Chapter 12: Parts Inbetween

Words: 3,537

Disclaimer: I do not own anything other than this weird story.

Warnings: Nothing much in this chapter =[

Pairings: 8059, D18, 6927, 6918, hints of TsunaxKyoko briefly.

Beta: FoxieSwirl (Thanks so much you are my saviour)

A/N: Sorry that this is late again =[ and thanks so much for all of your wonderful reviews and to all of you that faved this fic or are following it i'll try and be on time next chapter and have more development with the relationships as well. I feel this is kind of an in betweeny chapter so hopefully i'll have something better for you all next time.

"Are you trying to hide something from me Chrome?" Mukuro spoke in his usual deep mischievous tones.

"N-No Mukuro-sama" the purple haired girl feeling overwhelmed with nerves, reduced to stuttering even in her own mind.

"It is interesting that you would feel the need to lie to me Nagi, why don't you open your eyes for me"

Cold fear was beginning to infiltrate her mind and she knew he could feel it; she was still facing the crack in the door. If she opened her eyes now, Mukuro would be able to see them, together, on the bed, embracing. The now shivering girl didn't want him to see but if she didn't open her eyes, her master would simply possess her body and force them open.

Slowly her eyelids lifted, for a moment she couldn't see anything, her irises adjusting to the light assaulting them but when she finally could see relief washed over her. Without her noticing, her two female friends had closed the door, giving the two males in the room some privacy, the giggling teens leaning up against the opposite wall.

A small smile graced her own lips despite the irritation pushing on the edges of her mind that obviously wasn't her own.

"Well Nagi it seems I was mistaken, I'll see you again soon" the reply was unusually curt, stained with clear irritation bordering on anger, the promise sinister in its delivery.

The foreign presence fading from her consciousness, the purple haired girl heard a loud banging coming from behind the door. Glancing at the two girls next to her she saw their intentions and started to hurriedly make her way two steps at a time down the stairs and back into the living room.

As soon as all three of them were inside they shut the door behind them and slumped on the floor, all of them grinning before bursting out in giggles, enjoying the thrill of almost being caught peeping. Chrome had never felt like she felt now. Included. She had never felt as if she were a part of an inside joke or been in on a prank and she had definitely never giggled as much in her life as she was now. It wasn't even that funny anymore but the laughter seemed contagious and she couldn't stop bubbling up in her and it seemed neither could Kyoko or Haru. They were having fun.

Then the world seemed to cave in onto a pin point moment in time and Chrome felt the laughter die in her throat when she realised that none of this was permanent. That in just a few short weeks she would be back in Kokuyo Land and missing out on these moments. It's not that she didn't miss Ken and Chikusa, because she did, but that place didn't do any of them any good. The purple haired girl dreaded to think how Tsuna was coping in the dark dank conditions of the abandoned theme park; anyone would struggle to come to grips with such poor conditions. At least Ken would bring him some food, although Ken hadn't really experienced food outside of the snack food genre. Chrome continued to worry, the sheer happiness she had felt just moments before gone.


Gokudera Hayato was irritated. Not only had he suffered the embarrassment of having his first "kiss" being stolen by a boy, that same boy being the source of many of his daily frustrations, but in the end his training hadn't amounted to anything. Yamamoto had laughed it all off, apologising to the bomber after they'd left his fathers' dojo, the apology slightly off the mark as the rain guardian happily grinned the entire way through.

Arriving back at his temporary home, the bomber called over to Yamamoto Senior in greeting getting a wave and a grin in return. Making his way through the small group of people in the sushi restaurant the silver-ette headed to Yamamoto's room. After the day he'd had even the fact that the bed was covered in baseball adorned sheets didn't deter the exhausted teen from collapsing onto it and pushing his face into the soft pillows.

Surprisingly, the sheets even after 5 days still smelt like the baseball star and the scent assaulted Gokudera's nose as his squished himself into the comfort of the bed. Closing green orbs the bomber attempted to find sleep but instead found himself surrounded by Yamamoto's scent, images of the kiss forcing their way behind his eyelids.

