Chapter Text
I don’t know.
This is the most common response about the tiny rumors about the head of the Disciplinary Committee going out to meet some mysterious student from Kokuyo. There were all forming an unclear picture on what they were doing.
I don’t know.
The clearest option would be fighting. Everyone knew there were attacks before between two different schools. But no one cared to look upon it in fear of risking more lives. Only few knew about it in complete detail.
I don’t know.
However, in the past couple of months, the two teens who were in the topic of the rumors were going out, meet each other not for a battle, but for spying another couple who were with them before. They call it a game of hide and seek.
I don’t know.
And what’s interesting about this is that even though this game is over, something did change, that is completely concealed with an undefined label that is the same response everyone has upon what is going on between the two.
So, no one exactly knew.
o-o
Exactly two weeks later after that revelation about Fon and Verde going out in a relationship, nothing big has happened. No big accidents, or any disasters. Just everyone going on in their lives like nothing else has happened.
The midday sun is shining brightly as Tsuna and his other companions come up to the rooftop of the school building to have their lunch.
“I’m definitely sure I am about to die after I got the lowest score again in three subjects…” The poor brunet whined. He knows he is going to have supplementary classes again.
“It’s okay, Tsuna! You’re not alone, haha…” Yamamoto tried to cheer him up, patting his back. Although he is also included in the ones who gets supplementary classes too. “We can do better next time, right?”
“Thanks, I feel a bit better.”
“Also, I agree with Yamamoto, Juudaime.” Gokudera added, leaning down at the wall. “You can get the top score next time!”
“It’ll take me longer to even reach the passing score…” Tsuna murmurs though.
“Boss, I’ll start with my meal.” Chrome raised her hand, settling a light blue book on her side and opening her lunch box.
“Oh right.” They all sat down on the concrete floors and started to eat their lunch, followed by the normal talks about school and what to do after the class will be dismissed for the day.
It really was a normal day. That is until they hear a low voice murmuring behind the open door.
“The rebel medics are attending the children? Who thought of that coincidence? How poor was it for her to see the trademark ducktail untucked shirt and her eyes before the bombs exploded? Poor little Primrose.”
“Hey, we can hear you from here!” Gokudera shouted. “Show yourself.”
One kick of the door and there’s Mukuro murmuring while being preoccupied with a book he’s holding. “What?” He looked up at the group that is shocked by his presence.
“What? Why are you here?”
“Calm down, Gokudera.” Yamamoto reacted. “There’s got to be a reason why he’s here.”
“Isn’t that obvious?! He’s here to attack Juudaime!” He then stepped in front, protecting Tsuna, who is panicking at the moment.
“Wait! I don’t think he’s here for me!” Tsuna reacted.
“I don’t even see weapons on him. Just a silly book.” Ryohei spoke out of the blue.
“And you have to say that in a weird tone?” Gokudera reacted, suspicious of the other.
“What did you say?!”
“Wait, stop fighting.” Tsuna tried to calm them down as Yamamoto took a look at Mukuro.
Something about this feels unusual. But Yamamoto decided to say it out.
“Ah, are you visiting Hibari today?”
And everyone went silent.
“Huh?” The remaining males reacted. Mukuro included.
“Why not?” The baseball pro gleamed a happy smile. “They did meet together since when? Two months ago? Maybe they continue seeing each other.”
“That’s impossible!” Gokudera reacted. “Have you ever seen them in public together? ALL DISASTER!”
“Why’s that a problem? They can become friends after meetings. Playing games and all.”
“Are you out of your mind? They got into a reluctant truce to stalk on silly dates!” Gokudera glared. “And their game is done! No more! Look! There’s even a bruise on the neck concealed by the collar of his shirt!” He pointed at the blue haired teen accusingly. “They are obviously fighting each other without us knowing it!”
“To be fair, that is kind of suspicious.” Tsuna agreed. “But that doesn’t mean Mukuro would visit Hibari-san as if they are normal friends.”
“Most likely they are out for massacre.”
