Pull the Trigger

by monochromez

The mafia. A cold-hearted, unforgiving organization. Filled with baby assassins, overly dramatic lunatics, crazy people who wanted to experiment on him, and – was that a shape-changing chameleon? Sawada Hiroyuki had never felt so lost. Next Gen.

1. Forget Me Nots

: Pull the Trigger :

First Shot, Warning

A Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Next Generation fic

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman Reborn! is the property of Amano Akira. I do not claim to own anything in regards to her work, because frankly, I'm not that brilliant in the drawing department.

Summary: The mafia. A cold-hearted, unforgiving organization. Filled with baby assassins, overly dramatic lunatics, crazy people who wanted to experiment on him, and – was that a shape-changing chameleon? Sawada Hiroyuki had never felt so lost.

Warnings: For this chapter, there's nothing major, just the usual insanity of a khr fan, haha. As the story develops, there will be darker undertones and the rating may go up, but for now I'll keep it at a safe 'T', mostly because some of the characters have potty mouths.

Author's Note: There's a lot I want to say about this project, but I'll tone it down because reading an extra long a/n isn't the best way to start off a story, ne? I originally came up with the idea for this after concentrating exclusively on the Guardians growing up and having children and carrying on with the next generation. You can blame it on Ryohei, and by extension Hana. I couldn't get the image of them having a daughter out of my head and really wanted to write that for a multitude of reasons. However, with that came ideas for cousins and well, I couldn't help but turn this into a next generation fic. Surprisingly I already know where this story is going, which is rare for me, but the ending is already planned out in my mind. As a fair enough warning, I'll admit this story might end up being excruciatingly long.

I have so much planned for this. I just hope I don't lose my motivation and drive because it would be a pity. I've grown rather attached to this. It's sort of a challenge to my self and I hope to see it through. Will work out a schedule for this eventually. For a heads-up, this is going to be kind of slow until Reborn's introduction later down the road. And as far as pairings go, wait and see.

All right, that about wraps it up for this long-winded author's notes, on to the story.

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Warning One: Forget-Me-Nots

It was a quiet, peaceful morning in the Sawada household: an average, ordinary, routine morning. The mother was downstairs in the kitchen fixing breakfast, the father was still asleep in bed upstairs, and the kids – well, the kids were sneaking down the stairs, fully intending to play a prank on their mother. The shorter of the two, a young girl, giggled and poked at the fake mouse swinging from her brother's hand. "Mom's going to freak when she sees this," she whispered in a mischievous manner. "We just need to be careful not to wake up dad 'cause he'll -"

"He'll what?" a tired voice asked from behind them. Caught, the two children had no other choice but to turn around and face the speaker, trying their best to look as innocent as possible. "Hiroyuki," the man was barely awake but that didn't mean he was stupid, "what's that behind your back?" Disapproval written all over their father's face, a hand was held out, palm up. "Hand it over." Hiroyuki, obedient to a fault, placed the fake mouse in his father's outstretched hand as was expected of him. "Really now. Lambo-kun can be such a bad influence on the two of you."

"Lambo-occhan's fun, though," mumbled the girl obstinately, crossing her arms and pouting. "Unlike some people." She heard twin sighs, but refused to look at either of them. To her, Hiroyuki was always giving in far too easily and her father, well, he was the type who could be such a worrywart sometimes.

"Emiko," her father started sternly, "you and your brother both know better than to -"

"Tsu-kun, you're up already?" A pretty woman with dark blond hair came around the corner at the bottom of the stairs, smiling up at her family. "Ah, and so are the kids! Great, great. Breakfast is ready. Come and eat." The kids didn't have to be told twice, already making a mad dash for their food after wishing their mother a good morning, thoughts of pranks and punishments cast out of their mind for the moment. Yes, a perfectly normal morning indeed.

Taking the stairs one at a time, differing from his lively children, Tsuna reached the downstairs floor at a more languid pace. It gave him a chance to have a rare moment alone with his wife and he appreciated that greatly as he wrapped his arms around her as soon as he was close enough. "Well, they're sure full of energy," he commented before grinning into a kiss that she surprised him with. "Hello to you too," Tsuna teased. Fatigue getting the better of him though, he rested their foreheads together and closed his eyes. He found it far too early to be awake. "Hn, do we really have to start a new day already? Let's just go back to bed, Kyoko-chan."

Kyoko laughed as she ran her fingers up his neck and into his hair, playing with the untamable brown locks. "But you're already up. You'll oversleep if you do that," she reasoned. One of his eyes opened, observing her expression quietly. Her smile lost a little of its sincerity when she spoke next, asking softly, "Long night?" He winced and pulled away from her, finding it far easier to look anywhere but at her. "You didn't come home until a quarter after two." There was accusation in her voice, a demand to know where he had been and why.

He wasn't surprised that she had waited up, though. She always did. What did surprise him was he hadn't noticed for once. Last night was mostly a blur to him, starting after work and ending when he had made it home. As soon as his head had found a pillow last night, he had been out. The life he was living was catching up with him, threatening to overwhelm not only his body and mind but his entire existence. Despite knowing that, there was nothing he could do to stop it. "I'm sorry," he apologized in a voice barely above a whisper. He may have resigned himself to the current life he lived, but that didn't make him like it any better than he had some twenty odd years ago. "Something kind of came up unexpectedly."

"Something is always coming up unexpectedly," Kyoko replied, "that's not what bothers me and you know it. I want to know what's going on, Tsuna. You have to talk to me. It wasn't work, was it?" Her husband was still being stubborn and looking anywhere that wasn't her, but she caught the slightest shake of his head that proved her doubts well-based. "Was it your other work?" she hazarded, beginning to worry. He shook his head once more, but the uncertain frown on his face gave him away. "It was him again, wasn't it?" There was such force behind the question this time, much more so than with the others.

Tsuna whispered an exhausted, "Yeah," knowing who she meant. "It seems like things are getting worse. I don't," and here his voice broke somewhat, making it hard to continue, "I don't know how much longer I can stop what's coming. Any of it. The kids … they're going to get dragged into this, Kyoko. And it's going to be all my fault."

