Disclaimer: I own the OCs, the rest is Akira Amano's work.

Fratellanza

"It's not fair."

"Lulu...get over it."

"No, it's not fair!" We were on a break. Feng and Fon were in another room, Rick was dying on the floor near the hallway door while Kyoya, Arro and I were around the kotatsu.

I expertly dodged Kyoya's chopstick.

"You're a girl," Kyoya reminded me almost in an accusing tone.

"Still, you had no rights to suddenly grow taller than me!" Yeah, Arro and Kyoya were both taller than me now. I knew they would get taller than me, I saw their TYL version in the Future but...I just thought these two, the two of my time would…

I don't know, I was in denial and didn't want to admit one day I'd have to raise my head to look at their face while we talked.

"Actually it's been a while already Lulu..." I turned wide eyes to him, who grinned nervously. "Well...combat boots often have thick soles that add a couple of centimeters." I gazed at Kyoya, who was eating his onigiri.

"You're done growing and we're not, get over it already." I stood up. "If you attempt to walk out of the room dramatically I'll bite you to death."

"I'm not Arro!" Said guy yelled in offense. "I'm going to the bathroom, because while you're growing I'm bleeding because I'm not pregnant!" I stormed out of the room, taking a sanitary pad in the pocket of my coat.

I cursed them under my breath while on my way to the bathroom and back. However, on my way back I stopped next to a door when I heard Fon and Feng talking.

"...weird Fon, I don't like it."

"I know, Checker Face is hiding something." Fon sighed deeply. "I talked about it with Reborn briefly. Neither of us believe in him removing the Curse and letting us live our lives."

"I don't think you would be able to live normally with the postpartum effects of having the Curse lifted anyway. Everything is strange, are you sure..."

"I want, need to know the truth about this Curse. This man would probably turn someone else into an Arcobaleno to fill in the gap anyway and I do not want someone to experience what was forced upon us." Another sigh. "The others will bring strong fighters as well. I know they can all fight back but I do not want them to get severely injured when I know the Curse will not be lifted." I left, careful not to be heard, and went back to the kotatsu. I sat back down next to Arro.

"Changing your diaper was this tiring?" Arro teased me. I closed my eyes, calmly grabbed an onigiri before stuffing it in his mouth. He choked on it.

"Choke, choke!" I let go before he actually choked.

It was not as if I really thought this Checker Face was honest. Removing the Curse of one of them and having six out of the seven 'needed' Arcobalenos? Yeah right, why would he suddenly feel benevolent to one of them and left the others while he tricked them into being turned into infants to begin with?

"Earth to Lulu."

"Hum?"

"You're alright?"

"Yeah, just thinking about this whole Arcobaleno thing." I looked at the time on the clock. "I've got an errand to run, I won't be long."

"Al...right..." Arro mumbled as I grabbed my coat, my phone and went to the front door.

I was at Tsunayoshi's ten minutes later. Kyoya and him lived quite close to each other even if the districts they lived in had nothing to do with one another.

I rang the bell and ruffled Fuuta's hair when he opened the door.

"Is Reborn here?"

"Yes, he's..." Reborn came flying from the stairs, aiming for my face. I bent down and he landed in the front yard. "Right there Luciana-nee!"

"Are you here to make me spill the beans about our strategy?" I scoffed.

"With Dino in your team I don't need it. You're the worst target for this anyway."

"Then what is it?" I pursed my lips and grabbed him, setting him on my head before walking away. He jumped down when I stopped in the park.

"You don't believe in what Checker Face promised." Reborn's face was unreadable. "I overheard Fon and Feng talking, how none of them believe him. What are you looking for in this battle Reborn?" He didn't reply and jumped on top of the purple kid structure. I leaned against it, hands in my pocket.

"You're right, I don't."

"You didn't even ask me to fight for you." I could feel him smirking in my back.

"Did I hurt your feelings?"

"I can't say, because it means you're not fighting for you."

"How so?"

"I don't want to brag, but I am strong. If I had joined your team, with Dino and Tsunayoshi as well, we would have crushed the other teams. Even more, if Arro and Rick had been asked to join other teams they wouldn't have fought me and would have declined. By not asking me you took the risk of me and these two as well to become your enemies and..." I stopped talking and frowned. "Huh...Reborn?"