“EXTREME MURDER BUDDIES!!!” Ryohei added.
“DON’T EVEN ENCOURAGE HIM!”
“Considering their game is over, after looking at those dates, what if they are dating?” Yamamoto suggested.
“THAT IS THE MOST TWISTED-”
“I think I should go on my way.” Mukuro slams the book and clamps it under his arm. “Given that I have disrupted your precious lunch time and peace in this place. Would you excuse me…” He walked out of the rooftop, leaving everyone surprised and silent.
Except for soft sobbing.
They all looked at Chrome, who is tearing up and covered her face with her hands.
“Chrome, are you okay?” They asked her. She sobbed already and all they can do is to pat her on the back and saying things.
The first thing they thought is about the idea of Mukuro and Hibari dating shocked her.
“Geez, it’s your fault, baseball idiot.” Gokudera scolded.
“Why me?” Yamamoto reacted.
“You do know she has a liking on Mukuro since they met. Maybe a deep affection and you shattered that upon YOUR idea that the savior she idolizes is gay.”
“It’s just a what if scenario.”
“Guys, now’s not the time to argue about that.” Tsuna shushed. “Chrome, it’s okay. We can find another person for you to love and devote your affection to.”
“Boss…” She wiped her tears that are still flowing non-stop from her eyes. “I’m fine with Mukuro-sama going out with another man.” She sniffed. “It’s just…”
“It hurts?”
“Hurts…that I like…”
They all braced themselves hearing what’s next.
“Prim… I liked Prim.”
“Huh?” The others reacted. “Who?”
“I liked Prim. Did she really die of a bomb explosion?” She cried again.
They were all confused on who is she talking about until Tsuna is struck with one thought when he looked at the book beside her.
“No…don’t tell me…” He gasped and paled at the same time.
The others looked at the book and realized that Mukuro is actually holding a book similar to Chrome’s and they didn’t realize that she heard a spoiler that her favorite character died and she mourned while they are arguing.
o-o
“What if we were dating…?” Mukuro wonders as he stepping down the stairs. “There is no ‘what ifs’ if we really did. We have gone out like a couple of times in the past two weeks even the game is over.”
He looked outside as he conceals himself into an illusion to pretend that he is not there as two students, a girl and a boy, passed by talking.
He started to think again. ‘So, we truced to stalk the professor and his relative. Gone into their dates and observed in a distance. Then, we have gone into our own date after the game is over. We kept seeing each other. And we stopped trying to murder each other. Now, what are we?’
When he stopped at the Reception Room, he dropped the illusion and opened the door, smiling in relief as no things thrown in his direction at all, like it was always been in the past two months ago.
“How did it go? About you reading on the rooftop.” Hibari asks him, not looking at the other teen but completely busy with the papers he’s working on.
“Disturbed. The Vongola were there. Just Vongola being Vongola.” Mukuro huffed before sitting down the sofa. As if ignoring the fact that they were within the Family at all.
“Now you see why your little mumbling while reading the book is disturbing to some?”
The blue haired teen pouted. “You timed that I was there on the same time they are there to prove your point?”
“Feels nice that I proved myself right this time.” The other has his hand cupped under his cheek and leaning towards the desk, smirking.
“Jerk.” The book flew past Hibari, who dodged it right on time instead of letting it hit his face.
“Now, do me a favor, pick up the book you threw at me, sit down there and read silently. Otherwise, I would kick you out for good.”
“Yes, your Highness.” Mukuro mocked as he went over to retrieve the book he threw. “Also, I am not scared of your threats of kicking me out.”
“Really?” He responded uninterestedly.
“Indeed, because you feel unease without me around.” Mukuro eyed the partially crumpled scrap paper that was within Hibari’s reach. “Also, I do give you a good time when I am visiting you.” He added as the black haired teen smacks him playfully.
“Just shut up and read your book.”
o-o
Apartment unit number 4A. This is where Fon was invited by Verde for dinner. However, the Chinese man is already present few hours before five in the afternoon. Now he is sitting on the sofa, reading a booklet while Verde prepares tea.
