.


.

Chapter 16

.


I wake up to something on my nightstand.

It's raining—I can tell from the light. From the sound of it through the curtains.

It's raining so I won't be running today. I'll be going to swim practice instead.

It's raining so Fūta will be sleeping heavier and won't notice me reach across him for the paper.

Fūta sighs against my chest at the motion, but doesn't wake when I bring the paper close enough to see—to read what it is. And it's—

A plane ticket.

To France.

I hold my breath, looking at the date and thinking thinking thinking what I have planned those days as I quietly reach for my phone behind me.

I unlock it and check my calendar and—it's open.

I can go.

I can go—!

I skim the attached note and want to cry.

We miss you. If you can get away for a few days, meet us in Arbois. At our hideout.

I miss them so much—

Aria had hideouts throughout the entire world. She has most of them in Europe, but there isn't a place on every continent that she hasn't thought to place a hideout on. The one in France is on a wine farm, in the Jura region, right between Switzerland and Burgundy. It's a small town with no major cities around.

It's perfect.

She's smart. And prepared. And she's the reason I've been getting away with everything for so long.

I want to go.

I want to go so much—

I eat the paper. And the sweetness makes me want to cry.

I know Aria has been raising Yuni in the same city the Giglio Nero are based in this past year. She would return to Yuni every night and spend the days with the mafia.

But it must be getting difficult.

For her to even chance me going to them…

She must be having a hard time hiding it from her family…

I roll over, and Fūta hasn't even stirred. He's sleeping heavily. Which is good. It's the best thing that could happen to me right now. I reach over him again and slide the plane ticket in between the wooden slats of my nightstand. When I lay back down again I'm shaking from adrenaline.

Two months… I think, running my hands through Fūta's hair.

Two months…

And I'll get to see Aria and Yuni again.

Two months…

Two months—

I miss them.


"Haru-nē, there's someone at the door." I know. I already have my tantō in my hand.

I had heard the doorbell and nearly felt my heart leap from my chest.

No one came to the mountains. No one rang the doorbell.

This was a first.

And I was wary.

I stand slowly, closing my laptop and inhaling deeply. "Who could it be…" I mutter, making my way to the door. I stop at the security-box, and shift so that Fūta can see. "Remind me to show you how to work this, okay?"

"Un." He nods, looking curious.

I turn the camera on, and am greeted with who I assume to be Dino Cavallone and his thousands of men.

Holy fuck he has so many family members, it amazes me.

"Ah," I say into the mic to get his attention, making him jump in surprise. "Cavallone-san. What a surprise."

I shift to Fūta and gesture at him to hide his ranking book. He rushes into the living room to collect the papers he had scattered on the coffee table. "How can I help you?"

"Miura Haru?" He says, and gets too close to the voice box. I don't think he realizes that I can see him too. "Do you mind if I come in? I have business with Fūta de la Stella."

Fūta?

I glance at the younger boy, and he looks scared suddenly. His eyes are wide.

Reborn must have told him. It's only been a little more than a week… I clench my jaw. "I'm afraid there isn't enough space in my home for all of your followers, Cavallone-san," I say, hyper aware of the tantō in my hand. "I'll be more than happy to let you and a few of your men inside though."

Dino was a good man. He was similar to Tsuna.

Right? Was I wrong to think that?

Was I wrong to trust him? If only a little?

"Oh," He says, and he sounds genuinely surprised, like he hadn't considered this option. He turns to the crowd of followers and speaks with them. I can faintly hear them talk about meet up spots, and a little part of me relaxes to see the wave start to disperse. "Haru? Only Romario will come in with me."

Okay.

That's good.

If there's trouble, I can use the element of surprise to take out Romario, and without his follower Dino would lose his physical prowess and I'd be able to take care of him.

Ah… since when did I start thinking this way...

"Okay," I say, to stall for time. I want the crowd to get further away before I open the door. "I'll let you in now."

I turn to Fūta, and he's holding his ranking book against his chest. He isn't shaking, which is good. If anything he just looks startled; and I kneel, so that we're at eye level. "If you don't want to do this you can go upstairs." I tell him, voice low and serious. "If you don't want to talk to them or let them see you, that's okay too. If you don't want to give them anything, just say so. You are in control here, not them. They might be here for you but you don't owe them anything, okay?" He swallows, "I'm here to cover for you in case anything happens. You know what to do if it comes to that."

