I'm a Hitman!
11/18/13
Summary: AU. Giotto was supposed to assign Reborn a mission but found out that his former tutor was out on a 6-month cruise in the Pacific Ocean with Bianchi and had instead sent a replacement. Ciaossu~ she said. Since when did Reborn have a daughter?! Fem27xGiotto
A/N: Before anyone reads any further, I'd like to be made clear that the Arcobaleno isn't cursed here. They're holders of the Arcobaleno pacifier and are part of keeping the balance of the world with the rest of the trinisette but they're not cursed to become babies. Well, that's all. You may proceed.
Warning: Tsuna may seem OOC and some drama by the ending. Some cheesy and mushiness were mixed in as well. Also there's some mild gore, violence & cursing.
Disclaimer: Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn and its characters are all owned by Akira Amano.
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A sigh and an annoyed grunt echoed within the room. Giotto sighed once again as he fiddled with his pen, bored out of his wits while waiting with his guardians in the same room they've always used for their regular meetings. It was also the same room that had been blown to smithereens when Alaude and Deamon fought from the last meeting. Repairs had just been completed the day before, but he was pretty much sure that this same room would have been subjected to some type of damage by the end of the day.
Which means more paperwork to do by the end of the day. And more bills to pay, as well.
Sigh.
Tap
"Giotto, will you stop that?! It's annoying," his best friend and right-hand man, G, scowled at the blonde boss, clearly irritated with the noise. But he couldn't help it but get bored. It's been an hour since they've gathered and they still hadn't started. Lampo had already fallen asleep and even Knuckle, who's sitting beside said Lightning Guardian, is starting to nod off to sleep.
They were actually having a meeting… Well, supposedly having a meeting but one of the people who is meant to be attending isn't present. In fact, he won't be coming. At all. Reborn was supposed to be part of the meeting because of a mission Giotto was supposed to give him. Supposed was the key word here, because Reborn had suddenly called earlier, around 3 in the morning. (That damn sadistic bastard of a tutor from hell!) And nonchalantly told Giotto that he was currently in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on a six-month cruise with Bianchi. So why were they waiting for someone whose obviously not coming at all? Simple. Reborn was sending a substitute of some sort. So now, they were waiting for that same substitute to arrive.
Tap
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"Giotto!" G howled in frustration as he immediately got up, took the pen out to his hand, and broke it in two with his bare hands while glaring dangerously at Giotto the whole time. Staring at the broken pen in horror, Giotto couldn't help but cry inside. That pen had been a present from Timoteo-san from his birthday last year!
Groaning to himself at the loss and boredom, Giotto began counting the petals of one of the flowers in the vase that's situated at the table on the left side of the room.
BANG!
The double doors leading to the room suddenly opened, surprising and causing a domino effect from the reactions of the people inside that would have sent Giotto laughing his ass off if it were any other day. Lampo suddenly woke up from his deep slumber and had ungracefully fallen off his chair. Knuckle, who had been dozing off to sleep, subsequently stood up quickly with a loud "Good Lord!" and knocked his chair down as well. Lampo's and Knuckle's chairs slammed on the table beside it, which incidentally had the same vase Giotto had been counting petals on the flowers from only moments ago, and caused the vase to fly off and spill water on both Lampo and Asari, who was sitting across Knuckle. Asari, startled by the cold liquid, stood up as well while waving his arms frantically and accidentally punched G, who's sitting on the Japanese's left, in the face and sent the poor Storm Guardian to the wall behind him. Alaude, trying to avoid getting punched as well because he was sitting by Asari's right, scooted a little but was smacked in the face by the forgotten flowers instead. Deamon, sitting by Knuckle's other side and across Alaude, hysterically laughed when he saw Alaude's state so he hadn't noticed the vase coming from above his head until it was mere centimetres from his face. BAM!
"Ciaossu~!"
Blinking in bewilderment at the recent occurrence, Giotto found himself turning his attention to the voice of the new arrival instead. If he didn't focus his attention somewhere else, he might actually end up laughing at their expense whilst indulging his guardians to violently retaliate either to him or the new arrival. Thinking back to the greeting he'd just heard he found that it oddly sounded female, a few octaves higher than he expected. It was smooth, silky and melodic but it simply didn't add together with the familiar greeting. There was that expected sleek black suit and fedora that covered half the face of the person in question. While that sadistic smirk and glock on the individual's hand was recognizable, the wavy and fluffy-looking long chestnut hair was not however. Nor was that lion cub…? Is that sky flames I see on that cub?!
"Yes, those are sky flames you see on Natsu,"
That lion cub is certainly odd and so are those wider hips, slimmer stature, curvier body, and two noticeable bumps…
GULP
…in the chest area…
BLUSH!
He tried to keep his flustered state in control, but he couldn't help it. He couldn't even get his heartbeat to slow down. Not when the female in the suit finally showed her formerly shadowed face. Cute button nose, pink glossy lips pulled in a widening smirk, heart-shaped face, high cheekbones, and those eyes. Those big chocolate doe-like eyes that were glinting dangerously in amusement at their predicament. The more he stared on those eyes, the more he sees that those chocolate orbs had specks of gold in them. It's hypnotising to look at. It's like he's being pulled in!
"Well, I hope you're done checking me out, Vongola Primo, 'cause I was in the impression that there was supposed to be a meeting happening right about now," the now identified female suited individual chuckled at his increasingly reddening face.
Shaking himself out of his daze, Giotto tried to cover his momentary blunder by clearing his throat and smoothening his clothes. He swept his gaze to his guardians in the room, just so he could have a reason to avoid the female's eyes, checking for any damage that the incident might have caused. They all seem fine, though Lampo and Asari are still wet while both G and Daemon were nursing their respective aching body parts. Nothing seemed to have been broken as well, just a few furniture skewed and that rolling vase on the floor that Deamon had been glaring daggers at. Though there's also some ashes right under Alaude's chair. Probably those poor flowers.
