Phew, got it up before the end of today. Happy reading.
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Tsuna stared at the man who he had no right to call "friend" anymore. Gokudera had grown, his features more mature than the last time he'd seen him many years ago. The slight chubbiness that had been apparent in his cheeks when they were teens was gone, thinned out to show prominent cheekbones and a sharp jaw line. His silver hair was slightly messy and untamed, and he still stood taller than Tsuna, even though the brunette had grown over the years. He was dressed for business- black slacks, leather shoes, and a plain white dress shirt, with a black suit jacket on top.
Gokudera's features were completely stiff- Tsuna could feel the enraged aura that emanated from the man. He just stared at the black tie the pianist was wearing, afraid to meet his eyes.
"You…" Gokudera gritted out, obviously trying to control his tone. "You're the Vongola heir?" His voice had deepened slightly since his teenage years, smoother and less gruff than before.
"Ah, y-yeah," Tsuna replied, feeling weak in the knees. He could feel the hatred and rage rolling off the pianist in waves, and was severely saddened by it. But then again, he knew deserved it; he deserved all the grudges and hatred that Gokudera harbored against him.
While the two were lost in their own world, the five forgotten prep team members stared, clueless, between the two. Alfonse hesitantly said, "… Mr. Sawada, sir?"
The heir flinched at the interruption as he was reminded of the presence of the others who were occupying the room as well. "… I'm sorry, but could you all leave us for a few minutes?"
They hesitated, but when they noticed the silent tension surmounting in the room, they quickly backed out of the room without a word. When Julia shut the door, Tsuna finally met Gokudera's eyes fully. Those piercing green eyes were just as he remembered them- except, they were hard, cold and unforgiving, even more so than their first few encounters all those years ago.
"Well, Sawada-san," Gokudera spat out- Tsuna could just feel the bitterness that twisted and intertwined itself within the words, "I didn't expect to find you here."
"I-it's been a while, hasn't it…" Tsuna barely got out- his throat felt so clogged up with hesitation and anxiety. He honestly wasn't sure what to do. It felt like he was sitting on a bomb, without knowing what he said or did could set it off to explode. His feelings were swirling throughout his mind. Shock, hesitation, guilt, regret, sadness, and an over powering joy. He knew he had no right to, but he was so overjoyed at seeing his old friend once again. Of course, he thought sadly, I have no right to be happy, and Gokudera just hates me, I can just feel it.
Unknown to Tsuna, the person standing in front of him was going through a similar confusion of emotions- albeit, the emotions weren't the same as the heir's.
Gokudera just stared at the person who had disappeared from his life in bitterness, anger, hatred, and confusion. He was so confused. Why was this person here, of all places? How could he have disappeared from him all those years ago without saying a word? Was the reason he left… to become the heir? The conclusion dawned on Gokudera- of course, he'd left him, left everyone, to become the Vongola heir. He'd chosen to go for the riches and chosen to break his promises. Confusion swiftly morphed into unbelieving rage.
"So," he spat out. His words tumbled over each other in an attempt to voice his fury and rage.
"This is why you left us? Left me? To become the heir of this company? You left me, left everyone, broke all the promises that meant the world to us, for the riches this position offered you?! How could you?!"
By the time he was finished with his voicing his thoughts, his voice had escalated to volumes that shook the room, and his face had turned red with fury. Tsuna paled at the accusations. "N-no, Gokudera-san, please, hear me out-"
That set the pianist off on another explosion of angry retorts.
"You could have at least told us, at least explained why you were abandoning us, why you chose to leave us for this new, wonderful life of riches and fame! Yet, nothing! Not a word, a letter, a 'goodbye,' an apology, nothing!"
He could no longer hear any of Tsuna's protests, all he could do was rage and spite and release all the emotions that had been building up inside him throughout the years, pent up without a way of escape. He had been betrayed, abandoned, thrown away by the person he had believed and trusted the most, the person who had been his life. That pain was something he would never forgive Tsuna for.
"Wait, please, let me explain-" Tsuna tried again, tried to voice his thoughts in the hopes in at least breaking through Gokudera's mind that was clouded with rage.
"… Explain?" Gokudera's voice dropped sharply in volume and pitch. This scared Tsuna so much more than the loud, ranting yelling.
"You had the choice, all those years ago, to explain or not. You left without a word. The time for explanation is over," he glared, talking in a quiet, tense tone.