"We need to tell them," Kyoko said abruptly, looking determined. "They deserve to know."

The immediate response was, "Not now." Tsuna hung his head, eyes shut tight. "Not right now. Soon we'll have no choice, but … right now they need stability, a life without those worries. Every day it gets worse, Kyoko-chan, but I can still protect them. And I will, with everything I have." He looked up, hoping to catch her gaze, but realized by then she had already turned her back on him and headed into the kitchen.

Grimacing, he followed. It's not like you're wrong, Kyoko-chan, he thought to himself wearily. I just … I don't want them to get mixed up in this yet. They're not ready. What could they possibly hope to gain in a world that only means them harm? When he walked in and saw his children laughing and smiling and joking like everything was still perfectly normal, Tsuna couldn't say with any certainty he had made the wrong decision. Nor had it been the best of choices, but he could live with that. As long the two of them were happy, he could live and die with no regrets. Kyoko would just have to forgive him. He couldn't give up on the only normality he had left, not yet.

- XI -

Sawada Hiroyuki was deep in thought. So deep in thought he didn't even notice the person sneaking up on him from behind until his eyes were covered and everything went dark. "Hiiie! Cut it out, Daichi!"

Someone laughed and whispered near his ear, "How did you know it was me?" The hands were removed a split second later, giving Hiro the opportunity to tilt his head back to get a better view of his friend. He was the same as always, dark hair spiked up in all directions, almost to the point of being utterly ridiculous, and an unflappably warm smile that went along with caring eyes and an honest face. Hiroyuki narrowed his eyes in a warning manner, not in the mood for any happy-go-lucky advice today. "Aw, lighten up, you'll give yourself a headache like that," Daichi insisted jokingly, "man, you never change. Hmm, so what's a matter? Did something happen?"

"Nothing," Hiro answered at once, a little too fast to be true. He returned his attention back to the meal in his lap, the one he had been mindlessly eating only a few moments ago. Lunchtime, today, was not as enjoyable as it should have been. "It's nothing, leave me alone."

This just made his friend try harder. "Your sister's not here." The taller boy glanced around the rooftop where Hiro usually ate lunch, mostly for show. He had noticed it earlier, but dismissed it as nothing. Apparently nothing was something these days. "Did you two have a fight?"

Pushing his bento box away, lacking the appetite to finish, Hiro shook his head. "No. I just told her I needed some time to myself." Daichi sat down beside him without being asked, bumping their shoulders together lightly. "And you," Hiro complained, "are interrupting my alone time."

"Well, yeah. Can't have you moping all day," commented Daichi idly as he reached over and stole a California roll from his friend's abandoned lunch. "And anyway," he continued, mouth full of food now. "Don't you think it's weird?" Hiro made a face at his friend's lack of etiquette, but said nothing. "You have to!" Daichi was adamant about whatever was on his mind. "I mean, come on. Two new transfer students appearing out of nowhere? Something's definitely weird."

Hiroyuki wasn't impressed. "They have their reasons. Don't start any rumors."

The other boy shrugged and admitted, "Really don't have to. There are plenty of them going around school already." Daichi chuckled slightly and went on, "And get this, most of 'em are about them being secret agents or something like that. I would believe it myself, if it wasn't for that girl. She's too loud to be anything close to secret."

Interested now, Hiro asked, "You're in the same class as one of them?"

"Both actually," explained Daichi with another shrug. He grabbed another roll and bit into it before going on. "They're really weird."

"Yeah, no, I got that." Hiro rolled his eyes. "But what's so weird about them?"

"Haha, I win," replied Daichi happily. "You've stopped moping!"

A slight grin from Hiroyuki accompanied that, grateful to have a friend who would go to such lengths to get his mind off what was bothering him. Then again, it didn't stop him from delivering a bit of a reprimand, "You idiot. Weren't we talking about those transfer students? Don't just go randomly changing the subject!" He threw a playful punch at his friend's shoulder, laughing a bit himself. "Oi, when are you going to actually grow a brain up there?"

Daichi appeared to seriously think that question over. When he reached a conclusion of sorts, he brightly declared, "Afraid that's not going to happen today. Why don't you try again tomorrow?"

Rolling his eyes again, Hiro thought one thing and one thing only: his friend would never change. He didn't necessarily consider that a bad thing. Daichi was Daichi and that was that. He kind of hoped his friend would stay that way too. In a world where things were constantly changing, it was only his best friend that seemed to stay true to who he was, as if to purposely defy all odds. He liked that most about Daichi. He was someone to rely on. Nothing would have to change as long as Daichi was by his side. That was what he liked to think and he stuck by that whole-heartedly. "Maybe tomorrow," Hiro agreed quietly, staring down at his hands folded neatly in his lap but not really seeing them. "Let's hope not." He scrunched up his nose, suddenly having a scary thought. "You having a brain would mean Armageddon for sure!"

It was only Daichi that could make lunch a time for good-natured fun and jokes, and less about reflection. Daichi hadn't even insisted to know what was on his mind, preferring to let him talk when he felt like talking. He knows I'll tell him, anyway. Just like he knows it'll be on my terms, not his. He chuckled lightly and swatted Daichi's hand away when the taller boy went to steal more food from his bento out of retaliation. "Oh no you don't."

"Hey! What was that for?" There was an exaggerated pout on his friend's face now as he rubbed at his hand.

"I'm hungry too. And that means," Hiro stressed, exasperated, "don't go eating all my food, idiot!" So saying, Hiro tossed a bit of rice at the other boy. "But you can have that, if you want. Since that's all you'll be getting." It marked the beginning of a full-out food war.

- XI -

"You have rice in your hair," someone pointed out from behind him. Hiroyuki slowly turned to face the person, embarrassed, and hurriedly tried to brush the rice out of his messy blond hair. "As fascinating as your choice of a hair accessory is," continued the person who had approached him during the lull in practice, "I personally just wanted to know if you had the time. Do you have a watch on you, Sawada-kouhai?"

