So by popular demand –and a week without a computer and with a giant muse – here is another chapter of The Difference Between. Something I've been looking forward to writing and something that is flowing rather well.
I must thank you dear readers, because you gave me quite a bit to think about, particularly about the relationship between Tsuna and Xanxus and the Vongola in general. While I knew exactly where I was/am ending this story, and in fact the exact lines that will be tying this story off in a few chapters time, your wonderful reviews have certainly twisted and changed the path that will bring us to that ending.
So I have to thank you. So, please enjoy and beware of spelling/grammar mistakes, and please do review, it means the world to me.
The Difference between This Coup and That.
Xanxus felt rage fall from his eyes in an exhausting melt that left nothing behind but that slow burn you usually only felt after strenuous, specific exercise for the first time in a long while.
"Good to see you again, boss." Squalo's voice was deep, but Xanxus would know it anywhere, at any time; along with the tell-tale relief that softened every word.
The world was a blurry mess around Xanxus' head, his muscles felt like pudding –but not in an atrophied sort of way –and his ears and nose felt filled with cotton. That didn't stop the flash of silver that flooded Xanxus along with the clean musk that had always been Squalo's scent.
"Wen'd you get a'sex change, Sharkie?" Though slurred and drunk with fatigue and overstimulation, Xanxus' voice was too deep to be recognizable to the man.
Somewhere in the background Xanxus thought he heard whoops and cheers; but he couldn't be assed with the background right now with all the sights and pressures all over his body as Squalo spoke and moved.
"Vooooiii! Eight years and that's how you greet me, boss?!" Squalo sounded shocked, but he had a grin stretched half way across his whole face so Xanxus knew the man wasn't. "Has your stint asleep made you forget, boss? I promised never to cut my hair again; until you became Decimo."
Ah, that made sense, Xanxus' blurred eyes rolled over the hair –a mass of silver that fell straight and to Squalo's ribs. At least the man didn't look ridiculous, long hair suited him more than that mop of buzzed hair from when they were children, in fact.
"Stupid reason for sucha hand'cap." Xanxus mocked, swaying in Squalo's arms as his pudding legs refused to take his weight.
Xanxus felt a growl build in his chest as his body felt de-synced and his flame core rumbled on empty. He felt the fever of its depletion build under his skin and he shivered with the thought of the pain and hunger that would follow.
"All the better to prove our power, then." Xanxus felt his shoulders squeezed tight for a moment before a soft, whispered voice ghosted across his ear. "It's good to have you back, Xanxus."
Xanxus smiled and clumsily returned the embrace with the arm over his friend's shoulders. "Can't get rid of me tha' easy, Squalo." Xanxus used the shark commander to try and stand to full height –he was almost ashamed when it took Squalo's strength to get him there –before he addressed the gathered men. "An' I better not hear that you let Varia Quality fuckin' split, trash."
At his statement, roars and chees rained down around him giving Xanxus a moment to survey his men and the chaos that seemed to be awash in the room.
Xanxus recognised the men, but he had last seen them as boys, younger than, or Xanxus' own age; it was throwing to see once baby fuzzed faces suddenly melted into stubble and angles. But something in Xanxus purred; they had stayed and grown stronger together and Xanxus was fucking proud of that.
Rubble and men were on the floor around the Varia, Vongola and CEDEF, and as his nose grew freed of the stuffing that blocked it, Xanxus grew aware of the smell of Dying Will flames and ice around him. It smelt like cotton with an underlying tang of fire and flesh and sweat and sweet sky flames. It made Xanxus' skin and his core writhe.
"As much as I hate to ruin this touching reunion, time is money." Mammon appeared in a flit of mist flames and slid cold metal into Xanxus' right hand.
"Surprised you stayed, Squirt." Xanxus mumbled as his head lolled to his hand. "Though you'd find a more prof'table sit'ation."