He swiftly turned away from Tsuna, who was frozen in place with eyes shining in desperation, and headed for the door. As he reached to open it, he suddenly clenched his fists and stopped.
"… By the way," he said slowly, looking over his shoulder back at the trembling heir, "I will never, ever, play for you again. Promise breaking scum like you don't deserve to hear anything I have to offer."
He never looked back as he briskly stepped out of the office and out of Tsuna's life once more. The door slammed shut behind him.
"… I know, Gokudera-san. I know."
Tsuna whispered the words, still staring at the heavy doors that Gokudera had just departed through. He rested one elbow on the desk in front of him and leaned his face into his hand. And in the lonely silence of his office, Tsuna's sobs echoed throughout the room. He sobbed in frustration at his inability to voice his thoughts. He sobbed in guilt, knowing all the hateful words that had been thrown at him were true. He sobbed in sadness, because he'd just lost his friend for the second time.
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As soon as the silver-haired pianist had stormed off down the hallway, the prep team members attempted to go back into the office. However, before they could take one step towards the door, a figure stepped abruptly in front of them. "I think you should discuss the preparations later," Reborn drawled, hand drawing the famed fedora down towards his face.
Shadows loomed across his face, even though the hallway was brightly lit, and there was a dark aura enshrouding the famed Arcobaleno member. Without a word, the team walked away, Reborn's authority overpowering their curiousity.
The tutor sighed quietly as he heard the muffled sobs grow louder through the heavy doors. Adjusting his fedora once more, he slipped into the room and found the sight of Tsuna with his head down on the desk. His arms were wrapped around him, as if he was trying to shield himself away from whatever he was going through right now. He was trembling, and sobs wracked through his body.
Reborn strode over silently to his side then proceeded to slap Tsuna back to his senses. Literally.
The heir shot up, his tears of sadness quickly turning into tears of pain. "O-OW!" he cried out. He grabbed his cheeks- they now had matching sets of rapidly reddening handprints imprinted on them.
"Reborn!" Tsuna's tear stained face grew even paler than it had been previously and he quickly rubbed the wetness on his face away. His tutor did not take kindly to crying- something he knew from experience. Painful experience.
"Dame-Tsuna," Reborn said in a biting tone. Unfortunately, that nickname had stuck with him since middle school, and Reborn showed no intention to stop using it anytime soon.
"Why are you sitting here, bawling like a baby?" Sharp obsidian eyes glinted from underneath the shadows of his fedora, and Tsuna shivered.
"I-I don't know h-how I'm going to do t-this," Tsuna stuttered, his eyes still glistening. "I- Gokudera-san is s-so a-angry…"
"Well he has the right to be furious and bitter and every other hateful emotion you can think of, plus more," replied his tutor. Reborn was definitely not one to soften his words, and even though Tsuna knew this, his depression plummeted down even more at the words.
"I know…" came the whisper. The brunette hung his head low, not wanting to meet Reborn's piercing eyes- his tutor could always see into his mind through those piercing black eyes of his.
"Che. Is that all you can say? You knew this would happen. You knew that he would feel this way. You knew, and you still betrayed the complete trust he had in you. He thinks of you as complete trash now."
Tsuna couldn't help but wince at the harsh words.
"But, you had a reason. What happened to your determination? What happened to that burning resolve that you had when you left them in order to save them? He hates you right now- and the others do too- but you knew this would happen. Now it's time for you to act, to start mending those broken promises. This was your plan, your resolve. So why are you breaking down in the first step, Dame-Tsuna?"
Tsuna swung his head up sharply and stared at his tutor. Reborn was right. He had left knowing that they would hate him. But he had left for them, so that in time, he would be able to give them their lives back.
And now was that time.
Reborn watched as the burning resolve came back into Tsuna's eyes for the first time since the heir had left his home and his friends behind.
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Six days later, Tsuna arrived at the Vongola Headquarters to find a sea of flashing cameras and shouting reporters, barely being kept off the red carpet that led up to the entrance. Bodyguards and barricades were being pushed back, inch by inch. Bluntly put, it was complete chaos. As his chauffeur opened the door for him, the nervous heir took one deep breath and steeled his nerves- immediately, his appearance took on a calm, collected and charismatic manner. He stepped out of the car and the voices swelled to unimaginable heights. A few of the women reporters swooned upon his appearance- time had certainly been kind to Tsuna.
