Surprise! A DelHibi one-shot. I get asked about DRRR stories, so I try to spoil you every now and then! Plus how great is DelHibi? So I hope you guys enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. Nyehh.

Cynosure

They meet when they're in 8th grade. Hibiya is the quiet kid, more interested in keeping his head in a book than making friends, and Delic is the one in the back who won't shut up. They don't sit near each other, not at first. Hibiya is right up front, a show off. He always knows the answer to the teacher's questions and he always answers before anyone else has a chance to. He doesn't talk to anyone else in the class, and it's widely recognized that he thinks he's too good to speak to them.

Delic is always getting in trouble, as he's more interested in talking to everyone around him than he is in paying attention. Today he's got his feet on his desk as he leans back in his chair, balancing it on two legs. It isn't that he hates school. No, it's just more that he's got better things to do. Probably. Either way, he's not paying attention, and is confused when everyone starts pushing their desks together. He looks up to see Kadota pressing their desks together, a grin on his face.

"We've gotta work in pairs, man," he says. "Why do you look so confused?"

"Wasn't listening," Delic says. "Didn't wanna listen."

Kadota rolls his eyes, but moves to sit down. Before he can, the teacher's voice calls him out.

"Oh, no, I don't think so! Every time you two work together, all you do is goof off and not accomplish anything! Kadota, you can work with Saburo. And Delic, you can work with...let's see- Hibiya! He'll be a good influence on you."

Kadota gives him a sheepish look as he moves to sit beside Saburo instead. Saburo is pretty cool, but he's an awful student, angers too easily. Kadota may goof off, but grades are really important to him. Delic has to scan the room to figure out who Hibiya is, but when he does, he groans internally. He's never bothered to learn the kid's name. Everyone just calls him Teacher's Pet, a real class A loser. Delic drags his feet to the front and stands in front of the kid- Hibiya's- desk. But the snarky remark he had in his head dies when those wide golden eyes look up at him.

"Are you waiting for an invitation?" Hibiya asks, and Delic blanches for a second.

"Uh, no."

"Then sit down."

Delic does, scowling as he shoves his desk, a little harder than necessary, against Hibiya's. He flops into the seat unceremoniously. He doesn't miss the way Hibiya scoots away from him.

"So," Delic begins conversationally, "what are we doing?"

"Were you not paying attention?"

"Obviously not."

"Well," Hibiya says, "we aren't doing anything. I'm going to write the paper, and you're going to sit there and be quiet."

Delic only stares at him, dumbfounded. He leans forward on the desk, arms folded as he watches Hibiya take out some paper and write both their names on it.

"Shouldn't I like, help or something?" Delic asks. He's a deadbeat student at best, but he's taking offense to this. Hibiya shrugs.

"You never seem to help anyone else you're paired with."

"Since when do you know about my school work?"

"You're kind of hard to miss," Hibiya says, casting him a sideways glance. "You talk more than the teacher."

"I'm more interesting."

"Oh, okay then."

"Damn," Delic sighs. "Who knew behind the sweet little face there was a sarcastic little asshole?"

Slamming the notebook down with enough force to cause a few students to look at them curiously, Hibiya whirls on Delic, golden eyes flashing malevolently.

"Oh, right, you go ahead and say whatever you want like always," he snaps. "I'm not bending over backwards for you like everyone else, and I don't want your help. We both know you're not interested in this anyway, so why does it matter?"

"Why're you being like this? I've never even said a word to you!"

"Exactly! But you sit back there and babble uselessly and expect everything to be handed to you! And you don't think I feel it when you and your stupid friends throw paper wads at me?"

This shuts Delic up effectively. Hibiya turns back to the paper and begins writing again, pencil moving angrily over the page. He's about halfway down when Delic speaks again.

"Sorry."

"Excuse me?"

"I said I'm sorry. It's not cool to sit back there and make you feel like shit."

"I'm sure you're messing with me, right? So I'll be more sociable and you can go back to bullying me when we're done?"

"Wha- no! Man, don't say 'bullying'. That makes me sound like an asshole!"

"What do you call it then? If it's not bullying?"

"I don't know, messing around? I didn't mean anything by it!"

