Disclaimer: I disclaim the characters and song.

Shout Out: Dragged this one by its tail out of its hiding hole, kicking and screaming. It likes to snooze right up until the deadlines, too. twitterbug, found the cover and listened to it. It was lovely, so thank you for suggestion, have it on my playlist. If you have any other suggestions, they will be very welcome! Also, in this Reborn is being called Renato as most of the chapter is in his POV.

Warnings: AU on multiple scales, appearance of brats and Harry's really innocent about some things. Not beta-read, so there may be some mistakes still lurking up and about, despite checking.

Dictionary: Who would've thought Firefly could be an amazing source of Chinese language. I apologize in advance if the words are not correctly translated, though.

Wo de tian a - Heavens above/oh my god

hundan - bastard

Tianxiaode - Heaven knows

Omae o korosu, teme – I will kill you, bastard.(Japanese)


You sit there in your heartache
Waiting on some beautiful boy to
To save you from your old ways
You play forgiveness
Watch it now, here he comes

He doesn't look a thing like Jesus
But he talks like a gentlemen
Like you imagined when you were young
(Talks like a gentlemen, like you imagined)
When you were young

I said he doesn't look a thing like Jesus
He doesn't look a thing like Jesus
But more than you'll ever know

("When You Were Young", by The Killers)


Harry was happily enjoying his time with Fon, as unexpected as their meeting was - Chinese martial artist was a good conversationalist and Harry had been amusedly listening to one of Fon's tales about his travels when he felt a flare of... annoyance? The flare was so close it skittered up Harry's spine, buzzing at his senses unpleasantly. Unconsciously, Harry felt his back stiffen as he instinctually looked to the side where that feeling originated from.

"Harry? Are you alright?" Fon's concerned inquiry was ignored as Harry glared at the seemingly innocent tree in the close distance from him. Fon was amused at first - Harry looked like annoyed little kitten, what with his glare, but his amusement flipped into annoyance that was mixed with a healthy dose of ire when he saw Harry's Storm drag out the one and only World's Greatest Hitman, who was held by the scruff of his jacket as if he were an unruly puppy, with Kiritsugu leading him to Fon and Harry.

The entire scene would've been amusing if not for Kiritsugu gun discreetly poking at the small of Renato's back.

"And what are you doing here?" Despite Fon's amiable smile his voice was practically sub-zero it its tone expressing his annoyance with his wayward colleague.

"Found him following you two." Kiritsugu jabbed the muzzle of his colt into Renato's lower back forcefully, making the man grunt and reluctantly sit on the grass.

"You followed me, too." Harry was not happy with his Storm Guardian either. Dark eyes flickered to green. "You were going stir crazy in Kirei's hovel, can't blame you for that. But I'll be damned to Yama if I will let you be harmed on my watch ever again." Kiritsugu shot back at Harry.

Harry glared back at Kiritsugu, his cheeks flushing with mortification, even if there was a spark of surprised pleasure in his eyes, the sight of it prickling Fon's heart like kitten's claws.

"Are you saying you let me sneak out and then kept tabs on me?" Harry was decidedly annoyed right not, never mind his happiness about his friend's concern about him.

Kiritsugu arched his eyebrow. "Are you saying you snuck out?" He countered to Harry's question evenly, and Fon was amused when he heard almost inaudible growl from the green-eyed Sky aimed at his dark-eyed Storm Guardian.

Busted.

Fon watched, entertained as Harry's flush progressed to a dark blush on his cheeks as he once again inarticulately growled at the menace that masqueraded as his friend.

"Are you three forgetting I am here?" Kiritsugu's prey grumbled out, peeved at their inattention to his self.

"Yes." Kiritsugu snapped back at him in stereo with Fon. Harry blinked, taken aback. He hadn't expected the two's bad reaction to the fedora wearing man. Actually, it was a bit of a comical sight, Kiritsugu in all of his scruffy glory manhandling the fashionably-clothed young man - Harry wouldn't have been surprised if he'd been told Curly Sideburns was a model - as if Curly Sideburns was some good-for-nothing ruffian.


