Disclaimer: I own the OCs, the rest is Akira Amano's work.
Fratellanza
I didn't budge when someone put a hand on my shoulder.
"Shouldn't you be sleeping or something?" Superbi asked me. I sniffed.
"Alaric's still in surgery."
"Staying in front of the door won't make the surgery go faster." I looked at him above my shoulder.
"I know." He widened his eyes and turned me around.
"Vooiii you…you're not crying, are you!?" I blinked in confusion, his face blurry. I removed my contacts, which were about to fall.
"No...it's my contacts." I yawned. "I guess I shouldn't have broken your watches." He scoffed.
"Whatever, it's done." His arm around my shoulders, he dragged me toward my room. I looked at his hand. It was the real one on my shoulder.
"Who knew..."
"Huh?"
"I'm not hitting you when you touch me anymore." He raised a brow and realized he had his arm around me. He removed it as if he had burned himself.
"V...Vooiii just rest brat!" I went back in my bed, my right arm stuck in a splint since a nurse put my shoulder back in place. A bruise was starting to grow around my left eye.
I didn't know about the others. I woke up, the moon high in the sky, and went in front of the surgery room.
Now I was back in my room. At least I didn't have any blood on me anymore, and there was a bag on the chair of the room.
"Senpai." I looked on my right, at the window. Tsunayoshi had opened it from the outside and a chilling breeze entered the room. "How are you feeling?"
"I've been better, I've been worse. You?" He seemed to hesitate for a second.
"I can't say, but I have to ask you something."
"If you want to team up to beat the Vindice, then I'm in." He didn't seem surprised I figured it out. I smirked bitterly. "Bermuda talked to Reborn and you, I bet he explained his story to you."
"He did." I chuckled humorlessly.
"Lifting one curse without anything in return is a beautiful, unreachable dream. So, what will become of them?"
"Death," he said in a quiet voice after a few seconds. I pursed my lips.
"At least it's clear." He explained everything to me and left, telling me to meet him at his place with my team tomorrow afternoon.
I left my bed once again, then my room.
Byakura raised his brows at me when I opened his door. He was eating marshmallows in the middle of the night.
"Did Tsunayoshi-kun talk to you?" I nodded and closed the door behind me. "You look like you've been through hell."
"You should have seen me a couple hours ago." I fell loudly in the chair and showed him my Mare Ring.
"Wow, I haven't seen this one for a minute."
"I'm sure. How do you use it?" He pursed his lips, squeezing a marshmallow between his fingers.
"Whatever you're thinking of, you shouldn't do it now." I frowned. "You get sick when you have just a glimpse of one parallel world, even with the ring you won't handle a whole life in several worlds. It gave me fever and I was sick all day after using it." I clenched my fist and he handed me his bag of candy. "And anyway, you shouldn't use it. It didn't do justice to my future self." I sighed and grabbed a fistful of marshmallows, putting all of them at once in my mouth.
Byakuran laughed at my hamster cheeks.
"You know what Lucia-chan?" I raised a brow and swallowed. "The one thing I like in this situation is that for once, we'll really be on the same side and you won't try to kill me in my sleep!" I blinked and was about to talk, but he continued. "Or poison my food. Or play the lovesick girlfriend. Or pretend to join me but protect Xanxus-kun with your life. Or..." I raised my hands.
"I get it, I never really approved what you used to do!"
Yeah...there really was an odd, old familiar feeling when I was around Byakuran. A feeling that told me I could just lay back and be normal.
"He's...stable, but not conscious. I think Mammon was visiting him when I left the hospital." Iemitsu nodded sternly. I pointed at his wound. "Looks painful."
"Did you come here to laugh at your own Boss? That's low, I'm wounded." I showed him my splint.
"So am I, but I'm not here for this. I...came to apologize." He frowned.
"What for?"
"Before the surprise attack, Bermuda came to talk to me. He said that if I kept fighting or helping this side...I'd be sent back to jail." Iemitsu's face became dead serious. "I know it was a lot of work for you and everyone to get me out of jail, just to get a trial. That's why I'm sorry. I'm not giving up the fight or the Arcobalenos, even if it were to ruin all of your efforts. I know it's selfish bu..." I stopped when Iemitsu sighed loudly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Why all of this drama this early in the morning Luciana?" I frowned, not understanding. "I mean, I can't blame you for fighting for one of our owns as well, can I? Especially knowing you're the only one who didn't get your watch broken, seriously it's making me feel like a pathetic loser..." One of our o...Lal?