"Y-Yeah," stumbled out Hiroyuki, flustered. He tightened his grip on the bow in his hands, unsure what to do or say next. It wasn't unusual for an upperclassman to approach a younger student for a favor, but it was unusual for this particular upperclassman. Nakamura Michi wasn't the type to talk to anyone, let alone a kouhai who held little to no seniority in clubs or school.

Michi stared at the blond expectantly, seconds dragging into inevitable minutes. When at last the older boy grew tired of the waiting game, he took the initiative. "Do you happen to know how to read it, maybe?"

"Ah!" If Hiro had been embarrassed before, he was completely mortified now. "It's five of five," the younger boy said in a rush as he glanced at his watch. "Does Nakamura-senpai have somewhere to be?" He had blurted it out without thinking, curiosity winning over reason, and he immediately expected the worse in response. His senpai was an exceptionally difficult one to understand, but that didn't extend to his temper. Every student, no matter the grade, knew better than to intentionally anger the archery club captain.

To his surprise, Michi didn't yell, but carried on with the earlier indifference. The surprise didn't end there, though, as he even got a response out of the deal. It was clipped and more than a little matter-of-fact, but it was still a response. A fairly detailed one at that. "My little sister's club lets out soon," the older boy explained, calm eyes never straying from Hiro's own wide-eyed, unbelieving gaze. "Ten more minutes, to be precise. I usually walk her home around then, but just on Wednesdays."

"Sister?" Hiro asked blankly, appearing dumbfounded. It was hard to imagine someone so distant having siblings. His own relationship with his younger sister had led him to believe that having that early social interaction helped to make connections with other people easier. "Um," the younger boy blindly fished around for a way to keep the conversation going, not willing to let this opportunity pass him by. "What club is she in, senpai? Archery, like you?"

Michi glanced off to the side, seemingly bored. "No. Music. She plays the violin and has a lot of talent for it."

The younger boy had to stop short of telling him, "You're just as talented." Not out of fear for his safety, but because something was insisting the subject was a sensitive one as far as Michi was concerned. Deciding to go another route, he tested an idea out, awkwardly posing a suggestion of, "Since senpai lives in the same neighborhood as me, do you think could we walk home together today?" It was a bit of stretch to ask that perhaps, but Hiro had wanted to give it a try anyway. Because senpai can't spend all of his time alone, he reasoned.

Expecting a blunt yes or no, he was surprised again when the answer he received was an off-topic, "You still have rice in your, Sawada-kouhai." Flushing a bright red, Hiro began to fuss with his hair for the second time that day. Michi seized the opportunity for what it was and left. When Hiro glanced back hopefully to where his upperclassman had been, he was disappointed to find no one there.

"What'cha doing just standing around for?" The sudden introduction of another voice had Hiro jumping about a mile into the air, causing the speaker to openly laugh. "With that kind of leaping ability, you really should try out for the Olympics, Hiro," that same person encouraged enthusiastically.

He would recognize that voice anywhere. "Daichi," Hiro groaned, "you idiot, I wasn't standing around for no reason!" He ran a nervous hand through his hair, messing it up further, and desperately clutched at the bow he was holding. "Nakamura-senpai, he … that is to say, I … well, we finally talked," admitted Hiro sheepishly. "But he kind of disappeared all of a sudden …"

Daichi was quiet, eyes shadowed by his bangs as he bowed his head to the ground. "Yeah, that guy, he's a weird one," the taller boy supposed aloud, "but not as weird as those transfer students!" He was back to his happy, grinning self in no time, slinging an arm around Hiro's tense shoulders and persisting animatedly with, "You know that girl I mentioned, right? Well, you're not going to believe this, but when she overheard me mentioning you, she went ballistic. Asked all kinds of questions! Ahahaha, I think she likes you or something."

Or something, Hiroyuki agreed, considering he had never met her. "Oh, is that why you're here then? To gossip? Idiot." He was curious as to who the girl was, however, wondering why she would want to know about him, and finally settled on asking, "What's her name?"

"Sasagawa Minori," replied Daichi, giving his friend a funny look. "You can't possibly be planning to get to know her, could you? I wouldn't recommend it." There was no joking tone in his voice, only seriousness now as his brow furrowed in concern. "Hiro, no offense, but – I don't know how to say this, it's just … I don't think you should go getting involved with either of them. I'm not kidding, they're not normal."

Hiro shrugged in a nonchalant fashion, unfazed by the reaction. If there was one thing that had the potential to bother him about Daichi, it was his protectiveness. He had put up with it for a long time, figuring his friend would eventually grow out of it. "I wasn't, but that name does sound familiar, like one I've heard before. I just can't think of where it's from."

"But you're going to stay away from her, right?" Daichi sounded like he was pleading. "That girl's no good. I once caught her smoking during break and they say she drinks too. I don't know. Someone like her, well … she could lead to trouble, Hiro. And -"

"Stop it," interrupted Hiroyuki, "I already said I wasn't going to get involved. Or don't you trust me?" Irritated, he pushed his friend's arm off his shoulders. "Practice is almost over. I should go put my gear away." The other boy tried to stop him from leaving, but Hiro wouldn't have any of it. He was determined to walk away and that was he did, preferring to rejoin the rest of the archery club, the majority of his peers closer to the targets now. The club wasn't officially over until half past five, but the practice itself usually ended before that, to leave time for discussion. It was needed for good reason lately since they had a tournament coming up soon.

He contributed his own opinion when he was within hearing range, proposing they wait until their captain was there to finalize anything but willingly tossing around ideas with the others. The potential candidates for the line-up were decided upon that evening, leaving them with a general idea of who would be participating in the competition next week. And, with that out of the way, it was one less headache for Hiroyuki. Now he didn't have to stress over whether or not he would have to take part in the event, having insisted he would be of no use in the line-up to begin with. A few of his fellow peers had been skeptic about the decision not to include him, but they were overruled. Hiro felt that was for the best, he wasn't worthy of a spot on the main team.

