Long time no see everyone! Welcome back with another chapter of A Second Chance! Finally, my midterms are finished! But I feel like my brain has no brain cells anymore after all of the studying I've done. D: And, just my luck, Cultural Night just so happened to be on the day before our midterms, so I'm both sore in mind and body afterwards. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the results, or I just might cry if I see that I received a failing grade. But I'm just so happy that I can't help but write another chapter, especially because the French translation of his fanfic is now up and running! Yay!
T-Three hundred eighty four reviews in 10 chapters! O.o My gosh, I had never expected his story to become so loved by everyone! Thank you very much to those who added this to their favorites and alerts, to my reviewers who always took the time to give me feedback, and especially to Natila and IMNight for translating his fic into Vietnamese and French respectively! Please click the links on my profile to those who wish to see it, so that native speakers of the language will be able to understand more clearly and will have a less difficult time understanding the story. Tanslations and other fanworks are also welcome, and please do tell me so I would be able to post it for all to see! :) (Is it too much to ask for a fanart...? *tonfa'd*)
Once again, warnings and disclaimers are on the first chapter. The only thing I can say is... things are turning serious in this chapter.
"Alaude!" Giotto shot out of bed, eyes wide, cold sweat pouring down from the side of his face. Slowly he tried to regain his breath, orienting himself with his surroundings, seeing the familiar sight of his bedroom once again, silent and semi-hidden in the darkness.
With shaky fingers he pressed a hand to his face, closing his eyes and feeling the torrent of sweat on his damp skin. The other clenched itself on the sheets tightly, knuckles turning white as he tried to remember what he saw before he woke up, exhaling a slow breath, calming down his racing heart.
It was dream. Or, to be more accurate, it was a nightmare. Giotto was used to it; his intuition would always manifest itself even in his sleep, especially during times of trouble in his Famiglia, and it was at those moments when he would 'see' the clearest, sometimes good, but more often than not, bad. But the only downside of this was that he can't remember exactly what happened in his dreams. Right now all he could remember was the face of his Cloud Guardian, and vague, fleeting moments of screaming, shouting, fighting… but he knew enough to feel disquieted, knowing that whenever he had these dreams, something was going to happen.
Something terrible, or worse.
Shaking the last remnants of sleep he slid off his bed, his nightclothes sticking to his skin, opening his windows and letting the night air cool him down. The Vongola Mansion at this time of the night was quiet, almost soothing, the moonlight casting an almost ethereal shadow over the grounds, covering the trees and flowers in a silvery white light.
The calm before the storm. Without another word he closed the windows once more, clicking the latches shut, letting out another breath he didn't know he'd been holding. He won't be getting any more sleep right now, so he might as well do something productive rather than worry about something that wasn't definite yet. But he still worried, especially since it was Alaude he saw in his dream. The man was strong, the strongest of all his Guardians, the Cloud that refused to be tied down, drifting along its own path while still protecting the Famiglia.
Had this aloofness put him in danger?
Giotto didn't have the time to think about it now as a faint sound reached his ears, coming from the room right beside his own. At first he thought it was only his imagination, but as the sounds grew clearer (and unmistakably louder), his recognized immediately what it was and left his room, feet quick but quiet as he opened the door to Tsuna's bedroom.
He reached his son's side, who was thrashing and struggling with his sheets, whimpering and moaning in pain as an unknown hallucination seized the boy captive, fisting the comforters as his head twisted and turned, trying to break out of his nightmarish trance.
"N-No…! S-Stop it…!" His face was scrunched up in deep pain, tears leaking out of the corners of his eyes as his screams got louder. "D-Don't…!"
"Tsuna!" Giotto held the child by the shoulders, quickly trying to shake him awake, blue eyes narrowed in concern as fear gripped him tightly, heart thudding hard against his chest. "Tsuna! Wake up!" The only thing that scared him more was when his son was in the middle of one of his many nightmares, with him unable to do anything but do his best to rouse him out of his fitful slumber. He can't recall anymore the number of times he had burst into the room just to witness the small boy cry and wail in his sleep, and the pain and sorrow he felt because he can't do anything about it.
