Chapter Text
It all started a few months after the representative war that injured many people. During the days before this particular day, the hospital was filled with damages on the windows and walls, even the rooms maybe. But during this time, an invention was made to temporarily return the former cursed Arcobaleno infants into their adult forms.
It was actually hidden after all. But it was until a seemingly petrified Tsuna screamed at the sight of a fedora wearing man in a suit sitting beside his bed instead of a little chibi kicking him off the bed.
Nope, Reborn refused to flip over the bracelet he was hiding under his sleeve again. To prevent more confusion. And of course, he might do it again because the brunet's expression was so hilarious.
But that doesn't mean that the other Arcobaleno would refuse too. This is why a taller adult scientist named Verde stood up a few steps away from a ruined couch where Mukuro is sitting.
"So, what do you think?" The scientist asked with his deep voice.
"Well, professor." Mukuro spoke, his hand was resting on his chin as he commented what he is observing right now. "I get that you are trying to get your old self back before turning into a cursed baby. But aren't you supposed to find a permanent solution other than flipping back your little friendship bracelet?"
"Yeah, we know." He huffed. "It would take a long time to develop a drug to age into our proper forms. And I am not willing to risk my life into that. Not to mention there can be a possibility of being immune to the drug and revert back into infant. Have you read that- oh forget it." He looked away, seemingly in thought. "And besides, I would want to do something I am willing to do since a few months ago."
"What, to lay with a woman?" The blue haired teen chuckled, causing Verde to pick up a nearby empty plastic bottle and throw it at him, hitting his forehead.
"Weirdo." He spats.
"And you do look like a pervert." Mukuro teased back.
"Sheesh, do you people have food in here? It looks like trash lying around the place." The scientist scratched his chin, looking around.
"Why? Do we have to steal again?"
"Hell no." Verde squinted on his leather wristwatch. "Fine. Are you all alone here?" He asked again.
"They are all busy doing whatever they want." Mukuro shifted a bit, lying himself to the back of the couch. "I said I wanted some time for myself then you came in."
"You'll bore yourself if you do that. Come with me." The scientist started to walk towards the door.
"I'll buy dinner for everyone."
"Really? You have something to pay?" Mukuro finally stands up, dusted his pants and follows.
"Where do you think all the materials for my inventions come from? Ah, don't answer that. You have no right to know."
"Fine, whatever you say." The teen raised his hands in defense.
"And besides, I was really going to the convenience store after all."
o-o
At a convenience store, in one of the aisles, a pair of slender fingers shuffled to arrange the products properly. He seems to be trying to get off something on his mind.
"Ah, I found it~" Light footsteps approached the busy teen. "Well, the shopkeeper was nice, though at first terrified because we look alike. You do really control the town here."
Grey eyes glared at the slightly taller lookalike. "I really don't get it on why you came back as an adult asking me to accompany you here. Few months ago, I remember you wanted to sit on my head." Hibari frowned. "And don't interact with everyone like that. I dislike it."
"I have explained it to you. I have a reversible bracelet that returns me back as an adult temporarily." Fon smiles as if flowers bloomed. "And besides, they have to know soon that we were-"
"Don't even say it." The teen interrupted. "I just came here because you say it wasn't that crowded. Now get the thing you wanted to buy so we can leave. Otherwise I will-"
"Okay!" Fon smiled nervously and skips away to the next aisle. "Honestly, you look relaxed if you smile more~"
Hibari looked away and back to arranging the stuff on the shelf. He thought that he was relaxed in the Reception Room few moments ago until the Chinese man came in. Just signing some papers and files was suddenly changed into tall shelves of instant food and ingredients. He sighed and arranged again, waiting for that lookalike to come back.
Somehow his hand grabbed a random chocolate bar and he mutters. "What kind of a person leaves chocolates on a biscuit aisle?" He looked at it and he paused.
It was Sakura flavored. Hibari feels bitter.
"There are no exams approaching." He glared at the pretty pink wrapper. Those chocolates were usually given as good luck charms but he is just annoyed on the terrible coincidences that happened to him today.
He takes a few steps before he noticed a pair of black shoes and dark green slacks.
"I never think I would see you here, skylark."
And it had gone worse.
Hibari looked up to see those mismatched eyes and glared at the other teen. "I'm not in the mood of talking to you, Mukuro Rokudo."
"Why not? Is it because you don't want to see me or you are scared I would defeat you again?" Mukuro taunted with a grin.
"I am not in the mood of even seeing your annoying face. Now get out of my way."
