Summary: Tsuna doesn't know why all this supernatural shit started happening in his life, but he'd really like it to stop now please. Mild Arco27
OR in which Tsuna attracts too much attention because he's surprisingly good at recognising supernatural beings (and he's just too cute to resist).
Rating: T cos swearing ~ – ~ Genre: Supernatural, friendship
AN: I was writing this simultaneously with RvH chap 3, which is why they're coming out in such quick succession (and why they both took so fucking long to write).
WARNINGS: Kidnapping, mentions of death (unnamed OC's), possibly OOC, increasingly bad language
It all started with a cat. Well, another cat really. Tsuna had started feeding the stray in the alley behind his apartment building months ago. A little orange tabby that looked like it was about to shiver its own fur off. It had been just a kitten back then, so he'd given it lactose free milk. Hadn't really been able to ween him off the stuff after that. That was fine. All of that had been rather pleasant. Week after week of gaining the adorable little thing's trust until Tsuna could pat him, worm him and give him flea treatment. Tsuna had called him Natsu. The problems had started after that…
Natsu was waiting for his morning bowl of milk. That was normal. The striking black cat sitting on the gate post was not. Tsuna stared for a moment. The cat stared back. It's eyes were almost as dark as it's fur, and that was more than slightly disconcerting. He shivered, that stare was far too human. Tsuna shrugged it off like a champ, got another bowl of milk and fed the both of them. It didn't come back the next morning, but Tsuna left a bowl for it anyway. It was empty when he came back, so Tsuna assumed it or another cat had come by (Natsu wasn't brave enough to jump onto the fence).
After that, Tsuna started noticing the animals. Not just cats, either. Any animal you can think of, coming up to him whenever they felt like. Tsuna was a chronic snacker, mostly due to stress, so he always had some kind of food on him, and he wasn't afraid to give some of it to a random animal if he thought it meant said animal would leave him alone. He was fairly sure that's how it started.
The second time he saw a cat with eyes that dark was a calico. It freaked Tsuna out immediately. He knew, logically, that it couldn't be the same cat. It was a completely different colour, hell it was even a different size. But the way it looked at Tsuna and the depth of it's eyes rattled him. He sunk down a little, his shoulders hunching up as they stared at each other. Tsuna almost jumped out of his skin when it meowed at him. It was a low sound that sent shivers up his spine. He quickly gave it some of his sandwich and ran off.
Next was a small dog that followed him for almost two blocks before Tsuna finally gave it some of his chips. He had only resisted because he was fairly sure they weren't good for dogs…
There was a duck at an amusement park that squawked at him until he gave it some bread. It's eyes were the same eerie black as the others.
An owl almost gave him a heart attack when he was getting home late from college, but it quieted down after he gave it some of his crackers.
Next was an overly eager rabbit that chowed down on his favourite salad. And let Tsuna tell you, eyes that dark on a rabbit are honestly terrifying.
He saw a sleek dog with pitch black eyes in an alleyway and flung a chunk of bread at it before bolting.
A bird cawed for his attention on the side of the road, and Tsuna just barely got missed by a car that was driving far too close to the side-walk. He would've gotten hit had he taken another step… He gave the bird the rest of his cake in thanks.
A toad with black eyes pounced on his foot and Tsuna was fairly sure he'd been pretty close to a heart attack again. He wasn't sure what toads usually ate, but he gave it some of his snack anyway. It hopped off and Tsuna went on his way.
He saw an octopus one day. It didn't have dark eyes, and it wasn't paying any attention to Tsuna, but it practically radiated hunger and sorrow. Tsuna gave it some of his sushi and kept walking.
When he got back to his apartment and saw a mouse staring through the window of his balcony, he just sighed and gave it some cheese.
A monkey dropped onto his shoulder in the middle of the street. Tsuna was past questioning these things so he just held up his bar for it to nibble on. People kept on cooing at the monkey as they passed. Tsuna didn't think it was so cute when it ate his entire protein bar…
He saw a lizard on the fence the next day, and all he needed to see was the dark eyes before he was tilting his ice cream so it could have a lick. He probably shouldn't have eaten it after that, but whatever.
It was all very strange and disconcerting, but Tsuna immediately saw the pattern. Dark eyes, various animals… Point was, Tsuna wasn't stupid. Okay, fine, he wasn't that stupid. He knew a shapeshifter when he saw one. He just wasn't sure why this one was following him around like a particularly bad smell. Maybe Tsuna should stop feeding random animals… One look at Natsu's cute little pouting face made him take it back. Tsuna heaved a sigh, watching the little cat lap at the warm milk. The bowl on the fence was empty again.
Tsuna was fairly sure the hot blond that frequented the campus bar was a vampire. He didn't have any grounds for that thought though. Like, at all. All he knew was that he was there almost every night, flirting with practically anyone. He never left without someone on his arm (man or woman), and whenever Tsuna saw them next they all acted like they didn't know who Tsuna was talking about. It was weird, but not really unnatural. You get drunk enough and you forget people. Tsuna would think people would brag about someone that gorgeous though. Not that Tsuna was looking or anything…
He kept on seeing the blond around though. He never paid Tsuna much mind, since he tended not to stray too close to the bar. Tsuna repaid the favour by pretending not to notice the red on his lips, because nobody had gone missing so far, so the man probably wasn't really hurting anybody. Tsuna tried to keep track of his dates anyway, making sure they ate well the next day and drank plenty of water. They always looked kind of puzzled, but none ever asked about it. Tsuna had more money than he knew what to do with anyway… He wasn't entirely sure where his mother got said money, but he'd never asked and he wasn't going to anytime soon, so it would stay a mystery for now.
It stayed that way for a good couple of months, Tsuna thinks, before the blond finally noticed him. Tsuna walked passed the bar, as usual, tried to get a good look at the man's date for the night. A cute redhead with a spiralling tattoo that disappeared into their shirt. Shouldn't be too hard to find again, it was mostly only college kids that went to this bar anyway… That was when the man blinked over at him. He looked confused for a second, then his eyes slid down Tsuna's slim frame, a smile tugging at his lips. Tsuna ducked his head and scurried off.
