Title: Let Me Leave Three Words Behind

Rating: M

Warnings: OCs included, Character death, 6918, 6927, Mpreg, OOC-ness, 8059

Note: I think I'm a little too naïve to be perceiving about death and all, I try to avoid it after all, yet sometimes, as I have realised early in this life of mine, death is avoidable at all. Yet I still not to try think about it. This chappie seemed longer than usual….xD Also, finally found a place to put in Ren's past…well a glimpse :D Personally, I really liked this chapter. I hope you all do too! :D

Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyoshi Hitman Reborn!

xxx

35: Forget the Dead

"Aren't you going to mourn for a little longer?" Mukuro asked as he hastily made his way beside the Cloud Guardian who was striding away quite quickly.

"No" Hibari answered, simply.

Nodding, Mukuro folded his arms silently.

"Aren't you going to mourn a little longer?" Hibari asked the other, he just wanted to push the other's buttons.

Shoving his hands in his pockets Mukuro smiled brightly "Nope" before he looked at the other intently "It's best to forget the dead, you know"

"I know" Hibari answered "you tell me that after every assassination mission"

Smiling, Mukuro looked back up ahead, feeling a little proud "It's a funeral this time, for someone rather close as well." He paused a little, just to see if the other would talk "don't you feel any different?"

Giving the other a glare, Hibari answered "Forget the dead, remember?" and plus, Hibari thought to himself silently, he wasn't close to the Ninth Vongola leader anyway nor is he close to the current Vongola Boss.

xxx

Okay, so he had just left the dynamite's house, and really, he was not suppose to bump into anyone else, hell, that was the plan!

Taking a deep breath, Mukuro opened his eyes, just to see if the other was actually really there. Okay so he really was. Frowning at himself, Mukuro took a step forward, why was he being afraid of the other, it wasn't like he was Hibari Kyoya himself, and the boy in front of him is his son. Oh no wait, scratch that, just was is his train of thought poorly hinting that he was afraid of Hibari Kyoya? Because really, he's not. Seriously.

"Ren" Mukuro smirked, just to show to himself that he was not at all inferior to the other.

Eyes seemingly passing through the other, Ren really, really despised himself at that particular moment and cursed his fate. He really did not want to see the other.

"Bastard" whispered Ren before he turned around to walk away from the other; however, the hand grabbing his shoulder did not allow him to take more than a few steps away. Turning around quickly, Ren shook the shoulder off with quite the effort "Just what do you want!?" he yelled.

He was frustrated. And he did not know why. For was he not just fine before?

Not taken aback, Mukuro's smirk grew just a little wider, just a little softer "I'd like to have my crimson pouch back, Ren"

And before he knew it, he was infuriated, and he was shouting, pushing the older man that he once treasured as his Papa.

Stopping the teenager's movements with the snap of his fingers, Mukuro bent down a little so he was at eye level with the child with messy jet black hair "All I want is the crimson pouch, Ren"

He hated it when Rokudo Mukuro called him that, with that tone. He had heard from his Father that he was named Ren so that when Mukuro, his Papa disappeared his Father won't be lonely. But from that, he also knew that his Papa had never considered that his Father had always been alone, even when it was only the son that was sitting next to him, or the nights when his Father would hold his Papa's hand and sleep.

And so Ren pondered that if only his Papa had looked closer, he'd be able to realise that his Father had been alone from the very beginning.

Glaring into Rokudo Mukuro's eyes with a sharp glint, Ren did not look away nor did he try to struggle. "Let me go and I'll give it back to you" he sneered out. He really hated being so powerless and so weak. Like a herbivore.

Just a little amused, Mukuro smirked, and the tight grasp on Ren loosened, the lotuses slowly disappearing into nothing.

Reaching into his pocket, Ren took the crimson pouch out, opening the pouch, he slowly took the photo out before placing it back into his pocket. He looked up and chucked the crimson pouch towards Mukuro "Here"

Effortlessly catching the pouch, Mukuro grinned, without a word of thanks before he held out his right palm "and the photo in your pocket, Ren"

Cringing, Ren took the photo from his pocket, deciding to give it to the other, after all, this photo, originally, was not his. Taking one last look at his Father's smiling face, Ren placed the photo faced down, his eyes lingering on the words on the back before he looked up, smiling a little. "I'll give you another point to add to that list of yours"

Mukuro's eyebrows rose, knowing what Ren was talking about "What else is there to add, Ren?"