Xanxus mind was halted when his eyes roved over the skin of his arms as he tried to figure out what Mammon had given him. The once proud colour remained but now cuts and abrasions of darker colour patch worked his skin in a tapestry of his crime against and in favour of Vongola. Scars littered him and as the disconnected feeling of his limbs and skin dissolved he realised that the itch and tightness didn't come only from the sudden growth he had to contend with -because he was no longer sixteen, he and his body had aged – but also the scars now recounting his time under ice.
"Fuck."
Silence descended on the hall they had begun moving down, but it wasn't an ashamed kind, but the kind that happened because someone couldn't explain a situation away, having forgotten it was there and happening at all.
"Boss, don't worry." Lussuria appeared and it threw Xanxus more because the man looked barely aged, and more fucking dramatic as if that were even possible. "The zero-point break ice burned you when it was giving you nourishment and keeping you asleep." The sun flame user lifted Xanxus' hand to examine it and turned it over and over in thought. "We can't heal it, but we tried... they aren't normal scars."
"Oh fuckin' right?" Xanxus felt a strange burn across his face and Lussuria's face fell.
"Ah….they react to emotion."
Xanxus looked upon his arms to see the scars move and slide along his skin like demented tattoos, his eyes widened as he watched his muscles move around the scars.
"Well Fuck me."
"Ushishishishi," Bel moved to Xanxus' side and fuck didn't he get big fast? Xanxus could remember the boy arrived, young and vicious and covered in blood, already fitting in with the bloodthirsty but undeniably skilled Varia. The boy's grin was still in place and his eyes ever shaded. "As tempting as that might be, we don't have time; but your look suits you, boss-man."
Xanxus raised an eyebrow, about to ask Squalo what the fuck was wrong with the kid and whether he had suffered more head trauma while Xanxus was out, but then he noticed the rings on not only Bel's hand, but Lussuria's, and Squalo's and Mammon's; then looking at his own hand, Xanxus spied the metal that his illusionist had put there.
"What the fuck were you idiots doing while I was out?!"
Squalo laughed this time and Xanxus thought he heard Levi shout an undignified 'Don't mock boss.' In the background.
"Don't get your hopes up, Boss. We didn't take Vongola for you yet."
"Then the fuck do I have the sky ring?"
"Mou, only half a sky ring, Bosssu."
"Come again?"
"We only have half."
"The fuck? Stop being so cryptic, Squalo. What the fuck is happenin'?" How the fuck am I even out?"
That's when Xanxus noticed how drained his boys were, how dirty and pale and how their chests heaved, he noticed as his will branched out on instincts to protect, that all their cores were half drained.
"We managed to get the half rings from CEDEF before Iemitsu tucked tail and ran after he realised our plans." Mammon explained to his wide-eyes boss. "We started a coup, again. This time, we succeeded, since obviously you are out."
Xanxus stared at his men, shocked, proud, terrified, exhausted, and last but as all those emotions settled and he felt the tell-tale spark of his flames again, Xanxus let his face fall for a second.
"I think you all need to get me up to date." Has he the strength, Xanxus would have wiped a hand over his face.
"It's going to take a while." Lussuria assured.
"Where are we headed?" Xanxus asked again as the men moved around him through the half destroyed mansion as one unit, faster now that the boss was settled.
"Japan, boss." Squalo replied, refusing to give Xanxus' weight to anyone else as they moved.
"Then we have enough time." Xanxus' voice rumbled. "Start explaining, Squalo. I won't be the weak link here."
"Of course, Boss." Squalo replied. "But I'd get some rest while you can; the flight's as long as the story."
Xanxus hum was barely audible before Squalo felt the man's whole weight lean on him. The rain flame user noted that they'd have to build the man back up. While the ice 'cradle' has ensured his body's growth without being stunted and made sure his muscle mass remained optimum it was hollow growth and Xanxus barely weight more than Bel. It was more than concerning.
"Have the team prep all the nutrient meals they can, Lussuria."
"Way ahead of you."
"Good. We're in for a long flight." Squalo finished addressing the guardians before turning his attention to the other men all around him, their eyes lit with steady resolve that Squalo hadn't seen so fired up in years. "To your places boys, we're counting on you to hold down the fort."
