A/N: Last filler chapter. Also the shortest. But chapters 8-end are really intense and good.
Chapter Seven : Making Amends/Planning Ahead
Chrome ran faster than she ever had before, her vision blinded by her tears. She kept her head low, running until she couldn't feel her legs anymore. The halls were empty, but she sought shelter in one of the stairwells at the ends of the hallways.
Her delicate hand lifted to her cheek, feeling the wetness there as she sank to the floor. Why am I crying? she wondered, and she honestly did not know. If Mukuro had seen something like that, he might've started laughing. That harrowing, disturbing laugh that seemed to go on forever. So why was she so sad?
She closed her eyes and saw the scars on the bodies of her teachers. In her mind, she knew those weren't from accidents, and she knew they weren't recent. They came from a violent, difficult past and she knew the cause was something horrible to have done that much damage. And yet here they were, teaching students and never letting any of their weakness show.
"Chrome." The girl lifted her head. Hearing Mukuro's voice made her think she was going to be scolded for being so soft all the time. She looked around, then realized with relief that he was communicating with her mentally. "What's wrong?"
The girl pondered whether or not to tell Mukuro what she'd seen. She feared his reaction, but also feared keeping information from him. The least she could do was tell him about what the principals had been talking about. "Mukuro," she began, closing her eyes. It was hard to focus with her emotions like this. "I can't tell you right now."
Mukuro's mental presence vanished and the girl wobbled to her feet. The lights went out in the building. "Mr. Xanxus," Chrome said weakly, heading for the door. She thought about what he must've gone through. And she wondered why she didn't notice. That he was just like Mukuro and the others. That he was just like her.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - School K - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Darkness finally settled over the school, Hibari reprimanding students who didn't turn their lights out soon enough. Tsuna lied awake in his bed, staring emptily at the ceiling. He could hear the hall monitor going downstairs, finished with his lights-out duty. Sighing sadly, Tsuna lifted his hand in front of him and stared at it.
The tears in his skin hadn't healed yet, still hiding pitifully behind weak bandages. He put the hand against his head, feeling the heat of his tense mind. Since this was the first time a fight had ended without actually ending anything, Tsuna felt the heavy weight of something left unfinished in his chest. His eyes refused to close although his body was pleading for rest. He felt that dream waiting for him in the first stages of slumber.
Outside, around the corner of one of the hallways, Yamamoto waited until Hibari vanished down the stairs. "He's gone," he said as Gokudera stepped closer.
"Why didn't he check over here?" the other asked, looking out into the hallway.
"Because I told him I'd be over here," Yamamoto said with a small smile, "And I told him not to check where I was." Gokudera just frowned, wondering if Yamamoto was the only one who could influence the hall monitor so easily. "Now, what did you want to talk about?"
Gokudera had a few things he'd like to have said to Yamamoto then, but Tsuna said he worried too much, and it might've been time to let some of his past suspicions die. "It's about Tsuna. You know he hasn't been sleeping lately, right?"
"Yeah. He's probably just stressed out if that's what you mean," Yamamoto replied, already trying to avoid an unnecessary conversation.
"Stressed out, sure." Gokudera leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes and frowning angrily at Yamamoto's simple-mindedness. "But what about? It's our job as his friends to take that stress away! To take some of it on ourselves and stop being so useless! Yamamoto..." All you've been doing is running away from us, hung at the edge of his lips, but he said he'd stop worrying about Yamamoto's other friends. "Tsuna needs us."
"What do you think we should do?" Yamamoto asked, starting to accept Gokudera's proposal. "He won't open up to me about anything."
"He won't tell me a thing either." Gokudera let out a sigh, letting his head fall back against the wall. "But if we keep watching him, maybe we can find out a way to help."
The two started walking down the hall, passing Tsuna's room. "I wonder if he's asleep right now," Gokudera said quietly, placing his hand against the door. He pulled back reflexively when he heard someone inside cry out in what seemed to be fear, and he looked at Yamamoto.
"Tsuna, are you alright?!" Gokudera shouted as quietly as he could, flinging the door open and stepping inside, Yamamoto right behind him. Tsuna was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling with wide-eyes and breathing heavily. He glanced at his two friends before covering his face with his hands.