After everyone in the room had settled down, the unknown female took the seat beside his frowning Cloud Guardian. All eyes immediately zoned into said female. They could all see the confidence and grace with every movement she makes but none noticed when she had kept her gun out of view which in return made them weary. However despite her seemingly relaxed figure, her muscles were tensed and her senses were alert and aware to every little thing surrounding her. If only the female wasn't of unknown quantity to them, they would have stopped to simply watch her in awe especially since her mere presence seem to scream danger.
"Excuse me, but who are you again? I don't think we've ever met nor had anyone else in the room so to speak," Giotto spoke as he finally got his wits back and took the situation they're in seriously. Despite knowing that the brunette might be an enemy, he still pushed on with practicing courtesy on the said person. Reborn had instilled that principle into his head either by letting him read it from a book or by smacking his head with said book.
"Ah, yes. Dad warned me about this since I haven't met any of his associates other than those within the Arcobaleno circle but I do know all of you. Dad gave me your profiles before he left," the female grinned happily as her hands clamped together in front of her chest.
"Dad…?" Lampo said with a raised eyebrow but felt oddly uneasy with the only female on the room.
"Yup. Dad," she confirmed with a nod as she enthusiastically continued while the males in the room suddenly found themselves confused for seeing sparkles and flowers on the background without feeling any kind of illusion being casted, "Dad is the coolest and most badassed hitman in the world!"
H-Hitman...?!
"W-Who's your father again…?" dreading about the conclusion that started to form in his head, Giotto tried to reassure himself that his mind were merely playing a trick on him because it was simply impossible. Reborn shouldn't have… wasn't… couldn't possibly had…
"Hadn't he at least mentioned it to you?" she pouted, absentmindedly petting the cub lying on her lap, "I mean, you had been his student for how many years? 10 years, was it?"
…a daughter?!
Reborn had a daughter? THE GREATEST HITMAN IN THE WORLD HAD A DAUGHTER?! A 20-YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WHO I HAD NEVER SEEN NOR EVEN HEARD OF FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS I'VE BEEN A STUDENT OF REBORN?! WHAT THE-?!
It seemed that the rest of the occupants within the room had come to the same conclusion as he had, it was easy for him to deduce such due to the consequent gasps, choking and coughing heard all-throughout the room. He meant, even Alaude stiffened to a noticeable degree and his eyes had widened by a fraction at the revelation.
"Well, I'll be sure to give him an earful for not be even worth mentioning to his student when he gets back. I'm sure even Bianchi-chan would side with me on this one. Hmf," the now recognized daughter of the Sun Arcobaleno crossed her arms, still with her mouth in a pout, and glared at the table in front of her as if willing the piece of wood to burn with her heated gaze.
"So, uhm…" Giotto tried to acquiesce the irritated female to calm down by diverting her attention to himself but found himself sweating as he was rewarded by a glare from said female, "Y-Your… ahhh… name…? Please?"
"Tsunahime," she simply said even after they silently and awkwardly waited for a couple of moments for her to continue but nothing else came out of her mouth.
"Alright, T-Tsunahime-… san. Are you here on behalf of your father's-?"
"Yup. Dad sent me here to take the missions you're going to assign him with until he returns from his vacation," Tsunahime answered proudly and happily as she suddenly forgot to be upset. Just as quickly as her mood changing, in a quarter of a blink of an eye she had her gun back on her hands and in the next quarter she had shot four bullets right where Giotto's head had once been if he hadn't inclined his head to his left at the right moment. He had never been more thankful for his hyper intuition in his whole life.
…
"What the hell was that for, woman? Were you trying to kill our boss?!" G reacted the next quarter of a second after they heard the gunshot, already on his feet together with all the guardians and ready to defend their boss.
"Hmm… I don't know. Dad just told me to shoot your boss every single time he stutters. But that's not the problem here," her eyes narrowed in concentration as she ignored the indignant spluttering from G as she favoured thinking over something else, "Don't you think you're a bit slow in your reaction? I mean, if I really were to have intended to kill Primo, you wouldn't have the time to even blink before noticing that your boss is already nothing but a corpse."
…
Several gulps were heard through the room as some began to sweat in realization that their boss would have died without any of them even reacting fast enough to at least push him out of the way. Alaude and Deamon, however, reacted rather differently as their weapons appeared on their hands ready to attack at any given time as they glared at the female for insinuating of their incapability and weakness.
But as if not sensing the killer intent waving off the two seething guardians nor caring about the danger she was in as the two tightened their grips on their weapons, Tsunahime merely continued and shrugged, "But then again, it's not really my problem. I was only told to carry out Dad's missions. And I'll do just that. Nothing more. Nothing less."
The mere millimetre of movement Alaude made, which half of the audience hadn't even noticed, caused the female to focus her eyes to the said Cloud Guardian's direction. There was not even a tiny bit of sign of being intimidated, instead she only got more amused by the guardian's increasingly eerie disposition.
"So who am I supposed to kill?" her sight lingering a fraction of a second longer from the CEDEF founder before switching her sights to the other blonde in the room. Her playful aura then changed into something more serious.
Sensing this everyone then went back to their seats so they could finally proceed with the intended meeting, Alaude and Daemon more reluctantly than the rest. Though Alaude's heated glare remained to the brunette, silently promising himself to fight and beat her soundly once the meeting finishes.