"Tsuna!"
The brunet boy woke up with a gasp, caramel-brown eyes glazed over and wild with terror as it searched for a familiar face, gripping the larger arms like a vice. A tear managed to escape his eye and slid down a sweat-streaked cheek, the sight of his father's face making him feel relief, fear and anxiety all at the same time.
"Papa!" Tsuna burst into tears, clinging to his blond father like a lifeline, sobbing outright now that someone came for him. The man held the child close, letting him cry his heart out, large hands pressing against a small back as the boy curled up against him, face buried in the crook of his shoulder.
"Shh. It's okay, Tsuna, Papa's here." Giotto hummed a quiet lullaby, rubbing small circles on the smaller boy's back, feeling the water droplets soak through his clothes and touch his skin. "It's okay now." And to think, a year ago, he wasn't able to touch his son like this. The first time this happened, Tsuna curled himself in further, shrinking against the covers, looking tearfully and fearfully at him, as if the blond man was the one who caused the nightmare in the first place. But now Tsuna trusted him wholeheartedly, and he swore to himself to never break that fragile trust the child had given to him.
He continued rocking back and forth, sitting more comfortably now on the small bed, Tsuna now sitting on his lap and laying comfortably against him. He waited until the cries subsided into small sniffles, not stopping until the boy finally managed to raise his head, face red and sloppy from all the crying earlier.
"T-Tsu-Tsuna was-hic-so s-scared!" Tsuna hiccupped, voice muffled and hoarse from all the screaming he did earlier. Smaller fingers held tightly on the white shirt, his trembling form slowly being soothed with his father's gentle and warm touches. "T-Tsuna-hic-d-dreamed that I was-hic-h-hurting P-Papa… a-and Uncle G, and U-Uncle-hic-A-Asari too…!"
"Shh, it's all right now, Tsuna. You didn't hurt anyone." The Vongola leader assured his son quietly, ruffling the brown hair comfortingly, wiping away any traces of tears with a thumb. "We're fine. We're okay Tsuna, see?"
"B-But there's a-also a-hic-man w-with us, and h-he was hurting y-you too, P-Papa… but I-I didn't k-know who he w-was…"
"A man?" Giotto looked at Tsuna in surprise, and a hint of concern. Usually Tsuna's dreams were about them and the men who killed his biological family, and it was the first time he heard the boy talk about someone he didn't know. "What did he look like, Tsuna?" He hadn't realized his urgent tone, and how serious it sounded. "Can you tell me?"
Tsuna's face scrunched up in thoughts, clearly trying to remember the man he saw in his nightmare. "Um… H-He had long black hair, a-and pretty looking red eyes…"
Giotto shot back, staring at Tsuna with wide eyes. What did his son mean? He only knew one person with that kind of description. And, if he wasn't mistaken, his son was asleep the moment they met. So how? How did Tsuna know about Carmine Neve? Unless… blue eyes widened at the sudden thought that passed through his mind.
Was it possible? Was it possible that… Tsuna also has hyper intuition?
Tsuna was starting to feel worried about his Papa, whose eyes were now narrowed down considerably, looking at him strangely. Did he say something wrong? Tentatively he reached out to touch the other man's cheek, his formerly quivering lips taking on the shape of a small frown.
"Papa, w-what's wrong? D-Did Tsuna say something bad?"
Realizing that he was making the boy more nervous, Giotto school his expression into a calmer and more assuring one, shaking his head softly.
"No, Tsuna. You just make Papa think about something, that's all." He ruffled the spiky hair and abruptly changed the subject when he saw the younger hide a yawn behind his hand. "Now go back to sleep, Tsuna. You won't be able to play with the rest tomorrow if you're not going to sleep properly."
The boy quickly shook his head at the thought, holding to his father's clothes, preventing the other man from moving. "I-I'm scared." He admitted, still shaken with the nightmare he experienced moments ago. "T-Tsuna doesn't want to have more bad dreams."
