A.N: Thank you so much for stopping by. I apologize for the long wait but I've been under the weather quite a lot these days T_T I have to thank all my lovely readers who have placed my story in their favourites and alerts 3. Also, Destiny Aitsuji, D C JoKeR H S and Mani-loves-loco, love u guys for your sweet reviews 3 3
WARNINGS: Language and mentions of injury.
Disclaimer: I do not own the familiar characters.
Tsuna bit his bottom lip as he hurried down the corridor. Just when he thought he had everything planned out, the situation took a three-sixty. Their main base at Japan—their secondary powerhouse, had been raided leaving their morale at its most vulnerable. Not to mention the state of Squalo. If Xanxus were to find out, Tsuna didn't want to image the carnage. Of all the days for you to be punctual to the monitoring room, why today Xanxus, dammit! Tsuna gritted his teeth. If only Yamamoto had listen…
THUD!
Tsuna groaned, rubbing his aching bottom that had hit hard on the marble floor.
"Tsunayoshi-kun?"
Tsuna blinked. It was Xanxus! Tsuna blinked again. It wasn't like Xanxus to run recklessly around the corridor and bump into someone, not to mention hard enough to kill. Maybe he already found out…
"Xanxus?" Tsuna enquired with a sense of dread, "Why were you rushing down the corridor? Aren't you the one who usually sticks to stealth policy?"
Xanxus looked puzzled for a second and the suddenly gasped out loud. Tsuna observed him in shock as a hot blush engulfed his tan face and his eyes avert away from Tsuna's. Okaay…he definitely didn't hear the reports yet…but…
Tsuna inched towards Xanxus who was busy drawing sloppy circles on the floor with his foot. What in the world?! Tsuna marvelled.
"Xanxus, I will ask you only once…" Tsuna held his shoulders and forced the flustered Xanxus to face him, "What the hell, cub?"
Tsuna leaned in closer as he heard Xanxus mumble something softly. "What was it again?" Tsuna almost shrilled when Xanxus suddenly pounced onto him and wrapped his arms around him in a rib-crushing hug.
"SHE SAID YES!" Xanxus practically squealed. "I-I asked her on my way to the monitoring room…" The grin on Xanxus' face was one of the biggest Tsuna had ever seen, "And she said yes…she really said yes!"
Forget dignity…Tsuna screamed in terror as he was spun around like a rag doll. "She loves me, Tsu!" Tsu…Xanxus must be drunkenly happy to call him by that name… Tsuna gasped softly when his eyes met a pair of the infamous crimson eyes, glowing like gemstones. They also looked suspiciously moist.
"She…I…We are gonna get married, Tsu…" he heard Xanxus whisper in awe, "She said she loves me, had always loved me…" he seemed to be in some sort of trance, "A-And promised to love me forever…only me…"
Xanxus snapped out of his revere and beamed at Tsuna. "Someone actually loves me! I mean really, really loves me for real, no pretence but real love, Tsu…" His voice sounded heavy and so did Tsuna's soul, "It feels surreal…"
Tsuna cleared his throat and gently held Xanxus' face. "Let me clear a few things first…" he smiled reassuringly at Xanxus, "I love you and will always love you and so will the rest of the Vongola." He felt his heart break at the disbelieving look that crossed Xanxus' face, "We are a family Xanxus, not just by name but by the innate desire to be together and protect each other."
Tsuna lovingly ran a hand through Xanxus' thick mane and pulled him into a tender hug. I guess the report will have to wait…
"Tsu…?"
"Yes?" Tsuna smiled softly.
"You won't abandon me like my dad did, now would you?" Xanxus whispered out, his voice tiny and insecure. Tsuna felt a lump form in his throat.
"No…" Tsuna choked out, "Never…" Tsuna decided then, he was never gonna confess his plans to Xanxus. Ignorance is bliss, cub, ignorance is bliss…
Tsuna smiled sympathetically, feeling grateful for the friends he had gotten over the years all the while observing Gokudera requesting his homeroom teacher's permission to teach Tsuna himself.
