Hey everyone!~

Glad to have been able to post something. I've been meaning to make a ColLal again for some time but I haven't been able to get to it! XD

Ah, the "joys" of college apps...

Well, I guess a break once in a while is nice. And while I may be posting this now, this doesn't mean I'll be back to writing Shroud and The Lost Ring just yet. Sorry guys! Just wait a little longer! I promise it'll be worth the wait!

Well, enjoy! ^^ [Though I'm a bit afraid that my writing-style has dropped in metaphor-usage due to the AP writing style I've had to deal with instead...]

Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! and/or the characters created by the lovely Amano Akira. Furthermore, I'd like to point out that this is entirely a work of fiction.

A Difference in Age

He's finally back. He's not dead. I can finally see him again. I can finally be with him again. These are the thoughts that first crossed Lal Mirch's mind when she saw that the Arcobaleno had been revived. But her heart stopped when she remembered the sacrifice it took for the Arcobaleno to return. The Vongola, the Giglio Nero, and the Arcobaleno themselves lost two people-two friends-for the sake of the Arcobaleno to come back.

The CEDEF agent looked down at the floor, ashamed for being so selfish in thought and confused with what she should be feeling. Her emotions were a mess-a puddle created by tears shed and the return of the Rain. And while feeling shame and confusion, she also felt love. And even stronger, she felt the emotion of anger. Anger at herself for being weak to her emotions and allowing them to control her. Anger that there had to be so many sacrifices for their return. Anger that she had let some child's dream-no, fantasy-rule her mind.

"I'm an ex-FROG. A CEDEF. An assassin and a hitman. A soldier. A unit for the Vongola," she reminded herself in a silent whisper. These factors should be enough for me to have no more feelings. To not let my emotions get the best of me.

She took in a deep breath before she looked up, stoning her emotions. Only after she was sure nothing was seeping out, she took a step forward, joining the reunion of Arcobaleno and those who had survived the battle.

"I'm so glad you guys came back," the young tenth heir to the Vongla Famiglia smiled. He was still beat-up from his final battle that occurred only hours ago.

"We're glad to be back, too! Damn it!" Colonello announced to the teenager. Lal inwardly flinched at hearing the baby's voice, but she kept up an emotional guard well.

"...Mirch."

"Lal Mirch."

Lal looked at Reborn, who was by her side now, looking up at her from the floor.

"What is it, Reborn?" she questioned, swallowing in attempt to cure her dry throat.

"You didn't pay your respects to Gamma and Yuni yet, right?" He asked.

Lal averted her gaze. "Uh...yeah, sorry. I'll go do that now, thanks for reminding me, Reborn." She walked past the hitman to the table where Gamma and Yuni's pictures were set up with the clothes they had worn at the final battle folded neatly in front of them. The two's memorials were surrounded by white and black lilies, which were set by those attending. A metal vase stood beside the red satin-covered table on both sides; one was filled with white lilies and the other with its contrast.

Lal took a one of the white flowers and placed the flower between the two's frame. As she gently laid the flower, a black lily was placed on top of hers, falling from the air. She reflexively took a side-step and looked up at the source that lay the obsidian over the alabaster.

"Hey," Colonello said in a softer tone than his usual.

Lal swallowed hard; she felt a cold-sweat start to seep out of her pores, but stopped herself; calming her body and mind with an exhale-using that exhale as the reason for her body to lose its tension, continually hiding her interior emotion through her exterior. But even after that quick calming exercise, her heart was still beating rapidly-most likely crying out for the attention that she had pain-stakingly disciplined out of her body. "Hey," she muttered, staring at the baby with a serious gaze and forcing her voice to come out as harsh.

Although she was "staring" at him, she was just gazing directly past his head, skimming an ear.

"Pretty rough, what happened."

It was small talk and even though she knew it, she still couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions pound at the mask she fixed on her face. "It was," she agreed. "I'm glad you all came back though. Maybe now the world can return to somewhat normalcy."

"Are you really talking about the mafia world?" he chuckled.

She wanted to smile. She so wanted to smile at seeing his laugh-remembering it, savoring it, treasuring it as she wasn't truly able to before his death. But outside, everything was still stoic.

"Master!"

Colonello turned his head toward his grey-haired pupil who was calling out to him and running toward him. Lal moved her eyes. She breathed heavily again-this time in relief and out of annoyance.

"Hey! I see you've managed to get stronger!" Colonello yelled back; his vivacity returned.

Lal used this distraction to escape. But as she turned away, the blonde Arcobaleno yelled after her. "Hey Lal!"

She turned her head slightly, only acknowledging that he now had her attention. "We're going to talk later! I'll come to your room."

"Don't bother," Lal mentioned, more cold than she herself had expected. Her emotions were leaking into the outside world. "I'll be out tonight, so don't even think about it."

