A/N: KHR! does not belong to me in any way possible.
I glared out the window at all the cars lined up and down the driveway and the little people that walked out of them, walking into Grandma's house. A little 'family get-together' hmm? Yea right. You invited the whole of Italy!
A knock on the door and it opened without my consent. I glared out the glass all the harder. I've been put under house arrest, which means people think they can just barge in whenever and that I of all people don't care for my privacy. "Hey. Front and center, kid." I rolled my eyes.
"I'm not all that much younger than yo- what're you wearing?" I asked. He shifted uncomfortably in his clothes. "Oh! The horror of it all! Our beloved Grandmother made you wear—dare I even say it?—actual clothes!" I raised my hand theatrically to my forehead. "What is this world coming to that Bryce Michael Capello actually has to wear clothes? The horror!" I mocked fainted against the window, with the sigh and everything.
"Shut up… She didn't force me…" I sat up straight at this news.
"She didn't? She had to last time." His gaze was averted. "Ah. I get it. You're just all embarrassed because Grandma still tells you what to do."
"Shut up, Alessia! Just drop it!" I leaned my head in my hand, gazing at him blankly. "I… I didn't mean that."
"At-least you don't have to wear a dress." Though, he and I both knew that he would much prefer a dress than the black pants and vest Grandma made him wear over the dark red dress shirt. At-least he wasn't wearing a tie. The world would have really been ending if he wore a tie. Bryce was my third oldest cousin. Blonde hair and blue eyes, like me, but he was way taller than me. He was seventeen and many thought he was gay. Broke his daddy's heart. My Uncle Dante's, that is.
But he wasn't. He just found it easier to let people believe that because he liked bright clothes. If they believed that, then no one tried to get him married off. His elder brother, on the other hand… Well. The poor boy was 19 and Grandma already had him going steady with some rich guy's kid.
"Hey, squirt. Get dressed. I'll help with your hair, if ya want."
"Refused." He lifted the left side of his lip, looking at me weird. "If I look pretty, Grandma will be showing me off to every rich old guy in the room."
"But if you don't, she'll kill you afterwards. Get in the blue monstrosity and I'll fix you all pretty." And he turned on his heel, walking out of my room and closing the door behind him.
Ah. My cousin… He's also a very accomplished hair stylist and make-up artist. Go figure, right?
"Alright, let's see the dam…age…" Bryce stood there, his mouth hanging open wide. Uncle Damon's youngest, Quentin, stood there too. He was sixteen with brown hair and eyes. He looked like Uncle Damon and Dante. He too was taller than me.
"Hey, Lesa, that you? Or an imposter come to kill us in our sleep?" Idiot.
"I'm an assassin. Yes, it's me, you dorks. What're you staring it? I got something in my teeth?" I turned around, bending down to look into the mirror above the vanity table, baring my teeth. "I don't got nothing, so stop staring!" and Bryce was there, my face in his hands as he turned it about. "Bryce!"
"Quen, I don't think it's her. It's an actual honest-to-goodness chick. It can't be our cousin. She's a man in disguise."
"Hey! I resent that, you big bully!"
Quentin nodded, face solemn. "I'm gonna have to agree. It can't be her. She has a chest. Our cousin was flat as a board."
"Am not!"
"Yo! Ray!" Quentin called out suddenly. A figure had just walked past my open door, but retraced his steps, stopping in the frame. "Come 'ere, kay? We need your professional opinion!" My elder cousin, an 18-year-old version of Quentin, came into my room, hands in his pockets.
"What?"
"Is this Alessia?" And Quentin moved aside. Rayleigh's eyes widened. I pushed Bryce's hand away, scowling at him.
"You evil children! Harassing me like that! For shame!" and I was suddenly lifted up.
"Finally! After years of waiting, my baby cousin finally decided to be a girl! This calls for celebration! I'll get the wine!" and he was out the door, me wobbling about unsteadily on my high heels.
"H-help!" and they each took an arm, bringing balance. "Baka…" I hissed at the door. "Kay, you guys can let go. I think I'm good." I brushed at my skirts, smoothing out the wrinkles I had sustained so far. A light blue in color, it had a rather low cut top with puffed sleeves. The sleeves had slits up the sides though, making them fall on either side of my arm. A fluffy skirt, like those kind from the late 1800s with hoops. But this had no hoops, so it was good. Add to that my black choker with the sapphire stone and long black gloves that covered my arms and the backs of my hands.
"Grandma is gonna tell you off about the gloves." Bryce commented.
"Screw her. Just do my hair already." And I sat down, tired of the heels already. He looked to Quentin who simply shrugged.
