This Thing of Ours

"So, I still don't really get this," Harry said as they returned to the couch. "People with these flames all end up in the mafia?"

Renato raised an eyebrow as he pulled Harry closer and wrapped an arm around his waist.

"Why? Why do so many people with powers turn to crime?"

"What else would they do with them?" Renato asked blithely.

"I don't know!" Harry threw a hand up in frustration. "Just live, I guess? Form their own secret society and do whatever?"

"That's pretty much what the mafia is," Renato laughed. "A secret society that does whatever."

"But people without Flames can join." Harry frowned. "And because they engage in crime everyone sort of knows they exist! Why don't they just take up fishing, or baking, or- something? They could hide better doing literally anything else."

Renato snorted. "Sounds like mafia retirement, all those productive hobbies old people like." He shrugged when Harry glared at him. "Anyway, there just aren't a lot of people with active flames, and it takes a large bankroll to keep an insular society secret from the society around it."

Harry's forehead creased. That was certainly true. In the wizarding world, and most magical societies he'd encountered, there was gold, or gems, or some entirely separate monetary system from whatever the non-magicals used. Money was a power all its own when it came to keeping secrets.

"All the Families want to keep their people with them?" Renato continued as he raised a hand. "That takes money," a finger went up. "They want to keep Flames a secret from all the civies? That takes money too," another finger went up. "They want to keep everyone safe from groups that might want to use or experiment on flame users? That takes a lot of money!" A third finger joined the other two and waved.

Renato dropped his hand and gave Harry's thigh a squeeze.

"Everything in the world takes money," he said. "Flames don't change that, but if you want to make sure you always have enough money to live the way you want, then crime is a quick way to do it." He rubbed Harry's thigh and leaned into him. "Flames even make crime easier, since no one on the outside can compete."

Harry sighed. "I guess I can understand that," he said, and he really did. He'd spent well over a year in this world, learning about it, figuring out what spells he could do, and making as much money as he could, because he needed money as much as everyone else did.

"But, I really don't want to join the mafia," he said resolutely. "Aren't there any, I don't know- wandering, hermit Flame users?"

"Aside from you?" Renato gave Harry a doubtful look. "No, and look how far you got from Britain before you caught attention. No one with Flames stays out of the mafia."

There was something odd about the way that was phrased, but Harry was too annoyed to focus on it.

"Has anyone tried?" he huffed

"And failed." Renato looked at him coldly, but Harry could feel a tremor running through his side. He was scared.

"What would happen?" Harry asked.

"If a Sky as powerful as you tried to stay out of the mafia?"

Harry nodded, and Renato looked away as he thought.

"Total turmoil," Renato said finally. "Every family with weak Flames would want you to join to make themselves stronger, and every family with powerful Flames would want to either keep you for themselves, or kill you to prevent anyone else from getting you."

He glanced at Harry worriedly. "If you tried to stay out of the mafia entirely, either Families would collaborate to force you to join, or they would collaborate to take you out."

"Why? I wouldn't tell anyone about Flames, I'd keep to myself," Harry groaned and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "I wouldn't do anything to even get in their way!"

"Flames aren't always passed down," Renato said quietly. "That's why non-actives are allowed in. There's the chance they'll become active, or that their children will."

Harry really didn't see how that was relevant, but Renato was looking very serious now, so he stayed quiet.

"Except," Renato said softly, "for Skies. They always pass down, and most of the time it's sky Flames, but even when it's not, their children are always more powerful than average."

Harry paled, a sick feeling sinking into his gut.

"You joining a Family could completely alter the current power structure and rewrite alliances." Renato gave Harry an apologetic glance and frowned. "That combined with no one wanting the secret of Flames getting out means you will never be left alone until you're dead."

They sat in silence then. Harry kept thinking about how much he hated his luck. Of course he'd end up in this sort of situation when he had plans to stay uninvolved in the world, of fucking course!

"So what?" Harry turned to Renato after he'd calmed down a bit. "Does that mean I have to join a Family now?"

What was it that Mafioso last night had said?

"You're going to bring me to the Clam family?" He huffed. "What's their cover anyway? Or front I guess it's called- a restaurant chain? Italian family dining?" Harry laughed. "Oh, please tell me they like puns!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Renato looked at him like he'd lost his mind. "Why the fuck would I just hand you over to the Vongola?"

"That guy with the lightning flames said you work for them."

Renato looked furious. "I'm a contractor!" he snarled. "I work for whoever can afford me!"

