wrong. Is it that kid you brought back?" He hit the target.
"Maybe," Takeshi tried to avoid the question.
"I should serve him some of my great sushi!"
The Rain Guardian didn't expect that. "Should we even be feeding someone who's sick sushi?" he exclaimed.
"It's decided! Let's prepare fatty tuna!" his father declared, ignoring him.
"Wait! Dad!"
...
"Uh… sorry; Dad insisted…" Yamamoto said awkwardly as he gave the plate of sushi to Hibari. The prefect eyed it for a second before eating, picking up a red-lined white piece of fish first and placing it in his mouth. His eyes lit up slightly and a soft blush made its way across his face.
'He likes kanpachi? That expression's kind of cute…' Yamamoto caught himself. "Um… I'll go get you some tea to go with that," he excused himself.
Hibari watched silently as the other left. 'I…' He looked away from the door.
Yamamoto returned a few minutes later with the green tea he promised, one for Hibari and one for himself. Their fingertips touched when Hibari took the cup Yamamoto, and the former would have dropped the cup if Yamamoto had not clasped it tightly again at the last second.
"Ah, sorry," Yamamoto said, chuckling. "And I work at the restaurant too."
"No, it's…" Hibari stopped. He never considered anything his fault, so he prevented himself from apologizing. He took the cup from Yamamoto, this time making sure to not touch the other's hand.
"Hey Hibari?" Yamamoto said after a few sips of the tea. "Are you allergic to me or something?"
This caught the other by surprise, and the Cloud Guardian looked at him with a half-glare half questioning expression.
"I mean… every time I try to touch you, you either freeze or jump away."
"It's just the fever," Hibari muttered.
"Oh yeah! I haven't thought of that," Yamamoto said, smiling. 'That does explain it… people get achy and cranky when they're sick, right?' However, he admitted to himself that it didn't explain why he suddenly felt a slight pang of disappointment in his chest.
Hibari refused to meet his eyes afterwards, always looking past him or at his hands. The food that Yamamoto always carried with him when he came in the room helped hide the other's act of avoidance. And thus it continued for the remainder of the typhoon.
...
"Hey Baseball Idiot! You there?" Gokudera said, waving his hand in front of the other's face.
"Huh?"
'Okay, he definitely wasn't here,' Gokudera thought. "What's up with you these days? You're daydreaming more than usual."
"Ah, I was just thinking," Yamamoto said, grinning.
"About school? That's weird. Stop it."
"Nah."
"Then what?"
He laughed awkwardly. "Hibari."
"What?"
"Has Hibari-san been bothering you?" Tsuna asked.
"Yeah! You've been like this ever since after the typhoon! Did the rain knock something lose?" Gokudera added.
"Nah. It's nothing. Don't worry about it," he said, putting on his usual grin. Yamamoto decided that it was irrelevant to tell the other two that he brought the Cloud Guardian to his house and nursed him back to health during the few days he didn't see Tsuna and Gokudera.
...
Hibari looked out at his school from behind the gate on the roof, enjoying the strong wind that blew all around him. Familiar territory, his territory, comforted him. The door opened. He waited until Yamamoto was a few feet behind him and sprang, tonfa lashing out. The swordsman sidestepped and caught the weapon, just like that time before the Rain Battle. Hibari remembered now. That sudden feeling of lost control from this herbivore was… he couldn't put words to it, but that was when it started.
"Hey! I just want to talk!" Yamamoto said, grinning. Hibari glared at him and wrenched the tonfa away but didn't strike again. The other Guardian scratched his head awkwardly. "Um… I'm sorry; I probably should have brought you to the hospital the other day, but it was raining pretty hard so…"
"Thank you." A whisper in the wind.
"Huh?"
Hibari looked him in the eyes and broke away, clenching the metal in his hand until he could feel his palms burn. He knew the fever was gone; the thermometer read 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit two days ago. He felt the warmth again on his face, in his chest, a burning sensation…
He closed his eyes.
These feelings… I will not acknowledge them…
Author's note: Should I continue? I might take a while updating though due to life… and lack of ideas…
PS. Reviews raises probability of updates exponentially (wink).