The silver haired teen remembering the familiar smell when he'd came back to consciousness a few hours earlier, the smell musky with a hint of sweat from their training. He'd come to his senses immersed in the warmth of the taller teens body, the taste of the foreign tongue in his mouth and without thinking he'd responded. A deep flush appeared on the teens pale cheeks despite being alone in the room, recalling how he'd rubbed his tongue against Yamamoto's, the small moan he'd emitted as they kissed and the fact that he'd enjoyed the kiss more than he'd ever like to admit.

Maybe it was just because it was his first kiss and he wasn't used to the sensations. Gokudera tried to reason with himself or maybe it was just that Yamamoto was a good kisser. No, the silver-head wasn't going to agree to that, even if the black haired teen was a good kisser he was still male and Gokudera shouldn't have enjoyed it.

Rolling over, Gokudera lay on his back, thin pianist fingers running through his silver locks, his other hand over his face attempting to hide the furious red travelling over his cheeks. He needed to get out of the room and out of everything that smelled like Yamamoto or reminded him in some way of the other male.

A knock on the door startled the boy out of his thoughts.

"Hey son, I was wondering if you'd like to help me in the restaurant"

"Err..y-yeah I'll be down in a minute"

Hearing the footsteps fade Gokudera jumped up from the bed to quickly follow, this was after all the answer to his problem, an opportunity to escape Yamamoto's presence that seemed to be looming over him.

Making his way into the restaurant kitchen, Gokudera noted there was significantly less customers seated at the tables in the dining area than there had been when he first arrived. Yamamoto senior was already preparing a dish on one of the counters, a look of complete concentration etched on his features, hands moving with practised skill achieved over the many years the man had made these familiar foods.

Not wanting to interrupt, the silver haired boy waited in the doorway, leaning against the frame.

"So, how did your training with Takeshi go today?"

The silver haired teen stiffened at the unexpected question, pushing himself upright and away from the wall before giving the elder man his reply, considering his words carefully due to his respect for Yamamoto's father.

"It went ok" the bomber mumbled begrudgingly, relaxing against the doorway in the same position he had previously.

The hearty laugh in response again catching him off guard as the shop owner paused in his preparations and turned to face him a strikingly familiar grin plastered onto his features.

"So It didn't go well then" the sushi chef asked him, humour still present in his voice as he washed and dried his hands.

The bomber didn't know what to do, be honest and admit that the training with Yamamoto seniors' son didn't go well and potentially anger or hurt the elder man, or lie and risk the more experienced man seeing through it.

"I could help you. After all I trained Takeshi and as much as I love my son I don't think his abilities include teaching" the man finished off with a chuckle, looking Gokudera in the eye.

Gokudera didn't know how to respond to the offer. No adult had ever helped him willingly, with maybe the exception of Nana Sawada and Shamal, and Yamamoto senior barely knew him. The situation was so unfamiliar to the teen, his own father not really playing any role in his life since around the age of five.

Unconsciously the silver-head began nodding, a small smile creeping its way onto his lips. Yamamoto senior smiled in response, the smile seemingly more genuine than the Yamamoto family's normal grin, much more understated. The teen couldn't help but wonder what the younger Yamamoto would look like smiling like that.


After drying himself with the dubiously coloured brown towel, Tsuna opened the door to his room a crack, kneeling down to retrieve the snacks placed there a few moments earlier. The brunette felt as though he should probably thank the two boys he was currently living with for their doses of generosity towards him. After all, despite the distance they had put between themselves and him, the two males had still gone out of their way to provide him with food and drink.

Deciding to flush the experience he'd had in the shower out of his mind, Tsuna resolved to find the two teenagers and thank them and maybe even ask them a few questions about Chrome.

Dressing himself in the now tattered Kokuyo school uniform the brunette forced the door open a little further before slipping quickly through and heading in the direction he'd heard the voices fade away.

Keeping an eye on his surroundings as he went, Tsuna noticed some parts of the park were in considerably better condition than others, the corridor he was currently in lacking the cracks and crumbling walls that decorated his own room. As he went further down the corridor the voices he'd been trailing started to become clearer signalling they'd stopped.

Turning the corner the two teens came into view, the taller lanky looking Chikusa leaning against a door opposite the less hygienic Ken. The brunette waited around the corner out of sight of the two teens, leaning slightly towards the wall in order to hear their conversation.

