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

Fratellanza

"The plane will now start to go down to land."

The nice thing with that deal I made with my father was I could relax when it came to traveling. I didn't need to worry about being randomly kidnapped.

I looked through the window. I could see Tokyo slowly but surely getting bigger and bigger as the plane was getting closer to Japanese ground.

I had not set a foot in Japan in...two years? I wouldn't go to Namimori anyway.

I still couldn't believe that the favor my father wanted was for me to visit the Nishimuras. Properly introducing myself my ass, it could wait until I was officially out of the Vongolas and CEDEF. No, he wanted…him and Hide had something planned.

My guts were telling me Kyoya would be involved as well, there was no way he wouldn't. I pursed my lips and put a hand on my stomach. No, I didn't have a tragic hidden pregnancy, my brothers would have had heart attacks, but thinking of him while in Japan was stressing me out and knots were forming in my stomach.

I mean, it was normal the idea of potentially seeing him was...stressing me out. I left with us not on good terms and we never had a proper 'breakup'. Even if he told me we weren't dating, I never explicitly told him I was leaving the country and stopping our relationship.

Now, two years later, I knew that by leaving like this, like a thief in the night, I wanted to hurt him back. I wanted to hurt him for hurting me.

From what Fon told me at the sport tournaments, it seemed to have worked, even just a little, or at least affected him in some ways.

I smirked to myself.

I had not seen or talked to him in two years, I dated someone else yet just thinking about seeing him was turning me into a nervous mess. Kyoya still had the same power over me, even if now there was a bitter taste to it instead of the sweet taste of bliss I used to taste back then.

I was still in love with him.

Have I ever really tried to forget him anyway?

I put my sunglasses on once I was out of the airport, already tired of the flow of people going in every direction. Someone even bumped into me but kept walking while I almost dropped my bag.

Jackass.

Iemitsu said that the favor I was doing my father was classified as a secret mission. I was relieved to have him know what was going on, I could rely on him to keep my cover up. It also meant I had to deal with whatever would happen in Japan on my own.

I entered a ramen restaurant and ordered a pork one. It was weird to hear Japanese once again. I cringed a little at the Italian accent that was back in my speech.

I was half through my bowl that I noticed the ambiance of the room had changed drastically. I looked behind me. Three men in black suits, including a bald one with his head half tattooed, were there with cold faces. While staring at them, I loudly slurped my noodles.

It was fast.

"Can I finish my meal at least? I haven't had decent Japanese food in two years." They didn't answer me. One of them pulled a smartphone from his pocket, exchanged a few words and nodded at me when he hung up.

And I thought Kyoya and his Committee were...disciplined let's say, now I knew why.

I followed them in a black car with tinted windows. The ride was not that long and we entered a traditional district. Everyone would give looks at the car before going back to their business.

The Nishimuras were influential, I just never thought an entire district of the city would be their living quarters.

I was escorted to a room and I frowned because of the lilac kimono on the bed.

"We will escort you to the Oyabun once you have changed." On this note, they shut the door behind me.

I didn't like the lilac color on me. I wasn't a fan of pastel colors except for my nails. I don't know, my eyes were red so I was more attracted to deep shades.

Enough with fashion. I attached my gun to my leg, the kimono hiding it perfectly, and followed them.

"Our guest has arrived," Hide greeted me, in a black and clearly expensive kimono, on his knees behind his cup of tea. His wife was beside him, looking as disdainful as the last and only time I had seen her. She looked less...weird than me in a kimono though. We were both European, but she clearly got used to things here. "Please take a seat."

I did, now seating in front of him.

"I have to admit that, as much as Guillermo is annoying whining about his daughter, he's even more annoying being excited about you finally coming to your senses," Hide casually commented. He took a sip of his tea. "However, I must admit I was quite surprised myself knowing...how reluctant you were when you were younger."

"Maybe growing up made her see what was in her best interests." Huh…

"Obviously," I said, the Welsh woman narrowing her piercing green eyes at me. "Why did you request my presence here?" He raised a thin black eyebrow at me and I was reminded of Kyoya.