Gone was the scrawny, pale appearance of his younger years. Now the brunette stood at a good 5'8", after finally having hit his growth spurt a few years ago. His skin was slightly tan, not pale, and the suit he was wearing fit him nicely- his figure was not too large, not to gangly. He had built up some slight muscles over the years, thanks to Reborn's Spartan training, but they did not show through his slender arms. However, most were staring at his face. The years had smoothed away the slight fat that had been present during his school years, and his features had become more pronounced- a slender jaw line, a perfectly sculpted nose. His lips were curved into a gentle smile, but what drew the reporters in the most were his eyes.
Those eyes were no longer the girly, doe-like eyes that had gotten him often ridiculed by his classmates. Now, they were slightly narrower, and the warm brown orbs seemed to exude charisma that warmed one's soul as he nodded to each reporter who met his eyes.
Tsuna continued to walk down the red carpet, smiling all the way as he drew closer and closer to the entrance. With each step, his anticipation grew more and more. After today, the whole world would know who he was.
Most of the time, the naming ceremony was even more hectic than the official inheritance ceremony, when Tsuna would become the actual CEO of Vongola Co., because before this ceremony, the world did not even know who the heir was. It was Vongola's most highly kept secret, with only a few select employees knowing who the heir was. These people were under Omerta- the vow of silence. If they leaked the identity of the heir out to anyone before the ceremony, they would be immediately kicked out of Vongola Co., no matter who they were. Tsuna himself hadn't been able to tell anyone who he was either.
He stepped inside the building and made his way to the press conference room. Today, first there would be a press conference to reveal who he was to the world. After, the official naming ceremony would take place, followed by the reception- a party of sorts where possible future business partnerships could be made between the future CEO and another company. It would also be his first social function, and it was quite important because it was the first impression he was making to the people of the business world.
Right now, though, he was worried about the press conference. What if they ask me a weird question? What if my answer is rude or terrible or awkward? Will they think I'm a bad person? Will I say the right things? What if I trip on the way in? What if the cameras explode? What if my hair catches fire? What if… HIEEEEEE!
His mental breakdown was not visible as he walked confidently through the conference room doors, but as soon as he scanned the room and met eyes with Reborn, who had arrived earlier, he knew his nervousness had been detected. Taking a deep breath, he walked to the front of the room and sat down at the table there, next to Nono. The elder man smiled down at Tsuna encouragingly, but before he could speak to him, the reporters and cameramen flooded into the room from outside. The cameras were rolling- they were live. The press conference was now underway.
"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen," Timoteo spoke into the mic in front of him as the noise quieted down. Tsuna could feel his throat become dry already, and longed to reach for the bottle of water in front of him. But he sat still, looking calm and collected, as the current CEO continued.
"Now, I'm sure everyone here knows why we are all here this morning, and I'm also sure that many of you have guessed who this young man seated next to me is," he said.
"I'd like to introduce the future CEO of Vongola Co." He met Tsuna's gaze and gave a slight nod of his head.
Tsuna rubbed his sweaty palms against his lap discreetly under the table. "Good morning, everyone. My name is Tsunayoshi Sawada, and after today, I will be the official heir to Vongola."
Upon hearing his deep, gentle voice, many women swooned once more, but quickly recovered to join in with the rest of the shouting. Tsuna felt dizzy as the voices only grew louder and louder, bombarding him with questions, and the sea of cameras continued bursting with bright lights.
Breathe in, breathe out. He nodded at a red haired reporter in the front, whose question he could actually hear over the rest. "Mr. Sawada! How did you become the heir to this great company?"
The brunette smiled and leaned towards the microphone in front of him. "It turns out that I am directly related the Primo, the great founder and first CEO of Vongola Co. The company tracked his family tree down to me, and offered to train me to become the future CEO. I accepted, and that is how I ended up here."
"Mr. Sawada! Mr. Sawada!"
The reporters began to call for his attention once again. Tsuna nodded to a slim woman in the back, whose eyes shone with curiousity.
"Mr. Sawada, how old are you now? You look to be very young, perhaps the youngest heir in many generations!"
He nodded. "I have been told that I am the youngest heir in generations- in fact, I celebrated my twenty-fourth birthday just yesterday."