Giotto passed a folder to her, where her target's complete profile was written in, including of all his habits and crimes he had committed. She then waved at them to proceed with their meeting once she got a hold of the folder, she wasn't particularly interested with the Vongola's business but still got an ear listening just in case. Zooming her attention into the crimes' section, she instantly ignored the ongoing meeting happening right before her. Her eyes narrowed further, her lips forming into a thin line, and her teeth gritted together as she read the abominable man's data in malice. Asari had stopped in the middle of his report as everyone felt the killing intent now flowing off of Tsunahime. All movement and sounds stopped as a chill was felt penetrating through their bones. Tsunahime then turned her attention to Giotto and spoke with such a cold and blanch voice that sent him shivering and sweating under his clothes.
"So you want this scum alive, now, do you? Will you have any problem if I turn him over with a few missing limbs? He might run into an accident, you see," she said as her lips turned into a smirk and eyes glinting with bloodlust with a silent promise to hurt her victim close to being mercilessly tortured. The forgotten cub on her lap, growled viciously and spewed veritable hard sky flames to the file which immediately burned to ashes.
Giotto couldn't keep his eyes off the female even though he knew he should be consoling Lampo, who had been reduced to a blubbering mess in one corner of the room, as his head bobbed a slow nod. Her eyes glimmered more dangerously as her smirk widened even more. With a small "Ciao," her fedora once more shadowed her face and with Natsu situated securely at her shoulder, she left the room and the Vongola state as a whole.
Silence once more echoed in the room, as they tried to bring composure to themselves.
"S-So… uhm… what was the poor man's crime?" the priest in the room fingered a rosary in his hands, seemingly already praying for the soul of the said poor man.
"Selling w-women as sex slaves,"
"I s-see,"
The meeting continued moments after that so they could try to forget about the daunting event that occurred. Though it was safe to say, that some of them would probably be having nightmares in the next few days to come.
A month later…
When Tsuna came back hours on the same day they had first met her, every person within the Vongola state that witnessed her victim's stature all but screamed bloody hell at the gore the female hitman had dragged around. Saying her victim was beaten to a pulp was an understatement. Swollen cheeks, cut lips, a few missing teeth, broken nose, black eyes, fractured bones, dislocated shoulder, broken ribs, missing right leg and left arm that had been cauterized to prevent him from dying through blood loss, and skin looking so deathly pale with the contrasting black and blue bruises colouring numerous parts of his body. She didn't even found the need to at least have the man be carried away but had instead continued to literally drag the man through the ground until she reached Daemon's interrogation chamber underground.
After seeing the man's state, Giotto resolved to not ever give her any mission that involved women being abused nor getting hurt in any kind. And the next days thereafter, none of that dangerous sensation she emitted back during the meeting ever surfaced, even when Alaude assaulted her the moment she entered his sight. Though no one had seen it happen, Alaude lost that fight. Tsunahime walked off the fight without a scratch but with slightly ruffled clothes that might have been merely rustled by a breeze whereas Alaude was suspiciously had not been found for the next few days. Other than being proven to be insanely strong and hazardously brutal, she seemed to be almost immune to Daemon's illusions. She only showed a slight discomfort then walked right off as if nothing happened. When Lampo asked how she got so strong, she answered with a simple, "Dad trained me. Since birth."
Although they hadn't noticed at first, her semblance with Reborn was uncanny. She wasn't exactly a carbon copy of said hitman, God help them if she were 'cause they don't need another Reborn; though she had his infamous smirk, aura, grace, and sadistic streak almost at par with said Arcobaleno. Although her overall appearance might delude many into thinking they're unrelated; once you took the time to notice you'll see that their eyes' shape were the same though the female's seemed bigger, their misleading lithe but fit forms, caring and respectful for their animal partners, and the way they both played with the curls of their hair. Though Reborn's only curly strands were his sideburns while Tsunahime had a whole lump of hair to play with. She was undeniably Reborn's daughter. Especially if you've witnessed her killing intent, that when compared to Reborn's you'll notice that they both exude such a powerful and deadly aura yet oddly alluring that one would have been struck with both awe and fear.
But Tsunahime's whole disposition isn't like Reborn. If Reborn was someone who wouldn't show anyone kindness or caring openly (as far as they knew), Tsunahime on the other hand had no qualms in showing those same mentioned traits. She's nice, kind, and they'd even go so far as to say loving (to Natsu and Reborn, that is) when she wanted to be. She smiles and laughs so freely and carelessly that sometimes it was hard to think that she's the same person who dragged that poor dying and tormented man.
Giotto sighed as he stared out the window in his office. He was just so puzzled whenever his mind drifts off to the female hitman. She's kind yet cruel. She's nice yet brutal. She's caring yet unmerciful. There's so many conflicting things in that female's personality that he had compared her to a walking puzzle. A paradox.
He smiled as he watched her drinking tea, which he found that she liked better than coffee or cappuccino unlike her father, peacefully on the gazebo by the garden. She was now dressed in a white sundress in contrast to the black suit she wears whenever she was going on a mission. She looked more relaxed than usual as well. The reason why she had come to their estate was because he had asked for her to come by to join him and his famiglia for dinner instead of assigning her a mission. He was surprised that she even accepted his invitation, but was relieved and oddly euphoric that she did. And that last feeling was something that had been confusing him since the last couple of days.