"When do you think Mukuro-sama is going to visit again? He hasn't talked to us in agesss!" Kens whining voice travelled loudly around the corner, Tsuna almost wincing at the volume.

"Ken, Mukuro-sama is watching over Chrome" Chikusa lightly scolded the other male's immaturity.

"Well when's Chrome coming back then?" Ken asked, his tone slightly off from what Tsuna could hear. There was a long pause as neither of the two males spoke.

"Maybe it's good for her to be outside, she's spending time with those girls she likes isn't she?" Chikusa said.

Even though the brunette couldn't see it, Ken frowned before snarling animalistically. "Well maybe she shouldn't come back at all then if she's having so much fun without us". With that said the teen stormed into a room Tsuna presumed to be his bedroom and slammed the door harshly.

"Ken" Chikusa said through the door slightly remorsefully but was ignored.

Resolving that it was probably best to leave the two teens for now and let the situation simmer down, he turned around to head back to his room. Tsuna started to walk in what he thought was the way he came. As he tuned the 9th corner he knew he finally trapped inside what he suspected to be an illusion, it seemed as though hours had passed and that he had been walking the same four corridors and corners.

Despite knowing closing his eyes wouldn't help, Tsuna's eye lids slid down over his irises, a feeling of nausea washing over him as he felt himself fall deeper into the illusion.

"Kufufufufu"

Tsuna almost felt like groaning as the mist guardians voice echoed through his mind, practically used to the invasion of his personal space. The brunette knew he should have been repulsed as he felt warm breath tickle the hairs on the back of his neck, and that he shouldn't enjoy the hands tightly gripping his hips, or the fingers digging into his bare skin. He knew that the feelings swimming through his mind were wrong that he shouldn't be imagining larger masculine hands sliding over his pale skin or deep purple hair tickling his cheek.

Then the image of the cute red-head he'd claimed to have feelings for flooded his mind, bringing with it a feeling of unsettling guilt, a guilt that the second person in his mind could feel, a guilt that angered the purple headed illusionist.

The brunette felt himself torn sharply away from the illusion only to feel the physical pain of his body roughly colliding with the wall. Opening chocolate brown orbs the mafia don saw a brief glimpse of his attacker before the image of the lanky pineapple haired teen dissipated. However, the expression on the illusionist's face stuck in the brunettes mind even after its owner had disappeared. The anger was obvious but more striking was the hint of sadness behind the furrowed brows and snarling lips.


Arriving back at Gokudera's empty apartment Yamamoto fell back onto the squishy leather couch before glancing over the simple furnishings the room held. It was obvious even to the black haired teen that his fellow guardian didn't consider the small space his home, the lack of any personal items or any sense of warmth and comfort testifying to this fact. To the rain guardian the bland walls and lack of Gokudera's presence in the apartment made the space seem lonely and so unlike the friendly atmosphere his own home which he shared with his father contained.

Reaching over for the remote on the coffee table Yamamoto absent-mindedly flicked on a random channel on the television, his mind still elsewhere, or more specifically on Gokudera. After their "training" which hadn't gone too well even Yamamoto could admit that the session had left much to be desired, the other boy had left disappointed and down. Even more worrying was the fact that that the bomber wouldn't look him in the eye ever since they'd left his fathers' dojo and every time Yamamoto caught the shorter boy glance at him the other teen would look away immediately. Of course the black haired teen didn't notice the blush spread over pale cheeks as the other boy turned away in a sad attempt to hide it.

As the baseball stars mind continued to wander over the events of the day, he recalled the moment he felt Gokudera's tongue rub against his own as the male underneath him had regained consciousness. The memory producing an unfamiliar warmth to settle in the rain guardians stomach and confusing emotions to surface as well as the sudden urge to see the other boy and make sure he was ok.

Taking another look over the apartment the baseball star made his mind up, deciding to make the short journey to his fathers' sushi shop and home in order to see the other boy who'd constantly been on his mind for what seemed since this training had begun.

As he predicted, it only took the black haired teen a few minutes running to get to the sushi shop. Upon entering the building he came face to face with a rare scene, the entire dining area was empty, suggesting his dad had closed the restaurant early, something he rarely did.

