spiderflower – elope with me
violet (white) – let's take a chance on happiness


Chapter 6: Spiderflower

"E-e-elope? That's way too fast!" shrieked Tsuna. "And why do you have that? It's still November!"

Hibari was slightly arched down on the counter, his elbows rested on the surface, and his hands held a few small, neatly arranged and cut spiderflowers. "A greenhouse, Tsunayoshi."

"Oh, right," mumbled Tsuna, still feeling quite impressed at seeing an annual flower. Spiderflowers only grew after the last frost, and it wasn't everyday that he got to see one. Even Aria, who also owned a greenhouse, seldom sent them those since they require a specific temperature or else they'd end up withering fast. He caressed the long petals of the flower but stopped. "Ah, but now it will die soon. I don't have a greenhouse if it wasn't that obvious," he said.

Hibari took Tsuna's hand and carefully placed the small posy in it. "I'm aware; that's why I only had a few of them cut. I simply wanted to convey its meaning."

"Which I don't get. Elope? Are you serious? We've only known each other for how long? A little after two weeks?" Tsuna snorted.

"No, just for dinner. I do fancy the idea of eloping, though," said Hibari, a smirk curving his lips.

"You could've just asked me normally, you know." Tsuna smiled, amused that the man would go to such length to ask him. "You can be such a dork, Hibari-san. But I accept. We close at five, but cleaning up takes a while, so you can just fetch me at around five-twenty. Sound all right to you?"

Hibari nodded before standing straight. "See you later then," he said after looking at his watch.

"See you," he repeated absent-mindedly.

-x-

Tsuna flipped the open sign hanging on their door. Looking up, he saw that the sky was already dark orange; some parts were already turning purple in colour. He glanced back at a yawning Luce, who was stretching her arms and fixing the lights that were focused at their assigned basket. He headed towards the back room and grabbed a broom and dustpan. Their shop usually wasn't dirty, but they couldn't avoid the tiny bits of petals and leaves which tend to fall every time.

"Such an uneventful day," said Luce. "For me at least, right, Tsunayoshi-kun?"

Tsuna's ears warmed at what she was insinuating. "I-i-it's not that big of a deal!"

Luce smiled fondly. "For you maybe, but to Hibari-kun, I think it is. I'm glad you decided to give him a chance. Your constant pessimism about love wasn't helping this shop at all." She teasingly pouted, hands on her waist.

"Hey!" Tsuna laughed. "Sorry for that, I guess. But you can't blame me, Luce-san."

"I don't, Tsunayoshi-kun. I never did." Touched at her words, Tsuna was opened his mouth to say something when his boss continued, "Now clean yourself up before Hibari-kun gets here! You'd want to appear your best for him." She made shooing gestures at him. Luce raised a hand at the first sign that Tsuna was going to protest. Sighing, he smiled in resignation and took his apron off. It was uncanny how Luce can be so motherlike, not only to him, but also to their customers – elders, adults, and teenagers often sought out her advice and inspirational words. It wasn't a miracle that children loved her so much.

He wove his way through the organised back room. Boxes of vases, flower pots, and baskets were carefully stacked and marked. On one side were shelves with packets of seeds with labels. Twisting to the right, he arrived at the wash room, a simple area that had a long, horizontal sink with three faucets distanced from each other and a little farther was a table stacked with towels. Got to hurry, Hibari-san's going to arrive soon. Quickly, he washed his face and dried it with one of the towels then threw it in the hamper in the far right corner of the room.

Tsuna briskly ambled back to the main room, slightly surprised that Hibari was already there browsing through the flowers. Aware of the Tsuna's presence, Hibari looked up and nodded once. "Ready to go?"

"Sorry for making you wait—!" Tsuna covered his mouth, panicking upon realising something. "C-clothes. I mean look at you! I should change into something more appropriate." He ran his eyes up and down at the man, cringing at the costly scent his clothes were emitting – he was wearing his usual suit. Tsuna's plain orange shirt and jeans coupled with his dirty white sneakers weren't suitable per se.

"It's fine. Let's go." Hibari slightly bowed at Luce then headed outside. Inconspicuously, Tsuna took a specific flower from one of the many baskets and placed it in his loose pocket before following him. Guilt shot through him at the thought that he would be leaving Luce alone.

"I-I can ask Hibari-san to wait for me," said Tsuna.

The woman shook her head. "No, no. It's all right. I'm almost done and Gamma is going to pick me up. I'm having dinner with Aria and Uni."

Doubts of Luce's age filled Tsuna's mind. Deciding to pry off as to not antagonise the woman, he apologised once more and went outside. The instant change of temperature made him shiver. He rubbed his hands, enjoying the sweet friction it produced. "So where are you taking me?" he asked as he and Hibari began walking.