He did a good job of avoiding him after that. Didn't do such a good job at avoiding the shapeshifter though, who still found him randomly, and Tsuna still fed, because what the hell else was he supposed to do? The blond probably-a-vampire though, he was fairly easy to avoid. Most of Tsuna's classes were during the day, so that helped. Even when his classes didn't finish till after dark, he was still pretty easy to avoid if Tsuna just took the long way home. He only took the long way now, because he'd noticed the blond was actively looking for someone the last time he had skirted too close to the bar. Tsuna wasn't naïve enough to think it was him. Problem was, he was also too paranoid to not think it was him. It was an interesting cocktail of emotion. To play it on the safe side, he avoided the bar.
Unfortunately, things never seemed to work out that well for him.
Tsuna hadn't meant to get so close, but it was dark, and this was the fastest way home, and the news as of late wasn't particularly encouraging with the latest string of murders that looked suspiciously vampire-themed. He hadn't thought much of it as he'd drifted passed the bar, eyes automatically shifting to find blond hair. Only to find amused blue eyes watching him right back. Tsuna balked, for barely a second, before he scrambled off.
He decided it absolutely wasn't his fault when he found himself pinned against a wall by six foot of blond vampire. And yeah, okay, this guy was hot and Tsuna was just a teeny, tiny, itty little bit bi. Just a bit though… He was crowding in on Tsuna's space, but wasn't actually pushing against the hand Tsuna had against his chest. He was giving him an absolutely smouldering look and then…
And then there was a squirrel on his shoulder. He looked surprised, but not the kind of surprised Tsuna thought he should be. It was more 'oh hey, what are you doing here?' than 'where the hell did this thing come from?'. Tsuna recognised it though. The dark abyss of it's eyes and the way it looked into his soul. He rifled through his pockets, found a spare nut bar and broke some of it off. The squirrel popped over to his shoulder and started munching. Now the blond looked the proper kind of surprised. Tsuna wasn't though. Surprised that is. He figured it wasn't that weird that the two knew each other. The guy still hadn't really backed off though. Which, yeah, was making Tsuna a little bit nervous.
"Herbivores." Hibari was standing at the mouth of the alley. Joy. "Public displays of affection are against the law." Tsuna still wasn't sure what that meant… The blond simply flashed Hibari a wicked grin.
"I'm a carnivore, actually, kora." He said. Tsuna screamed on the inside. This was so bad. There was a paw on his face. The squirrel stared at him. Oh. Tsuna gave it the rest of the bar. The momentary lapse in his attention had given Hibari the opportunity to start prowling forward, and the blond was grinning, and oh god they were going to fight. Tsuna ducked under his arm and bolted. The squirrel was still on his shoulder when he got back home, no one else in sight. He held onto the gate until his breathing had stopped shaking so much and he didn't need the support. He turned to the squirrel, it's assessing gaze somewhat comforting. He gave it a sheepish smile.
"Thanks…" He said, and it was honestly quite possible that he'd just thanked a squirrel and not a shapeshifter, but at that point in Tsuna's life he didn't really think he cared. It blinked at him, jumped off his shoulder, and scampered off. Yeah, he probably just thanked an honest to god squirrel. Pathetic. Tsuna sighed, and slumped inside.
It only got worse from there, and Tsuna's really not sure how that worked given it was already pretty fricking bad.
He found the next one in the mall. He wasn't sure what they were, but nobody was paying them any attention. They were floating. Tsuna couldn't get a good look at them though, because they had a hooded cloak on. He was just going to ignore them like everybody else, really he was. Until they dropped their wallet. Tsuna despaired, because nobody had noticed. He shouldn't. He really, really shouldn't. He picked up the wallet, jogged to catch up and tugged on their coat. They turned, and their confusion was palpable.
"You dropped this." Tsuna deadpanned. He handed their wallet back and left before they could think too much. Tsuna had enough mystical creatures gnawing at his attention, he really didn't need another one.
He somehow ended up in the lap of the blond probably-a-vampire in the food court. Tsuna knew he wouldn't do anything while they were in such a public place, that would just be stupid, but it was mildly uncomfortable nonetheless. Except… he really wasn't doing anything… Other than chatting Tsuna's ear off, anyway. He probed and prodded until Tsuna answered his questions, feeding him hot chips with sauce until something caught his attention. He told Tsuna to stay put for a sec. Tsuna did not stay put for any amount of time. He quickly left the mall, sighed once the warmth of the sun hit his face, and headed home. Tsuna wasn't sure what a vampire was doing out in the day anyway, even in an underground shopping mall…
It was another week of unsolved murders, another week of the shapeshifter eating his food at random and increasing intervals, another week of taking the long way home to avoid a certain blond. He'd started taking the long way home even on later days too, because summer was coming so the sun was up longer. Tsuna just didn't anticipate the sudden storm.
The vampire caught him in an alley. Tsuna hated alleys, honestly, everything bad happened in them. The thought wasn't going to save him though, so he focused on the one in front of him. A vampire. He was sure, this time, too. The inhuman grin showing off large fangs was a pretty big giveaway. He tried to control his rattling breathing, his heart beating so hard against his ribs it was actually painful, but the fear and panic was overwhelming his common sense. The vampire's tongue lolled out of it's mouth, and Tsuna ran. He had no delusions of getting away. In his mind he knew he was going to die, but his body moved anyway. A desperate instinct to avoid what was coming.
He ran. Screeching laughter accompanied his mad dash, but he heard no footsteps. He twisted between alleys, behind trees and lampposts, street after street after street. The laughter didn't stop, and neither did Tsuna. Until he saw it.
There was a dog ahead of him with familiar dark eyes, and he skidded to a stop even as it threw itself behind him because that was his shapeshifter. The dog snarled and snapped at the vampire, and when the thing only grinned inhumanly, it started shifting. It's bones crunched, muscles twitching and writhing under it's skin, stretching out and out, until it was probably almost as tall as Tsuna. A wolf. It gnashed it's jaws threateningly, and now the vampire looked mildly concerned. Still only mildly. He gave the wolf an appraising look, and then his eyes drifted to Tsuna, probably wondering if he could snatch the teen before the wolf got to him. Tsuna took a step back, and hit something solid. He whipped his head around so fast, he felt it click, followed by that gross uncomfortable warmth.
