Windshear
Part 11/?
Authors: Kagaya Chou and The Dream Whisperer
Characters/Pairings: Tsuna, Dino, Reborn, Hibari, Yamamoto, eventual Yamamoto/Hibari, something like Dino - Hibari.
Rating: PG-13
Words: 5321
Summary: Dino returns to help Hibari, and inevitably has a talk with Yamamoto.
Tsuna looked up, startled when his office intercom went off. He'd been staring at Hibari and Yamamoto's last few mission reports, but if anyone cared to ask, he was drawing a total blank on them. Surprisingly, neither gave much away. On individual missions, or team missions, those two always came back as clean as expected of them, if not entirely immaculate, save for that once....
Which was more than could be said for any of his other guardians, that was for sure... Mukuro excepted.
... Mukuro was an entirely different story.
Truthfully, though he pressed the flashing intercom button with more force than was necessary, Tsuna was thankful for the distraction, but - oops - it sent a high-pitched wail through both ends of the line. He winced.
And standing outside the door, Dino winced slightly at the sharp noise as well, but he shook his head and smiled slightly to Tsuna's secretary. He stuck a finger inside his ear and twisted it around, trying to get the ringing to stop, even as he opened the door to Tsuna's office.
Pasting a wide grin on his face, Dino waved. "Hey, Tsuna, you have some time to talk to your aniki?"
"Dino-san!" Tsuno stood up, and then fumbled to catch the stack of papers trying to slide off his desk. "Ye-Aah! Hang on- I mean, no! Come in! Gimme a sec!"
The papers were righted again, and Tsuna was not satisfied with this sort of distraction at all. Face flushed with embarrassment - especially since Reborn had been ever so proud to point out that his 'no good' student Dino had finally gotten over the need for the physical presence of his own family members around him in order to be 'good' - Tsuna wanted to dig a hole in the ground...
"Um... Dino-san? Is this," Tsuna resisted the urge to bite his lip and just walked over to the blonde. "This is about Hibari-san, isn't it?"
Dino stepped into the room and closed the door behind him, leaning against it. His grin didn't leave his face as he scanned the room, eyes narrowed. It wasn't that he didn't trust Tsuna - of course he did, the man was family to him - it was simply instinct. But naturally, there weren't any visible surveillance around the place.
Closing his eyes, the blond took a long, slow breath. It didn't help. His eyes snapped back open and he took a step forward, nearly grabbing Tsuna by the shoulders.
"Just what is going on, Tsuna?" He hissed lowly, throwing an arm out. "Yesterday, I came back to Italy and do you know what the first thing Bruno told me is? He told me that the Vongola and the Gesso are going to fight one-on-one tomorrow in the Gesso compound." He dragged a hand through his hair and resisted making a grab for his whip. "And not only that, he told me that the combatants are Byakuran and Kyouya, and guess what? Kyouya also seems to be dying of some sort of disease that no one seems to have the cure for!"
Turning away, Dino exhaled forcefully. "I don't like being kept out of the loop, Tsuna, especially not..." he bit his lip, then continued, "Especially not about Kyouya. He was my student, you know."
Tsuna closed his eyes, then looked at the ground. "Hibari-san didn't want you to find out," he frowned. He knew this would only upset Dino but the man probably needed to hear the rest of it or he wouldn't rest.
"Actually, Hibari-san didn't want any of us to find out. He thought he could beat the illness... But it's a biological weapon, and while Hibari-san is undeniably strong... he's still... "
Tsuna took a soft, shallow breath. "The Gesso has the cure. Byakuran-san will only hand it over if Hibari-san defeats him, and... Hibari-san will defeat him." Even if it was last thing he did.
Dino sighed, deep and heavy like he felt the weight of the world being placed on his shoulders. Crossing his arms, he turned away from Tsuna to stare out of the window. "I know that. Kyouya's own nature won't allow for anything else, but...