"Your wish is my command, Princess. Quen, go close the door. I don't want anyone to see her til I'm done. Now scoot." Quentin gave a bow at the waist, walking calmly to the door and closing it. "Now. Time for me to begin. I'm gonna make you all done up even your friends won't recognize you!"
"Wait, my friends are coming?" I held up a hand, making him pause.
"Yea, cause the one kid's grandpa is way important here. So they're all coming, as representatives of the family or something." I tried to stand up but he pushed down on my shoulders. "And am I to understand correctly that you fancy one of them? Hm? You hiding things from Big Brother Bryce, Alessia?"
"What? Fancy? Who uses fancy nowadays?"
"Grandma."
"And no! I don't fancy any of them! That'd be so awkward! That'd be… that'd be like dating you!" he pulled back abruptly. "No offense, I mean. I do like you, but only as far as friends and family goes. Nothing more, nothing less. Aniki." He stepped back, combing through my hair easily.
"Good, cause, that'd be kinda weird. I'm blood related."
"There we go. They're like my brothers. 'Cept for Gokudera." Bryce raised a brow.
"Oh? This Gokudera fella a looker?"
"No. He's my most hated enemy from the pits of Hell. And he's delusional."
"Seems like you two are perfect for each other. You know, Alessia, when little girls and boys pick on each other that means they really- PUT DOWN THE BRUSH, ALESSIA!" I brandished the heavy silver comb Grandma gifted me with years ago at him. It had bristles and could probably take one of his eyes out."DO NOT MAKE ME TACKLE YOU." I set it down and he swiped it from the table, sticking it in his back pocket. "Great. Sit still." he bound all my hair up into a bun, two little curlies framing the sides of my face. "There now! Don't you look pretty? Turn." I turned on the seat, facing him as he crouched down to my height. "Close your eyes, kid. I don't wanna impale you with the eye liner." I did as I was told.
I walked slowly down the hallway, attempting to keep my balance. These heels… Whoever bought them for me to wear, I would kill them with the three inch spike. "I'm not sure about this, Bryce…"
Bryce was the one walking me down the hall, my hand wrapped around his arm tightly. He patted my hand lightly. "You'll be fine. Just smile real nice and don't be yourself." I frowned at him. "I'm being serious. Try to… Here. Play act as Sofia, okay? If Grandma thinks you messed this up, she will remove you from Japan and you will live here until you're eighteen. And no. I'm not joking." I was staring at him in horror.
"You mean… here? As in… here?" He said nothing. I bit my lip. I would not live here even if someone paid me. Unless Grandpa lived here. Then I might. I straightened up, loosening my hold around my cousin's arm and walking straight. "Well then. Since it's been put that way… I suppose I'll act like my namesake. Grandma always said Great-grandmother Alessia was a lady and Sofia had her personality." He glanced at me from the corner of his eye.
"This is all for the best. Act out all you want after the party, just… not in Grandma's sight." I raised my chin, brushing my fingers against the cold blue stone of my choker.
"I decide my own fate. I will not remained confined here to serve Grandmother's purposes."
"That's the spirit, Squirt. Now, I'm gonna hand you off to Brent, okay? He'll be awed by your beauty for 3.45 seconds then he'll escort you down the steps and leave you alone to go find his girlfriend." And Bryce was gone. Brent stood there silently, hands clasped behind his back. He was my eldest cousin at 19 years old. All my cousins looked alike because their fathers were twins and their mothers both had brown hair and eyes. Bryce just happened to receive all the recessive genes. Tall and broad shouldered, he was slim and real handsome. But he's my cousin, so, I don't tell him that.
He shifted from his position, bringing one arm out in-front of him and sweeping his other out as he dipped into a bow. "Alessia."
"…I ain't curtsying to you, Brent." He straightened, face carefully blank.
"I should hope not. But you should probably to Angelo. And everyone Grandmother introduces you to." I wrinkled my nose at the name of my apparent fiancé.
"The thing is here? Well dang it…" He offered his arm to me and I took it gently. "This is so awkward."
"Don't remind me. Luchina will freak out when she sees me walking you down the steps. She doesn't know you." Luchina DiLusia was his girlfriend of about three months. He dislikes her immensely, but unless she breaks up with him, he has to stay with her. Unfortunately, she's infatuated with him right now, so that won't happen anytime soon. If he breaks up with her, Grandma's connections with Luchina's family, her extremely rich family, will be cut. And she can't risk that. Luchina was pretty and most guys were in-love with her because of her looks, but she's absolute evil. Evil. "Stay calm and move slowly. Don't rush. All eyes will be on you. Don't make eye-contact with anyone. If you see Angelo, only make eye-contact with him." He murmured quietly as we passed under the arch before the stairs.
