WARNINGS: None this chapter.

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Chapter 9 – Bargaining

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"Is that who it was?!"

"If we assume what you said was true. There is no evidence that is it the case but the probability is high," Reborn stated to ease their discomfort.

"That bastard…how could he do such a thing?!" Gokudera growled, punching his desk with a tightly furled fist.

"But we don't know if it's true," Yamamoto repeated pointedly.

"Hmm…you say that guy's Tuna or something?" Ryohei remarked thoughtfully for a moment. His eyebrows were knitted together in thoughtful concentration that seemed very uncharacteristic of him. It gave him a sort of pained, pinched look.

"Tsunayoshi Sawada is his name."

"Then yeah, it's him alright."

"What do you mean?"

Ryohei scratched the side of his face absently, unfazed by the intensity of the stares directed at him.

"That place I ended up at instead of here, apparently it was Hibari's house."

"What?!" Several of them exclaimed. There was even a slight change of expression noticeable from Reborn.

"Tell us everything that happened, exactly as you saw it," he urged calmly.

"Well, I barged in there around morning when they wouldn't let me in. I didn't know I had the address wrong at the time. Then a couple of them discipline committee members stopped me. They tied me up and threw me into a dungeon of sorts. It even had bars and stuff."

"Go on."

"After a while the guys came back and they threw some other people into the other cell and left. I was so focused on trying to get out so I didn't pay them much attention at first. Then I realized it was actually my kid sister Kyoko, her friend, and probably that Sawada kid you keep talking about."

"That bastard held the Tenth in a cell?! Despicable! When I get my hands on him, I'm going to-"

"Quiet down for a moment, Gokudera. Continue."

"Well, we talked a while and those guard guys came back with Hibari this time. That's when I realized where I was. He took one look at us and told his lackeys to bring Sawada back to his room, not sure of the reason behind that but he had the nerve to tell them to get rid of the rest of us! He probably didn't mean it the way he made it sound. He's always kind of like that. Anyways, he was going to leave again when Sawada stand up to him. That kid's got some backbone in him, I must admit. At that moment, he got that kind of fire in his eyes that we could use in the boxing club, after some training, of course. Must've convinced Hibari though, he let us out after that," he finished.

"Why didn't you mention this earlier, turf head?!" Gokudera demanded, leaning over his desk to yell at him.

"I forgot!"

Reborn shook his head disapprovingly as they continued their petty argument which Yamamoto was trying to break up.

"But at least we've learned something," Dino said to those who were listening. "Tsuna is definitely not dead." He gave a pointed look at Bianchi who looked away indignantly.

"And we've found out that it's more than likely that Sawada-dono is held in Hibari's private chambers," Basil added.

"That's one less problem we have to deal with but there's still a matter of figuring just where those chambers are," Reborn reminded them. The blond man pursed his lips, crossing his arms.

"At least it can't get any worse."

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The last of the daylight could be seen on the broken horizon behind the small town as two figures raced up a worn gravel path into a remote part of town. They came to a screeching halt behind a tree to catch their breath.

"We…we can't keep doing this…running away…they'll find us sooner or later!" the young girl remarked, out of breath. She leaned against the cool bark, brushing her short fringe off of her perspiring face.

"I…I know, but we have to figure out what's going on before they catch us…I think…I think I know what's going on, a little," the teenaged boy replied, tugging at his open shirt. The weak breeze in the air did nothing for their comfort in the heat.

"That must be a first, you actually knowing something," she teased. A crow flew out of a tree nearby, startling their nerves. "We should find somewhere to stay for the night. That shouldn't be too hard; we've been doing for two nights now."

"Y-yeah…"

"Are you still scared? There's no need for that now! And be glad those two scientists left to report to their boss without waiting for the guys on the next shift or we could still be there."

There was some light sniffling.

"Are you crying? Don't cry, you're a man, aren't you?"

