AN: This fic is alive baby! Apologies for the hiatus. Due to personal reasons and muse, this fic went on the shelf but the anime is back (btw, the Illuminati, or whatever they call themselves, just appeared and already shitty. Compared to them, my rage against Kyoto is nothing) and so are we! Timeline-wise this is post-Kyoto arc for BE and post-Future arc for KHR. Hope you will like this!
Summary:Rin and Hibari meet in Kyoto. Hibari reacts to the events that transpired since his friend left for camp.
He should be happy – his friends accepted him for who he is, they survived the fight with the Impure King, and his dream of taking a picture with his friends at Kyoto Tower came true, and he was finally able to control this damn blue flame.
In other words, sunshine and daisies!
But the timer of six months and the fact that any mistake could mean the end is like a sword of Damocles hanging over his head, and Yukio's odd behavior, and his fear that others might turn away again only add to the feeling of anxiety under his ribs caused by the first fact.
Therefore, after catching a glimpse of a familiar black-haired figure out of the corner of his eye and Kuro's reaction to the sight of a yellow, fluffy canary flying next to that very figure, he leaves his classmates with near relief. He studiously ignores his brother and Shiemi's stares, which are burning his back, and runs towards his friend.
"Kyoya!" he calls. His friend turns around, stopping in his tracks. Rin smiled, more genuinely this time than a moment ago, and prepared to give Hibari a hearty hug, but didn't even have time to do so, having received a tonfa squarely in the solar plexus as soon as he was within range of the weapons. His breath catches in his throat instantly, and he glares at the older boy. "What the hell are you doing, you, crazy bird?" Rin hisses through gritted teeth, rubbing the spot of impact. It's not too painful, but it's rather unexpected. What's gotten into Kyoya all of sudden?
"What the hell are you doing, Okumura?" his childhood friend hisses back at him. Silver eyes contained storm and a dark aura hovered around him, from which nearby passersby shied away. "You left for your camp, went off the radar, and then you appear in Kyoto like nothing happened. And you ask me what I'm doing? Have you completely lost it with your herbivores that gather around you?"
Rin immediately loses all his irritation, scratching his head in embarrassment. With all the chaos and turmoil following the revelation of his secret, he completely forgot to call Kyoya and explain everything to him. No wonder he was upset—he was just worried about R in.
He always knew that Kyoya cared about him, but each time it was like the first. And now, it felt warm in his chest, as if a sun had settled there.
"Oops?" was all he could say in response, shrugging guiltily.
"Oops?" Hibari repeated, his blood starting to boil even more. He was worried, and this idiot only gives him a pathetic "oops." in reply. "Okumura if you don't explain yourself right away, I'm going to bite you to death."
" Wait, don't bite me to death!" the older Okumura twin waved his hands to get the other to stop. Hibari's words rarely deviated from his actions, and he knew that he would be bitten to death if he did not explain the reasons for his disappearance. "I'll tell you everything, but let's go somewhere private."
After a few seconds of thought, the head of the Disciplinary Committee nods in agreement, hiding tonfa away. But Rin doesn't have time to exhale in relief — Kyoya grabs his collar and drags him along, searching for a secluded area, presumably so that he can't escape the explanation. Kuro and Hibird follow them.
The older Okumura twin doesn't resist. He knows he deserved this. Well, at least he won't get bitten to death.
But it looks like his classmates and Yukio are going to be bitten to death instead, Rin thinks nervously, as he watches Kyoya grip his cup of green tea with more force than needed — it looked like it's about to crack and turn into a pile of shards — ordered in a small, half-empty café, where Rin recounted the events that had happened, starting with camp and ending with the fight against the Impure King.
His best friend reacted as expected, voicing Rin's thoughts.
"I'll bite them to death," Hibari promised grimly, finally releasing his grip on the cup. Its death had been postponed. "Those classmates of yours who dare to call themselves exorcists, and your herbivorous brother."
"Don't!" the older Okumura twin practically begged."They had a right to be angry. After all, I was the one who kept the secret, and lost control of the flames! Besides, everything had turned out well in the end!"
"Don't say such nonsense," the older boy snapped, refusing to accept excuses. "They had no right to blame you for it. The secret ensured your safety, and the fact that you revealed your identity was an accident, because you saved their ungrateful asses. Did you ask for the Blue Flames of Satan to be passed to you or for the Blue Night to happen? No. Therefore, them springing you from the cage and acceptance does not justify the fact that they treated you like a scapegoat. Your brother was not targeted just because he is an herbivore and does not possess those flames. Kamiki is only one acceptable and only barely so."
Rin just grinned wryly in response to this outburst. Kyoya had never hidden his feelings towards his classmates, and treated Yukio with coolness since childhood. However, their reaction to Rin's secret and Yukio's distance from the situation had made these feelings reach an absolute level. Even though Rin had already let go of the majority of it, Kyoya would not forgive or forget it any time soon. It may be a bad trait for some people, but that was how he demonstrated that he cared.
And Rin greatly appreciated that, even though he was protecting his brother and others from it.
"Also, your clown director is playing a game only he knows," the older boy frowned. "What is he trying to achieve with this bet?"
The half-demon shrugged his shoulders. "I do not know," the older of the twins admitted quietly, watching Kuro and Hibird play. "But this bet gave me some time, so I can't complain."
Hibari huffed at that, clearly not seeing this as a pros of the situation, took a sip of tea, and looked like he was wondering whether to express his thoughts aloud or not. Rin waited patiently.
Finally, his best friend said:
"I didn't come here alone. My uncle has a business to attend to in Kyoto. I could…" he winced slightly, as if in pain. Hibari has never been one to ask for help, even from those closest to him. But for Rin, he would do it. "... ask for his assistance. Then, no one would dare to touch you."
"No," now it was Rin's turn to react sharply to his friend's words. In response to a questioning look of silver eyes, Rin explained, "I appreciate your concern, Kyoya, but please, do not involve Fon-san. I have no doubt about his abilities, but I do not want to make the situation worse. Besides…" Rin thoughtfully turned his attention from their animal friends and to the sky. "...I want to understand why and for what I was saved on my own."
"And if you do not make it in time and fail?" Was a reasonable question.
"Then so be it."
"Are you inventing a new way to commit suicide?" the older boy asked sarcastically. Rin has the audacity to laugh, covering it up with his fist.
"Maybe," the half-demon chuckled, enjoying the grim humor.
Kyoya snorted in response, leaning back in his chair. They sit in a peaceful silence for a while until Hibari speaks again.
"So be it," he announces the verdict, placing the empty cup back on the saucer. "I will not touch your herbivores. But I will have one request."
"Which one?" Rin raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"I'll help you with your flame training."
"Shura trains me and she's old man's student."
"With due respect to Fujimoto-san, I do not care who he taught," Kyoya responds contemptuously. After a moment, his expression softened. Almost imperceptibly, but Rin's trained eye caught the change due to years of friendship. "If you won't let me bite your herbivores to death, then let me help you this way. Who between the two of us wields the flames longer, after all?"
"You, Mr. Thundercloud," Rin laughs, "but are you sure? After all, these are two different kinds of flames."
"If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't be your friend at all," his best friend replies half-jokingly and half-seriously. "So watch out, I'm a strict teacher."
"Yes, Sensei!" the older Okumura twin salutes jokingly.
Kyoya rolls his eyes. "Stop messing around. And, Rin…"
"Yes?"
"Survive. Against all odds."
At such a request, Rin gave his friend a smile brighter than the sun, and mischief danced in his eyes.
"Don't worry, Kyoya. You and the others won't get rid of me that easily!"
AN: Hibari is so me when it comes to Kyoto arc lol