Dino was leaving Namimori today.

Hibari, lying on the roof of Namimori Middle as usual, was supposed to feel happy at that thought.

Supposed to, at least.

He wasn't.

He couldn't explain his dissatisfaction. Did he, perhaps, feel that there was more to learn?

No, that couldn't be possible. The bronco had, of course, proved himself worthy of challenging Hibari, but by no means was he actually good enough to train him. Far from it.

Perhaps it was the desire to bite him to death? Possible, but… no, that wasn't it. It didn't feel like that.

Irritated, Hibari glared at the sky.

Just get that annoying guy out of my li-

Suddenly, he could hear it; the familiar sound of those footsteps, which made those weird feelings start to surface again. Including that strange, inexplicable dissatisfaction…

The door swung open.

He'd come alone; his men weren't with him, for once.

"Kyoya!"

Those feelings again. Did that stupid bronco put a curse on him? It seemed that recently, every time they met, those feelings would surface.

Not to mention that they were making him annoyed.

Very, very annoyed.

"Kyoya! I'm leaving today."

Hibari finally stood up, and turned. Moving into the usual stance, he raised his tonfas.

"I'm going to bite you to death."

He lunged forwards, and hit… air?

"Distracted, are you? You're usually much faster than that - "

A left, and another swipe –

"Woah, woah. Okay, stop. I'm not here for training today." Dino put both of his hands up, as though in surrender.

Hibari stopped. He put his tonfas away.

"I don't need training."

Dino grinned. "Okay, no training. Well, I'm here to, what'd you call it, debrief?"

As if having remembered something, Hibari reached into his jacket, and pulled out the ancient, gray ring.

"I don't need this." He tossed the small item towards the blonde.

"Wha – hey! You can't throw this away!"

"Heh."

"Really. You'll need it. You saw it, didn't you? How the rings easily melted the ice that was formed from Tsuna's Zero Point Breakthrough?"

Hibari contemplated that for a moment.

He might be right, after all.

"Its power will help you when the time comes."

Dino stepped forward, close enough for Hibari to feel their difference in height.

That was unfair. He was unfair, the way he made Hibari feel so... strange.

Hibari reached out expectantly, palm facing up.

He suppressed a look of surprise when Dino, cradling Hibari's outstretched hand in both of his, gently turned his palm downwards.

"What are you doing?"

Those strange feelings again – that irritating bronco!

"Let go of me. Or I'll bite you to death," Hibari threatened.

Yet, his threat held no danger.

It wasn't as though there was anything else he could do but talk, because he couldn't really bite Dino to death. His body had lost all its will to move – but strangely, he didn't hate the feeling…

He was still frozen in place, even as Dino slid the ring onto his finger.

"Don't throw it away again, okay? It'd be quite a pain to get it back if I'm not there," Dino said, bending slightly.

He pressed his lips to Hibari's fingers. The ring was now warm, just like its master – and such precious warmth, it was, to Dino.

Finally, somewhat reluctantly, Dino let go.

He moved a few steps back, and paused. He took a long look at Hibari; how long would it be before the two of them got to meet again? Before he got to see, again, the one he had come to care for?

A few more moments, and then – "Debrief's over."

With a grin, he waved, turned, and made to leave.

Which was then Hibari felt it again – what were those irritating feelings? He was losing his sense of reason, his sanity, and, instinctively, called out to Dino –

"You'd better not die. I'm the only one who can bite you to death."

Just at the doorstep, the bronco turned, and flashed Hibari his brightest, sincerest smile.

At that very moment, Hibari knew. He knew what was wrong with him, why exactly he was feeling so strange before, why he was feeling so strange now. Not that he'd ever admit it to anyone, but -

"Yes. You're the only one."

One last look, a few more steps, and then Dino was gone.

For how long?

Hibari didn't know. He didn't need to know.

The ring, at least, wouldn't be getting thrown away –

Not anytime soon.