TAGS: Pre-Canon, POV Third Person Limited
Dark Undertones, Swearing
Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Caretaking, Introspection, Character Study (but more of a study of their characters' dynamic)
Protective Reborn, Possessive Reborn, Adult Arcobaleno
WARNING: Not Beta Read
When he receives the alarm that someone broke into one of his safe houses, Reborn simply raises his eyebrow at his phone. There's nothing to worry about it, and in fact, he feels himself smile amusedly, his curiosity piqued.
Whoever knows him well enough to know the locations of his safe houses to even be able to break in them is no enemy of his, not when he can't even remember the last time he's been sloppy enough to not make a quick affair of them before they could need information like this about him. That doesn't necessarily make whoever that person is an ally either though, and he doesn't make the mistake to show up at the safe house not ready and expecting an attack.
It's the middle of the night when he reaches it, and he raises his eyebrow again at the way his security was bypassed the way it was supposed to be, and not forcefully broken through. He walks inside silently, the house silent and dark, and follows the trail of a jacket on the floor to the couch, smelling the faint, stale scent of blood in the air.
He's maybe a little more alert than when he first showed up too, his gun secure in his hand. There's only a few people who could know him well enough to break inside one of his safe houses like they belong there, but as their faces appear in his mind, none of them really hits the mark.
Colonnello lies down on his side on his couch, asleep, and the intruder being him is unexpected, but that's not the important thing.
Colonnello's defensively curled on himself, painfully curled on himself, one arm cradling his stomach, the other disappearing under the cushion he rests his head on, likely holding onto a gun or a weapon of some sort. He's breathing too hard, too unevenly, maybe sweating too, but it's hard to make it out clearly through the dark.
It's not hard to make out the blood on him, or the bloodied bandages and bloody open wounds that have been left out in the open, or the bruises on his face and bare skin, and what looks liked fractured bones at the very least from just the way he holds himself.
It's not hard either to make out his torn clothes and the shoes still on his feet, because clearly he couldn't bother taking them off before crashing on his couch, hadn't the energy left to spare for even something that small.
White-hot rage slams into Reborn, almost knocking him off his feet, and this is entirely unexpected, though not surprising.
It's blinding and makes him see red at the same time, making his blood boil, his hand curling into a fist, the other one tightening around his gun. It claws at him from the inside, urging him to go on the move, on the hunt, and the want to see blood and brain matter splatter outside of skulls from his bullets almost makes him really move.
Who did this to him?
Reborn's going to slaughter every single last one of them.
Reborn digs his nails into his palm until it bleeds, and grits his teeth hard until he can ground himself to the pain coursing through his jaw. He takes a breath, clearing his head, and upon making sure there are no threats within the safe house, puts away his gun with tensed muscles and stiff movements.
The important thing here is Colonnello's current state, and he crouches in front of him, mercilessly smothering down his anger.
He has not right to it anyway, not anymore.
It's a bit hard to keep it down though when Colonnello has still to open his eyes even when Reborn's been staring so openly and intently, even if he was that close to lose his temper. It's not like Colonnello would have let himself go into a deep sleep in the vulnerable state he is either, but maybe he just couldn't help it.
Reborn threads his fingers in his hair, pushing his fringe back and away from his face, taking note of his burning skin, Colonnello's usual bandanna nowhere he has noticed yet. He keeps his touch feather-light and slowly moves his hand further in his hair, mindful of any injury he might come across, but he finds none.
Colonnello's hair are still sticky and matted with either blood or sweat, or both, making them coarse to the touch unlike the soft strands Reborn remembers. It's typically the type of sensation that makes him wrinkle his nose in disgust and take his hands away, but he keeps running his hand in his hair in a slow and steady pattern.
Colonnello still doesn't open his eyes, doesn't even stir, even when he's always had sharp senses long before the army could hone and sharpen them for him to their full potential, and Reborn has to bite his tongue to keep himself under control. Everything's fine anyway, so it'd just be embarrassing for him to lose his temper again. Colonnello clearly gave himself first aid and stabilized his condition before letting himself pass out. It's likely his unresponsive state has more to do with mental and physical exhaustion, and less with his injuries threatening his life.
Reborn uses his free hand to lightly run it down his body, assessing the damages, releasing in his body the exact amount of Sun flames he needs to do and not a wisp more. Colonnello will no doubt snap awake at sensing someone's else flames at the very least, let alone in his body, but if he's dead to the world like this he can use all the sleep he can get, and won't feel too good being awake in a battered body anyway.
Reborn finds nothing life-threatening like he assumed he wouldn't, only the amount of injuries Colonnello has making this a worrying situation that could turn dangerous if left alone, but the most pressing of his injuries is just his broken ribs making his breathing labored. Reborn releases a slower breath, maybe one of relief, his shoulders slumping.