A few eyes widened in shock at his statement. The only CEOs who had been under thirty years of age when they became the heir or CEO were Ottavo, the eighth CEO and the current CEO's mother, and Primo himself. In fact, if Tsuna became the CEO next year, he would be the same age as Primo when he founded the company.
As the voices rose again, Tsuna nodded at a young man with startlingly blue eyes. However, as soon as the man opened his mouth to speak, a feeling of dread came over the brunette. "Mr. Sawada, will you be revealing who your guardians will be anytime soon?"
Damn. He flinched inwardly, but kept a smile plastered to his face. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nono nod with the tiniest movement of his head- the signal that it was okay for Tsuna to tell the truth.
"Well, I know it is unprecedented, but I do not have any guardians as of right now. "
The questions came at him at rapid speeds, the reporters dying for answers. The youngest heir in generations, and he was without a single guardian during his naming ceremony? What exactly was this man like? They were surprised as Tsuna continued to speak, staring straight into the cameras as if he was addressing someone specifically.
"But, I would just like to say this- I intend to keep some old promises."
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Sharp gray eyes glared at the live broadcast playing on the screen in front of him. He continued glaring, as if glaring at the person on the screen would actually affect him halfway around the world.
"Chief! Chief!" A panting figure scrambled into the office. "There's been a-"
He froze as the glare shifted from the screen to him. Oh gosh, bad time, bad time!
"I-I'll just go to the vice, then," he whimpered, dashing out of the office even faster than he had on the way in.
The glare shifted back to the screen.
On the desk in front of him, a nameplate read in shining sterling characters:
Commissioner General of the National Police Agency of Japan
Hibari Kyoya
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Gokudera watched the live broadcast with a scowl marring his face. "He's probably enjoying himself up there, enjoying the fame and attention," he muttered.
He sat on the couch in his small apartment, seething, but when the figure on the screen smiled into the camera, he felt a sharp pang through the anger that was boiling within him.
"Hayato-chan, I'm home~"
The sound of his roommate slamming the apartment door shut turned his attention away from his thoughts.
"Damnit, Shamal, for the last time, don't call me that!"
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The hectic noises of the city streets drifted up into his hotel room through the open window as Ryohei blinked as he stared at the figure on the screen. "Extreme…" he muttered.
He exited the room in sweats, and proceeded to head towards Central Park. A nice 200 laps around would help him clear his mind of the emotions that were swirling around in there.
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"Lambo!" Tsuyoshi called from downstairs. "Time for dinner!"
The teen barely heard him from his room. He had been sprawled on the bed, flipping through the channels, but as soon as he had seen the familiar face, he had sprung up, staring at the screen in shock.
"Otou-san, can I go to Italy?" he called back in a dazed voice.
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"Oi, rookie! You alright there?" the coach called into the locker room upon seeing the figure staring up at the TV screen in there.
Yamamoto nodded without a word, his brown eyes expressionless.
The coach shrugged- he was used to the lack of emotions. The super rookie just didn't smile.
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The remote dropped to the floor as Chrome stared at the television, all thoughts of studying forgotten. Her roommate looked up from the medical textbooks that surrounded them both. "Oi, Chrome you alri-"
She stopped when she saw the familiar face on the broadcast. "Oh."
Chrome started upon hearing her friend's voice. "I'm fine, Hana. Just fine," she replied softly, not taking her eyes off the screen.
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From his vantage point in the corner of the recreation room, Rokudo Mukuro stood leaning against the wall and stared at the large screen across the room. His heterochromatic eyes glinted. "So that's where you went, Sawada Tsunayoshi," he mused.
"Oi oi! It's dinnertime folks. Get a move on!" the prison guards ordered from the entrance of the room.
Mukuro chuckled to himself.
Soon.
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Oh, I changed the inheritance ceremony to the naming ceremony, because the inheritance ceremony should be when Tsuna becomes the actual CEO (duh). Silly me.
So now you have a tiny, tinytinytiny glimpse of what the others may or may not have been doing over the years. I know you guys are probably frustrated with me- Rainy, WHERE ARE THE DETAILS?!- but until Tsuna gets their stories, you guys aren't getting them either. –evil laughter- Like I said, slow development, lots of mystery and suspense.
Thank you, thank you thank you to everyone who reviewed/ favorited/ subscribed last chapter! I even got a C2, which made me super happy. Thanks guys.
Reviews are motivation- look how this one almost came late. –hint hint.-