"Don't you already have an idea Esperanza?"

"Luciana," I corrected him through gritted teeth. He scoffed.

"Esperanza," he repeated, putting his cup down brutally. The tea inside almost spilled. "The moment you are free from that cage the Vongolas put you in, 'Luciana' will only be a memory of yours. You might as well get used to your future allies calling you by your birth name." I bit the inside of my cheek.

I thought Kyoya was…

No, I needed to stop thinking about him, even if it was his father I had in front of me. I mean, obviously they would have similarities, even if Kyoya didn't like it.

I knew I had similarities with my father, like Xanxus had. I also knew I wouldn't like it if someone pointed them at me.

"Young lady, it is seen as polite to at least taste the beverage the host is providing you," the woman said, graciously lifting her own cup to her lips. I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

I took a big gulp of it and frowned at the bitterness when it went down my throat.

"It's too bitter."

"The drugs," she said. I widened my eyes at her before my body went numb.

I fell on my side, spilling my cup of tea toward them. Their eyes just stared at me as I was losing consciousness.

"You would think she had a better drug resistance dear," the blond woman said.

"Indeed, it is disappointing," Hide agreed.

I passed out.

Two years.

Luciana had left Namimori for two years and time had flown by in the blink of an eye yet it seemed as if the last time he woke up to her sleeping face was an eternity ago. It was not as if he thought about her leaving for too long. A day later he was more focused than ever on his work and finding a way to create the Foundation.

Now, two years later and his aunt's and uncle's lectures imprinted in his brain, he knew it was his way of coping with her departure. He should have seen it coming really. From the moment she told him she was sick, there was a communication issue and from that point, it all went downhill.

Their final discussion...no, fight, had been the last push they both needed to end their relationship.

Hibari looked through the window of the DC room in Nami-High. He was angry at first when he thought about her and what a coward she had been for fleeing town but now…

He did say he didn't love her, why would she tell him anything after that?

It was funny how for so long he knew they were able to see the true meaning behind the other's words yet at some point, it stopped.

He had been in love with her, probably still was, but he had not been ready to tell her yet. The only person he ever said those words to, he found her dead when he was a child. With Luciana sick, he felt better being possessive as much as he could to 'protect' her rather than saying he loved her.

It was no wonder she hated that with a passion. Yet, she believed him right away when he said he didn't love her and that...the simple fact she would believe him on that point hurt a lot. She kept pushing him to say those words and he wanted her to back off…

Fon was right, they were young and too blinded to see what was wrong in their relationship.

Arroganza even told him she had realized the same thing after his uncle visited her in university. Her best friend, and he was reluctant to admit it but a good friend of his as well, kept updating him on how she was doing. He never really asked for it, but he never stopped Arroganza from doing so either.

Everything went down hill from the moment she told him she was sick. He had been distant at first, and she probably thought her sickness was what made him distant. A part of it was true. He was not an idiot, you would have to be blind to think Luciana was healthy with so many stays at the hospital. His future self married her future self though, so it was something he overcame.

No, what had angered him was her eyes when she told him.

Resignation. There usually was a burning fire he came to love in her ruby eyes, yet when she told him she was sick, that she would die young without telling him what age exactly, he could only see resignation. She was not putting up a fight, she was not telling him she would look for a cure.

She was telling him her case was hopeless and that had hurt him deeply. They were married in the future, almost became parents yet his Luciana was telling him there was no future for them. From that moment, a part of him was telling him she wasn't worth his time. If she wanted to let what her father did to her kill her like a dog, then she could do that and he would move on quickly.

Another part of him was furious at her, even if he doubted he would ever tell her. Speaking about feelings had been a herbivorous thing to him for so long. His mother was killed because of this motherly love.

She had been a herbivore who died like one. He thought so for years until he came to care about this idiot who, in spite of being a carnivore, kept finding herself in life-threatening situations.

He would never be able to tell her that her resignation made him furious because to him, it meant their relationship and him were not worth fighting for. For someone who had been abandoned several times in her life, she had been brutally cruel to imply she would leave him one day because she didn't want to fight.

