"Fon-san…"

I-Pin looked like she had seen a murder take place, like she had provoked the Apocalypse, like she was about to have a panic attack and pass out. There were red spots appearing on her forehead, something that only happened when she got too scared or excited, and that happened only in regards to one thing, or rather, one person.

But Fon had his back turned to his young employee, and her voice, though shaky, didn't reveal the turmoil she was feeling to its fullest extent. So he simply asked, in his ever-gentle tone:

"What is it, I-Pin?"

"W-Well…" the girl stuttered, which was unusual but not entirely strange "you see, Kyoko-san and Haru-san had to visit a friend at the hospital…"

"Oh, how awful!" he said sympathetically. He turned on the lights of the kitchen and opened the door to the bar, where he started to turn on the machines and the cash register. "Tell them I understand next time you see them. Could you please bring the paper cups from the storage?" he asked. I-Pin took off, her courage wavering. Fon started to arrange the chairs and tables, to put the centerpieces on their right places. He heard I-Pin return with the cups and the ware they would need for the day.

"Another thing, Fon-san…" she said, this time a little more firmly. Fon glanced out the window, seeing if he could catch a glance of the flower delivery he had asked for the day before. He liked to put them in the corners to perfume the shop, he hated artificial scents.

"Mhm?" he asked distractedly.

"Yuni-chan had to help her mom and grandma with some spring cleaning they were doing"

"Oh, I see…"

"And Chrome-san had doctor's appointment…"

"That's good, she is a frail girl"

"And, well, Lal-san's car broke down yesterday, and Fran-kun had to go see his sick grandma in Tokyo…" I-Pin desperately wanted to get her point across without actually saying it, because saying it would make her look rude and unkind. Still, it was the truth, and it was a dire situation.

Fon's mind had been only half-listening to the girl, but all she had said was slowly downing in on him. He finally turned to look at her, and the fear in her eyes told him something he should have seen coming. He swallowed the lump in his throat.

"That means, it'll only be you, Colonello-san and…"

"Yes"

"And the only one who can use the machines is…"

"Yes, Fon-san"

"But…" he paused, not sure of what to do. Right at that moment, Ryohei arrived with his delivery: five bouquets of fresh jasmines. Upon arrival, the front wheel of Ryohei's bike gave out, making the flowers crash into the pavement under the heavy box that contained them.

"Woah, I'm EXTREMELY sorry, Fon-san!" he exclaimed, gathering the few flowers that weren't crushed.

Fon took it all as a bad omen.

The kid had been through a lot, and that was no excuse for his violent tendencies, but it was enough for Fon to take care of him. He had many defects that were easily seen, but the few people who knew him well also knew of his many virtues. Sure, he was kind of an asshole, and his presence didn't really help the atmosphere of the shop, but Fon's employees treated him kindly —and harshly, when he deserved it.

Nobody wanted to say it, especially not I-Pin. Even people like Fran, who seemed to have been born without a speech filter, or Lal Mirch, whose principles only allowed her to speak the absolute truth, refrained from provoking the wrath of Fon's nephew.

Despite his virtues, defects and whatnot, the fact remained that Hibari's coffee was awful.

It's not 'awful for a coffee shop', as many people would define a cappuccino lacking sugar, an espresso too watery, a frappe with huge chunks of ice.

No.

Hibari's coffee was undrinkable. By many, it couldn't even be considered coffee. It was something that looked like the putrid mud of an industrial city, a black mass of dense consistency that could be found in swamps, something rotten then processed then chewed then spat inside a white cup with the shop's logo hand-printed on it: a steaming standard cup that said 'If it's made with love, it's delicious!'

("That's it!" Haru had said once. "Perhaps his coffee is so awful because he feels no love". She hadn't meant for Fon to hear that comment, but he had, and he had gotten the unreasonable, frightening feeling that perhaps she was right.)

The point was that Hibari couldn't make coffee for his life, and usually worked with inventory and dishwashing when he wanted to give his uncle an extra hand. He also repaired the machines and knew how they worked better than anyone else, which is why Fon always allowed him to give the bar a try.

He always ended up regretting it, but, as of that moment, he didn't have a choice.

"Did you put sugar in it?" Fon asked gently, his nephew watching him as he tried the first coffee he had made. People usually started to get in after six in the morning, so they had a couple of minutes to try fix Hibari and his poison without him noticing.

"I did" he answered passively, awaiting further comments. If Fon was a lesser man, he would have been sweating. A bubble popped from the paper cup, as if a living, breathing creature was living at its bottom.

