Disclaimers: Don't own KHR or its characters.

Warnings: fluff, swearing.

With lots of love and appreciation for my beta, AmbiguousThoughts :D You are wonderful my darling, even after all this time of me being so terribly AWOL.

UN-BETA'ed FOR NOW.

Yamamoto had no idea what exactly had gotten into Hibari, but he most definitely enjoyed what it was doing – more precisely, what it made Hibari do to him.

Hibari was on top of him on his bed with legs on either side of his body, hands roaming his torso, lips meshing hotly with Yamamoto's own. The baseball player was turned on beyond compare, part of the thrill being how unexpected the act was. Of course, Yamamoto knew Hibari was a beast in fights, but he never thought that the same streak could appear in a sexual context as well. And lord, Hibari was so damn hot on top of him, seducing him as though Yamamoto was his favorite prey.

Hibari tugged on Yamamoto's bottom lip with his teeth, urging him for more, and Yamamoto responded by flipping Hibari onto his back, resting his full weight on top of the petite form. He bit down on Hibari's collar bone, the Skylark clawed his shoulders, and the two moaned simultaneously. Then, Hibari returned the act by sucking harshly on the sensitive area a little behind his ear. Yamamoto moaned his approval.

They were delving down into a whirlpool of desire; deeper and more intense with every warm breath on each other's skin, every delicious sparks shivering right through their spines.

But just as Hibari began to pull Yamamoto's shirt off him, something hit the baseball player – and it hit him harder than a blow to his head.

Tobacco.

There was a faint but definitely clear scent of tobacco on his bed sheets – and Yamamoto knew exactly where it came from. The burning desire within him was instantly put out, and all he could feel was a huge, thick lump of horrible guilt sitting heavily in his stomach.

Gokudera.

The realization of the crime he committed made him want to throw up. Yamamoto stopped the hand pulling at his shirt, weakly mumbling, "Hibari..."

Hibari's dark, sharp eyes looked up at him. The Skylark's cheeks were tinted with a red hue. His lips, damp and kiss-swollen, were parted slightly as he panted for breath. "...yeah?"

"Stop," Yamamoto sat up, closing his eyes. Hibari was too tempting a vision beneath him.

Hibari got up as well, draping his arms around Yamamoto's neck. He pressed soft, warm kisses down Yamamoto's neck and murmured in a low voice, "I don't want to..."

Oh god...Yamamoto was torn. But, with a deep breath, he managed to rest two firm hands on Hibari's shoulders and held him back. His voice was gentle, "No. Really, stop."

"Why?" Hibari's dark eyes confronted him. Then, after a pause, he frowned, "You don't want-"

"No, no, it's not like that," Yamamoto quickly pressed a soft kiss to Hibari's lips, whispering, "I want to. Trust me, I do. Just – not now; not here... my dad's downstairs."

...and I can't do Gokudera anymore wrong. This is already far too cruel.

It took a moment, but Hibari finally nodded and sighed, "Makes sense."

Yamamoto felt relief wash over him. If Hibari was to lure him any further, he really would not know how to stop him without giving anything away. Plus, it was already too hard to resist him as is. The Skylark most certainly knew how to tempt a man.

Hibari blew out a hot sigh, running his fingers through his hair with his eyes closed, "I have to cool down."

"Hm?" Yamamoto raised a brow.

Hibari glanced at Yamamoto for a moment before he crawled closer and whispered into his ear, "I can't be in the same room as you right now without wanting your hands all over me. Do you understand?"

Yamamoto swallowed thickly, feeling his face burn. Really, what has gotten into him today...

Hibari smirked, pleased by Yamamoto's reaction. He pecked Yamamoto's lips one last time, "Save it for later."

Then Hibari was gone, just like that, came and gone as quickly as he pleased. Yamamoto was left on the bed, dumbstruck. Then after a moment, he let out a sigh. Hibari shocked him with his spontaneous side and, surprisingly, Yamamoto found that he liked that about the prefect, too. He truly was amazing, that Skylark of his.

-which only made Yamamoto feel guiltier for what he was doing.

Yamamoto turned to the bathroom door, afraid to even approach it. Perhaps he was imagining things, but Yamamoto could have sworn he saw a dark aura emanating from the door frames. There were no sounds, but that made it even more intimidating – because silence often came before a storm.

And as Yamamoto walked carefully towards the door, he held his breath, preparing himself for the worst.

Tobacco.

It wasn't distinct before, but as Hibari stepped out of the Yamamoto household, he was certain of it. There was a very faint but definitive taste of tobacco lingering on his tongue. Hibari didn't smoke – he hated the smell of it ever since he was a child – but he knew the flavor well enough. Because even if he didn't want to, Hibari remembered the way Dino's lips and tongue tasted during post-smoke kisses. Of course, Dino only very occasionally smoked, and never in front of Hibari – but the Skylark's senses were so extraordinarily sharp that he could spot every slightest tinge on the tip of his tongue.

And now that he gave it some thought, Hibari realized that there was a clinging scent of cigarette smoke in Yamamoto's room as well.

He frowned. Glancing at Yamamoto's bedroom window, Hibari wondered.

...since when and how did a guy like him start smoking?

Gokudera's knuckles were bleeding. The skin that stretched over the joints was scraped. Blood oozed and trickled out of the fresh wounds. His hands were fisted into balls so tight his fingernails dug themselves painfully into his palm. His teeth were clenched. His body was tense. His eyes were burning.