So, from the moment she told him she was sick, confirming his doubts, he took it upon himself to make sure she'd be safe, even if it meant taking away her freedom. They never restrained each other when it came to this. They knew the other needed space.

But if she was using that to slowly let herself die, then he would take that space away from her. It was no surprise she retaliated by being so pushy with feelings afterwards.

They were both to blame for how things turned out in the end.

When they flew to Italy for her eighteenth birthday, and how infuriating it had been to see how stunning she was and how he was clearly not the only man to notice it, he had wanted to talk to her. Talk and make her go home with him.

Dino kept him from doing so. Mukuro dancing with her and glaring at him, daring him to make a step in their direction had been annoying. It angered him how protective the illusionist could be with Luciana. As if her brothers, Reborn, Alaric and Arroganza were not enough already.

He had left the room and when he was breathing some fresh air, Dino came to talk to him, basically telling him that if his way to get back together with her was to return to their relationship as it was, he would have another thing coming.

Yet, the Cavallone wanted them to get back together, telling him that accepting his sister was grown-up had been difficult enough and that he wasn't sure how much he would handle getting used to another man. However, if they were to get back together, if Hibari were to make a move, then it would have to be as adults and not as teenagers thinking they could deal with everything by themselves. They both had to mature in their own way and in the Italian's eyes, it was too soon.

He watched her from afar all night long, seeing how uncomfortable she was because of the true motive of the party.

All night long he got dark glares from Xanxus, and Squalo.

Hibari clenched his fingers around his pen.

The thought of Luciana being with another man than him was...he couldn't think about it without wanting to bite anyone within a ten-kilometer radius to death. He hadn't had anyone ever since, it was too much of a hassle and he was busy but...He hated knowing that she had let someone else than him kissing her and possibly doing more to her. He hated thinking that her smile or the tender look in her eyes would be for someone else.

Two years and he was still in love with her. It was not 'probably'. He was in love with her, period.

He wondered how she was doing now. Her college year had not ended well from what he was told, and she had contracted tuberculosis somehow and was in a clinic for a few months. Was she alright? She said it was a degenerative condition, how was she now? Probably weaker but keeping it to herself.

Now he understood why Dino always seemed so worried each time she would get in dangerous situation. She could very well disappear in the blink of an eye. Her body could very well stop functioning properly for a second in the middle of fight and it would kill her.

As long as she was staying out of danger it should be fine though.

The moment he took his phone and opened the picture he received from an unknown number, the moment his blood ran cold in his veins, he knew he shouldn't have hoped she would stay out of danger.

How, why she would be in Tokyo, with his father, was a mystery, but it clearly was a way to attract him to Tokyo. When his car was way above the speed limit on the highway, his hands gripping at the steering wheel way too hard, he cursed her and his father.

It worked. Of course it would work and his father knew it. He knew exactly what bait he needed to get him to go to Tokyo.

He would bite her to death after she told him why she even was in Tokyo to begin with.

He had a feeling he wouldn't like the answer.

I was groggy and had a furred tongue, almost as if I had drunk too much. It happened once in college and I wasn't looking forward to repeat the experience. I groaned softly against the pillow and managed to sit up. I blinked lazily and looked around.

I was in a traditional Japanese room, in a comfortable and expensive fuuton. The sun was down already.

"Esperanza-sama." I looked on my right, where a maid was on her knees, a cold and impassible face on. "The Oyabun asked me to lead you to him once you were awake." She bowed her head to me and got up, indicating me to follow her.

I did, still a little woozy from the drug.

"I'm not falling for the same thing twice," I told them coldly as I was back in the room in was poisoned in.

"I am sure," Hide said casually. "Sit."

"Why?" He frowned and glared coldly at me.

"You are in my home Esperanza, I doubt you would want me to report to Guillermo what a handful his daughter was."

"You drugged me," I reminded me, glaring back. He smirked at that.

"It was not meant to kill you, and it should not be long until it pays off." I slightly raised a brow and looked at the door when I heard commotion outside.

Ultimately, two men went through the paper sliding door, unconscious and bleeding heavily.

