A/N Hello Again!
Were skipping forward a bit again, just a little less than a year, meaning Tsuna is now in her second year of middle school (making her 14ish). Still a bit to go before Reborn and the mafia Tornado hits :D
This chapter was actually quite fun to write, not that most of them aren't haha. It's mainly just a deepening of relationships, exploring some apex predators and sneaking a bit of 8027 (I say a bit but it's actually bout a third of the chapter heh).
Pretty sure there won't be a particular main couple, but it will sway a bit till we reach the promised land, aka the 'Glorious harem of Ietsuna'.
But here is the next chapter and more food for thought.
~Chapter 7 – Carnivores Aren't the Only Predators
Hibari was well known for 'biting' students and adults alike 'to death', everyone was aware of the consequences of their actions within Namimori, and there were no exceptions to the rules or of his rule. It was almost ridiculous how a middle schooler, almost high schooler now, managed to reign over the area with an iron fist, not that anyone would voice this thought. And still, despite all the supposed sealed lips, there were rumours about the bloody prefect's ancestry that slowly circulated around the small neighbourhood. His father was an officer of the law, not a 'kind' one but a damn good one, of a high enough ranking that his son could continue to put people into the hospitals without any repercussions. The fact that the hospitals were owned by his mother's side of the family only added to his status. And these were the facts.
The uncertainty that was born from the grapevine, was whether or not the senior Hibari was linked to the ruthless yakuza that lingered in peaceful Namimori every once in a while. Not the Momokyokai group that held office in the shopping district, but the real bloodthirsty sort that no one wanted to whisper about. For years now, the general opinion had been leaning towards a 'yes' on this one. An heir to the group, a prestigious member, even being a cop hadn't stopped people sighting him on friendly terms with dangerous looking men.
And what if Hibari was Yakuza? Well that just meant he owned a lot more of Namimori that it appeared.
But Ietsuna had been watching him for a long time now, since the prefect first stumbled upon her and her bullies, and never once had he not been fair. It wasn't about righteousness, or kindness, but the equality he treated all with. He didn't like loitering, it crowded the already narrow hallways, but he wouldn't actually do more than snarl. Probably because said snarl cleared the area as quick as counting to three. He didn't like noise, but his mere presence demanded silence, so he didn't have to do much there either. And he didn't like bullying, because herbivores had better things to do that sully his area and attack others of their kind. The Disciplinary Head gave everyone enough warning when he disliked a situation, and if it persisted, then he would really 'bite you to death'.
That was how things were supposed to be, so when Tsuna garnered a different sort of attention, she didn't know what to do with it. He jumped her whenever he could catch her after the final bell, because waiting for her at the gate in the morning was too easy, and a prolonged fight then would impair both of their class times and learning. He hunted her down, and attacked like a bloodhound. And it was all because Tsuna had begun to fight back. She didn't even win half the time, barely holding her own the others, but she stood her ground and he apparently found her worthy enough for frequent 'spars'. She hadn't had another bullying incident since the roughly a year ago with Takeshi, but Tsuna still frequently obtained bruises. It did make Takeshi fuss and worry though, with that small furrow in his brow that would lead to early wrinkles, but there was little the former baseballer could do when his own fighting ability just wasn't up to par.
But as much as she 'enjoyed' this bonding time, an opportunity to see his purple aura bloom, even Tsuna needed a break from his pursuit. Every once in a while, she made a clean escape, shoulders hunched in as she skirted out of his range. It didn't ease the tension of possibly being caught, and kept her flinching at every rustle and footstep. Hibari was finding her more easily these days, and she almost wondered if he was at the point where he was graciously allowing her days to recover.
She sighed in relief, stepping into the dojo grounds, the place anyone had yet to breach other than her sensei and herself.
"Hie!" She couldn't help the yelp that slipped out though when she saw him standing there, as if waiting. Had he already come this far? That just wasn't fair.
"Ah, Ietsuna-chan." Tsuna realised something was off the moment her name left his mouth. And maybe if she hadn't been so surprised and slightly panicked, she would've caught it earlier. This was not Hibari Kyoya, no matter how similar they looked. For one he hadn't called her 'Herbivore', 'Omnivore' or even 'Carnivore', lacking his usual food chain/animal kingdom quotes. The seconds were ticking past and he hadn't attacked her either, hadn't asked for a fight, and that thing on his face… that was probably one of the most sincere smiles she had scene. It radiated tangible warmth, almost as much as the red wisp over his heart. There was currently only one person in Namimori Japan that used her name like that, that smiled so warmly at her, and wore that deep shade of red.
