1896 again. I am not completely comfortable with writing Hibari, YET. But let's see.

Reborn is (c) Amano Akira

"Hibari-san?"

There she was again. Following him around. Dogging his footsteps. She was practically stalking him.

She'd been following him most of the day; he was observing the school, and she had tagged along. He wasn't sure why. Now he was watching the coaches, marking down discrepancies in their behavior. Hibird perched happily on his shoulder, and occasionally he would pat the bird or straighten his tie. It probably directed attention to him, the suit, but if it made people behave he didn't mind. Hibari felt that it was his duty to make sure the school was in good working order, even though he had graduated.

"Yes, mist guardian."

"I have a question."

"Obviously."

He wasn't sick of her, which was disconcerting. Most people pissed him off instantly, but she was somehow too sweet to dislike. Perhaps that was bad.

"May I see your tonfa?"

Hibari briefly wondered if this was somehow innuendo. He decided that it wasn't. "Why?"

Chrome's eye widened. "Oh, I'm sorry; I just thought... that they were kind of cool."

He narrowed his eyes at her, and she held strong. "Boss said you would be angry if I asked something like that. Do you dislike odd questions?"

"Yes." There was no use in ignoring her; she would just quietly tail him until he answered. She was very patient, a trait he lacked. He already had his tonfa readied, and he spun one lazily. "I do."

"Why is your school so important to you?"

She was asking so many questions.

"It does not concern you."

"Oh." Chrome beamed a little. "What about your bird?"

He stalked across the pavement of the school's parking lot. She followed like a ghost, drifting silently after him.

"What about my bird?"

"Is he friendly?"

Hibird. Hibari gave the bird a quick pat. Hibird chirped happily, scooting up his shoulder and closer to his neck. Chrome tilted her head to one side, staring at the bird.

"He's…. like a little yellow cotton ball."

"Miiiiiidori tanabiku…" Hibird recited diligently, staring back at Chrome. He sang when he wasn't sure what was going on, because Hibari was prone to petting him when he sang. It put him back on familiar ground.

Predictably, Hibari raised a hand to the bird, and Hibird hopped onto his palm, still reciting the Namimori anthem. Beady black eyes fixed onto Chrome, who smiled at the creature.

"He's very cute, and so dedicated to you." She cooed, extending a hand cautiously. "May I?"

Hibari felt a cold chill work its way down his spine. Hibird had never left him. He was unsure as to how the bird would react to another person's touch.

Hibird chirped. Then he hopped from Hibari's hand to Chrome's.

Chrome made a slight noise. It had a shrill quality. Hibird mimicked it perfectly, bouncing slightly on her palm. It almost looked as if the bird was having a seizure from happiness. Chrome rang her finger gently down his back, between his wings. Hibird ruffled his feathers, making a whirring chirrup. A thin leg was extended, and tiny toes fastened around Chrome's finger. It was almost as if they were shaking hands.

Hibari was not sure what he was supposed to think.

He coughed. Startled, Chrome fixed her gaze on him. Hibird flapped his tiny wings, not leaving her hand. He made an anxious peeping noise, sensing his owner's confusion.

How did Chrome do it? Hibird was fickle enough to never try to leave his side, before this. Now the bird was bobbing in her palm, peeping and chirping like a… a spazz bird.

Had she somehow drugged his bird? Possessed him? Had Mukuro taken over his pet?

Hibird peeped again, and then his wings unfolded and he took to the air… only to perch on the spiked portion of Chrome's hair. He dove into the purple fringe, burying himself in her hair. He then closed his eyes and proceeded to doze. It was exceptionally odd. Chrome attempted to look at the bird without dislodging him, and, failing in that, looked back to Hibari.

"Did he just... make my hair his nest?"

Hibari retained his impassive look. What Hibird did was his business. Chrome patted the bird uncertainly. He made a small peep. She grinned a bit, and then looked down. Her expression was suddenly nervous.

"I'm sorry, he's your bird."

Hibari made a monosyllabic noise. He was full of them. This one expressed absolutely nothing.

"I would move him, but I don't want to frighten him…"

"Leave him." Hibari said shortly. "I have business, however."

"O-oh." Chrome flushed. "I don't want to separate you from your pet, Hibari-san… May I follow you?"

Hibari paused, his mind shifting from the necessities of Namimori. She was looking nervous. He considered it, and then decided that removing Hibird may be a bad course of action. "… Fine."

She shadowed him up the stairs and into the building, electing odd looks from teachers and students alike. He briefly wondered why she was not at Kokuyo, as she was still a student technically, before dismissing the thought. It was not important. Hibird peeped again, opening beady eyes to stare at his surroundings. He then buried deeper into Chrome's topknot., familiar with where he was.

He passed Kusakabe with an expression that would keep milk fresh for a month. Wisely, his underling kept his silence, though he wondered why his superior was so red in the face. Chrome's hands were clasped in front of her, and each step she took garnered more odd looks. It was probably an effect of her pantsuit. The purple hair might have had something to do with it as well, or the eye patch. Certainly it wasn't anything to do with his appearance, as everyone knew who he was.