Harry watched in amusement as the man suddenly stood and began stalking circles in the room, muttering curses and lighting up another cigarette.

"I don't belong to a Family!" Renato hissed as he clenched the cigarette between his teeth. "Only reason I do so many jobs for the damn Vongola is because they pay well! But if that figa d'oro is spreading rumors that I'm gonna give in and be Sun Guardian for her figlio bastardo, I'll have to raise my fee!"

"Only raise your fee?" Harry asked with a laugh. "You'll still do jobs for them when you're this angry?"

Renato paused and glared at Harry while he puffed. "Only a suicidal moron would refuse to work for the Vongola at all. They're one of the most powerful Familia in the underworld."

"So they have the strongest Skies?"

"Ha!" Renato sneered and flicked his spent cigarette into the ashtray on the table before sitting down again. "I have the strongest Sky! Those assholes look like a couple of lightbulbs next to you.

"Which is why you're not going in a hundred miles of them!" Renato grit his teeth. "If those smug bastards find out a civilian is top of the foodchain they've been kings of for so long, it will not end well."

"They'd kill me you mean?" Harry asked quietly.

Renato looked at him and leaned back to wrap an arm around him again, pulling him close for a moment then relaxing with a sigh.

"After they got what they want from you, and if you refused to cooperate as one of their soliders."

"I don't really take orders," Harry said wryly.

"No kidding," Renato snorted. "You'd be dead in a month."

Harry had to agree. He wasn't confident he could win a fight against a whole mafia family with powers after all, and he would never consent to being a crimelord's underling. So much for his hermit holiday. Or any kind of holiday.

He let his head fall to Renato's shoulder and just sat with him. Even as dark as his thoughts were turning as he worried over what to do, it still felt so safe and warm with the man next to him.

"So…," Harry said after he'd been drifting in a vague haze. "Any ideas then?"

Renato dropped his head to the back of the couch.

"Not a lot," he said crossly.

"Would leaving Europe help at all?" Harry asked hopefully.

"It's a global community," Renato said with a frown. "They'd be able to find you in an unexplored jungle."

"What if I just kept moving?"

"Then they'd just exhaust you until they caught up," Renato snorted. "Eventually you'd run out of funds and they definitely won't-"

"But if they couldn't track me," Harry said slowly. "I could always do odd jobs to build my funds back up."

Renato lifted his head to look at him and Harry shrugged.

"It's what I was planning to do anyway," he said, "and you did say the only reason you were able to track me was because I let you hold onto my flames. If I don't do that, it would take even longer for anyone to find me, right?"

"First of all, you have no control over what your Flames do right now, and the only reason that bastard capo Lightning hasn't broken down the front door is because my Flames are keeping yours occupied." Renato sneered and lay his head back to glare desolately at the ceiling. "And secondly, there are still informants everywhere, all they'd have to do is send out our picture and the world would be full of eyes looking for us."

"So there's no way?" Harry sat up away from Renato and waved an arm in frustration. "That's it, I have to join whichever family catches me, and I don't get a say in it at all?"

Renato grimaced and looked away.

"Well why aren't you part of a Family then?" Harry asked angrily. "Why do you get to be a contractor and not have to be under someone's thumb?"

"You think I don't have families stalking me everywhere trying to force me to do just that?" Renato glared back at him. "That Skies aren't pushing harmonization at me so they can lay claim to the strongest Sun in the world?"

"But you said you're a contractor," Harry argued. "You don't belong to a Family-"

"Cause no one can force harmonization on me, and no one is willing to admit they can't bring me to heel, so no one will try to seriously kill me," Renato growled over him. "But now with you- all anyone has to do to force me into a Family is hold onto you. They'd lose me the instant you died, but just the threat of killing you would keep me in line."

"But...you said the Vongola would want to kill me anyway," Harry said in confusion. "If they want you in their Family too, then wouldn't killing me mean you'd never join them?"

"They'd want both- you dead and me in their control." Renato scoffed and looked away uncomfortably. "You'd be valuable as a hostage to a weaker Family that could never keep me without you, and with your Flames increasing their own worth. But to the Vongola you'd be too much of a threat. They're comfortable with their inheritance laws; introducing you even as breeding stock might unbalance that."

He turned his head away to glare at the kitchen nook.

"They might consider keeping you as an offshoot of the Family, and ensure any kids you had were completely loyal, but it's actually because of me they'd be more interested in seeing you dead," he all but hissed between grit teeth. "That bitch Donna Daniela doesn't like to lose, and she's been pushing harmonization between me and her son for a while. She'd definitely take the chance that losing you would weaken me enough to give bambino 'Teo an opening for harmony."

