Once Tsuna enters the infirmary after him, Kyoya slides the door shut. Fortunately, there was nobody else in the room but the two.
The layout of the infirmary is almost ingrained into Tsuna's brain. He'd come here many times during the start of the year - so much that even the nurse had remembered him; expected him, even - but... Tsuna blinks a little before walking over to the bed and lying down promptly.
He doesn't remember how or when he'd stopped coming.
"Hibari-san, you should sit down," Tsuna remarks, wriggling around to settle into a comfortable position.
"Don't tell me what to-" Kyoya looks down at the boy, who has a blank expression on his face, and says after some time, "Don't worry, I'm fine standing up."
"I-If you say so, then."
The two are silent for a while, inwardly enjoying each other's company, though even Tsuna starts to get even a little impatient. He's about to speak up when Kyoya beats him to it.
"So what time do you usually sleep?"
"Around 10," he replies softly.
Kyoya looks out the window, as if he were reflecting on his actions.
"I stayed up until 12, though. I-"
"You were waiting for my call?"
"Y-Yeah."
"That's... Sorry. I called at around 2 in the morning. I didn't expect a teenage male to sleep so early."
Tsuna frowns, not sure if it's an apology or some sort of indirect insult. "That's, uh... Sorry."
"No, it's fine. It was a mistake on my part."
"N-No, I should've told you earlier."
"It was my fault for not asking, so don't worry about it."
"I should've t-taken initiative, so it's-"
Tsuna takes note of the apathetic stare he's given by the prefect, and shuts his lips, cheeks flaming.
Kyoya isn't exactly so much annoyed, but he was uncomfortable with the boy stubbornly denying his apology. Something like that, when done by other people, was always irritating - because it always seemed half-hearted or some call for attention; reassurance that they were a good person - but when it came down to Tsuna, he thought the opposite.
He's not sure whether Tsuna's feelings are genuine, or if he's just naïve and stupid in general. He can't determine exactly what factors came into him feeling this way - something like this didn't seem to be a simple manipulation of people's feelings...
Tsuna was unexpected, to say the least. Something about the boy seemed to pull Kyoya out of his comfort zone, something he usually detested and preferred to avoid, but- What was it? Why and how was he any different from the usual herbivores he encountered daily?
"You can always... Just call tonight."
Kyoya's eyes flicker to the boy in the bed. Tsuna looks away abruptly, his face crimson and neck straining. "T-That is, if it's not too much- Too much trouble," he says quickly, his hands starting to ball into fists.
He chuckles silently at his child-like demeanour - maybe it was this side of the boy that made him so... So unaware.
"Yes, I was planning to. Tonight."
"I-I see."
"I'll call a little earlier, then."
"I'll be waiting..."
Kyoya can't help but smile slightly, feeling like a small load had been taken off his shoulders. However, this didn't mean his more recent concerns hadn't been settled.
He had addressed concerns to the principal some days ago, but he hadn't expected the suggestion he'd made minutes before. Maybe some sort of extra training for the teachers had been expected, but not personal tutoring - and for free, nonetheless.
Kyoya didn't see himself as a real 'top student', but his grades and general study attitude was higher than most people in his grade. He reckons the principal had seen him as an ideal tutor - though Kyoya wasn't planning to continue tutoring the boy after graduating to high school.
Graduating...
He glances over at Tsuna.
"What days are you available after school? Of course, I can tutor on weekends, but I'm assuming you wouldn't want that..." he pauses, then says, "but if you're fine with it, it's okay."
Tsuna frowns slightly, as if he didn't understand what had just been said, then it disappears as he stares at the door behind Kyoya for a little while. "Uh- Any day is fine. I'm... I never have plans," he says. He laughs bitterly at the statement, but it's true, anyway.
"I'd say tutoring lessons would be a plan."
"Huh?"
Kyoya bites his inner gum - that was probably a dumb thing to say, he thinks - and he shakes his head, dismissing it. "Never mind. So would Monday to Wednesdays be alright? After school, I mean."
"Y-Yeah, that's fine."
"You wouldn't want lessons on a Friday afternoon, right...?"
"I don't... I don't mind much. I-I mean, if it's fine for you."
Though Tsuna's sole company was pleasant enough, he still had some issues with that weak, herbivorous attitude. It seemed even Tsuna wouldn't be an exception to one of Kyoya's biggest pet peeves.
"Then," he says, standing up for emphasis; he takes two steps to reach Tsuna's bed, and he leans on the frame, holding himself up with both hands, "we'll settle on Mondays to Wednesdays. Sundays for any catchup on homework you missed. Got it?"
Tsuna gulps at the intimidating figure before him - now with the sunlight shining dramatically on Kyoya's face and sudden change of tone, he seemed a lot scarier and less approachable before. "G-Got it," he stutters, subconsciously clutching the blankets a little tighter.
Kyoya takes note of the gesture, so he takes a step back, leaning into his back foot. "Alright. We'll start next week. I'll wait for you after school on the days at the entrance, and we'll go down to the library."
"O-Okay..."
Kyoya starts making his way to the door, as if he were in a hurry to leave. "We'll study until seven. Tell your parents you'll be getting lessons from now on. I'll leave you to rest for now."
"Ah, b-"
The door slams shut before Tsuna can finish saying goodbye - and he's not even sure he got all of the prefect's words. However, he notices his stomach ache has subsided slightly. Glancing outside the window, then at his fingers, he rolls down and over to his side, closing his eyes.
Today is a Monday... His eyelashes flutter slightly, and the leaves on the tall, oak tree just outside the window rustle as a gentle wind passes outside and through the slightly-ajar window.
Late upload sorry for that yo but yeah buddy I am alive
I must've rewritten this chapter at least 5 times but that's okay because we have reached the end of a chapter! This chapter..! Yeah... Also thank you for all reviews I really appreciate them all! I will reply to every one of them from now own but yes please know I read all of them thoroughly thank you thank you thank you bye goodnight I am feeling sick