"I'm worried about what happens after that." He looked as if he might say more, but then he shook his head. "But there's no use worrying about it, really. Kyouya will do what he wants, and he will pull through."
He looked at Tsuna again, eyes suddenly piercing and tone business-like. "I'm more concerned now about Byakuran. It's not safe for you to hold the battle in his home ground, Tsuna."
The younger man nodded initially, then gasped and looked at him. They hadn't thought to ask Dino for help at all due to Hibari's wishes, but now...
"Dino-san," Tsuna murmured. "You're suggesting...?"
Dino gave a smile, reassuring smile, resisting the urge to pat Tsuna on the head. "I'm suggesting that you guys use the Cavallone compound. I have an outdoor training field that you can use - Kyouya can destroy it as much as he like." He chuckled lightly, but it sounded strained, so he stopped. "It's too dangerous to go to his home ground, and stupid to let him come into yours." He shrugged.
"This way, it will be more neutral."
Tsuna had to agree. He found himself nodding again. "That's pretty much the same thing Reborn told me, Dino-san." Minus the 'stupid student' comments. "None of us really thought it would be a good idea... this entire situation."
He bit his lip, thinking of the bullet that had originally been meant for himself.
And shook his head vigorously to clear the thought. "I'll talk to Byakuran-san about this. And if that doesn't work, I'll talk to the other families in the Alliance. Your reasoning... You're right," Tsuna nodded. "We shouldn't hold the fight on Gesso or Vongola ground."
Dino nodded, smiling slightly and clapping Tsuna on the shoulder. "I'll call Romario and ask him to prepare the grounds for tomorrow. I'm sure that you can get Byakuran to agree with you, Tsuna."
Tsuna smiled meekly, heartened by the encouragement. He nodded again, "I'll do whatever it takes, Dino-san. We're all concerned for Hibari-san's sake.
"... Do you want to see him?"
Dino blinked, and then laughed sheepishly. He pulled a hand through his hair again. "Am I that obvious?"
To that, Tsuna laughed lightly. "Dino-san wouldn't be Dino-san otherwise."
***
In the observatory above one of the training rooms, Reborn's fingers traced lightly over the computer simulation controls, leaning back against the swivel chair as he looked at Yamamoto and Hibari through the glass. Usually he would leave the two of them at it, trusting them to be able to deal with training by themselves, but... the situation was different, now.
Besides, he wanted to see Yamamoto's reaction to Hibari's words yesterday night.
They moved swiftly before his eyes. The hot blue and purple flames of their resolve licked the air and, if not for the fog-proof coating on the lens of the many cameras that surrounded the training room, Reborn would see little else but shimmers of heat and colour.
Reborn's fingers glided across the glass. There's something to be said about desperation, he mused, as objective as only an assassin used to planning hundreds of meticulous deaths could.
Hibari was improving by leaps and bounds - his flame was approaching the sort of purity and clarity that Reborn himself thought only possible for the Sky flame. And Yamamoto...
Yamamoto was moving with a serious, murderous intent that coloured his movements with the sort of viciousness that Reborn rarely saw from him. Their will power sparked and spiked against each others', pressing and fighting against each other with as much intensity as their flames and physical bodies were.
Reborn smiled, his fingers stopping at a lever as Yamamoto executed the Beccata di Rodine in mid-air. It wouldn't do for them to be complacent.
As Reborn pulled the lever and the training area dried up, a desert growing out of thin air, Tsuna entered the surveillance room.
"Reborn," Tsuna walked over and began. "Dino-san came over..."
And sure enough, the aforementioned man stood in the doorway with a bright smile to greet his ex-tutor. But it was quickly wiped away as his eyes strayed towards the twisting flames behind the thick glass.
Quickly, Dino walked into the observatory. The sight of the battle in the next room made his breath catch. It looked brutal. He'd never seen Yamamoto fight with such draconian resolve, and Hibari looked cadaverous.
Reborn tilted his head backwards to meet their eyes, nodding at them both. "Tsuna. Dino." Far from being surprised at Dino's entrance, he had expected it - after all, this silly student of his always had a particular attachment to his own student, and he had returned to Italy yesterday.