"How amusing. Maybe you are just struggling to hit me in the face or to return that Sakura chocolate you are holding." The blue haired teen smirked. "Did you pick that up because it reminds you about me or your first time I beat you up and kneel in front of me?"
"Why not both?" The black haired teen answered and shoved the chocolate to the taller one's face.
"Kufufufu~" Mukuro chuckled. "I like it when you lose your cool. But this doesn't have any effect on me. I do love chocolate."
"Leave me alone."
"And what would you do if I refuse? Does it involve 'biting me to death'? Oh, I am so waiting for you to do that." His smirk never left his face.
Before Hibari could speak another word, a hand grasped his shoulder. "Hey now, why won't you guys calm down and get together for a while?" Fon smiles, with a white plastic bag filled with groceries on his other hand.
"Believe me, we never get along well." Mukuro remarked.
"And we shouldn't." The other teen added.
"But you guys were good together." Fon commented, slightly widened his eyes.
"Who says we were good together?"
"On that fight against the Vindice, you both were in sync when you move. Like you should be a great tandem"
"That was one time. It won't happen. Ever. Again." Hibari said, while Mukuro was still smirking about how unusually defensive the skylark was.
"You both won't know unless you try it." Fon said.
The three heard another set of footsteps and they looked and see Verde carrying a basket filled with simple instant meals and sweet stuffs.
"I can't believe you are ditching me just to mock a skylark." He scolded Mukuro. "Hey, nice of you to be here." His eyes were directed to Fon.
"How very nice of you to wear the bracelet as well~" The Chinese man smiled, pulling back one of his long red sleeves to reveal a red colored bracelet.
"Oh look, you also have a friendship bracelet." Mukuro pointed out, making Verde shush him.
"Okay, you both got magical bracelets. Can we go now?" Hibari spoke, pouting a little.
"Fine. We should go." Fon nodded.
"Agree. I think we should." Verde agreed.
'Thank whatever is up there because we are tired of this friendly chat and we have to go back and forget this day ever-' Mukuro and Hibari thought to themselves.
"We should go have lunch at a restaurant!" The two adults responded with a joyful tone.
"What?!" The two teens reacted unusually in unison.
"Oh! I know about this good place around the corner!" Fon recalled.
"Yes, I have read good reviews about it." Verde added.
"Let's go there! All four of us~ I'll be paying."
"Why not. I'll pay first the things I bought." The two walked towards the counter, right after the scientist snatched the Sakura chocolate from the blue haired teen's hands.
Mukuro and Hibari were both ignored and not given the option to decline an offer of food. They shared cold looks and went outside of the store in silence, waiting for the two to finish paying.
o-o
"How many in your party?"
"Four people."
"Okay. I'll lead you to your table and we'll take your order."
"Thank you."
None of the two boys would expect that they would be dragged into a restaurant with both Japanese and Chinese cuisines. Hibari huffed at the sight of many people. It was almost noon and it is natural for any place that serves food to be crowded.
Well, Mukuro on the other hand, grimaced at the thought of what they would get. It's not that he hated it but the times he was given food other than his companions, they ended up too fatty or too spicy.
Nope. He doesn’t like to feel like tortured on the inside again.
The two adults with them were just happily chatting about many things they didn't understand. They just waited until someone lead them to their table which is right by the window and unusually closer to the long counter with doors on its sides.
The seats were like red sofas and they were so soft and comfortable. Mukuro and Hibari sit by the window while Fon and Verde sat beside them. By this manner, they were facing each other.
The waiter took their order after they were passed some menu booklets. Mukuro had to sigh relief that what he took wasn't spicy.
There was nothing much happening at that point while waiting for their food. The two adults continued chatting about times in Rome or Venice or some other place. Hibari just stared at the window, looking at some random pedestrians walking around. Mukuro, have no other place to look at, just stared at the teen in front of him.
Hibari knew the other was staring at him. He just chose to ignore it rather than to snap and attack the other for just staring.
'They are unusually chatty.' Hibari thought to himself.
When the food arrived, the two teens blinked upon what the two adults have ordered. Two orders of mapo tofu opposite to two simple orders of miso ramen.
"Ah, you ordered it! You do remember!" Fon clapped his hands once in anticipation.
"How can I forget the one time our mission is in China and we were undercover in a restaurant while you tried to resist that mapo tofu?" Verde snickered.
"I thought you disliked it." Hibari blurted out in confusion.
"Well, I did before." The Chinese man smiled. "But before we became infants I used to love it~"
"And why did you think he hated it?" Mukuro asked to Hibari.
"One time I have mapo tofu while he was around. One bite and he just started to cry. Like a real baby." The black haired teen recalled.