Giotto smiled. "Then Papa will stay and drive all the bad dreams away." Scooping up the little boy into his arms he cuddled the child to his chest, chuckling then Tsuna and shrieked and giggled, his fears wiped away when he felt his sides being tickled mercilessly. "P-Papa, s-stop!" He laughed, trying to grab hold of the hand poking his ticklish spots. The blond man continued for a while, relentless, until the little boy was breathless and was settled into his bed once more.
He tucked the covers in around the petite form, half-sitting, half-lying on the bed, resting his elbow on top of the pillow Tsuna was resting on. The small child yawned once more, eyes droopy as he gave his father a tired smile. "Papa… don't go yet…" He murmured sleepily, a smaller hand resting on top of a larger one that rested on his stomach.
"I'll stay, Tsuna. I promise." Blue eyes turned mellow as lips brushed against a smooth forehead. "Buonanotte, mio figlio."
"Buonanotte, Papa…" Slowly but surely Tsuna fell asleep again, hand curling around his father's own, as if assuring himself that the older man wasn't going anywhere. Giotto noticed this and chuckled, giving another fond look towards the sleeping boy before reaching forward and grabbing Nuts, who had fallen off the bed sometime along the night. Gently he arranged the stuffed lion beside his son, before returning back to stroke the smooth brown locks, content to stay there and watch his son's sleeping face until morning.
-KHR-
Now that he was fairly certain that something's going to happen, Giotto was now more reluctant than ever to leave the mansion, unwilling to leave the children behind now that he had decided to dismantle most of their military strength. But there was a meeting he must attend, a monthly congregation of all the leaders of the Mafia Underworld that was mandatory in attendance, he and all of his Guardians must be present. It was a temporary cease fire, to talk about the most pressing matters that concerned their world, rouge hitmen, primary targets, mafia criminals, and the like. It was also the perfect opportunity to settle disputes among rival Famiglia clans… that was, if they hadn't been successful in their numerous assassination attempts on the other yet.
He stood on the threshold of the mansion, already dressed and ready to depart. Most of his Guardians were already present as well as their children, who was by the staircase, not used to seeing all of their parents leaving at the same time. Worry was present on Tsuna's and Chrome's faces, indifference in Hayato and Kyouya's, a smile on Takeshi's and a frown on Ryohei's.
"Alaude isn't here yet?" Lampo looked around, yawning and grumbling under his breath, passing a sleeping Lambo to an awaiting maid. "Geez, making the magnificent me wait…"
"Well, he's always like that." G rolled his eyes slightly as he turned to his silver-haired son, who was decidedly not looking at him. "Oi, Hayato. Remember what I told you. No sneaking around the basement, no trouble in the mansion while we're gone, and no–"
"And don't hurt the people who are approaching the Tenth, especially the other kids. Yeah, yeah, I got it, old man." Hayato scoffed, rolling his eyes at the older man, pale green eyes showing his worry, even if he didn't show it. "Don't nag."
A vein twitched on the Storm Guardian's eyebrow. "You brat…!"
"OW! Ow ow ow ow OW! Let go of my ear, old man!"
"Take care of yourself, Takeshi, and try not to trouble anyone in the mansion." Asari was kneeling down to the raven boy's level, staring into golden-brown eyes. "You can always practice your sword training in the gardens. Be good, and take care of the others, all right?"
"Yup! Have fun, Otou-san!" Takeshi was laughing, nodding along cheerfully. "We'll be fine!"
"I EXTREMELY don't get why you have to go, Uncle!" Ryohei exclaimed at the Sun Guardian, upset by the fact that he wouldn't have a sparring partner for a few days. He charged at the young priest, who was ready and blocked the incoming punch with an arm. "Is it…!" An uppercut. "Extremely…!" A left jab. A straight. "…important!"
"It is, TO THE LIMIT!" Knuckle answered his nephew, also bringing in punches of his own, a right hook, another straight and a feint. "Don't worry…! We'll be back… before you know it!"
"EXTREEEEME!"
Daemon cringed at the sheer level of decibels heard from the other side of the room, covering his daughter's ears until the volume got considerably lower. "Now my dearest boy and girl, Father shall be leaving for a few days. Please take care of your sister, Mukuro."