Harry just stared at him until Renato glanced at him and looked away again.

"What are we going to do?"

Renato didn't answer, just glared into space, face tight and body stiff. Harry let his gaze drop to the floor. Even when Renato pulled him back so he was tucked in his arms and pressed against his chest, Harry couldn't look up.

"I'll figure something out," Renato said quietly. "We got time. That stronzo capo should still be reeling from me stamping his Flames off you, and I know we lost all the tails last night."

Renato looked up at the ceiling with a sigh and lay his head on the couch back again. "It'll be fine."

Harry closed his eyes, turned his head into Renato's neck and just breathed.

"It's too bad Skies can't be contractors," he said. "I don't think I'd want to do what you do, but if I could just say I'm a contractor so everyone would leave us alone, that'd be nice."

"Yeah," Renato said above him. "Yeah... That would."


️The mood was still subdued when Renato insisted they should eat something, and pulled Harry up with him to walk back to the kitchen. He watched the man became more animated as he moved, grabbing a pan and turning on the stove, and suddenly something was sizzling and filling the rooms with a delicious smell.

Eggs, tomatoes, and onions fried up with olive oil and pepper were scrambled around until Renato turned the stovetop off. Harry quietly handed him plates when prompted and then helped bring them around to the narrow table counter acting as a divider between the small kitchen and the living room.

"We're going to have to move soon," Renato told him as they sat down to eat.

Harry nodded. "Where do you want to go?" he asked before taking a bite. The roasted tomatoes were perfect and had him closing his eyes in bliss.

"Out of Italy," Renato said shortly. "But getting out might be an issue, as well as staying out of reach long enough for the rumors to die down."

"Rumors?" Harry swallowed and looked at the man curiously.

"I called an informant I know while you were sleeping, to check on reports from last night. The Tomaso are not well established yet, especially here in Milan," Renato smirked at him. "Their story of an unknown Sky blasting them all with pure flame before disappearing is not spreading as quickly as the story of me facing off with that bastardo capo Lightning after their failed drop on the Beccios.

"So far other Families are taking both with a grain of salt, and most seem to think I messed with the Tomaso so bad they came up with a fake Sky to save face."

Harry gave an amused, exasperated smile and turned back to his food with a shake of his head.

"So your reputation got a boost is what you're saying?" he said before taking another bite.

Renato's smirk widened to a scarily sharp grin. "More like my already impressive reputation completely overshadowed the possibility of a super powered Sky just showing up out of nowhere."

"Wow, you sure are modest," Harry laughed. The man preened.

"In any case," he said, "as far as getting out of Italy, you can leave that to me. Anywhere in particular you'd like to go?"

"Didn't I just ask you that?" Harry hummed and sat back thinking. "Is Australia far enough away do you think?"

"You want to go to Australia?" Renato said incredulously.

"Well, it doesn't have to be Australia," Harry said with a shrug. "But maybe somewhere out in the ocean? That you'd have to take a boat to get to?"

Renato raised a judgemental eyebrow at him. "You want to take a boat."

"We don't have to," Harry said defensively. "But it would be at least a little harder to track, right?"

Renato snorted. "Not really. Unless you have a private yatch or something, ships have set ports they dock at- predetermined routes and destinations. And they're slow as shit compared to air travel."

"But they go to more places than airplanes, right?" Harry said stubbornly. "Not everywhere has an airport."

"And how many places do you think have ports?" Renato closed his eyes and pinched his brow.

"Unless...," Harry smiled slowly. "You get seasick?"

Renato's eyes snapped open and glared darkly at him under the hand still pinching his brow.

Harry smiled wider and picked up his water glass to take a long, nonchalant drink. He didn't know why he was being so stubborn with this, but something about Renato's instant dismissal of his suggestion made him feel contrary.

The man's furiously offended expression was also incredibly satisfying.

"So you wanna travel the world on a ship, do you?" Renato said silkily. "Then that's what we'll do. Only the best for my Sky."

Harry was less amused when the man slowly stood and stalked out of the apartment, shutting the door behind him with a quiet click.

"Oh damn," Harry muttered worriedly. He really hoped Renato hadn't gone off to buy a boat.