I widened my eyes when Kyoya walked in, furious and ready for blood. He barely looked at me for a second that he was looking at his father. The latter was smirking at his son, slowly getting up.

"I knew it would work, but as you can see, your dear friend is perfectly fine," Hide told him. "She also came here on her own free will." Kyoya shot me a glare from the corner of his eyes and I almost shrunk under it.

I couldn't help but notice he looked a lot more adult than two years ago.

I bit the inside of my cheek when a voice in the back of my head, a voice I thought I wouldn't hear again, told me he was hotter than before and how it wondered what else could have changed under his clothes.

Now was not the time to have perverted thoughts Luciana.

"What do you want?"

"Apart from telling you we are similar about our taste in foreign women?" I gulped. "Isn't that funny? You are a lot like me, you like the way Japan is traditional but Japanese women can be so dull, it is lot more interesting when there is a challenge and..." Kyoya's tonfa burst into Cloud Flames. "Fine, I guess you do not want to talk about this. I needed you to come here because of your grandmother." It seemed to catch Kyoya off guards.

"What about her?"

"She's not as young as she used to and wants to see her grandson's face before passing away," Hide explained with a sigh. "Trust me, if it were up to me I would have dragged you here by force, beaten and blue because I do not appreciate my son, who threw away his heir position, playing Mafia for foreigners."

Xenophobic much, heh?

You could feel the tension between father and son in the air though.

"I'll see her and then we're off." I blinked in surprise at Kyoya.

"It is a long drive from Namimori, you will spend the night here. I am sure you remember the way to your room." With one last glare, Kyoya turned around to leave the room.

He didn't forget to grab my wrist to drag me as well. He threw me in a room and closed the door behind him. The room was standard but one of a child because of the kids books still in the bookshelf.

It was not a room I ever thought or wanted to be in.

"I thought you were smart," he said in my back. I tensed immediately.

I didn't reply because, to be honest, he was not entirely wrong. I knew my presence here had to have something to do with him. I just didn't think I would see him so quickly.

Kyoya clicked his tongue in my back, grabbed my elbow and turned me around, angry steel-colored eyes looking down at me now he had several centimeters on me.

"What are you doing here?"

"Business," I said quietly, looking away.

"What kind?" I frowned and freed my elbow from his grasp.

"It's none of your business, I'm on a mission," I replied, finally looking at him in the eyes. His glare got darker and he grabbed my arms harshly. "Seriously, I'm not here because I suddenly felt like visiting your father so let go!"

"No." I bared my teeth at him and I struggled in his grasp. His hands would bruise my arms. "Stop that."

"Let go!" Eventually, I tripped and fell, dragging him down with me.

I headbutted him and he let go. I watched him rubbing his forehead in pain and widened my eyes in shock when I remembered that he had been in a fucking coma bec…

"Shit, I forgot, I'm sorr..." He slapped my hand away when I tried to help him and got up with another glare.

Did it become his default look?

"I..."

"Shut up," he told me in his coldest voice. "Stop."

He turned around, his back facing me and I looked sadly at him. I really couldn't say anything, he had every rights to be mad at me.

I thought I'd see him at the Inheritance Ceremony, not...like that, at his father's.

After long, silent minutes, he looked at me above his shoulder. He pointed at my hair.

It was pink.

I shrugged.

"I like experimenting?" He frowned at my face.

I doubted Kyoya was the kind of guy to like girls with blue lipstick.

Nothing matched on me and I didn't really care. I mean, people had always looked at me because I had red eyes and it was not common, might as well give them something to look at and choose what it was. When I told Xanxus that, he seemed to take it personally for some reason. Apparently, wanting to take away unwanted attention from my eyes didn't sit well with him.

I had taken Uncle's habit to wear sunglasses quite often after all.

Kyoya's grandmother was old. She apparently would spend hours in her rocking hair in front of the window, overlooking the property. Her hair was in a tight white bun and she seemed fragile.

When she turned her eyes to her grandson, the same eyes as said grandson and her son, I noticed immediately that she was not just an old lady. I was told just an hour ago she had been the wife of the previous oyabun and would not cower from situations if she had to be involved in them.

