Chapter Three: Tempests Within.

It felt as if years had passed since Hibari became convinced the other had left for good. He didn't particularly have the motivation to leave the school and go home, so the black-haired boy dragged himself over to the wire fence surrounding the roof and looked down at his surroundings.

The green of Namimori Middle was well-kept, with no other students in sight while cars passed by on the road adjacent to him. Hibari felt the calming sensation that only his school could seem to bring to him, lowering that killer intent and the anger he felt towards the blond fool for demeaning him like this. As much as he hated being around people, he really did love school. It was a safety net for him, knowing that despite having to put up with other people, he could still be by himself and do what he wanted – that he just didn't have to worry about the things he had to when he was at home.

Thunder rumbled in the grey skies above the student and, seconds later, the light yellow clothing he was wearing slowly became saturated with the falling rain. Black strands of hair fell between his grey eyes and stuck to his pale forehead as he stared blankly into the distance. Beside him lay the two tonfa he had used in his fight against that bustling blond, the blood that had ever-so-lightly coated the steel washing off with the rain.

The loss for the sixteen-year-old boy had conflicted internally to the point where he had been unable to so much as think coherently about what had happened. All he knew was that the Italian had come to Japan and was attempting to recruit him for the mafia. He understood that several of his schoolmates were involved in this, but in his introverted existence he made it a point to not stick his nose into their business – not unless the wellbeing of his beloved school was in question; he would fight tooth and nail to prevent damage to the several storey-high building.

Without conscious thought, the boy gathered the tonfa he had discarded beside him and got back to his feet as he started the journey back home. The yellow bird perched in his hair slept peacefully, not bothered in the least by the rain. Hibari was glad it was with him; it gave him the comfort that at least something cared about him.

~~Thirty minutes later~~

The storm outside raged as Hibari closed the door behind him quietly so he could try not to draw the attention of the other occupants of his home. He slipped his wet shoes off and placed them in the rack beside the front door before he glanced around warily, his shoulders tensing unconsciously.

The bird was still asleep in the student's hair, and relief washed through Hibari that his pet was not awake to alert anyone else of his presence. He crept quietly to the back of his house, hoping he would remain anonymous. However, his prayers went unanswered as the familiar chirping of his name made him freeze in his tracks.

"Hibari!" The yellow bird was awake, and its excitement was obvious as it jumped from its master's head and took flight around the corridor they were in.

Hibari felt the familiar dread well in his stomach as his body froze at the thunderous footsteps making their way towards him. Closing his eyes, he accepted what he knew was inevitable.

"Shut that bird up!"

Hibari unconsciously took a step back as the shape of his father appeared before him. The man was tall, much taller than his son. Like the younger, he had black hair and cold, grey eyes. His shoulders were wide, a contrast to Kyouya's slight form. Unlike the student's usually emotionless face, the man's was drawn in a vicious snarl, and his eyes narrowed as hatred consumed his features.

Silently, Hibari reached out and left a finger extended for the bird to perch on. He didn't say a word as he turned his back to his father and continued on his way to his bedroom; he knew better than to open his mouth because if he did, his father would find more reason to catastrophize the situation.

The bird continued to chirp happily as it flapped its wings, oblivious to the danger behind its master and the fact that it seemed to create it almost every day.

After crossing the corridor and sliding the rice-paper door open, Hibari stepped into his bedroom and released a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. Looking down at the bird still on his finger, he couldn't help but frown, and when he spoke, his voice a breathy whisper.

"You almost got me hit again, little one..." Black eyebrows creased as Hibari's frown grew at the bird's joyful chirps. He understood the creature didn't know it was causing trouble, but sometimes he wished the bird would be quiet in the house; there was enough conflict within the building without the bird adding to it.

The room Hibari had was a traditional Japanese one; it had rice-paper doors leading into the room from within the house, and another one to let him access the deck in the backyard. The walls were bare, no furnishing present except for the bird cage sitting by the futon rolled out in the corner of the room furthest from the bedroom door. There were no windows, the only source of light filtering through his open back door.

The hardwood floor was wet from the rain that was being pelted into his room, but Hibari didn't care; he didn't even bother getting up to close the door. He instead moved to his futon and sat down on it, his wet clothing saturating the bed roll. The only other clothes the boy had were in the laundry, leaving him to wear only his current school uniform.

The bird jumped down onto the floor beside its owner and nestled against Hibari's leg. It chirped happily as it closed its eyes, preparing for another sleep.

Hibari reached down and stroked the soft feathers with his index finger. As much as he wanted to talk to his bird, he just couldn't find the strength – not with his father around to hear.

Hibird... the teen thought, wanting so badly to say these words out loud, ...you're my best friend... My only friend... I'm so glad I have you... Goodnight, Hibird...

With those words left unspoken, Hibari settled down under the blanket and ignored the saturated clothing that was making him shiver. He closed his grey eyes, the sound of the storm lulling him to sleep. If he was lucky, he would be left undisturbed tonight.

~~With Dino~~

Dino stared glumly out of his hotel room window with his chin in his hand as he watched the lightning tear through the sky and saw the odd person running in an attempt to get out of the heavy rain. His thoughts were on Kyouya, how he had come back to the school with a bag of hamburgers just for the raven-haired boy, only to find the younger was gone. It had honestly hurt him, especially since he wanted nothing more than to be able to help at the boy.

The hotel lights flickered overhead as a particularly loud crash of thunder filled the air. The windows rattled with the force, but Dino didn't notice; he was too busy hoping Kyouya had gotten home okay.

The blond was so lost in thoughts, he didn't notice his eyes slowly slipping closed, or his breathing evening out as sleep slowly crept upon him. His dreams for that night centred around a violent student who, no matter what he did, would not accept any help from the dream-holder.

If Dino had woken up during the night, he would have noticed the wet tears that had trailed down his cheeks several times throughout the course of his dreaming.