We've talked about this before. Have come up with plans and escape routes in which he could get away if things got out of control or if I ever went down. So he nods, and he looks more sure of himself now. Less anxious.

I exhale, and place a hand on his head. To let him know I'm here.

To let him now I'm on his side.

I stand, sheathe my tantō, and head for the door.

"Hello," I say, greeting the two men. "Come in. I don't have guest slippers for you unfortunately. We don't get many visitors up here."

That was an understatement. We never have guests. And that was on purpose.

"Thanks," Dino says, slipping off his shoes. Romario follows him, and he's carrying a suitcase. I eye it briefly before walking further into the house. Fūta hurries to me the moment he sees the two mafia behind me.

"Would you like some tea?" I ask, glancing over my shoulder for their answer.

"Yes, please," Dino answers, and he's standing in the middle of the hallway, looking around the home. At the height of it and open space.

"Take a seat anywhere." I say, feeling my hip bump into Fūta as I prepare our drinks. He's standing close, with me in between him and the Cavallones. He peeks at them every now and then, but they're either talking amongst themselves or asking me about my day or school work instead of paying attention to him.

Which might be a good thing. He's nervous, and it's understandable. So I quickly ruffle his hair to calm him.

I could tell that they had chosen to sit at the dining table before I looked up. So when I checked and confirmed my suspicions, I nearly preened at my improved ability.

"Here you are," I say, placing the saucers in front of them. Fūta puts a plate of cookies and other snacks in the center of the table, and once his hands are free he clutches at the waistband of my pants.

"Thank you," Dino says, and Romario echoes him. I move to sit across from Dino, and by the way Fūta hesitates I know he wants to sit on my lap.

But not today. I wouldn't be able to push him off and pull my tantō to kill in time if he did.

He sits across from Romario, and busies his hands by placing them around his tea cup.

"You have a little fawn sticking close to you, don't you Haru?" Dino jokes, placing his cup down.

"Hm?" I look at Fūta, and his eyes are wide as he looks at me. "Yeah," I say, unable to lie. I reach over and ruffle his hair, gently tugging at his ear as I say, "He does look like a fawn doesn't he?"

"It's cute," Dino grins, his smile widening when Fūta pouts, "It means he likes you."

"I sure hope so," I replied, taking a sip of my tea. It's good. I'm glad it brewed long enough, "I like him a lot too."

It wasn't a lie. And Dino seemed to understand that I was being honest.

He laughs, and looks more at ease than I've ever seen him. "I'm glad." He says, and I don't know for what.

"I wish this were a more hospitable visit, but I'm actually here to purchase the rankings of a certain mafia family." Fūta doesn't say anything, but he's watching Dino from under his eyelashes as he continues, "Lately in our area, a family called the Gospella has been passing firearms to hoodlums and bringing harm to civilians. We can't let them get away with it. I want a list of their most influential weapon dealers." He's serious now, and you can feel it in the air. "Can this be done?" His question is soft. He seems to understand how shy and skittish Fūta is. It's easy to see. When you look at him.

I really don't think Reborn would've told anyone anything about how Fūta was hunted like an animal for his ability.

It's something that makes me want to trust Dino more.

I watch Fūta from the corner of my eye, and from a pocket of space I still don't understand, he pulls out his ranking book. He flips it open, "Dino-san ranks number one out of eighty-two thousand, two hundred sixty-three when it comes to mafia members who care for the welfare of civilians." He peeks at Dino again, and this time his gaze is surer.

"I like that kind of boss." He admits, and Dino smiles at him. It's a gentle smile. It reminds me of Tsuna.

And something inside of me relaxes.

Fūta turns to a new page and rips out a piece of paper. He scribbles some rankings, then slides it over to Dino. "Here's a copy of the rankings."

"Thank you," Dino says. And he looks like he means it. "Here's your payment." Romario lifts the briefcase previously at his feet and places it on the table. His hands are quick to unlock and present the amount of stacked bills inside. It's—

Holy fucking shit—!

"Are euros okay?" Dino asks, and he looks sorry.

Fūta looks at me, and I lift one shoulder to let him know it was his decision.

"Okay," Fūta says, and Romario closes the briefcase.

"We're in a hurry, but if you'll allow it, can we come visit?" Dino looks at me and then at Fūta when he says this, and I pause, teacup in midair in surprise.