Gokudera was furious. He was so damn furious and frustrated and angry and jealous and bitter and disappointed and hurt, hurt, hurt. For all of his raging emotions, what struck him the hardest was how broken he felt. The pain was overbearing. Gokudera couldn't remember being caused to feel this way by anyone other than his father; and the worst part was that the overwhelming fury was only there as a cover for the far more agonizing ache in his chest.

BANG.

He punched the wall with his bleeding fist once more, hoping that the physical pain might distract him from the gut-wrenching emotional turmoil. But it didn't work. His heart still hurt as though someone plunged a dagger through its core.

"Fuck..." Gokudera muttered through gritted teeth, resting his forehead on the wall and closing his eyes. He felt completely pathetic and weak and stupid – pathetic for feeling the things he did; weak for allowing this to happen to himself; and so, so ridiculously stupid to still be hanging on.

"Gokudera."

The silvernette need not turn around to see who it was, and he did not want to. The last thing he needed right now was to see Yamamoto's face with his kiss-swollen lips from the earlier encounter with Hibari. Neither did Gokudera have any need to see Yamamoto's expression – he already knew what it was. He'd seen it enough times and knew Yamamoto well enough by now: Yamamoto's face would be guilt-ridden, those dark chocolate eyes filled with remorse.

"You're bleeding..." Yamamoto gently touched his wrist.

"Don't!" Gokudera jerked away from him in an almost disgusted manner, "Don't you dare touch me right now."

Don't put those hands on me.

Yamamoto didn't try to touch him, but he still stood close by. "Gokudera, I'm-"

"Shut up!" Gokudera yelled, "Shut the fuck up! Don't even say a fucking word!"

"Please, Goku-"

"I told you to shut it!" Gokudera snapped his head around to glare at Yamamoto. Then, when he saw Yamamoto's pained expression, Gokudera lost it.

SLAM.

Gokudera grabbed Yamamoto by the collar and slammed him against the wall. Yamamoto closed his eyes and took in the impact – if it made Gokudera feel better, he was willing to take anything at that moment.

"Go ahead," Yamamoto murmured softly, opening his eyes to look at Gokudera. "Hit me. Do whatever you want."

SLAM.

Gokudera punched him across the face full-force, not holding back one single bit. The silvernette was already shouting at Yamamoto even before he fully regained his composure. "You don't get to do that! You don't fucking get to stand there looking like that! You don't even understand half of what I'm going through! Not even half!"

You don't get to look so sad when I'm the one suffering this much.

Yamamoto remained silent. He watched Gokudera go on.

"You knew I was in here. You fucking knew! And then when he appeared you just forgot all about me, all about us, and you were all over him. Seriously, what the fuck, Yamamoto? I heard everything. Every-bloody-thing. Do you have any idea how that makes me feel? You're such a stupid, motherfucking idiot. You hear me? You're an idiot! You idiot, you idiot, you bloody idiot! You deserve much more than a punch for what you did! You selfish, selfish bastard... how could you – how the hell could you do that to me?" Gokudera's emerald eyes were brimming up with tears, but he hurriedly rubbed them away with the back of his hands. "Fuck it. I am not going to cry..."

Yamamoto tried to pull Gokudera's hands away from violently rubbing his eyes, but Gokudera yanked himself away.

"Bloody tears- won't go away..." Gokudera grumbled, voice muffled by his hands. "I won't cry because of you... you're not worth it, Yamamoto. Why should I even let you do this to me? Why should I be on the sidelines and go through all this just for you? You're not- you shouldn't be worth it..."

Gokudera was trembling. Yamamoto could not stand watching any longer. Instinctively, Yamamoto pulled Gokudera into his arms – and even when Gokudera tried to pull away, he didn't let go. More tears poured out of the silvernette's eyes. In his emotionally unstable state, Gokudera couldn't render enough energy to push Yamamoto off him.

"Let go! You motherfucking asshole! Let me go!" Gokudera struggled in Yamamoto's firm hold.

Yamamoto did not budge. He tried to calm Gokudera down with his gentle voice, sifting his fingers through Gokudera's hair. "I'm sorry..."

"No! This is not fair. You don't get to do this..." Gokudera visibly weakened, tears rolling down his cheeks. "You don't get to make me become like this..."

"I know," Yamamoto murmured softly, "I know. I'm so sorry..."

Gokudera hid his face away from him. His voice was quiet, "Let go of me. Just... let go."

"I'm sorry, Gokudera," Yamamoto whispered in his ears, "I'm so, so sorry..."

I'm sorry for doing this to you. I know I should let you go... but I can't, Gokudera. Even the thought of it is too much for me to take. Yamamoto hugged Gokudera closer, burying his face into Gokudera's hair, feeling his own eyes grow wet. I'm sorry for being so selfish, and I wish I knew how to make things better for everyone, but I just... I just can't. I don't know how to make it work, how to make it right.

Gokudera cried harder and hated himself for doing so. He shouldn't give in so easily. He shouldn't even let this continue on for a second longer. What Gokudera should do was shove Yamamoto off and never even glance back at the person who treated him in such a terrible way.

But just because he 'should' didn't mean he 'could'. Just as Yamamoto couldn't let him go, Gokudera was simply incapable of leaving Yamamoto – especially not when Yamamoto was embracing him this way, murmuring hundreds of genuine apologies into his ears.

"Damn you, Yamamoto..." Gokudera muttered through tears, "Damn. You."

Damn you for being there when I needed you. Damn you for that smile and that warmth of yours. Damn your hugs and kisses that I can't resist – and damn you for fucking sharing them with someone else. Damn all of the heartwarming things you say to me. Damn the comfort you give me. Damn it all. Damn you for coming into my life...