Archery over for the day, Hiro headed for the school gates, ready for the long walk home. He pretended not to see the person, still in a judo club uniform, waiting for him. There was no one trying to get his attention, no one at all. The hurt wasn't real either. The lost look on that person's face, it had no reason to affect him. His chest didn't feel tight, his stomach wasn't turning in knots, and it was nothing more than his imagination that there was something hot and wet on his cheeks. Hiro wasn't sure why he was angry, but it was obvious what the problem was as much as he wanted to ignore it.

- XI -

His bedroom door was slammed shut behind him, Hiroyuki flopping down on his bed face-first and refusing to move. No one was home yet besides him, so he figured he had some time to pull it together before his sister arrived back. Knowing her, he guessed she had stopped by Namimori Central Hospital to visit their mother. It was closer to their school than home and Emiko was insistent she wanted to become a nurse, just like their mom. She was most likely volunteering to help out around the hospital right about now. His little sister had been doing that a lot recently. It was easy for her, since she didn't have any clubs to worry about. His sister had never liked them, saying it was conforming to other people's interests. She was too headstrong for that. Being the way she was, she often did what she wanted to do, when she wanted to do it. He wished he could be like that, like his sister. She didn't let anything get to her and that was the complete opposite of him. She didn't even realize mom and dad were fighting this morning. It had been on his mind all day. He had only caught snatches of the conversation, but it was enough for him to realize there was something going on that he didn't understand.

And here I thought dad was just an ordinary salary man. Pulling a pillow closer, Hiro buried his face into the cool fabric and attempted to make sense of things. Apparently his father wasn't ordinary at all. That explained a lot: the late hours, the constant injuries, the fact he had never been invited to work alongside his father. One of the biggest mysteries was the person his mother had referred to as 'him'. The infliction in her voice made it seem like she strongly disliked whoever it was and that in itself was a bit of a rarity. Sawada Kyoko went out of her way to be nice to everyone, a learned demeanor throughout her years of being a nurse. For her to sound like that, Hiro could only presume the 'him' in that equation had hurt her or someone she cared about. What's going on? He had to wonder about that. There were so many secrets being kept from him that he was beginning to feel annoyed whenever he thought about it.

Daichi's presence had been such a welcome relief at lunch today, distracting him before he had let that frustration build into something substantial. Now, though, the mere thought of his best friend was only succeeding in making things worse. All because he doesn't like the new kids. What, does he think that gives him some kind of right to act that way? The transfer students were a topic he would rather avoid thinking about at the moment, but there was still a nagging in the back of his mind about that name. Where have I heard it before?

It answer hit him like a ton of bricks to the head – quite literally. Flipping over with a hand automically coming up to massage at the back of his head, he picked up the heavy picture album and stared at it. Embroidered in the cover of the album was the name Sasagawa Kyoko right next to Sawada Tsunayoshi. Where'd this come from? Who threw it? A quick glance to the door proved that he wasn't alone any more.

He blinked a couple times to make sure he wasn't seeing what he thought he was seeing because the person he was looking at couldn't have been who he thought it was. There was no way that was possible. I've got to stop competing against Emiko in school. My brain's having a meltdown. "D-Dad?" It was too early for his father to be home. This couldn't have been his dad. That smirk on the man's face seemed out of place as well. His father had never looked at him with that kind of superior expression before. Neither would his dad have intentionally thrown something at the back of his head, for that matter.

"Fu, this was such a convenient disguise. But … I guess the gig's up. You're quick. Caught on already, did you?" What the person called a disguise began to fade away, height diminishing and the mature features softening into that of an adolescent's young face. "Hiya. The name's Nico! But you already know that don't you? And you're Hiroyuki! Am I right? Woah, you sure grew up!" Introductions bypassed just like that, the younger boy invited himself further into the room without asking and took a seat next to Hiro on the bed, completely at ease. "I'm from Italy," Nico cheerfully explained, swinging his legs back and forth from where he sat, "but Japan's so cool. I like it a lot! Can we go out and eat some sushi somewhere, Hiroyuki?"

Hiro, for his part, was trying his best to remain calm. It was hard to do. "I never gave you permission to call me by first name," he corrected, displeasure evident. "And no, I will not take you out for sushi. Just who do you think you are?" He crossed his arms over the album resting on his lap in a display of defensiveness. "How did you get into the house, anyway? I always lock the door when no one else is home. Dad says to."

"Oh, that? That was easy." A charismatic smile made a brief appearance, only to be replaced soon enough by a look of derision. "It was almost too easy, to be honest. So what's the catch?" Hiro's bemused expression proved he didn't understand and Nico was forced to clarify. "Come on. You don't mean to say someone like the Vongola Decimo would leave his children this unprotected, do you? That's just weak."

"No. You're the weak one. You didn't notice the alarm system? That's a mistake you're going to live to regret." Unfolding his arms and standing quickly, album in hand, Hiro headed for the open door. "So get lost before that happens." He was bluffing. As far as he knew, they didn't have any sort of anti-theft system. He was going with the small hope the strange kid would take his words at face value and leave. Half-way out the door, Hiro kept up the pretense and finished with, "Police will be here any minute, so do yourself a favor and disappear, okay?"

There was a moment where Nico looked about ready to say something, but the younger boy kept quiet, taking the verbal assault like a kicked puppy and playing the part well. Then, going from one extreme to the other, the boy burst out into hysterical laughter, clutching at his sides when it became near impossible to catch his breath. Once Nico had settled down enough to actually breathe, he asked, "Are you serious? Oh man, you almost got me there, Hiro! It's okay if I call you that, right? Hiro~ I like that name. You're so much fun."

Wondering what kind of wacko he was dealing with exactly, Hiro did nothing more than stare. His unwanted guest didn't seem to be leaving any time soon, that much was clear to him, but he wasn't about to give up on forcing the kid out. "What's your problem? Can't you tell when someone doesn't want you around?" He was already in a foul mood and this situation wasn't helping matters. "And don't call me Hiro."

