DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Katekyo Hitman Reborn or any of its characters. I do NOT gain any profit from this fan-fiction. It is strictly for my entertainment and anyone who enjoys reading it! The underline sentences in the second portion are excerpts from Little Red Riding Hood.
CLAIMER: I OWN the craziness of my Self-Inserted Gary-Stu. Beware!
WARNING: This is a SLASH/MALExMALE/YAOI fan-fiction. If you do NOT like same-sex relationships, then this story is NOT for you. The reborn/self-inserted character may be a Gary-Stue. This story is also fast-paced.
BETA READER: None, so there will be some mistakes that I miss.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I just honestly have nothing right now in regards to this chapter. I guess it was only a matter of time for the TYL to make an appearance. In this chapter, we will see another major change that has occurred with itsy, bitsy butterfly wings. Hello? Oh, a hurricane? Okay, thank you.
-Chapter 22-
"Falling in love is more than infatuation. It is the need to feel whole, to feel safe, to be healed, to join together with someone, heart and soul."
― Michael R French, Why Men Fall Out of Love: What Every Woman Needs to Understand
-KHR-
Tsuna groaned as he came to, the space around him confining and dark. Moving his arms, he felt the closed-in walls around him and began to push. With some difficulty, he managed to up the wall above him up just enough to slip his fingers through a crack emitting light. He then began to slide what appeared to be a lid off of the box he was in.
The lid made a thudding sound as it slid off of the box completely and hit the ground below. Sitting up, Tsuna glanced around in confusion at the trees surrounding him and the box he found himself in. He looked down at his lap as he felt silk and blinked at all of the white flowers he was laying on.
"A bed of flowers? What?" Tsuna murmured, his brows furrowed. "Where am I?"
The last thing he remembered, was Lambo pulling out his purple TYL bazooka and tripping over I-Pin. It had hurtled at Tsuna and struck him before he could dive out of the way. Next thing he knew, he was waking up here in the dark. A gasp alerted him to another person and he turned his head in the direction of the sound to see an adult version of Gokudera.
"Eh? Gokudera-kun, what is this? Why was I in a box in the middle of the woods?" Tsuna questioned the silver-haired bomber, hoping his first thoughts were wrong.
"Tsun—Juudaime-sama," Gokudera stuttered, catching himself from tripping over his feet in astonishment and changing the way he addressed the younger version of his boss.
Gokudera quickly knelt down beside Tsuna, reaching out as if to touch him before pulling his hand back. Gokudera's face twisted as if he were pained and Tsuna shuddered in disbelief at the implications.
"I died, didn't I?" Tsuna asked softly, biting his bottom lip. "Can you tell me anything about it?"
Anger and grief filled jade-green eyes and Gokudera quickly pulled something from the inside of his coat pocket.
"Juudaime-sama, you will be sent back in about two minutes. Here, look at this and remember this man's face. His name is…He is the boss of the Millefiore Familia. When you get back to your present time, you must seek this man out and kill him," Gokudera rushed out, practically pressing the picture of a snow-haired man in Tsuna's face.
"Kill? What, no! I can't kill—!"
"Tsuna-san!" Gokudera shouted, grabbing the brunette by the shoulders and giving the younger male a shake. "This is the man who killed you. You must kill him first."
Tsuna's eyes widened, not only about Gokudera's statement, but also the fact that he had called him by his given name. Not once in the present time has Gokudera called Tsuna anything other than Juudaime ever since becoming his right-hand man.
"Gokudera," Tsuna started only to be cut off again.
"Hayato," Gokudera said, his voice breaking. "When you get back, you should call me and Yamamoto-san by our given names."
Nodding, Tsuna knew his time was coming to an end. Looking at the man in the photo, Tsuna was struck by the snow-white locks and piercing lilac orbs that seemed to be filled with a cunning intelligence while the man's grin appeared teasing.
"What is the man's name, Hayato-san?" Tsuna asked, internally counting down the seconds.
Gokudera swallowed the lump wanting to form in his throat.
"Hibari Byakuran."
Tsuna's breath hitched just as a smoke cloud surrounded him and he disappeared. When he opened his eyes again, a younger Gokudera was kneeling down beside him with tears streaming down his shockingly pale face.
"Juu-Juudaime-sama!" Gokudera cried out Tsuna's name in his grief, before falling into Tsuna and pulling the frozen brunette into a choking embrace.
The words Hibari Byakuran kept echoing in his mind. Tsuna could not believe it. He was for sure that he would be able to get Kyoya to forgive him. Kyoya…married someone else? Kyoya married the person who knew him from before? Did Tsuna even apologize to Kyoya? Did he try too hard? Did he try not enough? What did Tsuna do to prove to Kyoya that he was sorry? What did he not do? Tsuna hugged Gokudera back and cried, not noticing the other set of arms wrapping around him from behind; a pair that could only ever be Yamamoto.
-KHR-
Byakuran watched on in amusement as I read a children's story to Fuuta. It was late for the nine, soon to be ten-year-old and the only way he seemed to be able to sleep lately was if someone read to him. Tonight, I had lost a bet with Byakuran who would almost always volunteer for the task for the past five months unless Fuuta specifically asked for me. I shot the smug male a glare as I continued reading the tales of Little Red Riding Hood.
