Mia Tempesta
Summary: Reborn never liked being a (secondary) Sky, but he can't deny his nature forever, so one day he starts collecting his Elements. Except now there was a tiny Storm that packs quite a punch that he doesn't know what to do with. Denial leads to trouble, trouble leads to possessiveness, possessiveness leads to ... something else much more tender. Throw in Checkerface and the Arcobaleno Sky into the mix and things get quite complicated.
"Sorry if it's a bit messy, I don't usually take guests," Reborn said offhandedly as he opened the door to his never before used guestroom that came with the condo but he didn't need. He had three bedrooms, one of which had been turned into an armory, the other into a room modified for Leon, but he'd had no need for anything else so he had left the guestroom alone. His own bedroom was the one closest to the armory and furthest from the unused room.
He'd never expected to have a roommate, and yet here he was, so he wasn't exactly sure how to act.
It had been decided, after much debating, that Fon should stay with Reborn for a while, at least until they were certain that the Triads boss and his former master were out of the country and then they'll take it one day at a time from there. Skull had been the first to offer to room with the Storm but no one felt that a civilian would be sufficient protection or backup for someone wanted by the Triads, even if Skull's giant octopus Oodako was a good guard 'dog'. Lal and Colonello spent most of their time at the COMSUBIN base, Viper refused to reveal where they lived and no one felt comfortable with leaving Fon alone with Verde, unsupervised for unpredictable lengths of time.
So Reborn's condo it was.
The personal one, the one no one knew about. No one but Reborn, Leon and now Fon and Lichi.
Reborn was a little uncomfortable by how much he wasn't uncomfortable with someone else knowing the location of his safe haven where he goes to when he wants to be alone and some peace and quiet. Might be because Fon was actually not nearly as loud as his other Elements. He seemed to prefer silence, but not in an antisocial way. He simply preferred peace.
That was already a great big plus as a roommate.
"You saw the living room, bathroom's the last door down the hall, the kitchen's connected to the dining room by the living room. Don't go into the other two rooms unless the door's open or I tell you to. You can do with the room pretty much whatever you want as long as you don't make any noise at night or early in the morning. I think I may have some tea in the cupboards and you can help yourself to anything in the fridge or pantry. If you want to use the laptop, tell me so I can open it for you so it doesn't explode in your face. I'll warn you, though," he turned to face the teenager head on, dead serious. "I'm a caffeine addict, a true monster in the morning before I've had my espresso. I'd advise you to just wait until I start drinking coffee before you talk to me, or else I might growl or snap at you."
"Duly noted," the Japanese replied with a nod.
Reborn left him to settle in and moved about his living room to at least put away the files and papers regarding past or future missions he might undergo. He was a tidy person by nature, so to see them strewn all around the living room made him feel like he's living in a pigsty. By the time he was done and was heading back to his own room, the bathroom door opened and out stepped Fon in some simple black pjs. They nodded at each other and exchanged a polite 'Goodnight' before they went to their rooms and closed the doors.
Reborn was tempted to lock his but figured sleeping with Leon on hand would be better in case Fon tried something. Not that he would, but paranoia had kept him alive so far and it was a hard habit to break.
Still, he fell asleep within minutes, his Sky truly content for the first time in his life because he now had all of his Elements, even if he didn't have all of his Guardians yet. But they had time and no one was in any sort of rush. Fon's birthday was in March, eight months away, which wasn't so bad.
When March comes, Reborn will have Fon's answer, even if something that might be his Sky intuition whispers that he already knew what that answer is.
He ignored it and went to sleep.
00000
And woke up to the heavenly smell of delicious, mouthwatering coffee.
He followed the divine smell to his kitchen, where he found a perfect looking cup of espresso waiting for him while Fon seemed to be focused on making breakfast. Just some omelets and sausages, but even that smelled better than usual.
Reborn didn't even bother to check if the coffee was poisoned, he just took one big gulp and moaned. Fon seemed to startle and whirled around, wielding a spatula like a weapon and looking utterly ridiculous, but in that moment, Reborn was already contemplating marriage because that was the best espresso he'd tasted in his life.
"Oh, it's just you, Reborn. Good morning."
"Morning. Did you ever work as a barista? Because I feel like I've tasted a piece of heaven on my tongue."
Fon seemed amused but pleased as he returned to the sizzling food, flipping it with ease and adding some seasoning as he answered. "My grandmother used to be addicted to coffee and she liked either coffee as black as her soul or a double shot of espresso that I am not sure how it hadn't killed her at the age of ninety five. Because she was the only one who actually took care of me, besides my older sister, I took it upon myself to master making several types of coffee 'to perfection', as she used to say. I guess the skill is useful even today, even though she's no longer around."