There wasn't even a sound, but the order scattered the men with a salute and efficiency; since Xanxus wasn't awake Squalo felt the thrumming pride for him.
Tsuna felt the dirt press into every crease of his face and he knew it would take weeks to get his ears cleaned again. He felt the cuts and the grit in the wounds on his knees and palms; those would heal by the end of the week.
As he stood, quickly because he knew he'd be pulling a bullet from his calf again if he didn't –and those hurt like a festering splinter had exploded under his flesh and he hadn't had to take a bullet out for almost two years, it wasn't exactly something he wanted to relive –Tsuna growled and cussed out the man forcing him to the ground.
Life hadn't been bad since his god damn father had gone back to work, now it seemed like everything was imploding because the bastard came home.
"Get moving, Tsunayoshi. What did I say about staying down too long?"
"It'd get me shot, sir." Tsuna grit out, trying to keep the pain and panic from his voice when the bullets rained around again, he started to gather flames in his palms, ignoring the itching pain from the blistering skin.
Hopefully Reborn would be able to sneak in some healing this evening while Iemitsu was sleeping.
"Good. Now show me that pathetic resolve of yours, Tsunayoshi. Or else I might slip and wouldn't it be a shame for that little Lam-."
Tsuna was in Iemitsu's face, his flames used as propulsion, before the blonde could finish his sentence. Tsuna's eyes had a tint of red in the golden melt, and Iemitsu grinned. He batted Tsuna around, letting the boy practice his movements before he grew tired, and with another swift kick to the gut that had Tsuna biting his lip to stop the scream, Iemitsu had floored Tsuna and levelled his axe to the boy's head.
"Good job, Tsu." Iemitsu smiled and brought Tsuna to his feet with an offered hand, he patted the boy's head and quickly checked a scratch on his cheek. "I'm proud of you, you're getting strong."
Tsuna felt his gut buck and nausea build in his throat until his jaw tingled. It happened every time his father praised him. He loved the warmth he felt from his father's hands, they were strong and sure, but at the same time Tsuna felt every bruise, every broken rib and stitch and bullet his father had given him or put in him when he patted and praised him.
Something in Tsuna's chest roared at the abuse, it made his flames roar and his eyes burn. He knew his will was furious at his servitude to the man; the man who threatened his wards and guardians, his siblings that were more.
Tsuna wasn't an idiot, Iemitsu had been training him since he was young, and he knew that he was being groomed; but for what he didn't know. But it was addicting too. Being praised by his Dad like when he was a toddler and had just started to learn to spar was the most warming feeling.
His dad being proud of him was the only thing that Tsuna wa-
A fist connected with Tsuna's gut and left him winded, the ache from the last kick to his torso screamed and Tsuna felt tears come to his eyes as he flew backwards and into the dirt.
"What the fuck did I tell you about being distracted? Che, useless boy. He's yours for the evening, Reborn. See if you can knock some sense into him."
With that Iemitsu grabbed his pickaxe and slung it over his shoulder before sauntering away, a hand in his pocket. He was whistling a cheerful tune and grinning as he made his way home, as if he hadn't just broken his boy's ribs or made sure fear seeped into his mind.
Reborn appeared at Tsuna's side as his arm gave out from under him, Reborn –stuck in an infant body –was barely able to catch Tsuna's head before he cracked it on the ground, and together they managed to get Tsuna sitting against a rock. It was a rather pitiful sight to anyone, outside the-know, in which case, for those who knew it was just a tired sight.
That Tsuna was tough as nails, and Reborn was not quite a baby.
"Dame-Tsuna, you need to stop letting him get the upper hand." Reborn's hand was bright as he ran it over Tsuna's torso, a frown marring the face lit by the light of the flames when he realised the sheer damage done; damage that had not been given time to heel. "You know you're strong enough to defeat him. I can only heal so much."
"I'm not that strong, Reborn."
"You are." Reborn growled, a deep timbre replacing the childish squeak usually in its place. "You know you are, and your guardians do to."