"…Fon-sensei?" She didn't know how it was possible, but the man before her was matching up with the infant martial artists in every way except for physical appearance, or rather age.
"I'm glad you recognize me, Ietsuna-chan." Perhaps he was being foolish, but for the first time in a long while he decided to indulge himself. There had been a breakthrough in the curse that held him prisoner in his own body, and he wanted to enjoy the joys of newfound freedom just as much as the others.
"How?" Tsuna looked him up and down, making sure it wasn't some trick of light, "I mean it was already weird that a baby was so advanced…but how did you grow so fast in just a month?" Realistically it couldn't have been possibly, but her intuition told her otherwise and it hadn't been wrong yet, so she forced her brain to accept it.
"It just happened," He said with a shrug, and she knew he wouldn't be elaborating anytime soon, "Now are you ready to begin? I'm sure I will prove to be more helpful in this form." He was still smiling, the deep red wisp now beating stronger than before, and that told Tsuna more than plain words could.
"Ok…" Amazingly enough, Tsuna dropped the topic, allowing him his small secrets as her mind worked away on possible theories. She had never questioned him before, always wondering but never asking where he often disappeared to. "You wouldn't happen to be related to Hibari-senpai would you?" That was the one thing she was curious about enough to ask, and something that she felt he might respond to.
"Distantly, we are." Fon replied with the same face she expected to see on the prefect in a couple years, minus the smile. Really the resemblance was almost frightening. He gently nudged her leg into place, making idle conversation in the peace. "If I remember correctly, you said your brother would be visiting soon?"
"Ah," Her face fell, her expression clearly reflecting her feelings, "Yoshi can't make it. He said Papa's really busy right now and he'll feel bad if he doesn't help out." Fon frowned too, but for a whole other reason. He just wanted the peace to last for as long as it could, but he knew that was just a futile wish, just as he knew that their time was ticking down.
Tsuna wondered when exactly her twin had created such a large chasm between them. Their monthly calls had slowly disappeared, as his yearly visits had just about ceased. She didn't know if it was by his own will, but it was obvious what the divide was. He and her papa were on one side, and she and Mama were on the other, supposedly just ignorant civilians. She worried even more now, without the reassurance of his voice, that perhaps he was already dead.
"…Tsuna? Tsunaaaa!" Takeshi waved his hand in front of his unresponsive friend's face. Her mouth was set in a tense line and her eyes somewhat dulled and distant. He had come to understand that this was the face she usually made when think about the men of her family. And maybe he would admit to being a little jealous of how they monopolized her mind so intently.
"Oh, sorry," She looked down at the shredded napkin in her hands, "I must have zoned off again… What were you saying, Yamamoto-kun?"
"Isn't it about time you called me by my first name?" Her friend replied with a wide grin, "After all, aren't we on a dat-mmph!?"
"T-takeshi-kun!" She stuttered out in complete embarrassment, yet not saying anything in disagreement. She felt silly for reacting like she did and slowly removed the hand she had covering his mouth. "…Sorry…" Tsuna mumbled, completely avoiding eye contact, much to Takeshi's disappointment. She was back to fiddling with her tattered napkin.
"Maa, I can't even feel insulted," He told her seriously, "You're too cute when you're embarrassed." There it was, Tsuna thought as her face heated up, Yamamoto's killer pitch. His frankness was just like a curveball, and like always, it was a strike.
"Y-you…" No matter how many times it happened, it was just something she failed to get used to. At first she had thought he was joking, but recently he had gone and made him intentions clear enough, even so an idiot like her could understand. What were people normally supposed to say in this situation? She had fantasised about dating the baseball star often when she first caught sight of him in her first year, what girl in Namimori Middle hadn't? Of course it had just about stopped when she became his friend the later year… If it wasn't for her mother's insinuating words she would've forgotten all about it and gotten swept up in the newfound friendship. And then he had come out of the pen with a fastball that had hit her at point-blank. Yes, her mind confirmed for the umpteenth time that day, dame-Tsuna had been asked out…on a date… by Namimori's ever-popular, in fact voted most popular by young girls, former baseball star, Yamamoto Takeshi.
"Tsunaaaaaa, Tuna!"
