The art of negotiation

Part: 1/?

Disclaimer: Not mine, no money-making… and here I could earn so much money with the yummy boys by turning all my fantasies into yaoi-anime~ *_* wouldn't that be awesome?

Dedications: For dear ~Naru~ 333 … again. Because it's all her fault… |DDDD

Notes: Set somewhere in the future~

Songs I listened to when writing the story:

Combichrist – The Kill V2

Lady Gaga – Alejandro

Timbaland – Morning after Dark

The rough wind of late October shook the treetops of the rather high-grown Katsura-trees, making the brightly coloured leafs dance in its grasp. Some were ripped from their branches und were twirling through the cold air, touching ground eventually. The small dead limbs of the trees were breaking the rays of the weakened sun, throwing shadows onto the walls of the vast, mostly isolated building which was set in the middle of a small patch of green in the middle of the town. The shadows were dancing through the glass of the windows, flickering over the mahogany desk that was completely charged with documents and folders – playing with the unruly brown hair of the young man sitting at the wooden desk, his head resting on the opened folder that he had been reading in before deciding to take a break. The mostly soft brown eyes were closed and he was breathing evenly, the restless sunlight caressing his juvenescent features. It was all so very peaceful – but he was far from giving in to his tiredness and letting sleep pull him into its gentle arms.

Sighing softly Tsuna raised his arms and head, crossing his limbs over the opened folder before turning his head and resting it heavily onto them. Now facing his spacious office instead of the window he slowly opened his eyes and blinked a few times, waiting for his perceiving to normalize in means of colour contrast and clarity. His eyes were wandering around, taking in the white walls that were stud with dark wood at the lower third that was the same as the wooden floor. The shelves and cabinets whose glass doors were mostly lit by soft light from their insides were covering the most part of the walls, stuffed with books and folders they all were. It was all neat and tidy though, alphabetically in order and filed. He knew that it was Gokudera-kun who did all that… Tsuna himself would never have the nerve to do so, his comprehension for stringent systems only went so far and he would already be overstrained with the putting documents in a decent order. His silver-haired friend however had a feeling for things like that and according to him it was one of his dearest duties to look after the structure of Tsunas files and everything that came with it.

A warm smile was tugging on his lips and his eyes focused onto the flames that were crackling softly in the mahogany fireplace, separated of the room by a strong glass cover. Everything in his office fit into each other rather well… which was Gokudera-kun's work as well. He had been assigned with the reconstruction of the building that Tsuna had chosen to become their main-quarters and, backed up by a squad of interior decorators, had given the ancient walls a completely new design. Tsuna liked the way it had turned out… he had even gotten used to the golden Vongola crest that was decorating the ceiling of his office and which he had deemed suppressing and overly pretentious. He had come to terms with it – as well as with the post that had been assigned to him. Rather reluctant and hesitant he had accepted the task, had stopped fighting against becoming what he was now – the tenth successor of the Vongola-family, Vongola Decimo.

He had been living in denial for a long time, just completely unable to believe it was actually happening and intent on just shutting it all out. What Reborn told him and wanted him to do had seemed frightening and creepy – the boss of a mob-family… good gracious, even in his worst nightmares nothing like that had ever occurred. Being a downright coward who ran away from each and every argument and possible confrontation and rather ducked his head instead of standing tall and fighting had considered the possibility to become Vongola Decimo more a punishment than an actual privilege.

When time passed and he went through so many crazy, dangerous and sometimes even hair brained adventures with his ‚family' that was steadily growing stronger in number and capability he came to understand that being the head of an influential mafia-family was not a matter of dealing with weapons, drugs and whatever one could associate with the word 'Don' – oh no. It was much more difficult and dangerous than just that – it was all about preserving and protecting the people that he held dear. It was about harmonious coexistence with all the other families and solving problems and friction diplomatically as far as that was possible. It was about maintaining his people's trust and keeping them united under his protecting hands as well as he could. He didn't perceive the Vongola as a mob-organization but a constructive force that were to protect instead of destroy, a Vigilante, just as Vongola Primo had back then. To constantly walk the thin and fragile line between the need for harmony and self-righteousness was nearly impossible and brooding over that did cost him some night's sleep. Was he doing the right thing? Had his decision been the best one? Had there been something that he failed to take into consideration when he signed the document? Was his control over the current situation slipping from his hands and he would be standing in innocent people's blood up to his knees the next morning…?