Of course Lal would be impacted as well.
Iemitsu knocked his knuckles against my forehead.
"Use that head of yours like you did in the Future, it's an order." I nodded firmly.
"Yes Boss!"
There wouldn't be any fight until tomorrow. This afternoon we would all meet at Tsunayoshi's place. Until then...I should rest, but my mind wouldn't stop working.
I wasn't surprised to see Fon at my place. Arro was playing with the band of his watch.
"Are you here to tell us to stop fighting?" I asked my Master, sitting down on my table.
"It was, but from your tone I'm guessing you won't."
"True." Arro looked at me seriously.
"Are you really going to keep fighting?"
"Yeah," I replied without blinking. He pursed his lips and nodded to himself, slapping himself. "Arro?"
"I need a dose of courage otherwise I might run away tomorrow." I frowned. "Alaric's down and Romain's on the opposite side, I'm not letting you fight them on your own."
"...thanks. What about Kyoya?" He averted his eyes and Fon sighed.
"Feng is with him right now. The bump from last night gave him a severe concussion and the doctors said his frontal bone was cracked but not broken yet." I shot a dumbfounded look at Fon.
"It sounds bad." I had a big knot in my stomach now.
"It...can be, but he's awake and wants to keep fighting as well." I gulped back the lump in my throat. "How are your wounds?"
"Face's fine, shoulder as well and the cut on my arm won't leave a scar."
"And you Arro?"
"Nothing, just a broken rib."
"Keep in mind your deaths won't change what is going to happen to us Arcobalenos," Fon told us with a grim look. He jumped on my shoulder and patted me on the head. "I'm proud of who you have become Luciana, don't waste your life away." The lump was back in my throat as I watched him leaving.
"We have a meeting at Tsunayoshi's this afternoon, he wants to fight back. I think there is going to be a huge alliance between the remaining teams."
"Got it."
"Arro."
"Hum?"
"Fon just said goodbye for good, didn't he?" He looked down.
"It sounded like it Luciana." When he said my full name...it was never in good situations. "I'm going to the hospital see if my cousin is there, come with me."
"Yeah, I want to see my brothers and Kyoya."
Dino was fine and about to leave already. Xanxus was still sleepy but fine, so I left him to rest some more.
Kyoya was scratching Hibird's head when I opened his door.
"Hey." I sat down on his bed with a sigh. "It's weird to be the one visiting for once."
"Don't get used to it." I turned my head to face him. He had a thick white bandage around his head. He scowled at my unwanted attention.
"Did someone tell you about the Arcobalenos?"
"Yes. I want the French one."
"Romain's probably coming for me."
"I don't care, I have a fight to finish with him." I pursed my lips but his eyes were telling me he wasn't backing down from this.
"Alright." I put my hands on the mattress and leaned toward Kyoya, pressing a soft kiss on his forehead.
His bone was cracked. It was Hibari Kyoya and his bone was cracked.
"Can you...it would be safer if we stick together tonight, do you mind sleeping over?" He raised a brow at me and I quickly went back to my spot.
"To do what exactly?" I blushed and he smirked.
"Not…not that! I don't want to do that yet!" He chuckled. "I swear Kyoya, you're just...you're a jerk."
"I heard that one before." I rolled my eyes. "Be my nurse once the fights are over."
"Yeah sure, whatever. It's nothing I haven't done before." I bit the inside of my cheek. "Does it hurt?"
"It's bearable." I petted Hibird on the head for a second and stood up.
"See you later."
I went home to take a shower, brush my teeth and eat something before going to Tsunayoshi's, a lit cigarette between my lips.
Dino was already there when I arrived. If he noticed the smell of tobacco coming from me, which he probably did, he didn't comment and gave me a brief hug.
"Be careful Luciana," he whispered in my ear.
"You too," I replied quietly.
People started to arrive and I found myself squeezed between Dino and Arro.
"Please, fight with me!" Tsunayoshi asked once we were all gathered. So many people in the room brought too much heat. "I will explain once again the situation in details. I thought that maybe, if we refilled the pacifiers with the appropriated flames once they're empty at the end of the fights, it could save them. I saw the old Talbot and he thinks the same. We can't say for sure if it will work but in any case, we have to defeat Bermuda's team!" I crossed my arms.
From what Tsunayoshi said, once Checker Face removed the flames from the pacifiers, the Arcobaleno died because there was no Dying Will Flames in their bodies. However, Bermuda's anger created a new flame that filled his pacifier and prolonged his curse and life. He remained a baby with a functioning pacifier.
