That Which Obscures The Sky
Summary: When Reborn comes to Namimori on Vongola Nono's request, he was NOT expecting to find a Sky all for himself. This was not in his job description and the hauntingly familiar face wasn't helping him any. The question now is, what will he do?
"Okay, that's good, but you still need to be faster," Reborn instructed as he and Kyoya sat on Nami-chuu's rooftop two days later, while class was in session. Kyoya had both of his hands at chest level between them, fingers spread, legs crossed and eyes intense with concentration. Reborn was on a stool that allowed them to be relatively at eye level, in the same position as the teenager, Sun Flames dancing over the tips of his fingers as he instructed Kyoya through a simple Flames control exercise.
Except it was a bit more difficult when Reborn kept calling out colors, attributes or names of the prefect's three Flames at random while the boy was copying where Reborn's Flames lit on his own fingers.
"Your Cloud answers immediately and even the Mist has a decent speed, but your Sky seems hesitant to take over at all. You need to concentrate more on them," he said while watching how Hibari practiced. If it had been anyone else, Reborn would have taken things a bit slower, take on a more step by step approach of first just getting Kyoya used to using his Sky Flames like this at all. But it was indeed Hibari Kyoya and he had seen that the boy learned scarily quickly yesterday so he knew he shouldn't baby his Sky. He wasn't like Tsuna or Dino. He knew how to control his Flames, it's just that he wasn't as practiced with his tertiary Flames like he was his Cloud and Mist. Kawahira had helped him train the finer points of using Mist Flames that Fon and Tsuyoshi couldn't and it seemed Kyoya was extremely aware of his potential as a Cloud because he had discovered most of what he could do all on his own. Could be a result of his Sky intuition, but only internalized, could be curiosity, could be fighter's instinct. The point was, Hibari had pretty great Flames control.
Reborn just had to get him to implement it on his Sky Flames. His Sky, which had been severely underused all these years. Hibari was Flame Active since the age of about five, but he hadn't used them for anything other than forming bonds with his Elements - if they wanted it - and calming them should they need him to. The kid had even been of the opinion that Sky Flames weren't the best for fighting unless combined with one of those Animal Rings he'd mentioned.
Reborn wondered how Kyoya had come to that conclusion.
All Dying Will Flames, in their raw form, made a person considerably stronger in a fight if used right and could be real destructive if combined with a suitable conductor. Reborn could fire a Chaos Shot from the tips of his fingers, sure, and it was super destructive even before he got turned into an Arcobaleno and he could use Flames outside of his body without any other conduit, but it was a fact that his guns lessened the strain and made bigger, more powerful and more destructive Chaos Shots. If used right, even soft Mist Flames could make a diamond-cutting sword, the Cloud propagation could substitute Sun healing, Sun's activity factor could be deadlier than the Rain's tranquility factor because overstimulating muscles and organs eventually shuts them down, Lightning Flames could actually electrocute and Storm Flames could either cauterize a wound closed or disintegrate all blood from one's body with a single touch. Rain Flames can target specific hormones that could actually make the body overwork itself to death, as in by stopping the secretion of noradrenaline would eliminate the factor that slowed down the beating of the heart, which meant adrenaline would make the heart beat faster and faster until the muscle could take no more and it simply stops.
Sky Flames, in some ways, have all the attributes of the other Flame Types, except not really because everything was in perfect proportion to cancel each other out: the soft Mist for the hard Lightning, the tranquil Rain to counter the active Sun, the disintegrating Storm as opposition for the propagating Cloud. It's because of this equality that the Sky Flames' attribute is called harmony; because all these differing attributes can coexist together in a single Flame. It's also what allows other Flames to spark, link, harmonize, bond and resonate through a Sky. Compatible Elements can spark and incompatible Sky and Elements can harmonize, but everything else can only happen through a Sky. With resonation being the highest - and rarest - form of dynamics between Flames, Skies were seriously on demand just to unite different people and make powerful, successful groups.
That's why practically every mafia Family does its best to place a Sky for the boss. Skies, even if they don't harmonize their subordinates, still gain more loyalty than just about any other Flame in the same position.