He… wants to visit us again?

"I mean…" I start, putting down my cup. The sound of it is dull against the wooden table, "I don't mind. If Fūta doesn't either, it should be okay."

Dino looks at Fūta, who swallows and gives a firm nod. Cavallone grins, and he looks all the dork Tsuna is in that moment.

"Okay. I'll see you later. Thank you for the tea, Haru. Thank you for your ranking Fūta."

"Un." Fūta says, as I stand to escort them out.

I smile at Fūta to let him know he did a good job, and his smile back is a little shaky, he must still feel a little nervous about the exchange.

It's the first time he's ever been in control when sharing his rankings with others. It makes sense. He had been hunted for something he had just calmly sold in under five minutes.

"He's a good kid," Dino says, slipping on his shoes at the genkan.

"Yeah…" I say lowly, clasping my hands behind my back. It sucks, though. That he had to cross an entire continent to feel safe.

"Ne, Haru."

"Hm?" I look at Dino in the eye, having been studying their shoes. And he looks confused, if a little wary.

"Why did he come to you?" He asks, and I frown at his question. "I didn't know you were affiliated with the mafia."

What.

Did...Reborn not tell him?

I sigh, annoyed, and ruffle my hair. That fucker probably did this on purpose to hear what I'd say— "I'm not," I answer, and when I put my hand down I know he'll suspect me now. Or at least look into me. And I hated that.

I know what he'll find. But it's what he might find that scared me. "Fūta said he came to me because his rankings showed I would help him. As for the mafia thing…" This is where things got tricky, "I... used to be friends. With Timoteo. Of the Vongola," I add unnecessarily, voice stiff and awkward. When I look at Dino's face again, his expression says everything.

"I was kidnapped when I was nine." I say, and my voice is lower, an almost whisper. His eyes widen at my confession, "After he… had me rescued he said no more."

It hurts. It hurts to say it out loud.

It had felt like losing a good friend for no reason.

Even now… it feels like I lost a friend who wanted to reach for me but couldn't.

It feels frustrating.

"I…" I say, and don't know why I'm still talking, "don't believe that he really tried everything to keep me hidden. Something must have slipped. Because the Vongola are the strongest mafia Famiglia. And if they want something hidden it stays hidden. And I think—"

Yeah… this… these are my honest thoughts...

"I think that… the guilt… of that ate at him… and he feels that he isn't worth my company or affections anymore…" He doesn't trust himself anymore—

Oh.

I'm…

So close to crying.

Dino looks sad. He looks like he understands.

And that makes it hurt more.

"And now you're with Tsuna's family…" He sighs, and the sound of it is similar to: once in the mafia always in the mafia.

Like being touched by the mafia once means it's a life sentence.

And it is.

"No," I say, and it sounds like an almost choke. I swallow, and try again, "Until Tsuna looks at me… And says the words, 'Will you be part of the Vongola?' or, 'Will you join me?' or whatever it takes for him to ask the question out loud to my face… I'm not part of the Vongola."

Dino blinks, and then he smirks. And the look on his face is one that might be described as impressed. If not respectful. "I like you Haru," He says, and I know he means it. "I'll see you soon. Take care, okay?"

I nod, because I can't find it in myself to speak.

Wow.

How had I just spilled an old wound onto Dino like that? Was it because he reminded me of Tsuna? Because I maybe trusted him more than Reborn?

I don't know.

Those of the sky… were really something else.

They make something inside of me settle—

"Haru-nē?" I turn, and Fūta looks worried. I inhale and walk closer to him. He watches me approach, not moving from the middle of the common area, eyes large as I kneel, looking at him in the face—letting him see my expression and understand that I'm okay.

He must've overheard me. It didn't seem to bother or worry him much though. Good.

"What is it, piccolo?" I ask, and my voice is back. Thank kamisama. "You did a good job, today." I tug at his ear a little, and he smiles softly at the action.

"Here," He says, and pushes the briefcase at me. It sounds heavy against the wooden flooring.

"Hm? What for?" I look at him again, "This is yours." I say, not touching the silver case.

"Eh?" He blinks, cocking his head, "You don't want it?"

"What? No. Of course I don't want it. They paid you, Fūta."

He blinks again, and he looks genuinely confused. "What…." He said, and pouts in thought. "What do I do with the money then…?"

Oh he's so cute, he'll be the death of me.