"Please! I'll listen to your classes and help you clear out your workplace every day!" Gokudera practically wailed, distressed that the Principal had easily admitted Xanxus not only for the next year as a transfer student but also as a part of the summer class. No way in hell am I letting this blood thirsty psychopath near my sweet, innocent Juudaime!
"Hayato-san, I would appreciate it if you would kindly stop pestering me" Susumu-sensei looked pointedly at him, "You have given me enough misconduct to last a lifetime. No matter how many times you ask, my answer will always be…" his sensei's cold eyes narrowed to slits, "A BIG NO!"
Gokudera's shoulders hunched gloomily. Oh why?! Why did he ever act so cocky in his class?! He all but sobbed. Suddenly, a snort sounded from beside him, making all three glance towards the row of lockers to their left. Gokudera gritted his teeth in frustration as his eyes fell on Xanxus, casually leaning on a locker, trying his best to reign in his amusement. THAT ARROGANT ASSHOLE!
"I fail to see what's so funny here, Daniel-san…" Gokudera gulped when he saw his sourly sensei's attention turn towards Xanxus, "Care to share?" Oh shit! His Susumu-sensei's toast! He glanced towards his Juudaime who looked just as panicked, his wide frightful eyes literally screaming for help.
However, Gokudera all but did a double take when Xanxus turned wide, innocent, 'I-don't-know-what-you-are-talking-about' eyes at his sensei. "Umm…I am sorry sensei…" he muttered out in a low, soft and completely not-Xanxus voice, "I didn't mean to offend you but the complexity of the syllabus you handed me…" here, he lowered his eyes towards the floor, looking for all words, like a kicked puppy, " sort of startled me and made me feel like an ignorant clown…" He mumbled an extra 'sorry' under his breath.
Gokudera and Tsuna all but gaped at him like fools while his sensei's stern face immediately softened. "No need to apologize Daniel-san, I understand if the curriculum seems a bit overwhelming, but that's why the Principal insisted you take the summer class to help you get a head start" he gave Xanxus a soft, reassuring smile.
"But I can clearly see that I am way behind everyone else…" Xanxus groaned dejectedly, "I don't wanna take away too much of your time since the ones in summer class really need your help too"
Where was Xanxus going with this? Tsuna glanced between Xanxus and his sensei, who seemed to be deep in thought. Is he planning to bunk the summer class all-together?
"It would be super cool if…" Tsuna heard Xanxus start, "I had someone help me run through the basics while you help the rest of your studentssss…." Xanxus drawled out coyly. Tsuna blinked when his sensei abruptly turned towards Gokudera.
"Hayato-san, I believe you said you have absolutely nothing to do this summer, am I right?" Gokudera nodded curtly, his heart beating fast, "Then I guess you wouldn't mind tutoring Daniel-san on basic algebra and trigonometry, now would you?
Gokudera resisted the urge to give his sensei a hug. "Not at all, sensei" He smiled, hoping it didn't seem gleeful. He get to be with his Juudaime! Hell yeah!
"That settles it then…" Susumu-sensei straightened up, "I'll talk to the Principal on letting you attend summer class" His sensei looked pained in letting him in. Maybe he could use this opportunity to get into his sensei's good graces for Juudaime's sake.
"Does that calm your mind, Daniel-san?" he heard his sensei speak in the same soft voice again.
"Thank you very much! And…umm…sorry to be a bother" Xanxus politely bowed down.
"Not at all and you are welcome, Daniel-san. I guess I'll be seeing you and Tsunayoshi-san in class then" Susumu-sensei smiled and turned back towards his office, not before throwing a vindictive glance towards Gokudera and shutting the door on his face.
"That went rather well…" Tsuna laughed awkwardly, glancing at a now sober Xanxus.
After what seemed like eons, Xanxus let out a soft sigh and began to walk down the corridor and towards the exit, mumbling a soft 'I am outta here.'
