Summary: Byakuran runs a finger through the name on his arm. Soulmates only serve as liabilities to his plan, and this 'Sawada Tsunayoshi' is a big one. Soulmate AU; 10027

A/N: I have a penchant for naming titles after songs. The title is Fall Out Boy's, but I'm listening to Iron Maiden and Avenged Sevenfold. Haha, sorry. I was listening to FOB's 27 (ironic, what) a while ago, though. (27's the title, the song that sounds really nice and you should listen to it, too.)

Disclaimer: The title is entirely Fall Out Boy's, and the series is entirely Amano Akira's.

The name had been inscribed on his arm since he was three years old.

At first, he didn't know what it meant—his three-year-old self did not know anything Japanese (as he asked his excited mother on what language the name could possibly be), much less read the dialect. However, he was seven years old when he had found out about the name, going through several linguistic books in the process, researching about the structure of the characters.

The name translated to 'Sawada Tsunayoshi,' and this person was named on October fourteenth, where it was barely the crack of dawn at Italy. The warm sensation on Byakuran's arm woke him up in time to see the shaky Kanji being written on his forearm like brush strokes on an empty canvas.

He was happy when he got the lesson about soulmates from his mother at five years old, wondering why there was something tattooed on his arm all so suddenly (and other people's arms, for that matter).

He's heard of those people who don't have any names on their forearms, 'Blanks' as they call them. They don't have soulmates and were doomed to a lonely life with no perfect half.

Blanks were either pitied or shamed by society, always covering up their arms and never drawing attention to themselves.

Byakuran was glad about having a perfect half, and not being a Blank—to have someone that he could love and forever cherish.

Until his parents were murdered in front of him in cold blood.

"I'm sorry it had to end this way."

"It's fine. I love you anyway, and you know that."

He hated how the other man could smile even when the bullet entered his body.

He found soulmates to be a liability—a useless thing that only serves as a hindrance to Byakuran and any of his future plans. Soulmates were cared for and loved—a weakness that he would prefer not to implore.

Since his parents were murdered—not died, as that would imply that they only died of natural causes—he never showed the name on his wrist to anyone. He preferred wearing long-sleeved shirts and occasionally wrapped bandages around his arm, passing them off as injuries he attained through his eccentric ideas.

The only person he actually showed the name to was Irie Shoichi, his college roommate and budding best friend. The teen himself had a name on his arm—Spanner, or something similar—and had asked if Byakuran had a soulmate or was a Blank.

The white-haired teen opened his eyes, an action that signified his infrequent and unusual seriousness. Shoichi noticed that and immediately amended, "Sorry! I didn't mean to pry, and I guess curiosity just got the better of me. It's just, you don't wear short-sleeved shirts or show your forearm so I just figured—"

Shoichi was babbling nonsense and really did want Byakuran to answer, and the redhead knew that. It was justified, too, Byakuran supposed, what with both of them already thick as thieves and actually spend more time with each other than with their respective families (adoptive family, in Byakuran's case).

"It's fine!" Byakuran bit out cheerfully. Well, Shoichi can be trusted with this. Shoichi doesn't know how to lie (well, not to Byakuran, at least), but he can keep a secret. It's not like it'll change anything—other than, of course, Shoichi knowing about Sawada Tsunayoshi.

The white-haired teen unbuttoned his sleeves, revealing the Kanji on his arm.

"Hm, weird," Shoichi muttered under his breath, tracing a finger along the black marking on Byakuran's forearm.

"What is?" Byakuran asked curiously, a grin fixed on his face as he pulled his sleeve back over his forearm.

Shoichi laughed and scratched at the back of his head. "I'm pretty sure that this guy used to be my neighbor. You know, before I moved here."

Byakuran ignored the way his heart raced and his mouth dried.

"Really," he said with nonchalant curiosity. "Small world."

Shoichi laughed again. "Yeah, I guess it is."