He could readily admit that she's a very attractive woman and that he had been reduced to a flustered mess when he first saw her. He wouldn't even be ashamed to admit that he was attracted to the woman. He's a man, after all. In fact, if anyone would ask, he'll confess it right away. In any case, he wasn't one to lie about something so simple. No. What's really confusing him was the increasing amount of time he spends just thinking about her. Not to mention that he would enter into some kind of dazed state and feel overly elated whenever she smiles at his person. He'd told G his problem but his childhood friend merely shook his head in exasperation and patted his shoulder as if consoling him over something in sympathy. He asked Asari next, but the Asian native merely smiled at him and pushed him towards Tsunahime's direction when they saw her passing by a corridor. Then, he went to Knuckle thereafter but the priest merely grinned knowingly while telling him to try to spend more time with her instead of just telling him of what his problem is! Then he ran out of people to go to after that. He couldn't ask anyone else in this case for very obvious reasons. He couldn't ask anyone other than his guardians with his personal issues and his last three guardians wouldn't even have cared. He'd normally approach his tutor for advice or rather, call him then ask for an advice, but his intuition screamed to never even dare to ask the hitman on this particular subject. And his intuition was never wrong.
So it was strange. Really, really strange.
Just as he returned from his thoughts, he noticed that he had been staring at Tsunahime the whole time and she had even caught him doing so. Dio, she was staring back at him for who knows how long! Suddenly he forgot to breath. His face flushed into a deep red, his heart skipped a beat when she titled her head to the side for a little while, as if in thought, then got up and left.
Oh no. Is… Is she mad? Is she going to castrate me now? Is she going to just leave and never come back again?!
Somehow that last thought made his heart sink and drown in sorrow. He felt rather scared at the mere thought of her leaving.
W-What.. Why am I even…
Before he could even complete that thought, a knock resounded from the door and in came the woman in his thoughts who didn't even bother waiting for his response. He stayed there, standing stiffly as he watched her close in the distance between them.
"Is there anything you need?"
Her voice suddenly woke him up from a stupor as she stared directly to his eyes. He stared back, not even remembering that she had asked him a question. Realizing that, she repeated it but he didn't respond. He hadn't even noticed when she sighed nor when she had walked closer and had inclined her head beside his so she could speak directly to his ear.
"I said, is there anything you need, Giotto?"
He took a sharp intake of breath as her voice echoed through his mind, not processing the words she had spoken but had acknowledged the fact that she had uttered his name and that he liked the way it sounded. He could feel her breath bouncing off his skin and the heat she emitted that's inviting him to touch her as their bodies had been merely centimetres away. Catering to his wants, his body moved on its own as he closed their distance even more and enveloped her frame into his arms as he laid his head on the crook of her neck.
"Giotto…?"
Her startled voice resounded through his ears, once again saying his name. Closing his eyes and tightening his embrace as he drowned himself as if in ecstasy and he greedily inhaled her scent. Lilac… that's her scent.
"Say that again," he finally said while trying to memorize the feeling of her skin touching his own and the synchronization of their beating hearts vibrating through their chests.
"W-What…?"
"Say my name again…"
"Giotto what are sayin-!"
He felt so happy having her in his arms, so close to himself, and hearing her voice saying his name. He buried his head more so his nose touched the skin of her neck. There's just so many emotions running wild inside of him but he was ultimately joyous and content at the moment that he didn't want it to end.
He knew she was talking but none of those were going through his head, all he knew was that she had said his name several times already and it's making him giddy.
"What's wrong with you? You're acting strange right now. Why are you even hugging me? Are you ill? Do you feel something wrong?"
Do I feel something wrong? Not really. Quite the opposite actually.
…
But I thought there was something wrong with me… and now… He stopped. What is he really feeling? No, that's not right. He knows he's beyond happy all of a sudden but why? Because of her. But why her? Because you love her.
I… love her? He contemplated as his grip loosened but didn't let go. He rested his chin on her shoulder as he stared off to space. Do I really?
"Giotto, what is wrong with you?"
He looked at her as he heard the tinge of concern from her voice. She had moved in his arms and cupped a hand to his face as she tried to search his eyes for anything that might give away any signs of discomfort or pain. She sighed when she seemingly had found none.
When she was just about to let go of his face, a hand suddenly sprung up to keep it there. She looked at him strangely, not knowing what to do anymore. He leaned his cheek into her hand for a moment before turning his head a little so he could kiss the inside of her palm.
Feeling scandalized, she immediately withdrew her hand and looked at him with wide eyes and slightly pinkish cheeks. He finds that last one cute. He hadn't seen her blush before. He smiled lovingly at her. Yes, I do love her. But she clearly doesn't feel the same way as I do, that much I could see. She doesn't love me… yet.
Grinning brightly at that thought, he abruptly took her hand to his and dragged her out of his office and towards the garden that she had come from. Asking a maid who happened to have passed by to bring in some tea and confectionaries to the gazebo before continuing on, already planning to spend the next few hours with her as he tried to get as much information as he could get from her so he could get to know her better.
3 Months later…
Since that day he had hugged her on his office, he'd done many things so she'd take notice at him and really look at him as a person and a potential lover rather than just her boss nor is he the student of her father. It had taken him three weeks before she could feel at ease with him once again. It seemed that incident in his office had baffled her to the core so much that she wouldn't even look him in the eye for the first ten days. And that had hurt him. He figured then that she wasn't one to feel comfortable with people touching her nor with someone to just suddenly invade her personal space. The only reason he got away with embracing her for so long was because she thought he wasn't feeling well and that she was apparently warned against killing him and breaking his right hand, which happened to be his writing hand as well. So he let her try to get relaxed around him first before he began letting her feel more comfortable with his touches; a few accidental grazes with their arms, slight touches with their hands and a bit of patting in the back or shoulders. It took another three weeks before he could even dare to touch her hand fully and not receive a frown nor being slammed to the ground. Another two weeks later before he manages so she wouldn't even twitch out of discomfort at their clasped hands. And for the last four weeks, all he'd been trying to do was to let her get used to him kissing the back of her hand without getting slapped nor punched. The first time he did that, Tsunahime smacked him square in the face with the same hand as his guardians laughed at his predicament sans Alaude, who merely smirked in approval at the event.