If Reborn was surprised by anything, it was that Dino had taken this long.
He turned his attentions back to the two training as their flames spiked again, increasing in intensity. Whistling under his breath in appreciation as Hibari's flames seemed to get even purer and clearer, he shrugged slightly at Dino's obvious worry.
"He's not going to let this stop him, you know."
Dino tried to smile. Really, he did. "Aah," he finally said, nodding, his gaze riveted upon the fighters. "Kyouya looks horrible," he murmured mournfully, then seemed to catch himself.
"That's what happens when your own body is trying to kill you," Reborn replied idly to Dino, raising an eyebrow. Really, both of his students were far too soft.
"Yeah..." Deliberately, Dino turned to face Reborn and Tsuna, and took a deep breath before he began. "I'm offering the use of one of my family's training compounds for the fight," Dino informed Reborn.
Tsuna nodded, "Byakuran-san will agree to it. I'll make sure of that."
Reborn nodded again, letting a wry smile creep over his lips as he turned back to look out of the window. In the training room, Hibari made a mid-air spin in the midst of the desert storm and aimed an upper-cut with his tonfa towards Yamamoto, who blocked it with the hilt of his sword. Both of them seemed to have mastered using their flames to fly - their movements were smoother than in the morning.
Smile widening, Reborn turned the lever up a little more. The wind whipped up further, loud enough to be heard through the glass. Then, he nodded.
"Good. Go talk to him to get him to agree, Tsuna."
"I will," Tsuna took a half-step back. "Reborn, do you know where Chrome is? I want to talk to Mukuro about this first."
Dino blinked. "Your Mist guardians?"
Tsuna inclined his head, "I think I was too hasty when I spoke with Byakuran before. I walked into the meeting thinking of how he was like in... the future that we changed. I should have been more prepared...
"But I can't repeat that mistake again. And if anyone can fill me in on how different Byakuran is now, and how that man thinks, it would be Mukuro."
Reborn's lips curved, a small, almost approving smile hidden by the brim of his hat. Tsuna was growing up nicely - he was thinking like a boss now, able to handle the heavy burden on his shoulders with grace rather than trying to avoid it.
Stuffing a hand into his pocket, Reborn stood up, pushing himself away from the table by his fingertips. He headed towards the door, stopping right in front of it. "Chrome is in the kitchens. Come with me, Dino."
***
While Tsuna left in search for Chrome, Dino quietly followed Reborn downstairs. After a stretch of silence, Dino opened his mouth to ask 'how is he,' only to stop himself for being silly. Reborn was taking him into the training room. He could ask Hibari himself. Hell, he could see him up close.
Dino shoved his hands in his pockets, feeling as though there could have been more. He should have done more for Hibari, somehow... rather than just offering him a place to fight.
Reborn glanced at him, but did not speak. Dino was far too old to be reminded of things he should never forget - things such as 'behave like a proper mafia boss' - and Reborn doubted that his words would even get into his head anyway, given how occupied he seemed to be with Hibari's plight.
Really, his silly students... they made too many strong emotional bonds. They always seem to want to protect others, even if they didn't need protecting. Reborn chuffed mentally, and then placed his hand on the doorknob. He hadn't given Hibari and Yamamoto a formal warning, but, given that it was those two, they had probably known he was coming from the sounds of his footsteps.
He twisted the doorknob, and pushed open the door.
Sure enough, the boys had stopped fighting; when Reborn left the observatory, he hadn't been stupid. Throwing Dino or his other students into a raging desert was one thing, but he turned off the simulations because he didn't need that sort of training himself. And as expected, the boys kept fighting until they heard his approaching footsteps.
The Shigure Kintoki was held low by Yamamoto's side, in its harmless form.