"It would be smart to save it," I say, smiling at him. "But of course that's up to you. You can spend it or save it or throw it away. Dino gave it to you in exchange for your rankings. What you do with it is up to you."

Fūta thinks, and he thinks so hard and for so long that he'll be thinking about it for a while, I can tell. "Let's leave it in the tea room for now," I say standing and lifting up the briefcase. It's heavy. Just how much had Dino paid him? "Let me know what you want to do with it okay? Or not, it's up to you."

"Un."

It's only been a little more than a week since I told Reborn about Fūta's rankings. The fact that Dino came all the way to Japan in so short of a time…

He'll be going back and spreading news about how Fūta makes deals and where to find me. He'll be saying good things and improving our image to his mafia connections.

I trust Dino to know his network and spread the information wisely.

I didn't trust Reborn. But I trusted the Vongola network.

I trusted the confidentiality of the Vongola's most secret information systems.

And yet…

I was worried.

Fuck.

Did I do the right thing telling Reborn?


"I went along with this because your idea was interesting," Ito-sensei says, voice sounding like a sigh, "If you can't take it we should move to something else."

"No," I gasp, feeling my entire body shake and tremble. It hurts— "I… felt it that time." I groan, feeling my muscles twitch violently.

It had felt like a trickle of water.

Fuck fuck it hurts— It had felt like— "K-eep g-oing." I manage to say.

"Hmm…" Ito-sensei hums, and I can't see him from my position on the floor, but I can feel him standing over me. He feels tall— "What's the flame attribute for the sky flame, Miura Haru?"

It's hard to think. I can only feel how much everything hurts.

"Ah…" I say, hoping that vocalizing something would make my brain work— "Sky… attribute is," I choke, "Harmony."

"Yes," He says, and there's the familiar click-click-click before my entire body is on fire. Shaking and trembling and twitching and clenching and it hurts hurts hurts it hurts—

He stops, and I can't breathe. I slam my head against the floor of the dojo to shock my system awake again to breathe—

"Do you know what her flame attribute is?" He asks, and he means Aria.

Aria…

He always means Aria.

Isn't she—? "Sky…" I breathe, and there isn't enough air in my lungs to push my voice out.

"Yes," He says again, and the rustle of clothes tells me he's crossed his arms.

I can't move. I'm shaking too much. The wooden slats of the dojo are warm from my body heat. They're slick from my sweat.

I'm suddenly glad I had left Fūta at the Sawada house today.

Everything hurts, fuck—!

If he had seen this—

"Her flame attribute is sky. Her Hadou is harmony. That is why she is interested in you."

What.

My brain must not be working. I don't understand what that means. "She senses something out of harmony in you. I don't know what. But that is why the sky flame calls to you.

"It wants to restore that balance in you."

What.

What… does he mean…?

Does he mean—?

click-click-click—

I don't scream. I want him to stop it hurts I can't take it No! I can do this just a little longer just a little more almost there just a little more I can hold on—

And then—

A tingle—

"Oh?"

A hard tap on a line I've been poking at all day today—

It feels like a stream of water.

It feels like—

"Your Dying Will Flame is white," Ito-sensei says, and I know he's seen it. At the same time I had felt it travel along the back of my hand. He's wrong though. It's not white. It's— "Your Dying Will Flame is materializing. There may be hope for you yet."

Does he mean… I think, mind starting to work again the moment black spots start flickering across my vision, aboutl…? About… me… being—?


"Thank you," Tsuna says, and his voice is sudden in the gentle quiet. I look away from Fūta going down the playstructure's slide, "I'll make it up to you, Haru-san. I promise."

He's still thinking about that? He had called me more than half an hour ago, in hysterics that Reborn and the others (Bianchi and Lambo) had dined and dashed and left him to pay for it. While the first round had been free when Yamamoto's dad had found out he was a friend of Takeshi's, the second time around he had… not been as kind.

They really ate 70,000 yen worth of sushi… That number alone probably weighed on his mind. My wallet had shed tears too upon hearing it.

"You can call me Haru, you know," I say, feeling too close to him to keep using honorifics. Which might be dangerous, now that I thought about it. "I really don't mind, Tsuna-kun. I know you'll keep your word." I say, leaning back on my hands. The wood of the park bench is warm from the sun's heat, "You can just owe me a really big one."

He looks at me, and I smile at him.

It's hard to read his expression. Which is weird. Because it's usually so easy.