“I don’t know why you are here so early today. I thought you would wait for your relative to come home so that there’s someone in that house.” The scientist asked.
“I did. However, I got bored.” Fon replies.
“Have you tried-”
“Cleaning? Done that thrice today. But I am just bored and tired.” He sighed, closing the booklet he’s reading. “Then I thought about you and I went over here.”
“Aww, that’s so sweet.” Verde remarked, bringing the teapot and placed it on the table along with some china. “Want to take your boredom off?”
“I’m open.”
“It’s actually two weeks since we come clean about us to everyone.”
It has been two weeks since they exposed their relationship to others, realizing it was actually useless since everybody knew all about it but kept silent. Not to mention most of the Arcobaleno have made their bets when they would confess. Needless to say, Colonnello and Skull lost some money that day.
“That long?” Fon realized. “Funny that nothing much has changed after we confessed.”
“Tell me about it.” Verde added, pouring himself a cup of tea. “What really bothers me is that how we finally decided to confess. Those boys…”
“Hey, they said it wasn’t a big deal.”
“Remember that time we caught them, clothes scattered on the floor, partially nude, and mating like animals in heat?”
Fon tried himself not to laugh of Verde’s wording. “Of course, my heart dropped upon seeing that. And you basically screamed in horror, got up and needed some whiskey to drink.”
“You also took some liquor as well, if I remember correctly.”
“Of course, I did!” Fon leaned, placing his booklet on the table and pours his own tea. “I mean, those two were the least people you would expect to be involved in that intimate activity. I didn’t even think my relative would even like to have a romantic relationship at all.”
“So does Mukuro.” Verde added. “I even think he looked a bit gay way before and two weeks ago, I seemed to prove that to be true.”
“But they didn’t mean it about what they did together in that room.”
“However, remember what Reborn said? Something might have happened between them as they spied on us and the one time mating that they did.”
“Bonding with each other?” Fon almost dropped his cup.
“Something like that. What if they never stopped meeting each other even their little game is over?”
“How can we be so sure of that at all? Last time we thought of that, they said nothing weird is going on between them. But…”
Verde frowned a bit, as if thinking about something. “But?”
“You saw what they were acting back then. Them calling each other by first names? Their awkward eye contact? The playful banters? Them sleeping together? Even the Pocky game?! Those things still screamed they were going out as a couple but they still denied it.”
“Denied it…” The scientist repeated, thinking deeply. “Denial…”
“What are you thinking?”
“I’m just trying to fit in about the levels of their denial onto something.”
“No, they are not doing the stages of grief and loss.” Fon interrupted. “Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance.”
“Maybe they have went through those stages, without us noticing it. And then they would go into the cycle again until they would find out about their relationship.” Verde noted.
“You would think they would go into their own version of the stages of grief?”
“Look, I am not good and fluent in human behavior, okay?”
“Okay, so considering that is true, but how can we so sure they were in a relationship or not? Are we going to do the same thing they did to last in the past two months?”
Verde only looked at him.
“No, really?!” Fon puts down the cup. “We could get caught by them and imagine what would happen.”
“I hope they would not barge in on us having fun in the bedroom.”
Fon tried not to laugh again. “No, not that. What if we get into a fight with them?”
“As if you are saying we can’t do what they can do. Sneaking in without us knowing.” Verde sighed. “Look, we have some advantages now, since we know some of their tricks. Illusions, perfect listening skills, and communication by a canary as a messenger bird.” He reached a hand. “Now give me your phone.”
“My phone?”
“Yeah, we’ll change some of the settings when you get my messages. I’ll do the same with mine later. Simple notification sound with a small vibration. Then also my messages should be concealed as well, providing us our list of records and information, just like their notes being burned into ashes.”
While Verde goes to adjust the settings of the phone, Fon leans back, lifting his cup again. “If we manage to find out what they are really doing, what should we do?”