The sound of the door sliding open behind him caused the baseball star to turn around only to be greeted with an image that tugged at the corners of his lips. Yamamoto senior had his arm around Gokudera's neck, leaning heavily on the shorter male, both of them laughing, exertion clear on their sweaty faces. The two hadn't noticed him yet for which the taller teen was glad as he was rewarded with the sight of an openness he'd never seen on Gokudera's face before that moment.

For the hour he'd spent with Yamamoto senior, the silver haired teen had felt a connection he'd never felt with his own father or with any other adult that had entered his life. The older man had taught him so much and had wanted to teach him even more, wanted to help and guide him. He'd been more of a father to him in an hour than his own father had been in his entire life. That fact should have left him feeling bittersweet but it felt as though nothing could bring him down from the high he was feeling as the door to the sushi restaurant slid open.

"Oh hey son, I wasn't expecting you back for another week" the sound of the man's voice brought the silver-head back to reality.

Emerald eyes slowly rose to meet chocolate brown ones, gazing at him before taking in the warm smile he'd been desperate to see on Yamamoto's face just over an hour ago. That understated genuine smile so unlike the goofy looking grin usually present on the taller boys face. Embarrassment threatened to force him to turn his face away but the silver-haired teen didn't want to forget the smile on Yamamoto's face.

Yet again Yamamoto missed the bright blush present on pale cheeks, the flush of exertion hiding the other boy's embarrassment, knowing he'd locked lips with the boy in front of him.


The sound of shuffling behind the door and girlish giggling woke the exhausted teen resting on Ryohei's bed. There wasn't much light in the room, only a dim glow seeping through the closed curtains that didn't help the ex-prefect identify where he was, only remembering that he'd returned to the Sagawasa residence before it seemed he had passed out. The fact that he'd let his guard down in front of a bunch of herbivorous girls irritated the teen immensely.

It only took a few moments for the dark haired teen to realise he wasn't alone on the bed as he'd first assumed. Slow and relaxed breathing was coming from the body that was far too close for the current non-prefect, an arm was slung over his bare hip, a chin resting on the top of his head as the other persons face was buried in his hair. Judging by the size of the arm keeping him prisoner, the boy presumed the other person was an adult male, an adult male that was about to be bitten to death.

With no pretence of patience the violent teen threw the heavy arm off his hip and quickly stood up from the bed to get a look at his molester. The fact that there was a mop of blonde hair resting on the pillow didn't surprise him much, knowing that his tutor was the biggest moron he'd ever met. However, the feelings that tied his stomach into knots at knowing the fact it was the blonde idiot that had been curled up behind him almost protectively as he slept did surprise him.

In a normal situation he would have beat the idiot to a pulp but something held him back and it wasn't just his lack of tonfa's, the thought of biting this particular herbivore to death didn't even enter his mind.

Looking away from the man on the bed he took in his own appearance in order to distract his thoughts away from the direction they were currently heading in. The cuts and bruises leading his thoughts into an equally unpleasant direction, anger bubbling in his chest, fists clenching tightly as the memories flashed before his eyes.

The current non-prefect had only gone to Kokuyo land with the intention of engaging in a fight with the teen he loathed more than anyone else. What had actually occurred had strayed from what he'd first intended. The purple headed teen had dodged, blocked and sliced the air with his signature trident but every time the purple haired teen had gotten close enough to harm the other male, the illusionist had allowed him to make contact in order to make his own completely different attack. Unwanted and uncomfortable touches occurred, the purple haired teen even going as far as to pull him so close that they were chest to chest, faces barely an inch apart, when both of them were almost collapsing with pure exhaustion.

The black haired teen's fists clenched impossibly tighter as he recalled the other's lips brushing against his own before pressing more firmly, pulling back only seconds later with a mischievous smirk. The cloud guardian hadn't had a chance for his anger to surface before the irritating expression disappeared to be replaced with the unconscious brunette herbivore who promptly collapsed against a dilapidated wall.

A groan brought Hibari back to the present, reminding him of the other presence in the room and reinforcing the boy's confusion. Why did he feel guilty about that forced kiss and the unwanted touches? When he had woken up next to his blonde tutor why didn't he feel the urge to cause the other male pain when he knew the other was too far into his personal space? Hibari stared down at the blonde man sprawled out on the unfamiliar bed, irritated confusion etched onto his features. And why did his stomach still feel tight when he looked at this idiot?