Grinning goofily to himself as he recounted his progress, he felt overly delighted that he might have even started skipping if he didn't have a reputation to keep as a mafia boss.
Tsunahime tapped his arm as they neared their destination. They were currently on their way to a meeting with their allied families' bosses. He then quickly schooled his expression when Tsunahime glared at him before entering the room.
After a brief scan and he had deemed nothing to be out of place, he took a seat at the head of the table while Tsunahime stood slightly behind him at his left. He would have normally brought Reborn with him and the other few times with Alaude or G, but today Reborn was on his so-called vacation while the other two were still on missions so he decided to bring Tsunahime instead.
As the other bosses settled down and had taken notice at the change of his company, he tried to ignore the several men eyeing the female hitman as if she were a piece of meat but instead proceeded with their agenda for the meeting. Though he didn't called them out for their increasing lecherous gazes, he made sure to exude more of his aura to the room just so everyone would pay attention to him instead of Tsunahime as it should. Adding a glare with it sure did wonders. Although it had worked at first, several still stole glances at the female. She simply had that effect to people. She didn't need to call out for anyone's attention 'cause her mere presence commands people to take notice of her. That was another trait she shared with Reborn, though when needed they could completely erase their presence to anyone's senses. Hence, he resolved to get the meeting to speed through so he could get Tsunahime out of the room and out of these men's sights.
It was not meant to be however, because just as the meeting ended Dino, his long-time friend, and Romario approached them just before he could make a getaway. And he just can't ignore the Cavallone boss. So, he scanned the room once more to lookout for anyone still lingering around while giving Dino a smile and a greeting. Apparently, there had been a few who had stayed back and was looking like they were waiting for an opportune time to approach them as well. He groaned inwardly at that. Damnit!
"Hello there Dino, Romario. How're things going on your end?"
"Just fine. Especially since I don't have to worry about Reborn just popping out of nowhere for a while longer," Dino casually answered before turning his attention to his companion, whilst Romario nodded at him in acknowledgement. Giotto then noticed the momentary lapse his friend had found himself in as a tinge of pink appeared in his cheeks and his grin going wider by the minute, "And who is this bella you're with?"
Before Dino could reach out for her hand to kiss it in greeting, Tsunahime had slapped it off while giving a charming smile of her own, "Tsunahime. Dad had talked about you before but I don't think he'd ever talked about me to you."
Blinking in confusion, Dino opened his mouth to ask but Giotto had already expected the question he was about to say so he answered instead, "Reborn's her father."
Dino's eyes widened in disbelief and looked at him as if he was saying a bad joke, "No, I'm not joking. I confirmed it with Reborn myself."
"You did?" Tsunahime raised an eyebrow at him but shrugged it off the next moment. Meanwhile, Dino was opening and closing his mouth like a fish with a horrified expression on his face. As for the rest of the people still within the room, a series of chokes were heard from some while others had vacated the room in a rather frantic fashion as they ran screaming their heads off like little girls.
"Dino Cavallone, do close your mouth and breath. If Dad was here he would have shot you for looking rather stupid at the moment," Tsunahime sighed when Dino just gaped at her. Rolling her eyes, she closed in their distance and closed his mouth herself using her two fingers to push his chin up, "Honestly. I had thought my father's students would have more a presence of mind to not act so foolishly in front of other bosses."
Dino blushed brightly at her smirking face, and gulped audibly as he watched her walk back beside Giotto. While said Vongola boss were fighting within himself so to not give in his wants to punch the other blonde in jealousy. No one else noticed his inner conflict other than Tsunahime, who raised an eyebrow when Giotto let out some killing intent for a millisecond before he got a hold of himself.
"Uhm… Pleased to meet y-you-!"
Dino found himself jumping back as Tsunahime shot a bullet at him. Blowing at her gun, she smirked some more at the Cavallone boss' shocked face, "Dad said I should shoot you as well if I ever heard you stutter."
"I… I see," Dino replied as he began to sweat though a pink tinged still lingered on his face when Tsunahime directed a smile at him.
"We should be goin-"
"Ahn~ I didn't know the Sun Arcobaleno had a daughter," a familiar voice came from behind and successfully cut off Giotto. Turning around, Giotto found himself cursing his luck when he found himself looking at the white-haired Gesso boss with Kikyo in tow. Byakuran smiled brightly as his eyes only focused on the female hitman and did not even try to acknowledge anyone else.
"You were not the first, Don Gesso. It seemed that no one else had even known of my existence sans the other Arcobaleno themselves," Tsunahime smiled even brighter when another voice was heard giggling from another direction. When everyone turned their attention to the giggling voice, they were greeted by an overly excited Yuni who had then ran off towards the other female in the room. Yuni smiled just as brightly as Tsunahime when she hugged the older female.
"Hello there, Yuni," Tsunahime greeted in return as she patted the younger girl's head.
"Princess, please don't just run off like that,"
"Sorry, Gamma. But I just missed Hime-nee. I haven't seen her in months," Yuni smiled sheepishly at Gamma, who in return sighed and only shook his head at the girl. Yuni then pouted as she turned back to her surrogate older sister, "Nor had I seen Natsu."
"Sorry. I've been rather busy. I'll try to visit more… as well as Natsu," Tsunahime gestured her hand and sky flames burst free. Her sky flames were such a mesmerizing sight that all eyes began to focus on it without themselves knowing. The small flame danced around her hand until it grew bigger and formed into the shape of the lion cub. Letting out a small "Gao~" in greeting, Natsu jumped off to Yuni's arms and licked her face, earning a giggle and a hug from the girl. While Yuni busied herself with playing with the lion cub, the other occupants in the room made themselves known once more, although Tsunahime had never really forgotten them.