"My condolence," Reborn replied solemnly, toasting a coffee lover with his cup before taking another sip. He just barely bit back a moan this time. Reborn had a high end espresso machine sitting right there at the kitchen counter and he had pre-made shots that he bought in the store to just put into it, but he could see the grinder, the strain gauge and the still steaming pot all still set out and he wondered where Fon had been hiding all of his life because Reborn had been in search of the perfect cup of coffee since he first got addicted to espresso.
"It's alright. It was a long time ago, back before I left home to train. I was ... six or seven. I can't even remember," the Asian said absentmindedly as he served two portions and brought breakfast to the table. He also brought the pot, bless him. "I hope it tastes good. I've been told I put too much spices in my meals."
"All the better," replied the Italian and finished his first cup almost mournfully, but at least he can immediately fill up a second since the pot was already there. "You do know you don't have to do this, right?"
"I know," replied Fon even as he took out chopsticks that seemed to be meant for more than one use, said a little "Itedakimasu," before he started eating. Well, at least he didn't seem to feel obliged to wait for his Sky to start eating before he started. Reborn had seen more than once how Storms refused to eat before their Skies did even if their stomach was eating itself in hunger. "But I want to. You gave me lodgings, the least I can do is make meals from time to time. If it makes you uncomfortable, we can make a schedule, like all flatmates do. I won't do your laundry, just so you know."
Reborn chuckled at that, pleased beyond words. "I think we can arrange something like that." He took up his utensils and tried a bite, only to just barely bite back a startled moan of pleasure as the taste assaulted his tongue. "Fuck that, you're obliged to cook, period."
Fon chuckled as well and continued looking generally a lot happier than the last time they'd met.
Suddenly, the food lost all taste in his mouth. Right, he hadn't apologized yet. "Listen, Fon," he started and those chocolate eyes looked up at him patiently. "I'm sorry for being an asshole and for saying those terrible things. I may not know you all that well, but none of what I've said was true, nor did I mean it. I was lashing out and you didn't deserve it. I know all of this," he gestured between them and then at his home to encompass the entire situation. "Doesn't make up for it, but I swear I will never purposefully hurt you again, whether we bond one day or not, and I guess you'll always have a place to crash here if you ever need it."
"Thank you," Fon replied in a slightly thick voice but swallowed and his tone was back to normal. "May I ask why you have reacted so ... violently?"
"You do realize my Sky Flames are my secondary Flames, right?"
The martial artist appeared quite shocked at that. "I didn't think that was possible."
"Yeah, well, hurrah for me, I'm the only known case," he said sarcastically and a bit bitterly, but he didn't hate his Sky as much as he used to before he met the others and they wormed their way into his cold, black heart. "I hated them for the longest time, because they were tainting my beautiful, strong, overwhelming Sun. My Sky Flames are really weak. At first, I didn't even believe they can support a bond, but then Verde and I accidentally bonded and the rest was history. Anyways, I hated my Sky and I'm still not overly fond of it, especially as all I actually know of Skies isn't exactly flattering. And I hate how their Elements act towards them, as though the Sky is a god that must be worshiping and they are nothing more but sacrificial sheep at their feet. I didn't want to be a part of that."
Fon's eyes seem to light with understanding. "Ah, I see. You found a bunch of atypical Elements to be your Guardians, but none of them were a Storm, so you feared, when we kept meeting and when I eventually met your Guardians, that I was like a stereotypical Storm and was trying to get involved in your life like famiglia Storms usually do. To become your number one stalker and worshiper, to give all of myself to you and practically become your slave. And since you didn't want that, you lashed out, tried to push me away."
"Doesn't make what I said any better," groused Reborn and his younger companion nodded.
"Indeed, but at least now I understand. Though I feel I should both reassure you and warn you: I am not your typical Storm. And I don't mean just my temperament." The Italian frowned at him in confusion at that, so Fon elaborated. "I hail from an old, proud clan that raises its Flame Active completely differently than the rest of you do. In short, we are all taught three things: how to fight, how to hide our existence and the existence of our clan and how to be our own individuals, with our own values, to not let Flame stereotypes shape us. We are Skylarks, we cannot be restrained by such concepts. To restrain us is to cage us and to cage us is to kill us. The way you Italians see resonation is akin to declaring one man is born in the saddle while everyone else is born with a bridle in their mouths. Harmonization is akin to slavery. I won't consent to that."
