7. Levi

It was an absolute honor for Xanxus to pass Vongola Nono's request to him.

When Levi returned to his room to prepare for the mission, he could barely contain his excitement behind his stony façade. For once, he ignored Bel's taunts and Lussuria's annoying questions without lashing out at them. He could do this, he thought, entering one of Varia's private jets.

He took painfully careful deliberations on how and when to kill this Sawada Tsunayoshi for two hours. Xanxus didn't specify when he wanted him back, but Levi knew how much expectation his boss had. It wasn't a secret that Xanxus was going to become a contender for the Decimo title. If Levi managed to get rid of one of his competitors, he would be known as the best right-hand man in Varia history. (Squalo wasn't the right-hand, damn it. People needed to stop assuming that.)

This Sawada Tsunayoshi was a civilian, so Levi didn't think that he should be outed in any particular flashy manner. That was more of Bel's and Lussuria's signatures, the lunatics. Despite his hulky frame and weapon of choice, Levi could do subtle. He also had a brain. This was something he was trained for since he was a kid. This would be nothing to him.

Until he saw Sawada Tsunayoshi.

See, Levi had stuck close in the shadows, taking note of Tsunayoshi's schedule, his typical routes to and from work and university, and all the people who hung around him. It was slightly surprising to see the Bovino boy in his child form sometimes carried on Tsunayoshi's back and Smokin' Bomb Hayato tutor the brunet in academics. Levi could handle them. But then he noticed the infamous Rokudo twins, the samurai Squalo despised, and the Storm Arcobaleno's cousin as frequent figures in Tsunayoshi's life.

That was just slightly troublesome, but nothing impossible to deal with. Levi was in Varia for a reason. The only ones he were wary about were the twins and the Storm Arcobaleno's cousin, but the latter rarely approached Tsunayoshi—it was the other way around—and the former mostly kept their distance. None of them realized that Levi was here.

And so, Levi decided to strike on Saturday night when Tsunayoshi was a good distance from the boxing school. He had heard about the owner's son and wasn't keen on being the receiving end of his destructive punches. Keeping close to the shadows, Levi followed the oblivious brunet through a dark street. The air smelled a bit moist, and the skies were covered with dark clouds.

This was suspiciously too easy, Levi thought, watching Tsunayoshi's vulnerable back. He glanced around to check for any other presence but found none. Quickly, he gripped one of his parabolas and dashed forward, when thunder boomed in the distance and an onslaught of heavy rain poured from the sky. Tsunayoshi yelped, and Levi swore that it wasn't because of that he froze.

They stared awkwardly at each other for a minute before Tsunayoshi gasped and stepped forward, making Levi unintentionally flinch. "Are you okay? Oh my God, wait, follow me!"

Levi could only gape when Tsunayoshi grabbed his hand and dragged him underneath a store canopy. They were both drenched, Tsunayoshi more so since he wore a thin jacket. Levi was more accustomed to extreme weathers but…

"Where is it?" Tsunayoshi rummaged through his soaked bag, shifting through soggy notebooks and papers. "Ah, I don't think I have it. I usually bring an umbrella around in case since Namimori likes to have unexpected rainstorms." He shivered. "Um, I'm sorry, sir."

Levi was reminded of a kitten and that was never good. He was all the more baffled that Tsunayoshi didn't find him suspicious at all. Before he could process what he was doing, Levi took a parabola from his back and handed it to the brunet, who stared at him wide-eyed. "I—I couldn't! That's yours!"

Levi shoved the parabola in his hands and turned to leave. If he stayed any longer, he would've silently offered to walk Tsunayoshi home. He cursed every holy spirit out there.

"Wait! Where are you going?"

Levi vanished in the heavy rain and didn't look back once because he knew that he'd cave. Xanxus would be very angry at him, he thought morosely. He'd accept any punishment though without complaint. He deserved it.

The faint sound of running footsteps came from behind. Tensing, Levi moved to grab another parabola until he realized that it was Tsunayoshi. The young man, panting hard, caught up with Levi's long strides and clumsily tried to cover the man's head with the parabola, but the height difference was too much.

"At least, let me walk you home!" Tsunayoshi said, struggling to cover both of them. He accidentally wacked Levi's neck. "Ah, I'm sorry!"

Holding the parabola up for them both, Levi wondered what the hell happened while Tsunayoshi walked him to his hotel. He let the brunet keep the parabola for his trek home and closed the door in his face so the other would stop apologizing. Xanxus was going to murder Levi and feed him to the dogs.