"I see… well, it is quite good, Kyouya" he lied, discreetly throwing the contents of the cup inside a vase with plastic flowers. The flowers began to melt.

Fon just prayed no one would die that day.

Hibari's first cup was delivered a little before midday. It was a black sticky substance, like burning petroleum or tar, and it smelled like sewers. The customer who received it had passed out without a noise, still in a sitting position, so no one else in the partially full shop had noticed. The poor man had woken up half an hour later, with a steaming cup of chocolate in front of him. He dismissed the hellish sip of poison he had taken earlier as a nightmare, despite the bitter taste in his mouth, and happily drank his new chocolate.

So far, Fon's damage control was doing wonders.

He had sent Hibari to wait on the tables spread around the local. He was not rude to anyone; Fon had made sure he understood basic manners before he even came close to the shop. He came across as bleak, mostly, but customers who just wanted their coffee delivered didn't really mind.

I-Pin and Colonello were handling the kitchen well, and years of practice had enabled Fon to do the productive work of three people. Unfortunately, he had a limit, and as the day advanced, it began to show.

There were no spectacular complaints, thankfully, just people rushing out of the establishment without paying, or rushing towards the toilets, whichever they reached first. Of course, that probably meant they would never return and that they would press charges for poisoning attempt. That was something Fon would have to deal with later.

Around four, rush hour for them, the door opened to reveal a man that made all present customers lower their voices. His presence was commanding and even a little threatening, enhanced by the black suit and fedora he was wearing. His gaze was piercing, but Fon knew better that to think it hostile.

"Welcome, Reborn" he said above the noise. Two seats clear by the counter. "And you too, Tsunayoshi-kun"

Nobody had noticed the petite brunet walk in next to the man. He looked like a high school student, small for his age, and his shy demeanor only made him seem smaller.

He was Reborn's godson, although why Tsuna's parents would choose that sadist to protect their son was beyond Fon. Still, he knew Reborn had his affectionate moments, as scarce as they were, and that Tsuna loved him like an uncle.

"Hello, Fon-san" Tsuna said, his voice low.

"Nobody can hear you, Dame-Tsuna" Reborn scolded.

"HELLO, FON-SAN!" Tsuna shouted into Reborn's ear, making the older man flinch and hit him upside the head. Tsuna snickered as he nursed his bump.

"The usual?" Fon asked, stifling his laughter as he settled for preparing Reborn's espresso and Tsuna's mocha. He wrote the orders and pinned them to the board below the menu. He didn't notice Hibari coming in and reading it, proceeding to prepare Tsuna's order.

"Hibari-sempai!" the brunet exclaimed. Hibari grunted as a response, not looking at him. Fon sighed at his nephew's manners; he knew better than to scold him in front of a classmate.

Hibari was a year above Tsuna in Namimori High, and even though they had barely spoken in all the time they had known each other, they seemed to get along. Well, for Hibari, not hitting a person was getting along. Tsuna had tried to pursue some kind of friendship with his sempai; he even came around the shop once in a while to chat with him. Of course, Fon had never let him taste Hibari's coffee. Nobody deserved that.

That day, however, he was tired, and Reborn was telling him how Mammon and Skull had gotten into of their silly bets that had landed the stuntman in the hospital, and to be honest he didn't want to watch over Hibari like he was a toddler. That's why he didn't notice Tsuna was holding a cup until he was sipping from it.

Fon froze.

"Oi, you okay?" Reobrn asked, turning to look at his godson. He smirked evilly when he noticed what he had in his hands. He also knew about Hibari's brewing skills.

But Tsuna didn't faint, spit or even made a face. He took a sip, complimented Hibari, and continued to talk to him.

The day went on as usual. After Reborn left, Tsuna stayed and Fon gave him a muffin so he could keep Hibari entertained. Once in a while he would go around and get the orders, but he generally stayed by his classmate, listening to him ramble and adding a comment of his own once in a while. Around seven, Tsuna had to excuse himself and left, promising Hibari that he would come back soon, as he usually did, and that he would want to taste his coffee again.

Fon retired Tsuna's cup to dispose of it, and was about to throw it away when he noticed there was a little mocha left at the bottom. Sanitary regulations be damned, he finished the drink, expecting to get a seizure. He felt a sweet flavor flood his mouth instead, running down his throat with a pleasant warm sensation. It was not the most delicious mocha in existence, of course, but it wasn't the awful nuclear waste it usually was, either.

Fon was confused, to say the least.