"I…I'm not crying!" But it was obvious he was close to tears from the sound of his voice. The girl sighed but made no attempt to console him as this sort of thing tended to happen quite a lot. Having him cry on her like this was the least of their troubles.

"Hmm…there's a light over there. Do people actually live this far outside of the town?" she said, changing the subject. Through the gaps in the foliage, she could see light streaming through. It did not move so it couldn't have been a flashlight or anything non-stationary.

"Come on, we might as well see what it is."

She grabbed the sniveling boy by the elbow and dragged him through the thick undergrowth that scratched at their ankles and snagged at their clothing. It didn't take long until they reached a clearing. Careful to stay in the shelter of the thick shadows, they peered out to see a multiple-floored mansion situated in the middle of nowhere. It was obvious that someone inhabited it since nearly every room was lit with an orange-yellow light.

"I think I know this place…I've been here…with Reborn," the boy said, peeking through a gap in a bush.

"Then maybe there's someone in there that could help us!"

"Maybe…"

The girl retreated deeper into the woods for a moment, turning to look the boy square in the eye.

"We might as well try it; it could be our only hope."

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Hot water rained on him, running down his bare body as Tsuna scrubbed his embarrassed face vigorously with the soft washing towel, turning the skin even more red. He couldn't believe he fell into the pond like that.

After floundering about in the shallow depths and frightening the marine life in the process, he felt strong arms grasp him by the arms and lift him out. Coughing out pond water Tsuna clutched onto Hibari's shirt until the initial panic passed him by, which returned head on as soon as he realized he was soaking into his saviour's clothing.

He did not receive a scolding for doing so but was berated with inquiries of his well-being to which he replied that he was fine. Without a moment to lose they were hurtling up the side of the building once again, running along invisible footholds. It was at that moment the heavens decided to start a steady, strong rainfall. The chill of the wind produced by this motion bit into Tsuna's wet skin aided by the raindrops that hit like hail. Upon arrival at the bedroom he was ordered to take a shower at once, lead by the shoulders to the open bathroom door.

Hibari was definitely acting…unusual as of late. Admittedly it was a nice kind of unusual.

Maybe he wasn't such the bad guy that everyone took him for…

Or maybe he was starting to take a liking towards him.

Rinsing the thick shampoo lather from his brown locks Tsuna remained under the spray of scalding water in hopes that it would wash away or drown his thoughts.

What was he thinking? That was impossible. Well, maybe not impossible, but definitely impossible for Tsuna. No one liked him that much. Actually there was hardly anyone who did seeing as how useless he was typically. He could hear his mother chide him in an upset voice.

There you go putting yourself down again; you can't improve if you don't look up a little.

Besides, he liked Kyoko.

His inner conscience decided to speak up.

But you're also starting to like Hibari too, aren't you?

Of course he wasn't. Kyoko was way better.

How so?

She's cute.

Hibari's pretty good-looking. For a guy.

She's kind.

He's been pretty nice to you too lately.

She's got a nice smile.

I'm sure he has a nice smile too; I bet you could make him smile.

She's a nice person.

That's because she's nice to everyone in general. Hibari's only nice to you.

She's a girl.

And that matters why? Face it; you've been in more intimate situations with Hibari than with anyone else.

…

Just admit it. You like him, even if it's just a little bit.

Unwilling to continue his mental dispute, Tsuna let out a frustrated sigh and ducked out of the spray, turning around so it ran down his small back so as to sooth the tense muscles. He let another sigh, this time in relief. In the back of his mind he could've sworn he heard a door opening and closing somewhere. He shrugged it off and twisted the knobs that controlled the flow of water shut with great reluctance.

Wrapping a small white towel around his waist he slid the standing shower stall door open and stepped out of the thick steam. The ash gray throw rug soaked up the moisture dripping off of him as he shook a few water drops from his wet hair and face.

Maybe he could take a quick dip in the ofuro while he was at it. Earlier, while struggling to undo the blue cloth belt that held his wet yukata closed, he took a peek under the cover on the deep tub to find it half filled. He was about to drop his waist towel to the floor when someone spoke.