“Give them a piece of their mind to fix whatever it is they are doing. If they end up together, great. If not, we have no control of their lives.”
o-o
At seven in the evening, Hibari noticed the light is on in his house. He gets through the front door, slipped off his shoes, and took off his gakuran top as he gets in the living room. He sniffed and caught the scent of baked bread as he stepped towards the kitchen.
And there’s a batch of melon bread and some kind of bread he didn’t know what it is.
“I didn’t know you’re there already. You could’ve said something.” Fon reacted, carrying a tray with another batch of bread. “Have some.”
“I thought you would be with your boyfriend tonight.” Hibari responded, picking the bread he is curious about on the table. “Why are you here making this place smell like bakery?”
“We happened to have our dinner earlier today. And he’s busy tonight so I came back here, waiting for you. Did you eat dinner already?”
“I ate.” The black haired teen examined the bun he is holding, thinking what the top crust resembled before finally taking a bite.
“Is that so? You looked at that bun as if it’s your first time handling it. Are you curious about what you’re eating?”
“I swear if you put something funny in the bread…” Hibari reacted warily.
“No, not like that. It’s a pineapple bun.”
Hibari paused. “It doesn’t have any pineapple in here.” He took another bite and actually went stiff for a while. “Wait.”
“I think you bit into the pineapple custard I made. Such a clever idea, right? I also put some melon in the melon bread as well. Though it looked kinda traditional without thinking about the additional filling inside, right?”
“…warm.”
“They have cooled down; I have another warm batch coming up. I might have made too much.”
While Fon is happily describing how he made the bread, Hibari just stared down at the pineapple bun he’s eating. It actually cooled on the crust but when he bites into it, there is still warmth inside. He observed the pale yellow cream oozing out and his mind races.
‘Warm, sweet…pineapple…cream…’ He sees nothing wrong about it until…
…a memory came into his head.
A memory of warmth and sweetness enveloped him in that hotel room around two weeks ago. And the fact that it’s pineapple completely directed into someone he knew who has the blue pineapple hair.
Then it hits him. That memory. He feels a bit bad he is now thinking something inappropriate from holding an innocent bun that he didn’t notice he was…
“Are you okay? Your face looked so flushed.” Fon asks, effectively cutting his thoughts.
“Huh?” Hibari looks up. “I’m just delighted with the flavor.”
“Thank goodness. I thought something happened to you. You froze up for a while and your face turned tomato red. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m okay. Would you mind bringing some to my room? I’ll study for tonight.” He turns away, heading to the bedroom door.
“No problem~” Fon replies with a cheery voice.
o-o
When Hibari reached his room and closed the door, his legs finally gave in and he sunk to the floor in shock.
‘What was that? Over a piece of bread my thoughts went to him?!’
He looked at the pineapple bun he’s holding, slowly cooled down and warmth slowly disappearing. He closed his eyes and took another bite, tasting the custard touching his tongue. And suddenly he feels like he is back in that hotel room, wearing an open yukata, and into an embrace while kissed passionately.
‘It was just nothing, right? We agree to see each other again after that. Then what?’
Somewhere within himself, he found his deep desire to feel that way again. To be held, to be kissed, even to look at those wonderful eyes looking back at him. But he suddenly felt something.
‘No. I shouldn’t feel like this over him. And besides, he doesn’t think that way about me, right?’
The black haired teen opened his eyes, stood up, and walked towards the desk. He hung his gakuran top over a chair and sits himself down. He settled the unfinished bun over a sheet of white paper and dusted his hands clean of crumbs. Then he switched on the lamp and pulled a nearby literature book.
"Hibari, Hibari."
He hears the soft fluttering of wings and before he knew it, Hibird is now perching by the pineapple bread. And there’s a small note on it as well. Hibari pulled the tiny string and picked up the note.