Tsuna had begun to go to the shop more often. Kyoko and Haru, who had come back the day after, always welcomed him, but they knew better than to take his order. That was exclusively Hibari's job. He never made anyone else's.

Fon didn't know what to think of it. He didn't really need his nephew to put his newfound skills to practice, he had many employees after all, but he still couldn't explain the sudden change. Only the day before, a customer had fainted in his seat from the coffee, and now Tsuna came back almost daily to have it. And Fon had tasted it, too, partly because he was worried Tsuna had gone insane, but it was actually pretty good.

A month after the first miraculous mocha, Tsuna came accompanied by a college student Fon recognized as Dino Cavallone. He had been their neighbor before he had gone to Italy to study (he remembered because Hibari's daily exercise included biting him to death). Apparently, he was Tsuna's friend, a student of Reborn's, and he was visiting his childhood "friend" Kyouya.

(Fon also remembered he wasn't very bright).

As per usual, he decided to stay out of any conflicts between youngsters. He had all of his employees to take care of the work, so there was no need to minimize damages, until he heard Dino speak:

"Ne, Kyoya, won't you make my coffee too? Tsuna told me yours is the best!"

Fon felt a knot of dread form in his stomach, but forced himself to stay at ease. From where he was, he could see that Hibari was preparing both orders the exact same way. Hibari had already proven himself, why was he so worried? Perhaps Hibari had realized his mistakes and was finally going to…

Dino dropped to the floor, trembling.

"Dino-nii!" Tsuna exclaimed, kneeling next to him, while Hibari simply raised an eyebrow. Fon approached them both, glancing at the cup Dino had drunk from. It looked like turbulent sewer water.

"Did he have a seizure?" Hibari asked, a little too calmly to sound genuinely worried. Tsuna looked at Dino's cup at that moment, and it downed on Fon that his nephew's secret, on which Hibari was not aware of himself, was going to be exposed. His dread increased tenfold when the brunet sipped the poisonous coffee.

"Puwah!" he spat, wiping his mouth. "S-Sorry, Hibari-san, but did you remember to put sugar in it?"

"Yes. It's the same as yours" Hibari said, also taking a sip and wincing at the taste. "I'll go check the machine for malfunctions"

As he exited the bar, hanging his apron, Tsuna frowned, helping Dino up as he recovered from the taste shock he got. He discreetly pushed the cup away, afraid something might jump out of it and attack them.

"Are you sure he didn't try to poison me?" Dino muttered. Fon sighed.

"I'm sorry, Dino-kun. It always turns out like this"

"What do you mean?" Tsuna asked, frowning.

"Kyoya's coffee is usually undrinkable" he explained.

"But mine is always fine!"

"I know, and I honestly don't know how that's possible. I watched as he made Dino-kun's and he didn't do it any different"

Tsuna seemed to ponder on this, his expression puzzled, until his gaze fell upon the logo on the cup. His expression changed, from thoughtful to happy in an instant. The other two looked at him, wondering if the coffee's fumes had affected his brain. At that moment, Hibari returned from the generator room.

"I found nothing"

"Hibari-san, are you busy this Saturday?"

Saturday came and Fon still wondered how in the world Tsuna arrived to the conclusion that somehow Hibari's poor coffee-making skills leaded to asking for a date. Not that he felt unhappy that his nephew was going out –god knew he needed it –but Tsuna's mental health worried him.

Hibari, for his part, was unnoticeably nervous, which Fon thought was sort of cute. He took notice of it in the subtle briskness of his gestures, how he seemed to stop in the middle of his motions, as if deep in thought. None of the other employees seemed to notice the change, except maybe Kyoko and Haru who were probably aware of the date.

Fon was still surprised that Hibari had accepted to go out with the brunet. Of course, Tsuna was an excellent kid, and he supposed that, by Hibari's standards, they were friends. He was honestly unaware of the moment the shift in their relationship had taken place, considering he was quite perceptive. If he had to guess, he would attribute it to the time Tsuna had tasted the awful version of Hibari's coffee for the first time, but that made no sense. If anything, the brunet should have sued them for poisoning attempt.

At seven, Hibari hung his apron and walked out, distractedly saying his goodbyes. Tsuna was already waiting for him, his own anxiety more apparent in his stuttering and his pink cheeks. Fon watched them go with mixed feelings and a tad of confusion, not knowing exactly what outcome he should expect.

Hibari Kyoya's parents had died in a car accident when he was ten, which had left them under the care of his dear uncle Fon. He wasn't much of a talkative kid, and even after years of therapy, his doctor had concluded that his aggressive tendencies and apparent lack of empathy were simply part of his personality.