"Are you coming in?"

Tsuna whipped around towards the sound of the voice. If his face wasn't already red from the intense scrubbing, it would be streaked crimson now. This was becoming quite the habit.

"Hi-Hibari-san?!"

In a desperate attempt to protect his decency he flung his arms around himself to hug his dripping wet torso. Realizing that wasn't actually doing anything he changed to burying his burning face in his hands and turning around.

"W-what are you doing in here?"

"Taking a bath."

Other than the obvious that is, like why was he in there when he was too?

"Don't stand there all day. Come in or don't."

"B-but…"

"Do I have to come and get you?"

And have him leave the tub possibly naked?! No way!

"Alright! I'm coming!" he conceded, strolling hastily to the tub's edge. He was keeping his towel no matter what the other thought. Hibari watched his antics with a mildly amused gaze whilst leaning against his hand propped against the edge.

Gingerly Tsuna took one step in only to find it was deeper than he had first thought. He was instantly steadied by a firm grasp to his wrist.

"Thanks…" he mumbled, lifting his other leg in. He sat down as quickly as he dared, the water level rising to flood over the brim and into the strategically built drain. Tucking his legs close to his body in a defensive curl, he settled in for the long awkward silence that was sure to come.

To pass the time Tsuna stared into the murky green depths of the bath water that was so rich with natural minerals it was nearly opaque. Either the healing qualities of the liquid were actually taking effect or the heat was getting to him as Tsuna soon found himself completely relaxed in the presence of the other man who also seemed less tense than his usual self.

Relaxed enough to breach a topic he'd been avoiding like the plague.

"Um, Hibari-san?"

"Hmm?"

"What did you mean by 'keeping me here'?"

"Exactly what it means."

"Oh…why?"

"Because…" Hibari paused here. What was the reason for why he had said that?

"Because…?" the brunet prompted.

His expression was perplexed as he fell silent.

Tsuna couldn't find any energy in himself to pry so he instead sank deeper into the warm water suddenly feeling very lethargic. He couldn't even yawn to show it. Hopefully he wouldn't drown in his sleep.

But, he thought, Hibari did promise to take care of him so if he did fall asleep then and there he'd probably get saved. With that thought in mind his eyes started to droop as he felt his eyelids grow heavy with fatigue in spite of himself.

He might've fallen asleep at that very moment if it hadn't been for the fact that Hibari had suddenly decided he was done with the ofuro. With the stupor banished from his mind from the disturbance in the bath, Tsuna flung his hands out of the water to cover his eyes.

"W-wait!" Had he no decency?!

Of course, he didn't make it in time and could make out Hibari's figure through the gaps in his fingers. Unable to control himself, his eyes traced a trail down a defined torso, overall pale skin…

…and a soaking towel wrapped snug around his waist.

Tsuna could make out the amused smirk Hibari gave him as he dried himself off with the larger towel, folded and sitting on the sink's ledge. He could barely hold in his scream of disbelief.

Argh!

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It was late into the night but the occupants of the tiny office were charged with some unknown energy that allowed them to work through the evening hours without stopping. Basil helped by preparing several pots of tea which seemed to have became an extension to his arm as he hadn't released the handle since several hours ago. The moment a single cup was remotely empty, he'd be there to fill it to the brim with more scalding hot tea.

They were all hunched over an open map; discussing several operations in rushed, low tones to each other as if afraid they'd be overheard. Once in a while someone would make a scribble with a black marker on the clear plastic pane placed over it. At others, someone would scrub a line out with a dish towel.

It was at that moment that the rarely used phone on Gokudera's desk rang shrilly, snapping out of their inhuman concentration.

"Are you expecting a call?" Reborn asked towards Gokudera who was warming his hands with a cup of Darjeeling.

He shook his head in response.

Frowning, Reborn hopped over and pressed a dust covered button to put it on speakers, motioning for everyone else to remain silent.

"Hello?"

