A\N: For those few, faithful readers that I have, if you read my "Enigmatic Conundrum"...I salute thee. It royally sucked. Originally, I was thinking about just leaving it as is because I'm a lazy bum, but...meh . I just didn't want to have SUCH a bad fanfic on here, you know? I seriously regret uploading it in the first place. So after spending another 2411409 hours completely revamping the plot and such, I've finally come to terms with it. Not really, but...whatever. I'm not changing it past here. Please enjoy, and don't forget to review~
Disclaimer: "Katekyo Hitman Reborn!"'s characters, plot, and all other affiliates of the manga and anime belong to Amino Akira, meaning it does not belong to me whatsoever. I own solely this piece of literature, and thus I would also appreciate it if fellow authors and writers do not steal any of my work. Thank you, and enjoy "Plastic Angels".
Plastic Angels
A MukuroxDino fic
The first time they had met face to face, they were at some senseless party or another. The wine was flowing, the mood was nice, and he was incredibly bored. Really, if he wasn't masquerading as a member of this family... Standing there against the wall, he sighed with boredom for the hundredth time and brushed an unruly strand of blue hair away from his face. The men were either chatting amongst themselves or glaring at him, and all the pretty girls were either taken or throwing themselves over the only other single man in the room. Speaking of which...
The other man, his opposite, was currently hiding in the corner on the opposite side of the room. His blonde hair had messed up even more than its usual style, and his ill-fitting suit was slightly rumpled. Scanning the room warily in case yet another damsel wanted to have a chat with him, he sighed with relief before taking a large gulp of juice. Sipping the non-alcoholic drink, he realized that somebody was staring at him. He moved the glass away from his pale lips before scanning the room again, this time with a sense of curiosity.
And thus, molten gold met a mismatched pair of deep sapphire and fiery crimson.
He was mildly puzzled at the fact that the man standing on the opposite side would stare at him. After all, they haven't talked or met before, had they? Nevertheless, he finished his glass of juice before walking over to join the young mafioso.
"Mukuro. Enjoying the party?" Smiling, the Cavallone boss greeted his younger companion.
The other man chuckled mirthlessly before replying, "Kufufu, as much as you were enjoying the young women fawning over you."
Of course, that brought about a round of sheepish chuckles and blushing from the blonde. He grabbed another glass of juice and stood there with his new acquaintance. After all, misery loves company, right?
"So, Mukuro, since you're so bored, do you have anything entertaining in mind?"
The younger man started laughing at the other man's simplicity. After all, it was too easy for him to fall for his trap. Nevertheless, his game will still provide interesting results...
"Kufufu, well, since we both have nothing better to do, why don't we do something interesting?"
"Interesting? What did you have in mind?"
"Kufufu, a riddle, perhaps?"
"...Huh? Well, I guess. What kind of riddle?"
"Hmm...Well, let's say you're at a fork on the road. One way leads to the place you want to go, and the other way leads to your inevitable death. At the fork stands a pair of identical twins, both of whom know the right path. One can only speak the truth, while the other can only speak lies. You are allowed to ask one yes or no question to determine who is who. What should you ask?"
The question brought forth a puzzled look on the blonde's face. He shifted his weight left and right, scratching his head in bewilderment and concentration. He was never that good at mind games, and this one was really hard...
"Herm...well, can't I just ask one of them nicely? I'm sure one of them will tell me..."
His oh so very simple reply brought along another round of chuckles from the illusionist. It started as as quiet giggles, and soon escalated into loud chortles. His companion, confused and apprehensive, stepped back and raised an eyebrow.
"Kufufufu....tell me something, Cavallone. Why is it...that in our cold world of liars and fakes," and with each word, the Mist stepped closer towards the blonde, "Why is it..that you're so simple and trusting?"
"..Erhm...Uhh...I don't know..? It's a family trait..?" The older man stuttered, clearly uncomfortable with the way their conversation was going on. He stepped back a few steps, but his back soon bumped against the wall. His companion once again let out a deep laugh, his voice silky smooth.
"Kufufu,even so, for the future boss of Cavallone...your innocence and naivety...it's such a rarity. I like it."
Gulping, the blonde tried to look for an escape. He really didn't like the way this conversation is going...A hand slammed against the wall, trapping him against the illusionist. The other hand brushed against his face, fluttering against his cheek.
"...And so, I want to destroy it."
And as soon as it started, it stopped. The blonde was freed, and his companion standing a good yard away from him, smiling as if nothing had happened. Stumbling a bit, the older man managed to regain his composure.
"Kufufu, You best be careful, Cavallone. I'd hate to see your naivety, your refusal to lie...your purity all be destroyed, replaced with nothing but lies, like the rest of us. "
"...W-what? I'm afraid I don't understand--"
"Come now, Cavallone. Try not to ask so many questions."
"Uh...I'll try, I guess..."
The other man couldn't help but let loose yet another laugh. Really, the blonde was just too amusing for him...there was going to be an apt amount of entertainment in store for him, that was for sure.
"Kufufu, so glad to hear it. I wish you the best of luck....after all, I'd hate to see you spoiled."