"You do know babies don't eat spicy stuff, right?"
"Well, that makes you a baby then."
"Why would you-"
"I see you cringed a bit while looking at a spicy menu. You hated spicy stuff too. Not to mention your wailing one time you 'accidentally' ate that spicy noodles and you almost threw up in the restroom."
The blue haired teen grimaced at that memory. "I never thought you knew that."
"I know because I was the one who locked you in that restroom."
"THAT WAS YOU?!" Mukuro raised his tone while Hibari is the one smirking.
"I could've done worse to you." He replied, taking his bowl and splits his wooden chopsticks into two.
"You are a mean little man." He then took his bowl as well.
"So are you." He started eating the noodles.
"Why would you not eat meat or something a carnivore does?"
"Because I do want to have ramen right now and no one should tell me what I want to eat."
The two heard some giggling and they looked at the two adults smiling and content while eating mapo tofu. They were enjoying it because they have never enjoyed the spicy meal for who knows how long but the two teens felt a deep unusual aura within that happy vibe.
'It feels like we were on a double date.'
They continued eating in peace and they were waiting for dessert when Verde cleared his throat. "I think I should go to the restroom." He stands up.
"Oh, I should come with you." Fon added, standing up as well.
The two adults left and entered the door on the left side of the counter, leaving the two alone.
"Now that we are both alone, quit staring at me like that." Hibari glared.
"Oh, I thought you were trying to ignore me. Thinking about how the hell did you agree to have lunch with your mortal enemy." Mukuro rests his chin on his palms and his elbows on the table. "And you are having hives right now?" He looked at Hibari's exposed wrists where he was lightly scratching over it.
He hides his arms under the table. "I am ignoring you. Just stop staring at me."
"I am just looking at your shiny eyes."
"Shiny?" He reacted, slightly widening his eyes.
"They were like diamonds, actually. Especially when you brought that tonfa of yours up close your face it brings the color of your eyes."
Hibari, being unused to those compliments, was hit by one thought. "Wait, are you hitting on me?" He narrowed his eyes and he twitched a bit.
"What? No."
"I would think of you as a woman charmer but are you really hitting on me?" He shifted uncomfortably, tucking his legs behind the bag of groceries hidden under the table.
"I am not gay." Mukuro said out. Clearly he has done teasing the teen in front of him multiple times but he didn't know he let out something like a pickup line. "Don't assume about that just because I complimented your eyes."
"Save your excuses. Continue doing that to me and I'll bite you to death in the stockroom right there." Hibari points at the door on the left of the counter.
"Sure, sure." He sighed but realized something. "Wait, that's not the stockroom. That's the restroom."
"No, that's the stockroom." Hibari denies. "The restroom is the other door on the right of the counter."
"No, I believe the restroom is on the left side of the counter. The professor went there along with your companion."
"No, that is the stockroom."
"It's the restroom."
"Restroom is on the right-"
"Left."
"Right."
"No, left!"
"Look, I hated being wrong here but I have been here a few times and I know the restroom is on the right side." Hibari said out. "Why would someone get in a stockroom to relieve themselves?"
"No, the restroom is on the left side." Mukuro interjected. "Why would two people who were not employees get in a stockroom?"
...
They paused for a while. Why did they go together? They realized the happy tone and the stories. And the unnatural feeling the two were involved in a double date. The instinctive thing they did was...
...to engage in a verbal fight.
At first it was about the debate on which one's the restroom. It shifted into personal stuff and they got lost into their thoughts until they realized Fon and Verde came back from somewhere looking so refreshed.
"You both looked stressed." Fon looked at them catching up their breaths. "Is there something going on while we were gone?"
"It's nothing." Mukuro denies while he noticed Hibari looking at the nearest wall clock to check the time. He noticed the slight widening of those eyes and realized how long it was been since the two adults left.
There is something going on.
"Um, sorry we took so long. We have to attend to the newest batch of pastries and we almost forgot your order." A female server apologized while carrying some cake and one large sundae.
"It's fine. It was worth the wait." Fon smiled and assists the server on the dessert. A pen was dropped from the server's left pocket and fell down, going under the table.
"I'll get that." Mukuro bent down for a few moments, trying to get the fallen pen. When he got back up, he was holding the pen along with the Sakura chocolate that was bought earlier.
"Here you go." He smiled and hands over the pen to the server.
"Thank you so much~" The server bowed her head. "Just call us if you are going to check out." And she went back to entertain other people.
"Isn't that the one you were holding a while ago?" Fon asks, eyeing the chocolate.