"I had that dream again," he moaned, trying to regulate his breathing. His friends came closer, but Tsuna stopped them. "I'm alright, though. You two are still awake?" They nodded shortly, Tsuna barely making it out in the dark room. "Go get some sleep. I'll be fine."
Before Gokudera could say anything, Tsuna had rolled over and faced away from them. He let out a sigh and followed Yamamoto back out, casting a protective look over his shoulder before closing the door behind him.
"His nightmare," Yamamoto said, looking down the hall yet focusing on nothing. "That's it. We just need to get rid of that nightmare and he can go back to sleep."
Gokudera rolled his eyes. "And just how do we get rid of nightmares?" Yamamoto shrugged, and Gokudera ran a hand through his bangs. "I just know he thinks about that fight a lot." When the other looked at him with question, he clarified, "The first one. He told me he has nightmares about it even to this day Do you think...?"
"I couldn't tell you. But how's this sound?" Yamamoto crossed his arms and faced Gokudera, smiling confidently. "Let's fight with Tsuna and get our revenge on those Kokuyo bastards. Then maybe Tsuna won't worry so much."
Gokudera grinned with equal determination; a simple idea like that was pure genius when coming from Yamamoto. "Sounds good. But promise you won't back out!"
"I won't! And you'd better not either." The two shook hands on it before heading back to their rooms, leaving the hallways silent for the first time that night. Tsuna, however, stayed facing the wall, feeling tears forming in the corners of his eyes.
Gokudera ... Yamamoto ... As he closed his eyes, he pushed his tears away and promised to thank his friends in the morning.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - School M - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Mukuro wandered the hallways of his school in between classes, walking across tiles tainted with murky orange sunlight due to the pollution surrounded the campus. He passed by ceiling to floor windows that ran the length of the entire hall, providing as much light as possible so the school could save money on electricity. The principal had so many money-saving rules and regulations around School M that the place ended up looking like no other school, inside and out.
The bell rang, but Mukuro wasn't late unless he actually planned on going to class, which he didn't. Instead he hummed with carefree patience up the stairs that led to the roof. The stairsteps eventually turned from plastic-covered rock to wrought iron as he ascended, eventually reaching the emergency exit who's alarm had already been unlocked and who's door was opened with a loud creak.
"I hope I didn't keep you waiting long," he said to two figures hiding in the shadow. One of them laughed cordially, not offering Mukuro a look at his face as he stayed in the darkness.
"We would've been here regardless," he said, a pleasant chime in his voice. "But thank you for coming anyway." The bigger of the two said nothing and continued staring across the dirty landscape of the town.
"My name is Mukuro. You may or may not have heard about me already from your teacher, Xanxus," Mukuro began, walking idly over to the rail that protected students from falling off the tall building. "All goods things, I'm sure."
"Absolutely," the first said, laughing again. "My name is Lussuria, and this is Levi. How may we be of help to you?"
Mukuro shifted an eye to the shadowed figures, smiling slyly. "No need to get down to business so soon. Why don't we have a little chat?" Lussuria grudgingly felt the intimidation Mukuro was directing at them, and he shifted uncomfortably. He rarely met people who were scarier or stranger than himself. "Are you two seniors?"
"That's right," Lussuria replied, feeling relieved from Mukuro's intent grasp already. "About five years now, actually." Levi nodded discreetly, but the statement had Mukuro shocked to silence. "Hm?"
"So, you've failed five years in a row?" They said nothing, but Mukuro could tell Lussuria was smiling. "Interesting. Are you just stupid or do you do it on purpose?"
"So that's the story you want, huh?" Lussuria leaned back against the concrete wall, taking in a deep breath and sighing loudly. "Levi and I are competent enough to pass, but no one would ever hire us. So we work for the school; for our principal, Marmon. Xanxus fails us every year, so we take on jobs like what you're about to give us and make money that we give to Marmon. In the end, we are provided with everything we need," he stopped, clapping his gloved hands together with a smile. "And everybody wins!"