Fon, who knew his brother and sister-in-law's character, hadn't been surprised. He knew that, despite worrying about their son, they barely expressed it. He was surprised at how well Hibari Shin and Hiyori had managed the coffee shop considering their brutish manners. Fon had tried to provide his nephew with all the paternal love he hadn't received in the first years of his life, but realized that his efforts would be for naught. Hibari rarely expressed his feelings, but as long as he was happy, Fon supposed it was alright.

Fon, as everyone else around Hibari, had missed all the things that Tsuna had not.

"Where are we going?" Hibari asked. Tsuna noticed, not for the first time, how Hibari refrained from calling him 'herbivore'.

They were getting away from the town's center, walking along small side streets that were barely illuminated. There were no people walking around at that time in that part of the city, and as they got into the temple's park, the sounds of the city gave space to the crickets and the wind whistling through the trees. Away from the streetlights, the constellations shone with much more strength.

"We're almost there" Tsuna smiled. He had bought them drinks and some snacks, half of which Hibari was carrying.

Tsuna guided them towards the middle of the park and took a right turn on an earth pathway that led into the trees. They walked for a short while, the stars now hidden by the branches, when they emerged into a clearing with a stone bench right in the middle. The ground was elevated, so the view from the town and its lights were visible at a distance, the dark blue sky merging into orange and yellow hues.

They sat side by side, neither saying a word as they opened their drinks.

"Ne, Hibari-san…" Tsuna spoke softly after a few moments of silence.

"Hn?"

"Do you like working at the café?" he asked. Hibari was not good at reading people, but even he could tell Tsuna wouldn't bring him to such a place just to make small talk.

"It is my job" he answered neutrally, taking a sip from his drink.

"It belonged to your parents, right?"

"Yes…" the question caught Hibari off guard. He didn't mind talking about his parents, but people didn't usually ask, thinking they would be bitten to death if they were too nosy with his business. "Why are you asking?"

This time, Tsuna turned to look at him, and their eyes met. He had tried many times to define Hibari's eye color, and had settled for metallic blue until that moment. With the starlight and the town's bright atmosphere, the normally stoic orbs were swarming with color, like aquarelle in water.

"I was just thinking about the slogan, you know…" Tsuna pondered, subtly scooting closer to the other. Hibari only shifted unnoticeably, signaling a slight discomfort. "'If it's made with love, it's delicious', wasn't it? I was wondering if Hibari-san's parents had come up with it"

"My mother did" Hibari explained, still wondering what point Tsuna was trying to make. In the meantime, their gazes had acquired an evaluating air to them, as if they were measuring each other's reactions. Tsuna's hand slowly started to move towards Hibari's, silently asking or permission. His index finger gently glided over the raven's wrist, then the back of his hand, his ring finger. Hibari watched, somewhat on guard, waiting for a sudden or brisk movement that never came.

"She sounds like a sweet person…" Tsuna smiled softly as the other looked up.

"Some would disagree" Hibari said simply. At his words, the brunet's gentle caress began to go up Hibari's forearm, his triceps, and his shoulders, and then back down. Gradually, he added his fingers, his whole palm.

"They don't know what they're talking about" Tsuna whispered.

"What?"

Tsuna thought some people would cower at the impatient tone Hibari's voice took, and maybe it was a warning sign for his mental health to think it endearing instead. He decided he didn't care.

"Well… I don't know if you've even noticed, Hibari-san, but you have these little gestures…" he began. "For example, when you are doing something you like, your hands move with a rhythm"

"Hn?"

"Yes. And you always try to be nice to elderly people as little kids" Tsuna continued, so distracted by his own speech that he didn't notice Hibari taking hold of his hand. "Also, you work very hard to help Fon-san. Someone like you had to have really good, loving parents. Maybe they just, you know, showed it differently" He caressed Hibari's hand with his thumb, marveling at how soft it was in comparison to his long, calloused fingers.

"How…?" Hibari trailed off, more puzzled with every word the brunet said, but itching to increase the contact between them.

"Through their coffee" Tsuna answered gently, stopping on his motions to look at his companion. "Maybe that's why they opened a coffee shop… maybe that's why the coffee you make for me is so good"

And finally, Hibari realized what he was doing in the park at night time with Sawada Tsunayoshi almost leaning against him, their breaths ghosting upon each other's faces. Despite himself, Hibari smirked smugly, making Tsuna blush.

"You are quite conceited, aren't you, omnivore?" he said.