"Seemed like it to me," Hibiya mumbles. He sighs and looks over at Delic, a curious expression on his face. "Do you know how to spell 'theoretically'?"

"Huh?"

"I'm having trouble spelling it here," Hibiya continues. "So do you know?"

"It- it's t-h-e-o-r-e-t-i-c-a-l-l-y, right?" Delic asks, feeling ridiculous. Hibiya smiles at him.

"Yes, I think that's right. Thank you."

Delic knows Hibiya didn't need help spelling that word, and he knows Hibiya knows that he knows. But it's not mentioned between them.

The year drags on slowly. Hibiya still sits up front, still answers questions. Delic still talks, but a little less loudly. The next time Kadota wads up a piece of paper and tries to toss it at Hibiya's head, Delic kicks it out of his hand and tells him to lay off. Eventually, his curiosity gets the better of him, and he finds himself trying to talk to Hibiya more and more, learns a little bit each time. They mostly talk at lunch, though Hibiya isn't comfortable sitting at the table with Kadota and Saburo, so Delic just speaks to him in the line.

He lives with his parents, one of the few kids Delic knows with both of them in the picture, himself excluded. His mother doesn't work, is a stay at home mom, and his father is a business tycoon. He's an only child with the weight of the world on his shoulders, though he never says so in so many words. He's got a nice smile when he means it, but it's rare. He always narrows his eyes suspiciously when Delic says anything nice to him, which is understandable. To an extent. In shorter terms, he's interesting, and Delic finds himself wanting to know more and more. So by the end of the year, he's sitting directly behind Hibiya, and will sometimes poke him on the back just to see the glare Hibiya will toss at him afterwards. They're...friends? Something like that.

They don't see each other over summer break. They have no reason to. Delic always hates the summer because he has to see his parents more. If they're not yelling at each other for something, they're yelling at him, and if they're not drunk it's a miracle. If he says it's up, they'll say it's down, and he's never good enough for them so why bother? He tries to make it a point to stay gone, is grateful for Kadota's hospitality. He's over at his house whenever the opportunity arises. They're sharing a stolen bottle of whiskey (courtesy of Kadota's mom's unlocked liquor cabinet) when the dreaded subject comes up.

"So what the fuck was up with you and Teacher's Pet this year?"

"Nothing, dude," Delic says lamely. "And he's got a name."

"Yeah, Hibiya," Kadota grins. "Seemed like you and Hibiya had pretty nice chemistry. Maybe he is a good influence on you."

"Shut up," Delic says, shoving him. "He's just a nice kid who needed a friend, okay?"

"Dude," Kadota says, shaking his head. "You're still a kid, too."

High school starts after summer break, and Delic is pleased to have a class with Hibiya. It's an elective course, naturally, seeing as how Delic isn't in advanced classes like Hibiya is, but he'll take whatever he can get. This time, he takes the initiative to sit right beside him, tossing his books down pretty dramatically. Hibiya looks up from his latest book- still a nerd, Delic notes fondly- and gives a small grin.

"Delic," he says. "Was your vacation pleasant?"

"Pretty much the same as it always was," Delic says. "Yours?"

"Mine was boring, I'm afraid. Mother started a new health craze and was doing yoga about the house, and Father was away on business. But it wasn't unpleasant."

"Heh," Delic laughs. "You're so proper. Like a prince."

"Excuse you," Hibiya argues, "you said yourself that I'm a sarcastic asshole."

"Yeah, well, that was before I knew you. And you're still a sarcastic asshole, but you're now Prince Sarcastic Asshole."

"That's ridiculous."

"But you're a tiny prince. A really short sarcastic asshole."

"Delic."

"I got it! I'll call you Chibiya!"

"I'm seriously about to walk out of the classroom."

"No, you won't. You missed me too much."

Hibiya sighs, but doesn't refute this, and then the teacher comes in and all conversation is put aside.

Every day, they talk more and more. Delic has to take verbal abuse from Kadota and Saburo about it when he finally drags Hibiya to sit at the lunch table with them, but he casts them death glares, warning them to cool it while Hibiya is there. They do, but still give him exaggerated stares, making him blush with embarrassment.