Now that's out of the way though, the strangeness of the situation takes him aback all over again.
Colonnello broke into his safe house to pass out on his couch, and hide from whoever is, or more likely are clearly doing their damn best to kill him.
Colonnello.
Reborn didn't know they've become close enough again to break into each other's safe houses, looking for safety at that of all things. He didn't even know Colonnello knew about the locations of his safe houses, let alone how to break in them, though of course, Reborn himself looked into anything about him he could find the second they met each other again.
But why would he have cared to look into Reborn too?
And why his safe house?
Reborn can't just believe he was out of any other option, because Colonnello's always been friendly like that, always getting himself the deep, genuine and committed type of friendships too, Reborn would know.
Doesn't he know Reborn could have killed him on sight and then figured out who he was? Doesn't he know someone else could have been the one to walk in there, what with the many enemies after his life, no matter how unlikely it was to happen?
Then again, Colonnello always made a point of being trusting of him, didn't he? Even when, even back then, Reborn was already bloody and couldn't help inevitably get Colonnello a little bloody at times too, but he still always stayed adamant at remaining friends with him every time. Not that Reborn ever really tried to stop him or change his mind.
Still, if he was going to be in such a state, not even waking up when Reborn's the one with him and could so easily kill him right now, he could have at least called—well, not necessarily him, he supposes, but someone. Though Reborn would have been pissed if he'd called anyone but him when he broke into his safe house to begin with. And if nothing else, Reborn's damn well the best Sun he knows.
The second Colonnello stirs, Reborn has long taken his hands away from him and his flames away from his body. He opens his eyes, and makes sure his rifle's still within reach at the foot of the couch before catching his eye.
He says nothing, Reborn saying nothing either, and they just stare at each other, not with animosity or wariness or anything of the sort, but not quite friendly or comfortably either.
It's the closest they've been to each other ever since they met again.
"You better not die on my couch or you and I are going to have a problem," Reborn eventually says. Colonnello's lips twitch with a small smile, and the arm holding his weapon under the cushion relaxes. "What the fuck happened to you?"
"Heal me some first, and maybe I'll tell you."
Reborn almost winces at his hoarse voice, his throat clearly dry enough to hurt, but of course, he still doesn't get up to fetch him some water. "No."
Colonnello huffs, not surprised.
Reborn would have felt insulted if he had been, and maybe even a little… disappointed? Not surprised though. How many years has it been since they last saw each other? Enough to forget the type of person someone you used to know was, he's sure.
"Fuck off and let me sleep then," Colonnello says, moving his hand from under the cushion to give him a pathetic shove. He lets it dangle in the air then, closing his eyes, but it's clear as day he's in pain, and he's not falling asleep again unless he passes out again.
Why are you here? the words push against Reborn's lips. In my safe house?
He swallows them back.
He lowers himself on his knees for a steadier balance, slips his hand under Colonnello's head and lifts it away from the cushion. Colonnello lets himself be manhandled, not opening his eyes, but must regret it in the next instant when Reborn sits him up against the couch in one swift and abrupt motion.
Colonnello lets out a strangled, pained cry, his body tensing. His hand shots up to hold on his shoulder in a bruising grip, the other still cradling his stomach, and he takes steadying, calming breaths through gritted teeth.
Reborn has both his hands on his shoulders too, keeping him still and leaned against the couch. Colonnello could still use his legs to kick him, Reborn ready to dodge or block should he try, but either he doesn't have the energy to try or doesn't think to.
"What the fuck was that for?" Colonnello hisses once he finds his voice again, shoving him properly this time, but not taking his hand away from his shoulder after. "You could have moved something wrong and fucking killed me."
Reborn scoffs. That wasn't ever going to happen, not when he already knows where all his injuries are and how bad they are and all the ways they could become worse if left alone or messed with. "You're fine. You'll live."
"Fuck you." He tries to glare, but then just leans back against the couch, looking up at the ceiling. "Fuck." He starts relaxing his body, Reborn easing his hold on him as he does, but then he jolts, doubling over, heaving.
Reborn laughs low in his throat, but it's nothing but threatening. He clicks his tongue repeatedly in a chiding, warning manner, cradling Colonnello's face to make him look at him. "Don't you even think about throwing up on me, Colonnello, or I'm going to take you out of your misery myself. You know damn well I will." Colonnello swallows thickly before laughing weakly, but he's clearly struggling to catch his breath and settle his stomach. "Did you eat?"
Colonnello raises his eyebrow, amused. "Are you going to make me food?"
"What do you think?"
Colonnello huffs a laugh. "Yeah, I didn't think so. Bitch."
Reborn lets a smile play on his lips, but Colonnello now sounds just as tired as he looks. Reborn doesn't stop him when his body slumps forwards until their forehead are leaning against each other's.