‘I know we stopped sending messages already but your bird can’t stop coming back to me. It pecked on my ear asking for message. But here it is: I really have a wonderful time on our dinner a while ago. You trying another slice of tiramisu is very adorable. I have gone back safely. I hope you do too. Now, I should go back comforting Chrome because I said a spoiler on the book she’s reading. What a coincidence we were reading the same book, with me ahead of her. You are right; I should keep down the mumbling to prevent accidents like this. Have a good sleep. Good night. -Mukuro’
“Good night.” Unlike their previous notes, this one is longer than expected and some of the scribbles were jagged, struggling to fit all in a small piece of paper. But that phrase was written neatly, as if giving a soft greeting rather than a creepy threat.
Hibari looked at Hibird pecking at the untouched bun. “You do really want attention.” He reached out to gently touch the fluffy yellow head and smiled. “Maybe I should send one again.” He spoke, and all those uneasy thoughts he had has suddenly vanished.
o-o
Fon remains at the kitchen, waiting for the final batch of bread to be fully cooked. When he feels that the coast is clear, he pulled out his phone from hiding. It was conveniently placed inside a bunch of bread stacked neatly as if no camera is there.
“Okay…” He sent the message to Verde.
‘Look at this. He took interest in the pineapple bun and he became stiff and blushed tomato red. That one looks obvious.’
o-o
A quarter before 8, Verde felt the tiny vibration in his pocket and stealthily opened it. He read the message and smirked.
“Okay, no more spoilers.” Mukuro sighed while patting Chrome in apology for accidentally spoiling her about her favorite character’s death.
“Seriously, when you have a book, you mumble like a child learning to read.” Verde called out.
“Not you too. I have been scolded enough today by the mumbling.”
“By who?”
“Uh.” The blue haired teen paused before reacting. “That is not important.” That response made some of the people in the room narrow their eyes as if they know who it is.
“Nah, she just can’t get over the fact that the skilled trident wielding character died because she loves him too.” Ken, spoke out nonchalantly and very oblivious that he gave another spoiler as well.
“What? Finnick died?!” Chrome reacted and cries again.
“What? No!” Mukuro shot a glare at Ken.
“Seriously! Can’t anyone give me a chance to have some decent sleep here?!” An annoyed M.M emerges from a room.
“Sorry, this is not a grand hotel where you can get soundproof.” Verde shot back at her.
“You boys don’t know that saying big spoilers are not good for some.” She glared at the others. “Chrome, come with me. Let’s have a time to talk about the book you’re reading.”
“Yes.” Chrome wipes her tears and follows. They didn’t know how they ended up in a normal friendly relationship. Or at least decent. But Chrome learned some things. Never be too much of a crybaby around M.M and it’s okay to trust her since she is also a girl. So it’s normal already to find Chrome wearing new clothes or M.M reading a book that Chrome recommends.
“Now give us some peace!” The red headed girl yelled before they hear a slam on the door, sealing themselves away from the boys.
“I’ll check if she broke another door.” Chikusa stands up from his seat before noticing Verde. “You’re texting with your boyfriend?”
“How did you know I have a boyfriend?” Verde reacted.
“You have that weird look.” He replies and heads to check the door.
“Geez, I bet it’s that Chinese one.” Ken spoke out. “The one you were with two weeks ago bringing that duckling.”
“Really? You guys can see that?”
“Your grin is sweeter than any candy I ate and it’s sickening. Even you having that text message you are grinning. What is that?”
“That is private, personal business.” Verde hid his phone, hopefully no one can see the video Fon sent to him. “And besides, you can’t read very well. How did you get that spoiler?”
“Mukuro-san spoke about it alone yesterday. We thought he gone insane.”
“I’m going to tone down the mumbling.” Mukuro sighed. “It took most of my day trying to ignore the scolding.”
“Who scolded you?” Verde asks.
“No one, I’m going outside.” He dodged the question and left the room. He walked down the stairs and left out of earshot, probably annoyed of the people saying about his mumbling while reading a book.
While the others wondered what was going on, Verde shook his head, pulled out his phone, sent the voice recording, along with a message.
‘Let’s play a game.’