A Royal Return

Chapter Fourteen

It was all in turmoil.

The land was painted black and white from all the wreckage. Smoke and ash up in the sky, green trees blackened by the fires, and in the center of the chaos, the one who birthed it. The white hair was like a single star in the black sky. The wings had sprung up on his back, already their old size. His amethyst eyes were jewels of color, filled with sorrow and apology.

"I'm sorry, Xanxus...," he whispered.

So, so sorry...

"Phew~ Today was fun," Byakuran noted as he sat down on his and Shouichi's bed. "Ne, Shou-chan?"

"Byakuran...," Shouichi murmured. The white-haired male glanced at him, but the mechanic simply shook his head. "Ah, no, uh... It was fun." The Sky sent a cheerful grin his way, before flopping down on to the bed.

"Fufu~ We need to go out again sometime," the albino laughed. "Before I go back to the Varia, at least."

"Huh? What do you mean, go back to the Varia?" Shouichi protested. Byakuran glanced at him.

"Didn't you see? I'm more or less part of their family. I can't just leave them," he answered. "It would be nice if Shou-chan could come live with us, actually."

"But... the Vongola need me here," the mechanic protested. "I can't..."

"... Than I suppose we understand each other," Byakuran sighed. He glanced back at Shouichi, but just before he could request another kiss, a splitting headache shot through him. "Ack-!" he snarled, sitting up and rubbing forehead. "Damn it...!" The red-haired male hurried over to him, and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"Byakuran?" he murmured. "Is it... possibly..."

"Ah... hah... yeah... it's... ugh... from another... another...," Byakuran tried, clenching his teeth. "Another world..."

KILL KILL KILL...

The words rang in Byakuran's ears, making him bite his lip until it bled.

KILL... NO OTHER CHOICE.

KILL XANXUS!

KILL HIM!

"No... ah...," Byakuran growled to himself. "I won't... I will never... never again..."

YOU MUST! YOU MUST!

The words were getting louder, more painful by the moment. The sting soon brought light tears to Byakuran's eyes, not many, but enough for Shouichi to notice. The red-haired male didn't know what to do. Before him was a man who more than likely deserved this pain. Someone who probably deserved ten times whatever he was feeling then. But Shouichi still took pity. He lifted the albino's chin up, and stared into the hurt, amethyst eyes, before leaning in, and taking Byakuran's lips once more.

They weren't lovers. They were hardly even friends.

And that only made the pain worse.

Lussuria walked into the kitchen, and smiled when he saw Belphegor and Fran. "Hey, you two, it's nearly lunch time. Where's everyone else?"

"We scared him off," Bel said with a grin.

"By 'we,' senpai means my cannibalistic pineapple master and his cannibalistic boyfriend," Fran muttered. "Anyway, how are things going with you? I mean... are you avoiding the guy fine?" Lussuria grew solemn.

"Yeah," he sighed. "But the thing is... he's avoiding me more than I am him. The few times I've passed by him, he's turned away and pretended not to see me."

"Bummer," Fran sighed. "That's boxers for you, ne?"

"... I'm going to get myself lunch," Lussuria murmured eventually, walking over to the cupboards. Belphegor and Fran glanced at each other, before Bel decided that he wanted to spill a secret to cheer up his supposed mother.

"Only two weeks until Fran and my wedding anniversary," he said. Lussuria dropped a glass, and as it shattered against the ground, he dashed back to the table and took a seat across from the lovers.

"What are you planning to do?" he asked, smiling widely.

"Ah, we were planning to spend the day out at the villa and go out to dinner and the dance club later on," Fran sighed, "but... boss says he has a mission for us."

"Oh, that's a pity," Lussuria sighed. "But I'm sure you two will still have a fabulous day. Remember, your relationship... it's perfect."

Fran smiled. "I believe I recall being told that by a Lussuria of the future."

"Did I say that? Well, I guess some things don't change," the Sun guardian mused. Fran sent a small grin Bel's way.

"Yeah. Some things don't change."

The next day...

"What? But I checked the data base before we left!" Xanxus snarled. "We shouldn't have any assignments for the next four days! ... You know what? I have an idea. Don't expect me to bother getting back to you on that." With that, the boss hung up on his Lightning guardian, and glanced at Squalo. "I have a private mission. But you know how I'm gonna get out of it?"

"No idea," Squalo answered.

"I'll make the albino trash do it," Xanxus answered with a smirk. Squalo's jaw hit the floor.

"No way, boss!" he shouted. "That's suicide!"

"You'll be commiting suicide if you keep talking to me like that," Xanxus muttered, before starting off for room B26. He soon entered the room, and gaped when he saw the alleged 'albino trash' making out with the Vongola's mechanic. The two quickly noticed Xanxus, and, clearly flustered, Shouichi turned around. Byakuran sighed, and glanced back at his boss. "You have your first assignment, trash," Xanxus ordered.

"What? But... but boss...!" the albino complained. "What do you even mean?"

"You. Have. An. Assignment," Xanxus repeated. "Consider it initiation."

"But... but...," the younger continued to protest.

"You have a box weapon and whatever knowledge you can scrounge up. It's in Sicily."

"Hey, wait a minute," Shouichi started, but Xanxus sent him the 'keep-talking-I'll-blow-your-brains-out' glare, and he quieted.

"You leave tomorrow morning," the boss said. "We'll get ourselves back in Italy as well. Sorry for cutting your little vacation short, trash." With that, the boss left, and Byakuran looked sadly at Shouichi.

"To think this is already our last day together," he murmured. "I'm sorry, Shou-chan."

"... Byakuran, I...," Shouichi began. "... We'll make this a good day. Okay? Wanna go out again?"

The white-haired male gave a somber nod.

Meanwhile...

"Kyouya... come on, Kyouya, it's almost noon," Mukuro said, pulling the blanket off of his ravenette. He quickly took notice of the bruises on the former prefect's arm, and he paused. "Uh... were those from last night...?" he wondered aloud.

"No," Hibari answered simply. "I went out last night."

"What do you mean?" Mukuro asked, sitting down on the bed beside the other.

"I was frustrated. So I went to visit Namimori Middle."

"So, what, were you tripping all over the place?" Mukuro asked, placing a hand on the other's arm.

"There were some old Millefiore bozos hanging about," the other answered. "I just took care of them."

"So you got bruised in a fight?" Mukuro repeated, astonished. "Kyouya, that's not like you."

"I was frustrated and unfocused, shut up," Hibari muttered, yanking the blanket over his body once more. "I'm better now."

"... Are you getting out of bed at all today?" Mukuro asked. The former prefect sadly shook his head.

"Master!" Fran called, barging into the room. "Sad news! Bel and I are leaving tomorrow!"
"Oh, is that so?" Mukuro hummed. "Well, it was nice to-"

"Come on, Mukuro!" Hibari announced, springing out of bed and starting to get changed. "We're going on a date!"

And the pineapple facepalmed.

-End Chapter

XD Lol.

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