"Kufufufu…. Of course. Father, when will you be back?" Mukuro asked complacently, placing a comforting arm over his twin, who was visibly saddened at the thought. "Don't worry Chrome, Father will be back soon."
"Don't fret, my dear." The Mist Guardian held both of his children's hands, nodding at the little girl. "I will be back as soon as I can."
"Please be careful, Father." Chrome tightened her hand over her father's, afraid for his safety. "Stay safe."
He smiled and nodded back, secretly pleased with the surprise he had planned not just for the two of them, but for all of their children. Elena, now knowing the existence of all the Vongola children, quickly become fond of them, and the children, too, slowly and surely adored her, viewing her as a mother figure they all had, though it took Kyouya, Hayato and possibly Mukuro some time to accept and acknowledge her as such. She knew of the monthly meetings they must attend, and, finding out that the children would be left alone, offered that she go to the mansion and look after them in their stead. Giotto had declined at first of course, not wanting to trouble the lady, but she had insisted, and Daemon, never the one to refuse his lover, had backed her up, knowing that Chrome's innocence would be safer with her presence. She will be arriving later on, after they had gone, and Daemon wished that he would be there to see the children's happy faces when they see her.
"Papa, will you be gone long?" While all of these were happening, Tsuna also fretted, feeling separation anxiety, evidenced by Nuts now being choked via death grip. Giotto smiled and kneeled down, not letting his own anxiety show as he touched his son's cheek and pressed a quick kiss to his forehead. "No, it's only for a few days. Don't worry Tsuna, we'll be back as soon as we can."
"But…" The boy looked unsure, as a familiar feeling spiked again, the one that he felt while he was talking to Hayato and Takeshi a few days ago. He can't understand it, but something was telling him to stop the other from leaving at all costs. It was weird, and he was starting to feel afraid, but Tsuna forcefully pushed those feelings aside so the older man wouldn't worry about him. He shook his head instead, forcing a smile on his face as he hugged his father tightly. "It's nothing, Papa. Don't worry about us, we'll be okay."
"Are you sure?" Giotto knew he had to leave, and the knowledge was making his head hurt, his haywiring intuition making him think second thoughts about leaving. But he was endangering his Famiglia more if he stayed; the other mafia clans would think of his absence as being uncooperative, and might strike out against them. He saw the flash of concern in his son's eyes, and something else, lurking underneath the usually happy caramel depths… he shook it off as his imagination, removing himself from his son's embrace to ruffle his hair. "Be good, okay? You too, Kyouya," He added to the raven boy leaning on the wall away from them, watching the greetings of farewell with an impassive face. "You father's not here, but he'll meet us there and he'll be with us when we come back. I'm sure that he'd also tell you to take care." He smiled at the boy.
"Hm." The older boy acknowledged the words with a small nod, eyes narrowed as his gaze flitted from one place to another, as if trying to look for something. Giotto left him to it, wondering what he was looking for, when a servant announced the completion of preparations, and they were ready to go.
"We have to go, Tsuna." Once again he hugged his son tightly for a brief moment before letting go, standing up as his Guardians also said their last minute goodbyes and walked towards the door. "We'll see you soon."
"Goodbye, Papa. Be careful." Tsuna and the rest watched as, one-by-one, their fathers disappeared through the entrance doors and into the carriages, the doors swinging shut as the horses neighed and went off, finally leaving Vongola Mansion and into the road.
-KHR-
Giotto was staring out of the window, wincing at the almost unbearable pressure on his head, his intuition shrieking in agony with every snap of the whip and neigh of the horse he heard, taking them father and farther away from the mansion and their children. He clutched his head, trying to will the warnings away, to convince himself that everything was fine, but the further they travelled, the headaches became worse.
"Giotto?" The two people with him, Asari and G, looked at the blond leader worriedly, the Japanese man deciding to speak up when he saw the flashes of pain on the man's face. "Are you all right?"
