Summary: [Magic AU] Tsuna is an apprentice wizard and summons his first demon. Dino is ecstatic, Lal is peeved, and Reborn is having the time of his life.
a/n: In which I try to be funny and witty just like Reborn but fail miserably. I also fail miserably at romance, so apologies to Tansku94, who requested R27 for their secret santa gift. I tried.
On another note, happy holidays to everyone, whether you celebrate anything or not.
Disclaimer: I totally made up all the ritual stuff and the magic stuff please do not try at home!
-/-
"You'll be fine," Dino assured him, straightening out his robes and patting his head.
"Sure," Tsuna said sulkily. "You said that when you introduced me to Hibari, and he almost knocked my head off."
Dino laughed, bright and cheery. "Mmm, the contract I have with Kyoya is rather lax. But, you're still alive, and that's all that matters."
Nervously, Tsuna ran sweaty palms down his robes, and upon reaching his waist, they curled around the threaded twine looped like a belt around his waist. He'd seen demon summonings before; just a month ago, he'd watched as his mentor Lal Mirch, a rather Spartan witch, summoned and contracted with a demon named Colonello, who seemed dead set on flirting with her until she revoked the contract out of irritation. Reminiscing on the ritual, Tsuna immediately wilted as he recalled the elaborate sigils and runes that had been painted across what had seemed to be every inch of open space.
Noticing his discomfort, Dino ruffled Tsuna's hair. "Little bro," he teased, "There's nothing to worry about! You're a fine wizard and you've been taught by one of the best. Besides, Lal does think you're ready for your first demon summoning."
Nodding uncertainly, Tsuna bit his lip and slowly turned until he faced the rune-covered door that led to one of the many summoning rooms in Lal's underground bunker. Reaching out to grab his supply bag and a book of runes, the boy inhaled deeply and pushed open the door, driven forward by Dino's shouts of encouragement.
Once inside, he quickly got to work, drawing out expansive sigils and runes, setting up spells and protective wards, and readying the silver knife that he would use to draw blood. After checking and double checking his work, he leaned back on his heels and sighed.
"Here goes nothing," Tsuna muttered, stepping backwards into a protective circle.
Closing his eyes and clasping his hands together, Tsuna began to recite the spell, words in dead tongues spilling out of his mouth. In the circle across from him, a flash of light crackled, smelling faintly of ozone, and a slow spiral of smoke swirled, forming into a small tornado-like whirlwind of gray.
As suddenly as it formed, it dispersed, and in its place stood a tall, slender man clothed in black. Tsuna's eyes snapped open as the energy that had built up in the room suddenly fizzled out, like air rushing out from a popped balloon.
"Another one of you wizards?" the man sighed, brushing off a imaginary piece of lint from his impeccable suit. "I swear, you just keep multiplying like rabbits."
Tsuna could only stare, as the man-the demon-places his hands on his hips and looks around. "Puny room," the demon snorts. "The one Lal had me in was prettier."
Not knowing what to say, Tsuna stuttered, "You knew Lal?"
The demon turned his coal-black gaze onto Tsuna, head cocked as he observed the boy. A heavy silence filtered through the room as his lips quirked up into a smirk. "You're her kid," he scoffed. "She kicked me out when she was getting an apprentice. Good riddance."
Mind whirling, Tsuna steeled his nerves and said, "We, uh, we need to make a contract."
The demon snorted in amusement. "How about no?"
Ignoring the demon in favor of starting the spell, Tsuna raised his hand, white light flickering at his fingertips. His eyes slightly glazed over as runes appeared in the air around him. Across from Tsuna, the demon crossed his arms.
"Your name is Reborn?" Tsuna asked, flicking his eyes up to meet the demons', who held his gaze without fear.
"The one and only," Reborn responded, flashing a fanged smile.
Letting out a deep, calming breath, Tsuna said, "Let's begin."
-/-
Thirty minutes later, Tsuna, drenched in sweat, stumbled out of the room with a small scroll bound with a black ribbon clutched tightly in his hand. Upon seeing the door open, Dino jumped up and ran towards his brother.
"Tsuna!" he yelled excitedly, pulling the boy into a bone crushing hug. "You made it!"