However, he was the only Vindice in baby form, all the others were adults. If...if they had the Flame of Night, they would also be babies though, wouldn't they?
Romain could also use this flame and it was stored in a Box Weapon, so…
I widened my eyes and pinched my brother's thigh. He winced in pain and Tsunayoshi stopped talking to look at us.
"Senpai?"
"What did their pacifiers look like?" He blinked in confusion.
"Stone."
"Yeah...yeah it would make sense then..." I mumbled before clearing my throat. "I have a theory that could be useful if proved right. Bermuda created this new flame which filled his pacifier and maintained his curse, hence why he's still a baby. The other Vindice are all adults though."
"What are you trying to say?" the Decimo asked me.
"I'm saying they're all dependent on Bermuda."
"He's keeping them alive by feeding them his flames but they can't produce it?" Xanxus figured out quickly. I nodded.
"Their curses are broken and it broke their bodies, Bermuda's the only thing keeping them alive."
"They seemed weirdly loyal to him yesterday," Hayato added thoughtfully.
"Kufufu, what a pathetic existence."
"It means they're running on a limited supply of Flames of Night during the fight," Dino continued. "If Bermuda doesn't use his present, he can't supply them with more."
"So we'd need to tire them out?" Enma asked and I pursed my lips.
"Even if they have a limited amount of flames at their disposal, they're still terrifyingly powerful. It would be hard to tire them out."
"This meeting makes sense then," Mukuro commented.
"Every most powerful people in the area are here," Superbi added.
"Yeah...I've called you because after fighting against all of you, I know I can trust you." Beautiful speech.
"But isn't there too many of us?" Byakuran pipped up for the first time. "I mean, I understand they're strong but I'm sure if Tsunayoshi-kun and I team up we'll beat them in no time."
"It won't work Byakuran! I had the opportunity to fight against the one who has the Boss watch yesterday, Jaeger and honestly...I couldn't measure his real strength."
"If Tsuna-kun says so..." Enma started, to be cut off by Mukuro's snickering.
"But can we win?" Adelheid questioned Tsunayoshi.
"I can't say."
"You can't say!?" she repeated loudly.
"Reborn doesn't want me to fight because he thinks I have no chance of winning. If he knew I called you all here, I'm sure he wouldn't like it. Of course I won't force you, it is very dangerous." Enma giggled.
"From Tsuna-kun's face, it doesn't seem like it though."
"Seriously, he has no intention to lose. It's what his face says," Mukuro commented.
"It's during these moments Tsunayoshi-kun becomes scary."
"What are you planning scum?"
"I haven't thought of everything yet, but I'm sure of one thing. This time we're making the first move!"
"You really haven't thought of anything else?" Arro wondered out loud. Tsunayoshi rubbed the back of his head.
"I was too focused on finding a way to keep them alive." Arro sighed and I elbowed him in the ribs.
"Tsunayoshi, let's see how many people can fight before coming up with a strategy." He nodded hastily. "Team Fon has lost only one watch so far, so we have three other watches that can be used. Team Mammon only has the Boss watch remaining. What about you?"
"We have one unused and lost one," Tsunayoshi said.
"None, but Chikusa and Ken can give their watches to stronger people, Fran keeps his," Mukuro stated. I scanned the group of people.
"So there are seventeen watches on our side still," I whispered, playing with my necklace.
Byakuran would fight, of course. Enma as well, he was strong. Then...Basil seemed in good enough shape and fought the Vindice during the surprise attack.
"If Luciana's hypothesis is right, then having fighters who can last a while during a fight might be the way to go Tsuna," Dino suggested. "None of the Vindice we faced last night at school had their watch destroyed, so we will face them again."
"The duo I faced with Xanxus will be together as well, the big one carries the other's weapons."
"And Romain-kun will most likely go after you Lucia-chan!" Byakuran added. I pursed my lips.
As they started to bicker like children on the people fighting Jaeger and Bermuda, I raised my knees to my chest and rested my chin on them. The two...Big Pino and Small Gia...maybe Adelheid's defense would be a good thing. In any case, we needed strong people, who could handle severe wounds.
Didn't Arro say something about External Carnage Box?
Then, maybe Kikyo and Zakuro could fight as well.
"Byakuran, Zakuro, Kikyo, Enma, Adelheid and Basil," I whispered, but everyone heard me anyway. "I...I mean, I think they're the ones who should get a new watch." I gulped because of the scrutinizing stares I received. "From what I've seen and you must have seen, the Vindice's attacks are very powerful. If we don't have speed or a strong defense, we're down. We also have to have different attack ranges among the fighters." I looked on my right, only to meet my brother's gaze.