"My child, you have finally come back!" she exclaimed, ready to get up. Kyoya kept her from doing so and sat in front of her instead.

I was left standing like an idiot.

"I am sure your town is well protected, you could visit more often."

"For it to be well protected I have to stay in it Obaasan."

"Of course, I just want to see my grandson's face." She looked at me. "Is it this girlfriend of yours you father mentioned?" I exchanged a look with Kyoya, who clearly wanted me to play along.

"Nice to meet you," I mumbled. She frowned at me.

"Speak in a comprehensible manner young lady." Oh boy, I wanted to go home.

"Nice to meet you," I repeated with more insurance. She nodded, happy with me.

"I would have preferred a Japanese girl, unlike that idiot son of mine, who is less..." She looked at me up and down in disdain. "...flashy."

"She's young Obaasan," Kyoya actually defended me. She scoffed.

"I guess it should be okay as long as it is not permanent." Goddammit, I was allowed to choose my appearance! Dino kept me from official parties specifically so that I didn't have to be…forced to follow 'Mafia standards'.

It was one thing Xanxus didn't like that. Hell, I was finding it funny to go to extremes just to piss him off, but he was my older brother, he was allowed to share his opinions as long as he wasn't forcing me to change against my will.

I didn't like that woman.

I had to sit through their conversation, Kyoya's grandmother rambling about how she wanted him to be a good oyabun one day.

She was never told that Kyoya had been disowned. I ignored as I could the remarks she would throw my way every now and then. I had never been more relieved to see Hide and his wife in my entire life than when they arrived.

"Go get your stuff," Kyoya whispered in my ear as we were leaving his grandmother.

"Sure."

I followed him without a word as he walked a path he seemed to know by heart, avoiding any of his father's men.

However, his father seemed to have seen us coming as he was waiting for us, distractedly looking at his katana blade.

"You're not even going to say 'goodbye'?"

"No," Kyoya replied, slowly taking his tonfa. Hide smirked viciously.

"I said I wanted you to come here on your own free will, I never said anything about letting you leave."

They would have jumped at each other's throats, Cloud Flames probably destroying a lot of things around them, if I had not managed to make a Mist barrier between them. The small amount of Flame of Wrath inside was enough to, when it exploded, send them both back.

Although...send Mist Flames so far from me, even if it was like five-meter away, was exhausting.

"That is none of your business Esperanza," Hide told me, pointing his blade toward me.

I walked up to him and put my finger on his blade, forcing him to lower it.

"I am pretty sure you are supposed to let me go once our business are done and I am not leaving without Kyoya in one piece. Now, if you feel like having the entire Italian Mafia and Chinese Triads after you, then feel free to attack any of us. If not, you are to let us go." He glared at me and stepped forward, thinking he would intimidate me.

He did, a little.

"Do you really think you can order me, girl?"

"I don't know, but I am sure the Vindice would love to hear some of your little secrets." He twitched at that.

"What would you tell them?"

"I wonder." We glared at each other before he clicked his tongue and left.

I immediately took my inhaler and sighed in relief once in Kyoya's car.

"Do you have something on him?"

"No, I was bluffing and he was wise enough not to take any risk." I stared at the road and frowned. "Hey, drop me off at the airport by the way."

"No."

"What? I have work to do!" He locked the door. "It's a kidnapping!" He scoffed.

"Call it whatever you want, you're going to Namimori."

"Why!?" I shrieked and he frowned at the volume of my voice. "I don't have anything to do in Namimori!"

"Shut up."

"No! Let me go!"

"I've called the baby." I froze. "He wants to talk with you about why you were in Tokyo." I shot him a dumbstruck look.

"Kyoya...I'm not a Vongola, what I do is none of your business, none of Reborn's, none of any of yours in Japan."

"I don't care." I opened my mouth to reply but gave up.

He wouldn't change his mind and getting angry at him would be a waste of time.

Dang it.

Fratellanza

Thanks for reading this chapter! Leave a review to tell me what you thought about it! Thanks to KEZZ 1 for the review!

Bye!