ID: A cropped panel from the Cloud and Rain story in Planet of the Apes: The Simian Age. It shows Rain, a chimpanzee with dark hair and dark skin. She says, in sign, "Caesar trust Koba. Rain trust Koba too," with an unsure smile. End ID.
She features in a POTA comic story called Cloud and Rain as well as WFTPOTA: Revelations by Greg Keyes (Honestly, I'm not convinced that these two were supposed to be the same character but idc, it works and it's interesting).
Pondering her lately. As much as I have talked about Koba being victimized by Caesar in That One Scene [link], [link], the comics show her being victimized by Koba in a very similar way that's just harrowing
The plot of Cloud and Rain is basically that Cloud and Rain are two adolescent chimpanzees being trained by Koba to forage, but Koba is... questionable. A human stumbles into the scene on complete accident, and cannot escape because of a broken leg. Koba kills the human outside the ape territory despite Caesar's rules and insists Caesar not know. Cloud is distressed by this and attempts to warn Caesar before Koba abruptly kills him.
Soon after, Cloud is found dead by Rocket, and a funeral is held. Koba feigns ignorance while glaring and intimidating Rain, and it culminates in him strangling her. Throughout the story, Rain is adamant that Koba is right and she listens to everything he says. She lives in the end, but she's no doubt traumatized.
It wouldn't be fair of me not talk about this. Rain has to live with the aftermath of this event, and it's really heartbreaking to think about. She's lucky to be alive, the same way Koba is after being strangled. Strangulation is no joke.
For whatever reason, she was quick to internalize Koba's rhetoric around humans. She follows his authority to a fault. But in the end, that didn't spare her of Koba's paranoia.
I do kind of have theories on why she took his view of humanity at face value. I figure her parents or other apes she was close to may have had their own stories of the labs. Maybe she had a poor encounter with a human herself.
And I think she made have had a sort of crush on Koba, especially with the panel above of her sheepishly saying she trusts him. She's young, and it would make sense to have a crush on an older authority figure for her age. Her admiration for Koba is very clearly clouding (pun intended) her judgment.
In any case, she lived with this knowledge for years until Koba's betrayal. We really don't get anything but mentions of her in Revelations, where she's giving birth to twins. But she must have feelings on Koba's betrayal and eventual death. Mixed feelings. Someone she admired is gone. Someone who abused her is gone. Cloud's murderer is gone.
I imagine it took her a long time to unpack and deconstruct what she believed about humans. But also what she believed about Koba. From what she says in the comic, she trusted Koba both because Caesar trusted him but also because she distrusted humans. It's honestly similar to Caesar placing his trust in Koba because he thinks apes are better than humans. (To an extent anyway, I still hold that Caesar does Not act like he trusts Koba in Dawn, but he did trust him on some level.)
Caesar and Rain could probably get a lot of mileage out of talking to each other about Koba and how he hurt both of them, how he proved both of them wrong. But also, how would Rain feel about Caesar strangling Koba at the dam? Caesar standing tall and trying to silence Koba with his own threats and intimidation? Would she connect that to what Koba did to her? How does she feel about the hierarchy and systems that enabled her abuse?
Aquí y el anfitrión de la fiesta: Hesper, ¿de donde han salido tantos invitados? que mareo. Primer grupo de la fiesta de disfraces de halloween en sus trajes individuales bien adorables!
-Flyer ha traido su match con Hesper como prometio!
-Dayan y Dylan han venido juntos como se esperaba
-Geller y doner, han tomado su tiempo en venir, pero aquí estan.
~~~~
Here and the party host: Hesper, where did so many guests come from? What a dizzying scene. First group of the Halloween costume party in their individual, adorable outfits!
-Flyer has brought his match costume with Hesper as promised.
-Dayan and Dylan have come together as expected
-Geller and Doner took their time to come, but here they are.
Since this blog has been mostly unreachable and now under the threat of deleting after tumblr wrongfully flagged it over a year ago, I’ve moved cloud story to tapast. It’s a finished story still, but in case any of you still happen to notice this and want some day maybe read it again
You can find it here
In case my main blog gets totally deleted, you can find me in instagram as mareliiini, or in pillowfort as mareliini. I try to remember to check that one day.
“Wow,” Takeshi said, eyes widening in delight and awe as Tsuna explained to him on their way to school about his plan to buy a house for Gokudera, Bianchi, Lambo, I-Pin, and Fuuta to live in. “You have the best ideas ever, Tsuna!”
At those words Tsuna ducked his head, a small flush appearing on his face. “It’s nothing. I just want everyone to live comfortably, and I wouldn’t be able to do it at all without Reborn and Gokudera-kun’s help.”
“It’s nothing, Juudaime,” Gokudera said, echoing Tsuna’s previous words, although he glowed with the compliment. “I’m glad to be a help!”