And despite the fact that the room was heated, Dino Cavallone couldn't help the shiver that ran down his spine.
At the time, Dino was only fifteen.
Two years later, and Dino is still the same trusting person he was two years ago. He was still able to get conned by the homeless man for a couple of dollars, and he still couldn't help but tell the truth to his worrying family, despite the fact that it didn't really matter.
They bumped into each other at the convenience store. Ignoring the bubbling questions inside his head about just why the illusionist was here at the convenience store, he smiled in greeting.
"Ah, Mukuro! Fancy meeting you again. Doing some shopping?"
The other man seemed amused at his greeting, but Dino simply brushed him off as being borderline insane.
"Kufufu, if it isn't Bucking Horse again. I heard that you were tricked out of all your pocket money by some petty thief? Tsk tsk, I'm sure your father wasn't so happy about that."
And once again, his statement brought along another round of sheepish chuckles and lame excuses. They continued to walk down the aisle, Dino picking up random items while Mukuro was simply walking along, enjoying the conversation. Dino, being the friendly Dino, started chatting about the weather and other miscellaneous subjects while Mukuro was simply tagging along, smiling his usual smile.
He expected the other man to leave him after he had checked out the various items he had bought, but instead he found himself walking in the nearby park with his adolescent companion. Despite the fact that the preteen still gave him the chills occasionally, he found him to be somewhat nice company.
"Ah, Mukuro, speaking of which...Do you remember the little riddle you mentioned a couple of years ago?"
"Kufufu, you mean at the party two years ago? What of it?"
"Well...There's been something that has been bugging me since that day..."
After wandering aimlessly in the park, he had found a bench and sat down with his young acquaintance. He took in a breath of the air, and enjoyed the overall peace of the park. With the new home tutor at his house, it was rare to have moments like these. His companion, sitting next to him, raised his eyebrow in question.
"Hmm? And what is that something?"
"Well...You mentioned that everybody was a liar and a fake...But do you really believe that?"
The blonde stopped staring at the sky to meet the eyes of the illusionist. His mismatched eyes glistened with amusement and cynicism.
"Kufufu, what do you think? Or rather, do you really believe that humans in general are as clear and innocent as you?"
"Herm..." The other man started to get up, patting away his pants from the dirt, "But you know? I don't think just because we tell a few white lies, we're all fakes. For instance, I think you're a pretty straightforward guy, even if you might play a couple of tricks. And fakes...I don't think the majority of my family are faking anything. I think that you're just being pessimistic."
He accompanied his testimony with his trademark smile. Mukuro, on the other hand, didn't say anything. His eyebrows rose a couple of notches and his mouth twitched once, before breaking out into a few chuckles.
"Kufufu...really, you never cease to amuse me," he murmured under his breath. The Cavallone simply stared uncertainly, his smile wavering a couple of centimeters. Raising his voice so that it was loud enough for his companion to hear, he simply said, "Well, believe what you will. We'll see in the end."
"Ahaha, of course! But I don't think I'm going to lose it."
He was seventeen. That was the last time he spoke to Mukuro before the man vanished.
At the young age of seventeen and a half, he meets his first friend in the mafia, which is surprising considering his open personality. The teen was a year older, a tan and lanky boy with a mop of curly, black hair. He was mischievous, and even though his family wasn't exactly stainless and clean, Dino was happy.
Until he turned nineteen.
He should have known. Really, he should have. His family, his friends, they all warned him for the last year and a half that his new friend wasn't a good person, that any man from the Rossi family was rotten. But he didn't believe them, and look where that brought him. His ignorance, his selfishness...it killed a good five men in his family. Because he was too stupid to realize that his so-called friend was simply using him to get into the family.
Valentino Rossi. The teen hadn't even bothered to disguise his name, knowing that his family was known for destroying other, more affluent families and still too arrogant to be subtle. After all, it wasn't as if the ignorance of the heir to the Cavallone title was a secret— everyone in Italy knew that he was a complete failure in the Mafia world. So he took advantage of that, and led the boy to share the innermost secrets of the summer home they were staying in. And because of the valuable information, the Rossi family managed to kill so many, too many.
He stumbled into the wreaked hallway, resisting the urge to throw up at the gruesome sight. Splatters of blood, some still fresh, stained the once pristine walls and floor. The wreckage of furniture and broken vases were proof that his men had fought with their all before going down. Despite the overall devastation, he felt a surge of pride at the fact that his men went down fighting.
As he walked through the mansion, all he saw was red, red, and more red. Infinite shades, ranging from the freshly spilled poppy to the almost dry maroon, cover almost everything. He didn't know when, but as he continued examining the damage, the pain started ebbing away, leaving him with nothing but a cold numbness.
He ended up in his own room, predictably. The pictures that once covered his wall were mostly torn down, the glass covers shattered on the floor. The few frames left on the wall were not left unscathed— the majority of them were covered in red, the same red. Looking around to find whose blood was splattered, his heart ached as he saw the body of Franz, his bodyguard, lying in the corner, still holding a gun. His body was littered with bullets and shards of glass. Lying next to him were two members of the Rossi family, shot down by Franz undoubtedly. The old man was still able to bring down two men with him...