Ren shook his head "You shouldn't call me that, Rokudo-san" his smile widened a little as he took his hand away from the photo he didn't even realise he was still holding onto. "It will please Sawada-san if you addressed my Father and I with our surnames"

Mukuro scoffed quietly. He probably wouldn't be able to do it, after all, it is hard to change habits.

And Ren seemed to have known what he was thinking "I'm sure that that really will complete that list of yours. It will make Sawada-san happy"

Mukuro's eyes narrowed, he knew the brat was going to say that, and with a smiling face as well. Just like the missing Hibari Kyoya.

"Also" Ren continued "Forget the dead" he looked up at the sky, not wanting to directly look at Rokudo Mukuro "And Hibari Kyoya is dead"

xxx

"Aren't you going to go mourn with everyone else?"

Ren looked up to the owner of the voice "No" he told the sister of the dead man.

The lady frowned "Okay then" and she walked off, her black dress swishing with her steps as her heels made a repetitive clack against the tiled floor.

It was a sunny day. The people that had taken him in were dead. They've lived together for near five years. Five long years. He thinks. And he squats in the middle of the corridor. He wants to forget their kindness. And even though the now dead couple that had taken him in had not exactly spent time with him, and he was not content with many things and for many years he had spent nights reliving through his blood stained memories, and still does, he still felt saddened with their accidental death.

He had heard the sound of the clanking of the heels against the tiled floors come nearer, getting louder by the second. Yet he had not stood up, and instead stayed squatting down. He looked up though, when he realised the sister of the man that had adopted him, his Aunty, in a sense had squatted down next to him.

"It's okay to cry." She whispered.

It did not feel okay. It felt like he was the cause of their death, despite the masses of people telling him that it was an accident, and that no on blamed him, still, believing that it was not his fault, he still felt that he was the cause. And it was a terrible feeling.

And he felt, that this was something a little different from his Father's death, this felt as if he did not want to forget, such a memory.

xxx

Haru believed that she was not one who aimlessly intruded into other people's business. But Sawada Tsunayoshi was a different story, and though a part of her heart was holding strong, believing that she should not be so nosy, so intruding, another part of heart would not let her do so, and instead insisted for Haru to call the other.

And call was what Haru did. Because she cares.

"Tsuna-san?" she asked as the other end of the phone picked up.

"Haru, how are you?" Tsuna's cheerful tone came from the phone, Haru could well picture the bright smile on his face. It made her smile.

"I'm fine" Haru replied. She paused. She knew the answer to the question she was going to ask, after all, she was there at that time. But she still wanted to ask. It was a part of her. "How is everything with Rokudo-san?"

A little surprised that Haru had asked that question, Tsuna smiled softly before he beamed with happiness "Everything is all perfect" he chirped.

Hearing the other's voice, Haru's smile grew, she just felt so much happier when she heard it, though her heart weighed heavy. Perfect. "That's good"

xxx

He dreaded these days, when people he knew and cared for would walk through the door to the other world before he did.

Tsuna looked up as he felt a hand on his shoulder, gripping tightly, he understood, it was supposed to be comforting. Yet somehow, it just made him even more depressed, as if the hand on his shoulder was telling him to face reality, to embrace the fact that people die everyday, and to not let someone's death weigh you down.

Ryohei was crying silently, Tsuna noticed. It wasn't very like him. But then, when someone dies, he heard, it affects the family the most. But weren't they all Family anyway?

He allowed his fingers to slowly run down his cheeks, checking for the tears, the damp chin. And it was there, mentally, he sighed, relieved, he wouldn't know what he would of done if he was not crying.

She was dead. Kyoko was dead. He had to accept that, allow for that information to run throughout his body, and to realise, that though it was not inevitable, it was an accident, and that she was perhaps not the one at fault, that it was still death. That she would never open her eyes again, and her warm presence would never grace them anymore.

He could see Haru silently crying, just like Ryohei, just like everyone else. He could imagine their pain to be greater than the one he felt at heart. He could imagine the thoughts running through their heads. He didn't want to see. And so he turned away, burying his head deep into the awaiting chest, sobbing into Mukuro's arms, allowing his tears to more freely run down, dripping onto the Mist Guardian's shoulder.