"Did you have higher hopes when my name was written on your arm?"

"No, you're perfect."

Meeting Sawada Tsunayoshi was purely coincidental—or not, since they were, after all, soulmates. But then again, there were loads of soulmates in the world that haven't met each other yet, and even in death they still haven't. They were just given prayers from people who wish them to be luckier in their next life.

Byakuran is one of the lucky ones who actually met their soulmates—

And he still wished that he would be luckier in his next life.

Or maybe fate just wanted to fuck with him again. Byakuran fucked with fate, too, so he supposed that it was only fair that fate got her revenge.

It starts because of his involvement with the Mafia.

His Famiglia was one of the most powerful groups in the world, only behind the Giglio Nero Famiglia and the acclaimed Vongola Famiglia. The Gesso Famiglia already beat their way into the top three, and were highly feared and/or respected (he's still not sure which one, really) by the Underworld.

And now only the two Famiglias stood in the Gesso Famiglia's power. Of course, the problem was remedied with two things that Byakuran knew: Alliance or Death.

He got an alliance from the Giglio Nero Famiglia, with the condition that they merged their Famiglias into Millefiore, an inside joke that Byakuran and his Wreaths were particularly fond of (except for Zakuro, since he explodes at everything that annoys him, and Torikabuto, who doesn't know a joke even if it slit his throat).

On his way to the meeting with the respected (more respected than him, in fact, and Byakuran heard that the man took the position at a mere fourteen years old and thus became the youngest boss in the entire Mafia World) Vongola Decimo, Byakuran visited his favorite coffee shop in Palermo. They sold several sweets and pastries that he liked, and coffee that was just heavenly.

But Byakuran was mostly after one of their marshmallow specials. The list included s'mores, graham balls, marshmallow-stuffed cookies, choco-marshmallow dips, and marshmallow popcorn bars. He especially liked their s'mores and graham balls, but occasionally ordered the other three when he was feeling particularly jumpy.

He strode over to the counter, unaware of the person walking in front of him. They bumped into each other, naturally, and even though Byakuran would usually just be good-natured about bumping into people (no use being angry over such a trivial thing, after all), he just stopped and froze in his steps.

His heart beat against his chest erratically, a warm ticklish sensation spreading where the stranger had bumped into him. The Kanji on his left arm tingled. Not unpleasant, no, just…different. Unique.

"Sorry about that!" the stranger said. Taking a good look at him with glazed eyes, Byakuran noticed that what he was wearing was a white dress shirt with the top two buttons unbuttoned and black slacks that showed off his long legs. His brown hair was unusually spiky and seemed to defy gravity.

His mouth dried, seeing the familiar face with the nervous smile that Byakuran wanted to see on his Tsunayoshi. Byakuran gazed lower, almost disappointed to see that the brunet's arms were covered by the fabric of the dress shirt.

"It's fine," Byakuran said, waving him off. The man's eyes—Sawada Tsunayoshi's eyes, he knew from his trips to several universes, a light brown with a touch of gold and amber—again looked at him apologetically before leaving the shop.

Just looked at him apologetically. Nothing more. Nothing less.

The white-haired man stared at the man's back as the bells of the door chime, signaling his leave.

Byakuran's heard of this, but he just didn't know that it would happen to him. Sure, in some universes, he's seen how heartbroken he was when he wasn't Tsunayoshi's soulmate but Tsunayoshi was his, and Tsunayoshi being the heartbroken one when the roles were switched.

There were times when they killed each other, or Byakuran killed Tsunayoshi, or Tsunayoshi killed Byakuran. There were times when everything was just fine as it was and they were happy. They were times that Tsunayoshi was the Vongola Decimo and Byakuran had to murder him to gain power. There was that one universe, too, where everything was in chaos and they were the last two living beings in the world (and the funny thing was that the only thing they could do was fuck)

But him, in this universe, where he was practically the ruler in every other one…can it be that he really wasn't Tsunayoshi's soulmate? Fate couldn't be that cruel, could she?