Right.
Alaric was in the hospital, not faithfully standing on my right.
"So...every person with a Boss watch should face Jaeger maybe?" Tsunayoshi suggested hesitantly. "And Byakuran, Dino-san and Enma as well?"
"No," Dino replied immediately. He smiled at Tsuna. "I mean, I don't think you and Enma should be on the team facing Jaeger immediately."
After two hours, we all left the house. Personally, my brain was a mess. The strategy had too many uncertainties. Of course, no plan had a hundred percent chance of going smoothly all the way but that…
I shivered just to think about it.
At least, we were going with the people I mentioned. They, well Tsunayoshi, accepted to leave Romain to Kyoya.
I needed calm. I decided to go to Namimori Shrine, behind precisely, and smoked quietly. I was enjoying some peace and quiet when I heard Tsunayoshi and Reborn talking.
Seriously?
Although, I smiled to myself when I heard Reborn saying he wanted to live longer. I looked down at my rings. We could save them, right? If they wanted to live and helped, we could…
I was kicked in the side of my head and fell flat on my face, in plain sight.
"I could smell the smell of your cigarettes from this far Bakana," Reborn said, standing victorious on my head. I raised it.
"I didn't want to ruin the moment." And now all the Arcobalenos were there? "So you're all taking part in the strategy?"
"Yes, but I think what you must have come up with already and what I thought of might be pretty similar."
"Well I thought of something but it was shut down almost immediately because we couldn't realize it..." He jumped on the ground and I got up as Tsunayoshi was explaining what we had already come up with today. "But Bermuda's goal is unattainable." I pursed my lips under his inquisitive black eyes. "I mean, Checker Face turns people in Arcobalenos and can break the curse, nobody can do that but he can so I doubt anyone can...just beat him and his system by using force." Was the guy even human to begin with?
"Who knows," Reborn replied to my quiet question. "Fon told me what Bermuda said concerning your sentence."
"I already helped today, I signed my fate so I might as well fight." I shot Tsunayoshi a brief look. "I'm glad he convinced you so I don't have to say what I was..."
"Oh? Were they bad things?"
"I would have called you the biggest hypocrite on Earth." He pursed his lips and ducked his head slightly, the shadow of his hat hiding his eyes.
"I guess from your point of view I must have been." We walked to the others. "Let's talk about what you came up with and let's see if we can make it realizable." I nodded at Reborn's words.
"Understood."
Alaric was connected to several machines and IVs. Although he was out of surgery, he wouldn't wake up for a few days. He had a frown marring his face, even in his sleep.
As I was not his immediate family, I wasn't allowed to know any detail. Mammon managed to get some though. They had asked me how Alaric had been dealing with his condition.
I just blinked at them and asked them what they meant. They didn't seem surprised I wasn't aware he was…
He had a heart birth defect. I didn't know all the details, but from the little information Mammon shared with me, he was born with a heart issue and growing up on the East side of the Berlin wall didn't help with it. It seemed like something had been done a long time ago to Rick and illusions repaired what his body messed up when it was still developing in the womb.
It was like Chrome in a way.
And I had absolutely no idea. Rick was always so fussy about my health ever since I returned from the Future but he...never told me any of this.
I left his room and closed the door as quietly as possible behind me.
"Ana." I jumped at Mukuro's voice. "Kufufu, am I scary?"
"You surprised me," I said, turning to face him.
"You said you wanted to talk to me."
"Right. You have no charge that could send you in Vendicare anymore, right?" He frowned.
"No, I was completely released after the Shimon fight. Why? Did this Bermuda say something?" I smirked.
"Well, it's too late to do anything, and maybe if Tsunayoshi's plan works he'll rethink it."
"It's pathetic to use jail as an argument right now." I shrugged at Mukuro glaring at the wall behind me.
"Whatever can make him win. I should feel flattered in a way, shouldn't I?" He rolled his eyes and walked away.
He was just out of sight that my arm was grabbed. I was turned around brutally and blinked at two serious gray eyes staring at me.
"Superbi?"
"Give me your watch." I scowled at him.
"N..." He dragged me outside.
"Vooiii you didn't put me in your fucking plan brat!"
"Because you have no place in it!" He scowled and clenched his fists. "I broke your sword!"
"I had another one, who do you think I am!? Give me that watch!" He tried to remove it by force and I stepped back.