Renato Sinclair was not amused. He had been outright ignored by this baby Sky, and this didn't sit well with him, especially when the self-same Sky in question didn't give him all of his attention, like Renato had been used to getting it from all the other Skies he had encountered. Instead, the teen in question - and yes, this baby Sky was still a teenager – began to bicker with his Storm Guardian, as if Renato weren't any danger to him.

(Not that Renato was, but it was a principle of things.)

But he did feel a flicker of amusement at Kiritsugu's long-suffering glare at his unruly Sky's stubbornness.

His amusement turned sour the longer he watched their interaction - even if the duo snapped at each other, the two of them were secure in the strength of their bond to the extent of completely ignoring both Fon and Reborn - the bond that he, the World's Greatest Hitman didn't have. And that was completely, utterly galling.

Glancing at Fon from the underneath edge of his fedora, Renato caught a flicker of jealously on his colleague's face. Surprisingly, this didn't alleviate his discontent much, so he forced himself - not that it was hard to do, because he itched to find out just what kind of a Sky - and more importantly, person - was Fon's newest and latest obsession.

"Chaos. I am Renato Sinclair, little one. May I have the honor of knowing your name?" 'Smooth as ever', Renato mentally congratulated himself, only to feel a hard jab in the lower back yet again. It almost hurt, too.

(Who was he kidding again? Jabs made by a gun muzzle fucking hurt, but Renato bore with it with a smirk plastered on his face. Annoying his captor was always a good thing in his book. )

The Sky he had addressed narrowed those strange green eyes at Renato, obviously unimpressed with his grandiose introduction.

"Hello, mister stalker. I can't say it's nice to see you when I had to witness your incredibly dubious hobby in action." Harry snapped back, glaring, his hand unconsciously clutching at the tip of Fon's braid as if it were some kind of a bridle or leash leading to the beast on the other end.

Likewise, the Chinese martial artist gifted Renato with a cold smile that would chill any and all members of Chinese Triads to their very marrow if they had the chance to witness it bloom on his face like it did right now.

"I would apologize for him, as it's likely I am the one targeted in this instance, but considering your Guardian's reaction to him I think apology may not be necessary. " Renato hid a wince. That was Fon's polite-speak for 'I-don't-give-a-damn.' He had witnessed that only one time when he worked with Fon- when some upstart group tried to make the red-clad man in question to bow to them. Suffice to say, it didn't end well for the group in question. Fon had razed them to the ground so badly their very names were struck off the official Triads' history into oblivion.

(This was the reason Fon had become the so–called boogeyman and enforcer among the Triads. Nobody wanted to get on the man's bad side after that.)

Now the self-same tone was aimed at Renato.

"You got that right." Kiritsugu's voice was cold and clipped, making him seem older than he really was. "The bastard had been sniffling around after my Sky ever since I handed him his ass on a silver platter."

"Not a golden one?" Harry quipped back, amused, and Fon had to smother a chuckle.

"Not worth it." Oh, buurn. Renato so wished to trash that pretentious ass, but they were a) in a public place and b) he didn't want to make a bad impression on Emiya's Sky.

But judging by Sky's unimpressed face, the damage had already been done. Renato mentally gritted his teeth. He just had to grit and bear with it –

"The World's Greatest Hitman?" Renato gave a tiny jerk at the Sky's soft inquiry, while giving him one of his most charming smirks to date. "Yes, that's me." He purred out, reaching out with his Flames to begin the age-old dance of seducing his prey.

He blithely ignored Fon's stiffening face as his Sun Flames stretched and sinuously caressed the Sky ones trying to incite them-

-Only for his Flames to be smacked down with what felt to be a ten-ton hammer, stealing all the air from his lungs in process.

Reeling from the hit, Renato choked on his spit. His beloved fedora fell off his head as he jerked back.

"I don't know what are you trying to do, but I don't like you." Green eyes, previously so unassuming, and dare Renato think innocent, were blazing with fury as the small Sky snarled at him, those previously playful Flames spiking up like spires of an enraged hedgehog, ready, willing and able to skewer him at the smallest provocation.

