Living together after the reveal had been different, her not going out of her way to annoy them didn't help either with them trying to connect her with Skull. It was more than just unfamiliar when she didn't declare herself the greatest every few minutes and the one time she had started with it, she crumbled into herself way too obviously embarrassed by it.
Viper and Verde were actually the ones who acted the most normal towards her. Verde constantly came to her with new questions and the Miser quickly went back to their usual money collecting ways.
Colonello was giving his best as well to act normal, it was still obvious that something was bothering him and he had to catch himself a few times to not fall into old habits. He usually focused his attention straight towards Lal whenever something like that happened.
Lal herself just had been a bit too grateful for Skull's switch of nature and while she didn't suddenly start to actively search out time to spend with her, she did make sure that several things a woman would need appeared in Violet's room. She was a bit bothered by her inability in finding out about it before but in her opinion anyone who had been able to pull off such a bluff for so many years had earned a bit of respect.
Fon was the only one who actively seeked out Violet to truly get to know her, he slowly got over his own nagging feelings.
The arcobalenos had never really been friendly to Skull, while they all had started to care for Skull at some point Fon couldn't really fault the cloud for not revealing his secret. Most of them had kept personal information silent until after the curse. Sure, Skulls had been a bit more significant to their actual relationships but in the end he was able to push it away in favour of really getting to know the cloud for real.
Reborn himself had more problems adjusting to it; all of his former ways to deal with Skull left a bad taste in his mouth by the mere thought that she had been a woman all along.
Furthermore the knowledge that the cloud had never opened up to them in any way even though he was theirs made him angry. Not to start with the fact that someone had been able to deceive him that badly. The Italian had taken to being silent and observing the situation instead, Fedora often pulled completely down, hiding his eyes.
Yuni did take pity on his inner conflict and often sat next to him, patting his knee while smiling sweetly up at him.
Everything came to a halt when Reborn addressed Violet one afternoon when she brought him his espresso "Thank you Violet."
The redhead froze on the spot. She had gotten used to some of their different behaviours but Reborn not calling her a waste of space and even thanking her was too much for her.
"S-senpai? Did you hit your head?" was her first and only response to that change of manner.
He sighed frustrated and abruptly stood up, stalking outside and leaving Violet helplessly standing there.
She immediately searched for help from the rest of the group, just seeing understanding in Colonnello and Fon's eyes but them not commenting.
Yuni was for once silent as well. In the end it was Lal who spoke up "You should follow him."
"But Senpai is mad at me."
"He isn't mad at you, he is mad at himself." she offered and firmly pushed Violet towards the door.
Violet herself stumbled outside and was quickly able to find Reborn, leaning against the wall, Fedora pulled down and nursing a cigarette.
"Senpai?" she tried.
He just angrily snipped the ash from his cigarette, before inhaling deeply but not answering.
"Did I do something wrong?"
"Skull no.. Violet, just get back inside."
"But Lal sent me."
Reborn pulled his Fedora off, frustration clearly visible when he ran his fingers through his hair. "We do need to talk. No use in putting it off further."
Violet swallowed hard but gingerly stepped closer to the sun.
"I'm sorry for deceiving you all" she offered.
Reborn just lifted his hand more agitated than before "Stop it. This isn't the issue. You had no obligation to tell us anything."
She stumbled over that but Reborn wasn't finished. "After all you should be proud you fooled the world's greatest. You fooled me."
"Are you angry… for not seeing through it?"
"How could I not?"
"But how would you have known? It was a disguise but nothing that was in any way transparent."
"I still should have been able to."
Violet herself had never prided herself in much and never to the degree that he had but she knew how much Reborn staked on his abilities, especially his observations and cold reading. After all, he even claimed to be a mindreader. Not that that would be possible, she knew how Mind Reading worked and Reborn didn't have the magical abilities to do it.
"Is that why you suddenly treat me differently?"
"You are a woman." was his only answer to that, as if it would explain everything.
"And?"
"You don't treat women like I have treated you. There is no way in hell I could even think about keeping that up. Especially not one as weak as you are." he spat out.
She didn't even feel insulted by that, afterall none of them knew about her magical abilities and she definitely was crap at fighting like a muggle.
"I mean.. you could be nicer but… I didn't really mind?" she uttered it more like a question than a statement. Reborns treatment had been harsh and at some points even hurt her but it always had been some weird kind of relief that no one put any trust in her or seeked for her input and guidance.
"That's not the point. I have standards and I would never treat a woman like that. The problem is that I did with you"
"But I was annoying and obnoxious. How could anyone fault you?"
"There are other ways to deal with a woman like that, not resulting in violence and treating her as an errand boy."