...and damn, damn you for making me love you.

"You can't keep on doing this. We can't keep on doing this," Gokudera shook his head, "I can't take it."

If it's going to end, better to end it quickly before I fall even deeper for you.

Yamamoto nodded solemnly, "I know."

"I can't give you a month," Gokudera gripped his shirt. I can hardly stand a day.

Yamamoto lifted one of Gokudera's hands and pressed a kiss on the back of it. He noticed the bleeding knuckles and felt guilt physically trapped in his throat.

"This...'situation' must end – quickly. At most, in a week," Gokudera's voice got quieter, "No matter whom you decide to end it with."

"Gokudera..." Yamamoto felt choked.

Gokudera's eyes were looking right into Yamamoto's own. Those emerald pools looked so sad and broken in that moment, it left Yamamoto speechless. He didn't know what he could do or say to make it better. The sorrow in those eyes couldn't be healed by the current him. The current Yamamoto, who still shared his heart for someone else, did not have the ability to fix Gokudera – nor was he in the position to do anything of the sort.

But looking into those teary eyes, Yamamoto knew one thing, well and clear.

Yamamoto had always wanted Gokudera's pain and grief to disappear, but only now did he realize he wanted to be the one to make it happen, and not anybody else.

For in his mind – even though unconsciously so – Gokudera already belonged to him.

Lancia's House, AKA Dynamite's HQ, 7.01am

"Hey, you sure you want to go to school today?" Spanner caught Gokudera's arm just as the silvernette was about to head out.

Gokudera looked at him, "Yeah, why?"

"You don't... look so good," Spanner didn't know how to phrase it, "Like you've run out of gas – or battery. Like a machine running on reserve. Or maybe some kind of a tank that's leaking out all of its-"

"Spanner," Gokudera interrupted him, "Shut up. You talking is making my brain hurt."

"No, seriously man, you look bad. There's no color on you," Spanner was concerned. Gokudera really did look out of sorts. His eyes were puffy with dark circles beneath them, and his lips were dry and pale. "You look sick – and I mean in a bad way."

"Well, I feel sick," Gokudera muttered, feeling his head pound.

"Then why are you still going? Go back to bed," Spanner frowned.

Gokudera, noticing the worried frown, pushed the blonde's head away, "Oi. Save it for the redhead – he's the one you should be taking care of, not me. I'm not your bloody boyfriend."

"Shouichi's still sleeping," Spanner shrugged, sucking on his lollipop absentmindedly.

Despite his headache, Gokudera managed a smirk. "Had a rough night? Man, you guys were up until dawn. I didn't even think Mr. Four-eyes had the stamina to do that."

Spanner gave him a look.

Gokudera leaned in and whispered in a low voice, "...didn't take him for a screamer, either."

"Jerk," Spanner rolled his eyes, pushing the laughing Gokudera through the door. "Get going. Obviously you still have more than enough energy."

"Aw, Spanner, there's no need to be shy," Gokudera chuckled, clearly enjoying the ability to put his dear friend on a spot.

Unfortunately, Spanner had a liking to the very same ability. That became very clear when the mechanic's lips curved into a little grin as he mumbled, "I bet that baseball jock of yours could make you scream, too."

Gokudera glared at him. "Oi, low blow."

"What was his name again? Takashi? Ah, I know, Yamamoto Takeshi."

"Shut it, Spanner."

The blonde shrugged, "True though, isn't it?"

"I'm leaving," Gokudera pushed past him.

"Aw, now who's being shy?" Spanner poked his friend's – obviously pale – cheek.

Gokudera didn't bother to reply. His head throbbed, his muscles felts worn out, his hands and feet were sweaty, and frankly, he wasn't in the mindset to deal with Spanner or anyone this morning. The silvernette felt sick, on several levels, and he was pretty sure he had a rather serious fever. He threw up once last night when he was crying – and then again in the morning, because he thought it would make him feel better. But in reality it only worsened his already-unbearable headache.

But he had to go to school. Even if he didn't want to see Yamamoto's face, he couldn't risk being away and leaving Yamamoto alone with Hibari. There was no time to be wasted. He couldn't afford to let Yamamoto and Hibari bond any further.

Nobody ever had this sort of impact on Gokudera, and nobody ever brought out so much determination in him.

It made Gokudera more certain that he couldn't let Yamamoto go – because, honestly, he did not know what losing Yamamoto would do to him.

Namimori High School, 7.18am

Yamamoto sat across the prefect's office, watching Hibari from the sofa. The Skylark was in his usual seat, arms crossed with eyes closed shut and sleeping soundlessly, his pet bird – 'Hibird' – resting on his lap.

So beautiful.

Yamamoto had always found Hibari undeniably attractive. His milky smooth complexion contrasted somewhat perfectly with his dark hair and intense eyes; and his body, although petite, was well-toned from his physical exertion in fights and training. And yet, despite all those fights, Yamamoto had never seen a single scar on Hibari's body from what had been exposed to him so far.

That contrasted with Gokudera. The silvernette had so many scars, stitches and bruises on his body that one could say they were part of him. Not that it made Gokudera any less attractive. In fact, the scars on his body only made him even more exotic.

Exotic. That was the word for it. Whereas Hibari was the epitome of traditional ideal Japanese beauty, Gokudera's beauty was unexpected and almost 'alien'. Apart from the fact that the two both had petite forms, physically they had nothing in common.

Well, perhaps there were the pink-tinted lips; the long eyelashes; the way those eyes deepened in the same way when Yamamoto looked into them; that similar tiny glint in those eyes that hinted at their hidden sorrow...