"You must think me a blubbering idiot who would slobber to get a slimmest chance with oh-so-magnificent you. " Wide-eyed with confusion and the beginnings of panic, Renato tried to defend himself, but he was stopped by Harry's hand in the air. "Well, newsflash for you, you are not the hotshot you are thinking yourself to be. And don't bother trying to change my mind." The green eyed Sky snapped back at him.

Renato stared. Where did that tiny, fluffy Sky vanished off to? Usually, when he used that tactic, all the Skies practically ate out of his proverbial palm, falling over themselves to try and Court him the best way they could. But this green-eyed Sky not only rebuffed him, but outright refused to give into Renato's charms and Flames.

Which was so rare it happened precisely never. Renato wasn't a braggadocio and he did try to use that particular technique only as a last resort, considering it could be seen as a Courting, and maybe he had been too full of himself for some reason –

(It was not Renato who danced to the Sky's whims. They danced to the tune Renato played, oh so hopeful and grateful and such greedy little shits Renato was practically sick - )

"I – " Renato swallowed the saliva, feeling his throat dry as a dessert. He opened his mouth, only for the little Sky to shake his head at him with disgust.

"Save your apologies for someone who would love to be fooled by them. As for me, don't bother me. I don't have time to deal with two-faced bastards like you." The little Sky spat out before he scrambled on his feet, releasing end of Fon's braid as he stood up, his Storm following suit like a silent human-shaped shadow.

He turned back to the equally stupefied Fon and smiled with chagrin, those still blazing green eyes softening with a hint of remorse.

"I am sorry you had to see that, Fon. I don't really have any reason for that unpleasant scene - " The little Sky furrowed his eyebrows, frustrated as he tried to put in words what he experienced, only for Fon giving him a small, understanding smile.

"I understand. I know what had transpired - here, Fon gave Renato the Look that promised nothing good and everything short of worst when they will be alone again - before he gazed back at the mortified little Sky again. "In fact, I am surprised you've managed to refuse him. Nobody had done that before."

Instead of being proud, the little Sky scowled. "Well, I am not pleased to become the sole exception to this particular rule." He bit out, peeved, and Fon sensed there was a story behind it. But he didn't try to press; instead, he smiled at the little Sky, his expression even warmer than before.

"I don't mind, really." He insisted, raising his hand until he interlaced his fingers with the ones of the little Sky who blushed, his green eyes wide. "We will continue our talk at some other time, yes?"

"If you don't mind keeping your tail far away from my Sky, then yes." The Storm's voice was sardonic, making Fon chuckle and one cutely blushing little Sky hit him on the shoulder, which was shouldered before he was tugged into half-hug and led away, the previously imposing aura vanishing as if it hadn't ever been there to begin with, leaving behind one dazed Hitman and one fondly smiling martial artist.

Both of them looked after the pair until they lost themselves in a crowd before Fon turned back to Renato.

"Wo de tian a, you are truly hundan." Fon's voice was mild, but his tone was razor sharp. "As the World's Greatest, I would've expected you would've known basic etiquette when conversing with someone. But no, instead of that, you tried to entice little one with Flames. Tianxiaode, if it weren't for little Sky's resistance to your foolishness, you would be a smear on the ground, us being among civilians or not. Utterly shameless, that you are." He stood up soundlessly; his sharp eyes glaring at the winded hitman ungainly sprawled over the grass disdainfully.

"Keep far away from little Sky. If I ever catch even the faintest wind you tried any of your parlor tricks, I will kill you – you being my colleague notwithstanding." And Fon was deadly serious. He would do this, Renato recognized. Even when he was trying to seduce the little Sky, Fon's enraged Flames coiled around the bespectacled green eyed teen like possessive dragon, before Renato had been smacked down as if he were an annoying fly and not the strongest Sun Flame user of his generation.

"Had to try." The hitman's voice was hushed, as if he had been strangled a scant few moments before, his eyes sightless as he stared at the sky as if it held the answers to all of the questions currently crowding in his head.

Fon quirked his eyebrows. Okay. That was new. He had known Renato was an adrenaline junkie, but that was going too far even for him. "You had to try? Why?" He barely held back not to whack the idiot on his foolish head, propriety be damned.