Colonnello's sweating, his skin feverish, and from this close his breathing sounds even more painful to hear.
Reborn clicks his tongue. Fine, he guesses he can bring him some water.
He slowly pushes him back against the couch, and if he releases some of his flames in his body before pulling his hands away, it's nobody's business. "Don't fall asleep," he warns as he walks away, leaving his fedora behind on the coffee table.
Colonnello doesn't answer him, but he doesn't worry about it. He'll be fine, should know better himself, and no doubt went through worse before.
The army, is it?
Reborn can't help but huff an incredulous laugh yet again. He could not possibly have seen that one coming, though by the time Colonnello was old enough to enlist, enough years had passed for him to turn into someone Reborn didn't get to know.
And yet at the same time, Reborn's always known Colonnello has never been made only of soft edges the way most people tend to assume. That's one of the things about him that caught his interest to begin with, so even if him becoming a soldier is surprising, he can't say it's out of character either.
Besides, Colonnello certainly always had—what is it called again? A hero complex? A savior complex?
Reborn wonders if the army got it out of him, and if not, if the mafia already did, even if he hasn't been in it for long yet.
It'd be a little of a shame if it's the case.
Reborn pours him a glass of water, taking the opportunity to wash his hands too, full offense to Colonnello and the sorry states he lets himself end up in. He then walks back to him, only to find him seemingly sleeping, his eyes closed and his breathing steady.
"Not asleep," he says before Reborn can decide on what to do, opening his eyes. He assesses him for a moment. "You were going to slap me awake or something, weren't you?"
That startles a giggle out of him, tumbling from his lips unbidden, though he's quick to bite on it.
A fucking giggle of all things, really?
Fuck.
He hands him the glass of water silently, pursing his lips, but as much as he'd like to be annoyed right now, it's just… weird to see how much Colonnello remembers of him, how well he still knows him. Unexpected.
He didn't think Colonnello and him were that close back when they were friends.
No, that's not quite right. He thought they were that close back then, but he didn't think Colonnello thought the same too.
And they were best friends even, sure, but how much weight and meaning can that have in a kid's mouth, really? Especially when Reborn was who he was, inevitably making their friendship a little unusual. Traumatic even, one could say, Colonnello could say if he could have ever bothered being so boring as to be a normal kid caring to be normal and react normally to things and people around him.
Reborn remembers Colonnello, knew he wasn't going to forget him even if they weren't to ever meet each other again, and has thought about him more times than he cares to admit ever since they did unexpectedly meet each other again, but that's just a given. He's always been a little… obsessive like that, a little possessive like that of the things that truly, thoroughly manages to catch his interest.
That's all one thing though, but that Colonnello still gets him to lower his walls so easily with him, that Reborn still has the same effect on him for that matter… well, it's kind of funny, really.
It's been months since they've seen each other again, and they've not exactly been ignoring each other, have even exchanged some meaningless niceties once or twice, but they haven't been exactly trying to seek each other out either. So Reborn took the hint and assumed they just weren't going to acknowledge the history between them, or try to become anything more than not-really-strangers again.
But do they still mean something to each other after all?
Does Reborn still mean something to him?
There's still that ever tension between them, but turns out that if they let themselves be around each other for more than a couple of minutes, it's all but too easy to slip back into familiar and comfortable territory like Reborn didn't leave it all behind one sudden day all those years ago.
"Shower," Colonnello says once he savored every last drop of his water. Reborn almost feels bad for him, but he still isn't about to fetch him some more again. "And don't worry, I'll leave afterwards. I'd appreciate if you could lend me some clean clothes though."
Reborn can't even bring himself to scoff, only rolling his eyes hard.
Colonnello won't be able to stand under the shower with his body like that, and he sure as hell won't be able to go anywhere in his state, not even if he waits until tomorrow, and not even if Reborn were to heal him. Speaking of which…
Reborn looks him up and down, considering, then smirks to himself.
Fine. He supposes he's been a little shit over it for no reason long enough.
Colonnello makes to stand, but Reborn covers his eyes with his hand and pushes him back against the couch, leaning one knee on the couch. Colonnello splutters, grabbing his wrist, and tenses when Reborn lets his flames course through him in earnest before relaxing again.
Reborn can't heal all of his wounds fully, but he certainly alleviates most of the pain from them, Colonnello exhaling a loud and deep relieved breath, likely despite himself. Reborn heals fully what he can, accelerates the healing process as much as he can otherwise, and gets rid of most of the bruises, Colonnello's face a lot prettier to see once more.
Not that—
No, scratch that. He does look at that pretty face of his whenever they're around each other, gorgeous, even. It's not like he's blind or anything after all.
More interestingly, Colonnello looks right back too every time, and it's funny the things that don't change no matter what happens or how long it's been.