How could I possibly bring myself to hurt one of them? Yamamoto felt torn.

The look on Gokudera's face yesterday was still imprinted in his mind – it haunted him even in his sleep. He would hate to see the same look on Hibari's face as well.

But all the same, he couldn't stand it anymore. The guilt was too much – and he respected Hibari too much.

I have to do this.

"...Yamamoto?" Hibari had woken up. His eyes blinked sleepily before he stretched and yawned like a cat.

"Morning, Hibari," Yamamoto murmured, smiling warmly at his lover.

"Come closer," Hibari commanded softly, his eyes still drowsy with sleep.

Yamamoto's smile grew a little wider, and he walked towards the chair Hibari sat in.

I will do this.

The minute Yamamoto got close enough, Hibari reached out and grabbed Yamamoto's necktie. Then, he pulled Yamamoto down towards him in one sharp tug, close enough that their lips just barely touched.

Yamamoto blinked in pleasant surprise.

Hibari closed his eyes and chuckled.

Yamamoto's heart throbbed. Just when he finally became this affectionate as well...

Hibari reopened his eyes, and once they met Yamamoto's, a spark ran between them. The memory of their recent steamy encounter was still fresh in their minds, and so was the chemistry bubbling between them.

Just one. Just one more.

"Hibari," Yamamoto whispered his name as he intertwined his fingers with him.

"Hn?" Hibari did not avoid his gaze. Yamamoto adored that.

With a smile, Yamamoto kissed him – long and gentle, allowing the kiss the melt naturally into their meshing lips. Yamamoto's other hand came up to caress Hibari's cheek, his fingertips just toying lovingly with the roots of his hair.

Hibari sighed into the kiss, draping his unbound arm around Yamamoto's neck. It was just so natural being with Yamamoto. Hibari felt as though he could truly relax and be comfortable in his own skin whenever he's around him.

They paused to take a breath, and Yamamoto moved to kiss Hibari's soft cheeks instead. He smelled like the first bloom of cherry blossoms, and Yamamoto could not hold in his smile.

Hibari looked at him curiously, "Why are you smiling like that?"

"I'm happy," Yamamoto answered simply, moving down to nuzzle Hibari's neck.

"You always are," Hibari noted.

Yamamoto pulled back to look Hibari in the eyes, "Even more so with you."

That is why I so cherish this moment.

"Hn," Hibari rested his head on Yamamoto's chest, taking in his warmth.

Yamamoto held him closer, smiled down at him, a tiny sad tinge in his eyes. He inhaled deeply before he spoke, "Hibari."

"Hn?"

"Can you meet me at the rooftop this lunchtime?"

"Yes." Hibari nodded and then looked up at him. "Why?"

I have to do this.

"...I have to tell you something."

I have to tell you about Gokudera.

Namimori High School, 7.29am

Outside of the prefect's office, a man was looking through the window – through the smallest hidden slit in the curtains inside. It was a slit he found, three years prior, and it was the same slit he always had used for two years, whilst he was here as a medical gap student, to look at the very same prefect. Watching the Skylark always brought a smile to his face.

But never once did he expect to see something that would break his heart the way it just did.

Dino Cavallone had thought that Hibari was lying when he told him that he already found someone new. Or if it was true, Dino was certain that at least what Hibari shared with that 'someone' would not at all be able to compete with what he and Hibari had shared in the past. He thought that, surely, Hibari only had someone new to fill up the hole he left – that once Dino came back, Hibari would definitely choose him over the 'new guy'.

But now Dino realized that he had been too full of himself. It became clear as day when he saw the way Hibari looked at Yamamoto, the way Hibari relaxed into his kiss. There was nothing at all 'fake' between them – just as how there never had been anything 'fake' between Dino and the Skylark.

The blonde clenched his fists and walked away.

He wasn't going to give up. Hibari was his Skylark, and Dino wouldn't – couldn't – have it any other way.

Namimori High School, 12.21pm

Ridiculous. Everything was so ridiculous at this point.

By lunchtime, Gokudera was on the verge of collapsing. His skin was on fire, his throat was raked, and his vision was constantly clouded with black spots – and truthfully, he didn't see the point of it all. Now that he was suffering the full dose of his illness, it occurred to Gokudera how dumb it was of him to come to school. He came because he didn't want Yamamoto to spend more time with Hibari, but since Gokudera was still avoiding Yamamoto him being here didn't really have any effect in that matter.

"Ugh, this sucks," Gokudera groaned under his breath, staggering towards a wall he could lean on. He was feeling nauseous again. He could taste acid in his mouth and the smell of vomit was up his throat. It was disgusting – Gokudera felt disgusting.

He leaned his head against his hand on the wall, feeling the heat of his forehead. It was burning. "Damn."

Then, right on cue, came the voice he had been avoiding all day, "...Gokudera?"

It was Yamamoto.

Damn.

"Gokudera, what's wrong?" Yamamoto grabbed his shoulder, his face written with terrible concern. His pressed his backhand on Gokudera's neck. "Whoa, you have a really high fever."

Gokudera attempted to pull away, "Leave me alone."

"No," Yamamoto immediately shook his head, turning Gokudera around so that he could further inspect him. He cupped his lover's cheek and ran his thumb over Gokudera's dry, colorless lips, frowning in concern. "You're not well."

Huh, no shit, genius. Gokudera wanted to scoff, but found that he didn't have the energy to do so. It was difficult enough to barely stand upright. But he wasn't going to let Yamamoto know. The last thing he wanted was pity from this man. Not to mention, he was still more than a little pissed off at him. "Fuck off, Yamamoto. I don't want to see your face."