"Had to try what kind of brat was strong enough to be your Sky."

This time, it was Fon's turn to pale with shock.

Impossible.

His legs, so steady even in the greatest danger, suddenly couldn't hold him up anymore.

Renato, that utter bastard, had the gall to smirk at him. "Congratulations. It appears you could be leashed in short order if you wanted to be, huh."

Fon had to sit down, his thoughts blazing through his head like hurricane as he tried to puzzle out this new picture in his mind. And to his ever-mounting horror, Fon found out that no matter how he tried to overturn the facts, his mind was stubbornly looping back to Renato's flippant words as if they were some kind of terrifying magnet made of cold hard facts.

Numbly, he watched Renato pick up his fedora and put it back on his head, Fon only saw Renato's lips curl up into a barely visible brittle smirk.

"Aren't you happy?"


Meanwhile, the cause for Fon's world turning upside down, was utterly furious.

"Harry?" Kiritsugu's inquiry of one word encapsulated so much more as he was striding alongside his seething green-eyed friend.

Usually Harry didn't have so short of a temper, but whatever the curly-side- burned ponce had done seemed to set off Harry's temper on a shortest trigger possible. Kiritsugu had a tentative theory what the idiot in question tried to do, but he wanted to confirm it fully before he committed to sending an Origin Bullet to his crotch.

(No other place to cause a complete and utter agony, really.)

Harry's shoulders were tense, his whole body coiled as a spring ready to be unleashed.

"If I ever see the fucker, he's dead." The green-eyed wizard spat out, still seething with the memory of the bastard trying to ingratiate to him.

"Not that I would mind. In fact, I will say go ahead and I'll help you hide the body." Kiritsugu gave Harry one latest one-armed hug before he reluctantly relented, leaving Harry feeling bereft of his touch.

Harry barked out an amused laugh. "Don't mind if I take you up on your offer sometime." Kiritsugu noted that his words seemed to relax Harry a little. "So, how gory shall we plan his death to be?" He hummed, prompting Harry to send him half-shocked, half-amused look.

"Now you are just fishing for information." Harry accused Kiritsugu, the corners of his mouth twitching up as he tried to look put out with his friend.

Kiritsugu just gave him one of his crafty looks, like he used to when they were still kids.

"Right you are." The Magus Killer agreed shamelessly. "Is it working?"

Harry's bad mood diminished even further, He ought to be angry at Kiritsugu - after all, Kiritsugu was prying into his privacy, but instead, he felt a wave of affection and gratitude that someone truly cared for him. It was a strange feeling and to tell the truth, Harry was still trying to get used to it, even when he was living with all three of his friends, not counting the kids.

It was both interesting and awkward, especially with the three of them being older than Harry and the inevitable sharing of the bathroom. Harry had to silently admit if at least to himself - that he was kind of jealous of their physiques. He still looked like a scrawny, wiry stick, while the three of them had muscles and surely it was one of the mystery of universe why exactly hadn't hey been besieged by any of girls yet.

And of course, Kiritsugu's little confession. That little unexpected tete-a-tete in Einzbern castle had been interrupted by alarm caused by Harry's kitty brat and Iri turning Jubstacheit into Tribble. The interruption had been a godsend, because Harry didn't know how to deal with that right then. And then, both of them kept to the unspoken agreement to let the sleeping lions lie, as it were. No need to stir that particular hornet's nest. Despite of that, harry noticed that Kiritsugu was a tad bit more affectionate, like back then, what with an one' armed hug that prevented Harry from exploding at Curly Sideburns – Sinclair – even further.

For someone who was so easily riled by Kirei, Kiritsugu had quite a hold on his temper when needed to. Like with Curly Sideburns.

"Why didn't you interfere?" Harry's question was pure curiosity. Usually, Kiritsugu would have interfered even before Harry reacted, but in this instance, Kiritsugu held himself back, Harry frowned.

Kiritsugu's face darkened. "Did he do anything to you?" He asked, his voice sharp.