"I can only look at him?" I hissed back.
"If all goes as planned, you'll be married to him when you're sixteen, Alessia. Grandmother Catarina has strong connections in the court. Your marriage will be granted, without you being there to argue." I stared at him, eyes widened in horror. "Face blank. Don't let emotion through." I did as he said, making my face blank and only anger showing through in my eyes. Not that anyone knew me well enough to tell that it was anger. "It's not for me to be telling this, you do understand that, right?" I looked out over the grand room, people slowly stopping in what they were doing to stare up at us. "Grandmother… She doesn't wish you to know. Don't give away that you know. We'll try to help as much as we can, stall for time, anything. We're tired of her controlling us too." He was leaning in close, his lips by my ear so none could possibility make out what he was saying. "We have to. You and Sofia… The two of you have it good. Uncle Gian was able to get away. Uncle Damon and Dad wish they had been able to do that. Uncle Gian made a deal with Grandmother. Alessia, don't talk about this to anyone. We'll speak about this later, all of us. We've known everything for years. You and Sofia had to be kept in the dark. I'm sorry." He pulled away as we reached the bottom step. A bow on his part, a polite curtsy on mine and he was gone.
Tsuna blinked at the sheer number of people in the hall. "Wow… So many…" Beside him, his friends stood with eyes wide as well. Kyoko shifted in closer to her brother.
The boys were all dressed formally in plain black suits and ties, a white shirt beneath them. The girls, Kyoko and Haru, wore similar dresses. Glitter sparkled under the lights, the skirts reaching below their knees and fluffing out. "Onii-san… I'm kinda scared…"
"It's fine, Kyoko. Everything's fine." The Vongola Nono stood straight behind them, hands resting lightly on his walking stick. Tsuna glanced back at his Grandpa. Timoteo was looking up toward the stairs.
"Tsunayoshi. Your friend, is it not?"
"Huh?" Timoteo nodded his head toward the stairs. Tsuna turned, as did the rest of their group. Tsuna's jaw dropped at the figure moving down them. "I-i-is that A-alessia-chan?" Kyoko gasped and Haru's hands flew to her mouth.
"Wow… She looks like a Princess…" Kyoko murmured, eyes unmoving from their friend's form.
"Hahi? But, that's not Angelo-san. Who's Alessia-san walking with?" Tsuna, Yamamoto, and Gokudera looked closely at the man walking with her. It was obvious he was older than her by at-least three years. And yes; Haru was right. It was not Angelo. Tsuna didn't know exactly who it was, but the fact that he was leaned in close to her didn't settle right with him. He saw the anger in her eyes and even though her face was carefully blank and that there was even the slightest hint of a smile on her lips, the words the man was saying didn't make that anger go away. "Tsuna-san? Is something wrong?"
"Huh?" He hadn't realized he was frowning. He smiled quickly. "Ah, no, nothing. I just didn't really think it was her! She looks so different!" Yamamoto scratched the back of his head lightly.
"I didn't recognize her either til Haru pointed her out. I don't think I've ever seen her in a dress!" Gokudera scowled at her. Even when she wasn't in their direct vicinity she's all they talked about… "Oh, Gokudera, don't you think she looks nice?"
"She's still the same annoying woman! She's just in a dress!" a hand on his shoulder and he turned, the scowl growing deeper. Two teens only a little older than them stood behind him. The blonde one was the one who had his hand on him. "Oi, what're you staring at?" Gokudera growled in Italian. It was very unlikely they knew Japanese. The blonde one smiled and Gokudera faltered.
"Yo. You're the psychotic delusional one Alessia said came from the deepest pits of Hell, right? Gokudera?" Japanese. He was speaking Japanese. Haru giggled behind her hand. The bomber's scowl deepener further.
"That stupid woman! Spreading false rumors!" The brown haired one stepped forward, pulling the blonde away.
"Excuse my cousin. He doesn't know how to properly act in public. It's been some time since he's attended a formal event. I'm Quentin. He's Bryce. Signorina's, may we have the pleasure of knowing your names?" Quentin smiled charmingly at the two. Kyoko blushed. Gokudera growled at him. How dare he bypass the Tenth!
"Ah, I'm Sasagawa Kyoko. My friend, Miura Haru." She paused, feeling her brother's hand on her shoulder. "And my brother, Sasagawa Ryohei." Bryce smiled, leaning against his brown haired cousin.