The sentence was meant to come out as a low growl, but due to Gokudera's terrible form, he only managed to utter it in a whimper.

Tch. Pathetic. Gokudera cursed himself under his breath.

Of course, Yamamoto didn't budge one bit. In fact, the baseball player was even holding onto him more securely than before. "Look, you have every right to be mad at me..."

Damn right, idiot. Gokudera tried to glare. It turned out to be more of a dazed expression as his eyes once again became clouded over.

Yamamoto continued in a soft voice, "But please, don't do this. Let me help. It kills me to see you like this."

Well whose goddamn fault is it that I'm like this? Gokudera thought as he swung his arms weakly at Yamamoto in an attempt to swat at him. His eyes were now almost blinded by the growing dark spots that crawled all over his vision.

Bile was building up in Gokudera's throat once again, forcing its way up and outwards. Oh, ugh. Ew. Fuck.

"Gokudera, can you hear me?"

Yamamoto was saying something to him, but he sounded so far away, like a soft echo in the back of his mind. Gokudera's fingertips were numb now, and they felt cold – and quite dead, to be honest. His head seemed to be weighing in all sorts of direction, and Gokudera felt the most bizarre horrible sensation of his brain twirling in his own skull.

"Gokudera? Gokudera...!"

And before he knew it, Gokudera collapsed completely into Yamamoto's arm.

Namimori High School, 12.22pm

"Squalo?"

Dino didn't really expect Shamal to be in the school's nurse office – from his past experience in Nami High's medical unit, he learnt that the male doctor was rarely ever present in the department at all. Apart from when, of course, some of the cuter female students with noticeably larger cup sizes entered the room.

But one person Dino did not at all expect to find in the sick room was Superbi Squalo – his childhood neighbor whose parents were well-acquainted with his own. The two even went to the same elementary school at one point in Italy, and they became rather tight – akin to family. The silvernette was also one of the very few people who knew about Dino's true identity ever since long ago.

Squalo, who had just walked out through the curtains of one of the sick bed areas, frowned at the familiar voice. And when his icy blue eyes finally set on the blonde, they widened and sparkled in gleeful recognition.

"Voi, bucking horse!" Squalo grinned, giving Dino a firm hug, instantly falling into the old nickname he used to call him.

Dino ruffled the younger's spiky silver hair playfully, "Long time no see, you crazy shark."

"Didn't know you were back in Japan," Squalo said, "Everything okay with the old Cavallone famiglia back in Italy?"

"Yeah, finally settled," Dino nodded.

"That mess sure took its damn sweet time, I say. You came back way too late," Squalo shook his head. Then, as an afterthought, he narrowed his eyes at Dino, "You do know of your little prefect's new boy toy, don't you?"

Dino suppressed the urge to hit something when that comment reminded him of his too-recent exposure to Hibari's kiss with his so-called new 'boy toy'. Grudgingly, Dino nodded.

"Figured you won't be too happy about that," Squalo nodded, "Although, must say, your ex didn't just take a random pick. Yamamoto Takeshi has one of the best senses in this school, good sharp instincts – and he has a touch of your essence. I wouldn't blame that prefect too much."

Yamamoto Takeshi. Huh. Dino clenched his fists. He really did not at all enjoy hearing praise for someone who he deemed to be his enemy. The more he gathered how wonderful Yamamoto was, the more he realized how difficult he would find it to bring Hibari back into his arms.

Squalo went on, "He's the ace of the baseball team – always had been. And he has this stupidly cheerful persona. You know, one of those happy-go-lucky kinds of guys who you find it really hard not to smile around? Really popular, really warm, blah-blah-blah..."

Dino never thought of himself as someone with any sort of nefarious character – but at that moment, he might've been considering several ways of clearing away this oh-so-perfect prince charming that was Yamamoto Takeshi away from the face of earth. Mafia tendencies ran in the bloodline after all, it seemed.

"But then again, I did hear something nasty about him," Squalo continued.

Dino's ears perked, "Hm?"

Squalo shrugged, "I'm not too sure how accurate this is, judging from the source being that insane prince, but Bel told me that Yamamoto might be two-timing your prefect with a member of Dynamite – you know, the gang against Varia."

"He's two-timing Kyouya?" This angered Dino. In fact, it made him furious. This random-ass high-school kid dared to steal his Skylark away, and as if that wasn't enough, he had the nerve to cheat on him? Unacceptable. Completely unacceptable. Dino could probably bitterly tolerate the fact that Hibari was happy with Yamamoto, but to know that Yamamoto had someone else behind Hibari's back?

No. There was no way Dino would allow that to go on. Not with his Kyouya. If Dino were to let the Skylark go at all, at least the man who took him must be decent – no, the man must be no less than perfect. Otherwise, there would be no way Dino would let him go. Absolutely no way in hell.

And who the bloody hell did the kid think he was to dare do this to his Kyouya? Dino fought the urge to punch something – preferably Yamamoto Takeshi's face – real hard. True that Dino wasn't at all a violent person at the core, but cheating on his precious Skylark was seemingly a rather good enough reason to bash Yamamoto's face in.

If he makes Kyouya feel one ounce of pain I swear I'll-

Squalo patted Dino's shoulders – which were almost shaking with fury, "Voi, like I said, the source isn't all that trustworthy. The bloody prince might've come up with the entire thing for all I know."

Nonetheless, Dino was fixated on the idea. "Do you know the name of the other one he's seeing? Yamamoto Takeshi's other person, that is."