"Hum?"

"Are you trying to train Tsunayoshi through this conflict?" He jumped down and smirked up at me.

"I am not disclosing information to an enemy." He walked away and I ruffled my hair under my beanie in frustration.

I felt like smoking a cigarette, but after my stay at the hospital Dino threw them all away. Rick even told him where I was hiding some so they could throw them away.

I went to the closest tobacconist and bought a pack. The glare Rick gave me when I was back at Kyoya's was cold but I ignored it.

I smoked two during a fifteen-minute walk. Rick was not going to scare me.

Later that night, we received watches.

"We have four days to prepare a battle royal. We're going for the Boss watch, the black one, and there are six white watches, the fighters. If the Boss watch is destroyed, it's game over. We can use these four days for strategies and alliances," Alaric summed up, the suitcase opened between us. Dinner was eaten, although I still had my bowl of rice in my hand.

I put it down and raised my hand.

"Can I do the strategies can I?" Fon nodded.

"Of course, I was planning on having you and Alaric doing them anyway." I went back to my rice.

"You're taking the Boss watch as well?" Arro asked me.

"It would be safer with Kyoya," Rick opposed. We looked at him, even Kyoya. There were four of us, as long as we didn't bug him during a fight he would be down for it. "They're both on the same level I'd say, but Kyoya has more stamina."

"Hum..." Feng hummed next to her nephew, pouring the last cup of green tea. "Is it really safe?"

"What?" Kyoya replied with a frown, basically offended. Her aunt offered him an amused smile.

"I have no doubt you can keep the watch safe, but these battles happen during a limited time, right?" Fon smiled behind his cup. "Let's say you are in a very intense fight Kyoya, but suddenly the watch rings telling you the fight is over. If you keep fighting, you're disqualified, then what do you do?"

"Destroy it," he replied without batting an eyelash.

"I am fighting you if we win," Fon reminded him and Kyoya cursed under his breath. Right, Kyoya got Fon to promise him this.

"Then, in that particular scenario, we'll switch Miss' and Kyoya's watches. We could also all wear fighters' watches and keep the Boss' one hidden."

"Is it allowed?" Arro wondered out loud. "Wouldn't we miss some information anyway?" Alaric crossed his arms as I finished my bowl.

"Can we contact this Tsunomichi guy?" I asked Fon. He shrugged and I got up to get a paper and pen. Once back at my seat, I wrote down every Arcobaleno's names in different columns, putting our names under Fon with Kyoya as the Boss watch. "For instance, I have my watch broken. But as we are only three using battler's watches, I could pick one in the three remaining ones and I'd be back in the game. Our team's not the only one in that case. The VARIA definitely has my brother as the Boss watch wielder. It means battlers watches go to Levi, Lussuria, Superbi and Belpehgor as Mammon has the Arcobaleno watch. It's two chances for some of them to get back in the game if they have their watches destroyed."

"I see, it would be problematic if we managed to destroy someone's watch just for them to come back later," Fon said with a small frown.

"Reborn's team...Tsunayoshi with the Boss watch I think, so Dino, Hayato, Takeshi...probably Ryohei, maybe Chrome as well with battlers watches. Also two or one unused watches," I continued, writing on the paper. "Verde...I don't know. Aria or Skull I don't know either. Colonnello...well there's a chance CEDEF might represent him because Lal's a part of it."

"I agree," Fon agreed. "Lal is susceptible to fight for Colonnello to remove his curse due to personal reasons. However, if she does then maybe Sawada Iemitsu will be fighting as well." I sighed. If it were the case, then Basil would be here as well, maybe Oregano and Turmeric, maybe Moretti who knew.

"We should take into account people we know are in Namimori," Alaric added. I pursed my lips.

"Right, Mukuro and his gang and the Shimons are here and might take part in this as well," I mumbled, biting my thumbnail.

"For tonight, you should leave the watches here and go home," Feng told us. "Finish your teas and get some rest. The next few days will be tiring."

When we were home, Arro sighed deeply and showed me his phone.

"Wh..."