Harry frowned. "You mean, you didn't taste it?" he retorted, confused. The air around them seemed to thicken, never mind the heat radiating from practically everywhere. Even if they were in the park walking underneath the trees, the heat was still unbearable.

"It was like honey and blood, almost cloying, like slime. " Harry tried to explain, but going by Kiritsugu's confused face, he wasn't doing a great job out of it. "Like too much sweets with iron mixed in."

"No-o?" Kiritsugu drawled out. "I knew he was doing something, but not what." He shook his head, frustrated. "When did you notice that?" Both of them walked onward and Kiritsugu was glad for heat for once as not many people were in the park, so the two of them trudged through the stone-paved pathway completely undisturbed.

Tilting his head, Harry blinked, undisturbed by the first few drops of rain hitting his body.

"When he was speaking, of course." He made a disgusted face, sticking a tongue out. "It was completely and utterly disgusting. Bleech!" He exclaimed childishly as to emphasize the point he was trying to prove.

"Oh? Do we also taste disgusting?" Kiritsugu asked, interested, before he flushed like a lobster as he though out how his question could be misconstrued.

Oh boy, this question was wrong on so many levels…

Luckily for Kiritsugu's frazzled nerves, Harry didn't take any stock in subtext of the question as he shook his head. "Nah. You all sound normal, I suppose. Why? Do you have something in mind?"

Hopeful green eyes stared in black ones as Harry caused them to stop. Kiritsugu frantically shook his head. "No, I don't!" His voice came out higher than he intended it to, like a squeak.

Harry narrowed his eyes. "I think you know something." He hummed as he leaned forward and up to look into Kiritsugu's eyes from closer distance.

Kiritsugu sweated. "I swear I don't know anything." He backpedaled, even going so far as to retreat, with Harry following him, much to his dismay.

"You know but you don't want to tell me." Harry sing-songed, grinning like a lion about to pounce on his prey.

Kiritsugu did the only thing he could in this situation.

He fled.

His take off surprised Harry, allowing the taller teen to gain precious meters ahead, before Harry sprang after him.

"Oh no, you don't!" Harry bellowed out as he gave a chase - or as much as his body allowed him to do, causing Kiritsugu to do a double take before speeding ahead.

"Hell no! You ain't taking me down!" He called back, cackling evilly for a good measure, as he listened to Harry's verbal epithets to his person as the first drops of rain begun to fall down from the sky.

The Sky chased after his Storm both of them laughing in the rain as they enjoyed this rare moment of mutual childishness.


Waver was in seventh heaven. Or seventh hell, he wasn't sure which one would be more apt description to the lessons one Matou Kariya was imparting to him.

And this was the result of only one moment of carelessness on Waver's side, called leaving his reading material unsupervised when he knew Harry had had a mundane guest in the house, so to speak.

Honestly, Waver wanted to take one tiny leak, seriously. His bladder would've straight out murdered him if he didn't. So he put the book on the table and scuttled of to the toilet, and when he came out, this tall, brunet man with dull hazel eyes swiping through the book. He was clad in dark grey trousers coupled with black shoes and maroon buttoned up shirt with a slim black tie that enlivened his clothing ensemble but did practically nothing to make him any more remarkable to Waver's eyes.

Waver must have made some kind of a noise because the unknown man lifted his head to Waver's way and upon seeing each other both of them froze like couple of deer caught in headlight.

"Boy. This is yours?" The man spoke first and Waver's first reaction was a high-pitched squeak.

"Y - Yes! And how do you know I am a boy?" He countered back.

In retrospection, it was a stupid question. But even Kirei had mistaken him for a girl at first and this weirdo took a single glance and guessed it right!

Dark eyebrows on the expressionless face arched. "That is the single question you have in your tiny mind when a stranger stumbles upon this?" The man barked out as he waved with the text in his hand.

Waver panicked and frantically waved his hand in the air as to placate the incensed stranger in front of him. "U-m, please, it's just a fiction text, sir!" He blurted out, and his heart was practically bleeding as he forced himself to label one of his textbooks about Alchemy a mere fiction text.