And when Tsuna felt the warm arms wrapping around him, he could not suffocate his sobs as he realised, just how lucky he was to be alive.

xxx

Grabbing a pack of two minute noodles from his cupboard, Ryohei roughly opened the packet and chucked the noddles into the boiling water, watching as the noodles became soft.

He was growing impatient, Ryohei realised as his fingers twitched at how slowly the noodles were cooking at. He was indeed, feeling uneasy, impatient.

Growling, he turned off his electric stove, leaving the half cooked noodles to sit. And instead, he ate slices of bread, plain with nothing, just like that. He was frustrated.

He wanted to forget so that he would not feel so terribly frustrated. Yet he wanted to remember, for he did not want to end up being someone who just tossed all their troubles away. He was not a wimp. He was not a coward.

Lazily placing his tie on the kitchen table, Ryohei stood up and walked to his quarters, and hesitantly flipped on the lights before he cringed as he opened his drawer, Hibari's letter sitting neatly at the top, as if it were smirking at him.

Pursing his lips, the Sun Guardian held the letter above his head with one hand, eyes squinting, just to make sure there weren't anything there that'll confuse him, because really, the name on the letter was 'Rokudo Mukuro'. And he was just checking, like every other day for the past ten years or so, seeing if his eyes were deceiving him, looking to see if there was another name on the envelope.

And there wasn't. Just three words; 'To Rokudo Mukuro', the 'to' so tiny it looked like many little dots joined together, perhaps it was, just many little dots joined together, but Ryohei just merely assumed, it was a 'To'.

And he decided. Just like that. On the spot after so many long years. He was going to deliver this letter. After all, everything should be resolved, hopefully, by the time he gives the letter to the person who's meant to receive it, which didn't leave a very long gap for things to be resolved. It was just a feeling he had. Really.

xxx

Mukuro scoffed as he folded his arms, he refused to believe that Hibari Kyoya was dead. No matter how many times he was told, yet it registered in his brain, that there were many points in his life so far that insisted that the former Cloud Guardian was no longer breathing in this world. But, he was probably just delusional, because there was no way the black haired Japanese could die, at least not before he did.

Expecting that response from the illusionist, Ren sighed softly. He was getting tired of this, he felt like he was talking to a little child at times, when he conversed with Rokudo Mukuro. He really did. Yet he believed, at heart, he was more of a child than any other child in Namimori. "Haven't you memorised everything on the list?" Ren asked, pointing at the photo Mukuro was holding.

Unfolding his arms, Mukuro looked at the back of the photo, the list and he smirked "Of course, it's been so long after all"

"I see" whispered Ren as he walked towards Mukuro, closing the proximity as he took the photo from the other "then I suppose you won't need this"

Standing still, Mukuro did not reach out to easily grab the photo back, no, that would of made him look extremely childish. And so instead, he demanded the teenager to hand it back to him, like a good kid should.

Taking a few well cautioned steps back, Ren shook his head "You already know everything on the list off by heart" he held the photo up, the picture facing Mukuro "And I'm sure the goal, the aim of this list will be obtained soon, if you follow what I said before, if it hasn't already been" Ren took a deep breath as he took out a fire lighter from his pocket, flipping the lid of the stainless steel fire lighter, Ren smiled softly as he allowed the small flame to burn the photo "You need to forget Father, he's dead. And even if he were alive, it's in your best interests to forget him anyway"

Mukuro's eyes narrowed. He didn't like what the boy before him was saying. Somehow, his body just wouldn't move to snatch the photo away from the other, and instead, he watched as the photo disappeared. Perhaps a part of him had wanted to dispose of the photo, and so did not make a move to snatch the photo back when he saw the fire lighter, or perhaps, he really did want to forget, to the point that he would not remember even if someone asked.

"You wouldn't want to be suddenly reminded of Father when you see his picture. That's why…" trailed Ren as he placed the fire lighter back in his pocket "that's why I had to burn it" he pursed his lips. Ren cursed at himself silently. He really shouldn't have done that. That was, no, it should be the last of the last of the last of the photos of Hibari Kyoya. And he himself, with his own hands had just burnt it. "Forget the dead" whispered Ren, as an effort to comfort himself. Yet he knew, perhaps, even though his Father had told him to, he would not be able to forget.