But it's been like this ever since I've gone to the future.

And it feels that he's been studying me more.

Like he's looking for something.

Or trying to understand me.

It honestly kind of scared me.

"Tsuna-kun…" I say, and he's still looking at me. Still watching. "What…" I don't know what to ask. "What was my future self like…?

Was it even okay to ask that? Was I allowed to know?

I don't know what it is. Was it that my future self was so different to the current me that Tsuna couldn't believe we were the same person? Was that why he was studying me so much?

Or maybe because I had come back sobbing?

I just… had been so sure that I was dead ten years into the future that the fact that I was alive in some parallel worlds completely shocked me.

And that I had appeared in front of Tsuna and he had… had made me feel safe, so—

I was curious.

I always felt like me. I thought I knew who I was. And yet… The future me… seemed like a different person entirely…

And Tsuna… Tsuna felt like Tsuna. Would I feel so close to Tsuna that I would talk to him about things I don't even talk to Shiro about?

It was… so hard to believe...

"They're strong," Tsuna says, and I'm made to look at him again. He's looking at his hands, elbows on his knees, and I hadn't expected that. I don't know why I had expected him to say something about my physical appearance. "And they're happier. Much more open."

Happier.

Much more open…

He looks at me. And I know he wants to ask something.

I don't know what.

I look away and tilt my head back. Closing my eyes, "Happier…" I echo, exhaling.

That… relieved me, somehow.

Much more open… I open my eyes.

"Is there a reason," Tsuna starts, and I turn my head to look at him, "why are you so closed off?"

If I open up to you I could get Yuni killed, I can't say.

If I open up to you, you wouldn't believe me.

If I open up to you, what would you think of me?

Would he think that I'm a liar? A manipulator?

Would he think that I'm too dangerous and not worth the effort of his friendship?

I care about you, I think, wanting to cry, I care about you and don't want to scare you away.

I look into his eyes, and the color of the setting sun turns his iris orange. I don't know what kind of expression I'm making. I know Reborn is close. Because he's always close. And that fact alone has my vocal cords frozen.

But I hope that my expression is enough.

I hope that Tsuna can look at me and see—

What?

See me?

Then who am I—?

"Haru-nē!" Fūta's in front of me, arms around my waist and nearly knocking the breath out of me from his leap. He buries his face in my stomach, shaking his head like a puppy and making a noise that might be a whine or a groan.

He's tired, I think, realizing how late it's gotten. The park is empty save for the three of us, and it was in pretty shades of red, yellow, and orange.

It looked like autumn.

It looked more beautiful than it needed to be.

I run my hands through Fūta's hair once and kiss the top of his head. He giggles, the vibrations of the sound tickling me.

"You really care about him," Tsuna says, and I look at him. I can feel Fūta peek from the folds of my sweater, his position unchanging.

Tsuna doesn't look shocked. If anything he looks more like he had spoken his thoughts out loud.

I don't know what he could be thinking.

That I was so closed off that I didn't want to care for others?

Or that I was too scared to care for others but ended up caring anyways?

Because if it was the latter… he would be right.

I lift a hand and place it on Tsuna's head. His hair is smooth, the strands thick against my fingers. I can feel the heat of his scalp against my palm, and I don't ruffle his hair, needing him to look at me.

"I care about you too," I say, and before I can stop myself add, "dummy."

I had thought my actions had been enough.

I had thought me being near him and laughing with him were enough.

Maybe that's why I ended up caring for him so much already.

Because everytime he called for me, I came.

He blushes, and it's a blush I'm not used to. It's there and warm and constant.

But he isn't hiding. He isn't redirecting my attention away from him.

He's blushing and looking at me.

Stop—

"We should head back," I say, and let my hand fall, right back onto Fūta's shoulder. Fūta's silent, and he's looking at Tsuna too. Quietly.

He's a smart kid. It's how he got away for so long.

"Un." Tsuna says, and he looks away, his blush fading.

I stand, picking up our ice cream wrappers and tossing them in the nearest bin. I feel awkward now. I don't even know what that look that passed between Tsuna and I meant. What it was for.

It felt like he had looked at me and seen all of me.

It felt like he had looked at me and I wasn't enough.

Fūta takes my hand. And his touch grounds me. It pulls me back from a place I hadn't realized I almost fell into. I look at him. And he's smiling. And I want to hug him and tickle him until he's crying tears of happiness.