"So, how long have the two of you known each other?" Giotto asked as his jealousy spiked inside him again when he found no kind of rejection from Tsunahime when the young Giglio Nero boss embraced her. He's aware of his rather shallow thoughts of envy from a little girl who had a clear sibling-wise relationship with his bella. But he had been working so hard for the couple of months just so he could be able to make even the smallest contact with Tsunahime that he found it unfair to see the girl just hugging her like nothing. Although the two had probably known each other longer than he had, he just felt so disheartened to see that.
Yuni stopped playing with Natsu to look at him, then her eyes suddenly twinkled and her smile, if it were possible, grew bigger and brighter with a barely visible tinge of mischief, "We've known each other since I was born. The Arcobaleno back then had been contemplating about who to name as the next Sky Arcobaleno and boss when my mother gave birth to me. That's actually the only reason how they found out that Uncle Reborn had a daughter."
"Shouldn't you be the immediate choice as the Sky Arcobaleno? Are there other candidates?" Dino asked in confusion as the rest muddled about the same thing in thought.
"Yuni, you d-"
"It's ok, Hime-nee. It's not really something confidential. There's no harm in telling them. In fact, I'm even honoured to tell people that I had even been thought of and considered as a Sky Arcobaleno candidate when there's already someone like you that could possibly be a better choice than me," Yuni stopped Tsunahime from saying anything. Said brunette sighed as she petted the younger girl's head with a sad smile while everyone who heard Yuni's word widened their eyes at the admission and began eyeing Tsunahime with newfound astonishment and terror. The two females noticed this. Tsunahime shadowed her face with the brim of her fedora whereas Yuni only smiled at them, seemingly proud, happy and sad all at the same time, "Truthfully, Hime-nee should be the rightful heir as the Arcobaleno boss but she had another duty to fulfil."
A brief silence encompassed the space between the rest. The information that had just been revealed was hard to swallow, especially if it were something as big as the candidacy for the Sky Arcobaleno. However, the silence was broken when a certain Gesso boss skipped toward the brunette.
"Wah~ so you were an Arcobaleno candidate, Hime-chan! And as the Sky Arcobaleno to boot~" Byakuran took Tsunahime's hand and clasped it to his own. An alarming glint shone in the white-haired man as his interest in the female spiked even higher than before, "How amazing!"
Tsunahime tried to pull her hand back but Byakuran had tightened his grip and proceeded to inch their distance in order to give her cheek a kiss. And as always, Tsunahime retaliated in violence with the contact by kneeing the Sky Mare in his gut. But Byakuran had jumped back at the right moment and chuckled at the frowning and disappointed female, who had then glared at him furiously along with Giotto.
"Well then, I hate to say goodbye to Hime-chan so abruptly but I unfortunately still had some business to attend to. So, bye-bye~ Until next time, Hime-chan!" Byakuran smiled as he waved his hand and left the vicinity before Giotto could get the chance to pounce at him for daring to even touch his Tsunahime. Consequences be damned! There was no way he'll let the Gesso boss get away so easily for defiling his principessa. He was just about to chase after the said man when Yuni appeared in front of him. Startled, he hadn't even had time to react when she yanked him down so she could whisper in his ear.
"You love Hime-nee, right?"
That immediately sent his face aflame. He couldn't even look anyone in the eyes at that point especially when Tsunahime smirked at his blushing face even though he's sure that no one else could hear what Yuni was saying nor could they lip read since the girl had cupped her hand to cover her mouth.
"Please be patient. Hime-nee might be a little slow to these kinds of things. She also finds it hard to trust someone so easily but she seemed to be holding you as someone special even though she hadn't noticed it herself. She looked rather comfortable around you. And although you wouldn't have noticed, she's not really used being with many people. But she trusts you. She trusts you so much that she felt she could trust anyone you do that's why she could act the way she is with the people around you. And to that, I thank you. Please take care of Hime-nee," and with that Yuni gave him a small bow before waving goodbye to them as she and Gamma also left.
Soon after, Dino and Romario also gave them their goodbyes as they separated their ways. A peaceful silence encompassed both Giotto and Tsunahime when they rode back to the Vongola estate. Taking his eyes off the window of the vehicle they're riding, he turned to the woman sitting beside him. A soft smile played in his mouth, as he watched her twirling her fingers absentmindedly with her hair.
"What is it?" she asked without looking at him.
"Nothing,"
"Really, now?" her eyes focussed on his person as a smirk slowly tugged on her lips, "And what of that remark from Yuni a while ago?"
Blushing slightly in remembrance, he gave her a grin before snatching her hands to his own as he placed a kiss on it. A visible flush coloured her face as well when he wouldn't let her take her hand back. A frown marred her face but her embarrassed state made it seem like a pout instead. He pulled her closer to himself and tucked her hair behind her ears. He hadn't done anything as bold as this since three months ago. And he's willing to take the risk. It doesn't matter if he'd get punched or kicked later on. He just wanted to let her feel what he felt for her. Trudging further to dangerous grounds, he took the fedora off her head, cupped her cheek with a hand and pulled her head down just enough so he could place a kiss on her forehead. I love you.
A surprised look momentarily entered her face, before mumbling so soft that if he hadn't been so close to her he wouldn't have heard it, "Why?"