️Harry finished eating, but quickly got bored waiting and decided to explore the sparse apartment. He found his clothes, bundled in a trash bag at the bottom of a closet and annoyedly pulled out his wallet. He and Renato were going to have a discussion about respecting other people's property when the man got back.

There wasn't much else to find though. Renato had clothes hanging in the closet and folded in a bureau, but nothing else personal. No pictures or paintings on the walls, no knick-knacks or books, not even a lot of toiletries or dishes. There was only enough to live of off- to wash every day and to eat, but nothing to make the place livable, a home.

The only exception was the surprisingly large potted fern in the corner of the living room by the only window. It was deep green, very leafy, and almost cheerful with how large and healthy it was. After finding nothing more of interest in the rooms, Harry settled on the couch to wait and stared at the confusing, bushy fern.

He just couldn't figure out why it was there.

Renato was supposed to be a hitman, right? So the lack of personal items made sense if he moved around a lot. Harry believed the man when he'd said he'd been in all those foreign cities for "business" and knew the man wouldn't have stuck around any longer than necessary.

Which meant Milan was probably not Renato Sinclair's hometown.

But in that case the plant made even less sense, because who the hell would travel around Europe with such a large plant, nevermind someone with a dangerous job like being a mafia hitman?

Harry had fun imagining Renato as a secretly a huge sap who actually carted his favorite fern around with him to make up for the lack of comfort in his temporary apartments, but that just didn't fit. For one thing, the plant was pushed to as out of the way corner as it could be, right in front of the window... and actually that might be it.

Renato seemed incredibly practical, so while it wouldn't make sense to carry around a personal plant for comfort, he might buy a plant to block windows in case someone nasty followed him to his temporary home.

"Yeah, he'd definitely do that," Harry said to himself.

"Who'd do what now?" Renato asked loudly over his head.

Harry jerked and flailed away to the other end of the couch. "Merlin!" he shouted. "Put a bell on!"

Renato smirked down at Harry as he straightened. "Maybe you need to learn to pay attention to your surroundings. Now what is it you were muttering about me?"

"I didn't even hear the door open," Harry grumbled while he made himself comfortable again. "And how do you know I was talking about you?"

"Who else would you be talking about all by yourself?" Renato asked with a shrug, though Harry noticed he was watching him avidly despite pretending not to care. He had the feeling the man would be offended if Harry had been talking about someone else, and wasn't that weird when it was supposed to be rude to talk about someone when they weren't around.

"The plant," Harry waved at the fern. "I was wondering if you have it to block the view from the window."

Renato glanced from him to the plant with a snort. "Guess you're not a complete idiot," he said as he strolled into the room to stand next to the plant.

"Hey!" Harry glared as the man ignored him and reached into the plant.

"But there is actually another reason," Renato said softly, back to him as he parted the leaves carefully. He finally pulled something out and cradled it near his chest for a moment before he turned and walked back over to Harry.

Harry blinked at the man when he only looked down at him, face blank, and gestured with his chin for him to hold his hands out. Harry did so and had a large, scaly, green creature plopped into them.

"Ah!" Harry hurriedly cupped his hands around the lizard as it waved it's limbs until it grabbed onto his fingers. "It's- you have a chameleon?" he asked incredulously.

"Not too observant, are you?" Renato asked as he sat next to Harry and pulled out a cigarette. Harry glared at him while he lit it and inhaled. "His name's Leon."

Harry blinked at him in shock, then looked down at the lizard in his hands. It was quite large for a chameleon and very warm and soft. It's eyes moved around, focusing on him and Renato in turn, and its long feet gripped Harry's fingers.

"Leon the Chameleon," Harry said. Before Renato could do more than sneer, Harry started laughing helplessly. "You- you're so adorable!" he gasped out.

Renato snarled and hit the back of his head before carefully reaching for his pet and plucking him up. "See if I share anything with you again," he snapped. Leon was placed on his collar bone and quickly scurried to curl around the man's neck.

Harry wiped the corner of his eyes and turned to the man with an apologetic grin. "No, I'm not making fun of you!"

Renato scoffed and ignored him as he stroked Leon's back with a finger.

"Really," Harry insisted. "It's just a surprise. You act so cool, and you kill people, but you have a pet chameleon named Leon." Harry couldn't help but laugh again while Renato glared at him. "It's… sort of a relief actually."

Renato glared at him out of the corner of his eye. "A relief?"

"Yeah," Harry nodded and leaned back on the couch. "I've been wondering what drew me to you if not some stupid Flame compulsion. If there was nothing but sex appeal, I don't think I'd like you as much without something forcing me to."