"Hibari-san?"

He stopped. Another question? "Yes?"

"He's gone to sleep."

A student murmured uneasily, watching them from a distance. Hibari marked the student's name on his mental list, and grimaced at him.

This solved the problem, quickly and efficiently.

"So?"

"I don't know." Chrome flushed. She looked confused, and he honestly couldn't blame her. Hibird was indeed asleep, perched on her head. She was petting the bird carefully, looking suddenly much brighter.

Then disaster struck.

"URI NO!"

Chaos descended as the Storm Guardian's cat came flying through the hall. Hibari was momentarily distracted by the fact that the cat was even there; cats and dogs weren't allowed on school grounds. Hibird sprang back to wakefulness, screeching loudly. He buried deeper into Chrome's hair, while Uri made a beeline toward girl and bird. Hibari's tonfa were out in a split second. He wondered if box animals could be killed, then dismissed the thought, as he was about to find out.

Then the Storm himself turned the corner – Hibari noted that he was running in the hallway, and his uniform tie was undone- and dashed after the cat. Chrome was backing up rapidly, her hands flying to her hair. Hibird was shaking, causing her entire topknot to quiver.

"Gokudera-kun!"

"Oy, Hayato!"

Now there was shouting in the hallways. The Committee was going to be busy destroying the trio. The Rain Guardian appeared first, being the more physically fit of the pair. He spotted Gokudera, made a beeline toward him, and froze.

He made eye contact with Hibari, which took balls, found the bird in Chrome's hair, saw the cat, and figured out exactly what was happening.

"Get the cat!" Gokudera wailed, having already made the connection. He probably also knew that Yamamoto was faster than him. It was true; Yamamoto managed to overtake the other boy in pursuit of the errant cat.

Chrome attempted to sidle behind Hibari, possibly trying to hide the bird further. It wasn't working, and Uri seemed hell bent on capturing the ball of fuzz that was cowering in her hair. The cat was gaining on the girl, and Hibari was prepared to smack the creature until it stopped twitching. Animal abuse? Not exactly. He was just fond of Hibird. Tsuna seemed to decide that enough was enough, and his hands slammed over Hibari's shoulders. The pair grappled for a bit, Hibari nearly overcoming the smaller boy. Tsuna held strong, his face set in determination. He made a desperate noise.

Chrome kicked out gently, trying to deter the cat without actually hurting it. Uri yowled, hissing at her. Hibird screeched again. Yamamoto dove, arms outstretched to snatch the frantic cat. He snagged the feline around the midsection, sliding for about half a foot and then losing momentum. He let his breath out in a sigh of relief. Gokudera pressed a hand to his chest, closing his eyes.

"Jesus."

Sawada looked faint, as if he was about to pass out. He removed his hands from Hibari, and then stepped back slowly. His face was curiously void of emotion, which probably meant that he was terrified. As he should be. Hibari cracked his neck casually. Tsuna whimpered, backing up more.

Yamamoto silently scuttled towards Gokudera, handing him the squirming, yowling cat. Chrome stroked Hibird, trying to console the terrified bird.

"Ow." Gokudera muttered, as Uri sank all four sets of claws into his arm. "Ow, ow, you fucking cat."

"Shit." Yamamoto said earnestly. "Um."

Hibari glared at the cat. Gokudera looked at Hibari incredulously.

"Dude. Sorry. She got out of her box." He clutched at the cat, which mewled, suddenly sensing the danger at hand. Hibari narrowed his eyes, glaring more. Uri cowered a little, turning into a frightened kitten instead of the yowling death machine she had been seconds before. Chrome hesitantly placed a hand on Hibari's shoulder.

"Hibari-san? Hibird is okay…" She said nervously, petting the bird with one hand. "He's okay."

Hibari's glare didn't lessen, but he turned and began to stalk off. Then he stopped. "Chrome."

"Y-Yes!" She started off after him, nearly tripping over her own feet. Hibird peeped quietly.

Uri meowed loudly, and the bird began to tremble again. Gokudera sighed loudly, placing the cat back in her box. He fixed his tie quietly, looking somewhat apprehensive. Yamamoto laughed nervously.

He wondered when those three would finally graduate and cease to endanger the wellbeing of Namimori.

Chrome coughed quietly, two steps behind him. He turned to look at her.

"Oh, nothing. Just clearing my throat, Hibari-san." She grinned brightly. He decided she wasn't as bad as her benefactor, the elusive and aggravating Mukuro. After all, she'd protected his bird.

He straightened his tie again. Perhaps… he should get her something? The idea of a thank you was foreign to him, but he was passing familiar with the procedure.

Hibari nodded to himself. A thank you was possibly in order, but more likely an object would get his meaning across better than words.

He recalled that there was a flower shop near his home.

I had more fun with this than I should have, honestly. I really did.

I still appreciate reviews, and crit might be nice. Please?