His brows furrowed, befuddled with her question. He doesn't know what she's asking but his hyper intuition was telling him that it's important for him to answer this particular question. So he asked what she meant but she didn't answer. Instead she slapped his hand away and took her fedora back, never once looking back at him even until they arrived at the Vongola estate. Once there, she immediately left without saying a single word to him nor to anyone else. That made him worried and his hyper intuition screamed for him to follow her but he didn't know where she'd gone. She was there a minute then she was gone the next. So he ignored his intuition and went to carry out his obligations to the family.
The following day, everything went back to normal. Well, almost. He felt like he and Tsunahime somehow drifted apart. It's not like she's avoiding him nor ignored him but whenever he tried to be close to her she'd take a step back. Or when he tried to catch her hand, she'd slapped it away as if she's afraid of his touches. She still smiles at him every other time but it's less heartfelt and warmth than usual. And everyone seemed to have noticed this as well but no one dared to ask or acknowledge it. They simply thought he and Tsunahime had a little spat against each other. They thought of the same thing as well back three months ago because the two didn't mention anything to anyone about what happened.
He sighed. Had he done something wrong? Was is anything he said?
This went on for two more weeks until Giotto couldn't take it anymore and went to confront her. But that had been easier said than done. It was difficult to keep her to one place so he could ask her. She always finds a way to escape. But he resolved to confront her somehow. He wouldn't be able handle this anymore. It took another week before he successfully cornered her. He called her to his office and just locked the room. He leaned against the door so she wouldn't be able to leave like last time when she kicked it open rather forcefully that the double doors were taken out of its hinges.
Her eyes narrowed. She didn't seem to like it one bit. She closed their distance. She glared at him in a more threatening manner, "Move."
"No. Not until you talk to me," his eyes narrowed as well. He wouldn't let this opportunity pass. He wouldn't let her escape once more.
"I am talking to you. So move out of the way. Now,"
"I said no. When I said talking, I meant talking about why you're suddenly avoiding me,"
"I'm not avoiding you,"
"You are,"
"Giotto, get out of the way," she stepped closer, her disposition screamed danger. It seemed she had resolved to even use force if necessary, but he won't let her get away this time. If he'd have to use force as well, then so be it. His patience could only go so far as well. Noticing his resolution, she charged at him but he was ready for it and used his flames so he could tackle her to the couch. He used all his strength just so he could keep her pinned underneath him. She struggled for a bit longer but seeing as he wouldn't let her, she stopped. But she still wouldn't look at him.
"What?" she asked in resignation, "Just tell me what you want to say already."
"Look at me,"
She complied to his request, trying to get this done and over with.
"Look. I don't know what's wrong. I don't know if it was something I did or if it was something I said. I jus-"
"It's not," she cut him off with a sigh, "It's not something you said nor had done."
"What is it then? Because I don't understand,"
"Well, I don't understand it either!" she snapped at him. He was suddenly met by eyes full of emotions. Anger. Frustration. Irritation. Confusion. Sadness. It was by far the first he'd seen her like this. She looked so… vulnerable. There was no other word for it. She always looked so strong and unrelenting and it's breaking his heart to see her this way because it simply isn't her.
"So why?!" she all but screamed at his face, an audible amount of hurt rang through her voice.
"What do you mean why? Please… I want to know and understand. I-"
"You don't need to understand so just let me go already!" she started struggling again, more violently this time.
"I do need to understand!"
"No, you don't!"
"Yes, I do!" he shouted more forcefully this time, her movements halted and she looked at him with hurt in her eyes. But he continued, more softly and gently, "Yes, I do need to know… because I love you and it's hurting me to not know."
"No," she uttered softly, "Please, no. You're lying. Please tell me you're lying."
"I'm not,"
"Yes, you are! Just say that you are!"
"I do love you. And I'm not lying. So please believe me. I wouldn't lie about something like this," he looked her straight in the eye, trying to convey the message that it's the truth. She closed her eyes and turned her head to the side as if wishing it wasn't right.
"Please. Just say that you're lying and we can just forget about all this," she quietly said. Her whole body sagged underneath his as if losing all the strength that she had, "Just please."
"Why?" it was his turn to ask this question back at her. He attempted to keep the pain he's feeling from going through his voice but he failed in doing so.
"I knew. I'm slow, I admit, but I'm not dumb. I could read your mind so I knew,"
Her words were vague but he immediately understood what she meant. And understanding that she knew he loved her all this time, hurt him even more.
"You… you don't feel the same way?" his eyes closed. It hurts but he needs to hear it himself.
If he had his eyes open, he would have seen her hesitance but he hadn't. So with a blanch voice she answered, "No, I don't."
Lie. That's what his intuition said as soon as he heard those words that made him feel like he got shot several times to the heart. If it weren't for his intuition, he would have let her go then. But he'd ignored it before and he'd come to regret it so this time around he's going to follow it.
"Don't lie to me,"
"I…" she stopped, already realizing she's fighting a losing battle so instead she sighed and gave him a wry smile, "Your hyper intuition is rather scary, Giotto. So what else does it tell you?"
"So you do feel the same then, but why?"
She looked at his eyes. It was as if she was searching for something but she doesn't know what to find nor what to believe in so she just closed her eyes and gave him a dry chuckle, "There's no one else that would love me and not leave me but my father. Dad's going to be the only person that would stay with me and not forsake me with any reason. You say that you love me now but you can't say that it'll stay the same for any longer. You'll just turn out like her."
Bitterness coloured her voice. He would have stopped her but he sees her looking so broken but he let her continued, "Mom told me so many times that she loved me but she still left me. She left me with Dad when I was born. She left me again when we met a couple years after. She said she regretted leaving me. She said she loves me and wants me and Dad back in her life but she lied and sold us to the enemy. She betrayed us when the enemy threatened her life and immediately begged to be left alive even if they were kill me and Dad. She was my mother and she betrayed me. So tell me… why should I believe you? Why should I trust your words? Because you can't promise me anything. You're not going to feel the same-!"
