Loop 36

Skull has never felt so irritated in his life.

Sure, Reborn has irritated him before but it wasn't to this degree.

"Tenth, please take some rest! You've been cooped up in here for days without sleeping!" Hayato said to the person Skull is silently directing his ire.

Reborn haven't returned from his mission, so no one seems to be able to get Tsuna to rest in one of his rare moods to be productive and do paperwork. Said mood was triggered by a fight the sky had with his lover that was currently cooling off in London.

"Sorry Hayato, 'rest' is currently not in my dictionary." Tsuna absentmindedly said as he continues to fill out some more paperwork.

Skull twitch as Tsuna just draw the last straw. Hayato seems to have noticed it too, since he slowly backed away.

"Tsuna" Skull starts, tone oddly stern. Tsuna suddenly froze, his hand that was about to get another paper from the pile beside him stopped mid-air.

"You, young man, need a new dictionary. Luckily, I have one now. Oh, and did you know it has the word 'idiot' in it? It even got an example, guess what it is." Tsuna opened his mouth, his head now facing the stern looking cloud. Skull continued though, not giving Tsuna a chance to even utter a word as he continues, saying.

"No? Okay. Well surprise, surprise, the example for idiot is you."

Tsuna only grimaced.

(Reborn seems to have rubbed off a bit on the normally cheerful cloud, Tsuna was sure of it!

Especially with so much exposure to the sadist, that he turned into this!)

And as Skull continues to stare at the stubborn Decimo with narrowed eyes, that increases intensity as seconds pass, said stubborn Decimo squirmed. That didn't last long since Tsuna soon stood up and walked slowly toward the door, dejection clear on his face. Skull on the other hand looks extremely satisfied. Hayato, who seems to have been forgotten by the two other occupants of the room, could just watch while cringing. He had experienced being on the receiving end of Skull's endearing savageness.

(Later, as Skull ranted at Reborn about this incident, Tsuna became the receiving end of Reborn's infuriating serves-you-right smirks.

Colonello would pat him comfortingly at the back. That didn't comfort Tsuna that much though.

Especially when Xanxus heard about what happened and follows Reborn's example too!)

••••••CU••••••

Loop 21

The house was burning.

The flames hungrily devoured every inch of the house as it crackled merrily. It lightened the dark neighbourhood. There were also alarmed screams and frantic shuffling.

Not that Skull could actually see exactly what all those people are doing. He was watching the forming inferno from the back, hidden in the darkness of the trees. Although you could see the little figure of what seems to be a teenager if you look hard enough. No one has yet to look among the trees though, too busy watching in silent horror at the big fire that continues to crackle.

"You didn't have to do that you know." he said, not looking away from the flame that's now releasing ashes.

Someone scoffed, and even if Skull does't look at his companion – since said companion was fully hidden in the shadows – he knew he was scowling.

"I don't appreciate anyone hurting what's mine Lackey. Somehow, that includes you."

Skull turns to his companion this time. His eyes were half-lidded, with his amethyst having an amber glow as the building in front of them continues to burn and light up the lawn. He was sporting a small smile before opening his mouth to speak again.

"Thanks Reborn."

Reborn, turned away from Skull, not that Skull knows he was staring at him in the first place, as he grunted.

Skull simply smiles wider, gratitude radiating off from him. But sadness was also present in his eyes as he turns and watches the flames slowly being extinguished by firemen.

(Inside the burning house - never a home, it never felt like home - was his abusive father.

The same one that he still kind of loved a little no matter how messed up that is.)

Reborn stares at Skull again. He couldn't help but shake off the feeling that the small smile Skull just gave him made the bright ones the cloud always flashes to everyone extremely fake.

(And wasn't that a bit concerning?

To find out that the smiles someone you knew for so long have the possibility to actually be a fake despite the fact it looks so real.)

••••••CU••••••

Loop 6

"Have you ever wondered why it seems that every loop we had so far is slightly different from the one we originally lived in?"

Reborn looks at Skull who was absentmindedly drawing on a piece of paper. They were in their teen bodies at this loop. Not adults like all the previous ones.

"I might have." Reborn said, deciding to indulge the cloud whom continued to sketch at the piece of paper he handed him. Skull would always go quiet most of the time when he draws, a fact Reborn kicked himself for not finding out that fact sooner.

A few scratches was heard before Skull spoke again, looking his drawing over.

"Maybe we're creating alternate worlds, and isn't that an interesting thought? Byakuran had told me that different decisions makes different outcomes which leads to Parallel Worlds being created afterall." Skull said as he then erased a fault on the drawing he made, his face scrunched in concentration

Reborn stared at him then, looking a bit contemplative. The cloud kind of do make a point, seeing as the both of them keeps on making different decisions in each loop which seems to make a butterfly effect.

(Like the fact that Lal and Colonello actually got married before the curse even hit them at Loop 5. And they actually adopted a kid.)

"There!" Skull suddenly exclaimed, holding up the drawing he just made with clear satisfaction. "All finished! Man, all that drawing made me hungry" Skull glanced at Reborn before putting the paper down at the coffee table and stood up.

"I'm going to raid your fridge Reborn-sempai! I hope you don't mind!" Skull said with a bright grin.

Before Reborn could say that, yes, he does mind, the cloud had already dashed toward his kitchen. The sun could only growl in annoyance. Looking at the piece of paper at the coffee table, he decided to destroy it. A good enough revenge to the obvious disrespect of the lackey, he thinks.

Reborn made a beeline to the coffee table and picked up the piece of paper which contains something the lackey was oh si proud of finishing. He was about to tear it in half but faltered when he saw what was drawn in it.

It was Checkerface.

An extremely detailed drawing of the Tri-ni-sette Advisore that almost looks like it was alive.

(That was the start of Reborn's personal mission of observing Skull a bit more closely. Afterall...

If Skull is exactly what he portrays himself to be, then how the hell can he draw the face of a person he knew for a fact they've all just seen twice in one loop, in an extremely long gap of timeframes, and even put so much detail that most people would actually miss or even forget?

That doesn't exactly add up to everything he actually knew about the boisterous cloud, which leads to only one conclusion.

Skull isn't everything he seems to be.)