I'm so sorry for updating monthly, and I feel so bad for leaving you all hanging! Thank you to those who have the patience, and thank you for your kind reviews! I'm sorry I don't reply to your reviews, I get so overwhelmed when I read them and then I'm like, how do I respond because a measly thank you doesn't seem enough. Thank you, and many of you have been asking me if this is going to be an angst fic, and nope! My writing style has changed, I'm trying to edit my other fics as well bc, um, they're HORRIBLE and OH MY, HOW CAN YOU READ THEM AND NOT CRINGE?

It was unusually cold today, but Hibari still disciplined and kept about his daily duties. It was not as difficult to rise in the mornings, and he had the opportunity to brew his tea in the office before getting some paper work done. He had no idea where this newfound determination came from, but he embraced it as part of his natural strength.

Hibird fluttered and began to chirp once the bell began to ring, bringing his attention to the window. The whole bustle of students made a run through the gates, some were laughing, others looked too tired to exist. He could zero in on the wild hair that was undeniably Tsuna's, but of course, the herbivore couldn't see him. He was expressing a phenomenon. A phenomenon that no one else had ever seen, perhaps just him…and the female herbivore.

It was a familiar sight to see a grin creep up on the herbivore's face, to see him laughing and practically radiating joy and happiness. It was the exact opposite. And he understood why: Tsuna was depressed. His family wasn't by his side, he was a wilting plant, and it was very…interesting.

"Make him happy. Let him trust you."

"Hn, are you saying he doesn't trust me?"

"He trusts your abilities, there's a difference."

His abilities were above the average man's, they were exceptional and precise, because he wanted it so. His strength was honed and imbedded with his desire to establish discipline, but to know that the herbivore didn't trust him as a person was insulting. It was unexpected, and it brought him a different type of anger that didn't involve physical violence. He could see Sasagawa Kyoko's futile attempts to cheer him up, how she would smile and coexist endlessly by his side, it was irritating to say the least. This predicament was anticipated, the Arcobaleno knew this was going to happen. The Vongola Boss will wither at his family's absence, being so used to having company and boisterous noise as a comfort. But once that comfort was gone, he was back to that loneliness he was familiar with in middle school. It was alarming to see the exponential change happen in the course of a few days. He was receiving reports of inattentiveness from teachers, his scores were marginally getting lower.

It demanded immediate remediation, and he knew it. As much as he yearned for those unwanted sensations festering in him, he had more self-control than that. He would spend time with him, earn his trust. Of course, it would be much more difficult, because he was definitely not going to be coddling the idiot. Especially with that girl all around him. Her affections were indomitable, of that he was aware.

With that last thought, he placed his pen down and made the decision. He'll ease his presence in slowly, after all, Sawada Tsunayoshi was a skittish creature. Of all things, he didn't picture himself willingly pursuing the Sky and attempting to reconcile…their differences. It went against the core of his being, but if it meant unlocking the strength from the young man, then so be it.

The hallways were impeccable and empty, no one in their right mind would disobey the regulations unless they truly desired to be bitten to death. When he finally reached Tsuna's classroom, he made his entrance known, scaring a few students in the process. The teacher stopped talking, and the herbivore-the cause of it all- looked up in alarm. "Well, it-it's nice of you to join us, Hibari-san. What brings your...visit?" He almost snorted. As if he didn't know.

"Hn, I have decided to evaluate the class for the time being." He decided to ignore the gasps and nervous murmuring, although it was bringing in an inevitable migraine and an itch to end the noise. He took his seat farthest from the class, and silently urged the teacher to go on with the lesson. After a few minutes, he began to sense the herbivore's stare and furtive glances, but he kept a steady gaze at the window, keeping the voices distant.

When the bell finally rang for lunch, Hibari stood up, keeping his attention to the brunet. "Hibari-san?" His voice wavered slightly. "Um, if you don't mind me asking, what really brought you to my lesson?"

"It's none of your concern, I simply wished to observe the class," he replied shortly. After an acceptable pause of silence, he exhaled sharply. "I wanted to give you a key to the Reception Room." He shoved the key to a surprised hand. "I expect you to use it wisely," he added as an afterthought.

This proximity was acceptable, he noted silently. He was close enough to see the dark circles underneath those bright eyes, to see those lips upturn to the barest of smiles that he hadn't seen in days. First, establish some loose thread of mutual trust, and proceed from there. Still, he could see the discomfort as well. It was the face the principal made when Hibari decided to observe staff meetings. "Thank you, Hibari-san. Do you want to have lunch with me?" He could detect some thrill, he was suddenly more aware of the Sky and his magnitude.

"Tomorrow, perhaps. Do not misbehave, or I will bite you to death," he finally said, taking his leave.

"Tomorrow," Tsuna echoed. "I'll see you later, Hibari-san!"

It was the first time anybody ever said that and sounded genuinely excited at the idea. He's always known he was more apt at inspiring fear than anything else, and he didn't know Tsuna would be this easy to please. It was an interesting day, he decided.

…

His paper work was done on autopilot, it was extraordinary that even Kusakabe managed to stare at him blankly, then at the ceiling, as if it asking it the origins of this phenomena. He never managed to completely finish the daily paperwork, which demanded hours of strenuous concentration. Sawada Tsunayoshi was smiling at him from the picture, and his tea was losing its spirals of steam. It was cold then, and Hibari sighed, it wasn't satisfying to know his tea had gone to waste.

"Dame-Tsuna has bonded with everyone else, but you. It would help the both of you, if the Sky and Cloud were closer. Sometimes what must be done must be done," Reborn had said. "He needs to know that you care. It's all intuition."