Reborn wonders how Kyoya deals with it, some of his Sky 'instincts'. Skies tend to want to surround themselves with people, with other Flame Types even if they have a full, fairly compatible Guardian set already. Reborn knows Timoteo, the Vongola Nono. The man has a mostly highly compatible set of Guardians and yet he had harmonized with Sawada Iemitsu and Iemitsu's subordinates in CEDEF that might as well even be his own Guardians, with his own kids and whatever Guardians they had managed to gather and all of the people that practically lived in the Vongola manor. And as if all of that wasn't enough, Nono almost always also tries to draw Reborn in. It wasn't quite a thrall, but it was an insistent invitation for harmonization and Reborn often wondered if Timoteo was really that arrogant or that oblivious to keep doing it time and time again.
(Except he knows Timoteo had been trained to use his Flames from a young age. He's had years to gain full control. And that just makes Reborn mad, even if he is a bit impressed with the balls the man has to have to continue targeting Reborn like that. He might be the Vongola boss, but Reborn is still the world's greatest hitman. Not even an entire famiglia, even one as big as Vongola, can constantly keep Nono safe. All Reborn would need is one second. That's how long it takes to shoot a bullet. That's how long it takes to die. Well, if you're shot by Reborn, anyway, because he doesn't miss. Ever.)
Kyoya doesn't seem to have such urges. Sure, he has his Disciplinary Committee, but he doesn't stick around them the whole day. He prefers to be alone or just in the presence of his Guardians.
He has to have had it rough at some point because, personality wise, Clouds and Skies are the exact opposite. Mists are shifty or keep secrets or hide away, but to have two completely opposite urges and instincts constantly fighting for dominance ...
Well, Kyoya did say he wasn't very Sky-like. He didn't feel the need to make connections with people left and right - though, to be honest, Tsuna hadn't had that urge until recently, either, content to have no friends though clearly a bit lonely or just upset that he was low key bullied for being clumsy and a bit incompetent - and was content to nap alone in a quiet place. He obviously cared for his Guardians and the members of the Disciplinary Committee that had come to be under his care, but he had made it clear that he wasn't desperate to keep them at his side. And he definitely wasn't a pacifist with how much he liked to fight. Kyoya had said that the only things even remotely Sky-like in him were his ability to understand and read people and his tendency to just accept people as they are, even if they were weird. Which, given who two of his Guardians were and who his secondary, linked Mist was, was only logical. Especially given how weird Kyoya himself was.
And it's not his Sky Flames that made people so eager to be loyal to him, despite what Hibari might think. It was the acceptance he so casually gave, the understanding.
Reborn was brought out of his musings when Kyoya stopped repeating after him - at a considerably greater speed than earlier, he noted, and wondered just how fucking long he's been off in his own head and why Kyoya kept humoring him - and his head snapped around, a small frown coming over his brow. Reborn was instantly on alert, extending his senses, especially his Flames so he can feel around and 'see' if they were being watched, but just as he gained proper awareness of their greater surroundings, a familiar signature registered in his head seemingly two streets away seconds before it appeared just behind him.
His Pacifier starts glowing a warm, pretty yellow.
He had to consciously stop himself from reaching for his gun when the familiar sound of red silk rustling in the wind reached his ears, even though he knew who it was even before Kyoya's face took on a look that might have seemed blank to just about anyone else, but not Reborn. Not when he could see how those silver blue eyes had softened and how the imperceptible tension seems to have finally flown right out of the teen's body. "Jiji," he greets and Reborn takes a deep breath, already turning around to face his fellow Arcobaleno.
"Kyoya," comes the warm, fond returned greeting and his heart stops in his chest. It's not the familiar voice he was used to, the voice he had loved listening to at any time of day, the voice that used to calm him when the other Arcobaleno would drive him nearly to the edge and make his trigger finger itch and twitch, the voice that had once lovingly said his name. It's similar, but actually a childish version of that beloved voice and yet it was still enough to steal his breath away. And then he finally turned around to properly face Fon, meeting those chocolate eyes just as the Storm said "Reborn", and his heart started up again, trying to run away from his chest. Probably to go to the person who's held it for years, even if Reborn wouldn't admit it even under torture. Not out loud and definitely not to anyone besides Fon himself.
"Fon." He can feel the exact moment when tension starts mounting around them, turning the peaceful atmosphere of the roof suffocating. Reborn's muscles tense and his Flames flex just beneath his skin, as though recognizing he was about to enter a fight. It was probably because Fon had his hands in the opposite, billowing red sleeve, a stance the Arcobaleno had learned early on meant Fon was ready to fight with deadly intent in the blink of an eye. It made him look relaxed and serene when the martial arts master was actually ready to spring into action at the slightest hint of trouble. It was a deceptive sort of serenity, one that showed just how dangerous Fon can truly be.