"So, Hibiya," Saburo says after a while, "how's it feel being Delic's new pet?"

"Saburo," Delic hisses, kicking him under the table. Kadota laughs into his fist.

"Well," Hibiya says, "I didn't mean to take your place, Saburo."

At this, Delic and Kadota roar with laughter, and Saburo joins in after a moment of confusion. After that, Hibiya sits with them every day.

One night, after a particularly brutal encounter with his father, Delic ends up outside Hibiya's neighborhood. He doesn't know which house is Hibiya's, only recognizes the suburb by name. He texts the raven, barely able to focus on the keys for all the alcohol in his system as he stumbles.

Whas yior addtess

The response it swift.

Do you mean 'address'?

Delic smiles. He loves it when Hibiya is uptight about spelling, even in texts.

Yea

Hibiya sends the address without asking why Delic needs it. The blond is there in a matter of minutes. He jumps when Hibiya's head pops out the window.

"Delic, what in the world," he says, looking him over. "Are you- are you bleeding?"

"Got in a fight," Delic says. "Didn't do so well."

Sighing, Hibiya moves back, motioning for him to climb through.

"My mom's asleep," he says. He watches Delic fall in the floor and giggle as he tries to stand up, and then his eyes narrow. "You're drunk."

"You're sexy," Delic says.

"Don't play cute with me, mister. How'd you even get alcohol?"

"'M not playin' cute, it's a TV reference- but yeah, you don't watch TV, do you? Yer too- too smart."

"Delic." Hibiya's voice changes as he helps the blond to the bed. "What's going on?"

"Problems at home."

"Your parents did this?"

"Mmm."

Hibiya covers him up with the blankets and smooths his hair down. Motherly, Delic thinks, and he grins at the thought. He's grateful when the light is turned off, and even more grateful when Hibiya lies beside him.

"Delic," he says quietly, "why would they hurt you?"

"'Cause I'm stupid," Delic says. "They saw my grades and realized I'm not good for shit."

"But that's not right, you're- you're very smart when you try!"

"Chibiya," Delic grins, "I feel like the only thing I'm good at is you."

"Y-Yes, well, I'm a tough subject," Hibiya stutters. He gasps when Delic scoots forward to press his hands against his cheeks.

"You're always so cold," Delic mumbles. "Why're you so cold?"

"Poor circulation," Hibiya says. "If my skin's too cold for you, I can sleep closer to the edge-"

"Nah, 's perfect. Yer perfect..."

"I'm not. I'm just good at- I mean, you're one of my best subjects, too."

They wake up pressed together, some of Hibiya's hair in Delic's mouth. It's not like in the movies, where people just fit together and wake up looking beautiful. It's work, and Delic knows he looks awful as he moves away from his bedmate. But Hibiya only gives him a sad smile and fingers the forming bruise on his cheek.

"Does it make me look tougher?" Delic asks, just to brighten the mood.

"The toughest," Hibiya responds. Delic thinks they might kiss, but they don't.

They spend their summer in a group this time. Delic makes sure to include Hibiya in any plan he, Saburo, and Kadota come up with, and it's widely accepted now that Hibiya is the group's pet, not just Delic's. It's also a known fact that Kadota got suspended about two weeks before school let out because he was defending Hibiya against some asshole calling him names. Delic's happy, glad that Hibiya is so accepted in their group. Things feel complete when he's with Hibiya. When they're all together.

The beatings from home continue, and Delic's drinking only escalates. He doesn't know what else to do, and the alcohol makes the pain go away, makes everything go away. Hibiya's eyes are always sad when Delic talks about it, but he leaves his window unlocked anyway. They're listening to the cicadas sing outside when Delic finally works up the nerve to hold Hibiya's hand over the blankets.

"You're holding my hand?" Hibiya asks, amused.

"Is that okay?"

"I was simply wondering what took so long."

Delic isn't drunk tonight, and he's glad. It would've ruined the moment if he knew he wouldn't remember it later, and he never wants to forget that cool skin against his. Again, he thinks they might kiss, but they don't. Delic thinks holding hands is a perfect start.