"What happened to your other parabola, Levi-chan?" was the first thing Lussuria said when he returned to Varia HQ.

Levi just grunted and shoved past the audacious man, ignoring the other's cackles. He entered Xanxus' room with his report ready. The last thought he had before his boss threw a whiskey bottle at his head was if Tsunayoshi managed to get home okay.

8. Bel

Compared to the rest of the Varia, Bel was a special sort. He first started out as a serial killer by murdering his family and aggravating brother, earning the moniker Prince the Ripper. It was fitting and delightfully ironic. Bel thrived under the attention, even if he had been a wee little boy back then.

It wasn't uncommon to receive hit requests from Vongola Nono. That was the Varia's purpose after all—kill anyone who stood in Vongola's way. But the fact that Levi had failed in killing the target, a civilian nonetheless, was amusing. All the better when Boss' rage was just focused on beating the stupid man to death with wine bottles and constant gunshots. Most Varia agents knew that Boss wouldn't kill Levi. For all his blunder and zeal, the man was useful.

Silently, Bel followed Sawada Tsunayoshi to his lecture hall and hid in the shadows as crowds of students wandered on campus. He was tempted to slice them all into pretty ribbons, but Boss wouldn't be happy if he deviated from the original mission. Oh well, collateral damage it would be.

He didn't understand why Levi couldn't kill the peasant. He was weak, a little worm Bel didn't even have to squish with the heel of his boot. Humming a merry tune, Bel skipped down the hall. He fingered one of his knives strapped inside his coat and wondered what it'd feel like to tear Tsunayoshi's flesh. Maybe about as easy as filleting tuna? He snickered under his breath as he followed the brunet to the library.

Bel didn't plan on staying too long in Namimori. The town was boring, and the only good thing around was that sushi place. Although, imagine his surprise when he met Tsuyoshi again. The retired hitman was living life comfortably now, a luxury many couldn't afford, typically because they'd be killed off or return to the underworld again. And Tsuyoshi had a son too, who followed the tuna peasant like a lovesick puppy. Him and the bomber guy made up quite a trio. Bel wouldn't mind if he killed them, too.

Quietly, he hid behind a bookshelf and brandished one of his knives. Hmm, maybe he could sneak in some wires around the room. The trio were in the most secluded section of the library. No one could pinpoint it on Bel. Besides, seeing them acting all chummy was getting on Bel's nerves.

"Are you sure you're okay, Tsuna?" bomber guy said. "You didn't have to come."

Tsunayoshi laughed, but that had him enter a small coughing fit, which was muffled by his white mask. "I'm okay," he said, his voice a little scratchy. "It's just a small cold. I'll get better soon."

Samurai boy furrowed his brows despite the easy smile on his face. "But it's been almost a week now." He laughed, ignoring bomber guy's glare. "Dad told me that you usually go to the doctors if you're sick."

"Ah well, I don't have time to go to the doctor," Tsunayoshi said with a sniffle. "I have to study for this test. I can't fail it."

"You won't fail," bomber guy said. "You need to take care of yourself first. I can walk y—"

"Yeah, Tsuna!" samurai boy said, ignoring the other's scowl. "You need to sleep and eat medicine. Need me to get you anything?"

Bel left after Tsunayoshi gave in and convinced the other two that he could go back alone. Perfect. The hallways were void of people. Bel had already hijacked the security cameras beforehand and whoever stumbled by when he went in for the kill—well, the more the merrier. He leaned against the wall out of view until the door opened and Tsunayoshi stepped out.

The weight of his knife was comfortable on Bel's palm. He twirled it a little, and his fingers tingled with excitement. Already he could see the walls painted red with Tsunayoshi's b—

The brunet sneezed.

Everything came to a sudden standstill. Bel's grin froze. His hand wouldn't move. Tsunayoshi sniffled while he walked towards the exit. Before he reached for the door, Bel was already there, holding it out for him. "Ladies first," he said.

Tsunayoshi blinked at him in surprise, and Bel could see the tip of his ears turn a little red. Ah, now he could see why Levi couldn't kill the little kitten. "Oh, um, thank you…?"

Bel allowed Tsunayoshi to walk ahead of him before easily catching up with him. "And where are you going off to, princess?"

"Ah, erm, please don't call me that."

Bel skipped around him in a little circle and returned his knife inside his jacket. "Why? It's a fitting title for you."