From behind Dino came Lal, draped in gray robes. Her gaze immediately went to the scroll in Tsuna's hand. "Please don't tell me you summoned Reborn," she said with a roll of her eyes.
"I did," Tsuna muttered. Hearing the odd tone in his mentor's voice, Tsuna raised his head and asked hesitantly. "Is that a bad thing?"
Dino yelped and shot Lal a look that Tsuna had come to dub the please protect my baby brother look. Lal, being Lal, ignored the man and said, "It all depends on how much he likes you. If he does, then you will probably be able to work together, somewhat. If not, then he'll manage to make your life a living hell while still perfectly following all your orders."
She said this with a flippant tone, crossing her arms and tossing her head to achieve a bored, uncaring look. Tsuna only saw this when Lal was either truly irked by something, or when she despised the topic being discussed. At the moment, the boy wasn't quite sure which one of those happened to be Lal's current mood, so he cautiously said, "Uh, Reborn did mention that you'd summoned him before…"
The witch snorted. "I did," she replied before turning around and walking away, signaling the end to conversation.
Greatly confused, Tsuna looked to Dino for an explanation, but the blond man could only shrug helplessly. "She did summon Reborn a few months before she took you on as an apprentice. I don't know what happened though," Dino said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with a laugh.
The thin, white scroll nestled in his hand suddenly felt much heavier.
-/-
Tsuna shouldn't have worried.
"So," Reborn drawled out, perched on the corner of the table that Tsuna currently sat at, idly spinning a black fedora between his fingers. "You're a first timer, aren't you? I'm your first demon."
Looking up from the spell book he'd been flipping through, Tsuna nodded, a bit wary of the tone. Reborn snickered, tossing up the fancy hat and settling it on his head before quickly scooting across the table, stopping right next to the boy. Uncomfortable at the closeness, Tsuna slowly leaned back, but Reborn lowered his head, until their foreheads almost touched.
"So…" Reborn drawled, "When's that fancy ceremony where you wizards are supposed to show off your powers and patronize your demons? The Inheritance or whatever stupid thing you call it?"
Tsuna could feel the demon's soft breath tickling his cheek; that's how close they were. Hands scrabbling for his book, the boy managed to sputter out, "I-I'm not quite sure." Then, in a moment of foolish bravery, Tsuna looked Reborn right in the eye and said in a much calmer tone, "You'll have to ask Lal."
A sudden silence fell over the two, and Reborn's pupils narrowed slightly.
Then, the demon threw back his head and laughed, short peals of laughter that quickly turned into large guffaws. Startled, Tsuna meeped and cowered slightly behind his book.
Lal chose that moment to enter the room, balancing a multitude of things in her arms: spell books, scrolls, sheaves of paper stuck anywhere and everywhere. Upon seeing this, Reborn laughed even harder.
With a huff, the witch dropped the pile of stuff onto the table, sending up a faint cloud of dust. Wiping tears from his eyes, Reborn managed to say, "Lal Mirch, I never thought I'd see you again in this lifetime."
"Shut your fucking mouth Reborn," was her sharp retort.
"How's Colonello doing?" Reborn continued to tease, "He either has nothing but love and praise for you," Lal choked at this, "Or he'll be complaining about how terrible a contractor you are."
Sighing, she brushed him off, although both Reborn and Tsuna-straining his eyes-could see the faint blush that dusted her cheeks. "Go bother my apprentice," Lal said, pulling a white envelope out of her robes and tossing it to said apprentice. Reborn reached over and snatched it before Tsuna even reached out his hand.
"Aye, Captain!" the demon crowed.
Tsuna, having watched the friendly but not so friendly banter between the two, was terribly confused. It must have shown on his face because Lal wacked him on the head with a rolled-up newspaper and Reborn snorted at him. Again.
After the witch had left, Reborn affectionately, albeit in a joking manner, rubbed Tsuna's hair. "Don't worry," he teased. "You're my one and only."
Leaving Tsuna sputtering, Reborn hummed happily to himself as he tore apart the envelope, extracting a thick, postcard-like piece of paper bordered with golden designs.