Hibari looked away from the smile, directing his eyes to the window. He had never felt so contemplative, but he needed this in some unwanted way. Sawada Tsunayoshi needed to affirm his independent strength.

"I need you to clear my schedule for tomorrow," Hibari murmured, hearing a grunt of confirmation from Kusakabe.

"Anything else, Kyou-san?"

"Bring me more tea. That is all."

…

What was more surprising than anything was to find the herbivore in the kitchen, a grin on his face and that familiar brightness in his demeanor. "I'm tired of take-out, y'know?" He said, stirring the contents of the steaming pot. "Would you like dinner?"

"Hn." He hadn't eaten anything but his tea, so he supposed dinner…would be acceptable. "Fine."

It was foreign and irritatingly domestic to be sitting at a table, waiting to be served and hummed a tune by Hibird. He had stationed the Committee all over Namimori, lack of discipline has been addressed, the paperwork was finished, and all he had now to deal with was Sawada Tsunayoshi's unexpected, but not entirely unwelcomed antics.

"Have you established a schedule with your employer?" he asked after a long silence.

Tsuna hummed. "No, Clare-san said it would be kind of…sporadic. And the pay won't be much, but I wanted a distraction. Something, I guess."

"I expect you to be responsible. And you will start tutoring tomorrow with me, at the DC Room," he said.

"Are you really going to eat lunch with me tomorrow, like you promised?" Tsuna asked sharply. The ghost of his frown twitched.

"Yes."

"Kyoko-chan is going to be there, I just wanted to let you know," he mumbled. He stopped stirring and began to place the plates on the table. After serving a generous helping on both, he rinsed the chopsticks and poured juice in a small cup.

The food actually smelled edible and good, he failed to look at the meal properly until- "It's hamburger meat with rice, Hibari-san. I learned it's your favorite." He sounded awfully pleased and happy at the fact. Hibari nodded, silently bringing the food to his mouth, and it was delicious. It wasn't courteous to reject proper hospitality, and it's been such a long time since he had something even remotely homemade.

"Why bother, herbivore?" His voice was low, but to the trained eye, it was also lightly tinged with curiosity. Unfortunately, (or fortunately), Tsuna failed to read him properly.

A look of genuine surprise crossed the herbivore's features, before he laughed. "I figured I should make some sort of attempt…at familiarizing myself with you. You probably didn't notice, but I was a bit depressed the past few days—"

"I did. The female herbivore did as well. And I would like to address the issue if it happens again."

Tsuna blinked. "You did?"

Hibari ignored him. "Under no circumstances are you allowed to let your emotions affect the quality of your daily output. It is a sign of poor discipline, perhaps something I should let you master." He paused, ignoring Hibird's persistent nips to his wrist. "However, I would not condone emotional suppression, it would lead to further consequences. Am I clear?"

Tsuna looked at his hands, his face was a mask of apprehension and abashment. "I-I understand." He flushed at his stutter. "I'll keep that in mind, Hibari-san," he murmured. "Reborn told me I was easy to read, it's actually annoying to know it's true." He scowled, before taking a bite of his food and chewing thoughtfully. "I'm-uh, not used to being alone. It's been a while. And I realized that you and Kyoko-chan do care, I just needed—"

Hibari cleared his throat impatiently. "Do you trust me, Sawada Tsunayoshi?"

"Of course! You're strong and I know you have the capability to defend yourself, you're the strongest-"

"That's not what I meant, but I suppose that will do. I will expect to see you at the rooftop for your lunch period tomorrow, herbivore. Good night." He took a final bite from his meal and pliantly placed his dishes together. They could be washed tomorrow, he decided.

It wasn't surprising Tsuna's sharp intake of breath, soon following after him. He could feel his presence. "Good night, Hibari-san."

…

The strip of daylight was almost too difficult to ignore, and Mukuro quickly drew the drapes together, submerging the room in darkness once more. Chrome was petting the stray cats, Chikusa and Ken had managed to sneak out quietly to purchase food. He considered seeking a hideout in Namimori, it would at least be closer to food markets and such. A less of a hassle, but he was sure he wouldn't be able to stomach the bustle of the meaningless lives of the town's inhabitants. Perhaps being close to the Skylark and the Vongola Boss would be more of a benefit than anything else, but the cons that came with it would be frankly, unbearable.

He almost considered it too, which was even more worrying. His trident glinted, even in the darkness, the cats' purrs were loud and it was more endearing to hear Chrome's murmured singing.

The weather was surprisingly kind to them today, the newfound spring breezes made info-scouting simpler. And for what he's gathered, he was realizing that the whispers were becoming louder. The whispers of the threat, all of them targeted the Vongola Boss. It would be…ethical to warn the little Cloud, but he's been deprived of entertainment for so long, he was actually exhilarated to know that something interesting was in the horizon. What would Hibari Kyouya do, his face of ultimate surprise. And Sawada Tsunayoshi, would his Hyper Intuition come to play? This tirade of questions would be answered soon enough. Reborn was right.

It was best to wait.

…

Don't take anything and make it everything, Tsuna repeated. His mind was groggy, but for the first time in days, he felt clear. It was a serene morning, his early morning bath seeped the tension that's been lingering in his body since his family left, in its place was acceptance.

Hibari had left already, and he felt some sliver of disappointment to know he left without saying good morning. His clothes were ironed and his homework finished. He was actually looking forward to the day ahead of him, and it was nice to know that Gokudera-kun might call him at night.

It was a good feeling.

Happy New Years everyone! I'm rewatching KHR, so my inspiration is definitely coming back, haha.