"I'm not really…"

"I, the prince, believes that the princess should be acknowledged in the right way." Bel gave him an overly-grand bow and grinned when Tsunayoshi chuckled. At the corner of his eye, he saw a group of students walking down the sidewalk. Subtly, he released a wire from his sleeve, aiming it at the small patch of grass across him, and took a few steps back. "Don't you think so, kitten?"

Tsunayoshi glanced at anywhere but Bel's face. "I—You don't ha—"

He yelped when the students knocked into him, tripping over Bel's wire. The blond was already on the move, catching Tsunayoshi by the waist. The white mask partially slipped from Tsunayoshi's face, revealing flushed cheeks. Bel's grip tightened around the brunet. "My, what a pretty princess," he said, leaning in close. His hand snuck inside Tsuna's bag, finding his water bottle, and slipped some Sun-pills inside. "Don't hide your face from the prince, little kitten."

Tsunayoshi stuttered out gibberish, but Bel had already steadied him on his feet before he left. He blew the brunet a kiss, delighted when the other man blushed harder. What a pretty shade of red. "Until we meet again, princess."

He stepped on a student's stomach, ignoring his groan, and made his way back to his hotel with a skip in his step. When he returned to Varia's HQ the next day, Lussuria had already sniffed out some suspicion. "Oh, and to think you'd actually use my pills, Bel-chan," the annoying man said.

Bel responded by hurling his knives but that only made Lussuria laugh. Well, it wasn't good to have his princess ill, even if he looked pretty in red.

9. Fran

He mostly lived in a world of his own, not that anyone cared. Usually the Varia—Fran called them fairies, murderous fairies that killed people for a living instead of kidnapping babes from their cribs—left him alone with the exception of Bel. When Fran mentioned that he had attachment issues, his frog head became a pincushion for several knives. It wasn't Fran's fault that the Varia's old Mist had re-joined the Arcobaleno.

"Why are you giving this to me, Bel-senpai?" Fran said, eyeing the file on his bed. He already knew why, but it was more fun to humor the so-called prince.

"Ushishisi, don't question me, peasant," Bel said. "Just do it."

Fran deadpanned. "Boss doesn't know you're here."

His answer was a knife hurled at his huge hat. Fran left before Bel could throw more because it got annoying at this point, even if Fran deserved it 99% of the time. When he arrived in Namimori, the first thing he did was find a café so he could munch on sweets. Then he could start planning on what to do with Bel's failure. Boss was still taking out his anger on Levi so he didn't really know that Nono's hit was still on the backburner.

Teacup Garden was the sixth café he entered after failing to find the pastry he wanted to eat. His grandma had always scolded him for being a picky eater. A few curious glances were directed at him as he browsed the display counter. When he was alone without Bel breathing down his neck, Fran didn't wear his frog hat. Like he said—attachment issues. The air smelled of sweets, cake, and coffee, a nice contrast to the stink of blood, metal, and gunpowder he was used to. Fran sometimes wondered why he even stayed with the Varia for so long. Oh right, he was kidnapped. Did that mean he had a bad case of Stockholm syndrome?

"Welcome, is there anything I can help you with?" a kind voice said.

Everything felt like it was in slow-motion when Fran's eyes wandered up to see the Sawada Tsunayoshi from the file. The brunet gave him a polite smile, and it seemed like flower petals and sparkles appeared out of nowhere. Fran blinked. They were still there. "Are you a magical fairy queen?"

Tsunayoshi faltered a bit but his smile didn't disappear. "I—I'm sorry?"

"Are you a magical fairy queen?"

"Ah, well—"

"Are you going to order or not?" another cashier said, looking unimpressed.

Tsunayoshi pursed his lips. "Akiko-san."

"I swear, you always attract the weirdos."

"No, I don't!"

"I'm pretty sure Guard God no. 1 is coming this way."

A shadow loomed over Fran. "Anything wrong, Tsuna?" a cheerful guy said.

"You're fake," Fran said, looking him dead in the eyes. He knew the man. Squalo almost always complained about him, so it wasn't hard to identify him. Fran just didn't expect for Tsunayoshi to know him.

Yamamoto laughed thought his eyes were a tad sharper than usual. He definitely recognized Fran. "Do I know you?"

Before Fran could say yes, Tsunayoshi almost flung himself over the counter to shoo Yamamoto away. "Takeshi, don't do that," he whispered. "He's a customer! What are you even doing here? You're supposed to be in class."