"Well, what am I supposed to call you?" Nico's puzzlement was genuine. Hiro could tell because of that weird feeling again, letting know him what needed to be known. "We're supposed to be friends! Or has that changed?" There was a flash of some unidentifiable emotion in Nico's eyes, the violet color of his irises darkening for a moment. "Don't tell me you've forgotten about me?" Hiro gasped as he was suddenly shoved, forced out of the room to be slammed up against a wall out in the hallway. The dark-haired boy lowered his head to whisper directly in the other's ear, a touch of cynicism in his voice. "Well then," the boy hissed, unrepentant, "I'll just have to make the forgetful little boy remember who I am."

Tendrils of mist began to seep out of the woodwork, engulfing the two of them in a thick, constrictive layer of shadow. Hiro struggled against Nico's grip on his arms, eyes constantly searching for a way out, a means of escape, but there was nothing. There was only him, the boy named Nico, and the blank emptiness that surrounded them. He felt drowsy and his body instinctively slouched against the other for support, the album the only thing separating them as he held it to close to his heart. They were the only ones that truly mattered in this misty world of nothingness, or that was what his haze-filled mind was telling him at the moment, but something wasn't right, there was something he had forgotten – something important. It was nagging at him, nagging and nagging until his eyes finally slid closed, defenses completely abandoning him. He heard a chuckle and then a whisper of, "That's right, forget everything but me," and then he was gone.

- XI -

"Waaaah, we're gonna be late!" Hiro watched in a daze as a ten-year old version of himself rounded a corner in an elementary school, a dark-haired boy following close behind him and trying to catch up. At first he was positive it was Daichi, that he was living through some kind of vivid memory while asleep, but then he caught a glimpse of the other boy's eyes and they were nothing like the deep brown of his best friend's, they were a startling amethyst.

"Slow down, nii-chan, your legs are longer," complained the child-like Nico, rubbing at sleep-filled violet eyes. "We're not gonna be late! Nee-chan's right, you worry too much. Just like dad." Since when do I have a younger brother? Hiro thought with skepticism. He didn't remember growing up with this kid, so who was he? The familiarity he was speaking with implied they had at least grown up around one another, but why couldn't he remember him?

The smaller Hiro slowed a bit, waiting patiently for the other boy to catch up and offering him a hint of a smile when he did. "Well, yeah. One of us has to worry about that kind of stuff, right? And I'm the oldest so it's my, uh, what's that word again that dad's always using? Responsi … responsibil – responsibooty," tried the younger Hiro. The sound was hard for him to remember, but he still tried his best to get it right.

Giggling, the little Nico declared unabashedly, "Then I'll help! I can help too. That's okay, right? 'Cause then you won't have to worry so much, nii-chan." It was strange, but the older Hiro couldn't tear his eyes away, forced to watch the scene play out in front of him. It was as if he had no choice. It was because of that, though, that he noticed it. The younger-him had been reaching out, as if to pat the smaller boy on the head, but his wrist had been grabbed and he was pulled down into an unexpected hug - right there in the middle of the hallway. "Don't forget you have me to help. I'll always help you, nii-chan, no matter what." Full of pride, Nico finished boldly, "And I won't ever let you down, you'll see."

Without warning, the older Hiro felt arms encircle his waist from behind, someone's head resting on his shoulder and warm breath tickling the exposed skin along his neck. "Do you remember me now, Hiro?" Despite the proximity and the way he was being held, Hiro couldn't help but be relaxed. There was a faint nagging in the back of his mind, a warning that something was definitely wrong about this, but he found it much easier to forget it existed and give in to the here and now. It wouldn't hurt to play along for a while, or that was what he figured. This is a dream, isn't it? When I wake up, none of it will be real any more. "Ku fu fu. Such wonderful naivety." It was a deeper voice that spoke now, one that couldn't possibly have belonged to Nico, full of cunning and plans that were already in the making. Hidden under it was a possible connection, though. One he couldn't see but somehow knew was there, tying two anomalies together. A shiver ran down his spine as a frightening thought occurred to him. Could this be what possession is like? "But oh, what's this? My, my. What a smart little boy you're turning out to be."

"Enough!" Hiro blinked awake at the abrupt entrance of another voice, snapping out of whatever trance he had been in. He realized a little too late that he had fallen for whatever trick Nico had used. "What are you doing here, brat?" That angry voice was one Hiro knew well. He smiled a little, glad to hear it, but the relief faded when his current situation was brought back into sharp perspective. "Get your hands off Hiroyuki, kid. Go home. I don't care what you do on your own time, but when you mess with the Tenth's family, that's when you've crossed the line."

"H-Hayato-occhan, I can … it's not …" Hiro fumbled over what it was he wanted to say and settled upon, "I'm old enough to take care of myself." It was Nico he looked at when it was said though, the younger boy being the same height as him and blocking his view of the newcomer. Thankful that the illusion was now gone, Hiro was quick to push the strange Italian boy away, the slack grip allowing him to escape. Wasting no time, he rushed to put some distance between them and slumped heavily against the wall near Hayato, still clutching desperately at the album in his arms. The older man glanced at him worriedly, but his gaze was back on Nico almost immediately, careful to keep the intruder under his watchful eyes. "When did you get here, Occhan?" Hiro was curious about that in particular. It felt like barely a minute had passed since that weird mist thing had lulled him into a false reality, but that couldn't have been right.

Hayato hesitated and Hiro began to feel there was something the older man wasn't telling him. Just like dad … "Hiroyuki. Forget about that. Tell me what he did first." It sounded a little resentful, like he wanted to skip the formalities and go straight to beating up the person who had dared to trespass. Hiro was pretty sure that was exactly what Hayato wanted to do. The man had been a friend of his father long enough for him to know something like that at least. Quick to act, Hayato wasn't too good when it came to patience.