"Oh, grandmother, she said, what big ears you have. The better to hear you with, my child, was the reply. But, grandmother, what big eyes you have, she said. The better to see you with, my dear."
Fuuta giggled sleepily and I could not help, but to chuckle underneath my breath in response.
"But, grandmother, what large hands you have. The better to hug you with. Oh, but, grandmother, what a terribly big mouth you have. The better to—."
"Eat you with! Grrr!" Byakuran shouted, right before his pounced.
"Ran!" I shouted when Byakuran playfully jumped on me from behind and bit down on the curve of my shoulder.
Laughter vibrated against my back as Byakuran laughed at his joke, Fuuta sharing in his merriment. I nudged Byakuran away, before glancing down at a now wide-awake Fuuta. If my glare could make fire, Byakuran would be set ablaze. He continued laughing even as he held up his hands in surrender. Snapping the book shut, I smacked it against Byakuran's chest as I stood up.
"You know…you shouldn't say you'll bite people to death if you don't expect others to take a bite out of you," Byakuran teased as I calmly walked, no I did not stomp, out of the room.
"Incorrigible bastard," I muttered under my breath as I headed towards the kitchen.
Byakuran's actions undid all of my hard work. Fuuta was nodding off and would have been asleep before the next page, if it were not for that snow-haired nuisance. Now, I had no other choice, but to try getting Fuuta to drink some warm milk. It was something he insisted on not wanting on account of and I quote; "not a baby", end quote.
"Fuuta-kun is asleep," Byakuran stated as he followed me into the kitchen.
My hand froze on the milk jug, before I let go and shut the refrigerator door. I turned around with every intension of either cursing the other out or knocking him unconscious with the wooden cutting board since my tonfas were back in my room. Soft, warm lips slanted over mine as steady arms slipped around my waist. Half-lidded lilac orbs stared into my widening slate, watching for any sign of the violence I was perfectly capable of unleashing at that moment.
Grabbing hold of Byakuran's shoulders, I went to do just that when he swiped his tongue along my bottom lip. A sigh escaped my parting lips and my eyes fluttered closed without me realizing it. Instead of pushing him away, I found myself wrapping my arms around Byakuran's shoulders and losing myself into this sense of safety I have not felt in a very long while.
We ended up in Byakuran's room, only because it was closer than mine. Tumbling down on Byakruan's futon, the breath rushed out of me when the snow-haired male landed on top of me. Instead of complaining, I grabbed a fist full of Byakuran's hair and pulled him back into an all-consuming kiss.
-KHR-
Sunlight filtered through the window and ran across my face, annoyingly pulling me from whatever relaxing dream I had been experiencing. Warm breath fluttered across the back of my neck and the arm wrapped around my stomach unconsciously tightened, pulling me closer against an equally naked chest. I tensed, remembering something from last night. Tensing up was apparently the wrong thing to do. Not only did it wake up Byakuran, but it made me extremely aware of some aches I have never felt before.
"Regretting last night already?" Byakuran questioned, his tone light.
If I did not know him as well as I have come to this passed five months, I would have assumed that Byakuran was teasing me. No, he was tensing up despite his effort not to and I could feel how anxious he was becoming. Huffing out a sigh, I rolled over onto my back until I was able to meet Byakuran's unwavering gaze.
"No."
"Then what is it?" Byakuran asked, a frown tugging at his lips.
"You can't mean for me to move to Italy," I told him, recalling the moment he said such a thing last night.
Byakuran was suddenly hovering above me, a knowing smirk curving his lips upwards.
"Oh, but you agreed with me," Byakuran stated, easily maneuvering himself to rest between my thighs while framing my shoulders with his arms. "I recall you saying yes to me multiple times after I asked you to move with me."
Heat flooded my face and I planted my fist in Byakuran's side. He laughed even as he struggled to breathe, letting his entire weight rest on top of me as he recovered his breath.
"Idiot, don't say things like that," I hissed, but could not find it within myself to actually be mad and he knew it if his still smirking lips were anything to go by.
"Kyo-nii? Ran-chan, where's Kyo-nii?"
At Fuuta's voice, I shoved Byakuran off of me. Ignoring his cry of protest (having been comfortable exactly where he was), I quickly dressed before stepping out of Byakuran's bedroom in time to see Fuuta making his way to the kitchen for breakfast that was usually prepared by now.
"This must be how parents feel when they have kids," Byakuran whispered in my ear as he stepped out behind me.
I felt my ears burning and wanted so much in that moment to bang my head against the wall. Better yet, I turned around towards Byakuran who immediately sweat-dropped.
"Now, Anata, don't do anything hasty," Byakuran started and that was the wrong word to use as it reminded me of my father speaking to my mother.
Taking a deep breath, I calmly shut the door to Byakuran's room while ignoring the groaning snow-haired male curled up on his bedroom floor. My lips twitched upwards as I joined Fuuta in the kitchen to start on breakfast. Well…I did inherit a lot from my mother. Her strike-quick-and-bury-the-evidence fuse was definitely one of them.