"I can' escape him, Reborn. I can't go against him, I'm not strong enough to protect them." Tsuna's face was shaded, but Reborn could feel the flames in the boy's core buck and writhe and knew that his eyes must be glowing like gold. "Not yet. But I will."
Reborn was silent, one hand on his phone while the other tried to get Tsuna's hands back in working order; Iemitsu was a fucking idiot if he thought that crippling his son was going to protect him.
The Arcobaleno had half a mind to shoot Iemitsu and get him away from his student, at this rate Tsuna would die before taking over as Decimo. Reborn was really uneasy, his own instincts screaming at him that something was wrong.
"Juudaime!" Voices crested the hill as Hayato, Takeshi and Lambo –sitting in Takeshi's arms –searched the ground, when green eyes met Tsuna; whose head was tilted back in exhaustion, panic flooded them, "Tsuna!"
Said brunet just looked up tiredly to his three guardians, flinching when he reached for Lambo and his ribs protested. He took the young boy into his arms regardless. Lambo clung close and even though tears welled he didn't cry.
It hurt all three boys that that was the case, all of them damning Iemitsu.
"I'm fine. Dad was just…ah, a little rough."
"Rough? Tsuna, this is abuse. This isn't rough?" Takeshi's voice was rough and Tsuna watched as his eyes welled with helplessness.
"Baseball-idiot here is right, Tsuna. There's sparring, but this is ridiculous." Hayato was flailing, his brow creased with perspiration dotting the skin as a sun flame bloomed to light, and together with Reborn they healed Tsuna's hands.
It was bittersweet, Hayato's ability, Tsuna had been there when Iemitsu had forced his flames out. Tsuna was still guilty, especially when he caught sight of the scars littering Hayato's throat and hands.
Iemitsu deserved to die, Tsuna knew it. Especially after 'training sessions' with the guardians.
But Tsuna also knew he'd sooner be killed or left guardian-less than actually defeat his father.
"It doesn't matter. I can't stop him, and you can't either. I couldn't live if he killed you. You need to protect yourselves."
Tsuna grunted as he stood, swaying even as Lambo insisted on being put down; Tsuna didn't listen, Lambo was allowed to be selfish and want to be carried, he was only five.
"You have to protect yourself too, Tsuna." Hayato insisted as he stood, Takeshi caught him as the swayed, his flames fluctuating rapidly to make up for the unevenness in the core.
Sun flames were not Hayato's speciality.
"I'm doing this so I can protect you," Tsuna assured, leading his friends towards the house. Hopefully Iemitsu would be asleep and he and his friends could relax for a while before sleeping.
Reborn stayed back, eyes shaded as he growled. Iemitsu wouldn't get away with half of what he did is Reborn was not stuck in this insufferable body. Reborn sighed before he hopped onto Takeshi's shoulder; he couldn't help but be proud of Tsuna's resolve, even if it was going to kill the boy at this rate.
He would never be able to explain how disconcerting it was to look at himself in a mirror, to breathe and move and smell and taste and talk and know that he was twenty four in body and spirit and to know that his mind –always working and ahead of his time –was catching up rapidly and finally felt at home in his body.
Xanxus was stood in the airplane bathroom, showered, hair moping into his face, shirt undone and staring at a body that was totally his but looked so out of place. He had gone to 'sleep' as a gangly sixteen year old overflowing with rage and grief, with a thriving Varia and a steel-trap mind, and he had woken up a broad twenty-four with a struggling but fighting –fuck he was proud –and a mind awhirl with memories that were ricking and settling the transition from youth to adulthood.
As he watched the way his chest moved his mind reeled over the information his second had provided him while his other guardians added their own opinions and thoughts.
A new coup d'état.
His boys were fucking brilliant, they had faltered a week after Xanxus' incapacitation while the Vongola was messing them up and fucking them over every chance they could.
After that they had banded together and planned.
They had played 'good hounds' and managed to see Xanxus within a month.