"Then you really do fit in our group of nontraditional misfits," Reborn said with a smug smirk as he saluted his future Storm with his second cup of coffee.
Fon smiled. "I would hope so."
00000
"Have you seen Lichi?" Asked Fon a few days later, looking a bit worried. Reborn looked up from his newspaper, shaking his head no. "I've looked everywhere but I can't find him."
Reborn thought for a moment before his lips tugged wryly up. "Have you checked Leon's room?"
The teenager frowned. "You told me not to go in if the door's closed."
"Well, I'm telling you that you can go in now," he replied, shooing the other off with a chuckle as the Japanese teen huffed but went to do so anyway. He returned a moment later looking like he had seen the cutest thing in the world. Which, knowing that their pets liked each other and were practically best pals, he probably had. "What are they doing?"
"I think Leon is trying to teach Lichi to play chess." Reborn put down his newspaper again to arch an eyebrow at his flatmate. "Maybe Lichi will teach him to play Go afterwards."
"I thought Leon preferred Poker," he said, stealthily getting up and the two of them wandered over to the door to Leon's room which had been left just slightly ajar. There, indeed, he found his beloved chameleon playing chess with Fon's little monkey and he couldn't help but silently coo, something Fon echoed as the teenager wiggled under his chin so they could both comfortably spy on their too cute pets.
They spent most of the day like that.
00000
"I've never tried lasagna before," commented his Storm as Reborn served the dish for an early dinner since he had a job to do later but he had promised he would cook that night. Fon had tried to assure him that he didn't mind a rain check, but Reborn was not one to go back on his word and so lasagna it was. "It smells heavenly."
"That's because an Italian made it," boasted the hitman, taking his seat and already picking up his utensils to eat. He kept an amused eye on Fon, who was still struggling a bit with using knives and forks given he's used to chopsticks. He picked it up better and faster than Reborn did using chopsticks and didn't make a mess, unlike Reborn had the other day when he'd finally convinced Fon to make some Japanese or Chinese dish of his own choosing and to teach him how to use his usual meal utensils. Still, neither of them could pass off as polite society in the other's high end restaurants with their current skill, which greatly amused them.
The only thing funnier than that was when the rest of their friends tried, too, sure they can one-up Reborn only to fail and get the takeout noodles everywhere, courtesy of a surprisingly clumsy Verde. Viper had come very close to actually managing it.
"Oh?"
"Only an Italian knows how to properly cook Italian cuisine," Reborn said with absolute assurance.
"I don't know. I tried a pizza in Spain that definitely topped the one I tried here," the Japanese brat had the nerve to say with that serene smile, but the one version that's meant to infuriate. Reborn's gotten pretty good at distinguishing all the different versions of that serene little smile.
Viper's gotten pretty good at getting infuriated, though.
"I'm going to take you to a pizzeria that makes the best damned pizza in the world that will make you eat your words, mia Tempesta."
"We shall see, oh great hitman."
00000
"Okay, I guess you were right."
Reborn couldn't be more smug if he tried.
"Shut up and eat your pizza, Reborn."
"Of course, Fon."
00000
"How do you do that?"
"Do what?" Reborn asked as he towel-dried his hair, getting ready to settle in for the night after he shuts down his computer and makes sure Leon had enough food and water if the chameleon gets hungry or thirsty in the night. While Leon was perfectly capable of getting whatever he wants himself, Reborn liked to spoil his partner rotten if he can. And he can.
"The rest of your hair is spiky and tends to stick all over the place," Fon began, still not sleepy so he was reading one of Reborn's books on the sofa. Currently, though, he was frowning in confusion at Reborn's hair. "But somehow those sideburns are always curly, even when they're wet. How do you do it?"
Reborn shrugged. "It's always been like this."
Fon continued to stare at him in confusion until he left to his room.
00000
"Need help with the braid?"
Fon looked like he was about to brush him off politely but paused, looking down at his long, long onyx hair before giving Reborn a sheepish smile. "I would appreciate it."
Reborn found that the whole thing was surprisingly relaxing, having silky strands slide between his fingers and the repetitive motions of folding the hair until the braid was strong and secure.
"Xiexie."
"Bei keqi."
00000
One morning, Reborn woke up earlier than usual, while the coffee was still brewing, and found Fon in the middle of a very complicated kata.
He stayed hidden and watched 'till the end, somewhat entranced by the swift, fluid movements and the control Fon had over his body.