"Y-Yes…" Closing his eyes he tried to relax, trying to clear his mind of everything, a well-timed throb making him groan quietly. "It's just that… my intuition is trying to kill me… it's telling me to go back now… as if Tsuna and the others are in danger…"
The Rain and Storm Guardians shared a look. The Sky leader's intuition was never wrong; in fact, it had saved them a lot of times, and a declaration like that wouldn't be held lightly, as it concerned their children. But they can't also ignore the monthly mafia gathering; doing so would be the instant death of the Vongola Famiglia.
"Giotto, calm down. Nothing's going to happen to them." But as much as he also tried to convince himself, his voice sounded oddly flat, taking the foreboding words seriously. Hell, even he didn't believe what he was saying. "The Neve is also at that gathering. They won't be able to do anything if Carmine Neve and his Guardians are there."
"That's true." Asari put in, nodding along, though he too, was troubled. "Relax, Giotto. Our children will be fine." The musician smiled.
Giotto sent them a slight smile, grateful for their assurance, but he trusted his intuition more than anything else. He couldn't be wrong. Not with his intuition currently like this. All of them stayed silent all throughout the rest of the trip, the two men not knowing what to say to their obviously worrying leader, who took to staring out of the window, not for the first time wishing that he didn't have such a keen and sharp insight.
-KHR-
Alaude slowly woke up to a pounding headache, feeling has if his head was about to split open at any second. His surroundings were blurred, his vision swimming and swirling as he tried to remember what happened before he passed out. His eyes suddenly snapped open and he lurched forward, a well-timed throb on his neck making him lean back, his world spinning around again as he let out a low growl of pain.
Damn it. He let his guard down quickly. He probably has a concussion right now, and wouldn't be able to move very well for a few minutes, hours if he would let it come to that. Warily he looked around, not sensing anyone nearby at the moment, cementing his theory of delaying him, just enough to provide the Neve with enough time to extract the children from the mansion without too much trouble. He struggled to stand up, wincing at the pressure on the back of his head, staggering against the tree he had been propped up on, struggling to let his mind return to its normal state. He'll be damned if he let something like this stop him.
He looked around, trying to figure out where he was. The mob that attacked him wasn't very smart, leaving him so close on the road. It would be easy to hitch a ride to a nearby town, rent a horse and be on his way. Willing his headache away, his still blurred vision spied something yellow perched on a branch, standing out against the green that surrounded it. He heard frantic screeching from it as he weakly raised his hand and let the bird rest on his palm, leaning against the trunk.
"Calm down." He said in a voice steadier than what he actually felt. He undid his tie quickly with one hand, fingers wobbling from the effort, and tore a strip from it with his mouth, shakily tying it around the small animal's leg.
They should've killed him when they had the chance to, and Alaude would make them regret that greatly.
"Go," he ordered the bird, "Go to Kyouya. Hurry."
The canary wasted no time in taking off, hopping from the outstretched hand and taking to the skies, and it was only when the bird disappeared when Alaude allowed himself to collapse, resting his head and knowing that he won't be able to move for a while, chest heaving from the effort, face grimacing in pain.
He could only hope that his son's pet would make it there in time.
-KHR-
"… They're gone." Takeshi hadn't realized how much his father's presence meant to him when they were the only ones left, the rest of the children not speaking, as they too, felt the weight that settled upon all of them the moment it hit that their fathers were truly gone now. Half-fearful, half-apprehensive, they tried not to let their fears overtake them, the trauma of losing another parent surfacing as they reached for each other, trying to comfort each other in the fact that their fathers would definitely be back for them. Ryohei wordlessly accepted the hugs Tsuna and Chrome gave him, Hayato nodding at the smile Takeshi gave, Mukuro and Kyouya silently entering a temporary truce for the sake of their siblings.
Struggling not to be depressed, each child walked off to immerse themselves, cheerfully nodding when the servants and maids ushered them off to their rooms, who were also worried for their little masters. Kyouya stopped by a window, watching the blue, cloudless sky, gaze calculating, scrutinizing as he searched intensely at the endless sky above him.