Standing behind him was a familiar blond. And he looked pissed. Not at Tsuna though, thank god. He was glaring absolute daggers at the vampire that was still ignoring his shapeshifter. Well then… The wolf growled low and deep, and the nasty vampire snapped his head back towards it. An arm wrapped around his waist.
"Kora, ease up a little. You need to slow your breathing down." He murmured in his ear. Tsuna didn't even realise how fast his breathing was. He was practically hyperventilating. He tried for a few shuddering breaths, but he couldn't really calm down when he was surrounded by two vampires and a shapeshifter. Only one of which Tsuna's brain was actively registering as a threat. He wasn't sure why he was more concerned about their welfare than his, at this stage, considering he was infinitely more squishy than they were.
The arm around his waist shifted slightly, and one came up under his knees until he was resting in the blond vampire's arms. At least he was fairly sure he could trust this one. Maybe… The gentle smile directed at him managed to finally ease his breathing into something a little less damaging.
"He can take care of this, why don't I get you home, kora." Even with the way it was worded, Tsuna could tell it wasn't a suggestion. He nodded anyway, to give himself the illusion that he had a choice. His head got tucked into a solid chest, and Tsuna was suddenly and undeniably dizzy. When he pulled his face out of the solid muscle they were in front of his apartment building. Woah. Wait, how did this guy know where he lived?! The man carefully put him on his feet, but didn't actually release him until he'd stopped shaking. A hand ran through his hair, and he looked up to see a warm grin.
"I'll see ya later, kora!" He winked, and sauntered off into the night. Tsuna barely managed to get into his apartment before he burst into tears, images of fangs and inhuman grins filling his mind. He crawled into bed, and curled around a pillow until he finally fell asleep.
Tsuna wasn't really sure what compelled him to approach the man on the sidewalk. The guy looked pretty miserable, and every single person was giving him a wide berth. Tsuna wondered if he was homeless. The leather jacket told him no, everything else told him yes. Oh well, it wouldn't hurt to be nice either way. He trotted over. Tsuna gave the man a friendly smile as he knelt down, and he immediately lit up. Tsuna chatted with him for a bit, just menial things, and gave him an apple out of his bag. He practically vibrated with excitement, opened his mouth to take a bite and –
His teeth were too sharp… Tsuna thought he could see something vaguely transparent taking up space behind him, but he refused to believe he just gave a fucking fairy a snack, because that was just too much. He quickly muttered his good wishes and scurried off. That was a can he just didn't want to open. He didn't realise the man was following him until he got home.
Tsuna was having a mini panic attack at that point. Not only did the probably-a-fairy follow him home, he'd followed Tsuna upstairs and into his apartment. He didn't know what to do. He really didn't. He ended up making dinner and sliding some carefully across the table. The possibly-a-fairy grinned at him like he'd just given him Christmas, and dug in. Tsuna wanted to cry, just a little. It got quiet after that, and it gave Tsuna some time to think. He didn't need to let this hopefully-not-a-fairy stay in his apartment. All he had to do was politely ask him to leave. He looked so happy, though… bouncing in his seat like a little kid even though he was probably older than Tsuna. Hell, he was probably older than the city. Tsuna blinked when the please-not-a-fairy smiled at him politely.
"May I have your name?" He asked, holding out his hand. Tsuna was glad he was paranoid enough to remember fairy lore, really he was.
"No." He said emphatically. The definitely-a-fairy pouted at him.
"Fine…" He grumbled. He dropped his hand and shrugged, and Tsuna watched as the almost-transparent wings shifted behind him. "I'm Skull." Tsuna heaved a sigh.
"You can call me Tsuna." He said carefully. Skull beamed at him. God, he was so stupid.
Tsuna met the next one in an alleyway not too far away from campus. She was slumped against one of the brick walls, and she honestly looked like shit. Too pale and gaunt, and there were fangs pressing against her lips. Oh god. Tsuna should leave, he should walk away and never look back, but fuck was he stupid and she looked like she was going to die. It was far too bright out for a vampire… He took trembling steps forward until he dropped by her side, ignoring the side-eyed look she gave him that told him exactly how much energy she didn't have. He pulled the sleeve of his hoodie up to his elbow and held it up for her. There was a flicker of surprise, but it was quickly overtaken by hunger. He held up a pencil, a pencil, and tried to give her what he hoped was a stern look. She laughed quietly, gave a flash of fang that Tsuna hoped was supposed to be a smile, and bit into his elbow. Tsuna's quick intake of breath was cut off before he could turn it into a yelp, biting into his own lip so he didn't scream because there was a vampire eating him. By his own volition because he was a – stupid, dumb, stupid – idiot who couldn't leave things alone. The hands that cradled his arm were surprisingly gentle.
She only took a few gulps before she was pulling away, licking her lips clean. She didn't look anywhere near sated, but her cheeks had a little bit more colour now. Tsuna pulled his arm back quickly. He didn't know what happened now… so he quickly stood, muttered to take better care of herself and left. He ignored the feel of her eyes on him as he exited the alleyway. It was covered enough that she would last until nightfall.
Skull was snoozing on the couch when he got back. The stubborn fairy had refused to leave after Tsuna had fed him, so now he just wandered around the man's house doing odd chores and accidentally breaking things when he forgot he had wings. It was only slightly annoying, and hey, Tsuna got lonely anyway… He ran his fingers through the fairy's hair on his way through, ignored the pleased little purr that made his heart beat a little too quick, and made his way to the bathroom to clean off his elbow. There were no holes, which Tsuna found surprising, but there was definitely blood. And spit, which was kind of gross, but whatever. He cleaned himself off, and went to make dinner. He threw a bread roll at the raven sitting on his sill, even though Skull looked like he was about to have a heart attack just from seeing it there.