The man hummed thoughtfully. "Youngsters those days, reading rubbish like this. Then do us both a favor and burn this waste of paper here and now."

Waver felt his eyes burn with frustration. "S-sir, this book is m-mine. I am learning – "Green eyes wide with horror, he slapped his mouth shut, but the damage had already been done.

The man leaned forward, a humanized bird of prey… or a big praying mantis. "Curious that you would aim to learn all that nonsense instead of a language or two, boy." The man's walking stick gleamed in the light as the walking end of it poked into Waver's chest, causing the small boy to stumble backward with the force of the poke.

"It's a-a hobby, sir?" Waver heroically held back the tears threatening to come out of his tear ducts anytime now. Why was he being bullied like this!

Silence.

Waver was sure he had done it now. He would be drawn and quartered and his ghost would haunt Clock Tower for all eternity bemoaning the knowledge unobtainable to him because of his incorporeal form –

The man harrumphed.

"Hm. If you really want to lie then learn doing so better. That was pathetic." Turning around, the stranger shuffled to the couch and sat down on it, his right hand on the top of the walking stick's knob, while other one held Waver's precious treasure as if its contents weren't worthy of the material they were written on.

Waver took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself to argue the man out of the room.

"But of course young idiots like you don't know any better." The man continued blithely, disregarding Waver's weak bristle at his insult at Waver's person.

Dull brown eyes caught indignant green eyes into a stare-off.

"Suppose it falls on me to prepare you for entering Clock Tower." The man exhaled with a grumpy sigh, and Waver honest to Alaya stumbled with surprise.

Really, what were the chances of getting an honest to God instructor before he even arrived in London?

"I am not doing that out of goodness of my heart, mind you… however it's an agony to read the drivel those idiots use to produce more idiots in their ranks. " The stranger - Waver still didn't get the man's name, sniffed with disdain.

"I am Matou Kariya and for the time being I will be your instructor in the Magi arts. If I can save at least one fool from becoming utter dunderhead brainwashed by the fools of Clock Tower, my life mission will be complete."

Waver's legs gave up, causing him to crash on the floor in daze.

"I'll tell Harry!" His threat, as feeble as it was, resulted only in the ride of man's eyebrows.

"Back talking already? And how do you know Harry doesn't already know that?" He volleyed the question back, a small sneer on the corner of his thin lips.

Waver blanched and it took all of his strength not to fold then and there.

That was the instructor Harry had picked for him?

Meanwhile, Matou Kariya was both cursing himself for landing in this position - curse his innate curiosity for picking up that drivel of a book, curse it hundred times – and his impulsiveness to announce that Harry's brat would be his apprentice, if an unofficial one.

It was those green eyes. They had to be, seriously. Because Lord Matou wasn't a soft-hearted fool - nope, no siree.

"Harry already knows." He reiterated, glaring down at the brat who was practically quivering o the floor like overly jittery mouse. "And whatever I will teach you, remains between the two of us. Can you at least do that or will I be convinced you are an utter simpleton once more?"

Waver wibbled and Kariya felt a sense of triumph of cowing the brat in.

But of course, those green eyes looked at him, and the brat just had to speak those four Gaia-damned words.

"I will ask Harry."

(…Here went his silently heroic image of teaching the brat on the sly.)

(Kariya Matou sulked.)


Be it luck or a simple bout of forgetfulness, Waver seemed to put off asking Harry about his Kariya being his instructor.

Kariya himself, however, made sure to pound the basics of the basics in the kid's head, along with verbally ripping apart the so-called textbooks in Waver's precious cache.

And don't let him start on the Clock Tower itself. Waver's aim of getting into as a student was akin to a fresh meat being dumped in the lake of starved sharks. It didn't help the kid was third generation Magus and didn't really show any exemplary abilities aside his nearly insatiable want to learn everything and anything about Magi arts themselves.

What interested Kariya was that the brat seemed to be drawn to the other scruffy brat with red eyes and wholly inappropriate vocabulary.