Hibari had a tonfa against Yamamoto's ribcage, their bodies pressed close enough that he could hear Yamamoto's fast, heated breaths and feel the rise and fall of his chest. He was smirking widely, smug, even as he took a step backwards, turning to acknowledge Reborn's presence. The world spun on its axis, but he did not stumble.
"Why did you stop us?" his voice was barely above a whisper.
Reborn crossed his arms, "Tomorrow is the match. There is no need for you to exert yourself unneccessarily today. Besides..." he glanced to Dino, prompting him without words.
"Kyouya..." Walking quickly from the corridor into the training room, Dino bridged the distance, stopping just before his ex-student and the Vongola Rain guardian. "Yamamoto," he nodded in greeting. Honestly, Reborn was right. Hibari looked ashen, so close to death. It was a miracle he was still breathing, even if his breathes sounded shallow and laboured.
"Looks like you guys had quite the workout," Dino managed.
"It was, Dino-san." Yamamoto nodded. He smiled too easily, Dino thought, but then again, Yamamoto could smile at anything, couldn't he?
Hibari closed his eyes, his arms dropping back to his sides, limp. But he didn't let go of his tonfas - if anything, his hands clenched tighter around them as he took a long breath and lifted his head, meeting Dino's eyes.
"Bucking Horse," he stated tonelessly. But there was a certain angry heat in his gaze. Stop pitying me.
"Kyouya," Dino answered warmly, seemingly oblivious to the warning in Hibari's eyes, "How are you feeling? Raring to go take a bite out of Byakuran?"
Hibari simply gave him a flat stare in response while Reborn chuckled beside him. "Of course." His lips drew back into a half-smirk, half-snarl as he whispered, "I'll bite him to death."
"Good," Dino nodded with an approving smile.
Then, he did something that surprised Yamamoto. Reborn expected it, of course, whereas Hibari... should have known.
When Dino suddenly pulled him into his arms, Hibari froze. Then immediately tried to push him away and draw his tonfas back to smash Dino's face in. But Dino had anticipated that, and pinned Hibari's arms to his side with the hug.
He growled at him, all teeth and feral rage. Hibari struggled within Dino's arms, trying to push him away. That Bucking Horse... he hadn't tried this in years, not since he married, but Hibari had let his guard down around him nonetheless. Fingers tightening around Dino's shoulders, Hibari tried to push him away, his breaths sharp and harsh and quick.
Dino held fast.
"Let... me... go," Hibari bit out, anger in his eyes.
But his captor just chuckled against his shoulder, and whispered, "Ah, Kyouya... I missed you. I came right over here when I heard what happened..." Finally, he stepped back and earnestly asked, "Why didn't you tell me what was going on?"
Yamamoto laughed at that, a slightly hollow sound that was starting to grate on Hibari's nerves. "Don't take it personally, Dino-san. Hibari didn't tell anyone."
Hibari's eyes were closed as he tried to regulate his breathing again. Training with Yamamoto had taken more out of his now-weakened body than he would have liked, and the struggle sent a sharp spike of pain down his spine as his lungs fought for air. When Dino finally released him, he raised his arms, pushing him further away and stumbling slightly back.
"It's none of your business anyway, Bucking Horse."
Dino reached out, as if it'd help keep Hibari from falling, but before then, Yamamoto had his freehand against the small of Hibari's back. Just a brief touch. After a second, wherein Hibari turned to glare at him, the young man retracted his hand and conversationally continued, "So, Dino-san, how's your family?"
Reborn's lips twitched. He turned away, chuckling softly at the situation. Perhaps the three of them were completely oblivious to the low, simmering tension between them, but Reborn himself was not. It was all terribly amusing really, but it was also rather disappointing and frustrating - if anyone should recognize it, Dino should, yet the man seemed just as oblivious as the other two.
It was just as well, Reborn supposed. If Hibari was aware that Dino and Yamamoto seemed to be unconsciously fighting over him, he would have bitten those two to death immediately, and right now, he couldn't spare the energy.