"Wait up, Xanxus?" Tsuna all but ran to catch up, "Hurry up, Gokudera-kun!" When no reply met his statement, Tsuna turned around to see a perplexed looking guardian.
"Ano…Gokudera-kun?" Tsuna walked up to him, concern etching his eyes, "Is something wrong?" Instead, Gokudera called out to Xanxus making him stop halfway on his lazy stroll. An uncomfortable silence settled between them as Gokudera clenched his teeth and Xanxus started to walk again.
"THANK YOU!" Gokudera all but barked. Tsuna smiled indulgingly. It must have pricked every fibre of pride in Gokudera to thank Xanxus. He saw Xanxus giving Gokudera a sidelong glance.
"Tch…you're pathetic" Xanxus began to walk away, "I don't know what you are on but I didn't do it to help your useless-self" Xanxus drawled out, his voice low and gruff. Once near the floor's exit, he completely turned around to address Gokudera. "I couldn't digest the sight of a member of the Vongola Family acting so pitiful" he sneered at them before walking towards the parking lot.
"That bastard…" Gokudera grinded out through gritted teeth, "Does he realize how much guts it took me to do that?"
"Well, look on the bright side, Gokudera-kun" Tsuna smiled softly, patting his arm to calm him down, "We get to spend the vacation together"
Gokudera took a deep breath and finally smiled. I guess I do owe him one… And that's when Xanxus' words struck him hard.
"Juudaime…" Gokudera breathed out in awe.
"Hmm…"
"Did Xanxus just imply that he's accepted us as a part of the Family by accusing as pathetic members of Vongola?" He heard his Juudaime gasp beside him.
"He did…" Tsuna exhaled out in stupor. Having his rigid sensei smile and Xanxus playing the 'innocent-me' card to help them out, Tsuna began to believe that miracles do happen.
Yamamoto had no idea what time it was. He had forgotten his watch in his haste to catch the jet to Japan and the white hospital walls were devoid of clocks. He took a deep breath; reminiscing about those past months where he had walked on a thin wire between life and death, blade and bullets, treachery and pain; yet nothing had ever terrified him as much as hearing the news of his beloved Squalo's battle against a Funeral Wreath. He cursed Byakuran and his ten generations to hell and back. That bastard will pay…
He was pulled out of his dark reverie by a hand on his shoulders. He looked up to see Ryohei looking down solemnly at him. He looked to be in no better shape himself.
"Squalo's stabilized for now"
"How is Squalo doing? May I see—"
"Sure" Ryohei gave him a weak nod, "But there is something you should know…" The door of the ICU opened to let out Dr. Miguel, the head doctor and successor of Dr. Ritsu; Yamamoto shrugged off Ryohei's hand and immediately rushed to him. "Dr. Miguel…" he started.
"Ah, Takeshi…" the good doctor gave him a curt nod, "Squalo's been asking for you ever since waking up" He gave Yamamoto a bittersweet smile. "But as Squalo's partner, I feel it's necessary that you be informed of this first…" he continued with his clipboard.
"Squalo's got multiple fractures, three broken ribs, a slight puncture on the left lung and second degree burns on 35% of the body…" Yamamoto forced himself to swallow down the bile and guilt that engulfed his guts. Oh Squalo…why didn't I take you with me…
"Also…" the doctor glanced at him, a tint of nervousness entering his eyes, "The lumbar spine has received the most damage. I've been looking into Squalo's reflexes and…" A pair of hands grabbed his shoulders in a vice grip, stopping him mid-babble.
"Dr. Miguel…" Yamamoto shook him slightly, "Please, don't stall anymore, I can't take it…What on earth is wrong with Squalo?"
Dr. Miguel took one look into the desperate eyes of Vongola's natural hitmen and pursed his lips at the sorrow he saw in them. He knew first-hand how close Squalo and Yamamoto were. "I am sorry, son…" he regretfully muttered out, "Squalo is paraplegic."
"What…?"
Finally! I was able to sit down and write. God…I feel accomplished!
R&R everyone! Thank you for your time! 3