"Sorry!" She jumped realizing that she had been caught zoning out again. Tsuna just chalked that up as another reason why she didn't deserve him. But she would enjoy this for however long she could, because she was greedy, selfish, and she wanted to keep him by her side for one reason or another.
"It's fine." Yamamoto laughed off. And it was, because her mind was obviously still stuck on him. He nodded in satisfaction, feeling a small victory. "So where would you like to go after this?" He was done with his overly sweet drink, and the plate that held her slice of cake was clean except for a few stray crumbs.
"Maybe just the park…" Tsuna wasn't interested in any of the current movies and this way he wouldn't have to continue insisting on paying for everything.
"Oh! There's one around this area with a batting cage next to it." Excited now, he hurried her along, catching the waiter's wink on the way out with a grin. Despite all the conviction Takeshi had had when he told her he was quitting his club, it still seemed he had a soft spot for baseball. "I'll have you hitting homeruns by the end of the day," He chattered cheerfully, "Unless you already can, haha..."
"I look forward to it." Tsuna replied, getting caught up in her friend's happiness. They came across a busy intersection, and like all responsible kids, waited patiently for the lights to turn. The area wasn't as empty as usual, crowded with most Namimori students enjoying the holidays. And yet there was one nameless blur that caught Tsuna's attention. The pretty girl was just another teen, with a worrisome look on her face, nervously folded in on herself the way Tsuna would expect from a lost child. She looked like she'd blow over in the wind, just like how the wispy, indigo aura around her might just vanish.
"Ah!" A particularly rude elbow nudged into the poor girl with enough force to send her stumbling a few steps, and to Tsuna's horror, it was towards the direction of oncoming traffic. Without a word she lunged forward, grabbing the green collar of the stranger and roughly hauling her back. It happened in an instant, no one but her Takeshi and the stranger, experiencing the heart stopping moment.
"That was a close one." Tsuna murmured, helping the girl steady herself. She was lighter than expected.
"Nice save Tsuna!" Takeshi stated, giving her a warm look. His brow furrowed as he realized that someone had actually come very close to serious injury. He would be sure to pay more attention to his surroundings from now on.
"…oh, um, thank you very much." The mouse of a girl said quietly, her meek demeanour contrasting with the punk like eyepatch she had on.
"As long as you fine." She caught the one eye that was visible, sighing in acceptance as the girl became startled, and flustered before gluing her sight back to the ground. Her normally obscuring bangs had been pinned back, as per Takeshi request, and she had almost forgotten how much her eyes unsettled others. And how blissful it had been until she was now forced to remember.
"Y-yes!" The girl squeaked, with fleeting glances and a slowly reddening face. Her particular reaction was sort of unusual but her friend assured her afterwards that it had been a good one. Tsuna simply failed to see how scaring away others could be considered positive, that was, unless you were Hibari Kyoya in a crowded area.
Takeshi had been to her room a handful of times, typically for studying purposes, and never for extended periods of time. It looked neat, normal, pretty average for a girl her age, and he had never found the leather bound book with his own dedicated page.
Ietsuna was fiddling with it now, putting scraps of blues and purples onto a clean page. It hadn't been as striking and regal as Hibari's, nor as soothing and tranquil as Takeshi, instead it was something she couldn't quite grasp. It was complex and layered, as deep as the ocean yet as delicate as…fog. There was another similar page, of a colour she had yet to grasp, and the similarities between them were enormous, just like how the differences were too many for her too put into words. They were both such contradictory colours, shifting like desert sand or flowing like ink through water. Tsuna nodded in approval of the description. As for the girl, Tsuna was sure they would meet again, though what to do when it happened was another question entirely.
Just another thing added to her indecisive pile of things that needed answers she didn't have. Said pile also included Takeshi, and how she was supposed to answer his confession. He made her heart flutter, and that should've said enough, but then again sometimes it was Hibari that stole her breath away, that drew her eyes and held her attention. And that really wasn't fair to Takeshi, who deserved to be with someone who could give him their entire heart. Not someone as wishy-washy and cowardly as her, who had enough problems of her own including the damning connection to the mafia that still kept her awake at night.
A/N Thanks for reading.
They grow up so fast ;_; Because they've all become older teenagers now, and have been together for a while, and are experience the best of feelings and crushes hahaha...hah
Now we're really starting to diverge from canon. Let's pretend that in an extra year someone somewhere made a breakthrough on the Arcobaleno Curse. It ain't perfect yet, but we're going to have a mixture of people with fluctuating ages.
And also thank you all for the generous reviews ;)
