Author's Note: I decided to just write and post a bunch of new chapters over the weekend because I'm pretty busy during the week. I wish I wasn't. I really wish I wasn't. Anyway! I hope you like these new chapters and I wanted to thank you for reading!
"Kae! Hey, what're you doin' right now?" Maki slurred.
"Maki, this is the worst possible time you could call me!" Kaere was hurrying alongside Yamamoto through the crowded streets of Venice, following her intuition. Where are they?! Couldn't Gokudera control himself just once? He didn't have to fight with Squalo!
"What? Oh, so you must be with that fiancée, huh? What was his name? Xavier?"
"It's Xanxus. And no, I'm tracking someone."
"Oh! Shit! You should have told me! That sounds fun~"
"It's not! Can I call you back in the morning, Maki?" Her free hand grabbed Yamamoto's as the crowd of people seemed to thicken. We're getting closer. I can feel it. Where would they have gone? There aren't any big, open spaces around here for them to fight in, right?
Maki sighed in exasperation. "Fiiiine! But do me a favor? Send me a picture of your cutest guy friend! Whichever one you think's the cutest! Deal?"
"Deal." Kaere hung up on her friend and turned her phone on Yamamoto. "Hey…smile?" She snapped a photo of him and sent it, still trying to push her way through the mass of people.
"What was that all about?" The boy still smiled, but raised an eyebrow.
"Er…my cousin wanted a picture of a cute guy so…s-stop blushing like that! It's not like…I think you're cute or anything. It's just a general consensus with girls, isn't it? In high school…all of the girls thought you were the cutest guy in school." She shook her head. "What does it even matter?"
He grinned. "You're talking normally. It's nice."
"What…the hell is that supposed to mean?" Kaere led the way along the shops, where there were fewer people. How do I get involved in such ridiculous stuff anyway? She paused at a crossroads and closed her eyes. Alright. Let me just think for a second. Yamamoto's right. For some reason, it's always been easy for me to find Gokudera. Kaere took a deep breath, trying to calm down. Right. He's to the left. She pulled her friend behind her, feeling the warmth of his hand even through her black leather gloves.
Even after knowing her for almost four years, Kaere always found a way to surprise Yamamoto. He knew she was smart and quick, but to be able to navigate through Venice with her eyes mostly closed, having never been there before, and simply following her intuition in search of Gokudera, truly impressed him. Soon they were standing in front of a large, rather run-down, building. Yamamoto looked it over for a moment as Kaere unsheathed one of her scalpels. "It looks abandoned." He listened closely and heard a shout from within.
"Yeah…it's why they're here." The girl winced. "Er…sorry to say it that way. That sounded rude, didn't it?" She reached to an inner pocket and frowned. "So…do you know how to use a syringe?" He nodded and she tossed a capped syringe to him. "Don't let the needle prick your skin. It's a powerful sedative. If nothing else, it should slow them down."
"Right." Yamamoto tucked the needle into his back pocket and his eyes lifted back to the building in front of them. "How should we do this?"
"Well…which one would you rather get close to? You have to get close enough to get the needle into their skin." Kaere smirked when he appeared nervous. "If you want…I can try to get both of them. But I'll need something from you."
He handed the syringe back, frowning. "What do you need?"
"Can you get me a coffee? Cinnamon, with milk and sugar." Kaere pulled open one of the doors and slipped inside, entering darkness. Fear started to take form, but she pushed it to the back of her mind as she listened closely. There was movement, above her and to the left of her. Do they see me? She sprinted across the room, ducking behind an overturned table just in time as explosives went off where she had been standing. Are you serious?!
"Where the hell are you?!" her friend snarled. The flick of a lighter could be heard shortly before another blast.
What are you doing?! Are you trying to kill Squalo? Do you really think Tsuna would be okay with you killing someone from the Varia? Kaere peered around the end of the table, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. Gokudera was standing there, facing the stairway landing across from the door. This is the worst kind of situation! He can't see at all, can he? He's not used to it like I am. The laboratory always had that dim lighting; I'm able to at least see a little now. The girl briefly pondered sneaking up on him, but thought better when she heard a shout above her on the landing.
"Voi! You little brat!" A dark figure with pale hair appeared at the landing, a blade shining on their left hand.