Deciding to get it over with, Hiroyuki fabricated the easiest explanation he could think of, hoping it would be believed. Dropping his gaze to the floor, he refused to meet anyone's eyes as he spun his tale, slightly ashamed he was sticking up for an intruder. "He's just a friend, Occhan. We got into a bit of a fight," he confessed half-heartedly, mind elsewhere as he thought of his real best friend. He grimaced and quickly picked up where he had left off. "Then I kind of fainted on him. Not a big deal, really, but yeah. That's about when you came in." He didn't feel like raising his head, a wave of nausea and tiredness hitting him all at once, much like the mist had done earlier. He never saw the unusual look of surprise on Nico's face. Nor did he catch the display of anxiety that Hayato had been unable to hide. "Sleep …" the blond mumbled weakly as his face suddenly went pale. His hands began to shake, barely capable of holding onto to the album.

Next he knew, his body had given out and the floor was rising up to meet him. There was a swift movement from someone, his vision too blurry to make out who it was, but it stopped his descent and prevented him from getting hurt. For that, he was grateful. With his consciousness deteriorating further, Hiroyuki couldn't fight the battle to stay awake and allowed himself to fall into a deep, welcoming sleep when he lost.

- XI -

Hayato's grip tightened on the young boy he was holding, furious green eyes glaring up at the person who had caused the trouble in the first place. "Leave. Or I won't let you live." There was only truth in what he said, too upset to be held responsible for his actions if he wasn't left alone to deal with the situation. "Like I said, it doesn't matter what you do outside this house, brat, but inside," Hayato snarled, freeing up one hand and pulling out a concealed stick of dynamite from his suit, "that's when you've gone and crossed the line."

Calculating the time it would take to light the wick and throw it, Nico made his move knowing full-well he would succeed in what he was about to do. Since Hiro had been placed on the ground by now, freeing up the bomber's hands, he used that to his advantage and snatched up the other boy with a triumphant smirk. Replicas of him and Hiroyuki filled the room, the illusions surrounding Hayato before an actual fight could break out. "Well, since you leave me no other choice, I guess I'll just have to use Hiro here as my bargaining chip. Fu~ What a disaster." The dark-haired boy shook his head and a dagger materialized in his hand. Every Nico in room held one, each grinning as the false blades were held tauntingly close to the neck of the real Hiro as well as the fakes. The boy's throat was protected by nothing more than a thin, black choker which he had a habit of wearing every day. Nico could remember the story behind that choker well and it took all of his self-restraint not to tear it in half while he still had the chance. "Now, why don't we play? Play ... nice, that is. We shouldn't let anything bad to happen to the next generation, now should we? Gokudera-occhan."

The older man breathed out a loud, "Tch," around the cigarette in his mouth. "Fucking brat, you don't know how dangerous the game you're playing is. Get out of here." It was the last warning Gokudera Hayato was going to give. His orders had been to detain the problem until his boss could arrive home, specifically instructed to do so without excessive force, but things had changed. Hiroyuki's life was in danger and he couldn't allow that. Either the kid who was the problem had to leave or Hayato was going to blow said problem to bits. Dynamite at the ready and itching to be used, Hayato was leaning more and more towards the exploding side of the equation.

"Hmph. You're in no position to be demanding anything of me, Gokudera-occhan," the boy drawled petulantly, violet eyes challenging and unforgiving. "Or does Hiro's life mean so little to you that you would throw it away? Especially if you believed it was a wish of that Vongola Decimo of yours …"

As far as Hayato was concerned, that was the end of the conversation. He had nothing left to say to a kid who refused to listen. Dynamite went flying, one after another. He had become rather confident in his ability to the extent that he felt able to risk someone else's life in order to save it, a foolish endeavor if tried by anyone else, but Gokudera Hayato wasn't just anyone. He was a professional - and a professional rarely let foolishness get in the way.

Having timed it to point where the first explosion would go off far enough away from the pair, he used the smoke and the chaos from the bomb's impact to grab Hiro and get the hell out of there. Damages to the property were unavoidable at this rate, but once Hiroyuki was safe, he could worry about that later. The escape becoming a success, having secured Hiro in a protective hold, he did not let the cries that followed after them get in the way. Another pained scream reached his ears, trying to stop him from taking the unconscious Hiro away. "Wait, stop! This isn't what I wanted! Please wait!" The deceptions would not slow him. Hayato felt only one thing was important right now and that was to get Hiro as far away as he could from the dangers of an illusionist.

- XI -

A cool, damp cloth brushed over feverish skin, wiping away the sweat that beaded and slipped down the blond's brow. Groggily, Hiro opened his eyes and made to thank the person helping him, only to come up short with a reply, brown eyes widening as he realized where he was finally. "D-Daichi?" His throat felt dry, as if he had been without water for days, but he couldn't have been out that long. If so his best friend should have been more worried instead of looking at him like that, their fight still fresh in both their minds. Pointedly looking away, he asked in a voice barely above a hoarse whisper, "Why am I here?"

The taller boy was about to answer when a blur of brown and silver abruptly collided with his guest, making him pause and stare at the two. The girl had latched onto Hiroyuki, beginning to hiccup periodically into his chest. "Stupid! How many times has dad told us to never stay home alone?"

Hiro blinked for a moment, still sleepy, and then finally replied. "I know, I know, but I wanted to be alone, Emiko." He locked eyes with Daichi on purpose, challenging him to say something, and went on despite the exhaustion creeping into his voice. "I think being alone isn't bad, okay? I don't know why dad's always going on about it being dangerous." Besides the fact he's hiding something from us.

It was Daichi that broke their staring contest, preferring to stare down at the floor instead of at his best friend. It wasn't until Emiko's breathing hitched with a mumble of "are you okay?" that Daichi decided enough was enough and made a move, placing the back of his hand against his friend's forehead to check his temperature. It had gone down substantially, but it wasn't entirely gone. He was surprised when his friend didn't pull away, instead leaning into the coolness of his hand. The true objection came from Emiko, the brunette getting riled up and ordering him out of the room. He would have agreed to the demand, if only to run some cold water over the washcloth again, but a voice from down the hall interrupted them both, leaving no room for argument. "Emiko, where are you? Come help me with dinner. Reiko-san and I can't do it by ourselves, you know."