Before Squalo could reply, a loud grunt sounded from the sick-bed area Squalo initially came from.

"Oi, trash. Who the hell are you squabbling off to?" Xanxus, who was topless, came through the curtains and draped his bare arm possessively around Squalo's neck.

Dino recognized him, "...Xanxus. Head of Varia. I remember you from when I had my gap year here."

Xanxus momentarily narrowed his eyes at Dino, and then at Squalo, then back at Dino again. Slowly, it dawned on him as he took in Dino's handsome Italian features. "Oh. It's you. The trash mentioned you one too bloody many times."

At which point Xanxus seemed to feel the need to declare his relationship with the silvernette – and thus, pressed a harsh kiss on Squalo's cheek. Squalo quickly elbowed him, turning his face away, embarrassed – which consequently allowed Dino to finally notice the deep red blotches peppered on Squalo's pale neck.

Ah. So that's how it is between them nowadays. The newly-discovered information on Xanxus and Squalo's updated relationship temporarily lifted Dino's attention from the whole Yamamoto-cheating-on-Hibari affair, slightly easing his temper.

Which was most likely fortunate, for Yamamoto himself came running through the doors right at that moment. In his arms he carried the petite form of a pale-skinned male, who looked too blanched to be healthy, and too floppy not to be of concern.

Yamamoto's face was one of great worry and panic. He was sweating and panting, clearly having sprinted all the way here. His words tumbled all over one another as he tried to explain, "He's- He's very sick – very high fever. He just – collapsed just now. Please, where is the nurse?"

Despite the fact that Dino still wanted to injure Yamamoto with one extremely hard blow, his medical training and good morals did not allow him to ignore a sick person clearly in need of treatment. Dino sucked in a deep breath to set his priorities straight, before he spoke.

"Shamal isn't here, but I'm trained enough to take his place for the time being. If you will, set him down on the bed and I will take a look at him."

Yamamoto nodded gratefully, breathing a sigh of relief now that Gokudera was in capable hands, "Thank you."

"I called Gokudera-kun's father, someone should be here to pick him up in an hour," Dino informed Yamamoto, who had been sitting there clutching his forehead throughout the entire time Dino was checking up on Gokudera.

Yamamoto looked up, eyes still drowned with concern, "And he'll be okay?"

Dino nodded, "I gave him the medication he needed – now he just needs a good rest and he'll be better in no time."

"Are you sure?" Yamamoto glanced over at the bed Gokudera was sleeping in. He couldn't see the silvernette's face since the bed area was hidden away by curtains, but Yamamoto could see Gokudera's body tucked securely beneath the blankets. Quietly, Yamamoto explained, "Gokudera's quite a heavy smoker – and he drinks and fights too often as well. It got me concerned..."

"Don't worry. I'm sure his body is just vulnerable from either stress or lack of rest. He'll be up and healthy in a few days at most," Dino confirmed, taking a seat behind the nurse's desk whilst silently observing Yamamoto.

Indeed, this boy looked exactly like what Squalo described him to be. Yamamoto had a brilliant physical form, indicating that he's an athlete, with clear solid eyes that were only present in people who were truly good-hearted and honest. The air around him was warm and tranquilizing in a way that let other people surrounding him feel comforted. Dino could tell that this boy was obviously well-raised by his family - Yamamoto wasn't the type of man who would intentionally ever hurt anyone.

It was utterly understandable why Hibari had fallen for him. Dino could see it, how it all happened, as clear as day. Even though it hurt to admit it, Dino knew Yamamoto had equal chances of winning Hibari over were they to fight for him.

But what Dino couldn't understand was that little piece of information Squalo gave him. How could someone so clearly as good-natured as Yamamoto be two-timing?

"Yama... Yamamoto..." Gokudera's weak voice mumbled from the bed in his sleep.

Yamamoto immediately stood up and paced over to the bed in urgent speed – almost in a manner of a pet dog who heard his master's call. He sat down beside the silvernette and carefully took his pale hand into his own, "I'm right here."

Hm? Dino raised an eyebrow at the intimacy. Could it be...?

And as though to affirm Dino's suspicions, Yamamoto pressed a gentle kiss on the back of Gokudera's hand, and then another on Gokudera's forehead, Yamamoto softly brushing strands of silver hair away from Gokudera's face.

If that wasn't enough of a confirmation, Dino didn't know what would be.

So the kid is two-timing after all...

But instead of feeling angered, this time, Dino felt hopeful. Surely, it would sway Hibari to know that his current lover was having an affair – and that would give Dino a bigger chance than anything.

Yes, it wasn't fair-game. But at this point, Dino could care less about playing fair. He had been away from Hibari for too long, had allowed Hibari too far out of his sight, and he missed his Skylark too much to stand idly away any longer.

And so, Dino quietly exited the sickroom, before heading towards the only place he knew he would always be able to find his Skylark at this time.

"You're late," Hibari said, the moment he heard the rooftop door click open. The prefect didn't even turn back to see who it was, because there was only one person he was expecting. Yamamoto said he wanted to speak to him, so Hibari specifically told Kusakabe to give them privacy on the rooftop. It could've been no one else but Yamamoto.

But it wasn't.

"I know," Dino murmured, closing the door behind him. "I'm one year late."

Hibari immediately turned at the familiar sound of his voice. Those dark eyes were sharp as they glared at him, "Why are you here?"

"To see you," Dino replied as though it was the most obvious and natural thing.

"Tch," Hibari started moving towards the door, "Out of my way."