Unfortunately for Tsuna, he had gotten a little too used to throwing things at his little shapeshifter friend. This ended with him throwing an apple at him. Not at an animal him. No, that would be too easy. Tsuna threw an apple at a very human man. In the mall. Without even thinking about it. He caught sight of too dark eyes and a mischievous look and just tossed it. He didn't realise what he was doing until it was too late, eyes sliding sideways to see what type of animal he was this time only to find a very surprised looking human being. Oh. Oh hell.
"I'm so sorry." He blurted, unthinkingly. "I don't know why I did that." He stuttered and stammered a few more apologies before running off, not giving it too much thought other than 'oh god, why did I do that?!'. Until he got home. Until he saw Skull munching on some chips that he usually carried in his bag. Until he remembered a very familiar looking blond had been standing right next to him with a shit-eating grin on his face. Oh god. He just threw an apple at his shapeshifter. In human form. He was so fucked.
He was a lot taller than Tsuna expected. That was all he could really think when the man had him pinned against his front door. Tsuna was so used to him being smaller; dogs, cats, birds, lizards, and the occasional monkey. It was a startling difference. He was tall, and much more intimidating than usual (even though Tsuna was always kind of intimidated, because shapeshifter). He tried for a sheepish smile.
"Sorry?" He squeaked. The man grinned, and it was terrifying.
Reborn, as it turned out his name was, was exactly as terrifying as Tsuna had thought he should be. And also marginally less. He knew a lot more than he should, and his aura practically radiated danger. But Tsuna didn't actually feel like he was in danger. On the contrary – even when Reborn was pushing him against his door and all but glaring at him – Tsuna felt safe. It was weird, if he was being perfectly honest. And it put him a little bit on edge. Reborn also told Tsuna that the blond vampire's name was Colonnello, and he had looked pretty pissed when he found out Tsuna knew he was a vampire. Or, well, suspected he was a vampire anyway.
All in all, it was an interesting couple of days. There wasn't honestly that much change in his relationship with Reborn. He still appeared at random as animals and stole Tsuna's food, and Tsuna still let him because that was just his life now, apparently. He flatly refused to invite Colonnello into his apartment on principle though, which made the man pout and complain that he'd let the fairy in, but that wasn't even Tsuna's fault so he'd ignored him and closed the door in his face. Yes… it was an interesting couple of days…
Tsuna knew about the dragon living in the shrine. Hell, everyone knew about the dragon living in the shrine. Tsuna didn't think he'd actually meet it though. As it was, the man yawned widely. The red scales sneaking across his jaw shimmered with the action. Tsuna wanted to scream. Just a little… He hadn't even wanted to go inside. He'd just wanted to pray and leave, but his mother had insisted, and there he was with his infernal luck, fallen through the floor and interrupting a dragon's sleep. God, he was so screwed… The man blinked at him blearily, and Tsuna was suddenly struck by how much he looked like Hibari. He was so incredibly fucked.
"I'm so sorry…" Tsuna said immediately. The dragon yawned again, and his canines were a little too big for Tsuna's comfort.
"May I ask how you got in." He mumbled sleepily, rubbing at his eye. Tsuna bit his lip. He actually looked kind of cute…
"I, uh, fell… through the floor. Or roof." He cringed, pointed at the gaping hole above them. The dragon followed the motion. He sat there staring for a moment, mouth slightly open, and Tsuna was fairly sure he was still too tired to process this method of arrival.
"Huh…" Was all he said. Yeah, he was definitely still too tired for this…
"I can leave…" Tsuna said quietly, edging away. The dragon blinked a few times, then shook his head.
"No, no, I can't be impolite to guests." He said. Tsuna wanted to say that he could, that he wasn't even a guest, but he was already moving. "My name is Fon. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He called over his shoulder, and Tsuna was fairly sure he'd never seen a braid that long. There might also be a tail under that tunic, but he was too scared to look again.
"Tsuna." He said quietly. "Pleased to meet you too." Because his mother had raised him better than to be impolite, even if it was to a strange dragon living underneath the local shrine. Fon sent a serene smile his way. He came back carrying a tray with a teapot and two little cups.
"Tea?" He asked politely.
"Please." Tsuna answered, because it would be rude to refuse the offer. It wouldn't hurt to have one cup, right…?
Three hours later and Tsuna finally plucked up the courage to tell Fon he should probably be heading off. The dragon was amenable, thank god, easily letting him go this time. It had been… not a bad three hours, all in all. Fon was a wonderful storyteller, and not at all like Hibari in any way, shape, or form. He'd woken up after the first cup of tea too, so he was properly awake for a good conversation. Tsuna was only slightly disappointed that his mother had left without even looking for him, and not even honestly surprised.
"I thought you'd be having an adventure!" She'd giggled when he'd asked. Tsuna sighed. How had this become his life?
Tsuna flatly refused to think about the green-haired scientist he'd met on his field-trip. Flatly. Refused.
Tsuna met the female vampire again on his way home from college. There hadn't been any murders as of late, and Tsuna didn't like thinking of the reason why. The woman smiled at him, and cocked her head with a coy little smile. Ah. Tsuna tapped his fingers on his bag strap nervously. He pulled out a pencil and waved it vaguely at her. She grinned and strolled the last few feet towards him. When she was a bit closer, he noted that she was still underweight. Nowhere near as bad as she had been, but still not necessarily healthy.
"Have you been eating properly?" He blurted. She looked surprised, and he flushed a little. She grinned.
"Obviously." She scoffed. Tsuna frowned, and eyed her thin frame. She jabbed him in the ribs. Lightly, thankfully. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." She said. The confidence, both in her voice and body language, told Tsuna it was the truth. He relaxed slightly, and gave her his wrist. She smiled, a little warmer this time.
"Thanks for the meal." She said cheekily, and bit down. It was over just as quickly as last time. She took a few quick mouthfuls, and then let him go. Her hands smoothed over his forearm, and she pressed a little kiss to his wrist before she left, waving over her shoulder. Tsuna stood there for a good ten minutes, wandering idly what the hell just happened.
Tsuna was on his way home when he got kidnapped. He only wished it could've been one of his supernatural creatures…
His classes had finished early that day, leaving him with plenty of time to bask in the sunlight on his way home. He hadn't been accosted by anything supernatural lately, either. It was a refreshing change of pace. Of course his luck couldn't hold... He noticed the man hovering in the edges of his vision, noticed the one barely hidden in the alleyway up ahead of him. He didn't notice the one behind him.