He was neither saint nor savior – his hands were stained with blood of countless people and the thought alone that some of those people could have been innocent was turning his stomach right over. Deciding over people's lives and deaths he was playing god... and following that stream of thought he sometimes was very close to breaking down and running away from the pressure and responsibility that had been put onto his shoulders. Sometimes it just got too much to bear...

But then he was thinking about those he was protecting, those who needed and supported him, kept his mind stable and sometimes, more or less politely, contradicted him. Usually that was enough to chase his dark thoughts away and thinking about them all a smile was curving his lips again. His guardians and all the other people that were part of his inner circle. Each and every one of them was precious and important to him in their very own way... also the ones that weren't counting themselves among his family.

Thinking about the two of his guardians who were intent on keeping a clearly drawn line between themselves and the Vongola made him sigh. One of them was Hibari Kyouya... the ex prefect of Namimori-middle-school' disciplinary committee, the school they more or less had been going to, avenger of those rules unruly pupils had broken (keeping in mind that Hibari-san always interpreted rules in his very own way...) The raven-haired man had always been... very particular. Apart from his loyalty to *his* school and the equally named part of the town Hibari Kyouya had never been kind to anyone. Reborn excluded, Hibari-san had always shown a certain respect for the Arcobaleno because he had proven strong. He hated crowding and noise and avoided other people in general, the only thing he tolerated in his presence was the little yellow bird he was keeping (apart from other little animals like his hedgehog) - and the people he deemed worthy to fight. Which usually resulted in a fierce battle right away... Hibari Kyouya didn't socialize... at not with anyone belonging to the family. He apparently kept one of his men of the disciplinary committee nearby but Tsuna thought Kusakabe-san to more a lackey than a friend to the older man - and then there was Dino Cavallone. The tenth of the Cavallone family, strong and influential both in number and strength, which was keeping a friendly relation to the Vongola family. Reborn having taught Dino as well as Tsuna in becoming a suitable successor for their family may be a reason for that, the little man had brought the two of them together (most likely with the intention getting them well acquainted, Reborn *never* did anything without a reason...) und they had hit it off immediately. Dino often referred to Tsuna as his little brother... the tall blond had taken over the task of becoming a tutor and companion to Hibari Kyouya several times in the past (and future to be precise) - very much to Hibari-san's dismay who wouldn't accept any kind of cooperation with anyone in general as long as he didn't think it could be worth it. But somehow Dino had always succeeded in making the gruff, introverted prefect of the disciplinary committee do exactly what he wanted from him (and that usually corresponded to 100 percent with what Hibari-san did): fight Dino long, hard, undeterred and as long as it took for the measures they were taking to have some kind of effect.

Tsuna appreciated Dino in more than one way... he was successful, strong, was enjoying the complete trust of his men and still didn't seem like a mafia-boss at all. He COULD be that way as Tsuna had already experienced, but as they were usually meeting in private he had always considered Dino to be a person easy to get along with and whose company he was enjoying. Sometimes, when his men weren't around, Dino was clumsy and a downright klutz to such an extent that nobody would believe him to be Cavallone Decimo... but that was just so like Dino.
As far as Tsuna was informed even Dino, despite being Hibari Kyouya's mentor, hadn't been able to get through to the raven-haired man... but then he didn't have that much insight into their relationship, none of them talked to him about it and Tsuna didn't want to intrude anyone's personal life by asking as it was none of his business. The only thing important to him was that Hibari Kyouya was his cloud-guardian... and that he, despite never really accepting his role, did what he had to do when he was needed. Tsuna could always rely on the older man even though he seemed to despise them all with a passion. He was just the typical aloof floating cloud...

And on the other hand there was Rokudo Mukuro... and if he had some things to tell about Hibari Kyouya there was even more to be said about the unusual illusionist.