Takeshi threw the baseball in his palm up, feeling a little stiffness in his recently healed arm with the movement. “Too bad I’m not good at math, or I’ll help you guys too,” Takeshi said. He angled his head up as he followed the path of the baseball with his eyes. Its projectile wasn’t as straight when compared to how he used to throw it at full strength, but despite that, Takeshi knew he can win today’s game today. His arm still felt a little tender at times, but other than that, it was in good shape. Takeshi caught the baseball on its way down. He will win. He made a promise, after all.
At the thought of that, he smiled.
“Don’t even try to help,” Gokudera said as they walked. “You’ll only mess things up for us.”
Takeshi laughed. “Probably,” he admitted. “Although, wow, really, a house. That’s cool, like a secret base out in the open. You should invite me over when you guys move in.”
“Of course I’ll invite you when we move in,” Gokudera said readily, so much that both Takeshi and Tsuna looked at him in surprise. Gokudera continued blithely, “Who else is going to help move our stuff over?”
Both Tsuna and Takeshi laughed.
“I’ll help when the day comes,” Tsuna said, echoing Takeshi’s promise as they followed the river of students passing through the school gate. There was a noticeable empty area in the midst of the crowd at the front gate.
Takeshi automatically turned his head in that direction, a smile spreading across his face as he saw the person he was expecting. “Good morning, Hibari-senpai!” Takeshi greeted, waving his arm obnoxiously in the air.
Takeshi could tell the exact moment Hibari saw his waving hand and heard his greeting from the way he paused minutely in his scan through the crowd. His gaze was intent as it locked with Takeshi’s.
Takeshi’s grin widened.
“Yamamoto, what are you doing?!” Tsuna hissed as Hibari began to make his way towards them. The crowd parted before him automatically, and there was a quiet tension as everyone watched Hibari stop right in front of him. Tsuna snapped his mouth shut.
Takeshi’s heart drummed against his chest.
“Did your arm heal?” Hibari asked, staring straight at him.
Takeshi hummed and moved his arm around as though testing it out, before looking up. “As well as it could in a month,” Takeshi replied with a shrug, knowing his question had less to do with concern about his health and more with a promise.
Hibari stared at him for a long while, as though trying to assert the truth in his words. Finally, he turned away and said, “I’ll bite you to death if you lose the game today.”
Instead of saying, ‘I look forward to it’ because even Takeshi wasn’t suicidal enough to say that to a person who would take that quite literally, Takeshi called to Hibari’s back, “I’ll win.” The confidence in his voice gave Hibari a pause. He glanced back over his shoulder to Takeshi, and Takeshi smiled. “I’ll win, Hibari-senpai, have no doubt about it. So in turn, please watch me.”
Everyone waited for Takeshi to get bitten to death. For half-a-second, even Takeshi was sure of it. Then, Hibari looked away and said, “Arrogance is unsightly” and left.
Takeshi watched him leave and the grin on his face stayed even as Tsuna lectured him to be more careful. Hibari and Takeshi both knew it wasn’t arrogance that made him declare his victory. It was confidence, the same type that Hibari possesses when he declared he will bite someone to death and then proceed to do so.
It wasn’t a question. It was a matter of inevitability.
Takeshi won’t lose this baseball game, not as long as Hibari was watching.
Takeshi went to secure his victory during lunch.
Xxx
After quickly eating his lunch with Tsuna and Gokudera, Takeshi hurried off to look for Hibari.
“Jackpot,” Takeshi uttered lowly as he creaked open the door to the rooftop and saw a familiar figure laying there against the ground.
“Coming up to the rooftop while I’m here is against the rule,” Hibari said without looking in his direction. His eyes were still peacefully closed and his hand rhythmically ruffling through Hibird’s feather.
No matter how many times Takeshi thought about it, it was still ridiculously sweet to him how the canary just came out of nowhere one day and attached itself to Hibari while he was in the hospital.
There was a rare peace that settled in their hospital room that day. Gokudera and Tsuna were talking with each other, Takeshi was carefully stretching his broken arm out, Ryohei was at the physical therapy room again even though the doctor told him to take it easy, and Hibari was napping in his bed.
Takeshi didn’t remember what they were talking about. All he remembered was looking up when the conversation between Gokudera and Tsuna halted. Without their background noise, Takeshi suddenly registered the near imperceptible whisper of wings flapping through the air. He looked towards that direction, to the window, and the white curtains of the hospital room swayed in the breeze. In that moment, there was a gap between the curtain edges and Takeshi saw a flash of yellow.
Then a canary bird flew in and landed on the bed closest to the window. Namely, Hibari’s bed.
A hush silence descended on all of them as they watched the tiny bird. It hopped about the surface it was standing on and pecked at it like the little curious creature it was. Takeshi thought it looked very familiar.
