"Breathe"

Katekyo Hitman Reborn! belongs to Amano Akira.

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Chapter 2: 69...

Mukuro was resting in his illusion. He was sitting beside a lake. He was stuck in Byakuran's office but he could escape by hiding in his illusion before any more damage was done.

He knew what was happening now. He felt her choke the split second he noticed that he could not escape back to her.

Back to Japan.

He felt that he let her down...

Mukuro stared at the stillness of the lake. The area. The scenery. It reminded him of when he first met her. When he first laid eyes on the young, sweet girl that was in pain from rejection, from suffering and from... everything. He remembered his words,

"You and I are the same kind of person..."

Mukuro understood her. Chrome was the anti-social, introverted kind. But her suffering, the rejection from her peers, her family and from herself... Mukuro understood that. Mukuro experienced that.

But Mukuro survived that.

Initially, all he wanted to do was save himself and escape the prison that had chained his senses shut. But he realised that saving himself also meant saving Nagi.

Reborn was right. Mukuro and Chrome have been one since the day they met in Mukuro's illusions. But now Mukuro had failed her by losing to Byakuran. And the Chrome he failed was Chrome from 10 years ago. The sweet, young Nagi… who needed him right now.

Mukuro looked at the grass near his feet. If the Chrome he failed even remotely knew what she had become.

He remembered the first time he met her outside of his illusions.

In reality.

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Five years ago, Chrome, Ken and Chikusa attempted to break Mukuro free from his cruel prison confinement in Italy. When they escaped the prison, Mukuro held Chrome's hand all the way through the hallways. Ken and Chikusa may not have noticed but Mukuro was holding Chrome and she was determined, a lot stronger than the Chrome from five years prior. Mukuro held her hand like they were lovers of many years; they were that comfortable with each other. That deep bond developed when they shared together in one body and one presence.

One being.

Mukuro remembered the first time he touched her face in reality. The first time he held her in his arms and her face buried in his chest. His hands were holding her shoulders, brushing her hair, caressing her neck and whispering her birth name...

"Nagi..."

She would whisper, "Mukuro-sama..."

And then Mukuro would let her sleep in the same bed as him and their bodies barely touched. He realised that this was reality. Not in one of his illusions. There were one but in separate entities, for once. They were one but their bodies barely touched.

They were always one.

Mukuro understood that Chrome had a strong affection and admiration for him. Mukuro did not think she loved him, but he also did not think that what he felt for her is love.

It was beyond that.

It was stronger than that.

Mukuro was surprised that he cared so much for someone who initially, was just a body he could possess.

--

Back in the illusion, Mukuro stretched his legs and laid on the ground. He wanted to go back to another moment in his memory.

Six months ago when Mukuro and Chrome met at the airport in Italy.

Mukuro was in Guido Greco's body and Chrome, in her own body, was able to create her own illusionary organs and had her arm in a sling after a recent fight. It was in Italy. He walked past her as arranged. She walked past him in sunglasses, a headscarf and whispered, "Grazie...".

Mukuro's heart skipped a beat when he first heard his Nagi spoke Italian to him.

Mukuro kept recalling that moment as he had his back on the grass. Mukuro needed to find a way to escape.

Or he could never see his Nagi again.

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AN: Simple but I needed to do a one-shot on this gorgeous pairing. I was listening to the song, "The No Seatbelt Song" by Brand New when I wrote this and eventually used some lyrics of the song in a 6996-inspired forum signature picture for my Bleach Asylum forum profile.

I wanted to have a brief moment of Hibari caring for Chrome because he is portrayed as too cold, at times. And I interpreted Tsuna's relationship with Chrome as a loving sibling, familial bond in the manga so I thought I highlight that briefly here. I tried to write the characters IC as much as possible (and referring back to actual manga Canon events, too).

Nakama is Japanese for close comrade; stronger than friendship.

Hope you like it.