Thank you. I smile at him instead. It doesn't feel strong enough.

We both look at Tsuna. Tsuna who's looking down and looks as awkward as I had felt. Tsuna who looks like he wants to say something but doesn't know what it is yet.

"I'll see you soon, Tsuna," I say, dropping the honorific on purpose. It feels more natural, I notice. It feels right.

"Bye, Tsuna-nii!" Fūta says, waving at the taller boy.

And suddenly, everything feels okay.

"Un." Tsuna says, and smiles softly. It's a satisfied smile. But also a resigned one. "See you."

It sounds final.

Why?

He leaves, and I turn to walk in the opposite direction. Fūta is quiet again, but I know that this time, it's because he wants to say something, so I wait for him to speak.

"Haru-nē?"

"Hm?" I look at him, and he's looking at the sunset, and the colors dye his hair and eyes red and yellow. And he looks like he's on fire, like a gentle flame slowly rising to the sky.

"Can I…" And he frowns, "Can I learn… how to fight?"

I pause in the middle of the road, feeling like I'm standing in a never ending walkway with the fences of concrete surrounding us. The sudden stop has Fūta look down at the ground. His ears are pink, and I can't tell if he's blushing because he's embarrassed or blushing because of something else.

"You want to learn how to fight?" I ask, and make sure my voice is neutral. This is the first time he's ever expressed something like this to me. He hadn't said anything about school but I thought that was because he's never been to one. So for him to ask about fighting… He was still a little small, but had filled out really well these past few months. Enough that looking at him didn't make me worry about his health anymore.

He looked healthy.

And that made me happy.

But fighting… it wasn't a bad idea. If anything it was a good one.

The Hunted becoming the Hunter...

"Okay," I say, and he blinks, not understanding me. "It might be a little early to have you learn under Ito-sensei." He didn't go easy, and knowing Fūta's character, they wouldn't mesh well. "We'll look into lessons first okay? When you get better, Ito-sensei might accept you as a student. He's hard though. He's a difficult teacher. A good one, but a difficult one."

It takes a bit for him to process my words, and I'm given the impression that he had thought I would say no.

"Okay!" He says, and his smile is wide, much happier. "Thank you, Haru-nē!"

"Un—"

Danger.

I have my tantō in my hand and Fūta behind me before I can discern how many there are.

"Hey."

And there's two of them. Holy fuck, there's two of them and they've gotten so close to us. Close enough for me to see that they're wearing middle school uniforms and that they're taller than me. By a lot.

The sun is behind them, so I can't see their faces; but I don't need to see their faces to know that they're enemies. The very air they give off is enough for that. "Are you that ranking kid Fūta?"

Fūta? They're after Fūta fuck—! "Go to Ito-sensei," I whisper, feeling Fūta start to shake against my hand.

Tsuna must still be close by. If he ran now, he could get to him in time. But Tsuna can't do anything to save him. There was no way I could send Fūta to him right now, even if Reborn is with him. Reborn who is strong enough to protect him, but won't.

Not when Fūta isn't a priority for Reborn.

"Ey ey, are you gonna answer or not, byon?"

Byon? They shift, and the sunlight isn't behind them anymore. I can see their faces. And they're—

Ken. Chikusa.

I don't remember the rest of their names. But the moment I see their faces…

This is bad.

I wave my tantō into a kikuchi yari— "Go!" I hiss, and give Fūta a little shove. I hear him yelp at the imbalance, but then I hear the sound of his footsteps stomping away, and I take it as my signal to charge

I'm not giving them a chance to think—!

They're ready for me.

"Looks like we got the right person, byon!" I'm in front of the blond, and he's fast enough to place a retainer in his mouth before I can swing—his body transforms bigger, heavier, "Kong Channel!" He catches my kikuchi yari with his forearms, and standing this close to him I can see a mark under his right eye.

Gorilla? He's strong. I unsheathe my second tantō, and before I can do anything but stretch it into a second kikuchi yari, I pivot to the right of the blond, dodging a row of needles where I had previously been standing.

Fuck, those are fast— He's shifting, I can feel the blond start to move away from me—but I shift my grip on my kikuchi yari in my right hand, letting it stretch to slash, spear head catching his side

I'm not even done with the arm swing before I'm jumping back, needles in neat rows where my feet previously had been.

Fuck.