"The Professor hasn't even called me. Who do you think he will choose if not me?" I patted him on the shoulder.

"Who knows."

"Now I know." I looked down at Fran, snuggling on my lap.

We just went back from school that Mukuro and Verde rang the bell. Arro was sulking in a corner as the reason for their presence here was obvious.

"I'm guessing France went well," I told Mukuro, who grumbled. "If you wish to make an alliance or ask me or ask us to join your team, you better have good arguments."

"An alliance with Team Fon would be beneficial for the two parties involved," Verde told us. So they kn…

I blinked when Arro was in Verde's face, holding him in front of his eyes.

"So what does Mukuro have I don't have!?" I rolled my eyes.

"Oya oya, jealousy once again," Mukuro noted, sitting down next to me.

"I knew you'd team up with Cavallone and Rokudo Mukuro has a certain charisma that pushes others to follow him without asking explanations. He is a great choice. And if we make an alliance, I will share a few things with you." Arro and I were both interested. "I have already contacted Fon any..."

"Don't!" Fon yelled in a rush. I blinked at the entrance of the living-room and paled at Kyoya, who had a murderous glare glued to Mukuro.

"Kyoya don't you dare fight in my apartment," I growled dangerously with a glare on my face. He clenched his fists around his tonfas and clicked his tongue as he turned his head away.

Fran chose this moment to yawn and leave my lap to settle down between Mukuro and I. Alaric arrived shortly after and the atmosphere was tensed.

"Verde, you want to make an alliance with us?"

"Yes. As there are existing relations between our teams I thought..."

"No," Kyoya interrupted him coldly. I sighed. Verde didn't do enough research to know about Kyoya and Mukuro?

No, I doubted it. He was too smart to let resentment hinder his plans, and Mukuro would have told him anyway.

"We have already declared war on Reborn's team." I almost rolled my eyes. It was not surprising.

"I see."

"Unfortunately, Rokudo Mukuro doesn't have the best of relations with people from every team unlike one of the members of your team." Every pair of eyes were on me in the blink of an eye. I grabbed my necklace nervously.

What, fate had a weird way of making things.

"In return, I will gladly give you some inventions of mine to fight with. De Luca already knows I care too much about science and progress to sabotage any of them. Plus, I made the Box Weapons he received recently, I want to know how they perform." So that was how he got them so fast.

"Exchange of information on other teams only until we're the only two remaining teams, and then the alliance is off?" Verde nodded at Fon's question.

I shot Mukuro a look from the corner of my eyes. He was a great illusionist and Verde a great scientist...it was a frightening combination...especially with Fran now here as well. He was drooling on my sleeve, but the kid was good already.

I shrugged my DC jacket off.

"Everyone in your team agreed?"

"Yes, we all did," Mukuro said. "Neither Chikusa, Ken or even I really want to fight against her anyway." I looked at my ceiling.

"It's kind of the same here..." I whispered to myself. I didn't really have a relation with Mukuro's friends, but we had the Estraneos in common.

Kyoya glared daggers at me. Instead of looking away, I glared back. His little rivalry with Mukuro had no right to be here in this kind of situations. They worked together in the Future after all.

"What do you think?" Fon asked us.

"I agree. Fighting illusionists is a pain, might as well keep them for last."

"Kufufu~, I'm touched Ana."

"I guess...that if I can test out the Professor's inventions...even if he didn't even ask me to be on his team..." Verde sighed and jumped out of Arro's hands. "I'm in."

"No," Kyoya refused coldly.

"I do not wish to be associated with Rokudo as well." Seriously, what was the thing between these two?

Fon sighed.

"So I have the last word then?"

To be honest...even if I didn't know three of the teams yet, although I was pretty sure Enma had a watch when I glimpsed him today...Team Verde with Mukuro on it was the one team we could have an alliance with. The teams were different in terms of fighters, but kind of complementary in a way as we already knew each other quite well. It would also mean three and a half illusionists, I was the half, to collect information.

Team Reborn and the people in it, except for my brother and Reborn, were still too inexperienced for me to have patience. There was no way I would associate myself with the VARIA and they'd be too prideful to make alliances with anyone anyway.