"Morning, Kyo-nii. Is Ran-chan okay? I thought I heard him fall," Fuuta asked, craning his head in an effort to look for the other male.
I patted Fuuta's head as I stepped passed him to the stove.
"Don't worry about that carnivore, Small Animal. He'll live," I told the child, mumbling the last part of my statement under my breath even as I felt amused by the situation.
-KHR-
Byakuran casually walked down the corridor leading to the designated meeting room he and the Giglio Nero's tenth boss agreed upon. Striding alertly behind him were two of his more trusting companions who joined the Gesso Familia soon after meeting him. Kikyo, another cloud and just as strong as his darling Kyoya, took position on his right. Zakuro, his raging storm followed close by on his left side.
Entering the conference room located in neutral territory beneath a shopping plaza, Byakuran smiled a closed-mouth smile at the sight before him. Uni, while still a child, held such knowledge in her large eyes. Surrounding her were four of her guardians, all four powerful and possession Mare Rings of their flames. He immediately recognized two of the four; then being Gamma with the Lightning Mare ring and Nigella with the Cloud Mare ring.
"Hello, Giglio Nero Boss Uni," Byakuran greeted cheerfully, taking a seat right across from her while Kikyo and Zakuro stood behind him in case they needed to act quickly.
Uni's soft smile almost jolted Byakuran, the pure innocence and honest lack of hostility aimed at him from the other boss taking him partially off-guard. He managed to maintain his facial expression. Placing his left elbow on the table, he rested his left fist against his chin and smiled.
"And hello to you, Gesso Boss Byakuran," Uni returned his greeted with just as much honest pleasure of the meeting as he was currently feeling.
Byakuran had planned on attending this meeting months ago and not leaving without the Giglo Nero famiglia merging with the Gesso Familia to create a larger famiglia. He would have done absolutely anything to join the two famiglias, even poisoning the small child sitting across from him to do so…before Kyoya and Fuuta came into the picture.
Now, he was willing to have a civil discussion with Uni, lay most of his cards out on the table, and convince Uni to join their two famiglias. Besides, Genkishi did mention how caring the young girl was to family just as the Giglo Nero bosses before her. So, what if his plans for the future have altered slightly and have been delayed by a few months. Byakuran's plan was proceeding in the direction he has been aiming for and with this meeting, the largest hurtle will have been jumped.
"Shall we begin?" Byakuran asked, tilting his head to the side with a closed-eyed smile.
"We shall," Uni answered immediately.
-KHR-
"Midori tanabiku namimori no. Dai naku shou naku nami—Hello?" I answered my cellphone, briefly contemplating on changing the ringtone.
Fuuta giggled as Hibird began repeating the lyrics, the yellow canaries and its sibblings resting on the balcony railing in full view of the living room and kitchen area. I paused mid-reach in putting away a bag of marshmallows while also keeping an eye on Fuuta seated just inside the sliding glass doors.
"Kyoya-san, your early advancement scores have arrived. Do you want me to forward them to you?" Kusakabe asked from the other end of the call.
"No, you may read it out to me," I told him, finishing with putting away the groceries.
Who would have thought I would become so…domestic? Fuuta seemed to enjoy it the most, having me at home all of the time instead of roaming around Namimori at all hours. Here in Narita, Fuuta attended lessons with other children his age and Byakuran would drop him off before going off to attend a meeting or coming back home. I would then pick Fuuta up in the afternoon and listen as he went on about his day. I never realized how stressed out I was back in Namimori, not until I had left.
"You've passed your high school exams with high scores. Wow, you have a few recommendations for University," Kusakabe stated, pleased with the information on my behalf. "Tohoku University, University of Tokyo, and Osaka University are really pushing for you to go to one of them."
My eye twitched and I pressed my cellphone against my shoulder.
"Fuuta, do not allow Hibird 3 and 7 to cause you to forget that you are not permitted on the balcony without myself or that man-child," I called out to Fuuta, who flushed at the gentle chastising.
"Sorry, Kyo-nii," Fuuta quickly apologized and slid back inside the line of the living room.
I heard Kusakabe snicker on the other end of the line, the sound muffled as though he were trying to hide the action. I ended the call, knowing Kusakabe would call me back once he managed to contain himself. One of the advantages to taking my high school exams earlier, was me having more time to focus on more important things that revolved around my small family. I could no longer deny that Fuuta and Byakuran were exactly that to me, they were mine. I may not know what exactly Byakuran was to me…or what he meant, but he was becoming no less important than Fuuta already was to me.
Thinking back to the first time I woke up in this world, I never saw myself here. I did not see myself living something that was not Namimori, raising a child alongside someone not Tsunayoshi. I especially did not see myself being a part of a Famiglia not the Vongola. A chirp and a flutter of wings reached my ear right before Hibird 1 landed on my head.
"Ran. Ran. Ran," Hibird 1 chirped repeatedly right before the front door opened and Byakuran walked inside with a large smile in greeting.
"Kyoya-kun, Fuu-chan, I'm home," Byakuran called out even as both Fuuta and I watched him secure the door behind him. "Kyoya-kun, I need to tell you something."
Why did I suddenly feel dread?