Reborn remembered the first time he had seen the results of that stance - Verde had experimented with his battler robots by setting them against the other Arcobaleno and Fon's opponents had been in pieces without the use of Flames - and the last time (before they got turned into Arcobaleno) - on their last mission, when one of their opponents had managed to sneak up on a concussed Reborn, the guy had finished that encounter with half his skin and muscle tissue burned off before his neck was snapped; it had been unfairly hot, though that might have been the concussion and blood lust talking - and he knew, very well, that Fon is not to be underestimated if he felt the need to stand like that.
Two killer intents spiked at the same moment, rising, clashing-
And Kyoya just sighed, getting up and dusting his pants off before walking towards the exit to get off the roof. "If you're going to fight it out, just remember that it's not just your lives on the line." Ignoring the wince both Arcobaleno - fellow Guardians of the very teen walking away right now - gave, Kyoya just left. Neither of the cursed infants moved until they felt Kyoya was a safe distance away, down on the first floor, in the Reception Room. Probably about to take a nap after the little Flames training session they'd just had.
The second Kyoya stopped moving and settled, their attention snapped right back to each other.
The hitman wasn't sure which one of them moved first, but within the blink of an eye, he found himself practically nose to nose with the Storm, both of them blocking each other's first attack. He had a hand wrapped around Fon's wrist while Fon had diverted his punch from his red silk clad gut. They took back their hands and then Reborn had to duck Fon's foot when the martial arts expert aimed a kick to his head. He jumped back, trying to get out of Fon's range because, despite being the world's greatest hitman and more than decent at hand to hand combat, he was still typically a long range fighter with guns as his main weapon and Fon couldn't be matched in close quarters battles. Reborn knew this, hence the distance. If nothing else, he needs the minuscule amount of time to properly channel Sun Flames through his body to boost his speed, because he knows what Fon's next move will be.
And Fon knew his fighting patterns just as well, because it was clear the Storm was channeling his own Flames for strength to match Reborn when he's using his. Fon may be the faster one, but Reborn was physically stronger and a Sun to boot. Not a typical, traditional, close range fighter Sun, but a Sun nonetheless. The strongest one in the world, in fact. When he's using his Flames, he can match and even exceed Fon's natural speed and boost his own strength, too, which makes him almost unfairly stronger than Fon.
Any Flame Type can be used to boost one's own body strength. Suns, Clouds and Mists just do it better; Suns naturally, though their activation attribute, Clouds by propagating the energy in their muscles, including water and sugars that feed them, and Mists by pushing the body to its limits through illusions that destroy usual the blockers that stop people from hurting themselves from overexertion or burning themselves out. Storms, Lightnings, Skies and Rains have to be careful and need to train themselves diligently in order to use Flames the same way the other three do, because their attributes could actually be harmful for the body if used too much, carelessly. The same goes for Sun, Cloud and Mist Flames, because everything has a limit, but they were still less likely to hurt themselves by accident.
When the two strongest Arcobaleno clashed again, this time, there was a huge shock wave of energy released from the collision of Flames covered fists. They may be small, now, but these bodies were just as strong as when they had been their true size and age. It made sense, to not weaken the Arcobaleno if they were meant to protect the most important pieces of the Trinisette. The two kind of grappled before Reborn aimed a knee to Fon's gut but the other managed to evade. Mostly. He still caught Fon's hip and the Storm winced but returned the favor by twisting one of Reborn's wrists by using the leverage of their grappling hands. Reborn noted it wasn't his dominant hand and, for some reason, that just made him more fond of the other.
That didn't stop him from outright headbutting his opponent. Or kicking his legs out from under him. Fon would have recovered perfectly and continued their little fight, but Reborn wanted to make up with Fon, not hurt him! So Reborn kept his hold and followed Fon down to the ground, landing on top. The Asian, of course, wasn't giving it up, even if his head might have hurt from hitting the ground with an added weight pushing him down, so they started rolling around on the roof, trying to pin the other down. Usually, they both had different advantages when doing this. Fon was quicker, more agile, slighter so he can wriggle out from underneath Reborn, while Reborn usually luxuriated in the advantages his larger height and weight gave him over his slighter opponent, as well as the longer reach and better leverage that resulted from his longer limbs.
Also, Reborn played dirty and he had never made a secret of that. He knew breathing at Fon's left ear would leave him flustered. He had used this knowledge for various reasons and occasions, ranging from sparring to teasing to the bedroom.