They had acted the 'sound mind' and managed to get back into meetings within two years.
The Varia had played their cards right and had an ear back in CEDEF and a plan in place within six years.
Then it fell together, with Vongola trusting them near the ninth, and knowledge of various movements for CEDEF, Bel and Mammon had lead the raid on the inner sanctum while Iemitsu was separated from Timoteo to take the man and his rings.
But Iemitsu was ever the contingency planner, he had seen what was happening and had his CEDEF boy steal the rings, managing only to get half of the rings away before scurrying to Japan. But that still left Xanxus and his boys with half the rings and therefore a chance at overthrowing Iemitsu's bastard child before he had a chance to even warm the half rings his father would give him.
Xanxus closed his eyes, memories spewing forth as he thought about his boys and how incredible they were.
"The stupid old man only just let us start seeing you again, Boss. Don't worry though, their 'scare' tactics aren't working on us. We'll get you out and we'll show them your pride."
"Vooi. Fuck, Iemitsu is changing everything, and the dogs and allies aren't even aware. Even our recruits are turning out to spies."
"Ushishishi, the prince tires of this, the old dogs are blind to this turmoil. The Prince can't even get a good conversation out of Visconti. You'd better wake up soon, I do miss out games of risk. Especially when you lose."
"Yare. I'll be charging extra for this loyalty, I've shown you. So for your own sake get out of there soon."
"I've almost finished the research, bossu. I'm sure I'll be able to get you back into fighting order within a month of getting out. Don't lose faith in us, ne?"
"We're getting you out. We have a date and a plan. The old dogs have grown lenient this last two years and have started to train that bastards' son. We're getting the rings this week. Be ready boss; the Coup's about to start."
All the voices were disconnected and flowed without stop. There were others, venting worries like they had when Xanxus was active boss, some bitching and keeping him up to date with goings on within Vongola, Varia and their allies. But the voices of his guardians were most vivid to Xanxus as he closed his eyes.
The memories had started flowing back into his mind as Squalo had finished explaining what had been happening, a constant buzz of information and emotion, blind or deaf at times, and completely crystal in others.
He knew that without their constant chatter his mind would have been mush. He hadn't been exactly conscious through the ordeal, but he had heard things, and had seen flashes. Those long years would have driven Xanxus insane, he had his stupid boys to thank for how quickly he was adjusting and being caught up; subconsciously there was no need for the catch up.
Buttoning up his shirt and securing his raccoon tail in place, Xanxus sighed and stared at his face for a moment longer. It was odd, seeing a stranger there, he'd get used to it he knew, but he almost missed his brown eyes; now his irises mimicked Massimo's hair. It was a poor reminder of the brother he had lost. Next time Xanxus set foot in Italy he's have to pay his respects with news of the Vongola being in the right hands again and their father's safe return to them.
For now though, Xanxus made his way into the main fuselage where both his guardians were waiting in a relaxed flop and a giant plate of food next to a tall glass of something thick and green.
Squalo gestured to the plate of food as Xanxus sat down. "Eat up boss, we have a busy few months ahead of us."
Squalo watched his boss as the man slumped into his seat and down the green sludge, the man hummed before asking for another glass.
He drained five more before starting on the food.
"So what's the plan from here?" Xanxus' voice was burning with resolve, eight years hadn't changed his burning dire or his straight forward rage.
Squalo was concerned by the fire, since it had yet to truly spark alive again in Xanxus' core. It meant the man would get a lot sicker before getting better.
"Ushishishi, as we speak, the Varia have declared War against the 'Decimo' generation and the CEDEF in the name of Nono. Our plan is simply to spill as much child blood as possible to take our positions from them."
Xanxus notices Mammon mutter something to the effect of 'the child blood is your want, stupid blood-fetish prince, before he turned back to the boys. "Oh, when you move you move quickly. Is there anything else of vital importance I should know?" Xanxus' joking tone was gone and the shiver that ran down his guardians' spines was rather gratifying.
He hadn't lost his tough.