He stopped in his tracks a few feet away from the alley, unsure what to do about the person lurking there. He didn't think it was another vampire, too light for that…. But vampires weren't the only ones who would harm him. Even humans were perfectly capable of that. So he stopped, and watched. And that was his mistake. An arm came up from behind him, covering his mouth in a sweet smelling cloth. Tsuna had a brief moment to struggle, to thrash against the one holding him, before his vision went dark.
He woke up quickly, he knew, but that didn't help much when there were three people holding him down. He tried struggling against their oppressive grip, but his limbs were still slow and heavy from the drug. He tried to scream, but all that came out was a muffled whine. They quickly and efficiently bound and gagged him. Legs together, arms behind his back. A van appeared in the alley and he was shuffled inside. Tsuna wasn't sure if he passed out again, or if the van was completely enclosed, but all he could remember after that was darkness.
When the van doors finally opened, the dim light of the room was almost blinding. Once he was on the ground and the spots had danced out of his vision, Tsuna took note of his surroundings. A warehouse, by the looks of it. Small, full of boxes, but pretty bare otherwise. The off-white walls made everything seem cleaner that it probably was. Tsuna squinted at the high windows. It looked dark outside. How long had they been driving? Would Skull have noticed he was late? Shit. Skull was a fairy, and fairies were possessive. What if he came after Tsuna and got hurt?! Shit, shit, shit. He needed to get out of here! He twisted his wrists in the handcuffs, tugging and yanking to get out. It only made the metal bite into his wrists. One of the men who kidnapped him came over.
"Stop struggling, you won't get away." He said, and his accent was thicker than Tsuna's hair. "I'm going to take the gag off, don't bother screaming. No one will hear you." After the gag was gone, Tsuna rolled his tongue around his mouth, trying to get the texture out. He didn't scream. He doubted the man would lie about anyone hearing him, and any who did would likely be killed or taken. He didn't fancy the gag being put back on either.
"What do you want?" He asked instead. The man gave him an uninterested look, and wandered back to the rest of his group. Three men and a woman. Their dark clothes were a stark contrast to the light colours of the room, and when they spoke it was in a language Tsuna didn't know. He looked around a little more.
He could only see one door, on the other side of the room. There may be one hidden behind some boxes, but Tsuna didn't hold any hope. It he could get his feet loose, he may be able to sneak behind the boxes and escape… Tsuna was just starting to twist himself into a pretzel when the door exploded inwards. Skull strode through the hole like it was a resort, eyes wandering around the room until they found him. Tsuna could see his wings clearly now, dark, shimmering purple highlighted with veins that looked almost black. Skull slowly ran his tongue over the needles Tsuna called teeth. He was making it very clear who he was. What he was. He pointed a single clawed finger at Tsuna, eyes roaming back to the ones who kidnapped him.
"That's mine." He said, like it was a matter of fact, not just his personal opinion. His voice was light, too, like he didn't particularly care as long as they gave Tsuna back. One of the men stepped forward.
"You can't take him, we have orders!" He said, though the light tremble in his voice betrayed him. The effect was immediate. Skull's face darkened into malice, his lips stretching away from his teeth to form a snarl. Tsuna shuddered. Skull was always so passive… he'd forgotten how dangerous the fae could be.
"I said: he's mine." The light tone was gone, replaced by vengeful fury. This was no longer a man getting his friend back, it was a fairy of the courts taking back what belonged to him. Tsuna wriggled his wrists in the cuffs. This wasn't going to end well if they kept resisting.
"Hey, uh, could you, you know… let me go? I think it would be better – for everyone…" Tsuna said, forcing the words out through the thickness that was suddenly seeping through the air. Fairy magic, he had no doubt. Skull wasn't happy. The fairy inclined his head, just slightly, waiting for an answer. At least he was giving them the chance. Tsuna shuddered again. The man who had spoken was practically vibrating, but he held himself high. He shook his head. Tsuna swallowed the lump of panic rising in his throat. Skull blinked, slow and cat-like.
"Oh?" He said. Tsuna's teeth clenched hard and he honestly had no idea why. Skull's body had relaxed, his wings drooping, the sneer dropping back to cover his teeth. "Guess we're doing this the hard way then." Tsuna didn't even see him move. There was blood on the ground and the men were gone. He trembled. Skull appeared in front of him and Tsuna squeaked. Skull visibly flinched at the sound. He whimpered, dropping in front of Tsuna and all but crawling into his lap.
"I won't hurt you." He said quietly, and the hurt in his voice made Tsuna want to cry.
"I know." He said, barely a breath. He didn't know how he knew, but it was simply a fact his mind had latched onto. Skull wouldn't hurt him. He smiled, watery and a little numb. "I'm not really worried about myself." Skull whined, nuzzling against his cheek.
"They weren't gonna give you back. And they wouldn't stop coming for you." He said. Tsuna let out a shuddering breath. He was fine. Everything was going to be fine.
"I know." He said again, and tugged on the handcuffs. Skull swiped at them and the metal gave like it was made of paper. Tsuna chuckled, and it was slightly hysteric. He'd forgotten how powerful fairies were…
Skull carried him the whole way home. He flew part of the way, but decided to walk the rest after Tsuna almost threw up on him. He'd never realised how fast fairies could fly. After they were safely locked away in Tsuna's apartment, every window thoroughly scoped and locked, Skull finally let them settle for the night. In Tsuna's bed. Both of them. He fell asleep with Skull curled around him like a protective cacoon, and couldn't help but think that it wasn't so bad.
He came home one day to Colonnello eating cereal in his kitchen. That… was not expected. Like, at all. Skull was sitting on the couch, pouting. Tsuna squinted.
"If you bullied my fairy…" He started. He didn't finish though, because he wasn't exactly sure what he should finish with. There wasn't much he could do outside of pester him to death. Colonnello was grinning though, like Tsuna was the most entertaining thing in the world. Skull was beaming too, and Tsuna just realised he'd accidentally called him his. Whelp, guess he had a permanent resident now. He should probably make him pay rent… Tsuna pouted.