"The professor let us out early today! I thought I could drop by and see you!"

Akiko snorted. Fran was tempted to do the same if he wasn't so dead inside. Apparently, Tsunayoshi wasn't so much of a pushover. He pursed his lips and pointed at Yamamoto's table that had a clear view of the café and counter. "Go back to your seat and stop trying to bully my customers!"

Fran watched with some interest when Yamamoto immediately wilted underneath the brunet's stern gaze, like a scolded puppy. "But—"

"Takeshi."

Was this how Tsunayoshi managed to fend off Levi and Bel? By using Mama Fairy powers?

"I'm sorry about that," Tsunayoshi said, gaining Fran's attention again. "Is there anything you'd like?"

"I want Opera Cake," Fran said. "Do you have them?"

The brunet perked up. "Yes, we do! You're just in luck actually. We're the only café in Namimori that sells them. Would you like anything else with that?"

Fran actually thought before he spoke for once. "Can I eat it with the fairy queen?"

"Um, I don't unders—"

"Your break's coming up anyway," Akiko said. She smirked a little. "You can go and keep your little new minion company for half an hour."

"Wait, but—"

Akiko smiled sweetly. "I can manage, Tsuna. Go have fun with your minion."

Fran liked her. When Tsunayoshi finally yielded to the older girl, he came back with a plate of smooth Opera Cake. The cake was even decorated with its name glazed on top in and a shimmering gold leaf. Fran didn't waste time in munching on a piece. The flavors burst pleasantly on his tongue: coffee syrup followed by espresso-flavored buttercream and bittersweet chocolate ganache. This was better than the one he ate in Italy.

"This is delicious," Fran said.

Sitting across from him, Tsunayoshi smiled. "I'm glad to hear that."

Fran peered over the brunet's shoulder, catching Yamamoto's warning gaze. "You look delicious, too. Can I eat you?"

"W—What?"

"You look even better blushing. Can you keep doing that?"

"I—"

"I think you're a fairy queen and that you'll force the other fairies into submission with your sparkling flower magic. You'll convert your enemies with the power of friendship."

Tsunayoshi's cheeks turned redder and redder with each shameless comment. Akiko couldn't stop laughing behind the counter and Yamamoto looked ready to kill Fran any second, which he didn't care about.

"Just…finish your cake, please," Tsunayoshi mumbled.

"I want to finish it together." Fran cut a piece and raised his fork to Tsunayoshi's lips. "Say ahh."

Yamamoto confronted Fran after he left the café, his sword at the ready. "Was all of that really necessary?" he said with a cold smile.

Fran didn't flinch. "You're a very bad doggie." He disappeared in a haze before Yamamoto's katana could slice him in two.

When he returned to Varia HQ, he passed the file on to Squalo because he didn't want to be at the brunt of Boss' anger. If anything, Squalo could just scream at Bel and keep everything under wraps.

"What the fuck is this?" Squalo said.

"Mission impossible," Fran said before leaving. "Good luck, senpai."

"Where the hell are you going, trash?"

"To build a shrine for the fairy queen."

And Fran proceeded to do just that.

10. Lussuria

Amusing? That was an understatement. Lussuria found everything absolutely hysterical.

First poor Levi failed, which was a surprise since he'd do anything for Xanxus and failure wasn't in that bloke's dictionary; then Bel, who loved any opportunity to kill, came back without blood on his hands; and now the baby of the family, Fran, couldn't stop mooning over some "fairy queen" 24/7.

Squalo loudly banged on the wall from next door, but Lussuria just couldn't stop laughing. When he managed to calm down, he took a moment to ponder on what went wrong—or more like, what Sawada Tsunayoshi was like to have two of the most feared officers in the Varia fail and return empty-handed.

Well, he could always look into it himself, Lussuria thought after receiving the hit request.

"You better fucking come back with the scum's head," Squalo said, throwing the file at Lussuria's face.

The other man caught it gracefully. His chuckles only made Squalo's glower considerably darken. "I'll do my best," Lussuria said. If Xanxus wanted heads and limbs, that was never good news. He preferred nothing left behind.

Squalo narrowed his eyes. "If you fuck this up, I'm not responsible."

Lussuria waved him off. "I already know where I want to be buried, Squa-chan." He snickered when Squalo tried to slice his head, but dodged quickly and went on his merry way. "And do make sure that you put Mona and Terrence in my coffin. Thank you, darling!" He grinned when he saw Squalo pale at the mention of his corpse friends.