Junior year is pretty easy, goes by really fast. Saburo and Kadota begin tossing ideas around for a road trip at the end of the year, but Hibiya has no interest in going, so Delic doesn't want to, either. He spends his weekends with Hibiya now, Kadota and Saburo off somewhere else. He has his suspicions of them dating, but he's not sure and he doesn't want to bring it up. It isn't until the summer before senior year that Delic worries about anything too much, and that's college.

"I'm going out of state, naturally," Hibiya says when Delic asks him. "The schools here are awful."

"Does that really matter? I mean, isn't a degree a degree?"

Hibiya sighs and looks at him from over his laptop where he's busy planning his college career, his life without Delic. Post small town ignorance and pre city bliss. Delic tries not to hate the pictures of the happy students on the page, but it's harder than it seems.

"If you'd study-"

"Don't give me that. You know I could never afford a school out of state. Hell, I can't even afford one in state."

"Financial aid!" Hibiya says. "I've told you this before!"

"It still wouldn't be enough! My dad makes good money, I've already said so! The government won't give us enough to pay for everything!" Delic's dad is an electrician and is paid very well, but all his money goes to gambling and booze. Hibiya closes his laptop and tries to reach for Delic's hand, but Delic snatches it away and goes toward the window to leave.

"Don't let me stop you from planning your future," he snaps.

"Delic!"

"No, I don't wanna hear it. I'll see you later." And with that, he leaves.

Later comes and goes, and Delic doesn't talk to him, or anyone really. What reason would he have to continue being friends with Hibiya? So it can hurt worse when he's finally gone? As for his other friends, Saburo is working at a mechanics shop and barely has time to hang out, and Kadota is busy looking for a job, too. Delic decides he might as well find something to do for money, and he ends up working at Wal-Mart. When school starts back, he doesn't return.

The year passes, as it always does, and though Delic doesn't talk to Hibiya anymore, he thinks about him constantly. Hibiya tries to text him and ask what's wrong, but Delic never replies, can't bring himself to. If anything, he's ashamed of how he acted. And he's ashamed for ever thinking he was good enough for someone like Hibiya. It's better this way, for everyone involved. At least without school, Delic can work full time and save up for a car. Maybe if he can buy one, he can at least drive to whatever future Hibiya will be settled into.

As it turns out, Hibiya's out of state school is still only about a two hour drive. Delic works his ass off all summer and manages to procure the rustiest car money can buy, but it runs, and that's all he needs it for. Saburo is handy with a car by this point, and any problems he has, he trusts Saburo to help him fix it.

"You talked to Hibiya?" he asks one day when they're changing the alternator belt.

"No."

"Well, he's doing well in school so far."

"Classes just started, dumbass. Of course he's doing good."

"And he asked about you."

"Cool."

"Delic," Saburo sighs, but he doesn't elaborate. Delic doesn't need him to.

He gains quite a reputation as the town drunk. He doesn't know how that happened, but he's aware of it just as much as he is of everything else. He's fired from Wal-Mart because he's caught stealing, and he's lucky he didn't go to jail for it. His parents are too ashamed of him to even hit him anymore, so they just call him a disappointment instead, don't hesitate to tell him they wish he was dead. When they're trashed on something. Delic doesn't blame them. He wishes that too, usually.

Finally, Delic can't take it anymore, and he sends a text message before he can think about it.

Chibiya is all it says. It's all it needs to say. Hibiya responds immediately. It's the first time they've spoken in two years, but it's as comfortable as ever.

He ends up driving the two hours to see Hibiya, unannounced, of course. He doesn't want to give Hibiya the opportunity to turn him away, so he decides showing up is the best thing. Hibiya answers the door on the third knock, and he hugs Delic tightly- so tightly- and Delic returns it, grateful that the world makes sense again.

"Oh, Delic. How are you?"

"Super," Delic says with a grin. Hibiya frowns at him.

"Were you- drinking before you came here?"

"Nah, not too much."

"You're slurring."

"Not that bad though, right?"

"You were driving! Why would you-"

"Because I just- I was nervous coming here, okay? I needed it."

"You needed alcohol to talk to me?" Hibiya asks, eyes pained.

"I- I need it for everything..."

