Disclaimer: Amano Akira-sensei owns Reborn! and all its characters; I solely use them for writing funtimes.

Author's Note: So, I really liked the title for this one. But, I figured it would be misinterpreted unless I gave a thorough explanation of how it's used here. Hopefully, it worked.

Eye twitching, hands shaking as he practically ripped the small note he held to shreds then and there, it took everything Squalo had not to throw a tantrum.

"What… the fuck?"

It had been a few moments since his earlier… experiment, and after a brief shower, it dawned on him to actually read the instructions of his job. But when he had, the stationery of his current dudgeon made its appearance.

And it held nothing less than news he really could have gone his whole life without knowing.

A border-lining maniacal laugh spilling forth from his gaping mouth, and the silver-haired male had to stop himself from stabbing his mattress. Xanxus had fucked around with his mind many times than he cared to recall, but this took the cake.

"'Better not make too much of a mess before I get there, Trash', huh?"

Plopping onto his bed, he crumpled the paper as he stole a glimpse at his calendar, then his clock, before he gazed back at the manila folder.

"Why the fuck would I listen to you?" He seethed, incredulous as he ran a tentative hand through his fringe.

Not only was his stay in Japan bad enough because of the weather and the constant focus his mind had on the bastard, but to have to actually wait until he came so they could finish they're current mission? Together?

Squalo could not help it as he tore open the crease in the folder, as he glared death at the same defenseless wall he had attacked earlier.

"Great. Just…" He found that his tongue was too thick and speaking the slightest was tiresome.

"Great."

But it wasn't the fact itself that the fake Vongola was going to join him that had put his emotions in such a state of uproar. He knew that much.

It was the fact that a small ー well, huge ー part of him had secretly hoped Xanxus would be going along as well. Therefore, now that he knew that his wish indeed was to come true, he had no idea in how he should react. Let alone feel about the whole thing.

Lying down with a soft thud, he covered his face with his hands that now clutched the note again, and heaved a sigh as the lightest of blushes tinted his pale features.

Regardless, the knowledge that his Boss was, presumably, going out of his way to have arranged such a meeting made him want to shout until his voice gave out with joy.

Rolling to his side with a heavy groan, he stared at the untouched folder for a moment, when his eyes widened in realization of what was inside. Prompt in emptying out its contents, his jaw literally dropped at the small compilation of photos. And by the darker shading of red on his face, they were not just any photos.

Snorting as be flipped through each one, every single muscle and nerve in his body tensed and paralyzed at the last one. His breath had even escaped him at the sight. And even as there was a loud knock against his door, he couldn't bring himself to look away, because with that single snapshot of the integral part of his life, Squalo understood perfectly well what it meant.

He was not the only one of the two who felt the way he did.

It just proved that his pretentious bastard of a love interest was thoroughly convinced in hiding it more than he, to the point he had to arrange such a situation before he could finally stop dying the flowers a color more appeasing to everyone else's taste.