Kaere grimaced and pulled off her gloves, tucking them into her belt. Okay. I can figure this out. I need to get behind Gokudera if I'm going to do this. I can't tell if Squalo can really see. I don't want to risk going after him first and having Gokudera blow us both up. Dynamite was thrown at the stair landing and Squalo jumped back and out of sight into the second floor. The blast lit up the area for an instant, which she took advantage of. The girl sprinted behind her friend, a hand going around to his throat and holding tightly while her free hand positioned the syringe.
Feeling her icy skin against his made Gokudera shiver and he scowled. "What the hell are you doing here, Noriyama?!" His voice was low, just barely a whisper.
"…could ask you the same..."
He felt the tip of the needle against his neck and froze in place. "Don't drug me. I'll make you regret it," he growled.
"So…tell me then. Why are you fighting Squalo? What…is the point of this? Hm?"
"It's none of your damn business!" He felt her against his back, the cold of her skin and the pressure of her chest against him. "Get away from me! You wouldn't want your boyfriend to get jealous, would you?" he quietly demanded.
"Tell me why you're fighting…or I drug you," she replied simply.
Gokudera tensed, feeling her press closer against his back. Her cold, pale fingertips traced over his throat. "He provoked me."
"I can't imagine how." She rolled her eyes. "Alright…so what to do now…? If I did drug you, it would be so much easier to get you out of here safely."
"You said you wouldn't drug me if I told you!"
"Oh…I never said that. I never said that I wouldn't drug if you told me…you just assumed that. But this can be pleasant or unpleasant…depending." Kaere smirked. "If I drug you…I could draw on your face~" To her disappointment, he shifted quickly and pulled out of her hold. "What? Will you go quietly then?" She narrowed her eyes to focus on his dark figure, unable to remove the smirk from her lips.
He scowled, but put away his lighter and the dynamite he had been holding. "Fine. But this doesn't mean that he won!"
"I know…" Kaere waited for him to slip outside before she turned toward the landing. I was able to sense Gokudera easily…but not Squalo. He could be anywhere. And if he didn't see Gokudera leave, he might attack me. Well…I guess he might attack me anyway. All I need to do is get close and sedate him. She felt his presence just in time to shift to the side, narrowly avoiding his blade coming down on her. The girl moved back more and more, dodging more swipes of the sword until she reached a wall. Kaere bit her lower lip and ran along it until she reached the stairs. Okay. What exactly-?
"Voi! Get back here, you bastard!"
Yeah. He thinks I'm Gokudera. Damn it! She raced up the stairs and down a long corridor, glancing over her shoulder. He was on the landing already and quickly advancing. I have to find a way out. If I can get out of here or at least find a window, he'll see that it's me. It's too dark in here! Kaere saw the window at the end of the hall, covered with a thick curtain. Alright! Here I go! She turned her back to him and gripped the thick fabric. As she struggled to pull it down, a long cut opened down her arm. The girl gritted her teeth against the pain and felt hot blood flowing down her pale skin. I have to keep trying! Another opened across her upper back and as she finally pulled the curtain down, the blade pierced through the right side of her chest. Blood ran from her lips and she coughed, the dying sunlight shining upon her wounded figure. "Squalo…were you…trying to kill him…?" she murmured, looking at him over her shoulder.
His eyes widened in horror, not entirely sure what to do now. If he pulled the blade out, it would hurt her worse and might cause her to bleed out. "Voi! What the fuck were you thinking, woman?! Why are you here?"
Kaere pushed herself forward until the blade slid out of her and coughed blood onto the floor. Turning to Squalo, she felt tears in her eyes from the pain. "Why…were you trying to kill my friend…?"
"That brat was-!"
"Was what?!" She wiped her mouth on the back of her hand, smearing it crimson. "H-he said you provoked him…" Kaere took a shaky step toward him, one hand wandering to her pocket. "Squalo…what did you say to him…?"
The man let her near him, pulling her close with his right arm. "It doesn't matter! What the hell am I going to do now?! You're-!" His eyes went wide when the needle entered his skin and he looked down at her. "Kaere! What the hell are you doing?"