Hibari turned his glare towards Reborn for a moment, irritated by the laugh, before he gritted his teeth, nearly grinding them as his fingers tightened around his tonfa. Then he strode towards the door.
Dino was in the middle of answering Yamamoto, about Romerio watching over his wife and children, and that everything was fine. But when Hibari started walking away, he turned and called out to him instead.
"Kyouya," he caught up with him with a couple of quick, large steps. "... Tsuna's going to talk to the Gesso about changing your battle arena to more... neutral ground."
Idly, Yamamoto wondered why he felt a little irritated towards the older man.
Hibari stopped in his tracks, but he didn't turn around. "The Cavallone compound, wasn't it?" A soft, dry chuckle escaped him, mirthless and derisive. "You seem to like to meddle, Bucking Horse. But very well."
He pushed the door open and left the room, heading for his own.
Reborn watched him go, noting with nearly objective eyes the tense set of Hibari's shoulders and the barely perceptible trembling of his hands. He shook his head, pulling the brim of his fedora down to shield his eyes. There was no use in worrying about Hibari.
Yamamoto reminded himself that Dino Cavallone was Hibari's mentor in the past; of course the man would be worried to the point of ignoring Hibari's personal space and whatnot. In fact, hadn't Yamamoto acted with as much concern?
But then... as Gokudera pointed out, he really liked Hibari. Really, really liked Hibari. Heck, Reborn was probably as worried about Hibari as Dino was. Reborn was just better at hiding his emotions.
"Dino-san," Yamamoto smiled at the man brightly. "You really care about Hibari, don't you?"
Dino rubbed the back of his neck as he stared at the door from which Hibari left. He felt a little sheepish, a little uneasy, and a lot helpless. Heaving a soft, deep sigh, he turned back to Yamamoto, giving him a slightly strained smile.
"Well, Kyouya was my student, you know?" He tried to keep his tone light. "And Reborn always told me that a good tutor keeps with his student until the end."
Reborn snorted, pivoting on his heel and heading for the door. "Don't bring me into this, Dino."
Yamamoto laughed, since he'd just been thinking about how, despite the obvious differences, Dino and Reborn could be so similar in certain ways. "I get it. My old man always tells me a good man should look out for his loved ones," he answered with an agreeable nod.
Dino's smile changed, growing wider and a little easier even as Reborn left the room. He let his hands drop back to his sides and shove them into his pocket. Loved ones.... huh?
Well, Yamamoto was a decent guy at least, if Dino wasn't misinterpreting his words.
"Yea," he nodded. "He should protect them the best he can, right?"
Yamamoto nodded back. "Or in Hibari's case, I guess it's fighting a good fight with him whenever he's up for it." He tilted his head inquiringly. "How was it like when you trained him?"
Dino laughed a little, walking over towards the wall and leaning against it. Crossing his arms, he tilted his head up to stare at the ceiling. Yamamoto seemed to know Hibari well enough, at least.
"Intense," he admitted. "That guy... he didn't admit defeat, not even when he was half-dead with exhaustion after fighting for two days straight without rest. He even forced me to improve, just by fighting him." He shook his head, and then turned to look straight into Yamamoto's eyes.
"I don't mean protection in only that literal sense, Yamamoto."
"Huh?" Yamamoto blinked, and then grinned, "You mean besides training him... and training with him, right?" He sheathed his sword, carefully putting it away in his black sword-bag. "Kusakabe-san said something like that before, too. That Hibari doesn't know when to stop and listen to his own body, and... get help, huh?"
Perhaps not that well at all. Dino's lips curved up into a smirk, half-amused and half-pleased. He shrugged a little, "Kyouya doesn't listen to his body in general. He does what he wants, and sometimes he goes too far."
He chuckled a little, lifting his eyes to look at Yamamoto through his lashes. "I supposed that Kusakabe would know best, yes."
"Yeah. That's why I asked him," Yamamoto admitted, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Actually, Kusakabe-san also said that you might know Hibari better in some regards. I just didn't want to ask you when Hibari didn't want anyone else to find out about... well, you know."