Hibari frowned. "Where is your coat?"

Embarrassed, Tsuna rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Uh, I woke up late and I was panicking, so I kind of forgot about it." Upon noticing Hibari unbuttoning his blazer, Tsuna added, "You don't have to—" He clamped his mouth. A glaring Hibari was a nightmare for everyone.

Unable to object, he allowed the man to place his clothing over him. "Thank you, Hibari-san." Tsuna smiled, grateful for his kindness despite his refusal. Hibari-san smells nice. Tsuna bit his lip. That actually sounds perverted! "So where are you taking me?" he reiterated, brushing off his earlier thoughts.

"I chose an Italian restaurant for tonight or do you have anything specific in mind?" said Hibari. Shaking his head, Tsuna noticed that the people around were staring at them, specifically at Hibari. He had completely forgotten that Hibari was a big shot. Some even were either courageous or stupid for attempting to get near them. However, a glower from the man was enough to freeze them on the very spot they stood. "These herbivores," muttered Hibari.

"Herbivores?" repeated Tsuna. "Plant-eating animals? How can you tell these people are vegetarians, Hibari-san?"

Steel-grey eyes glinted in an emotion Tsuna couldn't decide whether it was in scorn or in amusement. "Herbivores get devoured by what, Tsunayoshi?"

"Uh," Tsuna wasn't sure where their conversation was heading, "by their desire to eat veggies?"

"By carnivores," Hibari smirked, "like me."

Hie! "Okay then, Mister Carnivore," mumbled Tsuna.

Once they arrived at their destination, the waitress led them to a table and handed two menus. Tsuna felt extremely off at the atmosphere. It wasn't exactly a high-class, fancy restaurant, but it was in the upper middle-class portion and he still found everything rather expensive. His clothing didn't aid him at all. At this, he chose one of the lowest priced dish and decided on house water for beverage.

Fortunately, Hibari didn't question his choices and ordered a dish that tangled his tongue. "So," started Tsuna, "I think it's time to talk, Hibari-san. What exactly do you like about me?" He nibbled on the free garlic bread to hide the fact that he was nervous.

Hibari leant down and propped his elbow on the table, his head against his right hand. "That is a secret."

Tsuna rolled his eyes, positive that he would not be getting any answers out of that question. "Well then, uh, how about how you knew me? We haven't met each other before, right?" Did Hibari-san stiffen a little? Tsuna blinked.

"I pass by your workplace often."

"Was it love at first sight?" Tsuna smiled mischievously.

"No. Everything about you screamed herbivore," was the blunt reply.

Tsuna chuckled, not really disagreeing with the man, although his plan on teasing the man backfired. "I'm so happy about your feelings," he said teasingly and sarcastically. He idly took another bite of the bread. "Tell me about yourself then. I have no idea who you are except what Haru told me about you being famous or something."

"What would you like to know?"

"Well, I already know what your favourite food and hobby are." He cringed, remembering what the man's hobby was. "How about your family?"

"Alaude and I manage the company. We have no parents," said Hibari, expression not changing.

Tsuna bit his lip, suspecting that he was prying into something private. "S-sorry. I hope I wasn't being too intrusive." Hibari only grunted and Tsuna had never been so grateful for the arrival of food. The pair ate in silence and Tsuna endlessly wondered if he destroyed their night.

Tsuna spent his time observing the other customers. If he was going to continue his relationship with Hibari, then he should be prepared to enter his world. He recalled back to the time when he was eating with Enma, Haru, and Kyoko a couple of weeks ago. The black limousine and the extravagant hotel he entered then was a clear show of the borderline between their realities. He hadn't even answered his question of why he was infatuated with him. There was no denying the possibility of him simply playing with him, although he felt that he wasn't like that.

Memories of Mukuro flashed and it wasn't a pleasant feeling. If Hibari was only playing with him, then he was sure that love wasn't possible. It was inexistent, merely a figment of the humans' imagination. It was trivial, highly unnecessary and unneeded. Yet, pitifully, he kept craving and hoping for it.

Enough, Dame-Tsuna! I already decided to give him a chance. Tsuna watched as Hibari ate, admiring the daunting ambience he carried. His posture was perfect, the way he cut the meat on his plate was elegant, and even the way he chewed his food was sophisticated. Everything made Tsuna feel conscious. He could barely hold the metal spoon and fork, and it made him feel doubly agitated.