"Kyouya?" Mukuro was watching the other boy, curious but starting to be wary. His 'sibling' only looked like that when there was trouble, and he, too could feel something in the air. "Kufufu… What are you looking for?"
"It's strange…" The younger skylark ignored him, murmuring to himself as his senses instantly went on high alert. "Hibird isn't back yet…"
"The annoying bird that keeps following you?" The pineapple haired boy also realized this, noting the absence of the yellow abomination that always followed the other boy around wherever he went. Now he felt more cautious than ever, the disquieting feeling only growing worse.
The other boy glared at the mention of his beloved pet. "I'll bite you to death, plant-eater."
Mukuro smirked, his trident starting to materialize in his hand as the raven boy also adopted a battle stance. But just as another fight started, a shiver when down their spines, and both children faced the window, feeling eyes watching them. Both boys immediately pointed their respective weapons at the window, scanning outside to see anything unusual. The outside was still, not a leaf out of place, but their watcher was gone as well, putting both on completely edge.
"My, my… it looks like we're going to have some fun today." Mukuro commented lightly as the trident was slowly lowered down, but not disintegrating, guards up and running as he turned his head sideways at the smaller boy. "What are we going to do, Kyouya?"
The other boy was about to answer when an arrival of someone was announced, surprising both children when they saw that it was their only Aunt. "Mukuro! Kyouya!" Elena greeted the boys warmly, who hid their surprise at her arrival, bending down to give the each boy a hug. "How are you two?"
"Miss Elena." Mukuro bowed politely, masking his frown with a charming smile as he patted the hand holding his own, while Kyouya allowed the contact, as he, amusingly, thought of the woman as a meat-eater after seeing her face to face. "Why are you doing here? Father is out at the moment."
The woman nodded, sensing something… off in the mansion, but brushed it off as inconsequential. "I'll be looking after all of you while your fathers are out." Elena ran her hands through the blue hair, smiling at the other child, who had moved away to the window, looking up to the sky. "Where are the others?"
Kyouya ignored the conversation currently going on, still searching the skies for his wayward bird, when, suddenly, a yellow speck suddenly whizzed through the air, landing on the windowsill and tumbling to his arms. The boy immediately straightened out his pet, which was tweeting and ruffling its feathers in alarm, the black eyes half-crazed as it looked up to its owner in clear distress.
"What's wrong?" He murmured quietly to the canary, smoothing down the feathers, trying to calm down the small pounding heart.
And that's when he noticed the absence of a scroll that was supposed to be on the animal's tiny leg, a torn piece of black-colored cloth encircling it instead. His eyes narrowed, and untied the piece of cloth, perching the animal on his head, who snuggled into the black silky locks, exhausted from its emotional and physical stress.
"Plant-eater," He called out to Mukuro, who paused with his conversation with Elena and stared at the shredded cloth in his hands, instantly recognizing it for what it was.
Elena startled when she saw the deep frown marring the young child's features, making him look older than he really was. "Mukuro, is there something the matter?"
"Nothing, Miss Elena." The boy cut off smoothly, taking his eyes off the other boy, taking her arm and calling a servant to escort her to the drawing room. "Kufufufu… Chrome will be happy to see you again." He said with a small, genuine smile, trying to put her at ease. "Tsunayoshi and the others as well. I'll have someone bring you to them." He gave a small glance to the skylark, who turned his head away, snarling, tonfas now out and gleaming in the sunlight as he went off to greet the first of their… unwanted guests. The Mist's son watched amusedly as the other set off to cut the intruders short, wondering how to keep this from the woman and the rest of his siblings, especially his twin sister and Tsunayoshi.
"I've missed all of you as well." Elena felt that something was wrong. Mukuro was serious, too serious for his usual personality, and it worried her. "Mukuro," she called out before going off to meet the other children, making the boy look up at her.
"You'll tell me if something is wrong, right?" She asked gently, wanting to make the child trust her. While Chrome had opened up to her, Mukuro was standoffish, acting like the perfect little gentleman, but sensing a deep distrust on the boy that unsettled her. She wouldn't press the child, opting to place her trust in him, and hoping that he would do the same.