"Get out of my apartment…" He sulked.
Lal was in his kitchen the next day, and Tsuna wasn't sure why he was surprised. Was he surprised? At that stage, he wasn't even sure. He couldn't remember when she introduced herself either, but he knew her name so she must have. Both of the vampires were eating his cereal, which Tsuna is only just now realising is weird. He shrugged it off and went to steal some of the toast Skull was making. He was fairly sure he belonged to the fairy by proxy at this stage anyway. Skull gave him a warm smile, and he didn't feel any different after he took the first bite, so he stole another slice and sat down next to Lal. It was… more domestic than Tsuna thought it had any right to be. Two vampires, a fairy, and a human all having breakfast in his kitchen. A lizard scuttled across his counter, stealing his other slice of toast on the way through. Make that: two vampires, a fairy, a shapeshifter, and a human. What was his life, to be honest?
It didn't take long for it to all go to hell.
Fon came over every now and then to invite him over for tea. Tsuna wasn't sure how the man knew where he lived, but he wasn't prepared to ask. He found varying people in his kitchen whenever they felt like popping over. Reborn had taken to raiding his fridge along with taking his snacks. Tsuna couldn't say he minded at this stage. They chatted occasionally, and he'd actually helped Tsuna with his homework a few times. He was rather vicious about it though, which Tsuna didn't particularly appreciate. He enjoyed the shifter's presence nonetheless.
Colonnello and Lal usually came over at night and ate his cereal. He still wasn't sure why. Skull had also told him they slept over during the day sometimes. They bickered a lot, and fought for Tsuna's attention, which Skull didn't appreciate at all. He was used to having Tsuna all to himself. They had formed a habit of snuggling on the couch watching TV after Tsuna got home. On the very odd occasion, Tsuna fed one of the vampires. Colonnello had pouted horribly after learning that Tsuna had fed Lal. He never actually asked though. If Tsuna offered, he didn't hesitate to accept, but he refused to ask. Tsuna asked Lal about it, but she'd merely scoffed and called Colonnello soft. He'd shrugged it off, and continued life as always. Unfortunately, life liked throwing him curveballs.
It started one day after his last class had finished. Tsuna felt like he was being watched. No matter where he looked, though, he couldn't find the source. This continued for almost a week. Tsuna got increasingly antsy, to the point he almost skipped his classes on the Friday. He had a test, though, and he really couldn't afford to fail. Skull offered to come to class with him, but as immensely grateful as Tsuna was for the offer, he was fairly sure that wasn't allowed. Skull offered to wait outside, in the café, or the bar, or even just outside the classroom if it made Tsuna more comfortable. He wanted to say yes, but Skull had gone with him on Wednesday and said he couldn't sense anything. It was probably just Tsuna's paranoia anyway… right? What a mistake that was.
Tsuna finished his last class for the day. He was planning on going straight home. He'd even told Skull. Then he saw the mysterious floating figure from the mall. He knew. In that moment, Tsuna knew without a doubt, that they had been the one watching him all week. His first instinct told him to run. His first thought told him he had a right to know why this being was watching him. None of the others had been dangerous, maybe this one wasn't either… He hedged toward the floating being, probably looking for all the world like a crazy person. They didn't move until he was almost within arm's reach, and then they were floating away.
"Hey!" Tsuna squawked in protest. Fear momentarily forgotten, he chased them. He really should have known better.
He chased the being for another couple of blocks before he realised his mistake. It had become less and less crowded. He jerked to a stop but it was too late. A spritz of some kind of powder flew out of the being's cape. He gasped instinctively. Tsuna felt the effects almost immediately. His legs felt weak, his head spun. He scrabbled for the nearest wall, but his arms wouldn't hold his weight. He slid to the floor, blinking to try and keep himself awake. Long silver hair invaded his vision, and then everything went dark.
Tsuna was getting really sick of being kidnapped.
When Tsuna woke, he was tied to a chair. Which was weird, because he was pretty sure drugs were only supposed to last a few minutes outside of films. He wasn't groggy like last time either. Again, weird. There was a long, dark table in front of him, occupied by six people. The floating being was there, and five others Tsuna didn't recognise. The clothes they wore, however, were strikingly similar to what his previous kidnappers had worn. That didn't seem very good.
All eyes in the room were on him, which made his skin prickle in discomfort. Especially the eerie red of the man at the head of the table. The scars marking his face told Tsuna of battles. This man was a warrior. They stared at each other for an uncomfortably long time, but the other didn't seem to have any intention of talking. Almost like he was waiting for something. The thought made Tsuna's stomach turn. The man swirled brown liquid around in a crystalline looking glass. Tsuna doubted it was apple juice.
He let his eyes slip to the others, but they were facing the scarred man now, almost as if awaiting orders. Tsuna almost grimaced. Skull would be looking for him by now, but Tsuna wasn't sure if he'd be able to find him this time. After all, Tsuna had noticed himself being watched, but Skull hadn't been able to detect the other being's presence. If they could hide themselves from Skull, could they hide Tsuna as well? He eyed them in vague annoyance. If he hadn't been so stupid as to follow them… No. These people felt different from the ones earlier. If Tsuna hadn't followed the floating one, no doubt one of the others would have gotten him. Tsuna flexed his hands. Something was coming.
All Tsuna heard was a loud crash, then everything happened at once. The ropes on his hands split. Skull attacked the cloaked being. Somebody wrenched his chair backwards. Colonnello grinned at him. Somebody else grabbed his arm and started pulling. A Chinese dragon filled up the room, a black cat perched on it's head. Tsuna laughed, slightly hysteric, and let Lal drag him out of the room.
The halls were long, and empty. Lal weaved through them expertly. They emptied out into a massive open foyer, and Tsuna had absolutely no clue where the hell they were. The ceiling above them collapsed with a thunderous roar. Dust flew into his eyes, and Tsuna couldn't see. He heard shouting, and something that sounded grossly like bones crunching. A snarl sounded far too close to his face, and Tsuna stumbled a few steps back.
