A/N: I don't own KHR or any of its characters.


HATSU'S POV

I had planned to spend Saturday exploring the town and eating street food, but seems like my disappearing act was not a fan favorite...

So instead here I am, chopping vegetables under Chieko's hawk-like gaze. Coming up on the seventh hour. Yeah, you read that right - seventh. The only break was for lunch and dinner. What a great use of a day, huh?

I really hadn't meant to stay out so long, but by the time I awoke it was well past midnight. Jet lag. It's a bitch of a thing. But also, your girl just likes to sleep. Like a lot.

When I finally scampered back inside, Chieko was fuming. She said she was worried... and so this time I'll take my punishment without any back sass. Even I know not to keep an old woman up too late!

The knife slices quickly and precisely across the cutting board. No hesitation, no slip up. While Chieko mixes a bowl of cake batter, then pours it into a traditional ceramic container. I lick my lips - god I love sweets. Way more than I love people. Infinitely so.

Chieko glances up from time to time as she bakes - subtly though, as if not to be noticed. She watches me. I know this because I watch her, too. I watch everyone and everything. I always have.

It's quiet, but peaceful in our rhythm until -

"Tomorrow you have a choice" Chieko wipes her hands on a linen, slowly cleaning the kitchen.

"What's the choice?" I continue chopping, intrigued.

"You can either spar with Kyoya - " I freeze. " - Or not."

Wow, really thought it was going to be more interesting than that. Expected more from Wrinkles here. "Easy. I won't." He's not worth it.

Chieko smiles. "Let me finish girl. If you fight and win, you can have this cake. If you lose, you get nothing. And if you don't fight at all, well of course, you get nothing." I guess she has figured me out a smidge.

Because the cake is worth it. The cake is always worth it.

I slice through my last carrot stick from the bag and smirk. "I'll fight."

"Good."

"And I'll win."


KYOYA'S POV

The herbivore is still here. I hadn't seen her all of yesterday, so I'd assumed she'd left as they all do. Running and afraid, tails between their legs. I also just completely forgot about her - it's not worth remembering someone so transient.

But no, here she is. Sitting across from me at the breakfast table. Crowding my space. She picks up a piece of tofu with her chopsticks and places it into her bowl as if she has any claim to it.

This isn't her food. These aren't her things. And this will never be her home. This is my territory.

"You two will spar after we finish eating." Obaa-san demands.

The herbivore doesn't react, continuing to eat her breakfast in leisure. How naive.

Obaa-san looks at me pointedly - "Hatsu's guardians will be here at noon to collect her. So let's show her off, Hibari-style."

"Hn." I smirk, watching the herbivore at my disposal. Finally some fun. How should I destroy her? It could be one blow - quick, easy.

Hatsu glances up to meet my stare - "What? Is smiling at me like a creepy bastard the only move you got?"

Nope. I'll enjoy this. Slow and painful.

"I'll bite you to death."

"God you really are a pervert." Yeah this bitch has got to go.

I slam my bowl onto the table. "I'm ready." I walk outside without waiting, but I hear her hurried "Thank you for breakfast!" as she follows after me.


HATSU'S POV

I stare at him from across the courtyard. He's ready to fight - he always is. I quickly survey the area. It's a 5x5 meter area of clean, mossy grass. Closer to the edge of the area are large rocks and three thin, but well-grown trees. There are small, jagged rocks lining the bottoms of the trees in a circle.

Chieko-sama takes a seat in the shade of the porch - the cake is right beside her. Holy crap... is that a fresh strawberry glaze with dark-chocolate shavings? Stop. That's amazing.

My ogling of the cake is cut short when Kyoya pulls out his tonfa from - wait where did he get them?

He doesn't miss a beat and lunges in with frightening speed. I duck, evading his first attack by a mere centimeter. As I spin back, I grab hold of his sleeve and twist it, pulling him down. I flip above him, still holding on, and push my enter body weight over him. It's not particularly graceful on my part, but I smile as his face crashes into the dirt. My elbow nails his right wrist - hard - loosening his grasp on his tonfa. In the blink of an eye, I grab it and hold it to his neck.

"I win."

Kyoya's eyes widen, as does Chieko's.

"Better luck next time, kid." I wink at him, rubbing it in as much as possible. Mature, I know.

I push myself off him and throw his tonfa to the ground.

But before I even step a foot away, he grabs the tonfa and swings both at my ankles. I flip into the air to avoid the hit, giving him time to push himself off the ground as well.

He runs at me. "You cheated." He accuses.

"What a sore loser. If I need to beat you again to prove who's better, then I will." I smirk and his eyes light with fiery rage.

I back up toward one of the trees, evading a barrage of jabs.

When I'm a foot from the tree I quickly crouch kick his knee and punch him in the gut, knocking the air right out of him. I swiftly grab a jagged rock from the base of the tree and hold it to his throat as his legs buckle.

"I win. Again."

For a moment I'm not sure if he'll attack again. I watch him until his grip slackens and his tonfa drop to the ground.

I pull away.

Oh my god, time for cake!

"How." He demands. I scoff.

"What do you mean HOW? I'm a better fighter than you, obviously."

I turn around to meet his gaze and his brows are furrowed in confusion. Honest, innocent, confusion. It's an expression I didn't think he was even capable of making, considering all he's shown me is unadulterated rage.

"You're not." This time it's not rude, or condescending, it just him stating an honest fact he believes in. "Your hits are weak and your technique is sloppy."

"You don't know anything about my strength or my technique. You don't know anything about me at all."

His eyes bore into mine, searching for something. It unnerves me, but I'm not sure why.

I walk away, grabbing the fork and cake. My fork is literally an inch from the strawberry when -

"How?" His voice is soft, soothing and sincere.

And since this is a Hibari asking - no needing - something of me... well that is a goddamn miracle in itself.

"I'll tell you, but nothing comes free." I shrug.

His eyes narrow. "What do you want?"

"Nothing yet. But when I need a favor, I'll come to you. No questions asked. Your discretion. I won't ask anything unfair - nothing that would hurt you or your family's reputation of course." I may not need something now, but knowing myself and my forced-upon career choice, I will.

He grits his teeth, looking at Chieko-sama. She nods. "Fine."

"I have an advantage. I've watched you train this whole weekend. But not only that, I've watched you move. I've watched every decision you've made and from there, I can assume the decisions you will make as a fighter. Do you know how many times I saw you swing your tonfa this weekend?"

He slowly shakes his head 'no', not understanding my point.

"Exactly 238 times. And 70% of the time you swung, you stepped forward with your left foot first. What I can assume from that is that you'll lead with your weaker arm - your left - and follow with your dominant right. Evading the first is important, but not as important as setting myself up to evade your second. And when you do jab with your right arm, your body swings forward with it - naturally throwing in more of your body weight for power. I used this to my advantage to pull you to the ground."

He blinks. Surprised.

"It's true though, you have a raw strength and instinct that is the best I've seen for someone your age and far older. That will get you far for sure." I shrug. It will, but it won't make him the best.

He nods, slowly, still not understanding the fault in my compliment. He's born to fight. But his crazy, natural talents are ironically getting in the way of him learning to fight smarter. He's probably never needed to.

"Do you know how many times you even LOOKED at me this weekend? Just three times. And the longest was for one minute. And I'm pretty sure it was just to glare at me, not even observe me. As you are now, you can't beat me."

"Then what do I do?"

"If you want to win, then watch me."

I scoop a generous serving of cake into my mouth and - oh my jesus - it's incredible. Totally worth it.


A/N: Hi!