Tomorrow Never Dies Chapter 3 KHR

So; this is the last chapter :') Thanks for sticking with me so far xD I know this has been one of my shorter stories, but I don't like dragging things out…I kinda learned that when I was writing Welcome to the Grimm Office and The Bureau of Unexpected Tales. But either way, I hope you guys liked it~ And by the way, I wanted the ending to be realistic. It might not be happily ever after, but at least Hibari now knows how much Dino does love him.

Cheers!

Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn. Any similarities in events or characters living or dead are entirely coincidental.

Enjoy!

Chapter Three: Carpe Diem

-Three weeks later-

The senior's home was noisy for a Sunday, probably because it was the long weekend. Families bustled in and out; parents hand in hand with their elderly parents or children clinging to the arms of their grandfather or grandmother. It was a lively day, which was something Hibari normally avoided at all costs, but today was an exception. He was dressed in a pair of dark jeans, tennis shoes, and wore a blue V-neck under his blazer; casual outdoor wear. The raven swung his car keys in his hand, and slung on his arm was take out from the nearby Chinese restaurant. Dim Sum. Light and easy to eat, and wasn't something overly complicated for stiff fingers.

He took the elevator up, surprised at the amount of ease he felt about this whole expedition. Hibari would've thought he'd be more irritable, or nervous.

Yes, Hibari Kyoya was capable of being worried as well.

He came to a halt on the fifth floor and walked out, double checking the room he was looking for on a slip of paper. His destination was located right at the end of the hall, and with every step he took, Hibari felt his heart beat a little harder. When he placed his hand on the doorknob, he exhaled slowly before reaching up with his other hand to knock.

A quiet "Come in!" sounded from the inside, and Hibari pushed the door open and stepped into the room.

It was small and comfortable, prettily furnished and had an excellent view of the duck pond from the window. The bed was neatly made, and a pile of novels were piled high on the nightstand, many of which had bookmarks poking out from the top.

There was a man currently seated next to the open window, doing a complicated word puzzle in the day's paper. He was thin and tall, his blonde hair thin and wispy, but still had its golden colour and thickness. He was wearing a simple pair of pants and a long sleeved shirt rolled up to the elbows, which exposed the old tattoos on his thin arm. The skin looked papery with age, but the imprints still held its complicated shapes. Often, tattoos lose their appearance and appeal with age, but not for him. Hibari almost smiled at that, but he refrained from doing so, seeing as this man had literally given up his youth for him.

Or rather, his whole life.

Dino looked up, apparently curious, and his blue eyes widened when he saw Hibari standing in the doorway. His pen fell to the floor with a clatter, but the blonde made no move to pick it up. He opened his mouth, closed it, and the wrung his hands in shock, not knowing what to do.

"K-Kyoya? I- what are you doing here?"

Hibari could almost feel his heart tearing into two at the sound of Dino's voice; it sounded tired and quite literally, aged. The blonde made to stand up, and the raven immediately walked forwards, holding out his hand. Dino shook his head, smiling down at Hibari.

"It's okay, I can handle myself."

Hibari took a step back. His other hand clasped his extended hand discreetly, hiding the slight shaking.

Dino noticed either way, and he chuckled softly, reaching out to pat Hibari on the shoulder. "Don't worry about me, Kyoya. I'm younger than I look."

"How can you say that?" Hibari shot back, staring in shock. "You- you've changed so much, you're living in a senior's home, you can't even care for yourself properly, it's my fault you're like this- how can you stand to look at me?"

"Because it's you," Dino said, looking Hibari right in the eye. "Even if I turn into and eighty year old man, quite literally, I'll still love you. Even if you don't love me."

Hibari huffed, and to Dino's surprise, walked forwards and hugged the blonde, careful not to squeeze too tightly. "You're an idiot. A damned, brainless idiot, I say."

Dino blinked, and then carefully wrapped his arms around the raven's short frame. Hibari rarely showed such a weak side. It made him happy as well; knowing that somewhere in that stoic, ice-cold personality, there was room for a little emotion and, for the lack of a better word, humanity. Hibari could express his feelings if he wants to too, and it seemed as though he'd finally realized the depth of Dino's love for him.

"What's that?" Dino asked softly when Hibari drew back, eyes looking suspiciously wet. But that might've just been the trick of the light, because the raven blinked, held up the plastic bags, and said simply, "Dim Sum. Do you want to eat it here or…?"

"Outside," Dino said at once, placing his crossword aside with a big smile on his face. He braced himself against the large chair, eyes shutting momentarily as he eased himself up from the seat. Then, standing upright, Dino stretched, inhaling deeply. "Let's go, then. I'm starving."

Hibari made an amused noise, but at the same time, he extended his arm and touched Dino's hand, cautiously, hesitantly. Dino hid a smile, knowing that Hibari would rarely act so shy ever again. Lacing their fingers together, the two made their way out of Dino's room and back down the building through the elevators.

"…Cavallone."

Dino glanced over, curious. "What is it, Kyoya?"

For a second, Hibari's mouth may or may not have quirked up in the first real smile Dino had ever seen on his face, but it was the raven's next words that really made the blonde's spirits soar again.

"As I recall, someone promised to take me sakura-watching. I'm still waiting, by the way."

Dino lowered his gaze, chuckling, barely able to stop the tears from welling up in his eyes. Here he was, an eighty year old man, barely able to stand on his own, and he was going out on a date. Some things just couldn't be predicted.

The sky was a beautiful light blue that day, enhanced by the puffy white clouds floating lazily along in the breeze. The sounds of the ducks quacking in the pond and the rustling of the leaves on the tall oak trees gave the yard a comforting, relaxing atmosphere.

Though neither Hibari nor Dino could see it, the smoky, black numbers continued to count down over Dino's head, one after another, never missing a beat. But for the dark-haired youth and the stooped old man walking hand in hand, side by side, this simple day of peace was all they needed, even if there wasn't much time left…

…because tomorrow never really does die.

End

I realized Tsuna and his family would probably never really know what happened to Dino unless Hibari told them. Though, somehow, if Tsuna ever asked, I think Hibari would divulge the information. Strange guy :) Thank you so much for taking the time to read! You guys are the best~ -loves you all-

Carpe Diem: Seize the day (Latin)

-BlackStar42Roses