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Hibari stands as he always does after classes: lying down stretched on the school’s roof, one leg crossed over the other, hands under his head. He likes the feeling, quite a bit, at least. Being there, alone, just feeling the wind blowing his coat and hair, washing away unnecessary worries which he isn’t used to, just he, himself, his tonfas and the little yellow Hibird that keeps him company wherever he goes. Hibari likes birds, because they aren’t the type of animal to pet easily, they are free, fly wherever they want, when they want, and keep near whoever they decide to be worthy. Just like himself. And with eyes closed, feeling the late sun burning his cheeks, he feels calm and doesn’t need anything else.
That’s when the music of the wind blowing is smoothly disturbed by another sound, coming from behind him. Hibari doesn’t move a muscle. It can be just his impression, even if he doesn’t believe so. He waits one more second and, even with his eyes closed, he feels the shadow covering his face when the sun stops touching his skin. And Hibari is a man of fast and cold action. With a nimble combo of movements, in a short second, he presses his hands against the floor, turns his body, stretches his left leg, washing it in a perfect circle, feeling it hitting the heel of the person standing behind him, all while he grabs his tonfas with both hands. The newcomer lets out a surprised gasp and the deaf sound of the body hitting the floor is heard when Hibari positions himself above the intruder, one tonfa against the person’s neck and the other arms lifted up and ready to come down at the slowest movement. All of this, of course, by instinct.
“Wow, wow!” The guy under Hibari exclaims. “It’s just me!”
Hibari’s expression doesn’t change when he recognizes the person lying back flat on the floor. Dino’s dark eyes are widened in a mixture of surprise, fear and amusement, his blond hair messy around his face and over his forehead. “Calm your horses, Kyouya.”
Hibari softly frowns toward that silly joke, probably the worst he has ever made, in a frustrated try to play with his acronym, Bucking Horse. With this, Hibari stands and turns his back to Dino.
“Ok, that was really bad, I need to admit it.” Dino mutters, rubbing his head. “Itaiii… You shouldn’t be so violent, you know? Not that I was going to attack you or something…”
“It’s for you to learn not the sneak behind me without proper warning.”
“I’m sorry for scaring you, it wasn’t my intention.”
Hibari turns to look at the man, his eyes more narrowed that usual. “‘Scaring’? Is that the word you want to imploy?”
“Hum, well, you were all defensive so I think it can actually apply…” Dino says casually, standing up.
“‘Disturbing’, is more correct. Do it again and I’ll bite you to death.”
Dino lets out a soft laugh. “Yeah, I should have guessed you would say something like that.”
Hibari stands still a moment, thoughtful, and then lifts his tonfas in front of him, staring at Dino. The blond boy raises an eyebrow. “What?”
“Your whip.” Hibari says, coldly. “Pull it out.”
“I… I have it not…” Dino mumbles.
Hibari relaxes his pose, mistrusting. “Didn’t you come to fight me?”
“Hum? What? I mean… no! No, not today.”
“Humf.” Was the resigned answer, and then the black eyed boy turned his back to the newcomer again, landing again his back on the floor and closing his eyes. “Then what do you want?”
“Well… I came to say goodbye.”
Hibari involuntarily opens one eye to watch Dino leaning forward to sit down at his side, his eyes shining with a strange melancholy. Embarassed by the too long second he looks at the boy, Hibari closes his eye again. Where are you going?, he wanted to ask. “Then say it.”
Dino curves his lip in a sad smile hearing those words. For once, he would really like to hear Hibari interested. But, even if he didn’t ask, Dino would explain him, anyway, because he couldn’t stand not to. “I am going back to Italy, to the Cavallone base. Apparently I’ve been spending too much time here in Japan. There are some businesses I can’t take care of from here, and things appear not to be very well there. Being a Mafia boss is a tough work, ya know?”
“Humf.”
Dino sighs, disappointed. Hibari was never a guy to talk too much but, this time, particularly, he would like to hear his pupil’s voice. “Yeah…” He goes on. “My subordinates entered the plain today morning. I stood behind to say goodbye to Tsuna and Mama.”
“Hum…” Hibari murmured. So Dino’s subordinates weren’t there… that explained the pathetic fall.
“I will go to Italy, but just for a while! I’ll come back as soon as I can. I would miss you guys too much if I didn’t. Maybe one year or two… I don’t really know…”
Hibari's fingers twitched under his head, softly enough for only himself to realize. Two years? A while? Dino’s vocabulary's meaning was surely different from his. twelve months were… not that much, if he thought about it. But the thought of spending those with Dino away brought him a weird uneasiness, he couldn’t tell why.
Dino opened his mouth, but hesitated, not knowing exactly what to say. He wondered if Hibari was really even listening him, or just mumbling in his sleep. “So… I came here to say goodbye to you as well.” This time, he was greeted with silence. “You… have nothing to say?”