He rubbed feverishly at his eyes, trying desperately to get the dust out so he could see. The cacophony of noises around him was almost deafening. He couldn't tell anything apart. He looked this way and that but everything was a blur. He stumbled another few steps. His eyes watered, and he scrubbed it away. When Tsuna finally opened his eyes, he saw red. Pain bloomed in his chest, searing hot. Tsuna gasped, choked on the breath and faltered. Someone slammed into the man in front of him, but Tsuna couldn't tell who it was through the haze of pain. His knees wobbled and buckled beneath him, and he barely managed to catch himself on a hand.
Tsuna scrabbled at his chest and it came away covered in gooey, orange mush. He put his hand back on the ground to keep himself stable, and the orange steamed and hissed as it hit the floor. Tsuna breathed and his chest ached with heat, spreading through him, surrounding him, everything was hot. Heat clawed at his skin from the inside out, pushing and shoving and cloying in his lungs and his mouth, until he could feel it on his tongue. He looked up and his eyes burned orange. The heat slipped under his skin and cracked, pouring out in waves. Too much, too hot, too much.
His eyes found the one who'd done this and the anger made him burn hotter. How dare he try to take what belonged to him! How dare he try to hurt those Tsuna cared for! He sucked in the heat – and he screamed. It billowed out in waves, crashing against everything in the room, and it screamed with him. They were his. They belonged to him. His. All his. His, his, his, his, his. The heat enveloped what was his and crashed against what wasn't. Or it would have if it didn't hit a barrier first. He could feel another kind of heat there, just as ferocious as his own. He shoved against it anyway, because he was pissed. It faltered for hardly a moment before strengthening.
The strange battle only lasted for a moment. Skull waded through the heat to get to him, knelt down beside him, and wrapped his arms around him.
"It's okay, we aren't going anywhere." He said. Just like that, the heat snapped back to Tsuna like a rubber band. He took a shuddering breath, and clung to Skull's jacket like a lifeline. Everything was still for a moment. Someone moved, and the heat stirred, snapped out like a whip.
"Vooooi! We get it! Don't touch your shit, Jesus!" One of them called, and Tsuna could see the wariness in most of their faces. His eyes found the scarred man's. He kind of regretted it. Because there was interest there. A burning curiosity that Tsuna really couldn't be bothered with. He shuddered once more, and passed out in Skull's arms.
Tsuna didn't particularly want to wake up, but that seemed to be what his brain was trying to make him do, so he guessed he was doing that. He shifted slightly, realised he wasn't on a bed and decided not to open his eyes. Judging by the feel of it, he was lying on someone's back. A very broad someone's back. He smushed his face further in between their shoulder blades and stretched out a bit. They smelled pretty nice… His first guess was Skull, but he couldn't feel any wings anywhere near his person, and he was fairly sure the fairy couldn't make them intangible. His second guess was a tie between Reborn and Colonnello and he disliked both of those options equally. His third guess jumped to the scarred man who attacked them, so he quickly backpedalled to his second guess. Reborn probably wouldn't let him sleep on him anyway…
Tsuna let his eyes flutter open, and from where his nose was buried he could see a snatch of blond hair. Colonnello it was. He sighed deeply, but couldn't bring himself to move. He was actually pretty comfortable… and it's not like he was dangerous or anything. Well… as non-dangerous as a vampire could be. Tsuna shifted a little more and peeked over Colonnello's shoulder, to where his face was pillowed by his owns arms. He seemed to be sleeping of all things. Did vampires even need sleep? He looked peaceful like this, and it was a stark contrast between his usual high energy. Tsuna buried his face again, because he honestly couldn't be bothered with any of this and he was still tired.
When he woke up the second time, he was sprawled out on Skull's chest. The fairy grinned at him eagerly when he gave him a sleepy smile, and Tsuna let himself stretch. Skull scooped him up into a hug, and he laughed lightly, happy to cuddle with the enthusiastic fairy. It ended too soon and Tsuna was propped on his feet.
"How do you feel?" Skull asked, rubbing his hands up and down Tsuna's arms. Tsuna contemplated that for a moment. He felt… different. The same but different. He felt like him, but there was still heat. It simmered beneath his skin like a fever, roiling and ready to knock him out given a moment's notice. He shrugged.
"Fine?" He said. Skull frowned, but didn't press. Tsuna moved towards the door, but Skull stopped him. He was giving it a sulky look, and Tsuna wandered if Colonnello or Reborn were there.
"The hunters from before are still here." He said, flailed a little when Tsuna panicked. "They're fine! Sort of… well, they're pretty annoying, but they aren't being dangerous or anything. Mostly… They said they weren't going to leave until you woke up and talked to them about something. Didn't say what, though…"
Tsuna let that sink in. They were waiting for him. In the other room. And they weren't leaving until he spoke to them. He felt a little queasy… Skull whimpered slightly, and curled around him protectively.
"I won't let anything happen to you." He breathed in Tsuna's hair. Tsuna relaxed almost immediately, melting into Skull's arms. He took a shuddering breath. Skull was here. Tsuna was fine. Everything was going to work out, and Tsuna was going to go back to his mundane life living with a fairy and a bunch of supernatural creatures. Who was he kidding, his life was anything but mundane… He sighed, and gently pulled away.
"Let's do this."
As it turns out, none of Tsuna's… friends…? Was he allowed to call them that? He had technically claimed them… None of the supernatural beings in Tsuna's life had left. They were all crowded into his living room, glaring daggers at the hunters across the room. Tsuna sighed. God, he hoped this ended well. He shuffled forward, but the second one of the hunters so much as looked at him, the heat flared up in defence. It rolled down his arms, building beneath the skin of his palms.
Tsuna glared at his hand. He raised it up in front of himself, and waited. In seconds, the heat swirled over his palm like a miniature firestorm. It flattened and spread out, covering his palm and crawling up his fingers. A hand covered his. Skull was right in front of him, and Tsuna hadn't even noticed. The sheer concern in his eyes made his heart throb.
"What is it?" Tsuna asked thickly. Skull tilted his head, watching.