Levi shifted uncomfortable, eyes flickering to the other guardians before back to Xanxus.
"The brat's being trained by Reborn, boss?" He shifted again. "Iemitsu's not taking chances, he's at most of the sessions. Though the last two years he's been more in Italy than Japan. Or so we hear."
Xanxus let that mull over in his head; Reborn was going to be a problem. Especially I the bastard's son had been trained for a while. What was a concern was that Iemitsu had been a part of the training; there was a lot of brainwashing to be done in such a long space of time.
Iemitsu was a bastard but he had definitely earned his stop as the leader of CEDEF once upon a time.
"How longs the boy been training for?"
Mammon drew attention to himself before explaining. "Reborn was called in four years ago, but the grape vine says Iemitsu's gone lax the last six months. Boy's been training since he was young. Some say as young as six years old, some say he was nine."
Xanxus let that stew, getting more and more frustrated as he went. This clusterfuck was becoming more FUBARed by the passing second.
"Your sources can be trusted, you're sure?"
"We have ears in CEDEF, but you know that nothing is infallible."
Xanxus nodded and Mammon faded back. FUBARed barely covered the situation.
"Do we have intel on the boy's ability? His flame? Or his character? Can we scare the scrawny half-breed into submission?"
"We have nothing." Squalo admitted. "Iemitsu was a flaming idiot, flaunted his boy every chance he could, but he was tight lipped about his location and abilities 'til the last second. He wasn't even planning to go see the boy 'til he got word of out attack. He turned tail and ran with the rings as soon as he found out."
"Fuck."
Xanxus had gone through two plates and three more glasses by this point, mulling over the information. He was thrice damned really, everything seemed set up for this child and Iemitsu's win.
But the Varia had come back from worse before and each time they came out on top. They'd make this work no differently.
"Alright. We can make this work. Where's the runt we're going to slaughter? You don't know. Damn" Xanxus could see it in their faces, the disappointment in themselves. "Don't you trashes worry, we'll win this. But I'm going to sleep since you fuckers are boring as hell."
Xanxus' shoulders relaxed when his boys laughed and wished him a 'good fucking sleep'. He almost laughed himself when Squalo fell onto his right side.
"Feeling jumpy, Squalo? I isn't about to keel the fuck over."
Squalo scoffed. "Fucking right you won't." but there was a pause. "Eight years is just a really fucking long time, Xanxus."
The man in question hummed in a way that calmed Squalo. "I ain't about to keel over, Squalo."
"Fucking right."
Silence settled between the pair as they reached the communal room. A giant cacophony of beds and couches; all the boys were feeling a little jumpy to choose this jet of them all, Xanxus realised. He'd have to instigate a giant spar or fuck, a group hug if it brought his boys back to their regular selves at this rate.
"Oi, Squalo."
"Yea, Boss"? Squalo could hear the uncertainty there, not that the long-haired man expected less.
"How's the old man?"
And Squalo understood, he nodded to himself and smiled; here he could give some actual good news for once.
"He's sleeping peacefully. Best sun guards we have are stationed with him. He's going to be fine soon enough. He'll just have to work with the mental whiplash in his own time. The old man'll be guilty, but he'll be fine, Xanxus."
Squalo was pleased to see those shoulders drop at his words.
"And his guardians?"
"Repenting for all their worth."
Xanxus' smile was vicious and Squalo could only let his own mirror it.
"Fucking finally."
So this may seem like a rather abrupt ending, but I feel like any more –or any more flashes to Tsuna –would be dragging out the interactions too much, especially since a time skip is really in need right now.
Next chapter is more about Tsuna, Reborn, Iemitsu, and maybe some of the relationships of the guardians and Tsuna. I'll be sure to label the sections if there are any time shifts, such as maybe Tsuna meeting guardians before Xanxus is unfrozen etc. Be sure to tell me if I wasn't clear in the future.
I would love your opinion, since your reviews were all so positive and gave me some great ideas.
Love you all, enjoy your week.
~~Bleach-ed-Na-tsu :3