Japan was a nice country. The people were polite and he didn't get too many weird stares on the streets. The air was a whole lot fresher in Namimori, too. Even though the town was small, it had its quirks, like the amazing sales. Lussuria almost lost his mind when he saw the discounts. What was even better was that the stores were on sale every day and they had quality items. Lussuria just found his new retirement home.

On the flight, he had shifted through Tsunayoshi's file and mostly found the young man's circumstances unfortunate. Parents killed in an act of pettiness by Nono after Iemitsu decided his family was more important than his famiglia, a direct descendent of Vongola Primo himself, juggling three part-time jobs to pay for his college tuition—the poor boy was a perfect contender for becoming the main protagonist of a Korean drama.

The icing on the cake was the people who surrounded the man. Gokudera Hayato and Yamamoto Takeshi were rarely seen without him. Hibari Kyoya had his men shadow Tsunayoshi's trail and Lussuria was certainthat the Rokudo twins did more than lurk around, if a dorm building catching fire and mentally scarred bullies were any indication. Lambo Bovino also had a special place in Tsunayoshi's heart, but Lussuria didn't think he was any valid competition considering the fact the he hid behind the guise of a child. Sasagawa Ryohei also went out of his way to teach Tsunayoshi boxing, which was a bit distasteful. Muay Thai was infinitely better, but seeing how scrawny the brunet was, Lussuria could leave it be—for now.

His lips quirked into a smile. Then would that mean the suitors could be…? Oh, this was better than a Korean drama. Add the Varia in and Lussuria could see the glorious tale expanding into an epic journey. And he was here for it.

After he tracked Tsunayoshi's movements and daily routine, Lussuria decided that he'd just stick around town for a while longer. Whatever messages Squalo sent him would be responded with, "Just make sure Mona and Terrence are doing well~" That shut up the swordsman for a few days.

It was entirely good luck that Lussuria managed to find Tsunayoshi alone on a weekend. The brunet wandered aimlessly around an outlet mall, glancing at the display windows for a couple of seconds and walking away, only to come back and look again. Finding the fumbling spectacle endearing, Lussuria strolled forward and slung an arm over Tsunayoshi's shoulders. "See anything you like?" he said, taking delight in the brunet's yelp.

"Um, oh, I'm—I just—I was just looking…sir."

Oh, now Lussuria could see why the man had a bunch of psychos wrapped around his little finger. If Tsunayoshi was conscious of what he was doing, Lussuria thought, he was a very clever minx, wasn't he? Though it was much more delightful that he wasn't aware.

"Looking?" Lussuria tutted in mock-disapproval. "Oh, honey, none of this is worth any of your time and attention. What are you looking for? I can guarantee that I can find you something better."

Tsunayoshi tried to shrug off Lussuria's grip but the other man was much stronger. "Um, just…looking. I don't want to trouble you, sir."

"No trouble at all! So tell me, is this a gift for…" Lussuria pretended to think about it for a moment. "Your girlfriend?"

"W—What? No! I…don't have a girlfriend." Tsunayoshi looked down at his shoes. Seeing that Lussuria wouldn't be leaving him any time soon—smart boy, Lussuria thought—he unfurled a piece of paper from his jean pocket. "I'm trying to, um, buy some stuff for…my friends. I wanted to do something nice for them after everything they've done for me…"

Hook, line, and sinker. Tsunayoshi was to be cherished at all costs.

Lussuria's smile softened a bit. "Why, of course. And I know just the place."

He ignored Tsunayoshi's sputtering protests when he dragged him inside a jewelry shop. His heart practically sang when he convinced Tsunayoshi to buy a special custom-set of rings that bore an almost eerie resemblance to the Vongola ones, but instead of the Flames' designs, they each had a faint outline of a tuna fish inside each colored gem because Lussuria had a sense of humor, thank you very much.

Moreover he bought another custom set too, just for the Varia. They'd thank him later.

11. Squalo

Fucking idiots couldn't do their jobs right. It wasn't much of a red flag when Levi came back with nothing. The dumbass was all brawn and no brain after all, but it was still a little strange. Then Bel, the little shit, mentioned something about not being a "kitten killer", whatever the fuck that meant, and Fran wouldn't shut up about some "fairy queen". And now Lussuria was singing "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on a loop that drove Squalo up the fucking wall.

