Until Next Time

Like all things which annoyed him, this stuck to him like a thorn in his side. Normally he'd take care of the problem as soon as he noticed. Only this problem was halfway around the world and held in a high security prison. So all he could do was ignore it as much as possible until he had the opportunity to resolve it. The opportunity didn't present itself until a few years later when Tsunayoshi had sent him to Italy to talk things over with an allying family. He really wasn't meant to beat them up if they disagreed with their terms but what Tsunayoshi didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

Wiping the blood off his hands as he walked out of the hotel room the 'meeting' was held in, he felt his neck prickle; an extra sense which had developed after a few months of working officially as the Vongola Cloud Guardian. The extra sense had helped immensely with detecting ambushes. He turned around and raised his tonfa just in time to block the trident which would have taken his eye out.

"Hibari Kyouya."

Hibari's eyes narrowed at the person before him. Finally, he could get rid of the goddamn itch to pound the illusionist into the pavement.

"Rokudou Mukuro. I'll bite you to death."

The next moment they were at each other's necks, superficial wounds all over them and blood running down their necks. The sight of Mukuro covered in blood exhilarated him and the fact that he still had that infuriating smirk plastered on his face made him wonder what lengths he had to go to, to wipe it off his face. Just that thought alone made his lips curl into a feral grin.

With a sudden movement Mukuro had him held up against a brick wall. How they had ended up in an alleyway was a mystery but he had been known to lose himself in the fight. His arms were rendered immobile by the fact that they were pinned above his head by the wrists. Why he wasn't resisting he didn't know.

"Kufufu." He placed his lips right next to the shell of his ear and whispered. "God, Kyouya. You should see how you look right now, all covered in blood. So… delectable." He trailed the tip of his nose down his jaw-line and sucked harshly on his pulse point. It would definitely leave a mark. With a growl he broke out of his restraints and shoved Mukuro against the opposite wall.

"I'll fucking kill you."

"Kufufu. So violent. I definitely approve."

In the blink of an eye Hibari had slammed the spikes on his tonfa into Mukuro's stomach. The Mist Guardian erupted in a million small flower petals. But not before he could say his last words.

"Until next time, Kyouya."

The bastard's smirk hadn't even faltered. Oh yes. Next time he'd definitely pound him into the pavement. He clenched his fists and opened them again when he felt something in his palm. His eyes narrowed as he realised just what type of flower Mukuro had dispersed into before he had disappeared.

Sakura.

The next time he saw Mukuro was just as he'd walked out of his en suite after a shower. He had arranged himself on his bed, on top of all the sheets, but that wasn't what annoyed him the most. The other man had stolen his tonfas from where he'd placed them on the table. The sound of metal grinding together as Mukuro pressed the release button for the spikes only made his face darken further. The white hot burning in his stomach increased as the man continued ignoring him and fiddled with his weapon of choice. Without them he'd just have to take him out the old-fashioned way. Soon fists were flying and still the smirk never left Mukuro's face.

"So impatient, Kyouya. What am I going to do with you?"

"You can hold still so I can kill you." Hibari growled as he narrowly missed Mukuro's head and punched a hole through the plaster wall behind him.

"Okay."

The unexpected response shocked him and Mukuro took the momentary opening to push him on top of the bed, the only piece of furniture in the room still standing. The way he pinned him down on the mattress was not dissimilar to how he had held him against the wall during their previous fight.

"Let me go so I can kill you."

"Kill, kill, kill. It's always the same with you. How about I add some… variation?" Hibari's eyes narrowed at the other man's comment.

"What are—?"

He broke off suddenly with a gasp as the man on top of him placed butterfly kisses along the length of his neck. He felt hands ghost down his sides, one settling around his waist and the other behind his head. As he was pulled up full against the body above him he found that his arms didn't push the other away. Instead they went around Mukuro's neck, pulling him closer. He arched his body up into the other and as their hips ground against one another he found himself biting back a moan. He could feel Mukuro's chuckling through the vibrations against his chest. The man above him traced a path with his lips to his ear as he unbuttoned his shirt. Suddenly he felt entirely overdressed.

"It's okay Kyouya." The illusionist whispered to him. "Make some noise." He said as he ran his hands running across his chest. When Mukuro's lips returned to their previous task Hibari flipped their positions and straddled the man.

"I said I approved of violence but you could be a tad—" He was cut off as Hibari pulled him up by the collar and crushed their lips together in a harsh kiss.

"Shut up herbivore and continue." He felt arms wrap themselves around his neck and suddenly he was looking up at the Mist Guardian again.

"Gladly. I'll take you on the ride of your life."