"You're still on about that?" Renato sneered.

"Not exactly," Harry said with a grin. "I sort of already knew I'd like you for yourself. You remember yesterday morning? In the ruins park you took me to?"

"Not much of a park," Renato said face blank. "And like I'm gonna forget you getting me to sit in the fucking dirt and get stains all over my pants."

Harry smiled softly. "Yeah, that," he said warmly. "Thanks for that. It was what made me decide I wouldn't mind staying with you for however long you let me."

"...What," Renato's face had gone glacial, but there was the slightest crease between his eyebrows to show his confusion.

"You were already sitting near by," Harry explained happily. "You didn't have to come sit on the ground with me, but you did anyway."

"So because I did what you asked you liked me?" Renato's eyes narrowed and glinted.

"No, no," Harry laughed. "It's just… you look so cool all the time, so serious, and you're very attractive." He shook his head and frowned. "I thought before you just wanted to have sex a few times and nothing more. But you were willing to unbend a little even though it was silly, just because I asked."

Harry smiled at Renato and leaned sideways on the couch, knees drawn up to curl under him.

"Did my Sky Flames force you to do that?" he asked seriously.

"No!" Renato snapped. "I was already close enough to feel them and like I told you- your Flames have never once tried to force me to do anything!"

"Then why did you sit by me?"

"Because I fucking felt like it!"

Harry beamed. "Exactly," he said happily. "So thanks."

"I got grass stains all fucking over, and then I had to walk around with them on my ass for the rest of the day," Renato said darkly, but Harry was relieved to see he was no longer glaring, simply watching him with a half-hearted sneer. "You're going to wash them, by hand, until they're perfect!"

"Of course," Harry laughed. When the man simply snorted and turned away, Harry sighed and leaned forward to rest his head against Renato's arm. "Really, thank you," he said again. "For sitting with me, and sharing Leon with me, and just… just thank you for being a person."

Renato scoffed, and jerked his arm around to grab Harry by the back of his neck. But instead of pushing him away, he pulled Harry closer until his head was cushioned in the man's lap, and his fingers tangled in Harry's hair, not quite petting but more holding him in place.

"You're gonna be a real headache, you know that?" he said.

Harry grinned so wide his cheeks hurt. Renato gripped his hair and pulled slightly, as if he knew Harry was being a sappy dope. He curled into Renato's legs and kept grinning.

"So," Harry said lightly. "I thought chameleons were supposed to be ridiculously difficult to raise, like they're sensitive to everything and traveling-can-kill-them level of difficult. So how is Leon so healthy?"

Renato tugged his hair again, clearly determined to at least act annoyed. "I'm a Sun," he said simply.

Harry turned to look up at him. "You seriously use your Flames to keep your pet happy and healthy all the time?"

Renato sneered and leaned his chin to the side to brush against Leon half hiding by his throat. "I've got more than enough Flame to not even notice the drain."

Harry burst out laughing. "Oh my god! Your ego really is enormous, isn't it?" Renato rolled his eyes then immediately looked like he regretted it. "You keep one of the hardest to keep alive pets in the world, and take it with you everywhere, because your Flames are just that strong? You're adorable."

Renato shoved him off his lap and the couch. Harry kept laughing, even when the man kicked him and used him as a foot rest.

"I think I adore you," Harry giggled helplessly.

"You are absolutely insane."

"As if anyone sane could actually put up with you!"

That got a snort very close to a laugh out of the man. It was immediately followed by an annoyed sigh as Renato sat forward to brace his face in his hands. Harry laughed as he crawled backwards out from under the man's feet and sat up to grin at him. Renato reached over to drag Harry's head back into his lap without moving his other hand from holding his own head up and covering his eyes.

Harry smiled and closed his own eyes as he relaxed. As he'd thought, Renato was a very interesting friend.


AN: Hey guys! Sorry this is so late, bet you thought it was over huh? Well guess again! We are only just getting started! ^_^ As always, HUGE thank yous to everyone who reviews! You guys are the lifesavers of this fic! I would not get anywhere without all your kind words, helpless flailing, and terrifyingly spot-on theories! As much fun as you guys have reading the fic, you can believe I am having even more fun reading your responses~

Hehe, also! before I forget- I updated the other chapters (just grammar/spelling fixes, nothing really major) but I ended up losing all the previous author notes. Oh well, that's not a great loss. But, hopefully I'll be able to get another chapter out soon- I am in a big KHR mood all of a sudden!