Only the curious have, if they live, a tale worth telling at all.

The title of the fic is taken from the 31 Days theme for December 15, 2008. The titles for each of the segments are also taken from 31 Days themes.

Do I want to know?

Sawada Tsunayoshi respects his Guardians. They are like siblings to him, even more family than most of the Family; they are with him through thick and thin, hell and high water. As such, he respects their privacy because he knows how much they value it. These days, however, it's becoming increasingly difficult to not ask questions, especially when some of them don't even bother volunteering information, and just go on their merry way, protecting him on one hand, dealing with their own things on the other. He thinks, though, that perhaps he is being silly and possessive, and sometimes, Tsuna wonders if he feels this way because of that one unfortunate incident involving an unlocked door and Yamamoto and Gokudera back in high school.

(Tsuna had not minded, not really, but he DID make it clear to the both of them that he would greatly appreciate it if they kept their hands to themselves when they were under his roof. Or if they would at least lock the door. Locking doors would be nice.)

Beyond that, however, Tsuna has let his friends go their own way, has left himself open to their words and their problems, all in the hopes that they would come to him and there would be no more nasty surprises.

Still, it is difficult, and it's not getting any easier now, with this family dinner and Hibari mysteriously showing up when he explicitly said that he wouldn't (and while Hibari often does that, Tsuna has learned to read when a "no" actually means a "yes" with the man), and now the Vongola Family's tenth generation boss is back to watching, catching signals that might not even be there in the first place.

Kyoko has made it a point to tell him that sometimes, he thinks too much. Tsuna hopes that this is one of those times.

"…So, Hibari! Y'think it's possible?"

"I don't presume to think that any of that nonsense is possible, Yamamoto Takeshi."

Tsuna lets out a little laugh and offers a sheepish look, knowing that this is just the sort of reaction that'll keep him out of trouble.

Hibari is, predictably, irritated by the gathering (a crowd is a crowd is a crowd to him), and Yamamoto is, predictably, totally oblivious to the fact that the Cloud Guardian Is Not Going to Talk.

Tsuna watches for a bit longer as the Rain Guardian persists and the Cloud Guardian evades and the Storm Guardian eventually steps in with a snide remark and somewhere along the line, the Sun Guardian puts in his Extreme Opinion. This would normally be Tsuna's cue to step in and, as the Boss, diffuse the situation, but the entrance of another saves him the trouble.

"Yo, little brother~! Hope you don't mind me crashing your party."

"Ah! Dino-san!"

Dino Cavallone is one of those people with the amazing ability to look at least five years younger than he actually is; he is also the one who smoothes things over whenever Tsuna's flailing costs him a negotiation, and Tsuna is eternally grateful for that. It is worth all the times that Tsuna has had to catch Dino and keep him from tripping over his own feet/falling off a cliff/getting run over by a car.

…That, and Dino's mere presence tends to make Hibari behave, for some odd reason. As the Cloud Guardian is at the moment, suddenly silent, suddenly watching the blond Italian do the rounds at the table, greeting every one with a clap to the shoulder or a pat to the back. For Hibari, though, two kisses: one for each cheek.

Sure, he did it with the girls, but Tsuna can't help but wonder.

"So, what are you guys talking about?" Dino asks, as he takes his seat.

"Sawada, I'm leaving," Hibari declares, as he stands up and leaves.

And while Hibari walks away, Tsuna notes how Dino watches the younger man from over the rim of his wineglass. Dino notices, diffuses the situation by talking about rival families and strange upstarts in the north, but after ten minutes of small talk the man excuses himself on the pretense of going to the bathroom.

He does not come back.

It takes Kyoko's fingers on his arm to keep Tsuna from thinking all sorts of strange things about what just happened.

Instant karma.

"I'm afraid that Kyo-san is occupied at the moment, Sawada-san."

He's not supposed to feel that way, but standing around in Hibari's section of the underground facility in Namimori makes Tsuna feel all sorts of naked, awkward and alone, most especially since he's always in those Italian suits that Haru picks out for him since a mafioso like him should settle for no less. Thankfully, Kusakabe Tetsuya – Hibari's long time right hand man and perhaps the only person on Earth with enough patience to stand him (or maybe it's just a matter of blind devotion) – is smooth enough to politely ignore Tsuna's discomfort and Proceed as Usual.

"Um, it's okay. I can wait."

"I would not advise that."

Was that an odd twitch of an eyebrow? It's hard to tell; Kusakabe's hair is a little distracting.

"…Well, if you say so. Please tell him that I need to speak with him as soon as possible."

"Of course. Shall I escort you out?"

"It's all right, I think I can find my own way."

Only that he can't find his way back to the Vongola Family's section of the facility, and Tsuna, some thirty minutes later, finds himself wishing that he wasn't so bad with directions. He's almost grateful when he hears the sound of someone nearby, and speeds up a little to see if it's someone who's willing to help him. Or maybe it's someone who needs help, because those sounds are a little worrisome.

What Tsuna sees instead is a half-open door and Hibari leaning against a desk, kissing Dino. Hibari has his hand at the back of Dino's neck. Dino has his hand underneath Hibari's yukata, more specifically between Hibari's legs.

Tsuna did not ever think that he'd hear Hibari make that sort of sound.

It takes Tsuna less than ten minutes to find his way out after that. Amazing what adrenaline can do for a person.

In the belly of the whale.

Two days later, Tsuna wonders what he did to deserve this. "This" being stuck in a car with Hibari Kyouya beside him and Kusakabe at the wheel, en-route to the Cavallone Mansion.

Hibari volunteered to give him a ride.

He does not do volunteer work.

This can't be good, and Kyoko, sweet as she is, cannot convince Tsuna otherwise.

Suddenly, the thirty minute drive to the mansion feels like an eternity of OMGSHITHEMOVEDISHEGOINGTOKILLME and OHFUCKISHELOOKINGATMEDOESHEKNOWWHATIKNOW.

"Sawada."

"…Yes?"

Reborn will commend him for beating out all of the screaming in his head into a single, somewhat calmly voiced word. Or maybe he'll just hit him, Tsuna figures, since it's Reborn, but that is all right too.

"You're fidgeting more than usual."

"I-I am?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Sorry."

"Only herbivores apologize."

"A-ah. Right."

Tsuna never realized how fascinating his shoes looked against the car rug.

"Um… Hibari-san?"

"Make it quick."

"A… are you… are you and Dino—"

Kusakabe hits the brake so fast that Tsuna is surprised that his forehead head hit the back of the man's seat before his teeth – the whole mouthful of them – could fly out and do it first. Hibari, of course, doesn't budge an inch. It's another one of his special talents.

"We're here, Kyo-san!"

Hibari steps out first, but not before pausing just at the door and glancing back at his boss, who is, at the moment, balefully rubbing his forehead.

"Yes."

And he smiles.

He smiles.

Later, after he comes home from watching Dino Cavallone spend a whole afternoon attempting to spoon feed Hibari while remaining quite lovingly draped all over the younger man, Tsuna wonders why he did not die of a heart attack the moment Hibari Kyouya smiled.