Now Squalo was a smart man, smarter than the other dumbasses. As soon as he saw Lussuria return without the scum's head on a silver platter, he dragged the man to the nearest room and growled, "We're going to pretend you're still in fucking Japan."

Lussuria gave him an unsettling, all-knowing grin. "Oh? And what do I get in return, Squa-chan?"

Squalo refrained himself from saying "a sword up your ass" and instead said, "Another room for your disgusting corpses. No, we're not going to demolish the fucking library. Basement's already full with documents."

Lussuria snickered. "Deal."

And so, Squalo gave Xanxus a half-assed legitimate excuse about a mission in Russia he had to take and took one of the jets to Japan. He'd be in and out within a few hours at most, but even that was an insult to his skills.

It wasn't so fucking hard to kill a civilian, he thought, easily finding the target near his campus. And seriously? Squalo wasn't going to believe that this scrawny man, who looked like he'd keel over from a small breeze, could've survived anything. He was going to beat the dumbasses to hell and back before Xanxus could get his first round of bullets in their thick skulls.

Then Yamamoto Takeshi and Gokudera Hayato appeared, boxing the little trash in some kind of protective formation, and Squalo retreated. As much as he wanted to slice them up too, especially Yamamoto, the sole objective of the mission was to kill the brunet. Collateral damage was too much paperwork to handle, and after what happened with the others, Squalo didn't want any more fucking headaches.

So he took this a little more seriously. Not that he wasn't in the beginning; he didn't ask the others what went wrong because migraines and that fact that they wouldn't fess up anyways. Honestly, how hard was it to have marginally sane people to work with? Even Xanxus had several screws loose in his head.

Squalo spent another day keeping note of who Tsunayoshi hung out with—he didn't fucking expect the Rokudo twins to be here, the Bovino kid or even the Storm Arcobaleno's dickwad of a cousin—and mapping out his preferable routes to school and work. There wasn't much to go on. The scum's routine was overly-ordinary. The only problem was that he was constantly surrounded by the two brats or one of them. Also, it didn't escape Squalo's attention that Hibari Kyoya's men lingered around the brunet too, along with the Rokudo twins. The Bovino boy wasn't worth mentioning.

He ended up staying in town for a few more days before going in for the kill. The scum was closing up the café one night, alone and vulnerable. Squalo wasn't flashy like Bel and Lussuria, but he thought he deserved this much with how much shit the brat put him through. He was going to make the crime scene put Jackson Pollack to shame.

Quietly, he leapt down from the fire escape and ducked behind a dumpster. For a few seconds, he didn't breathe, waiting for the scum to appear. The door creaked open before footsteps drew closer to Squalo's hiding place. He already had his blade ready. A trash bag rustling above his head was his cue. He lunged forward, ready to slice the brat into shreds, when something gray and furry slammed into his face.

"Oh my God, Kiki, stop! Get off of him!"

Squalo cried out more in frustration than in pain when a cat scratched his face with sharp claws. He managed to grab the feline and chuck it at a fussing brunet, who caught the animal in time. His skin stung and he could feel a trickle of blood dripping down his cheek.

The brat gasped. "You're bleeding!"

Squalo tried to stab him but the cat lunged for him again. "Voi, fuck!"

"Don't hurt her! She's just not"—the brat yanked the cat off of Squalo's face—"good with strangers. Ah, crap, here, I'll help you."

In one moment, Squalo was being slaughtered by a fucking cat, and in the next, he was forced into a chair while the brat looked for a first-aid kid. The gray calico hissed at him despite her tiny frame. Squalo snarled right back like. He needed a fucking drink. Wait, no. He refused to acknowledge that he flinched when the cat looked ready to pounce him again when he tried to stand.

"I'm so sorry, sir," the brat said, stumbling out of the back room with a first-aid kit. He switched on the lights but quickly turned them off when he saw Squalo cringe. "I—I'll just treat your face so it doesn't get infected or anything. And please don't be angry with Kiki. She's just not used to strangers and she's still really young. I think she's only, um, 2 or 3 months so—"

"Shut the hell up, brat," Squalo said, pinching his nose. Goddamn it, another fucking migraine.

"I'm sorry!" The scum squeaked pitifully when Squalo glared at him. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Awkward silence hung heavily in the air while the brat cleaned up Squalo's face with a cotton swab dabbed in alcohol. He frowned when Squalo hissed from the stings. "It won't hurt too much," he said, almost like a mother gently scolding her kid. "Please bear with it for a little longer."