Dino remained there, blocking his path, "So that you could run away again?"

"I never-" Hibari started, before he closed his lips shut when he recalled how he left Dino the last time. "You left me no choice."

"You can't stand me that badly?" Dino inquired – and although the man was smiling, Hibari could see a tinge of sorrow in his eyes.

"Yes," Hibari lied, shutting off any sympathy he might have for him.

"You're lying," Dino stated. "Did you think I wouldn't be able to tell? After all those years?"

Hibari remained silent, figuring out what he should do. He didn't want to run away like a coward, but he didn't want to face Dino either. The man made him unstable – weakened his resolve like no other – and Hibari hated feeling vulnerable. But if he escaped, he would be portraying his weakness – and that was something Hibari could not afford to do again.

"Fine," Hibari turned his back and walked off back to the sides of the rooftop, "Say what you have to say, then leave."

But instead of speaking, Dino was silent. In fact, he was so silent for so long that Hibari wondered whether he was still there at all. And strangely, that sent Hibari into a minor panic. The thought that Dino might disappear and vanish away without leave again scared him so badly that Hibari had to snap his head around to take a look. But just as Hibari turned around to check for Dino's presence, he found himself crashing into the man who stood less than mere centimeters away from him.

"What-" Hibari managed a single word before his lips were sealed by Dino's.

Hibari gasped at the suddenness of it, which only allowed Dino to slip his tongue into Hibari's mouth. Their tongues met and the Skylark trembled despite himself. There was something about the way that warm, slick muscle moved that rendered him powerless – every single time.

Dino loved the way Hibari's body shivered within his arms – the way he took little gasps of breath as though he couldn't contain himself. To be honest, Dino didn't intend to kiss him. Well, no, that wasn't entirely correct – Dino had all intentions to kiss the life out of Hibari, but just not in that precise moment. Dino was only planning to embrace his Skylark from behind as he liked to do, but when Hibari suddenly turned around and faced him, he lost control.

Perhaps it was the jealousy from witnessing Hibari's lips being claimed by another just recently today. Perhaps it was the location they were in – that very same area they once used to share countless kisses. Perhaps it was a rare moment that Hibari was unguarded, so he took the chance.

Or perhaps it was the sweet scent of Hibari that touched Dino's nose – that faint allure of cherry blossoms that was never overpowering but unforgettable all the same; the way those cheeks were flushed by the chill; the way those lips were parted just ever so slightly in that forever inviting way...

Dino didn't know. All he knew was that the moment Hibari turned around, he had to kiss him. He didn't care whether he'll get hit or miss his chance to tell Hibari about Yamamoto – he just had to kiss him right then and there. It was one of those untenable, irrational, unexplainable needs.

But when Dino paused to take breath and those dark eyes of the Skylark fluttered open with its dazed look, Dino knew. He knew why he was all of a sudden so desperate to kiss Hibari.

It wasn't about jealousy. It wasn't about possession. It wasn't even about his impossible longing for him.

It was about Hibari's eyes.

Because when Hibari had turned around to face Dino, those eyes were searching for him. And all of a sudden it struck him that Hibari must've looked for him with those very same lost, searching eyes in the past year that he had been completely absent. The look in Hibari's eyes crushed his heart – they were so hopeless, as though they weren't expecting to find him there – and that it would be something Hibari was used to. It crushed Dino because it occurred to him in that moment precisely how torturing it must've been for Hibari, and in his head he kept seeing Hibari looking for him here and there time and time again, every time ending up being disappointed – those eyes shadowing loss.

It made Dino want to hold Hibari close – no, not just that – he wanted to hold him so tight that every inch of their bodies would be pressed against each other. It made Dino want to kiss him so deeply that his very existence would be embedded into his soul. And it was all just to make Hibari know, and to make him believe, that Dino was here now – he was right here in front of him – and he would not go anywhere. He wouldn't ever leave him again.

Dino kissed Hibari so passionately that the Skylark's back was bent, his body arched up against Dino's – knees buckling in, muscles losing all control in Dino's arms. Trembling arms found their way around Dino, one around his back and one around his neck, as Hibari inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of perfume he knew and missed more than he would admit to himself.

"Stop," Hibari breathed, "Stop..."

"I can't," Dino murmured against his lips, kissing the corners, "I miss you..."

And Hibari's heart wavered because just now Dino sounded like he was about to cry.

Hibari shook his head weakly, closing his eyes. Don't say that. Don't say it like that.

"Kyouya..." the sound of Dino's voice calling his name alone made his heart tremor.

"Stop," the Skylark repeated once more, "I- I..."

Hibari struggled to find an excuse. The truth to why he wanted Dino to stop was that he felt uncomfortable – by the way his heart was jumping out of his chest; and by the way he was complying to Dino so easily. But of course there was no way Hibari would tell him that. So instead, he searched for a sound reason...

"Yamamoto," Hibari finally said – and sure enough, that stopped Dino right in his tracks.

Dino looked at him, slow and fierce, his voice a low growl in his throat, "Tell me you didn't mistake my name for some other guy just now..."

"I didn't," Hibari paused to see how his answer immediately soothed Dino's temper before he continued, "Yamamoto is coming up here."

"And?" Dino possessively pulled Hibari closer to him at the mentioning of another man's name.

"You have to leave," Hibari pushed him away before taking a few steps so that he was out of Dino's arms.

Dino sighed, running his hand through his hair to cool down, "He's not coming, you know."

Hibari didn't turn around. Sure, Yamamoto was incredibly late – and the guy was never late – but that didn't mean he wasn't going to turn up. It wasn't like Yamamoto to not turn up without telling him beforehand. "How would you know?"