Xanxus Gabriel Potter-Kotomine. Harry's son by adoption and somehow, the brat also had surname of that shitty priest, Kirei Kotomine. Loud, rude, uncouth, taught by Harry's friends/bodyguards, usually seen in vicinity of his cute little sorella Irisviel von Einzbern - and wasn't that a shock - and the other white-haired child whose sole gift was shattering the eardrums of all the witnesses around him via his voice. His name was something connected to sharks, but Kariya honestly didn't care. Brats would be brats.

Kariya himself would've gone mad if he had to deal with those two day by day, but somehow, Harry managed, much to Kariya's amazement.

"VOIII! SHITTY PIPSQUEAK! YOUR EARS DONE WITH BLEEDING OUT THE BRAIN MATTER YET?"

Kariya glared as Waver cringed above his notebook as the intrepid duo crashed into the room the two were in.

"I assure you there was no bleeding out any brain matter involved." Kariya's voice was sickly sweet, stopping the two rascals in their tracks.

"Che. It may as well have been." Xanxus scoffed as he glared at the dull-eyed Magus who taught Waver stupid-ass things. "Let him go, trash."

Aand, there it was, the inevitable Waver-Tug-O'War.

'This is despair.' Waver pondered, shoulders slumping in resignation at the inevitable idiocy that would follow the first proverbial shots.

It happened every time. Every. Damn Time. Without exception. Maybe Waver was truly cursed somehow.

But this time, Kariya didn't comply. "I am not holding him in any way, shape or form. You, on the other hand, are impending his progress and causing more workload for the both of us."

Xanxus felt a sense of doom approaching him, but he stubbornly stood his ground. What could that sick shitty trash do to him, anyway?

"And because you are so very enthusiastic," Why did that last word sound so disgustingly ominous? Xanxus saw Squalo trying to discreetly step back as to slink out of the room.

Oh no. If Xanxus had to suffer through whatever shit this shitty trash thought out, Squalo would be alongside him, no ifs, ands or buts. Not so discreetly, Xanxus stomped on Squalo's foot, making him squawk with pained outrage, but Xanxus was cool as cucumber.

"I decided to teach you Japanese language." Kariya's smile may not be all teeth, but Xanxus still got a feeling it wouldn't be amiss on the shark. Or piranha.

Xanxus scoffed. "I already know it, trash, What's the use?"

Kariya hummed. "Of course, of course. Forgot I am dealing with a genius, sorry for taking such a late notice." His words were not the least bit apologetic, causing Xanxus to bristle and suppress the urge to manifest his Flame Claws.

"But I will title you uneducated bumpkin until you will master written language." Kariya's smile was positively beatific. "And because I am such a generous person, I will even allow your little cohort to learn alongside you two. Of course, if any of you three attempt to cheat, the consequences will not be to your liking."

The shark-named boy mouthed what seemed to be a litany of curses in different languages underneath his breath and really, it was quite fascinating, Kariya mused, how foul-mouthed such a young person could be.

"You are not taking Iri!" Xanxus puffed out like a spoiled kitten.

"Who said I am taking her?" Kariya hummed, and Xanxus gawked. Waver, on the other side, felt a terrible, terrible premonition.

"We can't let out your precious little friend you so heroically attempted to save out of my clutches, can we?"

Woodenly, Waver turned his head to Xanxus and the boy's red eyes widened at the blank look in those green orbs.

"Omae o korosu, teme." Waver's voice may have been dull, almost robotic, but the intonation was perfect.

Kariya was impressed.

Xanxus winced. This time, Waver was serious.

He looked at the swathes of paper littering the table, all of it masquerading as Waver's workload, and winced harder.

Whoops?


Scribble

Love is said to be the greatest force in the universe. Hate is said to be the greatest motivator. Life is said to be single most precious possession, and death was regarded as an inevitable end to all things.

Time and patience are the necessary ingredients to make something precious out of worthless ore.

But time was running out. Love ran out long time ago, replaced with hate and derision. For things to live there had to be a sacrifice to death.

Stupid humans.

Stupid humans with their ignorance and thirst for knowledge and even more idiotic plans.

The easiest way would be to erase all of them and then letting nature take its course. It would be so, so very easy, too.

But Balance had to be adhered to, along with Promise.