“Shit, that’s Bird’s canary, isn’t it?” Gokudera hissed, and that jogged Takeshi’s memory. Bird, that guy that Gokudera fought. Of course. Canary wasn’t native to Namimori. “I thought I got rid of all of them.”
There was a hissing sound as Gokudera brought out his weapon.
Takeshi unwittingly tensed.
“No, Gokudera-kun!” Tsuna whispered, lowly but insistently. “You’ll wake Hibari-san up.” What was left unsaid was that the last time Hibari woke up from anything beside his own conscious will, everyone suffered. Who would have known that Hibari was not a morning person?
Takeshi’s mouth twitched as he recalled the image of Hibari’s bed head, only for it to freeze when the canary finally hopped up to Hibari’s collarbone, which was unprotected by a blanket unlike the rest of his body, and gave it a peck.
A hand whipped out lightning quick and the next second, the offending bird was trapped on its palm and bracketed by its curled fingers.
Tsuna let out a gasp and even Gokudera stiffened beside him at the thought of such an innocuous sight turning bloody.
Takeshi kept his eyes opened, and watched.
The canary bird was letting out pitiful, panicked chirps, and when it almost managed to wiggle free from the grip of Hibari’s strong but still sleepy hands, Takeshi managed to spot it pecking insistently at the insides of Hibari’s hands seconds before the grip tightened. The tiny bird was then blocked from view by long slender fingers until not a yellow feather could be seen, muffling even the sound of its chirping.
The closed hand moved and brought the caught bird to its owner’s face. It was only then one of Hibari’s eyes cracked open, revealing lucid eyes struggling for clarity. His hand parted then, and the bird froze when its prison opened, shedding light to the dark place that it was sure it would be trapped in forever.
Takeshi thought he could see some red lines on Hibari’s palm where the bird pecked at insistently for its release.
At the sight of the flustered bird with its feathers puffed up in disarray, making it a bigger and sadder sight than it actually was, Hibari’s other hand rose. Takeshi could sense both Tsuna and Gokudera flinch as it closed over the hand that held the canary, until the bird was hidden from sight again. There was a confused chirp as the hand above it rustled around and when it finally withdrew, the bird’s feathers were smoothed down to its side.
Hibari dropped the hand that fixed the bird’s feathers back to his side, as though it took too much energy to keep it up. Then, he gently moved the hand with the canary sitting on it to his stomach, and they watched as the canary chirped in confusion for a moment, before hopping down from his hand onto his blanketed stomach.
Once Hibari saw that the canary landed safely onto his blankets, his eyes shuttered close again. The bird and humans in the room alike waited from some other move from him, but Hibari did nothing else. His body merely moved up and down in a gentle rhythm as he slept.
The bird chirped at him, once, twice, but when Hibari neither awoke or did anything else, it flopped down onto Hibari’s bedding, as though all strength had left its legs. It then proceeded to curl up against Hibari’s stomach like a ball of fluff, and fell asleep.
The sight of both Hibari and the bird napping was so adorable that Takeshi would have taken a picture if he wasn’t afraid that he was going to be bitten to death, Hibari’s kindness towards small animals or not.
“That’s so weird,” Gokudera said after a long silence, and Tsuna was inclined to agree, although he added with a smile, “They look peaceful together.”
They grew used to the sight of the bird around Hibari after that. It didn’t always stick by Hibari’s side, although it always, always came back whenever it flew away. When Hibari returned to school after he discharged himself from the hospital, his small but loyal fanbase doubled at the sight of the tiny bird that Hibari brought with him. Takeshi didn’t know who started it, but by the end of Hibari’s first day back, the canary bird was nicknamed Hibird.
Takeshi thought it was a nice name.
At Hibari’s claim that it was against the rule to be on the rooftop when he was there, Takeshi laughed. “Senpai, can’t you let it go this once?” he asked as he ambled his way to where Hibari was laying down. Hibari’s eyebrow twitched as Takeshi stood above him, blocking his sunlight and casting a shadow over his face.
Takeshi absentmindedly wondered how Hibari managed to stay so pale when he always napped on the rooftop.
“Move out of the way,” Hibari ordered, and Takeshi obeyed, taking that opportunity to slide down beside Hibari instead, sitting down with the soles of his feet propped against the rooftop floor. Hibird shifted on Hibari’s stomach when Takeshi’s movement disrupted it, but a gentle fingers sliding down from the top of its beak down to its back settled it again.
Takeshi wondered if it was odd for a human to wish to become a bird. One bird, specifically.
“What are you doing here? Class begins in another ten minutes,” Hibari asked, finally deigning to crack open his eyes. Takeshi loved the way Hibari looked at him, like he was annoying, irritating, like a pest. Like it was a mystery why Takeshi stuck around him and kept coming back. Like it was a mystery why Hibari lets him.