And, oh, he finally found that rumored dragon tattoo.
00000
"Are you okay?" Reborn cracked open one eye at the concerned question, only to come face to face to a kneeling, very much concerned Fon, looking at him with clear worry in his eyes.
"Headache," said the hitman in a whisper, feeling his temple pulse just for that little action and he grimaced. "Poison dart. My Flames took care of it, but it had enough time to act to cause a killer headache. Don't know how I even got here but I'm sure Leon deserves a medal. Now if only the world would stop spinning."
Fon bit his lip, looking a bit uneasy to see Reborn in pain. "Is there anything I can do? Bring you some water? A blanket? Painkillers?"
"A better pillow would be much appreciated."
The martial artist nodded and immediately scurried off to get Reborn's bedroom pillow, which Reborn kind of doubted would be soft enough. Not with the pounding he was currently experiencing. Stupid poison. Reborn hoped that bitch was burning in hell where he'd sent her.
He must have blacked out at some point - how embarrassing - because some time later, he woke up with his head resting on something warm with something massaging his skull and playing with his hair in a way he'd never thought he'd enjoy. He liked occasional hair pulling in the bed, but this was not it. It felt ... comforting.
"How are you feeling? You had me worried for a while there," a familiar young male voice said and Reborn managed to squint his eyes open, eventually focusing in on Fon's face. Right above him, tilted down to better meet his eyes. Reborn didn't need more information than that to discern that he was, apparently, using Fon's lap as a pillow. How embarrassing. "I tried every pillow in the house that I could find, but you kept grimacing and trying to move, which made you grimace more." Well, at least he hadn't made any embarrassing noises of pain and weakness. Small miracles. "This is what my sister used to do for me if I wasn't feeling okay, so I figured maybe it'd help."
"How long was I asleep?" It didn't hurt to talk anymore. That was good.
"Five hours, give or take." He nearly shot up into a sitting position in his surprise, but as he jerked, his headache immediately spiked again, just for a moment, and he couldn't move further than an inch or two. "Maybe you should rest for a while longer."
"I can't expect you to just sit there for the rest of the day," argued the Sun.
Fon gave him a look. "I used to spend days in the lotus position, or sitting on my legs and was expected to immediately be able to fight as if my life depended on it. This is nothing."
"You don't have to."
"When you can make it sound more convincing, I'll let you try that argument again later. Just sleep it off, Reborn. I won't mind a little while longer."
Reborn really wanted to argue some more, but he was tired, his head still felt like it might split open and thinking hurt. So he gave in and let sleep overtake him, enjoying the fingers that kept massaging his skull in the hopes of keeping the pain away.
When he woke up again, he was ten in the morning, which meant he'd slept some twelve to fifteen hours but at least he felt refreshed and there were no signs of his headache anywhere. However, his abdomen felt heavy. Looking up, he saw no Fon. Looking down, though, he found that Fon had somehow curled up around his torso, Reborn's head still on his lap - or rather, on one thigh, the other leg spread over the armrest of the couch so Fon can comfortably bend over and rest his head on the hitman's lower stomach. Fon's one hand was still in his hair, stretched a bit awkwardly, while his other arm was a bit under him, the upper arm definitely under him while the rest seemed like it was trying to hug its owner. Fon's braid was almost wrapped around his neck but Reborn had seen him sleep like that dozens of times by now so he wasn't worried.
The older male sighed, far too comfortable and far too trapped to get up. "What am I going to do with you, mia Tempesta, hm?" Fon gave no answer and just continued sleeping.
Reborn ended up calling Leon and Lichi for help since he needed water and food, but then he just settled back to sleep some more because he really was comfortable enough to sleep away the rest of the day, or at least until Fon woke up.
It was good to get some relaxation everyone once in a while.
00000
"You can't sleep either, huh?" Fon said by way of greeting two days later, neither of them seeming able to get comfortable once they get in bed.
"My pillow keeps killing me," grumbled the hitman, sitting down next to his flatmate. Then, after a moment, he flopped down, boldly resting his head in the Japanese's lap. He nearly cursed when, almost instantly, he could feel his lids getting heavier. Of all the things in the world-!
Fon had squeaked in surprise, then stared at Reborn as if wondering if he'd lost his mind before he shrugged and rearranged himself into the same position he'd been when Reborn had been fighting off that post-poisoning headache. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight," replied the Italian and wondered if they should at least get some blankets.
They ended up falling sleep on the couch within two minutes.
And the night after that.
And the one after that.
And the one after.
And so on.