"Oh?" the demon mused as his eyes glanced over the elegant script. "It's an invitation to a 'Magical Gala', which apparently is a 'once in a lifetime opportunity for witches and wizards from all over the world to meet and share ideas, spells, and advice on all things…'"
"Let me see that!" Tsuna cried, reaching out and plucking the invitation from Reborn's hands.
Watching as the boy quickly read through the invitation, Reborn ventured, "Don't they have one of these every year? What do they mean by 'once in a lifetime'?"
He wasn't answered, but Tsuna's eyes grew big, jaw dropping at whatever tidbit of information he'd just read. Immediately curious, Reborn gripped the edge of the table and leaned forward, peering over the card.
"Come on kid," the demon complained as Tsuna scooted back his chair, holding the invitation protectively to his chest. "I'm not gonna bite you!"
Eyeing Reborn in blatant disbelief, Tsuna said, "Sure," and slid the card back into the envelope before tucking into a pocket.
Rising to his feet, Tsuna brushed off his robes and strode to the table, picking through the mess Lal had left on his desk. Reborn, who was still sitting on that table, asked, "What are you doing?"
Pausing in his shuffling, Tsuna raised his head to look at the demon. "Preparing for another training session with Lal."
The duo fell into silence, Reborn keeping his mouth shut mostly because it amused him to watch the boy twitch in the stillness of the room, shifting at every sudden noise. When Tsuna had finished gathering his books and papers, he tilted his head back to glance at Reborn, chewing on his bottom lip as he seemed to mull over a couple of choices before he turned back toward the door.
With a raised eyebrow, Reborn watched as the boy left the room and the door swung shut, leaving the demon alone in the room. His dark eyes stayed fixated on the closed door for another moment or so before he disappeared in a film of black smoke.
-/-
With a painful groan, Tsuna pushed open the door to his room, wincing at his aching muscles and throbbing limbs. One of Lal's beliefs was that magicians should not only train their magical powers, but also their physical abilities. Very few apprentices lasted long under Lal's tutorage.
Relaxing once he'd closed the door behind him, Tsuna flicked on the light with a tired yawn, turning around, intending to head to the bathroom, and tripped over a leg.
"Holy f-" Tsuna began, and prepared himself to have a personal, face to face meeting with his carpet.
"Whoa there," came a voice from above him, and Tsuna found himself hovering three inches above the floor. Strong arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him up.
In panic mode, Tsuna quickly slapped the hands away and backpedaled, foggy mind finally registering that Reborn, his demon, was lying on his couch, in his room.
"You didn't dismiss me," Reborn drawled, stretching out lazily like a sleepy cat on Tsuna's furniture.
Tsuna's jaw went slack and he rubbed his eyes. "I'm supposed to dismiss you?" he asked in a sleep deprived daze, not really expecting an answer.
Reborn laughed, a soft purring sound that quickly blossomed into full blown laughter.
"You've been laughing at me a lot today," Tsuna remarked moodily, thinking not about the demon in the room but about the nice, warm shower he'd promised himself.
Reborn only laughed harder.
Whirling around, Tsuna was about to shout angrily at the man who was annoying him half to death, but immediately clammed up when he realized Reborn had silently and swiftly moved from the couch to right in front of him.
"Well," the demon purred, coal black eyes gleaming with a dangerous light. "Since it is your first time contracting with a demon, I suppose exceptions could be made."
This cannot be happening, Tsuna's sleep deprived mind screamed as Reborn's face got closer and closer to his.
"What you're supposed to say is," the demon whispered in his ear, hot breath blowing over skin, sending tingles down his spine -
"I know what I'm supposed to say," the boy snapped, and Reborn laughed, again, at the way his face turned red. "Reborn, you are dismissed."
Tsuna flicked his hand as he scowled grumpily, white light crackling at his fingertips, and Reborn stepped back, smirking underneath the shadow of his fedora.
"Oh my, Tsunayoshi-kun," the demon sang, "We are going to have lots of fun together."
Then, he was gone, in a flash of light and a wisp of black smoke.
With Reborn's laughter ringing in his ears, Tsuna stomped off, fingers curled around a small, white scroll tied carefully with a ribbon as black as night.
FIN
-/-
a/n: this is very unorganized and short and i apologize, again. but, it was fun to write and i hope you enjoyed the read!
liked it? hated it? spotted an error? tell me your thoughts!