Silently Daichi thanked their mothers for providing him a moment alone with Hiro. It would allow a chance to set a few things straight while the ladies of the household worked in the kitchen. Once Emiko was gone, disappearing out of the room in a huff, he worked up the courage to ask, "Is that true then? Do you want me to leave you alone that much?"

Hiroyuki had closed his eyes somewhere along the way and Daichi was afraid that he had fallen back to sleep. With a fever that high, I know he needs rest. But what's going on? He was fine when we left school … but now. Is it really okay for him to go back to sleep so soon? He started somewhat when his friend spoke, having been expecting no response at all even if Hiro had been awake. "No," the tired admittance came, making his heart beat faster with uncertainty. No? What …? "I was just mad," murmured Hiro drowsily, bordering on falling back asleep again but not quite there yet. "And I really wanted you to think about it for once, figure it out, and maybe I wouldn't have to …"

"Wouldn't have to what?" encouraged Daichi, confused. He had thought it over, but he hadn't been able to figure it out.

A single brown eye opened and Daichi couldn't shake the feeling his friend knew something he didn't. There was something he couldn't see. But what was it? "I wouldn't have to call you an idiot for once," Hiro chose to say with finality, a small smile present, "but that's impossible. Should have known better." Both eyes once more closed and Hiro seemed content to put the argument behind them and move on. He had always been the type to forgive and forget, but Daichi wasn't going to let it go as easily as him.

"You said I didn't trust you," pointed out Daichi, bringing up their after-school argument. He took a seat on the edge of the bed next to Hiro and frowned. "You said …" He trailed off in thought, remembering how frustrated his friend had been. "What was the real reason you were so upset?" Daichi demanded. "And now this! The one day you're home alone, without me or Emiko around, and this happens. What's going on, Hiro?" He shifted on the bed to get a better look at his friend, sighing when he noticed the slow, even breathing. That explained why there had been no interruptions or answer then. Wonder how much he heard before he fell asleep.

- XI -

"You had better get your lazy ass up," a voice growled from near the doorway, causing Hiro to groan and further curl up in the covers. "Food's done! No getting out of it, so eat." A tray was dumped unceremoniously onto his lap when he grudgingly sat up. The orange juice almost tipped over, but he steadied it in time and raised the glass to have a drink from it. He paused with the juice half-way to his lips and blinked slowly, still in a daze, as he realized the person who had delivered the food was looking at him in an expectant way. "Well?"

"Um. Thank you, Emiko?" he guessed. From the look he received from his sister, it wasn't the right answer. "What?" He picked up his chopsticks and poked dispassionately at the food in front of him. "You can't be waiting for me to taste this and bow down to your awesomeness in cooking or whatever. Not going to happen. Ever." He snorted a little at the very idea and took a bite out the sushi on his plate, chewing it experimentally and scrunching up his nose in distaste. "Takeshi-occhan makes it better," decided Hiro without a second-thought, pushing the tray away and gulping down his nearly forgotten orange juice. With a contented sigh, he wiped the back of his hand across his lips and placed the empty glass back onto the tray. "Can I get more? Water, juice, anything. So thirsty."

Scowling, Emiko flicked a stray curl out of her eyes, the rest of her long hair tied back with a blue ribbon, and leaned down to retrieve the glass with a fuming, "I don't care if you don't like my food or not, jerk, but you need to eat!" When he just shrugged in the face of her anger, it only served to make it worse. "Fuck you! I worry about you and all you do is act like nothing happened!" Ah, so that's why she's acting like this. "Do you know how much you made mom cry? Do you?" There was nothing but bitter accusation in her voice. "And dad. I've never seen dad look so angry, Hiro! Just what is going on? Why aren't we at home and why are you like this?" Tears were pooling in her eyes by now, frustration getting the better of her. "I don't understand!"

Hiro rubbed at his eyes, trying to get rid of the blurriness, and sighed. "Stop it, Emiko. I know as much as you do." Looking up hopefully, he asked, "Do you know why we're here at least and not at home?" He had thought maybe it was another dream, waking up in Daichi's room, but it was too real to be anything but harsh reality.

Knuckles going white around the glass she was holding, Emiko admitted, "Mom wouldn't say anything, but dad mentioned the house was being fumigated for pests and forgot to tell us." She breathed out sharply, staring at the floor and looking like she wanted to kill something very badly. "Unfortunately that means we'll be staying here for about a week." Oh, right. She never did like Daichi much. She's probably having a spaz attack just thinking about it.

"… Stupid dad," mumbled Hiro, hiding a yawn behind his hand as he mused over what he had just been told. It was going to be a long week if that was the case and he wasn't sure he was up to that. Not with the way he was feeling right now. His throat was killing him, or at least was putting up a good fight to do just that. "Oi, water. Now please." He was too tired to argue and the sooner she brought him something to drink the sooner he could go back to sleep and pretend this was all a bad dream.

Emiko looked about ready to throw the glass at his head for ordering her around, but she didn't in the end, opting to turn around and do as she was asked for once. "You'll owe me one," she ground out, "and I'll be collecting on that favor soon, don't worry." He shuddered to think what she would come up with this time. Her last idea of a favor had involved him running as fast as he possibly could, with a pack of wild dogs on heels just to get her favorite hat back. His sister could be absolutely ruthless when she wanted to be.

Blissfully alone for a while, Hiro took the time to observe the room, noting that not much had changed since his last visit. Posters of beautiful idols and a multitude of singers still stuck to the walls for show, one girl in particular winking cutely in the direction of the bed. He held no doubt it had been done intentionally. Unimpressed, he dismissed them in favor of staring at the object that sat innocently on the dresser a short distance away. It was always there, always, always, always. He looked away, smiling a bit. Hasn't thrown it out yet, I see. The small pocket knife wasn't worth a lot in value, but when it came to their friendship, it was worth its weight in gold. Years ago, when they had been kids, that knife and – he fingered the choker still around his throat – his necklace had been a part of a pact they had made, a deal to always be friends.