"Yea? Kyoko and Haru-chan? Nice to meet you! Alessia's spoke lots about you! Pleasure to- Hey! That hurt!" and he was holding the back of his head, glaring at Quentin. Quentin looked down at him unamused.
"Behave, Idiot. Signorinas, again, I apologize. He doesn't have the necessary people skills to walk around in public. Alessia has spoken fondly of all of you. Gokudera Hayato, I apologize again. It was rude of him. I take it you other two are Yamamoto Takeshi and Sawada Tsunayoshi and not in that particular order." Tsuna was blinking rapidly at these two.
"Uh, hai. I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi…" The two turned their attention straight to him.
"Really? You're him?"
"Seriously?" Tsuna nodded hesitantly. "Awesome!" and the blonde one hugged him tightly. "Welcome to the Family, bro! Nice to meet you in person! Alessia's always raving about how amazing you are and-" He flinched away quickly before Quentin could hit him again. "I'm outta here! That's abuse, cousin!" He disappeared into the crowd. Quentin looked back at the group, smiling.
"Merry Christmas, my friends. Now, I must leave you as well. Alessia will be around, so, greet her when you see her. And Sawada?" Quentin looked down at him seriously.
"H-hai?"
He held out his hand, gripping Tsuna's. "No matter what they say, Alessia is your friend and she will remain so. Don't believe anything my Grandmother tells you. Ciao." And he was gone. Tsuna was blinking when Yamamoto clapped him on the shoulder.
"Ah, so this is Alessia's family? They seem fun!"
Tsuna wasn't so sure. He wasn't quite so sure he wanted to be at this Christmas party anymore.
"Alessia." I closed my eyes briefly before turning and smiling pleasantly at Angelo.
"Angelo." He held out a hand. I guess he expected me to take it. Dancing, I think. Yeeea no. "You… want to dance?" He was smiling, looking at me as though he thought he was the most amazing thing since sliced bread. We all know goldfish are, not him. Those crackers are even better than Cheez-Its! "I apologize. I'm not the best at, um, dancing, Angelo." Be Sofia. Right. Be a polite, sophisticated, quiet, timid girl. He still held his hand there. "Angelo, really, I must protest. I'm not-"
"Nonsense." And his hand was on my waist, his other hand clutching mine. And we were dancing.
Oh how I hate him! "You have to do nothing, Mio Amore. Just let me lead." Stupid. Pet. Name. I do not love him. I do not love him. I will never love him. "Your friends are here, Alessia. Will you speak with them?"
"If I see them, I will be cordial. They are my closest friends, after-all." He was still smiling as he leaned down, like Brent did earlier.
"I would like it very much if you didn't. I don't like them and they are not of this country. You are and as you will be my wife one day, I suggest you break off all ties with them. Now."
And so I stopped, refusing to move any further.
"Alessia. Don't make a scene."
"You don't like this arrangement anymore than I do, hmm?" My voice was sugarary sweet. He didn't notice. "I doubt that very much. You agreed because you want to be married to the only Capello girl and have some major ties within my family. Well. Let me fill you in, Buddy." My smile disappeared and the people around us stopped to stare. My voice grew darker. "These are the last words I will ever say to you, understand me?"
"Alessia, don't act like a chi-"
"MERRY CHRISTMAS AND GOOD NIGHT!" and I turned on my heel, striding through the crowd, regardless of the daggers grandmother was sending my way. I heard familiar laughter and looked to my left, seeing my best friend Takeshi smiling, a grin on his face. Tsuna gave me a hesitant thumbs up when I glanced his way. I smiled in return before continuing on my way. A hand on my arm and Brent was there, face shadowed. "Sorry."
"I understand. Come on." And he led me up the stairs.
Grandmother stood at the bottom of the steps, glowering up at me. I didn't want to look back at her. that would just set her off even further. Then she turned around right when I glanced back at her, clapping her hands together. "Well! It seems all this holiday planning has finally caught up to her! Everyone, please, continue on with your night!" and everyone returned to their previous tasks as Brent pulled me out of sight. "Merry Christmas, everyone!"
"Brent."
"Happy holidays, Cousin. You are now screwed for life." I sighed, letting him lead me down the hall.
"Yay. Just what I always wanted…"
So, not so much in the Christmas spirit, but, from what you know of the Capello Family so far, were you expecting much?
Anywho, yes.
ANGELO'S REAL INTENTIONS HAVE BEEN REVEALED! *LE GASP* HE LIED!
Psht. Yea as if that's never happened in the history of the world before.
Anyway, Merry Christmas ya'll and have a Happy New Year, okay~?
Until the next time, ciao!