Violet finally understood that it truly wasn't about her, Reborns problems stemmed only from his inability to figure her out and his own morals and rules.
"But I'm not mad at you for that."
"It doesn't matter."
"So my view on all of this isn't relevant?"
"That's not what I meant, Violet. It doesn't matter because I broke one of my principles." he massages his temple.
"And I'm the one that got affected by it. I'm not a frail woman that will cry when she gets pushed around a bit. Do you really think I would have let you do all of this over 40 years if it bothered me?"
He laughed unamused, "How could you have stopped me?"
"You have no clue Reborn. Still, I practically made you raise your hand against me. I wanted you all to hate me and throw me out. I wanted you all to treat me like this."
"I still wouldn't have done it."
"But you didn't know!"
He angrily threw his cigarette stump on the floor, pressing it out on the floor "I should have known."
Violet started to get irritated at that. It might have been hypocritical of her to not let others wallow in self pity while she did it herself more than often but she just couldn't let Reborn be in such a state because of her. So she switched tactics "Can't accept that someone could trick you? That someone is better than you at something?"
he stilled, finally looking her directly in the eyes "Violet, I don't appreciate that tone."
"So what? Do something about it!"
He gritted his teeth "Never. I'm not gonna hit you."
"But I want it! I want you to vent your frustrations on me! I'm not weak nor frail reborn! I'm not traumatised by what you did to me. I want my Reborn back!"
Her heart raced but something clicked in her. It was true… while their relationship had been complicated she had relied on him and even when he cursed at her, he still had interacted and seen Skull and now that was gone. While their relationship had been messed up she preferred that to the nonexistent they had right now.
"what… are you talking about?"
"I want my Reborn back! My Reborn that always knew what to say, who always had way too much of an ego to even consider being wrong! I want to rely on you not see you scooting around me like I'm some kind of freak you can't deal with!"
he stilled at that, cigarette halfway to his mouth "I don't see you as a freak."
"But you're not talking to me! You're not complaining about me making your coffee wrong or how I slack off or how I'm stupid. Bloody fuck Reborn. I am stupid! I don't use my head and rather ram it through walls then think things through! That didn't change!"
"Violet…"
"No! I want you back and what we had!"
"I abused you!" he finally got louder himself, almost outraged and definitely losing the rest of his composure.
"I choose for you to treat me like that! I went into this with these exact expectations! You were supposed to treat me like that! It doesnt change the fact that I hate how there is only distance between us! We are bondmates! You are our leader and you go out of your way to avoid me! I can deal with scorn but not with this, Reborn!"
"I'm not doing anything!" He clenched his fist.
"That's the problem! You haven't dealt with me since it came out. Are you going to abandon me for being a girl?"
"No, I'm trying to get over the fact that I was blind to it and treated you like garbage. Violet, you have never stood up to me before. What am I supposed to think?" Reborn still spoke slowly but his intent was clear.
"Because I'm different while I'm not! You guys brought me back to being me! I'm no longer going to pretend Reborn but I wish I never had gone back to being Violet if it led to this!" she could feel tears burn in her eyes but she forced them down.
"That's not what I want you to think. I want you to be you but it doesn't change the fact that I made the last decades hell for you!"
She took a shaky breath, staring straight into Reborns unrelenting ones "I want you to see me! Look at me Reborn! Do I seem broken by you? Scared? Intimidated? You didn't scar me!"
"You flinched when I spoke to you!" he lashed out, for once his emotions were clearly flickering over the normally unmoving face.
"oh pardon me for being highly stressed about all of this and reacting sensitively in a bloody nerve wracking situation!"
They both stared at each other, none given the other any headway. She was on edge but she knew something had to change because this would lead to nothing so she stepped forward until standing directly in front of him. Taking another deep breath to calm down enough to let go of the heat.
"You treated Skull like that, not me. So how about a redo? Just a new beginning and starting once over, not with Skull but with me Violet."
"I can't just ignore it."
"So you're telling me that the great Reborn, the world's strongest hitman, sun and home tutor isn't up to the challenge?" she provoked him, a small grin finally forming.
Reborn bristled and she just presented her hand to him.
"Violet Jamie Potter, currently 60, British and the biggest trouble magnet in existence."
He took a last glance at her honest expression and finally took up her offer. "Renato Sinclair, known as Reborn, 69 and chaos personified." instead of a handshake he manoeuvred her hand around and lifted it up to his lips.
"Pleasure to make your acquaintance Violet." finally finding back his rhythm ,he smirked at the now pink cloud. He was still not over the situation but it was a beginning.
After all she was right; he is the greatest and adaptability is more than just required for that.