Takeshi’s eyes dropped to Hibird, and thought about how it stayed after Hibari set it free. We aren’t so different, after all, he thought, as his gaze finally landed on Hibari. Their reason.
“You didn’t agree to come to my game before,” Takeshi said.
Hibari frowned at that explanation. “You’re irritating.”
Takeshi let out a laugh. “Some people call me that,” he acknowledged with a nod. Some people being only Gokudera and now, Hibari. “So will you come, Hibari-senpai? It’s a home game, so it's right here in Namimori Middle anyway.”
“I dislike crowds,” Hibari stated, like he didn’t make that clear with all the biting to deaths he did whenever there was a crowd. The only thing he probably disliked more than a crowd was the breaking of school rules.
“Well,” Takeshi said, because there was nothing he could say to refute that. “I’ll play better if you were watching.”
Hibari gave him a look and finally sat up. His hand casually curled around his stomach as he did, so Hibird neatly plopped from his stomach onto his palm. He must have done that often, since Hibird didn’t even look up from that.
“You boasted that you would win before,” Hibari stated, at a greater height to look down at Takeshi now that he sat up. His lips twisted to a faint sneer. “Where’s that arrogance now?”
“I counted your coming to watch the game as a factor to the victory,” Takeshi said, looking back at Hibari with an open expression with nothing to hide. Letting him read the truth in his words. “Come?”
“You wouldn’t dare lose and break your word with me,” Hibari said, a statement as much as a subtle threat.
Takeshi chuckled, and curled his arms loosely around his propped legs to pillow his head on them. Eyeing at Hibari from a side angle, Takeshi said, “No, I won’t break my words.” He closed his eyes, relishing in the warmth that the sun shone on him. No wonder Hibari liked napping here. It was peaceful. “I wouldn’t do that, especially not to you.”
Silence. A breeze passed by, rustling Takeshi’s hair. It felt good between his hair and against his skin. He let out a small sigh of contentment. He could feel Hibari’s gaze on him, but he didn’t look up. If only this could last forever.
Takeshi’s eyes fluttered opened when he heard a chirp near by. He opened his eyes to the sight of Hibird standing in the space between Hibari and Takeshi’s body, facing him.
“Hey, buddy,” Takeshi said, slowly reaching out with the back of his finger. Hibird hopped backwards away from him just as he was about to touch it. Takeshi blinked. It let out a chirp at him from its position, tossed a quick glance at Hibari, and then hopped back forward again.
Takeshi laughed, amused.
“What are you doing, Hibird?” he asked, only pausing for a second to wonder if Hibari even know of the name Namimori Middle’s student thought up for the bird.
Hibird chirped at him once more, before it opened its beak, and sang.
“Midori tanabiku namimori no
Dai naku shou naku nami ga ii
Itsumo kawaranu”
Takeshi sat up in amazement as he recognized the lyrics. That was Namimori’s Anthem song. He glanced over at Hibari questioningly, but Hibari kept his gaze on Hibird. After another moment, Takeshi followed his example and turned his attention back to the canary.
“Sukoyaka kenage
Aah, tomo ni utaou
Namimori chuu~”
Takeshi clapped when Hibird finished. “Wow,” he laughed, a little breathless. “That was great, Hibird!” Takeshi swore he saw Hibird preen. “Did you teach it to sing?” Takeshi asked Hibari.
“He learned by himself after hearing it a few times,” Hibari answered indifferently, although Takeshi thought he detected a hint of pride in his words. Takeshi wondered how often did Hibari put on the Namimori Anthem song for Hibird to learn it himself. Hibari glanced over at him. “He’s still learning the rest.”
Takeshi smiled. “I want to hear it when he finally learns the rest,” he said, extending a finger out to Hibird in an offer this time around instead of trying to touch him. Hibird stared at it for a moment, pecked at it, before finally hopping onto his finger. Takeshi carefully lifted his finger up to his face, amazed when Hibird didn’t fly off and instead, seemed to be examining his ‘branch’ and its surrounding.
He gave his finger a few more pokes.
Takeshi’s eyebrow quirked at that, although the pokes didn’t hurt. The grip Hibird’s feet had around his finger was light, his weight barely there, but even so, Takeshi had never been so aware of his hand and the bird on it. It was somewhat awe-inspiring to think that those thin, skinny legs could support the fluff ball that was Hibird.
As though sensing his somewhat offending thought, Hibird spread his tiny wings and flew back to Hibari’s shoulder. Takeshi stared at Hibird, eyes wide. “Is he a psychic?”
“Animals know more than we give them credit for,” Hibari said, neither affirming or refuting. He ruffled Hibird’s feathers. Hibird let him and even seemed to snuggle back against it.