(Later that Night)

Knock-knock-knock.

Lal shifted silently from on top of her bed. Her lights were out and she wasn't making a sound. Colonello? Did he still seriously come? She made no movement; she didn't want to see him. But...at the same time, she still did. But she couldn't give in. She couldn't let her emotions win. She couldn't let herself get reattached. What if he died again? Or worse yet, what if he went to a place where he was too far for her to reach?

She banished the questions and those similar to it to the farthest corner of her brain.

"Lal, are you in there?"

It was Reborn's voice. She glanced at the gap underneath the door. Only one shadow. She listened in her silence. No wings flapping. No impatient tapping.

"Are you really not in there? If I find out you're there, I'll make sure to show all the embarrassing pictures I have of you to Iemitsu."

At that threat, Lal's eyes widened and she swiftly jumped from her bed and to the door, opening it in an equally fast motion. In front of her she didn't find Reborn, but Colonello with a recorder in one hand.

"So you'd open your door for Reborn, but not for me," Colonello observed.

Lal averted her eyes from his. "Come in," she opened the door so that there was enough room for him to walk in before she shut it behind him and turned on the ceiling light simultaneously. When she turned around, Colonello was sitting on the desk across from her bed.

"What do you want?" she asked accusingly.

"I was going to ask you the same question," Colonello replied.

She reddened. "W-What are you talking about?" she yelled, "You're the one who wanted to see me in my room tonight, aren't you? And don't take that kind of tone with your senior!"

Colonello smiled, "Sorry about that. But, again..." his smile faded at the edges, "what did you want?"

Lal sighed; she was truly getting frustrated now, "Didn't I tell you not to say that just-"

"I was talking about earlier today."

"What are you talking about?" Her facial muscles hardened, hiding her confusion.

"Earlier when I was talking to Tsuna, I saw you staring at me. You looked like you had something to say, and then you walked away to the memorial table.

Lal's face deepened in color and embarrassment colored her face. Was I really staring at him the whole time? "I wasn't looking at you!" she denied.

"Then who were you looking at?" Colonello asked.

"I was staring at Sawada. That kid is going to be head of the Vongola and that means as a member serving under the Outside Advisor, I will all be serving under him. I wanted to make sure that Sawada really could take on the responsibility and not get loose after that last battle with Byakuran. It's my job as a mentor to monitor my students." She was breathing hard at the end of her explanation, huffing and puffing as much air as she needed to resuscitate her lungs.

Colonello stared at her, a bit dejected, but quickly recovered. "Were you really looking at Tsuna? Because it looked like you were about to cry. And when I caught up with you at the table, you looked like I caught you off-guard; and you looked like you had something to say to me."

"I didn't have anything to say to you!" Lal yelled. "You're over-imagining things! You're just making up an excuse to see me and make me feel like a complete mess!" Catching herself, she looked away from the blue-eyed baby.

"N-No. Wait," she breathed. "I take that back. Everything I just said was a lie."

"That includes the part about you not having anything to say to me, right?"

Lal looked down at the Rain Arcobaleno. He was smiling and a few steps away from her now. The CEDEF agent-the ex-FROG, the assassin, the hitman, the soldier, the unit for the Vongola, the woman in love with the man in front of her-collapsed onto the floor. Her legs, useless; her knees, jelly. Tears started pouring from her eyes-tears of sadness she tried to contain after his death and tears of happiness at his return.

Death had not changed him. Even now, he could see her true emotions.

"I-I missed you," she cried. She swallowed the lump of courage that had remained in her mouth too large to swallow until now. "And...And...Despite everything else, I'm glad you're alive. I'm glad you're back. And I'm glad you're here right now."

Arms wrapped around her, keeping her warm and calming her. "I'm glad I'm here, too. I'm sorry I left."

And for a moment, while the two were on the floor, Lal felt like he wasn't a small baby anymore; he was back to the size he was supposed to be-the age he was supposed to be if the Curse of the Rainbow had never existed. For that moment, the difference in age disappeared.

"You idiot," she sniffled once and then no more. Her face had no more tears and her tone was hard, but her face was soft and smiling. "You shouldn't be making your senior cry."

Colonello smiled, placing his hands over hers; their faces only centimeters apart. "My bad, my bad. Hey! It seems like I still have a lot to learn despite being one of the strongest people alive now. Will you continue to teach me?"

Lal chuckled a bit sinisterly, glaring at him straight in the eye with a stone cold expression, but with soft dark hazel eyes. "Hey!" she mimicked with a smile, "Who ever said you were done learning?"

Thanks for reading and I hoped you all enjoyed it.

I'm very glad that I was able to write more of a happy ending than usual. Even if the story is still primarily angsty.

Reviews greatly appreciated as always!

~luv you all! X3