Her eyes widened when she felt his lips pressed against hers. She tried to get him off but he pushed through. He wanted his feelings to get across her. He wanted her to know that his feeling's not going to change. His whole being believes he'd love her for the rest of his life. He's no hormonal teenager whose mind and heart are muddled by hormones. He knew in himself that he do love her. There's nothing more that he could ask but for her to return his feelings and to trust him.
He deepened the kiss, silently asking her to respond. He cupped her cheeks and pressed more heatedly. He felt her tears falling to his hand. He was about to stop, thinking he's hurting her, when she responded. Slowly and unsurely at first but he guided her in encouragement and it took a bit more time before she fully answered back to his kisses. When they finally parted for air, he leaned his head beside her ear and repeatedly told her how much he loved her and that he'll never leave her.
"Please believe me. I love you and I won't ever leave you behind. So please…!" he whispered desperately at her, taking her into his arms tightly as if afraid she'd vanish if he didn't. He was just so afraid she'd leave him not because she didn't love him but because she doesn't trust him. It was different when he knew she doesn't love him back so he could let her leave him alone, than when he knew and she admitted that she loved him back but doesn't trust him enough to stay with him. He'd feel more than just devastated if she did leave him, he might just kill himself if she does. That's how strongly he felt for her.
Hesitantly, she reached out for him and slowly encircled her arms around him as she buried her head to his chest while answering so quietly he could have missed it but luckily he didn't, "Ok." That one word sent him so much relief and happiness that couldn't stop tears from spilling out of his eyes.
"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you! I'll make sure you won't regret it. I'll prove it to you," he tightened his embrace around her and started planting kisses on her face and neck, all the while saying his thanks.
"I love you so much," he grinned at her after kissing her lips one more time. She nodded her flushed face at him. Her face was just so red that he was afraid she might explode!
"Giotto…?" she bit her lips as she contemplated over something.
"Hmm…?" he smiled at her in encouragement to continue.
"Could you… uhm… could you get off? Please,"
Feeling mischievous at the moment, he buried his head beside hers and made sure his lips were touching her ears before whispering in a sultry voice, "Why? Are you embarrassed? Don't you like the position we're in?"
"No, I don't,"
That voice was not his principessa's. He stopped. It was a voice he hadn't heard in months and had thought he wouldn't have to hear in another few months. And to think the voice was laced in so much malice that it sent him shivering at the cold feeling it gave him.
Shit. That was all he could think of before an ominous click from a gun warned him to move at that moment or risk dying. Immediately complying, he got off the brunette and turned to her father and his tutor.
He started sweating buckets. Reborn looked ten times much scarier than usual. He look ready to kill. He looked ready to kill Giotto. The blonde gulped when despite Reborn's shadowed face, the black pits of eyes he had were clearly glinting with the promise of pain and suffering. And possibly even death.
"Reborn. What a pleasant surprise! How was your vacation with Bian-"
"I'll give you a five second head start in respect for the whole ten years we've known each other. One…"
Tsunahime then took his hand to hers, still blushing but had full determination and confidence in her eyes, "I expect you to live. Don't break your promise so soon or else…"
Killing intent waved off the female as she said that last word, warning him of death delivered by herself if he did otherwise as promised.
"Two…"
Gulping one more time, he nodded his head and dashed straight to the open doors to escape death from a deadly hitman, not taking notice of the presence of his guardians that were all guiltily looking elsewhere but him.
"Five."
His guardians cringed when they heard pitiful screams somewhere in the mansion not a moment too soon that oddly resembled their regal boss'.
"R-Reborn's not really going to kill him, right?" G managed to croak as his mouth run dry from hearing Giotto's screams for mercy.
"He won't die," Tsunahime replied confidently which made the guardians sigh in relief until she continued with a much darker tone, "Because if he dies… Well, I'd drag him back from hell and kill him myself."
Damnit, Giotto! What'd you gotten yourself into?! G prayed that his boss would live through this, there's still so much paperwork to be done and he didn't want to be one responsible for it if Giotto suddenly dies.
G rubbed his forehead as another scream and explosion was heard. Damn Giotto. Why do you have to be so stupid?
Translations (Google Translate):
famiglia - just means family but I normally use famiglia so to refer to the mafia family
Dio - God
Bella - beauty or belle
Hime (Japanese) and principessa (Italian)- both means princess
A/N: And that concludes that. Tsuna's full of contrasting traits and Giotto was borderline obsessive. I think there's a lot going on here that I had mentioned but hadn't delved well in it because I didn't know how to fit it in the story like about Tsuna being considered as the candidate for becoming the Sky Arcobaleno if Yuni hadn't come in the picture and that duty Yuni mentioned that she supposedly had. I hadn't even mentioned Gokudera and the rest of the tenth generation guardians in here. I don't know if I'd make a separate one-shot for those so I could cover the plotholes that I left behind but one thing's for sure, this one is done. I would have added an Omake about Giotto's guardians making a bet about how long the two would have before getting hooked up but since I already made an Omake about betting on my other fic, Reunion with a Blast, I refrained from adding that here.
Oh, and also, just to make it clear, Giotto lived but was beaten quite thoroughly by Reborn.
So yeah. I thank you all in advance for reading this! And don't forget to review! I'm still planning for that time travel fic btw, but this just came out when inspiration hit me so suddenly. Anyway…
Ciao~!
Update: Replaced the Cover Image. Here's the link for it if anyone's interested (just remove the spaces): : / / paradoxchan00 . deviantart art/Fem27-Tsunahime-Sawada-I-m-a-Hitman-423273135