No way I'd make an alliance with Skull.

Colonello...if he really were to ask CEDEF...who knew.

As for Aria, I was the only one to have a relationship with her, it was too little.

"Fine, I agree as well. Team Fon will have an alliance with Team Verde until these teams are the only remaining ones." Before Kyoya could say anything, I jumped on my feet, a glare glued to him. He noticed immediately.

"Now it's been decided, get out of my apartment, all of you." I think the tone of my voice must have had something to it because they didn't protest, even Arro knew he was included. Mukuro smirked on his way out, Kyoya's eyes following him.

"Luci-nee-san..." Fran mumbled sleepily. I removed his hand from my shirt.

"Go with Mukuro Fran," I told him quietly with a small smile. He puffed his cheeks but did anyway because of Kyoya's oppressing aura next to him.

"I want a waffle next time." I chuckled.

"Sure." Once the door was closed I sighed. "Ky..."

"I'm not fighting with him again," he stated firmly, each words tainted in bitter resentment. "I'm fine on my own."

"Kyoya, I want to win this. Mukuro's..."

"Don't say his name!" he hissed through gritted teeth, grabbing my wrist roughly.

My patience toward his bratty behavior snapped. I crushed his foot under mine, which made him release my wrist in surprise. I grabbed his shirt and pushed him against the wall next to the door. He tried to fight back but I pulled down his shirt on his shoulder like he did to me a few days ago and bit down hard the flesh in the crook of his neck, hard enough to draw blood. He stopped struggling and stiffened.

Once I was done biting, I did the exact same thing he did to me. I slowly licked the sensitive flesh and an arm was immediately wrapped around my waist, a hand on my butt whereas his other hand was buried in my hair. He groaned softly in my ear and slowly, I moved my head back to face him.

His cheeks were red, his pupils were bigger than usual and he was breathing fast.

I wiped away the blood at the corner of my mouth.

"I said I wanted to win for Fon. I told you if you ended up in my way, I'd be the one to bite you to death, didn't I?" He licked his lips. "I don't care whatever resentment you have against him. If he, they, can help us, then we'll work together and you'll put your egotistical pride on the side for a bit. We still have to come up with a few plans to back stab them if they try to back stab us. And anyway, do you really think I'd let you and Mukuro be on the same battlefield now?" I shook my head. "No no no Kyoya, it..."

"I don't care." I blinked in surprise and yelped when he swapped our places.

I was now pinned to the wall. His eyes were darker than usual.

His lips swallowed my questions before I could voice them out, his hands going behind my thighs to lift me up. My arms went around his neck to keep me balanced, even if he seemed to be taking care of that.

I struggled a little to follow the pace of the kiss, his lips moving furiously and passionately against mine. It was more passionate than any kiss we had shared until now.

I fully understood why when I moaned in his mouth as he pushed his hips into mine. There was a hard bulge in his pants. I tightened my arms around his neck and pressed him more against me, rubbing my hips against him. He reciprocated, then me and this little back and forth kept going, heat pooling down my lower stomach and between my legs.

I broke the kiss and buried my face in his shoulder, wrapping my legs around his waist and moaning. I dug my nails in his shirt and skin when I felt his tongue in my ear.

"Kyoya~," I moaned. He rubbed his hips and crotch faster against me, my breathing and his quickening as well.

As I felt the delicious heat between my legs growing more and more, I heard steps from the hallway. Kyoya did as well because one second we were...doing stuff, the next one I was on my feet, panting and red as a tomato and holding onto Kyoya's shirt to stay on my feet. He was panting as well, less red than me but still affected.

We really were two horny teenagers.

He swiftly left to the bathroom and I raised a hand to my chest, going to the kitchen to fetch myself a glass of water. I was at the half of it when I choked on my water because of who was with my team.

"Ana-nee!" I blinked in shock at Uni, who ran at me and hugged me around the waist.

"U...Uni?" I looked at the blond man with her. "Huh...Gamma, right?" He nodded stiffly. "What..."

"Do you have it?" the kid asked me, stepping back. I raised a brow and took the Mare Ring from my pocket.

I had taken the habit to always have it on me.