When he pulls his hand away, he doesn't meet his eyes. "Stay here," he says, already walking away.
"Thanks," Colonnello says in his back.
Reborn goes to his room first to fetch him some clothes, then brings them with him in the bathroom. He raises his eyebrow at the blood stains on his pristine white tiles, at the blood on the counter too, the bloodied content of his first aid kit all over the place around the kit itself.
He snorts, and carefully walks around the blood stains to put the clothes down on a still clean corner of the counter. That rude bastard. Felt enough at home in his safe house, didn't he? He sure wasn't ever on death's doors, he now knows that for a fact.
Reborn turns the faucet of the bath on, adjusting the temperature before letting the water flow freely, drawing Colonnello a bath.
Drawing him a fucking bath even if he can certainly handle a shower now.
The World's Greatest Hitman's drawing a bath for someone else who could sure as hell do it themself.
Reborn snorts again, but then huffs at himself, crossing his arms on his chest. Colonnello always turns him soft like this, and he's never quite made peace with it, couldn't let himself do it.
And Reborn was always going to leave him as soon as he took the decision to, but whenever he turned too reluctant about it, that was he's go-to reason to strengthen his resolve again.
He's making you soft, it's going to kill you, he'd tell himself. Or worse, it's going to kill him right under your nose.
Colonnello's not that soft anymore though, even if he still manages to make him soft, is he? He served, didn't he?
He killed.
He killed.
Reborn bites his lip, a grin pulling at his lips, and he lets it because Colonnello isn't there to see it.
Colonnello's a killer too now, just like him. He won't ever catch up to his kill count because of his massive head start, won't ever strive to either, but he killed plenty too, enough to live another day to rise the ranks in the army, enough to not flinch, to not even be fazed about needing to kill to survive in the mafia.
And oh, all that blood on his hands now.
Reborn doesn't know if it's just him, but he can see it so easily in everything about him, but mostly in his eyes, and it stole his breath away the first time they met again.
Still does sometimes, and it's going to be such a shame if he ever gets used to it.
Reborn laughs, something delighted and dark to his own ears, can't help it, but raises a hand to his mouth to muffle it lest Colonnello hears it. He likes all those soft edges Colonnello's made of too, always did, but this… he can't help but like it more.
No, that's not quite right. He just likes it in a different way he'll have to keep for himself until he's sure Colonnello won't mind it.
Reborn turns off the faucet, struggling to wipe the grin off of his face. Colonnello broke into his safe house, and Reborn's now nurturing him back to health.
Colonnello, Colonnello, Colonnello.
Funny how Reborn really, truly, honest to God never meant for them to meet each other ever again.
Funny how he never gave in to the temptation to keep tabs on him all those years apart, no matter how many times he felt the urge to.
Funny how now Colonnello came back in his life all by himself anyway, Reborn will never, ever let him out of his sight again, let alone out of his life.
"The bath's ready," he says, walking out of the bathroom.
Colonnello gives him a playful, suspicious look, standing all the same. "Okay, now you're just freaking me out. Why are you so nice to me? Should I run?"
"If you're going to keep opening your mouth to be an ungrateful bitch about it, then yes, you sure should."
Colonnello barks out a short laugh, then grins at him as he walks past him inside the bathroom, and Reborn could have easily fooled himself thinking they were ten again.
It was a sharp grin. Much sharper now than it was then, of course, but it's the same difference. His smiles shouldn't have been any kind of sharp back when they were kids, but it was just a matter of time as he stubbornly kept being friends with him, and inevitably encountered the realities of the world people do their damn best to spare children from.
Reborn never felt guilty about it, the exact opposite. It's a good look on him that will keep him alive longer now his life is what it is, so what's even there to complain about?
Reborn sits cross-legged on the armchair, tuning in on the sounds coming from the bathroom in case something happens that'd require his help. That shouldn't happen, but you never know.
It's relatively quiet now, and though silence usually helps him calm down and wind down, now it just gives him the opportunity to get angry again, feeling the red-hot searing rage in his guts rearing its vengeful head again. The blood all over his couch—Colonnello's blood and the fact he can still smell it in the air don't help, and he has to catch himself to not let his flames or killing intent slip in the air.
He could use his contacts to know exactly what happened and who's at fault and where he could find them, but though he's itching to, Colonnello made it clear he doesn't want him to get involved in this. It's not his place to anyway, not anymore, but he only believes that because he's willing enough to pretend he does.
So what if it isn't? Reborn could make it his place to wipe all those bastards off of the face of the earth anyway.
Who's going to stop him?
Colonnello might, depending on how strongly he feels about it, and then would be angry at him for a bit upon failing to, but he'd eventually get over it. Reborn knows he would. They might have yet to… rekindle their relationship properly, and it might have been years since they last saw each other, but he still can tell that much about him without a shadow of a doubt.