I exhale, and the tallest brunet lands, shifting his glasses up his nose.

Needles… My heart is pounding, but I'm calm. Strangely so.

They're strong. But I can hold them off long enough for Fūta to reach Ito-sensei.

I can do this.

I flick the kikuchi yari in my right hand, letting the blood on the blade dot the concrete floor. The blond laughs, loudly. "This'll be fun, Kakipi! Ey, lemme at her first. Don't interrupt byon." I had managed to cut his side, but he wasn't bleeding much, or at least I didn't cut deep enough.

Fuck.

"She'll kill you, Ken." The one called Kakipi sighs, and his voice is deeper. He isn't wrong— He slides his hands in his pockets, shifting slightly away to signal his disinterest.

One against one? Even better. I can definitely take them down like this.

I straighten, loosening my grip on my kikuchi yari, spinning each one in each hand in slow circles.

"Hm? Showing off, woman? I'll kill you byon." The blond grins, and his smile is vicious. It's wide enough to expose his fangs.

His bite must hurt. "No," I answer honestly, spinning them a little faster to test the weight. "These are new," I reply, halting them with a snap. "I'm glad I'll take them out for a test run."

It's like fighting Ito-sensei. I remind myself, body relaxing at the familiar stance. At the familiar weight in my hands. I can do this.

He growls, and I snap the two halves of my weapon together as he changes his retainer again, "Lion Chan—!"

"Wait."

A voice I don't know. It's deeper, but the intonation is soothing.

And then there's someone else, a hostile presence to my right.

I turn—pivoting, kikuchi yari swinging—

It's Fūta.

What.

I stop, heart pounding from the shock, and I can see that he has a trident in his hand. What the fu—? "Fut—"

He slashes me, and I'm so surprised and stunned that the blade cuts my upper arm and hip. He makes to swing the trident again, "Chance!" and the blond is jumping at me to my left.

And I'm mad.

This isn't Fūta—

I shift my grip on my complete kikuchi yari to my left hand and slap the weapon out of Fūta's hand with my right. He's weak, and I hit his wrist hard enough for him to fall. I spin my kikuchi yari so that both of my hands converge to an end, and I twist, swinging it to my left.

Hard.

Hard enough for the staff to smash against Ken's skull and rattle his little animal brain. He falls, and while I would usually finish the job, I turn to Fūta, who's reaching for the trident again.

Fūta wouldn't attack me.

Which means someone is making him do this...

I kick the trident away and reach for him, taking his wrists in my hands and pinning them behind him. He struggles. Violently. But he's smaller and weaker than me, and I pull at his denim jacket from his shoulders down to his forearms to tie his hands behind his back.

"Oya?" That voice again. I'm too mad to think about anything but taking these people out— "Restraining your own ally. Very level headed of you." I look up, one hand on Fūta's back and the other reaching for my kikuchi yari and—

Mukuro.

This is… Mukuro right?

"Hm?" His right eye is terrifying. Looking at it sends a shiver run down my spine. "Do you know me?" He smiles, and it's a smile that makes the hairs along my arms stand on end.

"No," I say, and the way the corners of his mouth twitch tells me he knows I'm lying. I know suddenly that it's because of him that Fūta is acting like this. He must've gone directly after him while I was busy with his followers. "Release Fūta."

"Hm..." He says, and Fūta stops struggling under my hand. "I don't think so."

His eye shifts to the number six.

And my vision goes black.


Thanks to:

xenocanaan (she's... both, lol. she says it teasingly but it's the truth haha. oh my god, i'm being mean but honestly haru and mukuro's interaction is so difficult to write! ohmygod that's right, how will squalo react to seeing haru again :) ), NightlyRowenTree (thank you so much for reading!), amgs (i will definitely deliver on fluff when this arc is over :) i think haru geniuinely likes putting people in their place, because so many characters have such big egos here lol i LOVE ten year older haru she's morel ike ME lmao. i try really hard with the character dynamics! i really want them to be in character!), moonguardian101 (while a very tempting idea, this will be the stepping stone for future plans :) ), Innieminnie (haha im gonna torture shiro big time all the way through the guture arc haha~), NightlyKill (oh ho ho :) ), clairered003 (the more i write them the more i see it, actually!), PopperPaper (it was definitely both she is definitely doing both)


it's here! aaaahh!

im so excited everyone! :D

please review!

prince