All characters © Amano Akira

Summary: Fandom: KHR. In 2014, the Namimori Board of Health decides to demolish Kokuyo Land. Although Tsuna sees it as yet another way for the universe to torture him, it turns out to be an opportunity to get closer to his family.


The Cobweb Tarantella

April

From the floor below, Tsuna could hear Gokudera playing Liszt's Consolation no. 3. As he listened, Tsuna realized that no other piece was more fitting for a rainy day such as today. Forget "April showers bring May flowers;" if this kept up half of Japan would be under water by the time May came around. After two weeks the rain had shown no signs of letting up, and although Yamamoto was loving it, Tsuna found it put a damper on his mood.

With creases of concern deepening his brow (as they often did when he was looking at her), Sawada Tsunayoshi eyed Chrome Dokuro as she slowly sipped at a cup of hot chocolate that he had insisted she drink. The hot chocolate was laced with brandy, although Chrome did not know this. Tsuna had seen Chrome upset before. He had seen her worried, ill, frightened, and mildly angry, but he hadn't known that she could even do hysterical until she had shown up on his door soaking wet and muddy.

She hadn't been seen at headquarters for two days, but unsurprisingly, no one had seemed to notice. Chrome was exceptional at fading out; after all, most regarded her face as another pink circle in a sea of flesh. A No-name, an existence so slight that when pressed into the earth, it made no print. Unnoticeable. That is, until she came back this afternoon. It had taken a good half-hour to calm her down.

It was Tsuna's own humble opinion that as far as comforting people went, anyone— Yamamoto or even Bianchi would have been better than him. When Chrome showed up, Tsuna had wanted to call in Haru or Kyoko; if the situation was emotionally related (or worse, female related, Tsuna shuddered), it was best that the girls take care of it. To his surprise, Chrome insisted that it was a private matter that she wished to speak to only him about. Tsuna nervously accepted, although he knew he wasn't really good with these kinds of things.

"Chrome," he began gently, "did someone attack you?"

Chrome stared at her cup miserably, her free hand fumbling with the tassels on the throw rug draped over her shoulders. She shook her head. "No, Boss," she replied, "but I need you to come with me right away!"

Tsuna glanced at the dark mud caking her uniform and bare legs again, and threw a skeptical look at the downpour outside. "Why?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

"I-I don't really know," she began. Tsuna saw that despite the mild sedative, she was still shaking. "I don't know!"

"It's, okay," Tsuna reassured her softly. He closed his eyes as the Consolation downstairs slid into a minor key. "Can you tell me what you know?" he edged.

Chrome swallowed and gave a quick nod. "Mukuro-sama's in trouble. They all are."

"Eh? W-why?" A shiver suddenly trickled down his spine, as if some of the rain from outside had gotten in without him knowing it. He began to get a very bad feeling indeed.

"At first I didn't know," Chrome said. "Mukuro-sama was...keeping me out. Usually, I can break in if he's weakened or injured, or if I try really hard, but I— I don't like to do that."

Tsuna laid his hand on top of hers, since it was still wrought with tremors. Chrome looked at him gratefully. "Did you see something?" he asked her.

Chrome nodded, and a few tears spilled over her lower lashes and down her cheeks. "That's why I left, Boss. I needed to find them, to make sure they were okay..."

Tsuna frowned at this. "Find them? They're staying at the Kirihara condos," he said slowly. "Right?"

Chrome smiled sadly. It had been a while since Tsuna had seen a smile so twisted with worry. "Is that what he told you?" she asked. Tsuna began to feel a sinking feeling in his chest. It was the kind of feeling you got when you've realized that you swam out too far in the ocean and lost sight of the shore.

"Chrome," Tsuna's face became stony. "Where is Mukuro?"

She gripped her mug tighter, knuckles white and protesting over the ceramic. "I can't really...you...you need to see it, Boss. There's nothing I can do!"

"Alright." He got up and went to get his umbrella and his keys. He quickly scoured his closet for some old boots to give Chrome, emerging with some faded Timberlands and a dry poncho. "Do I...should I call the medics?" he asked, holding out the clothes to her and reaching for his cell phone. His intuition told him they would be needed.

Chrome nodded, taking the boots and poncho. Her good eye bore into his, overwrought and pleading. "Please, help him."

Tsuna gave a nod, and motioned for her to follow him into the rain. Downstairs, the Consolation trickled to a quiet end.

-.-.-.-.-

Tsuna had driven himself; an oddity in an of itself considering driving was something he normally had Gokudera or Ryohei take care of. With roads blocked off and slippery mudslides here and there, it was a harrowing task. The Vongola's silver Honda was good, but it was no truck. By the time Tsuna arrived, his windshield wipers were groaning in protest and Chrome had begun to tremble again. She fretfully pulled his sleeve as he stepped out of the car. He could hear the sirens of the medics, dispatched on Hibari's order, close behind him.

Tsuna felt the wet squelch of damp earth underneath his boots as he allowed himself to be led by Chrome. Finally, she stopped, and pointed. Tsuna stared. He could hear Hibari himself getting out of the first ambulance car (distinctive by his calm, slow strides), and he even heard the barely audible exhale of his Cloud Guardian behind him as he saw what was ahead.

For a minute Tsuna just stared, eyes wide and the rain pattering loudly onto the back of his umbrella. The he took a deep breath and shook his head once, twice.

"Oh, Mukuro," he said.

to be continued.