Squalo found this whole thing fucking ridiculous, but he wasn't keen on getting scratched by the damn cat again. He hated cats. And dogs. And cute bru—Okay, what the fuck.

Then it struck him. Was this scum manipulating him? Waiting for him to lower his guard? Oh, hell n—

"There!" the brat said, smiling. He had placed a large Band-Aid on Squalo's cheek after applying ointment on his scratches. "Make sure you take care of them, okay? It'd be bad if they get infected. Oh, do you like cake or anything?" He clapped his hands together in a praying gesture. "Please take it as an apology on Kiki's behalf! She's really a sweet cat, I promise."

The brat talked too much but Squalo found that he didn't mind. It wasn't dumb psycho-babble like the Varia trash. Ah, fuck. Now he got it, and he didn't know what to feel now that he did. Before he could protest though, the brat had already placed a small slice of cake in front of him. Shit.

Squalo left the café with a full stomach. He was silent on the flight back to Italy and his subordinates were smart enough to avoid him when he entered Varia HQ. Lussuria poked his head out in the hallway with a shit-eating grin on his face. "How was your trip, Squa-chan? Oh, your face—Did Tsuna-chan do that?"

"Shut the fuck up and stay dead, scum."

Lussuria's grin only widened, almost putting Bel's to shame. "You're so mean."

Xanxus stared at Squalo a little strangely when he entered his room. Squalo internally cringed. The other man held a vodka bottle in his hand, still full. "What happened to your face, trash?"

"It was the fucking cat," Squalo deadpanned.

For once Xanxus looked like he wasn't sure what to do or say. "What are you doing here?" he said after a long moment.

Squalo released a long-suffering sigh. "No one killed the brat."

Xanxus threw the bottle at his head before he could finish his sentence, which wasn't surprising. Squalo mentally cursed when the other man stood from his stupid chair and unholstered his guns. At least he ate some good cake before his untimely death.

12. Xanxus

There was one thing about Xanxus everyone in the underworld knew: he wasn't someone to be trifled with. Even Nono was wary of his temper, along with his older brothers. Actually, they weren't related at all, which was a whole other shitfest that Xanxus was notorious for. People even called it the Cradle Affair, and Xanxus still believed that he should be a contender for Decimo. Fuck them and fuck everyone who tried to convince him otherwise.

He glared holes out the window on his flight to Japan; no one stopped him when he found the brat's school. Some parts of the building had some European influences, but it was mostly plain and unassuming. Not wasting any time, he entered a lecture hall and found the room where the scum would be. At this point, Xanxus didn't give a fuck if anyone else was in there. They could all die too. In fact, he was already making plans on his stupid team to join them.

He dodged when he saw a blade coming down on him from the corner of his eye. Clicking his tongue, he unholstered his guns and pointed it at a smiling Yamamoto Takeshi, or Ryu, his assassin moniker. The smile didn't reach the other's sharp eyes. "What are you doing here?" Yamamoto said in false cheer.

"Get out of my way, scum," Xanxus said, aiming one gun at the samurai. His finger was itching to pull the trigger but Anger Management 101 held him back for a couple of more seconds.

His eyes narrowed when he sensed a tiny presence behind him. He moved again, only to be blocked by a scowling Gokudera. "You can either fuck off or not leave alive," the silver-haired man said, chewing on a cigarette. "Take your pick."

"Choose wisely," a voice chuckled in Xanxus' ear, as dual smoky trails curled around his arms and trapped them in a hardening bind.

Two trident blades appeared at his neck; the sharp points barely grazed his skin. The Rokudo scums literally appeared out of thin air, ready to strike. Chrome narrowed her eyes. "We won't let you kill him," she hissed, showing some teeth.

Under other circumstances, Xanxus would've found the display slightly impressive, but he wasn't in the mood. His lips were pursed, almost going white around the edges. Drawing on his Wrath Flames, he didn't waste time discharging an explosive burst from his body. The binds on his arms disintegrated while Yamamoto slashed the Flames with his own to nullify the damage.

However Xanxus was already on the offensive. He raised one of his glowing guns and shot several rounds of bullets at the scums. Gokudera threw some dynamites in retaliation before they all exploded upon impact. With his katana ready, Yamamoto mitigated it with a shield of Rain Flames while the twins kept everything contained. No one left the seminar rooms, oblivious to the chaos outside.