Stepping over the glass, he moved his foot when he realized that he was stepping on a photo frame. He leaned down to grab the frame, only to see the floor yaw away from him. In the end, he had to sit down against the wall to clear his head from the blood loss. The wound on his side had reopened, staining his shirt. The glass on the floor had cut into his arms, drawing blood in numerous nips. Sighing, he tucked his face into his arm, breathing heavily from the pain.
Dizzily, he could hear faint yells from outside calling for him...
It was raining a month after that incident. As he walked down the path in the private cemetery, he thought that the weather suited the occasion— after all, Franz had always loved rainy days the most. Holding the multiple bouquets in his hand, he laid one down on each of the graves as he passed, murmuring their names while doing so.
"Luciano Lombardi. Francesca Esposito. Antonio de Luca. Salvatore Cuzco."
Finally, he reached the last grave, a headstone of plain marble. Engraved were the words "Franz Columbo, a proud man of the Cavallone". Placing a bouquet of white lilies, he felt tears brimming in his eyes, but refused to cry. After all, he had learned his lesson.
"You were right, Mukuro," he whispered, wondering if the other man could hear him. "Being nice and telling the truth all the time...it only ends up hurting ourselves in the end. In our world, we're not allowed to show any weaknesses, are we?"
Slowly, mist ebbed around his shoulders, squeezing him in a tight hug. Kufufu, I knew you would see it my way. The cold, eerie whisper made the man shudder. After all, you are the object of my affections.
The light clicking sound of boots against the cobblestones forced the blonde to turn around. The mist vanished as if it was never there, and perhaps it wasn't. Instead, a seemingly innocent toddler dressed in a tuxedo and a fedora stood there, surveying the man in front of him.
At last, the baby spoke. "Are you ready to train, now?"
Dino stared at the gravestone for a few more moments, saying his farewells. Silently, he promised to himself that this would never happen again. Not on his watch, not ever.
"Yea," he said, finally. "Let's go."
He's twenty-seven years old (a good ten years older than the first time he spoke to the pineapple), and he's standing on the rooftop, ignoring the fact that the man standing next to him is nothing but an illusion. His eyes have changed from the once naïve gold to a somber, mature ochre. He's traded his boyish messy hair to a smooth, slicked back style, one that tells his surroundings that he has serious business.
"Hmm...It's really rare that we get a chance to enjoy the rooftop here, neh, Mukuro?"
"Kufufu, yes. I am a bit disappointed at the absence of your student though...He's so entertaining."
The nonchalant statement made the Cavallone boss look sharply at the illusionist before hiding his apprehension and worry behind his usual laugh.
"Ahaha, Mukuro, you do like to fight with him, don't you? But you know, it's better not to sir up such a ruckus, especially since it takes a lot of energy for you to come here, neh?"
Instead of agreeing with him, however, Mukuro simply glanced at his object of twisted affection in an unfathomable manner. The blonde couldn't help but fidget under the strange stare, but kept his friendly mask in place.
"Kufufu, but he's so straightforward and direct in his approach...like you were, in certain aspects. It's cute. Perhaps I should toy with him more often..."
Dino hid his bubbling panic with a childish pout. Never again, he thought. I don't want my student to be tainted too. After all, Kyoya was different. Kyoya wouldn't be taken advantage of by the others in their world. It was possible for him to keep his simplicity if only the illusionist didn't interfere.
"Mou, Mukuro, that's mean. I thought you loved me!"
Did he think that he was stupid enough to fall for that? Mukuro simply laughed, and played along.
"Kufufu, of course I do. After all,you're mi amore."
Lies.
"Really? Seems to me like you're going to cheat on me for my own student!"
"Kufufu, don't worry. You're the only one in my heart."
Lies.
"Good. After all, we've stuck together for the last ten years, neh? Don't go breaking my heart so easily, Mukuro."
"Kufufu, you're so childish sometimes. But, you know....that fake smile doesn't suit you as much as I thought it would. I miss that naïve one you had back then."
Mukuro walked closer, wrapping his arms around the blonde. Breathing down the other man's neck, he licked the other man's ear and whispered tantalizingly.
"But even so, I love you all the more."
Lies. All lies.
And Dino did nothing but smile and laugh it off. Because even though everything his companion was a lie, he wasn't any better. He had come to terms with being a plastic angel ever since he had found the lost papers depicting the ties between the Rossi family and the Mist guardian. And as long as nobody else got hurt, he could live with being the fake that he had become.
He was fine with being a martyr, as long as he could take the other man down with him.
Because it takes two to play the liar's game.
Fahlahlah, I actually like this version a lot more than the other, which isn't saying much because I hated the other version, but whatever. Since I'm a lazy bum, I'll just blame it on the prompt instead of my own sucky skills.
Oh, and the fact that I'm not allowed to kill anyone or anything in any piece of writing for the next two weeks. -insert angry face-
Don't forget to REVIEW. Or I kill Dino...after two weeks DX.
OH. And for those who are feeling a bit masochistic and curious, I still have the other version...here.
simplyxsaki[dot]livejournal[dot]com/5578[dot]html