If Colonnello always makes him soft, then Reborn always makes him weak for him.
Reborn almost gives in, about to reach for his phone when the silence catches his attention. It's been a while since he last heard the sound of water, Colonnello should be out of the bathroom by now.
Reborn has to lock up his muscles to keep himself put on the armchair until the logical side of his brain takes over the instinctive one.
Colonnello's hurt, so of course he'd take longer to put on his clothes. He also has to bandage his wounds again with clean bandages, and if Reborn knows him at all, will also take the opportunity to clean the mess he left in the bathroom while he's in there again. Nothing for him to worry about.
He scowls at himself, pursing his lips, but then gives himself a pass. He did not expect to find Colonnello seemingly half-dead on his couch when he walked inside his safe house, alright? If it'll take a bit more time than he'd like for him to properly settle down from that, so be it. He'll just have to watch himself to not show any of it in front of Colonnello.
Colonnello's putting on his clothes right now though, is he?
A smile pulls at his lips, and not of the innocent kind.
Colonnello grew taller, so much taller than the last time he saw him, that fucking traitor. Back then they were just about the same height, growing taller at the same rate too, but Colonnello's looming above him now. Not by much, but enough to distract him whenever it happens. It's by no mean an unpleasant feeling either, but he'll never admit that to Colonnello on pure principle.
Colonnello grew broader too, though still on the lean side, and stronger, all hard muscles under deceptively soft flesh. The scars are new too, but of course a given, and he's been keeping track of the ones he already noticed on his arms and neck, and the small ones on his face that are usually hidden by his hair and bandanna he just noticed tonight.
Reborn wonders how many others scars he has, how they look like against golden tanned skin.
He lets his imagination run freely, and if he doesn't only focus on imagining the scars, then there's no one else the wiser.
Colonnello looks annoyed when he walks out of the bathroom, letting the door wide open, the light of the bathroom shining on him from the side. "Why did you give me a pajama? I said I'm leaving."
Reborn ignores him, taking his time to look him up and down. He gave him the biggest size of clothes he had, and he still wasn't sure it would be enough, but it seems to have done the trick.
The pajama fits him just fine, a simple white ensemble made of pants and a long sleeves shirt, and maybe white wasn't the best choice of color in his wounded state, but he'll just make Colonnello buy him another one if he bleeds all over it. White's certainly a good color on him on the other hand, and with his hair still a little wet and his skin flushed from the hot bath, he makes quite the sight to behold.
Colonnello's definitely grown in all the right ways.
"Can you at least pretend to want to be discreet about it?" Colonnello asks, amusement clear in his voice.
Reborn just smirks, not feeling an ounce of shame or embarrassment. "It's the right size, right?"
"You tell me," he says cheekily, making him smirk wider, but then snorts. "Just barely. More like, there's no way this fits you. You wear this?"
"To sleep and to laze around," Reborn says, standing up, not missing the fond smile that pulls at Colonnello's lips.
"I'm leaving," Colonnello says again when he comes close, serious once more. Reborn punches him in the stomach, not hard, but hard enough Colonnello groans, doubling over. "Mother—" he grits through his teeth.
"We're both going to bed now. I just used my precious time healing your pathetic ass back into shape again, and I'm not about to let you put it all to waste just because of your stupidity."
Colonnello glares, but he'll have to try harder than that to make him back off, let alone cower in front of him, as if.
Reborn switches the light of the bathroom off, then drags him by the wrist to the bedroom.
"I can walk by myself," Colonnello grumbles.
"Fine." He lets go of his wrist, but Colonnello instantly latches on his wrist instead, like Reborn knew he would. Well, maybe he wouldn't have bet on it, but he knew it was a possibility.
He stops to give him a smug look over his shoulder, and though he can't see it in the dark, he's sure Colonnello's blushing.
"Shut it," Colonnello says, but it's halfhearted at best, and Reborn's just as sure he's not looking at him either.
Neither of them say anything when Colonnello slides his hand down to properly hold his hand.
Neither of them bother with turning the light on when walking inside the bedroom either, and when they reach his wardrobe, Reborn reluctantly lets go of his hand.
He nods at the bed. "Bed. Quickly."
Colonnello flips him off, but still obediently makes his way to the bed. "Not your fucking dog, fuck you."
"Sit," he says when Colonnello reaches the bed, just to fuck with him, and he doesn't see it as Colonnello climbs on the bed to sit against the headboard because he doesn't bother acknowledge him, but he'd bet anything he just rolled his eyes.
Reborn walks to his wardrobe, and chooses the first pajama he comes across. It's a simple ensemble too, pants and a long sleeves shirt, and he feels Colonnello's eyes on him as he changes into it right there and then.
He then makes his way to the bed, but doesn't get in it right away, instead crossing his arms on his chest.