Before Takeshi could say anything else, the bell suddenly rang. “Oh shit,” he cursed, jumping up to a stand.
Even from his position on the floor, the look Hibari gave him had the distinct impression of disapproval and someone looking down on his life choices. He also looked like he was half-contemplating biting him to death for cursing on school ground. Takeshi flushed and decided to flee before Hibari finished contemplating.
“Sorry,” Takeshi said quickly, jogging to the stairs leading downstairs, “I have to go now. Bye Hibari, bye Hibird!”
It was only when he was in his classroom that he realized that even by the end of his lunch, he failed to extract a promise from Hibari to watch his game.
Takeshi groaned and thud his head against his desk.
Xxx
It was after school and Takeshi couldn’t help the jittery feeling that stuck with him all throughout the day as he changed into his white jersey, as their coach prepped them for their position out on the field, and even as he began his warm up. Takeshi’s arm had healed just in time for the game, which meant it didn’t leave much time for him to get used to his arm. Today was the day he was going to go all out.
Takeshi scanned through the crowd at the bleachers and it didn’t take much looking to spot his father and his friends. Even among the crowd, they stood out with their eccentricity, the trouble they had already caused, if the wide breadth the crowd gave them indicated anything, and the looks they were attracting from the others. Takeshi thought he could see Tsuna covering his face with his hands, as though he couldn’t bear to witness the chaos around him.
Takeshi laughed, and that smile refused to falter even as he looked for another dash of emptiness among the crowd and failed.
Patience, Takeshi reminded himself, just because you wanted him to be here doesn’t mean he will be. Besides, he didn’t promise you anything. You’ll just have to work harder next time.
The game was beginning, and everyone was moving to his own position on the field. Takeshi swept all stray thoughts besides baseball out of his mind, and played.
Halfway through the game, there was a lull as all players went to the side for a drink of water, a rest, and a discussion of strategies. Takeshi, thankful for the break, let out a breath and took off his cap to wipe the sweat off his forehead. It was hot, with all the running, pitching, and batting they did, especially under the unrelenting sun.
Takeshi thanked his teammate for handing him a bottle of water and quickly tilted his head back to gulped it down. As he did, he became aware of a shadow standing on the school building in the corner of his eyes.
Takeshi turned towards that direction, and slowly blinked. The shadow was on the roof. It had a direct view of the baseball field.
Takeshi’s heart thud against his chest, like a breath, like a pulse of blood, like hope pressed tightly against his chest so it didn’t burst free. Takeshi stumbled towards the direction of the shadow on the roof, and then the sun shone on the figure as the cloud moved.
It was Hibari.
As though sensing his gaze, Hibari moved his head slightly until Takeshi’s gaze met his. Slowly, without letting their gaze break, Hibari tilted his head and gestured to the side.
Takeshi blinked, bemused, before he realized that all his teammates were already heading back to the field. He was the only one left.
Takeshi yelped, and quickly dropped his water bottle in favor of grabbing his cap and shoving it back onto his head. As he quickly returned back to his spot, he dared cast a quick look back to the roof, and Hibari was still there, leaning indolently against the banister and staring down at everyone in the field below.
A smile bloomed across Takeshi’s face, and his heart felt ready to burst. He wasn’t dreaming. Takeshi wanted to take another quick look at Hibari, but the game was starting, so instead, he played harder with every minute he could feel the heavy, intent stare drilling into the back of his head.
It left just before Takeshi hit the last home run, bringing Namimori Middle its victory, and the crowd roared.
Xxx
Takeshi spent the evening of his victory with his teammates at TakeSushi as always, along with Tsuna, Gokudera, and the kids. Tsuna’s mother was there too.
“Too bad we can’t drink alcohol, but nevertheless, to Yamamoto, our baseball star!” Takeshi’s captain declared, raising his cup of juice in the air. “He was on fire today, especially the second half!”
Everyone whooped, raised his own drinks, and then gulped it down.
“Serious, though,” Kouji said, “your play just got better and better in the second half.” He nudged Takeshi with a grin. “Tell me, what’s the secret behind ya success?”
Rin laughed. “You conducting an interview, Kouji?” he asked, before casting a speculating look at Takeshi. His gaze dropped to the lower half of his face, and then he smirked. “Why don’t you ask him who he had seen to be grinning so widely all throughout the second half and even now?”
Takeshi quickly dropped the wide grin that he had been sporting ever since he had spotted Hibari on the roof, but by then, it was too late. His teammates latched onto the topic like dogs to bones.
“Ooh, now I see,” Kouji said, sharing a conspiratory look with Rin. “I’ve been going about this wrong all my life. So a sweetheart, huh?” He looked towards the end of the table to Mori. “Too bad Mori’s play will never get better then. He’ll never get a sweetheart with his ugly mug - ow!”