"Why are you here? Where's your mom?" Uni's face turned grim, like Gamma's.

"She...she knew the Arcobalenos Battle would happen and turned down the opportunity for me." Indeed, she had the Sky Pacifier around her neck. Then Aria was…

"I...see..." I mumbled weakly.

She was dead?

She died, just like that?

"Uni, you said you had something for Lulu?" Arro reminded her kindly.

"Oh right, Gamma." He sighed and pulled a small black box from in inside of his suit jacket.

I took it with a small 'thank you' and widened my eyes at what was inside.

"It's only fair you have the full set as well."

"But...with the fi..." Uni shook her head with a smile. It was nice seeing her dressed as a child as well, with a dress instead of the ugly white hat she used to wear.

"It is fine. You were given the ring, as the Giglio Nero Boss, I have chosen to entrust the rest of the Mare Rings to you." Maybe it was the reason why Gamma was so stiff. Uni was a kid, with a short life span, and she was giving some powerful weapons to enemies.

"You're not taking them back, are you?" She shook her head with a mischievous, yet innocent smile. It was a nice trick she had up in her sleeve that kid. "In that case, thank you."

"Also, don't hold back against us."

"Of course not." On this note, they both left. I put the box on the dining table.

Rick and Arro were taking their precious in the blink of an eye.

"I swear, you look like two thieving magpies." Alaric just lit up his ring. "You already lit up a ring in the past?"

"Possibly," he admitted. Arro grinned at the scarlet flame dancing on his ring and I frowned at him.

"Hey, it's one ring per person."

"But you don't have an official Rain yet, I can fill in until then!" He lit up the other ring and I rolled my eyes.

"We better train even more so that you have some control over your ring."

When Kyoya came back from the bathroom, wearing one of Arro's uniform shirt and not his, he shot us an inquisitive look as we looked like we were conspiring.

"Kyoya, come closer, we need a battle plan," his uncle told him. He sat down next to Rick, directly in front of me.

Gosh, my heart wouldn't stop pounding like crazy against my chest.

"Well now I feel excluded. Betrayed. Hurt. Jus..."

"So these two are your representatives Fon?" Colonnello asked him, looking at Arro and I. Fon shot us a quick look.

"Yes, they're both skilled for their age and with a lot of potential I know how to exploit." Arro puffed his chest and I shot a betrayed look at Lal, Iemitsu and Basil.

"You didn't even ask me to join your team?"

"It didn't even cross my mind!" Iemitsu replied with a stupid grin. I shot Lal a hopeful look, but she turned around.

"Let's go back to training, there's no time to lose." I looked at Basil, who smiled apologetically at me.

"I hope we'll be able to face each other during the battles!" He followed Lal, like the Rain baby.

"What about all those speeches about being a Family and stuff?" Iemitsu grabbed my shoulders firmly, his Boss face on.

"Luciana, I will keep a close eye on your actions during this conflict. If Alaric refused to join us..."

"You asked him and not me!?"

"Anyway, entertain us!" he yelled to me, waving while he was running to the others.

"'Entertain'!? Come back here you stupid Boss!"

"Lulu, we're not waiting for you forever!" I turned my head and ran to Arro and Fon, who were leaving. "No proposal for an alliance or anything?"

"No!"

"They just saw the two of you and probably think Alaric is on the team as well, but that's it," my Master told us. "It's a good thing to have sent Alaric on a recon mission Luciana."

"Of course. I just hope that sharing our information with Team Verde means they'll keep their part of the deal." I looked at my finger, bare. "I want my Leon Ring back."

"Let's focus on training with the Mare Rings for now. We have to meet up with Team Verde at 7:00 p.m., so we have a lot of time ahead. You can't use your Leon gun with your Mare Ring, but the pure Sky Flame and Flame of Wrath it has can make the Flame of Wrath you use in hand-to-hand fight harder to control. It will be this, and your Mist crow as well as removing your weights. Arro, you'll have to focus more on your flames as well and not let them go wild just because the rings won't break."

Well...it was quite a program…

I was sure I could find a way for my Mare Ring to give like a boost to my Leon ring and gun.

Fratellanza

Thanks for reading this chapter!

Bye!