Hibari stood silent. But he could feel the not well hidden sorrow in the man’s voice. Hibari had things to say, of course. He wanted to ask why, to require further explanations. He wanted to understand what important matters would make Dino able to go away like that, go away for two or more years, leaving him behind. He had somehow defined that Dino would be always there with him, and never even thought what would happen if he left. But now that he did, he realized how scary the scenario was. He felt his heart beating harder in frustration and didn’t know exactly what caused it. Hibari had never felt like that before. He never felt abandoned before, maybe because he had never taken someone for granted, as he had done with Dino. So now he hated him for making him feel that way and, at the same time, he couldn’t bear to let him go. It was all so confusing, his chest hurt in anticipation. He wanted to face Dino and ask him why. But he wouldn’t. He didn’t have the right to question his reasons, he told himself. And even is he had, it was always too hard to let out what he felt in his heart. In those situations, silence was the only way Hibari arranged to hide his embarrassing pain. So he closed his fists, covered by his dark hair, until the pain made sure he kept his mouth shut.
And that silence killed Dino in a vague range of ways. Hibari was probably the person he most cared about and he didn’t even bother to tell him goodbye. He didn't even seem to care at all... He should’ve guessed, knowing Hibari as he did. He couldn’t figure out the disappointment he felt crushing his heart. Somehow, deep inside, he still hoped for Hibari to care… even if just a bit. Maybe he had been wrong all along. He could have gone with his subordinates to Italy that morning, but he didn’t. And he lied about it: he hadn’t stood back to say goodbye to Tsuna and the others; he had done that yesterday. But he stood because he wanted to say one last word to Hibari. He had wandered the whole day thinking about how to say what he wanted to. Apparently wasted time. But Dino wasn’t able to regret it. He could not explain the overwhelming fondness he felt for the president of the Discipline Committee of Namimori High, but he couldn’t deny it. He had prepared himself for that habitual coldness from Hibari, and had convinced himself that hearing the boy’s voice one last time would be enough for him. But he understood now that it was all a lie. He needed more from Hibari, he had always wanted more, even without admitting it. He told he would come back, but even that wasn’t certain. Things were really messy in the base, and he needed to complete his studies as a Mafia boss as well. It would be a long and, without Hibari, lonely stay in Italy. It was funny, somehow. Dino had never felt lonely, he had his subordinates, that were not only friends but also family, and that had always been more than enough for him. But now, only the thought of leaving Hibari made him feel empty inside, alone and sad. He was sure he was about to cry, and that made everything worse. He couldn’t stand that crushing feeling anymore.
With a clumsy and harsh movement, Dino stands up and starts walking toward the door to get away from that place. “So… I’m done here.” He says, coldly.
“I’ll wait.”
The rough words flew through the wind and reached Dino’s ears, making him wide open his eyes in astonishment, stopping where he was.
Hibari stood up now, staring at the green back of the blond man’s jacket, his fingers clenched around his tonfas at his sides to stop them from trembling. He hadn’t planned to let out the words, but he hadn’t been able to stop himself this time. For the very first time. And Dino stood there, not moving. Somehow, Hibari felt relieved. Looking into Dino’s eyes could make him lose his courage.
“What?” Dino mumbles, not believing in his own stupid question.
“I said I’ll wait.” Hibari continues, his voice cold as always. “No matter how many years it takes, I’ll still be here, waiting for you.”
Dino bites his lip to swallow a sob. Damn… Now that he finally heard Hibari, he asked if it was a good or bad thing, for noe the very thought of leaving seemed even more painful, almost impossible. His heart was sinking deeper and deeper into his chest. But the warm feeling that run up his spine was enough to make everything worth it. Hibari’s words hadn’t been soft or kind, but yes spilled as a matter of fact. That was enough for Dino. It was so much more than enough because, through those words, he heard everything he needed, things he couldn’t name or even knew he needed before. His eyes were moist but he held the tears back. He was a man, a Mafia boss, for Christ’s sake! He wasn’t going to cry. Not in front of Hibari. It would be humiliating. So he smiled. A small but truthful smile as he turned around to stare at the black haired and eyed boy standing there, his tonfas in his hands (hard habit to quit), his jacket over his shoulders, as always, and his little fellow yellow bird over his head.
“I will get better.” Hibari continues. “And when you come back…” Then, his lips curved up so softly that Dino wondered if he imagined it. He didn’t, he realized when Hibari showed his sadistic and amused smile. “…I’ll bite you to death.”
Dino’s own smile widened, feeling relieved. That was his Hibari. His pupil, his fellow, his friend, his beloved. And that Hibari, apparently mean and cold hearted, was the Hibari he loved and wanted, in spite of it all.
The blond Mafia boss shook his head, amused, not quitting his smile, and turned around again with a deep breathe. He lifted a hand while the other sank into his pocket. “Then… see ‘ya later.”
And with that, he left, leaving Hibari behind, staring at the place where he had stood.
After a long while, Hibari looks up at the twilight sky and lets out a smile, while the wind blows as a greeting. “See you later.” He mumbles to himself.