The twitch on Mori’s head and the hand he had in his cup, ready to take another ice cube out and aim, told Kouji that he better lay off the topic of Mori’s nonexistent love life.
Kouji coughed awkwardly and readily complied. He turned back to Takeshi, much to his dismay. “So tell me, Takeshi, who is it? You dating her yet, or do you need some advice from senpai on how to woo someone?”
Takeshi choked on his drink as his face started to heat up. He didn’t know where to start with the wrongness of the statement, from trying to imagine Hibari as a girl all the way to trying to woo him like guys woo girls. Either will probably be enough to send Takeshi to the hospital if Hibari knew what he was thinking.
Then he wondered if Hibari actually date.
“T-there’s no one, senpai,” Takeshi said, trying to remain cool. He could feel his ears warming. “Oh, look, you guys need refills, I’ll get you some.”
Takeshi quickly stood and walked to where all the drinks were stored in the back before his teammates can say anything else. On the way, he passed by his father, who was heading for the baseball team’s table.
“Takeshi, going somewhere?” his oyaji asked, just as he heard Rin shout behind him, “He was looking up at the rooftop so intently that he almost missed the start of the second half. Weren’t you, Yamamoto?”
“I’ll get some drinks!” Takeshi answered, before quickly walking away. The last thing he heard was his teammate’s loud exclaim of “Sushi!” and “Thank you, Yamamoto-san!”, before he closed the storage room door behind him.
Takeshi stuck with Tsuna and his friends for the rest of the night, although it was inevitable that the two groups would eventually mix when both were rambitious bunches that ended up drawing attention to themselves.
It is nice, Takeshi would admit to himself, to have his teammates and his friends be friends. After all, they were both important parts of his lives. His teammates also seemed pretty taken with the kids.
Kouji burped as he stuffed one more piece of sushi into his mouth. Rin slapped him on the head for being rude, as always. Kouji ignored it in favor of gossip. “Hey, you guys know anything about Yamamoto’s sweetheart?”
Gokudera scoffed. “You’re telling me that there’s someone out there who likes empty headed idiots?”
The kids weren’t listening, too busy playing in the background, while, upon hearing the question, Tsuna gazed consideringly at Yamamoto for a long moment.
“Hey, dame-Tsuna,” Kouji said lightly, waving a hand in Tsuna’s face. “I asked you a ques- woooah!”
“What did you call Juudaime?” Goudera asked menacingly, hands full of his dynamite sticks.
“Maa, maa, Gokudera,” Takeshi said, trying to calm him down, “Kouji didn’t mean anything by that.”
“Gokudera-kun, please put that out! What if it starts a fire in TakeSushi?!” Tsuna said. A dangerous aura appeared at their back at the mention of ‘a fire in TakeSushi’ and Takeshi had no doubt that it was his father.
Gokudera let out a huff and put out the dynamites. The dangerous aura disappeared as soon as it came. “Watch your words, kid!” he growled at Kouji, “I’m only letting you go because Juudaime is merciful.”
“What did I even do?!” Kouji exclaimed, indignant, before Rin elbowed him sharply in the ribs. “Ow, even you, Rin. I was only asking about -”
“Dame?” Rin said, a single word full of condemnation, and Kouji’s mouth snapped shut. Kouji looked towards Tsuna, but Tsuna merely waved his hands in front of him with a hesitant smile.
“It’s okay,” he started, only to be cut off by Kouji’s interruption.
“Shut up, kid,” Kouji said, running a hand through his hair after heaving a sigh. He took a breath. “Shit, that is my fault. Sorry, my bad.” After a pause, he added, “I don’t even know why you’re called dame, you’re not bad.”
At that, Tsuna’s smile became more sincere, although a little sheepish as well. “I am very clumsy, that’s why, though I got better at it.” Here, he casted a look at Reborn, who was enjoying his own plate of sashimi. “As for Yamamoto’s sweetheart, well” - he threw one last look at Takeshi, before turning back to Kouji - “I don’t know anything about it, but it’s not any of our business?” he said tentatively, before hurriedly adding, “I mean, if he does have one, Yamamoto will tell us when he’s ready. Won’t you, Yamamoto?”
Warmth bloomed in Takeshi’s chest at Tsuna’s answer. “Yeah,” he said with a grin, reaching out to ruffle Tsuna’s hair. The knot in his stomach slowly unraveled. “Of course.”
“Damn,” Takeshi heard Kouji whisper in awe. “I think Tsuna just one upped us, Rin.”
Rin chuckled. “I think so too, Kouji.”
Xxx
Even though Takeshi was exhausted after playing a game today and sleepy after eating, his father still insisted that they head to the dojo for training afterwards, saying how he should always be in a habit of practicing and besides, enemies won’t stop attacking him just because he was tired.