"And, you are very hard to read" Tsuna shot back, slightly offended he was being made fun of. Hibari had always had a soft spot for small animals, and at that moment, Tsuna resembled his bird Hibird, who puffed out his chest to try to look more intimidating, and only served to make him look fluffier.

"How did you notice the difference between your coffee and the others?" Hibari wondered aloud.

"The others were trash" Tsuna deadpanned.

"That is not true"

"It almost gave Dino-nii a seizure"

"He is an herbivore"

"It was something people would flush down their toilets"

"Do you think you could do better?"

Tsuna chuckled at the challenge, and smiled softly as he answered: "If it was for Hibari-san, I would make the best coffee in the world"

Hibari smirked again. "As I said, conceited" and he leaned in for a kiss.

When Fon and I-Pin arrived the next day, they found the iron curtains lifted and the lights turned on. The alarm hadn't gone off, so they supposed one of the others who had the keys, maybe Lal Mirch or Colonello, had decided to come in earlier for some reason. They entered to find Hibari waiting by the counter with two steaming mugs.

Fon felt I-Pin grabbing the back of his shirt in fear.

"Good morning, Kyoya. You're early" Fon greeted, trying to get I-Pin's panic under control.

"I decided I would come practice. Here" he said, gesturing at the two drinks, one caramel colored and the other brown with whipped cream on top, "drink".

The other two inhaled discreetly, as they tried to perceive the usually rotten smell that accompanied Hibari's creation. Neither felt it, but not even the pleasant smell of freshly ground coffee beans or the unsuspicious colors could get them to lower their guard.

Fon was the first, feeling responsible. He held his breath and sipped on the warm liquid, feeling it slide down his throat and pooling at the pit of his stomach in the form of heat. He paused, analyzing the aftertaste. Without a word, he passed I-Pin her cup. At first, the girl contorted her expression, expecting to faint from poisoning, but the sensation she got was that of an overly sweet cappuccino in her mouth.

They both looked at Hibari in awe.

"Well?" he asked, and if Fon hadn't known better, he would have thought his nephew was expectant.

"It's really good, Hibari-san" I-Pin complimented, finishing her drink. As she did, she excused herself and stepped into the kitchen, leaving the other two alone.

"You have improved, Kyoya" Fon said. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that Hibari's improvement was genuine this time. "What brought this change?"

"I discovered my parents' secret technique" he explained, moving towards the machine to restock on grains and water. "It's in the cup"

Not for the first time that week, Fon was confused.

He didn't ask about the date with Tsuna because he didn't want to be too meddlesome, but Fon was curious to know how it had ended. He didn't have to wait long; that same afternoon, Tsuna came into the shop, smiling brightly as he caught sight of Hibari by the bar. Hibari's gazed also lingered on the brunet momentarily as he approached him.

"Good morning, Hibari-san" Tsuna greeted cheerfully as he took a seat. Hibari went about serving the other customers, nodding in response.

"Do you want the usual?" he asked the brunet, setting the cups along the edge on the bar for easier access.

"Why don't you surprise me?" Tsuna said, slightly challenging as he leaned in towards the raven. Without warning, Hibari leaned it a stole a slow kiss from the unsuspecting brunet, who could only widen his eyes in response. They heard a squeal coming from I-Pin and Kyoko, who just happened to be coming back from the kitchen. Mortified, Tsuna let Hibari break the kiss, blushing to the tip of his fingers.

"That was an attack, not a surprise!" he protested weakly, covering his face with his hands.

"You challenged me" Hibari said cheekily, placing Tsuna's drink in front of him. As he took a sip, Tsuna's sulking frown turned into a small smile.

"Ne, Hibari-san, are you proposing?" he giggled teasingly. Hibari didn't bulge, smirking instead.

"That good?" he asked smugly. Tsuna childishly stuck out his tongue.

At that moment, Fon casually caught sight of the slogan printed in the cups with his sister-in-law's calligraphy. He had always wondered how she had come up with such a positive, loving sentence. Looking at Tsuna and Hibari, he thought he understood.

I feel that this story turned out rushed, and that I sort of ruined Hibari's personality, but I really wanted to do something for his birthday since I missed the 1827 month. I liked the plot for this story and I really like writing a nice-ish Hibari (as out of character as it is), and I like family themes, too, so I indulged myself with this one. Please tell me your opinions in the reviews :)

Thanks for reading!

-Nina

(PS: If someone could give me a clue on what to write on my profile, I would appreciate it, since I've been on this site for three years and I still don't know what goes there =3= Thanks!)