It had been entirely childish, but Hiro often found comfort in the smallest things and the pact usually put his mind at ease after they had a fight. It meant he would always have one tried and true friend that would never leave him. Never being a stretch, maybe, but for now, as long as Daichi held onto to that pocket knife, he knew their friendship would neither break nor bend. Just like the harsh metal of that blade refusing to give in to the many elements of nature. In time, it would rust with age, but he was living in the here and now and that rust was far from ruining anything.

His stomach growled loudly beneath the covers and Hiro blushed lightly, wondering if he should try eating a bit more or not. While the sushi hadn't been to his liking, he figured some of his mom's onigiri would do. He nibbled at it slowly, testing to see how both his throat as well as his stomach would react. After finding no objection from his body to the food, he finished it off and made to try some of the steamed vegetables. His progress with dinner came to a stand-still a few minutes later when a noise caught him unaware. It had sounded like a chuckle, a laugh that shouldn't have been there, and he couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched now. On edge, he pushed the tray away once more and stood, inspecting the room for someone that shouldn't have been there. He found no one. Shivering from the cold, he held out his arms and inspected his clothing with a small quirk of an eyebrow. Who changed me out of my uniform? The clothes were loose on him, a size too big. He guessed they were Daichi's.

Without so much as a warning, something cold and sharp pressed against his cheek, his heart suddenly hammering in his chest. When he turned to look, there was nothing. What was that? Figuring it was the fever doing something funny to his head, he climbed back into bed, huddling underneath the covers. The door creaked open a minute later, spooking him, but he chanced a peek around the covers and found himself relieved to see his sister back with something for him to drink. Jeez, I'm jumpy. What's with that?

"Here you go, nii-san," she said sweetly as she handed him the water. Hiro eyed her suspiciously, getting the feeling that she was up to something. "Sorry it took so long!"

"Eh? What's wrong with you?" He crossed his arms and didn't accept the water. She probably put something in it. "You being nice is kind of scary."

The complacent smile on her face died away and she scowled. "Jerk. And I was just trying to be nice to a sick person!" He wanted to laugh and say 'oh sure you were', but something was telling him to keep quiet and stay away from her. It was that little voice in the back of his mind that was getting louder and louder lately. As much as I fight with Emiko, I've never gotten this kind of feeling before, like she's seriously going to hurt me. Why now? "Anyway, come on. Drink up. I don't got all day!" She thrust out the water again for him to take, beginning to look impatient. "We're gonna do dishes soon, so hurry up!"

There was a moment where he wanted to refuse, but he caved like he often did, accepting the glass with an exasperated sigh. "Fine, fine, just be quiet already. You're making my head hurt." He gulped down some of the cool liquid, relaxing back into the bed, and sighed out of contentment this time. "Thanks, Emiko," he smiled, meaning it even if she didn't believe him, "don't know what I'd do without you." His vision was getting blurry again and he had to blink to keep his sight from completely going. "Oi, that's weird. Wasn't sleepy a moment a … go."

"Man, this was almost too easy!" crowed a victorious voice when Hiro finally fell into a deep sleep once more. "You're lucky, kid. If it wasn't for me requesting this assignment ahead of time," the owner of the voice let the disguise fade, a small smirk present, "well, you'd probably be dead already." A ribbon was twirled between careful fingertips as the intruder bent down to the peacefully sleeping Hiro. "Sorry, kid, but I'll have to take this," the choker around the boy's throat was snapped off with a delighted laugh. "It's just business, you understand. Have to make sure my mark knows I'm here, that I'm watching." Tucking the ribbon and choker into a pocket, the trespasser pulled out a sheet of folded paper and looked around for a writing utensil. Once a pen had been found, a short note was written and signed with an absolute flourish, the thief grinning from ear to ear. "See you soon, kiddos!"

It was the end of one life and the beginning of a new one entirely that night. Whether that was a good or a bad thing was far from being seen. With the promise of adventure looming in the distance, it brought with it new faces, new terrors, and new bonds to be forged. Tsuna, from his watchful spot out in the hall, knew that his half-hearted attempt at a normal life was now over. There was nothing left to keep pretending for, the truth had caught up with him. No matter how much he hated it, something had to be done. He knew what, but he was dreading it almost as much as he had dreaded taking up the life he now lived. Dammit. He was right all along. It didn't look like things were going to get any less complicated in the near future.

Rubbing at his temples, Tsuna made a mental note to have someone keep a close eye on his children for the next couple of months. The break-in was troubling him, but not nearly as much as what had just happened. All of this at once … how are they going to handle it? He headed down the hall to the guest bedroom, where he would be staying with his wife for the duration of the week. The repairs on the house would take some time to finish. Gah, if only Hayato didn't live on-base with Haru and Hitomi-chan! He had considered staying with a few other people close to him, but it had come down to being practical and opting to ask the Yoshida family if they would be willing to share their household for the better part of one week. His son's best friend had been all for it and so had the boy's mother. With their agreement, it had been settled, a done deal. Yet he still felt like he was imposing and couldn't shake the feeling he was only dragging another innocent family down with his own. Ugh, what am I going to do? His cell phone rang and he answered it without a second thought, "Ciao."

"Boss! We caught him. We caught that little twerp who tried to -" There was much swearing on the other line as the speaker was interrupted and Tsuna couldn't help but crack a small smile.

"I'll be right there, Hayato. Make sure you keep our guest entertained. Tell Takeshi to go home, though. There's probably someone special waiting for him tonight," the boss teased, making his friend splutter indignantly at the thought. "Aha ha, what's a matter? I'm trusting my right-hand man to do this job alone, is there a problem?" He could practically feel Gokudera Hayato preening at the words and had to bite back a laugh.

"Of course, Tenth, right away!" He heard a shout of, "Go the fuck home, baseball freak," and then the line clicked off, the dial tone softly beeping in his ear. A lot had changed, but his friends were still so much the same that it almost pained him to have dragged them into all this. And I still keep dragging more and more people down. Casting the thought aside, he pocketed his phone again and headed back to the kitchen where the ladies were still in the midst of a pleasant conversation. After quickly excusing himself for the night, he left with only one thing on his mind. There was business to attend to now.