Who would have thought that however cool his father usually was, he would be such a harsh teacher? Nevertheless, since Takeshi knew that his father was only doing this for his own good, plus he was the one who asked his father for training, Takeshi dragged himself out of TakeSushi after cleaning up with his father and went to the dojo.
They did the usual drills with his father both mentoring and training right alongside of him, and then they went on to sparring. Takeshi usually love sparring, but today, his muscles were just too exhausted from the game to put up much of a fight.
Takeshi tried using First Form: Shajiku no Ame against his father, but ended up on the ground with his father’s shinai against his throat instead. Takeshi panted, but tried to grin up to his father nevertheless. “Oyaji is really the best,” he stated, plain and simple.
His father grinned back, before withdrawing his shinai. Instead of offering a hand to pull him up like always, he let out a sigh and slowly lowered himself to the ground beside Takeshi. Takeshi blinked in surprise, but listened as his father spoke.
“Your training is coming along well,” his father said. “You’re a natural. You’re getting stronger and stronger everyday.” Takeshi could hear the pride in his voice.
“But I still can’t beat you,” Takeshi said.
His father chuckled. “Of course not. I trained and fought for much longer than you.” He let out a breath, before continuing, “I’m beginning to think that you need someone else to spar against.”
Takeshi’s head whipped up to stare at his father. His father chuckled again.
“Don’t look so surprised. I’m still teaching you, Takeshi, like I promised,” his father said, and Takeshi relaxed slightly. “Recently, I’ve noticed that you are reacting very predictably, though, because you are used to only fighting against me for most of the time. I think it’ll be nice if you can fight against someone else for a change.”
Takeshi’s mind automatically jumped to Hibari, and his heart was already beating quickly in anticipation of the match, even though it would undoubtedly result in his loss most of the time.
“You have someone in mind, Takeshi?” His father’s words pierced through his mind. Takeshi looked up to see his father half-smirking and half-smiling. “Maybe… Hibari Kyoya?”
Air whooshed out of Takeshi’s lungs.
“Takeshi? I didn’t say I disapprove,” his father said, sounding a little worried when he didn’t respond to his teasing words. “Takeshi, breathe.”
Takeshi forced himself to take a deep breath. “Oyaji…” Nothing else came out. Takeshi didn’t know what to say. His father must have guessed there was someone from all the teasing his teammates did, and as vague of a description as someone on the roof was, once he didn’t automatically rule out the one whom seemed impossible, the rest was painfully obvious.
A small sad smile spread across his father’s face. “Takeshi, do you really think your old man is such a close minded person to mind that his son is gay?”
His father laughed at that. “You sure do know how to choose, Takeshi.” Red spread across Takeshi’s face and he was helpless to fight against it. “But at least I know I can leave you safe in his hands, I suppose, and Hibari deserves someone. He has been alone long enough.”
Takeshi blinked at those last words. “What do you mean?”
His father shook his head. “That’ll be a story for another day. You’re going to invite Hibari over sometime then, Takeshi?”
Takeshi casted a look at his father. “You really don’t mind?”
“No, as long as you guys only spar in here,” his father said, chuckling as Takeshi somehow, impossibly, turned even redder at the other implication. “Tell him he can have some sushi on the house too, if he stops by TakeSushi. You’re making it, of course.”
Takeshi grinned, feeling a bit more like himself now. “Alright,” he said, before his voice softened. “Thank you, Oyaji. Thank you.”
“Of course, Takeshi,” his father said, enveloping his arms around him. “You’re my son.”
Xxx
“Hibari-senpai?” Takeshi called out, opening the door to the rooftop. He paused at the door. Hibari wasn’t napping on the roof this time around. Instead, he was looking over what was visible of Namimori on top of the roof. The wind was blowing slightly, unfurling the black jacket Hibari always had around his shoulders like a cape. His hair rustle gently in the afternoon air, and he was beautiful against the backdrop of Namimori as he turned around to see who it was.
“Yamamoto Takeshi,” he said upon seeing him, and Takeshi moved forward as though summoned. Closer to the sides now, Takeshi can peer over the banister and see the baseball field of the school. It was on this rooftop that Hibari was watching him yesterday.
A smile curled on Takeshi’s face. “I won,” he said, and Hibari nodded, still watching him.
“You did,” he said, his tone not of amazement as much as puzzlement. Takeshi didn’t know when Hibari started watching the game, either when Takeshi noticed him or before, but Hibari had to had noticed the difference in his ability under Hibari’s watchful eyes, didn’t he? He had to.
“Hibari-senpai,” Takeshi said, reaching out for the other boy’s sleeve, and that was when he struck out. Takeshi yelped as he pulled his arm back as dictated by his instincts, narrowly escaping possibly a broken wrist.