"Lie down. Go to sleep now, quickly." Colonnello's unimpressed, not moving an inch. Reborn ignores it. "And just to be clear, don't even bother trying to sneak away while I'm asleep, got that?"
"Or what?" Colonnello dares, a sharp smile on his lips.
Reborn ignores that too.
Colonnello, predictably, tries to sneak away, thinking him asleep.
Reborn unceremoniously yanks him back on the bed by his shirt, sitting up in the same movement. It knocks the breath out of Colonnello by the sound of it, and then he's coughing and groaning.
"Fucking hell, can't you just ever be gentle?" he accuses, with the audacity to glare at him.
"I'm going to break your legs, Colonnello."
"But I thought the whole point of you not wanting me to leave is so I won't be hurt again?"
Reborn's glowering at him, but evidently he'll have to try harder than that to cower him into not being stupid and unnecessary hurt himself again, Colonnello grinning at him purely to edge him on.
Reborn can try harder. He can start by breaking his legs, for example.
Colonnello huffs, dropping the act. "Look, I don't need… whatever this is. I wouldn't even have showed up here if I knew you were going to show up too."
"Fuck off then," Reborn hears himself say before he can stop himself, too harsh for it to not give him away.
Wouldn't he have, now?
Reborn's sure it must be easy to say it now that he already took care of his sorry ass. He sure didn't hear shit while he was taking care of it.
Colonnello laughs. "Aw, do you still get all pissy about the smallest things? Still not cute."
Reborn doesn't deign lower himself so low as to react to that.
Colonnello snickers, but it turns into subtle winces Reborn still notices as he moves to properly lie down on the bed again, his head back on the pillow and his legs back under the blanket.
Unbidden, Reborn sees him lying on his couch again, bloody and bruised and with trouble breathing, pain marring his face.
"Who did this?"
Colonnello misses a beat, stilling, probably wondering if he heard him right. His eyes are heavy on him, but Reborn doesn't let himself react to it.
Colonnello huffs a laugh, so breathless Reborn almost couldn't make out the incredulity in it. "Wow. Can't believe you actually asked. Do you care to know?" Reborn says nothing. "What will you do if I tell you? Will you go after them for me? Because they hurt me?"
Reborn leans his hands at either side of his head, looming over him, getting impatient. "Who did this to you, Colonnello?"
Colonnello raises his eyebrow, grinning, unimpressed. "That's cute." He cups his face with one hand, and Reborn can't help but shiver at the touch. Right, Colonnello's always freezing cold, so much so it's a wonder he just doesn't drop dead whenever winter comes around. He'd forgotten with how feverish he was earlier. "I'm a big boy, Reborn, I can take care of myself. So mind your own fucking business."
"What, like you did today?"
"Yeah, exactly," he shots back right away, not letting him shake him. "It would have been a longer and more painful process, I'll give you that, but the plan was always for me to wake up and properly patch myself up before leaving."
Reborn grits his teeth, digging his fingers in the mattress.
He doesn't actually need Colonnello to tell him anything for him to learn everything, but it'd be a lot easier if it willingly comes from him. If not he will get over it eventually, he knows, but he's a pain in the ass to deal with when he's mad at him.
Not to say, Reborn has a hard time completely silencing the voice in his head saying that if the roles were reversed, he too would absolutely hate for Colonnello to try and finish something he started.
"Lie down?" Colonnello asks, snapping him out of his thoughts as he was considering his options, brushing his thumb against his cheek just the once.
Reborn considers kicking him out of his house—he's apparently desperate to leave anyway, isn't he?—, but curious, lies down next to him. He still makes a point to cross his arms on his chest though, even if it's not really comfortable when he's lying on his side to keep his eyes on Colonnello.
Colonnello turns on his side too, then moves closer to him, and closer again, and stops when they're just about to touch foreheads again.
He smells good.
He smells like the nondescript scent of all the shampoos and bodywashes he buys for all his safe houses, but they don't entirely overpower his natural scent. Truth be told Reborn had forgotten how he smelled like, but he remembers he always thought he smelled good, even if Colonnello was typically the type of kids who didn't care about ending up all dirty and sweaty as a result of playing around.
Reborn didn't think he still smelled good even then, but even then, he never really minded it either.
"Don't say anything unnecessary," he says before Colonnello can open his mouth, because he knows that stupid face and that stupid look in his eyes.
Colonnello huffs. "Coward. Normal people would have actually talked about it first things first, you know that, right? Would have caught up around a drink, would have asked 'Hey, are you mad at me for leaving you without a word like garbage?'?"
Reborn laughs a little. So this is what this is about, is it? "Hey, are you mad at me for leaving you without a word like garbage?" he asks, grinning, to mess with him, but also meaning it, and if he knows Colonnello can tell too, then it's just between the two of them.