And when those golden eyes fill with tears, Delic doesn't stop himself. He pulls Hibiya forward and seals their lips together, Hibiya only offering little resistance that soon goes away as he melts into the kiss, his arms wrapping around Delic's neck.

"Goddamn," Delic says. "I missed you."

"You asshole," Hibiya says. "You complete and utter asshole."

They fall into each other again, Delic pulling him toward the bed before he can even think too much about it. He doesn't need to think when Hibiya's hips thrust up against his, doesn't need to understand the mechanics of Hibiya's thought process. He just rolls right back against him, giving as good as he's getting, and ends up working Hibiya's body into the bed, causing the raven to latch onto him and say nothing else but moremoremore.

Afterwards, they face each other and talk quietly. Hibiya disapproves when Delic tells him why he was fired, isn't afraid to say so.

"I think...you might need help, Delic," he says.

"You would think that." Delic didn't mean for it to come out so snappy.

"Why do you always come to me when you're upset?" Hibiya sighs. "I never say anything you want me to."

"Because you're the only one who keeps his window open for me."

They stay up that night, catching up and experimenting between the sheets. Hibiya likes to bite, which is perfect, because Delic likes to be bitten. He marvels, even now, at how they fit together, how they always fit together. Even when he tried so hard to force them apart, they still fit together.

Delic stays for a few days, and he naps when Hibiya is in class. He's amazed at how easy it would be to become a fixture in Hibiya's life, a weird piece of furniture. He has to stop himself from getting too cozy- none of this is permanent. And even if it was, he'd never be happy having someone else take complete care of him. It's with this process that he prepares to leave again, but before he can, Hibiya intercepts him at the door.

"You're leaving?"

"I need to. I can't mooch off you."

"It's not mooching! I'm offering!" Hibiya is upset, is close to crying. Delic's never seen him fall apart before. For a second, he wishes it would happen. Just for a second, so he could be the one to pick up the pieces.

"Chibiya," he says, holding the raven against himself. "You're too good for me."

"Don't give me that," Hibiya says against his shoulder. "Don't you dare give me that."

"But you know it's true."

"Stop it!" Hibiya pushes him away with more strength than it seems like he should possess. "Stop acting like I know everything! Don't you think- think that maybe for a second, that I'm just as clueless as you are?! Don't you think that I've missed you every second of every day, but I had to wait for you to come to me because if I'd found you first, you would've ran away? You don't think that I spend hours trying to figure out how to help you, but I- I can't, and God, goddamn, it's so frustrating! All you do is run from everything, and you can't keep doing that!"

"I'm not running!" Delic snaps. "What am I going to do here, Chibiya? Am I going to sit around your apartment moping all day? Eating your food and waiting for you to get back? Is that what you want me to say I'll do? Because I can't!"

"No, you idiot! I'm saying move here and look for a job! Move here and start over! Come and be with me! There's nothing for you in that town and there won't ever be!"

"Because you left it!"

"Yeah, I left! I left because I couldn't spend the rest of my life there! Small town lives- they're only perfect in silly stories. They're so draining, so monotonous. I can't be in a place like that, not for my whole life. That's how you end up hating everything, Delic. You've only been surrounded by what you've known your entire life, and there's so much more!"

"This isn't how it's supposed to be," Delic says, shaking his head. "I'm supposed to look after you, not the other way around."

"We look after each other. Damn it, Delic, just say you'll stay with me. Just stay here and let me help you. Please."

He does, though it's reluctant. He gets back on his feet, like Hibiya predicted, even lands a full-time job barely a month later. Hibiya still makes him go to meetings for alcoholism sometimes, but Delic's urge to drink is all but gone, as it was a way to self-medicate for the real issue. When he's diagnosed with depression, it doesn't come as too much of a shock to him. The medicine isn't exactly great, but there are worse things to endure. He knows that now.

He helps pay for a house- their house- and it's their ally that stands with them through their wedding, their children, their fights, and respective careers. Hibiya never asks if he's okay anymore, doesn't have to. Delic understands now that it doesn't get much better than this, and though he's far from perfect, and he's still got his personal demons, he didn't wake up hating himself this morning.

And that's a hell of a start.