"Sounds interesting," Mukuro replied with a nod. "I hope the money I give you is enough to satisfy our principal. It's nice to know it's going to such a good cause." Lussuria's face remained the same as he extended his hand. "The opportunity will be here soon. I'll keep you posted." He slipped a stack of bills from his coat and put it in Lussuria's expectant hand.
"I don't like to be fooled," Lussuria remarked pointedly, looking at the money closely to make sure it wasn't an illusion. "Good, it's real."
Mukuro shifted his weight, eyeing the man curiously. "You checked to see if the money was real? Where'd you learn a trick like that?"
"None other than the Principal himself taught me to keep an eye out for illusionary, counterfeit money." Lussuria turned the corner of the concrete block, heading down a different set of stairs. "I suppose we'll be seeing you soon!"
"Yes, thank you." Once he heard the door close, he narrowed his eyes. "The Principal, huh?"
The sound of footsteps rushing up Mukuro's staircase broke his concentration, and he looked over to see Ken bursting through the door. "Mukuro, I heard something from Chikusa. He told me to tell you," the boy said, out of breath from running to find his friend.
"What is it already?" Mukuro snapped impatiently, hoping it wasn't bad news.
"It's the Vongola." Ken's face went from tired to pleased in a second. "It seems that they're going to the movies tonight. Chikusa overheard Gokudera reasoning with Sawada." The blonde watched carefully as Mukuro smiled dangerously.
"That's perfect."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - School K - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Tsuna asked, looking at Gokudera in thought. "I mean, Kyoko and Haru don't know us that well. If we take them, I don't want them to feel-"
"Everything will be fine, Tsuna!" Gokudera reassured him. "Lambo and I have already asked everyone else, though it sounds like Ryohei has a boxing match tonight. But anyway, this could be your chance to get closer with Kyoko, right?"
Tsuna thought about this, too. "I guess so."
"Great! I figured you needed some time to relax, so going out seemed like a good idea. You know, just like we used to!" Gokudera's enthusiam was infectious and Tsuna smiled warmly, thankful that one of his friends was trying to cheer him up. This got him thinking about the night before.
"Um, Gokudera, I heard what you were talking about last night," Tsuna began, catching the other's attention immediately. "And...I just want to say thanks. I really appreciate what you and Yamamoto are doing for me."
Gokudera just grinned, looking at Tsuna out of the corner of his eye as he turned around. "So, you can say something like 'thanks' to me, but you don't have the courage to apologize to a girl?"
Tsuna's face flushed and he looked at the carpet. "Th-that's different!" The boy sat down on his bed, closing his eyes in frustration at himself. "Apologizing is on a whole different level than saying thank you."
The silver-haired one looked at him for a while before laughing shortly and heading for the door. "Well, like I said, tonight's your opportunity. Just remember what you're apologizing for and nothing can go wrong!"
Tsuna nodded as Gokudera left the room. Lying back down on his bed, he sighed. "What I'm apologizing for..." He closed his eyes again. "Isn't something I'm sorry for." In his heart, he knew he wouldn't give up the fight for his revenge. Not for a girl, not for his life. He needed to show them that they weren't better than him. He needed to let them know they weren't in charge. And fighting was the only way to do it.
There was a knock on the door, making Tsuna sit up. "Come in," he said, and Yamamoto looked cautiously into the room.
"Where's Gokudera?" he asked, almost fearfully.
"He just left. What's up?"
"I just need to tell him some bad news. I know he'll freak out when he hears it." Yamamoto laughed nervously, backing out of the room. "Sorry."
"Wait, Yamamoto!" The taller boy looked at Tsuna, making no move to enter the room, since he had to go find Gokudera. "I just...I wanted to thank you for what you said last night. You and Gokudera and my best friends, and I appreciate everything you do for me."
Yamamoto raised an eyebrow, but smiled nonetheless. "That's a little corny, but thanks anyway! I appreciate you, too, Tsuna." And with that, the door closed.
Tsuna rolled his eyes. That was corny, and Yamamoto was really abrupt about it. I wonder if he even took me seriously, was Tsuna's last thought before he started getting ready to go out for the night, five hours in advance.