Not unexpected but still a little disappointing, Colonnello doesn't answer, even if Reborn can tell he has plenty to say about it. But he can't let Reborn have it that easy, can he now?
Fair enough, Reborn can give him that much.
Colonnello reaches for him again, but it's more tentative this time. He slowly runs his hand through his hair, watching out for his reaction, and Reborn almost raises his eyebrow at him, because what kind of reaction is he even expecting from him?
Reborn doesn't react in any way, but it seems to satisfy Colonnello anyway as a pleased, happy smile pulls at his lips he doesn't quite manage to hold back. He runs his hand in earnest in his hair then, sometimes petting them, sometimes just playing with them, curling them around his fingers and letting them slip between them.
"Still so soft," he murmurs to himself under his breath, looking too happy for what this is, Reborn clearly missing something here.
An absent smile plays on his lips nonetheless, a small frown between his brows, but then it hits him.
Colonnello thought he might have to earn the right to touch him all over again.
And by all means it's nothing but an understandable, considerate and logical thought to have, but Reborn still has to bite the inside of his cheek to hold on a wide, amused and incredulous smile.
Why would he ever think that? That's just not how this works, how Reborn works at all.
Doesn't he know?
And suddenly, Reborn's dying to know what Colonnello thinks of him, where he thinks they now both stand when it comes to the other.
Back when they were kids, Reborn could tell he always knew exactly what kind of person he was, could see right through him, and from the very beginning too, somehow, even when Reborn was still doing his best keeping him just as in the dark as everyone else then. Well, maybe not exactly, but he always looked through him as best he could, and never averted his eyes away from what he was seeing, never wanted to.
It's what Reborn liked most about him, and ultimately, how they managed to make their friendship work.
What about now though?
Colonnello slides his hand to his neck, cupping his neck as he plays with the hair at the nape of his neck, and Reborn instinctively arches away from the touch, shivering again before leaning back against it.
"Jesus Christ, why are you always so fucking cold?"
Colonnello grins, unrepentant, childish and boyish. It pulls at Reborn's heartstrings, and it's plainly unnecessary and just embarrassing.
He already knew he's been missing that smile, no need for his body to give him a physical reminder of it.
"So I can hear you complain about it, obviously, what else?" Reborn decides to not deign that a reaction either, though he almost kicks him in the shin instead, and it's like Colonnello can tell because he grins wider. "What were you thinking about?"
"Right about now?"
Colonnello rolls his eyes. "No, I can guess that just fine. Before."
And, to his surprise, the words just tumble from his lips, "Why are you here?"
It's been bothering him ever since he realized Colonnello's the one who broke in his safe house, has been eating at him, running on a loop in his mind.
Why his safe house?
Colonnello was in need of reprieve, of safety, and he thought of him? Decided he could trust what Reborn himself uses whenever he's in need of reprieve or safety?
Colonnello's always been entirely too trusting of him, but that he still is now, even when Reborn became so much worse than when they were kids, even when he wasn't even there to see for himself just how worse it got… It feels like he missed a vital development of their relationship, like he's missing an important piece of the puzzle.
What does Colonnello think about him now?
He's dying to know.
"It was the closest to my location," Colonnello says simply, like he doesn't know that wasn't what Reborn was asking at all. He's smiling knowingly too, because he knows Reborn isn't about to clarify himself and give himself even more away.
Do you… the words still push against his lips, but he's not even sure what he wants to ask or how he should ask it.
Do you still trust me?
Clearly.
Do you still think I'm safe for you, do you still believe I'll keep you safe?
Reborn wouldn't necessarily bet on the latter, though the answer is yes, obviously, but he doesn't know if Colonnello is still able to tell.
Do you still care? he'd ask if he was willing to humiliate himself like that, but even that still doesn't quite feel right.
Do you still care about me? he'd even add if he knew for a fact he'd die right after hearing Colonnello's answer, but it isn't quite that either.
They still mean something to each other, he can tell that much, but what does he mean for Colonnello?
Do you still see right through me just as easily as before?
Are you still able to tell the exact kind of person I am?
Is it going to make you leave?
Reborn huffs, shifting frustratingly, and he doesn't care to openly glare daggers at him, scowling.
Colonnello softens, melts even, laughing something disgustingly fond. "Hey," he breathes out, cupping his face again and brushing his thumb against his cheek back and forth. "Were you touching my hair back when I was still unconscious?"
"Is that really what you dream of when you're half-dead? You're so unimaginative, but I'm flattered, I guess."
Colonnello's smile turns into a mischievous smirk, changing subject. "Working your pretty head real hard right now, huh?"
Reborn scowls harder, and is about to tell him to go fuck himself, not in the mood for this anymore, but then Colonnello's kissing him.