"He was holding it." Mukuro pointed a finger at Hibari. "He just shoved it towards me."
"I have never tried that before." Verde shook his head.
"Really?" He started opening the chocolate wrapper. "Seems these are really lucky. Enough for four of us." He then distributed the two long sticks of chocolate to the two adults.
"The four of us?" Hibari reacted. "You assumed that I would eat that?"
"You would want to, don't you?" The blue haired teen smirked.
"Absolutely no-" The black haired teen was interrupted by a pink chocolate stick unceremoniously went into his slightly opened mouth along with two fingertips. He was forced to bite into the chocolate and he glared at the one in front of him making fun of him with his grin.
It was sudden but after he blinked for a second, he noticed the hand that was near his lips were back to its owner, who was licking the remaining pink chocolate on his fingertips. He could've sworn some of those were mixed with his saliva but he can't speak. He just bites into the sweet treat in his mouth and stayed silent.
And he realized while he was paying attention to Mukuro, there is the wrapper slipped onto his hand. He looked down to see it folded on his hand as if saying he should throw it away but he noticed the dark black ink writings.
He slowly pulls his hand under the table and unfolded it. Then he realized again what is really going on.
'You also realized there is something off with them, right?'
Hibari was silent while cutting a portion of the cheesecake that was in front of him and proceeded to eat it while gazing the outside again, drifting along with his thoughts again.
"You have just gone to a verbal fight. Are you sure you are going to eat that?" Verde eyed the sundae that is really for Mukuro. "You might get a sore throat or something."
"No one cares about that." The blue haired teen responded. "I have my craving so let me be."
"Fine. You were like a hormonal girl."
"Let's settle this for a while." Fon chirped in at the bickering duo.
It remained like this until they finally got out of the restaurant. They are carrying grocery stuff and about to part ways.
"So this is where we go our separate ways." Fon said out, a bit sad on his tone.
"No worries. Aren't we going to meet again tomorrow along with the others?" Verde replied, scratching the back of his ankle with his other foot.
"Oh, right. See you tomorrow then." The Chinese man look at his side and noticed Hibari being Hibari and walked away without even saying something. "Wait! Hold up." He ran towards the other teen and catches up to him.
"Wait, tomorrow?" Mukuro asked Verde after the other two are out of earshot. "What is going to happen tomorrow, professor?"
"Tomorrow, all former Arcobaleno would meet and talk about...well, everything." The scientist replied, pulling back his sleeve where his green bracelet was hidden. "Including this piece."
"Is that so? Only the former cursed ones?"
"Yeah. Then, let's head back before they noticed we were like father and son bonding over here." They both started to walk to the opposite direction.
"Gross. You look more like an alcoholic uncle to me." Mukuro huffed before the grocery bag was playfully hit against his leg.
o-o
Few hours later after that coincidental meeting, Fon was sitting on the soft sofa, reading a red and green colored book. It was an American author with background knowledge about Chinese history.
Hibari appears in a dark grey yukata, recently come from the bathroom. Some say it was black but it brought out the color of his eyes. But those people who were the ones who actually see him in nightclothes are only family. Other times they would see him in a black pajama. Though either way, no one knows when he will wear one or the other.
"So how was your bath?" Fon looked at him.
"You don't have to ask me that. I took a long bath to take off what happened a while ago." The younger one scowled.
"Forgive me. It has been a while since we saw each other. You know that." He apologized. "We didn't know Mukuro was there too."
"Don't mention his name. I dislike it."
"Well, we can't avoid it. You two would meet more often now. Like a while ago."
Hibari narrowed his eyes. "Are you two going to meet again? I thought you two brought us to a double date."
"That's...not what I meant." Fon closed the book and laid it on the table. "Mukuro was out from prison for months now. You should get comfortable seeing him on almost a daily basis."
"You of all people didn't get it. I hated him. Ever since he pulled that trick on me with the cherry blossoms, I would never think on getting 'comfortable' with him ever." His fingers curled inward into fists. "I don't even want to think we would be as close as you two at all."
"Don't even think like that." The Chinese man sighed. "As some people say, there is a fine line between love and hate. Maybe who knows what will happen to you two if you-"
"That's it. I'm going back to my room." Hibari turned away and heads to his room and closing the door. Fon lies back to the sofa and murmurs.
"Double date?"
o-o
"Hibari, Hibari." The small twittering of a fluffy canary bird woke up its master a few hours later.
Hibari was sitting by the corner of the room when he dozed off. "Oh, I fell asleep. I should lie down." He gently brushed his finger on the bird's feathers and he stopped.