Much, much later Hibari woke with the other man sleeping against him, his own arm wrapped loosely around the other man's waist. He looked over Mukuro's sleeping face and faintly noted that he looked much better without that smirk on his face. He gently traced the lines of his face with his fingertips, his callused fingers brushing against the soft skin. When he saw the corners of his mouth lift in a small smile he frowned. What was this tightness in his chest? Was there a purpose? An ulterior motive? Why him?

"Why?" The question had left his lips before he'd even asked himself half the questions. However Mukuro didn't answer. All he did was make a non-committal humming sound, pulled him closer until his head rested against his chest and promptly went back to sleep. Hibari just closed his eyes, sighed and followed Mukuro's lead.

The next time he woke up he was alone. The spot Mukuro had previously occupied was cold, like he'd never even been there. Only the post-it note stuck on the bathroom mirror suggested otherwise.

Until next time, Love.

Only there hadn't been a next time. He'd gone a few weeks without as much as a thought of Mukuro. But when weeks lapsed into months, that thorn in the side came back like a jack-knife to his chest. For the week that he ignored the aching in his chest he'd been on edge and he'd sent a person to the infirmary every day. It had gotten to a point where Tsunayoshi had actually had him confined to his own side of the base. It was then that the little herbivore illusionist-girl had approached him. She stood in front of him fidgeting with her skirt and the cuffs of her sleeve. His gaze hardened and he opened his mouth to demand that she leave him alone, just as she started stammering.

"U-um. Mukuro-sama says tha-that um. That—"

"Spit it out, herbivore."

The voice that came out of her mouth clearly didn't belong to her. Though her eyes were glazed over and her face was blank, the smirk was clearly evident in it.

"Next time, let's meet face to face, Kyouya."

Before his could formulate a response the puppet girl had regained consciousness and was making her way towards her room with a disoriented look on her face.

For the next few months the whole of the Vongola Family had been running around the world doing missions for the Vendicare. The family had been at their beck and call for a solid four months before they allowed for the release of their prisoner. It was after these gruelling four months that Hibari found himself standing in the lowest floors of the Vendicare prison. In front of him was Mukuro suspended in the water and connected to an infinite amount of tubes. He watched as they disconnected from him lethargically, almost as if reluctantly. The chains were the last to go, sinking to the bottom of the tank.

Hibari stood with his hands in his pockets as he watched the slow process. Tsunayoshi had been sceptical when it was him of all people who had asked for Mukuro's release. He had shocked everyone at the end of the monthly Vongola meeting when he did. Then the Baby had declared that things would be done much more efficiently with the true Mist Guardian present, completely ignoring the fact that the girl-puppet had been present.

The Cloud Guardian's features hardened as he wondered why he had gone to such great lengths just to the other man again. He'd always done things for himself and by himself. But what did the weight which appeared in his stomach every time he considered never seeing Mukuro ever again mean? What about the sleepless nights caused by something obviously missing?

Why? Why do I want you so close to me?

The water was completely drained now and as he reached forward to pull the weak-limbed Mukuro closer to him he knew he didn't need an answer.

"Fancy seeing you here, Love." Came a whisper against his neck, hoarse from a lack of use, but he heard it all the same. He could also hear the relieved smile in his voice.

He already had an answer.

The first time Hibari had come home covered in blood was when he had been six. He'd come in from playing outside and had given his mother quite a shock. She had rushed to him in a matter of seconds and spun him around to check for any injuries. When finding none she questioned her wide-eyed son.

"Kyouya, what happened?" She said softly as she led him towards the bathroom.

"Broke their noses." He replied as he was placed in the bathtub.

"And why did you do that?"

"Got too close. Didn't like it." He said as his mother turned the faucet off.

"Kyouya, you may not want to be close to anyone now but one day you will." She said as she worked on washing away the blood. Kyouya took a moment to ponder why he would ever even consider such a thing. He developed a small pout, which made his mother smile, when he couldn't find an answer.

"Why?" He asked her as she pulled him out of the drained tub. She wrapped a towel around him and knelt so that she was closer to his height.

"Because," She started, "you'll love them so much you'll want to hold them as close as possible and never let go."

"As much as you?" The question made her smile as it would any mother.

"No, Kyouya. Even more than me." Her smile brightened as the pout returned to her son's lips. "But no matter who it is I'll always love you."

It wasn't until decades later that he remembered this.

Fin.

A/N: It's actually quite funny how this final version turned out to be completely different from the draft I had. (Nervous laugh) Thanks to my friends for reading over my drafts and picking up the horrible mistakes there. You guys are awesome!

So thanks for reading! Like it? Think I need to retake grammar classes? Leave a review!

~Melodies