"I saw him just now," Dino shrugged, "In the infirmary."

Hibari did turn around sharply at this point, "Is he hurt? Sick?"

Dino was more than a little annoyed at the fact that Hibari obviously cared for the kid. "No. He's in perfectly good health, I assure you."

"Good," Hibari nodded, "So why was he there?"

"His friend's sick, so he's watching him."

"Hn," That sounded like what Yamamoto would do. But then, Hibari got curious, "How do you know Yamamoto? You left before he came to Nami High."

"You're dating him. Isn't that enough reason to find him out?" Dino walked up closer to Hibari.

"Hn," Hibari, with lack of anything to say, turned away.

"Do you know Yamamoto's friend by the way? The sick one," Dino inquired.

"Which one? Sawada Tsunayoshi?" Hibari asked in an uninterested way.

"The one with silver hair."

"Oh. Gokudera Hayato. Belongs to Dynamite," Hibari nodded, thinking about the rebel silvernette. He remembered vaguely that Yamamoto had once been absent to take care of Gokudera when Gokudera was sick before, too. "They're pretty close."

Dino nodded slowly, "Very close, from what I've seen."

If Hibari was anyone else, he would've missed the tiny emphasis Dino slipped into that sentence just now. But because the Skylark knew him so well, there was no way he couldn't tell that Dino had accentuated that word for a reason.

Hibari turned towards him once again, "What are you trying to say?"

"Nothing," Dino looked away.

"Don't," Hibari narrowed his eyes, grabbing Dino's shirt. "Don't dismiss me. Don't treat me like a child. I know you meant to tell me something."

Dino remained silent as he watched Hibari. Not until now did he realize that his Kyouya really did mature quite a lot in the past year – of course, Dino knew he grew a little taller, his form a little more manly than before. But now he could see clearly that those dark eyes of Kyouya were deeper, with much more certainty of whom he was and what he wanted. It added to the Skylark's allure and gave him a greater air of attraction that Dino could not deny was incredibly tempting.

"Dino," Hibari called his name to get his attention back to their conversation.

How I love the sound of his voice calling my name. Dino thought to himself, before he finally replied, "Just – be aware of how close those two are. Yamamoto and his friend, that is." Dino lifted his hand to trace Hibari's chin, "I don't want you getting hurt."

"You already took care of that a year ago," Hibari bit off, pushing his hand away.

Ouch. Dino rolled in his lips, taking in the blow.

"Tch," Hibari turned, making his way towards the door.

"Look," Dino tried again, "I'm just warning you. Even if it wouldn't change things between you and I... Kyouya, I still want you to be happy. You know that."

Hibari didn't reply. Instead, he just exited through the door and left Dino there standing alone as the newfound information settled in him.

Yamamoto and Gokudera Hayato, huh. It didn't take a genius to figure out what Dino implied was going on between their relationship, but Hibari immediately dismissed the idea. It was impossible. Yamamoto was too goodhearted, too warm, and just too nice to commit that sort of injury. The words 'cheat' and 'Yamamoto Takeshi' just did not belong within the same sentence.

No. Of course it was impossible.

...or was it?

Hibari hated to admit it but he knew Dino was, at his core, almost just as equally honest as Yamamoto. Dino was one of the most just and ingenuous person Hibari knew. He would never make up something so terrible without some substantial evidence.

And Hibari knew for a fact that Yamamoto and Gokudera were close. But even so, that wasn't enough to prove anything.

Substantial evidence, huh...

Then, all of a sudden, Hibari remembered.

Tobacco.

That tinge of tobacco he tasted on his tongue when he last kissed Yamamoto in his bedroom – the room that had a definitive clinging smell of cigarettes. Even more so than being certain that Yamamoto wouldn't cheat, Hibari just knew Yamamoto wasn't a smoker – at least not at this age. He was too much of an athlete and too well aware of his health to waste away his physique by smoking.

But Hibari knew someone very close to Yamamoto who did smoke – in fact, that person was such a heavy smoker that the taste would linger in his mouth – and could possibly be passed on to another person's mouth were they to share a deep kiss.

Gokudera Hayato.

And Yamamoto Takeshi – the warm, loving, and forever-smiling Yamamoto Takeshi.

It couldn't be possible. It shouldn't be possible.

But it was.

Somehow, Hibari knew it in his gut that it was true. Everything made sense now – it all clicked together; the smell of cigarettes on Yamamoto; the suspiciously guilty look that occasionally flashed on Yamamoto's face...

What Dino had implied was true – and Hibari couldn't believe it even as it dawned on him.

Yamamoto is cheating on me.

A/N: Holy. Hell. It has been what... FOUR FRIGGIN' MONTHS?

Okay, first of all I don't even know how to begin to apologize for my ridiculously long period of AWOL. And to leave you guys on a cliffhanger at that! I know I've been a terrible writer and I'm incredibly, truly, so very, very sorry for the super delayed update. It's just that my life had been so caught up in exams and productions and coursework that I honestly had no time left for myself – and I'm not sure whether it'll get any better with the time-management after this update either, since another HUGE set of A-levels are coming again in may/june. So if you guys are still here and reading/reviewing this fanfic, THANK YOU. You do not know how grateful I am to have your support – I made this chapter extra long just for you people.

So, again, I'm sorry for leaving you guys hanging for so long! – and I apologize in advance for any future delays... which I unfortunately know would occur D: Although I'll try my best!

As always, I love and appreciate you all for reading and reviewing! :D x