Takeshi absentmindedly wondered if Hibari only refrained from biting him to death all those other times because of his baseball game, and now that it was over, he was catching up on all those times that he refrained.
Hibari’s eyes narrowed, before his tonfas were out and driving towards Takeshi’s unprotected side. Takeshi rolled away, then quickly came to a stand before Hibari could strike again.
“Maa, maa, Hibari-senpai,” Takeshi started, before instincts had him ducking. Takeshi should thank his father for his training when he returned home.
“Do you only know how to dodge, herbivore?” Hibari said, and Takeshi’s eyes sharpened. Jeers didn’t get to him, but to be called an herbivore by Hibari meant that he thought he was weak.
Hibari was not interested in weaklings.
So instead of making excuses, like how he didn’t have his sword or that he was still exhausted from yesterday’s game, Takeshi rushed forward, unarmed.
“Fool,” Hibari said and caught him in the ribs with the tonfa, but Takeshi also managed to slam his fist against Hibari’s face, although Hibari moved last second to avoid most of the force behind it.
They fought like that for a while, Takeshi slowly and steadily losing, but taking strength from the few times that he did manage to strike against Hibari. In the end, Takeshi fell because of pain and exhaustion, and Hibari followed, slamming him against the ground with the tonfa pressing across his throat.
Takeshi looked up at Hibari then and in that moment, with such a dangerous man so close with a weapon in his hand, ready to end their game, Takeshi didn’t feel fear. Maybe he was a fool, as Gokudera and Hibari called him. Instead, Takeshi grinned, wide and brilliant, and carefully raised a hand to Hibari’s face.
Takeshi was sprawled haphazardly against the ground, with Hibari’s body pressed against his. Their faces were so close, Takeshi could count the number of eyelashes Hibari had, can clearly see the bobbing of his Adam’s apple, and could feel Hibari’s breath stutter as his hand made contact with his face. Takeshi was breathing hard too, there was no way he wouldn’t be, in this situation and after a spar with Hibari, as he slowly leaned up and sealed their breathes together.
They breathed into each other, and it tasted like revival.
It was over too soon, and Takeshi wanted more. He arched up again, just like last time, only this time, Hibari finally seemed to recall the tonfa he had across Takeshi’s neck. He shoved him back with it and Takeshi choked, and then it was Hibari’s lips on his this time around.
Takeshi’s hand slid up, unbidden, to the back of Hibari’s head and Hibari’s tonfa pressed against his throat warningly. Takeshi didn’t heed it, carefully twining his fingers into Hibari’s hair. It was as soft as it looked, and as warm as he thought it would feel.
Takeshi didn’t know how long it was when they finally parted. His throat felt raw from the tonfa pressing up against it, and his lips were tingling pleasantly. He looked over at Hibari, at his tousled hair and crinkled uniform, and was pleased at the knowledge that he was the one to make the untouchable prefect look anything less than perfect.
A tonfa slammed into the ground right next to Takeshi and he jumped. He couldn’t have dodged. His body was still pressed to the ground by Hibari.
“You’re smirking,” Hibari accused, and then Takeshi became aware of the curl of his lips. It was probably there since the first moment his lips finally managed to meet Hibari’s.
“Smiling,” Takeshi corrected, and he didn’t know where he found the courage to meet Hibari’s eyes. He kissed Hibari, Hibari kissed back, and Takeshi was still alive. He felt like he had gone to heaven already. Takeshi’s smile widened, a feat he thought was not possible but was, since Hibari was by his side. Takeshi touched the hand closest to him, which just happened to be the one that held the tonfa across his throat. “I’m happy.”
Hibari stared at him for a moment, before getting up with a swirl. His black jacket almost smacked him in the face. “I’m leaving,” Hibari declared, heading for the door.
That was a first. Hibari was usually so unmovable that it was always Takeshi who approached him and Takeshi who was always made to leave first.
Takeshi sat up from where he was laying, wincing as the multiple bruises on his body made themselves known, and watched Hibari go. When Hibari was just at the door, Takeshi said, “Hibari-senpai, if you want to spar again, go visit my family’s dojo some time.” Hibari paused and turned back just enough so he can see Takeshi’s face. “I’ll even make you sushi afterwards.”
There was a long silence that followed those words, but Takeshi was content to just lean his head against his hand and wait.
Finally, Hibari said, “You’ll lose,” and swirled away.
Takeshi waited until he couldn’t hear Hibari’s retreating footsteps anymore, before shouting, “YES!” and pumped his fist in the air.
Takeshi winced and grinned sheepishly as it aggravated his bruised skin.
Xxx
His father raised an eyebrow at him when Takeshi hobbled back to their home that day, only to roar with laughter when Takeshi grinned and gave him a thumb up.