They had known each other for quite a while now, his family and Rokudo Mukuro... their first meeting far from being cordial and joyous. The illusionist had challenged and eventually fought them with the only goal to take over Tsuna's body because he had deemed him strong, influential and therefore interesting - he had tortured Tsuna's friends, had dragged people who had nothing to do with the whole thing at all into it - and had been defeated in the end. Being helped by Reborn and his chameleon Leon Tsuna had succeeded in stopping the blue-haired teenager and forcing him to his knees. What he hadn't expected and actually never wanted happened right after their battle had been decided: Rokudo Mukuro had been dragged off by the Vendicicare, the guards of a highly secured prison in Italy. He had actually escaped their maximum security prison a few months ago and they were intent on putting him right back there. The past of the teenager with the hair-cut one had to become used to had been rather turbulent as far as Tsuna had understood. Apparently Mukuro among others, including his later companions Chikusa and Ken, had been genetically experimented with by a mafia-family - which he had utterly destroyed once he had gained control of his powers, fleeing from the laboratory and taking Ken and Chikusa with him. He hated the mafia all together and had made it his goal to destroy it as a whole - and taking over Vongola Decimos body had been approved useful to his plan.

Tsuna's eyes turned a little sad when thinking of it all. He understood Mukuro and his way of thinking on the one hand... in some ways they were rather alike: he protected those who were important to him with all he could. He had let the Vendicicare capture him after the trio had successfully escaped their prison to ensure that Ken and Chikusa would not be persecuted and could live on safely - and had paid a very high price for that. Their patience finally at its ends the Vendicicare had put the illusionist into a basin filled with water, forcefully sealed his powers and drugged him so heavily that Mukuro had been reduced to a motionless puppet. Completely isolated from light and sound the blue-haired teenager had been held captive in the basement of the prison - up to the present.
Tsuna couldn't even start to imagine the terror that his current situation was causing this creature of the mist whose nature it was to be unbound and flexible. With agreeing to become Tsuna's mist-guardian Mukuro had earned a little more freedom but still was heavily secured and guarded and a shadow of his self. The drugs that had completely been fogging his mind had been eased a bit and he could communicate with others via his media, he could appear in people's dreams - but it was only for a short period of time and cost him such an amount of energy that he had to economize.

Mukuro's state was completely unbearable in Tsuna's eyes... Mukuro had saved them more than once, had proven that they could rely on him. He still denied being part of anything associated with the mafia, but just like Hibari Kyouya he fulfilled his tasks when he was needed. His closest medium substituted him as the Vongola mist-guardian in his absence and through her he was able to communicate with them and help if he was needed. Chrome Dokuro was doing a fairly good job but would never reach Mukuro's powers. Tsuna had seen free and adult Mukuro in action on their trip to the future a few years ago and that had really been impressive... he was quite fortunate having the blue-haired man even though dealing with him could be a little... tricky.
Tsuna has been trying to get Mukuro out of his prison for a while now, he was negotiating with the Vendicicare. Being Vongola Decimo didn't enable him to interfere at the policies of the prison but he did have some kind of state, his wishes and attempts of negotiation were at least not plainly ignored. By choosing Mukuro as his mist-guardian he had made sure that the illusionist wouldn't be given the death penalty (it had been considered before, he did know) but they didn't like the idea of letting Mukuro go at all. Tsuna was working on it, with increased instancy. He didn't want to leave Mukuro there... he wouldn't die, wouldn't surrender, he had seen that in the future, but he knew that his situation was getting to him, more than he would ever let anyone know. He had been there for 5 years now and in Tsuna's eyes that was enough for lifetime.

He sighed again und shook his head a little, straightened his shoulders und stretched on his leather seat, hearing some of the bones click comfortingly back into their place. He had a lot of work to do... reading statements, checking accounts, signing contracts... things he didn't want to burden Gokudera-kun with. His right-hand man was having his own share even without Tsuna's lacking motivation... back to work, that was. He wanted to quit his office before eleven o'clock tonight - which would be the first time this week. And it was Thursday already...

He leaned back in his seat and grabbed the opened folder he had been reading in before losing himself in his thoughts, continued studying the rather boring contents. He was really lacking motivation but knowing everyone here was doing their best he didn't want to stay behind - and that was enough to keep him going.