"Yes, hello?"
He hears his older lookalike talking to someone over the phone. He shushed his tiny companion and slowly opened the door.
Fon was there, holding the phone and walking around slowly. "So everyone's going to be there?" He played with his long braid. "Sure I'll be there too. Half past five in the afternoon, right?" He then hums in agreement. "Okay, at the Italian restaurant in the middle of town. Don't worry, no one will find out about it. I am kind of worried about Kyoya Hibari though."
Hibari just listened. He didn't say anything.
Why's that?
He was slightly shocked. He recognized that voice. He heard it earlier today.
"He just blurted out that he felt we had a double date at lunch." Fon laughed softly.
Don't even think about it. He is just tactless when he speaks like that. He didn't know so don't worry.
'What do you mean I didn't know? I have a hunch about it. Even-' Hibari thought to himself. He looked at the other side of the room where Fon's suitcase was. He became more curious.
"Okay, well I hope that is true. I sometimes can't read him that well. See you tomorrow then~" Fon ends the call and heads back to the sofa, resuming reading that thick book.
Once he felt it is safe to move, Hibari slowly stands up, tiptoed towards the suitcase and realized it was even unzipped. Not even locked. 'He is really staying here?' He shook his head and opened it. He noticed that all clothes were for his adult form. And one of them was a shiny, silky blood red yukata with a white obi.
And there is a small booklet tucked by the folded fabric. Slender fingers slowly pulled it out and opened the pages.
La noche paso silensiosa y tranquila...
The entire text was printed in Spanish. Hibari has little to no understanding about the language so he flipped the few pages. Then he noticed a bookmark at the middle of the book. He opened the book to that page and tried to understand some few words.
So far, he reads sea, vacation, hotel, reserved. He realized it was a story. He realized one of the characters in the story wears a red yukata with a white obi.
Then he reads cherry blossoms. He ignored it for a while and continued reading.
Embrace, night, like, remove shoes, water, shore, holding hands, lips, special, kiss. The words were forming a scene in his head that he never realized how terrible it is until he reads...
Undress.
Hibari closed the book, hides it back to its original place, and closed the suitcase. He was actually shocked. He cups his hand over his trembling lips.
'What was that?' His thoughts were all scrambled, such a seemingly innocent mind got shattered in an instant. He refused to read more of it because he doesn’t want more images of that flooding in his head.
Of course he wasn't that ignorant, he knows it is for mature readers and his curiosity scarred him a bit on the inside.
If the red yukata was there...what if...
The teen shook his head and tried to get up but his legs won't work because of shock and he fell down on his back with a loud thud.
Some footsteps were heard and the door opened, revealing Fon panicked.
"Is something wrong?" He asked. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Hibari denies as he sat himself upright again.
"You should get some sleep. Good night." He slowly closed the door.
"Likewise." The teen sighed in relief. He tried standing up again and he was a bit shaken. Not much about the part leading to where he refused to read. He was fine about it. But the idea of Fon wearing the red yukata with a white obi shocked him.
Not to mention the time they spent lunch a while ago, they were unusually chatty and seemed too close. And they even went somewhere for more than fifteen minutes.
And that call moments ago...
There is definitely something going on.
'You also realized there is something off with them, right?'
He remembered the note and he walked towards the nearby desk, pulled out some stationery and writes something on a piece of paper. The little canary bird flew and perched beside a pencil holder, waiting for its master to be finished and tied the tiny message onto it.
"Go deliver that message to..." He whispers to the bird and it flew past the window and away.
o-o
Mukuro was walking alone at night. The others were just chatting along with Verde about recent things and he just refused to talk with them.
He came up with an excuse to get some air and he just interacted with the scientist long enough during the day. That was a bit petty but they seemed to get what he really means by that little term called privacy.
He picked up a random branch just laying around and started to play with it. Drawing random stuff on the ground, twirling it around, tossing it. He was completely bored.
But his boredom was forgotten a while ago when he met his favorite skylark. Very fun to tease with. Not to mention his glaring gives him joy.
"Mukuro, Mukuro." He hears a little chirping.
He then looked and see the little canary bird which was used to be with one of the prisoners he busted out before. Now it was already attached to Hibari, which was really adorable, though it sometimes comes back just to scan the area.
Now to think of it, he does remember others referred the bird as Hibird. But he didn't mind.
"A message for me?" He approached the little bird and untying the little note. He unrolled the piece of paper and paused. This is very unusual indeed.
'Meet me at the Namimori Middle School Reception Room tomorrow at 8 am sharp. We have to talk about something that happened a while ago. -Hibari'