Disclaimer: KHR! does not in any way belong to me, it's the property of Amano, etc.
Author's Note: Takes place several weeks (a month, maybe) after Illicit Extracurricular Activities.
Written for prompt 3 (shut up) of the lj community 10_orders. :)
To mukuro x hibari 3: The idea that I had in mind was that Hibari wouldn't punish Muku because, like you said, he's Chrome's older brother and Daemon was quite a bastard to her. :)
The Art of a Name
[ shut up. ]
Mukuro works two jobs; he's a waiter at a trendy cafe, and he works at a pet store. Chikusa works with him at the former job, and Ken at the latter.
Ken isn't working when Kyoya Hibari walks into the pet shop, though. Mukuro's working alone, because the owner (a creepy old man named Birds) had to leave early.
Hibari walks past Mukuro without even glancing at him, but he doesn't mind. The bruise Hibari left him with several weeks ago had finally faded, and Mukuro hadn't seen the prefect since. Not that he was looking for him, exactly, but the prefect was intriguing in a way that Mukuro had never encountered before.
"How much for this ... bird?" Hibari's calm voice cuts through the cacophony of the many animals and the humming of the fish tanks.
Mukuro walks over to the cage the prefect is staring at. It contains a single round, yellow ... bird. Honestly, Mukuro has never seen anything else like it before, but it's been in the pet store a very long time.
"4000 yen, plus taxes," Mukuro answers. Hibari's shoulders tense slightly, and he turns to look at the bluenet. So he hadn't even noticed it was Mukuro standing behind the counter? He smirks to himself.
"Herbivore," Hibari says, like it's some sort of greeting.
"Kyoya-kun."
The prefect's eyes narrow, but he doesn't rise to the bait. "How much for a cage, and food?"
"Eh. It's included in the price. This guy's been here a long time."
"... I'll take him," Hibari decides.
As Mukuro goes around collecting the necessary supplies, he asks, idly, "How is Daemon-san? Chrome-chan hasn't mentioned him, lately."
The prefect shrugs, watching Mukuro move around the shop with slight interest. "Expelled."
"Kufufu, how sad for him~"
"Namimori is better off without that weakling," Hibari states.
Mukuro chuckles again, carrying the cage and a bag of birdfeed to the front counter. "Is that all? Do you need a bag, Kyoya-kun?" He can't resist ribbing the prefect, trying to goad him into a reaction.
"Hibari. No bag."
A cheerful chirp interrupts them, and Mukuro is faintly astonished to see that the yellow bird has taken up residence on Hibari's shoulder.
"Hibari!" the bird repeats shrilly.
"It talks?" Mukuro says, blankly.
"... Apparently," Hibari says. The bird keeps up its chorus of Hibari! as the prefect pays and Mukuro hands his purchases over.
"Does it have a name?" Hibari asks, transferring it delicately from his shoulder to the purchased cage.
"No. But you could call him Hibird." Mukuro smirks when Hibari glares at him.
"Hibird!" the yellow bird agrees, flying in a short circle around the cage before settling on a perch. "Hibird!"
"Shut up, herbivore," Hibari says coldly.
"Herbivore!" Hibird turns to glare at Mukuro as well. What a stupid, annoying bird.
"I think he likes the name~"
Hibari scoffs. "A high school dropout like you would think of a simple name like that."
In spite of himself, Mukuro stiffens. "You don't know the first thing about me. Little ignorant boys should keep their mouths shut about things beyond their comprehension," the bluenet snaps, angry at the comment and angry at himself for being the one to be goaded into anger first. But he has never taken insults about his dropping out of school lightly.
"A juvenile delinquent should know to be afraid of a prefect," Hibari responds, but something flashes in his dark eyes, like he realizes that he has overstepped a line. Or maybe he's pleased that he got such a reaction out of the bluenet.
Well, to be fair, Mukuro is the one who pushed him to it. The bluenet smiles coldly, resisting the urge to punch that unfeeling face until it shows something, even if it's only pain. "Have a nice day, Hibari-san," he says pointedly.
Hibari leaves the shop without another word, Hibird trilling Hibari! again.
A/N: Feedback of any sort is appreciated. This one's shorter, again. They do get longer... :D