Dino's eyebrows twitched slightly at that, his eyes narrowing as he stared at Yamamoto. Then he shrugged, pushing away from the wall and shoving his hands into his pockets. He cocked his head to the side, "You're talking like you knew he was sick before everyone else did."
"I did."
Yamamoto blinked, unsure of why he was starting to feel a little antsy. There was a slight shift in the way Dino phased his... not-quite-statement. Question?
"Well, I found out before the rest of the Vongola did, but Kusakabe and Hibari's doctors knew beforehand. They had to know."
He trailed off, recalling that first evening where the stars in the night sky outshone rustic Italian streetlights, only to be eclipsed by Hibari, leaning against the balustrade with a small cup of sake in his deceptively delicate hands. That evening when Hibari still seemed quite healthy, despite the fact that his lungs were slowly failing him, and he had looked so beautiful. Not sick.
It'd only been a soft cough, the first one. But he couldn't stop himself.
Yamamoto couldn't recall how long Hibari kept coughing, but thinking back about it made it seem like an eternity. He shook his head. "I was just there when he... started coughing."
Coughing... Dino's brow furrowed into a deep frown. From what he had heard from Bruno, what was wrong with Hibari was that his lungs were... collapsing into themselves, the cells breaking down one by one. There was nothing anyone could do - nothing he could do - about it now. But Yamamoto... His eyes narrowed further.
"Yamamoto. When did you know?"
"... It was... about two months ago," Yamamoto answered. He looked down at the happy memories that night that were now tinted with Hibari's condition. "The Ten Year Reunion party.
"I didn't know what was going on in the beginning, and it looked bad, but he insisted he was all right. I did a bit of digging at Namimori hospital afterwards, but..."
The Ten Year Reunion party... Dino's fingers tightened into a fist. He was there, yet he hadn't noticed a single thing wrong with Hibari. During the entire night, he had glanced over to Hibari perhaps once or twice only, and noticed far too late when he had disappeared.
Damnit. His knuckles turned white from clenching his fist so hard. He himself was at fault for not noticing, yet...
"You knew for two months," his voice was level, almost friendly. "And yet you didn't do a thing. Or told anyone."
Yamamoto flinched, and stared at Dino, shocked. Even he wasn't as oblivious as to let such an accusation fly over his head.
"I told Reborn, Dino-san," he replied with a clipped tone, just short of being downright curt. "I requested for missions with Hibari, made sure he ate, and..." He eyed Dino's hands, and then looked solemnly back into his eyes, "I got upset at everybody, too - just like you."
Dino shook his head sharply, viciously. He looked up at the curt tone, and the anger that he could hear in Yamamoto's tone only fed his. Taking two steps forward, he grabbed a fistful of Yamamoto's shirt and slammed him against the wall. His narrowed eyes, filled with rage, were the only things that betrayed his emotions - his face was completely smooth and serene.
He had learnt a few things over the years.
"No," he hissed softly. "No, you were not 'just like me'. You could have done more. For him. You could have told more people, hell, you could have told me." His hand tightened around the cloth. "No, it wasn't the same situation, because you could have done something, while I didn't know a thing."
Sword-bag sliding off his shoulder, Yamamoto fisted the strap and hung onto it tightly, as if that could restrain his rising anger.
Dino Cavallone, he reminded himself, wasn't there when he was by Hibari's side when the other man fell comatose. He wasn't there when Yamamoto was beating himself up over not doing more for Hibari, not trying hard enough, not telling more people because he had believed, had hoped that everything would turn out all right as it always has. That hard work always pays off, and Hibari always worked hard to get his way. Dino wasn't there when Yamamoto realized how very wrong and idealistic he was.
"If I had known then what I do now, I would have done more, for him," he whispered. "Dino-san." He took a deep breath. "I'm not your enemy."