He's not shy with it either, is even pretty damn demanding with it, curling his fingers in his hair. His lips feel rough against his, moving hot and wanting, a moan rising both their throat when their tongue meet each other's.
Reborn grabs two fistfuls of his shirt, pulling him closer and pressing closer himself. It feels good, feels not enough, not even close when he can't even remember since when he's been wanting this, and he almost groans in frustration when Colonnello pulls away.
He doesn't, but Colonnello still snickers, sounding a little hoarse. "Sorry I need to breathe, jeez."
"Did you just kiss me?"
"You kissed back."
"You kissed me first."
Colonnello misses a beat, then huffs. "I thought I'd take my shot while I still have you here. Always regretted not doing it back then."
Reborn flies the accusation away in a corner of his mind to address later. Later.
For now he crashes their lips together again, swallowing Colonnello's small noise of surprise, then his whimper of pleasure. He's not soft with his kiss either, kisses him hard and rough, only spurred on further by the way Colonnello writhes against him, by all the desperate noises he moans in his mouth.
Reborn moves his hands from his shirt to his hair, curls his fingers in them, then tugs at them to angle his head better for a deeper kiss. Colonnello opens his mouth to let his tongue in when Reborn bites his lip, whining at the way he sank his teeth hard in it, but pliant, yielding, holding onto his shoulders hard enough to bruise.
Good.
Good.
That's right, this is the obvious piece of the puzzle he was missing.
Reborn already knows exactly what Colonnello thinks about him without needing to hear it from him, because he must feel the exact same way as before in all the ways that matter—clearly still does. Because Colonnello's always been just enough like him he never cared to listen to all the people who kept telling him being friends with him was a bad idea.
They had a rough patch in the middle, or more like a lack of a middle entirely, whose fault lays at his feet, but it's not something he can't fix, it's not anything Colonnello wasn't always going to let him try to fix it.
Reborn really just keeps forgetting at times Colonnello latched onto him just as hard as Reborn latched onto him.
Colonnello gasps for breath when they break apart, his own lungs burning from lack of air. He breathes hard, cheeks flushed and eyes so very dark, Reborn's leaning in again before he even realizes.
"No, wait—" Colonnello laughs, breathless and hoarse, stopping him with a hand on his chest. "I'm still hurt, remember? Among other things."
"You kissed me first."
"You kissed me again." Reborn scowls, and Colonnello grins smugly. "Right? So now stop pulling at my hair already, fucking hell," he says, grabbing one of his wrists. "You're so—"
"Not gentle?" Reborn cuts him off, mocking.
"Yeah, exactly." He clicks his tongue. "Fuck you." He buries his head in the crook of his neck, moving flush against him, entangling their legs together and wrapping his arm around his waist.
Reborn lets his hands fall away from his hair easily enough, wrapping his arms around his neck instead, but then threads the fingers of one hand back in his hair again.
"Not dreaming yet," Colonnello, of course, doesn't miss the opportunity to say, his voice muffled.
"Will it matter if I give you brain damage right now?"
He laughs. "Hey, listen," he says then, serious. "I'll leave as soon as the sun rises, alright?"
"Sure."
"And you stay out of this, I'm serious, Reborn. Got it?"
"Sure."
"Come on, man, you—" Reborn doesn't make out the curses that follow, Colonnello roughly pushing against him and shoving him like he's about to start a fight, but then must decide he hasn't the energy for it or something, because he settles down again. He huffs. "You're the worst."
Reborn just smiles, nuzzling his nose in his hair.
Good thing to know Colonnello's still able to tell when he's lying like it's second nature.
A/N: This literally flashed in my brain out of nowhere, and I was literally not even thinking about them lol. Didn't expect for Reborn being hopelessly in love with Colonnello to take on those dark undertones either, and literally as I was writing it I was like "Oh, we're going there now? Okay, yeah, sure, totally, cool" lmao. Also I'm just a sucker for my headcanon that these two drifted apart for a still yet undefined amount of years at a still yet undefined point when they were still kids/teenagers. I just think it spices up their dynamic in all the right ways for me.
Oh yeah, another fun fact, but before I actually sat myself to write this I was like "This feels like it will be ambiguously (not) platonic, how should I best tag for it?", and then they made out twice and Reborn was like That about Colonnello all along LMAO. And that's obviously because I'm a simp for them, but also because I'm just in the mood to write kisses lately, I think writing Kiss Kiss Fall In Love really awakened something in me about kissing scenes lol.
(What do you guys do with your tongue once you put it in someone's else mouth though? ? Genuine question for real, please let me know so I can improve my writing kissing vocabulary and keep writing them without them turning boring and repetitive lol.)
I hope you enjoyed the story. Any and all review are appreciated. And I really love this one so I'd be really happy to hear what you guys think of it.
Thank you for reading!
- Hope