While the trash were distracted, Xanxus dashed for the doors, ready to kick them down and shoot Sawada Tsunayoshi until he ran out of bullets, when vines wrapped around his legs, rooting him in place. He clicked his tongue, already gathering his Flames again, until he saw a trident aiming for his neck, right above his jugular.

"What are you guys doing?"

Everything happened all at once. The vines vanished from Xanxus' legs and Yamamoto sheathed his blade. Gokudera flicked his cigarette out the window while the Rokudo twins stood by innocuously, hands empty of their weapons.

"Good afternoon, Tsunayoshi," Mukuro greeted with a pleasant smile. "Lovely day, isn't it?"

"Hello, Tsuna-kun," Chrome said quietly, all innocent and meek.

Yamamoto laughed to ease the tension. "I thought you were in class already!"

The brunet eyed them suspiciously as he made his way towards them. "I forgot my books."

"I would've let you borrow you mine," Gokudera said, anxiously chewing on a piece of gum.

The look in the brat's eyes had Xanxus holstering his guns and vaguely wondering if this was how the others had been subdued. His guts told him no. Tsunayoshi stopped in front of them, his face slightly pinched. Xanxus stared him down, his fingers already twitching for his weapons again. God, he wanted to kill the fucking b—

"Are you okay?"

Everyone stared at the brunet. Xanxus' last saving grace was a blink. He kept quiet. Tsunayoshi turned around and pointed at the doors. "Go," he said. Yamamoto opened his mouth. "Get to class."

The scums scattered, with Gokudera and Yamamoto disappearing behind the seminar room and the twins walking away with as much dignity as they could. Xanxus didn't miss the rings on their fingers. He gritted his teeth. They looked way too fucking similar to the Vongola's. He thought Nono wanted Tsunayoshi dead. What the fuck?

"Are you okay?" the brat said when the coast was clear. "I know my friends can be too much. I'll make them apologize." Xanxus didn't know how to react when the brunet walked around him, trying to find any injuries. "You're not hurt, right? No pain or anything?"

"Stop doing that, scum," Xanxus said, swatting Tsunayoshi away half-heartedly.

"If you're hurt, let me know. I can have Hibari-san pay for your hospital bills."

Great, more trash. Xanxus went for his guns, but then Tsunayoshi smiled and there were flowers and sparkles and shit coming out of nowhere. He looked around to see if the Rokudo twins were still around. They were alone.

"I'm glad though. I managed to stop them in time. They can be a little too…extreme but they're good people." Tsunayoshi fucking giggled. "Ah, sorry. Please, let me treat you to something. It's the least I could do."

Xanxus couldn't find it in himself to refuse. All he could do was just stare and let the brat ramble on about his friends. 97% of it went in one ear and out the other. Xanxus was ready to raid his liquor cabinet again to get rid of the taste of coffee in his mouth. He left Namimori the moment they parted ways.

Now he understood everything, and it was fucking terrible.

"All in favor of the new home say tuna!" Lussuria chirped.

No one but Fran said, "Tuna."

Xanxus' brow slightly twitched. "Shut up, trash. You're too fucking loud." He took another swig of whiskey. He was still civilized. Good, that was good. Levi shuffled nervously behind Xanxus' chair, but the Varia commander didn't pay him any mind. "Just do it."

Everyone turned to him in stunned silence. Squalo was the first to speak, "Voi, and what are you going to tell Nono?"

Xanxus finished his whiskey and raised his glass for Levi to re-fill. His eyes narrowed. "I won't tell him anything. Call it in, scum."

Lussuria giggled. "Oh right, Boss, I have a little special something for you." He skipped towards his desk with a little twirl, then revealed a fancy box with a strange engraving.

"Ah, that's a tuna," Fran said, leaning closer for a better look.

Bel leaned on the boy's hat. "Is that what I think it is?"

Even Levi leaned over a little to see what it was. Lussuria didn't listen. He unclasped the little lock with a soft click and placed the box on Xanxus' desk. Inside were 6 rings that bore some resemblance to the Varia rings. The gems had a tiny tuna engraved inside.

Lussuria grinned. "Do you like it?"

Xanxus still threw his glass at the man, but everyone left with a ring on their finger.

A/N So long… Oh hey, there's Fran. :^D

Feels bad 'cause this isn't really a fic update and I've been stuck with the drabbles. I have finals coming though so I won't be able to write much for a week or so. Good luck to those with exams! I believe in you! :^)

Thank you for reading!

Have a lovely day~

Little Miss Bunny