"Good Evening, Arcobaleno." The rough low voice was unmistakably Xanxus's. Yamamoto clamped his hand around Gokudera's mouth before he could start spewing insults off the top of his head but it was clear that the baseball player was not happy to hear that voice again either.

"Xanxus, what do you want?"

A cold, impersonal laugh rattled through the speaker piece.

"I'll cut to the point since I don't want to waste my breath."

"What the boss means is, he's got a hold of something he thinks you'd be interesting in," another voice piped up. The words pronounced in the masculine voice with a feminine tone could only mean it was Lussuria.

"Something I'd be interested in?"

"Exactly." This time it was Marmon.

"Vooooi! Just get it over with! You timewasters!" they could hear Squallo yelling furiously in the background. Then louder, as he'd probably gotten closed to the mouthpiece, he said,

"We've got two brats here, a girly and a boy. They wandered here throwing themselves on us and apparently, they know you. Say hi!" There was some scuffling noises and some static.

"R-reborn? Is that you?" A quivering voice asked. It was male but mature enough to assume he wasn't a mere youth. Possibly a teenager.

"Who is this?" Reborn demanded. He had a nagging feeling that this voice was familiar.

"Well, w-who are you?! You can't be Reborn! Y-you sound like…like a kid!"

Reborn's frown deepened. Was this some kind of a joke?

"W-well, pass this message on to the real Reborn, tell him that he's a jerk and that this is all his fault! An-and when I see him again I'm going to blow him into a million pieces!"

"This isn't time for your one-sided rivalry!" This time it was a feminine voice, tinged lightly with an accent. "Reborn! What's going on? These guys are acting all wei-"

"It's not your turn to speak yet, brat!" Squallo barked.

"If my hands and legs weren't bound-"

There was lot of shuffling noises and a couple of high pitched squeaks before someone else spoke.

Free from Yamamoto's clutches, Gokudera moved next to the desk at Reborn's side.

"What amateurs," he scoffed. "If they're going to play the hostage bargaining game, they have to have hostages that we actually know!"

Reborn however was in deep thought as the line remained silent for a while. It was inconceivable. Ludicrous.

But possible.

"No…it can't be…"

Gokudera looked at Reborn, confused.

"Do you know them, Reborn-san?"

With a controlled voice, Reborn spoke into the speaker piece.

"Lambo? I-pin?"

"The Chinese kid and the idiot cow?!" But Reborn ignored Gokudera's disbelieving outburst as he waited for a reply.

"Took you long enough, you idiot! I-If you don't get us out of here soon, I'll kill you!"

"We'll be making the threats here, brat! And stop snivelling all over my boots!"

"Let Lambo go! I don't know why you guys are acting like this but quit it!"

"It's not in your place to talk, girly, now shut it!"

"Now, now, don't talk like that, Squallo. You have to be gentle with children."

"What is the meaning of this, Xanxus?!" Reborn said into the speaker.

"Don't listen to them, Reborn! This might be a tra-"

"I told you to shut it!" There was a crash in the background.

"I-pin!"

There was silence and the next person to speak was Xanxus once more.

"So, what do you think? We're open for bargaining and since it seems you've got your hands full at the moment from recent events I'll allow you the honour of deciding the date. Ciao."

There was a click and the line went dead.

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Far away, unaware of all that was going on, Tsuna stood by his lonesome in Hibari's bathroom. Clad in yet another yukata (completely identical to the last yet again) Tsuna gave his hair one last ruffle with a towel before discarding it in the nearby hamper. He tugged at a damp lock of brown hair with a pout.

He wondered if he should go to bed with wet hair even though his mother had always forbidden it. Still the bath had left him exhausted. Besides he hadn't even eaten dinner yet. How many meals had he skipped up to now?

Wandering over to the grand bed not caring that it was already occupied, he collapsed on top of the plush quilts with the last of his strength. An arm flopped over his shoulder, providing a little warmth as he fell into a deep, comfortable sleep.

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To be Continued...