And, as always, Fon froze for a moment, eyes widening and a small blush spreading over his chubby cheeks and Reborn, the opportunist that he was, took advantage of that to properly pin Fon down, settling between his legs, hands holding Fon's on either side of his head, using Sun Flames to make his grip strong.
And then, because that's why he'd wanted to see Fon as soon as possible, he said it.
"Duìbùqì." Whatever struggle Fon was preparing to give drained right out of him, leaving the martial artist still underneath him. His eyes, though, were still a bit cold. Or rather, they didn't hold the warmth Reborn had once been on the receiving end of, even when he had annoyed the other beyond comprehension. So he tried again. "Moshiwakearimasen." The coldness faded a little, but Fon still looked skeptical at best. One more time, then. "Mi dispiace."
Finally, Fon seemed to relax.
Reborn knew that wasn't the end of it, though. Of course he knew. Saying sorry, no matter the language, no matter the amount of times, wouldn't be enough. Not to fix the mess he'd made over ten years ago. Not without an explanation that wasn't an excuse. Not without revealing how he still felt, without being sincere and open to Fon for the first time since The Fated Day. It was necessary, Reborn knew that, which is why he didn't hesitate.
"I was an ass. I still am an ass. What I did, the things I said, the way I treated you ... I had no right, no matter what I was feeling in that moment. I wasn't the only one suffering. I wasn't the only one cursed. I wasn't the only one whose life had gone to shit that day. I never stopped thinking about it, never stopped regretting it. You didn't deserve it. There is no excuse; no explanation good enough. So I'm sorry." He made sure to look Fon directly in the eyes, to, for once, show emotion there. "I can only say that I'm sorry."
"... Do you mean it?" Fon asked, holding his gaze, strong and steady and unwavering in that same way very few have ever dared. Reborn's gaze could be intimidating, he knew. His eyes were black, have always been black and he had practically trained himself many years ago not to blink, not to blind himself even for that small fraction of a second such an instinctive action took. It could mean the difference between life and death. It's why he even slept with his eyes open, because he can never bring himself to be truly vulnerable around anyone but Leon.
Except he had spent many nights in bed with Fon, asleep. Eyes closed.
Fon, perhaps, knew him better than anyone, not counting Leon, his animal partner. It's why Reborn actually regretted the way they had parted ways. He'd kept an ear to the ground for Fon, but the martial arts master had not appeared on his radar since The Fated Day. This is truly the first time in years that he was talking with Fon, seeing him.
"Yes," he breathed, almost breathless in an attempt to carry all of his sincerity. "Yes, Fon, I mean it. I'm completely serious here. I was just so angry that day, I was blinded by it. I aimed to hurt and I said things I didn't mean. I know you probably don't want to hear this, after what I said that day, or maybe you do, but you have to believe me when I say that my feelings for you were true. Are still true. Ti amo, Fon. That never changed. I was just an idiot. And a jerk. And an asshole. And a fool. And maybe even a bit of a dame dame. And a m-"
A small hand came to rest over his mouth, shutting him up. Fon looked a bit flustered now, eyes closed and taking in deep breaths to fight down the blush clinging to his cheeks. It was cute. "If we weren't literal babies, there would be a much more fun way to shut you up, but I guess we can take a raincheck for that and settle for this for now, ne?" Reborn's mind went a bit blank because the fun way Fon had mentioned usually entailed at least kissing.
Damn the Pacifiers and damn the curse!
"Can you let me up now?"
"Are you going to run?" Because you just can't chase the wind. It's futile, no matter how much you try. Reborn had learned that first hand when Fon had disappeared from even Viper's radar, back before they had disappeared from Reborn's radar.
"I'm not the one who ran last time," Fon pointed out and Reborn had to wince at that.
"Okay, fair enough."
"Besides, I don't think this is enough of a 'talk' for us to settle everything. You hurt me, Reborn. You kicked me when I was already down and then kept kicking. I may be considering to give you a second chance, an opportunity to redeem yourself, but don't think I will stand for such treatment again."
"There won't be an 'again'," he promised, finally letting go of Fon but not moving away. Their knees were brushing where they sat cross-legged on the roof, in front of each other. "Ever. I swear it, on my Flames."
Fon stared at him a bit wide eyed at that. After all, to swear on your Flames, your very life essence, is no small oath.
"So, you wanted to talk?" He prompted, admittedly a bit awkwardly, but at least Fon stopped staring.
And so talk they did.