He became curious when Hibari called for a waiter and asked for a couple of chopsticks. You can ask for chopsticks here? Tsuna wondered incredulously. When the waiter came back with the asked items, Hibari handed a pair to Tsuna. "Here." Gratefully, he accepted it, very puzzled since Hibari could handle the western utensils easily. Did he notice the hard time I was having?

Trying to make up for his insensitivity, Tsuna gave a shot on conversing again. "Do you leave Hibird at home alone whenever you leave the house, Hibari-san?"

"I bring him to work."

Tsuna almost spat his food at his response. He attempted imagining Hibari sauntering in a grand building with Hibird on top of his head. The picture was hilarious and he had to cover his mouth from laughing out loud. "O-oh, I see. You must really love Hibird."

Hibari paused before answering, "He is tolerable."

Tolerable my foot. You really do love him. Tsuna snickered and continued finishing his food.

When the tab came, Tsuna asked for separate bills but was stubbornly refuted by Hibari. Shrugging, he allowed him to pay. He made a mental note to pay for their next dinner, if there was one, as they exited the restaurant.

The pair continued walking in the bustling streets and Tsuna was becoming afraid of Hibari's aura and continuous mutterings of herbivores and crowding, which he still failed to understand. The people sensed this and maintained a considerable distance away from them.

However, a man accidentally bumped into Tsuna. Out of politeness, Tsuna apologised but was instead responded with a shout. "You stupid brat! Look at what you did to my clothes!" Tsuna cowered down, but felt faintly infuriated since he was certain he wasn't at fault. The man's clothes were barely wrinkled.

In the corner of his vision, something silver or grey – he couldn't pinpoint it – flashed. "Hie!" Tsuna crouched down, hands covering his head. Slowly, he raised his head and was astonished to see Hibari holding a cylindrical metal to the shivering man's neck.

"I'll bite you to death," growled Hibari, pressing the metal to the man's skin.

The man sputtered, unable to form coherent sentences or phrases. His eyes met Tsuna's and it pleaded for mercy. Biting his lip, Tsuna rose to his feet and took hold of Hibari's shoulder. "I-I'm fine, Hibari-san, so y-you could let him go n-now." Tsuna relaxed upon seeing Hibari bring his hand down, but shrieked when Hibari, in one movement, accurately hit the man's head.

"Get out of my sight, herbivore." The man frantically nodded and ran off.

Beyond shocked, Tsuna could only stand and gape, mouth opening and closing. Blinking numerous times, he returned his attention to Hibari. "E-eh? Why did you hit him? W-where did that metal weapon come from? Where is it? I have your blazer so it could only be in your pants! But there's no bulge or anything. Hie! Is it in your underwear?"

Hibari quirked an eyebrow and Tsuna was positive he saw the faintest of a twinkle in his eyes. "I'll walk you home, Tsunayoshi," said Hibari as he started walking again.

Tsuna hurried to catch up to Hibari. "You can't just hit people as you please, Hibari-san!"

"Herbivores should be properly disciplined."

D-discipline? Tsuna inwardly shrieked. Is this what he meant by hobby? That's terrifying! "Wait a minute! How do you even know where my house is?"

Hibari smirked. "That is a secret."

"I have every right to know, you know!" protested Tsuna. "You won't tell me why you like me and you won't tell me how you know my house. I'm beginning to think you're just a stalker. I should just report you to the police." He sulked and added, "Well, it obviously isn't because of my herbivorous nature, now is it?"

"I have never said that, Tsunayoshi."

"Then you like herbivores?" Tsuna was confused.

"No, I loathe them."

What? You're so confusing, Hibari-san! Giving up, Tsuna kept mum on what remained of their walk. He began thinking that perhaps giving Hibari a chance was a bad idea. He hadn't received a decent answer from the man minus the objective ones he asked. Not to mention the fact that his earlier attitude was outrageous. Tsuna was sure that no matter how pissed off he was, he would never hit anyone.

Admittedly, somehow, he was sure that Hibari was a very considerate man. He lent him his coat, he had noticed his struggle in the restaurant, and he hit the person who was threatening him. But it didn't change the fact that a part of Hibari was cold, and it scared Tsuna that he would treat him like how Mukuro did. But I can't run away forever. I have to try! Discreetly, he took the flower from his pocket, which had become a little damaged partly because he had to sit down during dinner, and brought it to the inner pocket of Hibari's blazer.

When they arrived at the front of Tsuna's apartment, he gently took the blazer off and handed it to Hibari. "Thank you for this night, Hibari-san." Tsuna beamed. Hibari only nodded and started putting his coat on. Before he would be able to notice the thing he left, Tsuna rushed up the staircase, keeping a watch on the man. He softly smiled at Hibari's slightly widened eyes.

A violet. Take care of me, Hibari-san.