The girl stood there, watching him. His knees soon buckled as the drug took effect. It was quick; his anger made his heart beat faster and it sent the sedative rushing through his blood. He glared at her, furious, and fell face-down onto the floor. Kaere poked him and when he didn't move, she sank to her knees at his side. She pulled his upper half onto her lap, running blood-covered fingers through his hair and watching his expression change from anger to peaceful as sleep completely took hold. "…idiot…jealous idiot…this wasn't about Gokudera…it was about Xanxus…" Her phone started to ring and Kaere frowned at the number. "Noriyama speaking."
"Kaere! Are you okay?! Yamamoto said that you went after Gokudera and Squalo by yourself! Are you alright?" Tsuna frantically asked.
She coughed a little, turning her head so the blood splattered the floor instead of Squalo. "Yeah…um…can you tell Yamamoto and Gokudera that I'm on the second floor…and to bring bandages?"
"What happened?!"
"Um…well…I have a hole in my chest…and my arm got ripped open…so…" She cringed as she struggled to draw a breath. Her right lung had been cut, but she could already feel it repairing itself. "A-actually…Gokudera should be able to help…just send him…" Kaere hung up on her friend and shoved her phone deep into her pocket, leaning back against the windowsill. Consciousness was slipping away from her and she hated it. I feel weak. I hate feeling weak. I just managed to sedate an assassin. I'm still alive after being stabbed through the chest. Even after all of that, I feel like a weakling.
Several minutes passed with the two of them sitting in the last rays of sunlight that filtered in through the grimy window at her back. The swordsman was unconscious, laying heavily on her lap, and she absently ran her fingers through his long, pale hair as she tried to stay awake. Her phone rang and she ignored it. Her breathing was still ragged. The wound on her arm stung worse than her chest or back. Her mind drifted from one thing to the next, wondering how the day had managed to get this bad. Golden eyes went to the man's face and she frowned. Didn't we sleep together just earlier today? We were together for so long that we were late meeting with Xanxus. Because we…made love…and then just lied together…for hours…Her eyes slid closed and her head bowed.
"Kaere! You idiot, where are you?!" a familiar voice shouted. It echoed up the stairs and down the hall, making her muscles tense in anticipation. "KAERE!"
"I-I'm…up here…" she called back, her voice weak. I sound so scared. Why is my voice shaking like this? It isn't right. I shouldn't feel so afraid. It's only him.
Gokudera appeared on the landing, a bag in one hand and a coffee in the other. It made her smile faintly. "What the hell happened to you? Did he stab you?!" the boy demanded. He knelt next to her and shoved Squalo's unconscious body to the side. Pulling open her jacket, he saw the gaping hole in the right side of her chest. "Damn it!"
She took the coffee cup in her bloody right hand and sipped, grateful for something to get rid of the taste of iron. "I-I had to get close to him somehow," she admitted. Kaere slipped off her jacket and shirt, letting him wrap her wounds. When he had managed to stop the bleeding, she felt her strength returning. "So…I'm surprised you actually came…"
"The Tenth said you had a hole in your chest! Why wouldn't I come?!"
"…thought you didn't like me…"
"Shut up!" Gokudera sat back, glaring first at her and then at Squalo's blood-painted sword. "Did he tell you?"
Kaere closed her eyes again and sighed. "No…he didn't. You know, when he stabbed me, he thought I was you."
"Don't change the subject!"
"Hm? So…what did he say then? What got you so pissed off that you had to charge after him like a mindless animal and make me come after you?" She licked a fleck of dried blood from the corner of her mouth, ignoring his look of disgust.
"He told me each and every little detail about what you did earlier." His voice was low, the tone one of accusation and malice. "And then he said that you're carrying his kid. What the hell was he talking about, Noriyama? Don't tell me you're actually with this bastard!"
Kaere pushed herself to stand, bracing herself against the wall for a moment as the blood loss made her dizzy. She grabbed Squalo's right hand and dragged him up, putting his arm over her shoulder. The girl was unable to properly lift him, but was able to pull him along beside her. Gokudera moved quickly to support his other side, though grudgingly. "…I don't know about that last part…the part about the kid…but yeah…I love him…"
"You're going to get yourself killed."
"I have a hole in my chest. I willingly let him stab me through the lung. I think…I might not care about dying at this point…"
"Don't be stupid." He paused to light a cigarette, which glowed red in the darkness. "If you died, the Tenth would be upset. Don't get yourself killed."