Then again, he hasn't conquered this universe yet. Maybe it won't be too late.

The meeting with the Decimo came an hour afterwards, and that was only when Byakuran realized that fate did not mess with him in the coffeeshop.

In fact, she was giving him a heads-up.

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine."

Then there was blood and he couldn't stop himself from crying and the other one couldn't stop smiling.

"Byakuran Gesso, you say?" the Vongola Decimo, the man who he bumped into at the coffeeshop, said, examining him with cool, guarded eyes that were, at the same time, warm and comforting.

"And you're Tsunayoshi Sawada," Byakuran replied, drumming his fingers on the hard wood to keep from revealing his anxiety. Yes, he had to admit that he was heartbroken, even when he knew that soulmates were just liabilities that he had to eliminate.

Byakuran wasn't sure if he can.

"Did you…" Tsunayoshi trailed off, something in his eyes that made Byakuran hope, as stupid as it was. "Did you have higher expectations, Byakuran?"

"Expectations?"

"Did you have higher hopes for me when my name was written on your arm?"

Byakuran's mouth went dry. From the number of times it went dry today, he wondered if he needed more water if it came to Sawada Tsunayoshi.

He was wrong, for once, and his soulmate's soulmate is him, too.

"No," Byakuran said softly. "You're perfect."

Tsunayoshi smiled a smile that made Byakuran's heart thump wildly.

"I'm glad then."

"You may be my soulmate, but I'm sorry if I have to deny your proposal."

"Why's that?"

"You're a danger to my family."

He slumped his shoulders, mouth almost pulled to a frown at the other man's words.

"Oh? And your family's more important, how?"

"I've only known you now, Byakuran," Tsunayoshi replied softly but firmly, "and from what I've heard about you, you're a confirmed danger that I can't make a bargain with."

Byakuran discretely gripped the gun holstered in his suit.

"Are you sure?" he insisted. "I'm actually quite a negotiable man."

Tsunayoshi looked at him almost apologetically. "I'm sorry, but I have to put my Famiglia first for this one." The brunet regarded him with warm eyes.

"Maybe we'll be luckier in our next lives."

"Well, then, Tsunayoshi—"

The grip on the gun in Byakuran's hand considerably tightened.

"Well, then, Tsunayoshi," he started, clicking the safety of the gun before aiming it at the other man, who remained as calm and composed as he always was. Is.

Will—

—used to be.

"I'm sorry that it had to end this way."

Tsunayoshi looked at the barrel of the gun.

And he smiled.

And god, Byakuran wanted to kiss the man before killing him off.

"It's fine," Tsunayoshi said, fearless and ever compassionate. "I love you anyway, and you know that."

Byakuran almost faltered, both loving and hating that goddamn smile on the man's face. Wanting to keep it there and wipe it off.

Wanting to kiss him and strangle him.

Wanting to kill him and keep him alive.

Byakuran's last words to his soulmate couldn't be heard over the gunshot. Even he couldn't hear it, too focused on the sharp pain in his arm as the black Kanji he's known nearly his entire life faded away.

The tears falling from his now opened eyes, however, were more than obvious.

He couldn't feel them.

"I'm sorry it had to end this way."

"It's fine. I love you anyway, and you know that."

"I'm sorry."

"I love you anyway."

"I'm sorry."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Maybe in the next life."

A/N: My first oneshot that featured angst! Sorry it was short. And it ended in a bittersweet note, too! Did you guys love it? Hate it? Review and tell me what you think! :D

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! I hope you guys were happy. For the ones in a relationship: hope you guys are happy with your S.O. and having a wonderful time! To the ones that are single (like me! :D): Let's just gather together and eat the biggest, creamiest tub of ice cream we can find and talk about our hopeless OTPs! (Since I'm a minor and am not allowed to get drunk yet, so…whatever, ice cream's good enough anyway. :/)