"What's wrong with you!? I have a Boss watch, shouldn't you go get a fighter one if you want to fight that badly!?" He pursed his lips.
"Just give me yours."
"No! Why do you..."
"Because I don't want you to fight these monsters goddammit!" he yelled at me. "I don't understand how these two who called themselves your brothers are letting this happen!"
"I'm one of the strongest fighters!"
"Bullshit!" I saw red and was about to tell him what I thought when he grabbed my collar and pulled me toward him.
I froze in shock when his lips were on mine, my brain completely shutting down. It was quick and he moved back as quickly as he pulled me toward him. He ruffled his hair.
"Damn I can't believe this shit, you're so frustrating! Why are you playing the grown up in these situations!?" I pointed a shaking finger to him, then to me.
"Wh...wh...wh..." I stuttered pathetically. He blinked a few times and widened his eyes when he realized what he did.
He blushed hard.
"Fuck!" he growled loudly, stomping away quickly.
What the…
I walked home mechanically.
"What's with that face?" Arro asked me from the kitchen.
"What's with guys kissing me before big fights?" He stopped what he was doing and shot me a shocked look.
"Wait, did someone kiss you?"
"Your cousin." He gaped.
"He finally di..." I frowned at him.
"You know something!? I thought I was the 'brat' to him!?"
"Well...let's say that since the Sky Battle and your intervention in it he...started seeing you more as a woman than as a kid. I think some stuff must have happened in the Future and he...you know, started to ha..."
"Stop talking!" I urged him with wide eyes. "It...it comes from nowhere! Whatever crush he has on me, it comes from nowhere and doesn't make sense! I'm sixteen!" Arro shrugged. "I'm his Boss' younger sister!"
"I don't think he would have done anything until you were eighteen or even twenty if...there were not as much dangerous fights every two months you know." He frowned suddenly. "Hey, what do you mean by guys kissing you before big fights, did it happen before?"
"That's not..."
"Answer the question," a cold voice said next to me. I looked and found Kyoya, standing straight with his arms crossed. He seemed pissed.
I blushed when the image of TYL Kyoya kissing me before raiding the Merone Base flashed through my mind. Kyoya's glare got darker and Arro suddenly found washing what was in the sink very important.
I walked past Kyoya to go to my room but he followed me, shutting the door loudly behind him. It shook some of the things I had on my desk.
"Who was it?"
"Kyoya..."
"Was it Yamamoto Takeshi?" I raised a brow.
"...no? Really, it's no..." I sighed when his face was right in front of me. "It was you!" He blinked.
"I'd remember it."
"Well...it wasn't you you but the Kyoya from the Future." He raised a brow. "He even said now he had all of the firsts." He looked away with a frown. "See? Nothing you should be angry about."
"You were kissed by this herbivore." I rolled my eyes. He wouldn't drop the subject unless I proved it didn't matter or what?
I removed my shirt, leaving me in my bra and pants in front of him. His eyes dropped to my chest, then went up to my face, completely confused.
Right, I could have done what I was about to do in a less revealing way.
I took his hand, took a deep breath and put it on my stomach. My stomach tensed for a second, but Kyoya's hand was warm. It didn't stay tensed for long.
I stared deeply in Kyoya's eyes, which were slightly wide in shock, knowing fully well how the last time he touched me there ended.
"I'm pregnant," I told him to ease the tension in the room and he scowled.
"Stupid." I looked down at his hand, which was kept against my skin by my hands.
"I've never realized your hands were bigger than mine." He scoffed and started to move said hand across my stomach. His finger redrew some of my scars, especially the one from Russia. "Anyway, you know what this means to me that I let you touch me like this, right?" He nodded slowly. "Then return it and trust me."
"Hn." I cupped his face and pressed a soft kiss on his lips. "These two are supposed to be claimed already," he whispered against my lips. I smiled slightly.
"They are." I moved back and pushed him out of my room, locking it. "Now I'm changing, we're watching a movie!"
The next morning, I woke up sandwiched between Arro and Kyoya. Arro was slouching over me, his head on my shoulder. My head was on Kyoya's shoulder. Kyoya's head was on top of mine.
The most hilarious though was how Arro's hand, during the night, landed on Kyoya's thigh and Kyoya was holding it.
I wished I had my phone or a camera, because this, or their faces when they woke up, were priceless.
"Am I invited to the wedding?" I asked innocently.
They both glared in response
Fratellanza
Thanks for reading this chapter!
Bye!