Mukuro blinked, a bit surprised that she wasn't asking questions, unlike the rest of the adults he knew. A surge of appreciation welled up in him, and he shook his head, giving the woman a crooked smile. Perhaps she wasn't that bad after all. "Everything will be fine, Miss Elena. Please take care of Chrome and the others for me."
"Mukuro…!" Elena wasn't able to answer back as the boy disappeared in a swirl of mist, leaving a blank spot where he used to be standing. Everything will be fine… What did he mean? The child's words left her preoccupied, even as she went into the room of the children, who beamed and shouted their welcome.
"Aunt Elena!" Tsuna was the first to come forward, hugging her tightly, glad that she came. Chrome also smiled, but not approaching, letting the younger boy do as he wished first. Takeshi and Hayato were also there, as well as Ryohei, who had Lambo siting on his shoulders, the baby squealing and bubbling happily, grasping the snow white locks tightly.
"It's Aunt Elena to the EXTREME!" The boxer yelled, coming forward, grinning up at the woman who smiled and pulled Lambo away into her arms. "How are you EXTREMEY doing!"
"I'm doing extremely fine, Ryohei!" She laughed at his enthusiasm, cooing at the toddler at her arms. "How are the rest of you?" She surveyed the room, seeing Hayato in the corner, nose buried in a thick, old-looking book, while Takeshi waved from his position by the window, wearing his training hakama and clutching a small ball in his hands, throwing it up and down.
"Hey Auntie! Long time no see!" With almost scary accuracy, the Rain's son took aim and threw the ball, landing perfectly on a box beside the Storm's son, the material softly grazing against a cheek as the other boy looked up and gave the raven boy a dirty look.
"I see all of you are the same as always." Elena entered the room, sitting on the armchair by the side, setting Lambo on her lap. Gently she beckoned to Chrome to sit near her, missing the only girl very much, glad that she followed and sat on the arm of the chair.
"How are you, my dear?" Elena asked warmly, a hand reaching forward to touch a frail-looking arm. Chrome was very thin for her age, something she noticed at once. "Have you been eating well?"
"I'm all right, Miss Elena." Chrome answered shyly, smiling sweetly at Lambo, who grabbed her fingers and played with it happily. "Father and the rest are treating me all well."
"I'm glad then." The woman smiled at the girl, coaxing Tsuna to her side to talk to him as well.
Chrome suddenly paused, looking at the door, a hit of concern in her purple eye. Hayato also stopped, slamming his book down and looking around the room, untied silver strands framing his bright teal eyes.
"Huh? What's wrong, everyone?" Tsuna, who noticed the eerie stillness of the room, asked curiously, looking from one sibling to another.
"Tsuna." Takeshi's voice was oddly flat, and sounded somewhat strange. "Can you and Chrome stay here for a while? I need to check something outside."
"Yeah, I'll go with him." Hayato was on his feet in a second, right behind the mini swordsman, whose hand was just on the door handle. "We'll just go somewhere really quickly."
"Where are you two going?" Elena asked concernedly, watching as Ryohei also stood, following after the younger boys, Takeshi giving a back wave to the people in the room, Hayato bowing low, and Ryohei boisterous as they, one-by-one disappeared from sight.
"I'll accompany them to the extreme!"
"Wait! I'll come with you!" Tsuna also made to stand up and follow after, but Chrome quickly stopped him, a hand on his sleeve as she mutely shook her head, catching her silver-haired brother's eye and nodding once.
You know what to do.
The door closed behind them, and the three children exchanged mutually serious looks before going off in different directions, the sounds of screaming and fighting muted and almost unheard of in the distance.
*Buonanotte and mio figlio - Italian for good night and my son, respectively.
I want to ask you guys something. Is the plot moving too slowly or quickly? You see, I'm the type of person who wants to develop something over time, so I apologize now if some of you would be frustrated with the lack of action. But, next chapter, you will see what you all are waiting for! As to what it is... just see. :)
Again, read and review everyone! Thank you for reading, and let's see each other next time!