"Magic." He said simply. Tsuna frowned. He was human, he couldn't have magic. He pointed this out. This gained a snort from the other side of the room. Tsuna hadn't been ignoring them, per se, but he didn't like the reminder of their presence. The scarred man sneered at him.
"Human's can have magic just as much as any creature, most just don't know how to use it for shit. Knowledge was lost centuries ago. Now it's mainly kept in families for fear of stigma. Cowards." He spat. Tsuna frowned. So humans could have magic.
"Witch trials…" He murmured. Skull nodded plaintively. The scarred man nodded too.
"Humans are trash too." He said easily. Tsuna sighed, and turned his full attention towards him.
Introductions were made then, and Tsuna let his eyes wander over the group. They looked human, he supposed, but something told him they weren't. His eyes finally found Squalo. He had his teeth slightly barred, like he was uncomfortable, his eyes never leaving Tsuna's. His teeth reminded Tsuna of a shark's, and his skin looked just a touch grey.
"Are you part mer?" He blurted without thinking. He immediately regretted it. The man scowled at him fiercely. A general shift around the room had him scowling even more.
"Voi! Don't get me wet, trash." He said, biting. Tsuna had the irrational urge to find the nearest body of water and dump him in.
"Sure…" He said instead, because he didn't have a death wish. Not that he probably could die given the amount of creatures in the room trying to protect him… Xanxus, the leader of the ragtag group of hunters, prowled forward. Tsuna forced himself to stand still and tall, even as the heat rolled down his arms, and his heart beat faster. Xanxus stopped just in front of him.
"Trash." He said, without any real inflection, and held a bottle out to him. Tsuna wasn't sure what it was, other than alcoholic, because the label wasn't in Japanese. He took it anyway. He'd probably need it…
He let himself step back into the comfort of his friends, if he could finally let himself call them that, and let himself take in their presence.
"How did you guys find me?" He asked, because he was sure he was alone when the Varia came. Reborn simply smirked at him, human for once.
"You do realise you're ours, right?" He said, smug and matter-of-fact. Tsuna stared at him blankly for a second, swirled the bottle in his hand, and started chugging. Reborn's face faltered, just slightly, and there were far too many eyes on his throat. Tsuna didn't stop. He drained the bottle. Put it in the recycling. Xanxus grinned at him like he'd just done something fantastic.
"I'm gonna regret that." Tsuna said carelessly.
He ended up sprawled across several laps. His head was pillowed in Lal's because she was the only one who couldn't get a boner from his head being too close to her junk. Tsuna's exact words. Because he was too drunk to really care anymore. Fon was sitting quietly in the corner, observing with a smile that crinkled his eyes. Tsuna thought it was cute. He said so. Fon blushed a bit. Tsuna didn't notice the glares Fon received from his bed of laps. Not like they could do anything while he was lying there anyway… It took him a moment to realise Colonnello's palm was splayed a little too far down his stomach. He reached up and caressed his cheek, enjoying the way he leant into it. He looked Colonnello in the eyes.
"Molest me in my sleep and I'll kill you." He said sweetly. Colonnello huffed in surprise, snorted, then started practically howling with laughter. Skull was laughing too, but it was slightly higher and more hysteric. Tsuna let them go, rolled over a bit and closed his eyes. For a moment he simply breathed. He was safe and warm, and for once in his life, everything was right.
~ END ~
AN: Tsuna's bed of laps include: Skull, Mammon, Reborn, Colonnello, and Lal, in that order. Mammon's only there because they're curious and they think they can get more information if they blend in with these assholes, rather than the other assholes. Hope you enjoyed!
Omake: Explain Please
"Why are you guys even here?" Tsuna asked, pouting as he cradled his pounding head. Hangovers were the worst.
"Iemitsu sent us. Stupid fucking trash said you were being attacked by supernatural beings." Xanxus answered, sipping whatever alcohol was in his glass today. He drank way too much.
"Iemitsu?" Tsuna said blankly. Why did that name sound so familiar? Xanxus cocked an eyebrow.
"Your dumbass father." He said flatly. Tsuna blinked. His face scrunched. A beat of silence.
"He's alive?!" Tsuna screeched suddenly, jerking into a standing position. They looked more stunned than Tsuna thought they had any right to be. Honestly, he was the one who should be shocked. His father, who had been missing and presumed dead since he was eight years old, was apparently alive and keeping tabs on him. What the fuck. Tsuna's face scrunched again, this time in anger. That made the heat build though, which resulted in Tsuna getting a little dizzy. He wasn't used to all this magic shit. Skull steadied him easily, and Tsuna tried breathing through his nose. Once the heat settled back down under his skin, he let himself flop back into his chair.
"I can kill him for you." Xanxus said, and the eagerness in his eyes was a little startling. Even more startling was that Tsuna actually considered it for a moment. He sighed.
"No…" He said morosely. Tsuna didn't dare think that Xanxus was pouting. He pondered for a moment, then grinned. "I think I might pay him a visit though..." Xanxus grinned too, and none of this could be good for anybody's health.
One airplane later and Tsuna was stepping onto Italian soil. Tsuna didn't speak much of the language, but it was something Reborn had decided to teach him one afternoon. His mother trailed after him, making the occasional noise of awe. Tsuna's friends followed after that, sticking close to his side, and then the Varia. Xanxus took the head of the group and Tsuna followed.
Eventually they hit a large, old building. Xanxus walked them right in and through hallway after hallway until they hit one with a big fancy door. Xanxus kicked the door in. Tsuna sweatdropped. Guess that was his way of knocking…
"Vooooi! Trash, we brought guests!" Squalo said in greeting. Well… Shouted in greeting. A blond man sat at a large desk, looking absolutely baffled. He stood up as they entered, jaw loose with shock. Tsuna vaguely recognised him from the various pictures around the house, and the time he'd brought a man only referred to as 'Grandpa' for a visit. The last time he'd seen him. Tsuna was suddenly glad he resembled his mother.
"Darling!" His mother squealed as soon as she saw him.
"Nana?!" Iemitsu looked marginally less happy to see her, and very much in shock. He stared at the rest of the group, even as his mother threw herself into his arms. His eyes finally landed on Tsuna. Tsuna flipped him off.