Dino closed his eyes and exhaled. He knew; he knew that he was being irrational. He knew that what he was doing was useless and perhaps even counterproductive. All he was doing now was lashing out at Yamamoto because Hibari's illness - Hibari's impending death - simply wasn't something he could fight against. Dino had been too used to being able to fight against whatever that threatened his family - most often it was by using his whip, or his mind, or his connections. But...
But here was something he couldn't defend against. Here was something he was completely helpless to. Yamamoto could help Hibari by training with him, yet Dino was so late, so very late that the only thing he could do was to provide a neutral ground for Hibari's battle. For what might just become his last battle.
Dropping his head to his chest, he let go of Yamamoto's shirt and moved over to lean against the wall beside him. His shoes seemed fascinating for all of five seconds before he spoke again.
"Sorry. It... wasn't your fault."
After a long stretch of silence, Yamamoto sighed and shook his head. "It's not yours either. Hibari's someone we both care about.
"And we're not the only ones. Everyone's been really upset." To put it lightly.
Dino chuckled softly, but it was mirthless. "Yea. I can imagine that." He glanced at Yamamoto briefly, and then shrugged, straightening back up. "You all seem rather... close."
Yamamoto grinned then. "We're family," he shrugged. "I know Hibari likes to keep to himself more, but... he's always been there when we really need him..." He trailed off, thinking of all those times in their youth, when Hibari was the one who'd find him in a moment of weakness, and tell him to get back on his feet.
Dino found himself nodding immediately. "Yea," he smiled slightly, tilting his head up to stare at the ceiling. "Yea, Kyouya's always been like that. Stubborn as hell, always wanting his own way, refusing to work with others... yet somehow so very dependable." He shook his head. "He's such a contradiction."
Again, Yamamoto found himself in agreement. He nodded, sighed softly, and his next words tumbled out in an unbidden, despairing hush.
"I really like him."
Dino blinked at the sudden confession, whipping around to stare at Yamamoto for a long moment, his mouth falling open slightly. Then he closed his eyes, shaking his head and chuckling under his breath. Well, at least the younger man realized it soon enough... Dino stared at the gold band on his ring finger.
Then, he seemed to perk up, an easy smile curving his lips again as he looked at Yamamoto. "Yea. It's sort of easy to tell."
Yamamoto was staring at the floor, the faintest of blushes upon his cheeks. He scratched his head and laughed lightly, peering up at Dino again as he answered, "It is, isn't it? Haha, I don't think Hibari can tell though."
"Kyouya is sort of dense," Dino answered frankly, scratching lightly at the tattoo on the back of his hand. "Even if you might be as obvious as a blinking Christmas tree in the middle of summer, he won't get it." His tone was wry, amused, and just slightly resigned.
He tapped a finger against his lip, tilting his head to the side and returning Yamamoto's stare. "Do you know the way he thinks?"
"Huh?" Yamamoto started back at him blankly, half imagining Hibari's reaction to a decorated Christmas tree on a beach.
Dino took in the entirely confused look on Yamamoto's face. For a moment, he let the frisson of smug pleasure run through him before he straightened himself and shook it out of his mind. Yamamoto was...
Just as dense as Hibari was, if not more. His lips twitched slightly.
But he held back the laughter and simply grinned at the other man. "I think you're sort of dense too." He let a laugh escape his lips. "But it is okay, I suppose."
"Ahahaha, that's what Gokudera says all the time," Yamamoto quipped. Without the second part, he didn't bother to elaborate.
He shouldered his sword-bag again. "... Hibari's probably taking a shower right now. I'm gonna grab a quick one myself. I'll see you later, right, Dino-san?"
Dino nodded, his grin widening slightly, "Yea. You all aren't getting rid of me so easily."
"Haha," Yamamoto laughed. Then schooled his face and bowed. "Thank you..."
He grinned sheepishly, straightened up and turned around, feeling lighter for having confessed what he felt. Though Yamamoto couldn't bring himself to tell Hibari, what with the man's fight with Byakuran tomorrow, telling Dino did something good nonetheless.
TBC