Hi guys, I hope everybody has been doing well.
I was was considering splitting it but since I'm on a tight schedule to finish this Arc is 10 chapters, I've crammed three into one chapter. With this one, there would only be four left and man is going to be hurdle. I hope the flow wouldn't be too jarring but anyways, always feel free to share your thoughts.
Also warning for some racy or mature content.
Lambo and I-pin wouldn't stop crying.
Mama was laying on a gurney, asleep but at the noise the kids were making, she should have gotten up, gathered them in her arms and kiss their worries away. But she didn't and it was terrifying, that she wasn't moving. If it hadn't been for the soft rise and fall of her chest, Fuuta would have thought that she was gone. Like his own parents.
At the thought, he held his own tears in. He was the oldest. A big boy. Crying wasn't going to help them. He pulled Lambo to his chest and guided I-pin to his shoulder. He didn't mind if his shirt was going to get soaked with snot and stuff. If Mia-nee and Tsuna-nii were here, they would have done the same.
He remembered how Mia would hold him close when he would wake up with his own nightmare. She would let him sit on her lap with her arms around him, her chin on top of his head. She'd rock him gently, humming some super old English song he was sure was popular before he was born but it sounded nice and it always helped. It was something he missed a lot when he came back to live at the Sawada home.
"It'll be okay you guys," he said as he did the same. "Mama is just asleep. She just hit her head pretty hard earlier. She's gonna sleep for a while so she'll get better."
"But what if Maman doesn't?!" Lambo bawled.
His stomach dropped as he recalled asking a similar question once before. Why aren't Mama and Papa waking up?
No. This was different. Mama was breathing and pink in the cheeks unlike his parents that were cold, white and stiff. His bottom lip trembled at the memory but he squeezed his eyes shut and forced it down. Mia-nee didn't cry when people needed her, he needed to stay strong too.
He exhaled softly. "She will be. Look," he nodded at her. "Mama isn't hurt. She's just sleeping."
Both of them sniffled and looked as well. They calmed down a bit as they let the fact sink in and Fuuta inwardly sighed in relief. I-pin wiped her eyes with her sleeve while Lambo used his shirt. Fuuta made a face at that.
"It'll be okay guys. Want to lie down next to Mama?"
"I-pin wants to!"
"Yeah yeah!"
The jumped off him. With a chuckle, he slid off the couch and followed them. They rolled on the balls of their feet as they waited impatiently for him.
"Okay, okay. Don't move too much alright?" He picked I-pin up first and carefully helped her clamber on, then Lambo. They snuggled on either side of Maman.
"No fighting okay?" He whispered.
"Hai."
He was contemplating on climbing up too when loud angry voices pierced the door, followed by a crash that startled them.
They flinched but Nana Sawada continued on sleeping.
"F-Fuuta..." Lambo whined in a small frightened voice.
"Its okay, its okay." He smiled for them. "Stay here, I'm going to take a look alright? Can I count on you guys to protect Mama?"
At that, Lambo straightened. Even if his face was red from crying, he proudly jabbed his thumb at himself. "You can count on Lambo - I mean me! Because I'm Tsuna-nii's Lightning Guardian gyahahahaha!"
Both I-pin and Fuuta shushed him. "Lambo is too loud! Maman needs rest!" I-pin scolded her friend in a whisper.
"Sorry!"
Shaking his head, Fuuta poked his head out to the hall. He saw Ryohei-nii and Chrome-nee all gathered outside a door down the hall where the voices came from. Were Tsuna-nii and Mia-nee already here too? He quickly stepped out and silently closed the door behind him. Just as he thought of that, their voices joined in. When Mia's voice rose to heights he never heard before, it frightened him, sending him into the room right behind the others before he realized it.
He listened with a heavy heart and cold hands as someone he considered as an older sister run out followed shortly by the others. When all was quiet, he stepped out as silently as a mouse in an empty hall. He looked at the door in front of him that was left ajar. Peeking in, he saw Mia's Papa with his face in his hands, alone. The coffee table near him, broken.
Fuuta wringed his hands as he stood there, wondering if he should go in or not.
You're really okay to have me Mia-nee? I didn't want to be a bother.
We're family Fuuta. Swear, I don't mind.
Family. She said he was family and not the Mafia kind. Family looked out for each other right? Mia-nee had Tsuna-nii and the others so she should be okay but what about her Papa? Who did he have right now? Fuuta edged closer until he was against the door. Mia's Papa looked so sad...
"Who's there?"
Fuuta flailed, knocking the door wide open as he did so. Nicolas squinted at him.
"Fuuta... right?" Fuuta swallowed.
"Y-Yes sir." Sir. Fuuta hadn't called anyone that before, not even the Mafia bosses he met. But with Nicolas it just seemed appropriate.
Nicolas stared at him for a bit before turning away. "What are you doing here boy?"
"W-Would you like some water?" he asked suddenly and before Nicolas could say no - because of course he would - he loudly proclaimed, "I'll go get you some!" And then ran out to do just that.
He was nervous, this wasn't a good idea and Mia's Papa sounded so angry earlier... But he wasn't right now though, right? Mia was family... So her Papa is too and they should be taking care of each other.
But would Nicolas want Fuuta around?
He shook his head as he filled a paper cup with water from a dispenser nearby. It didn't matter. Mia-nee wouldn't want her Papa sad even if they were fighting and Fuuta honestly liked the man. Maman enjoyed talking to him and he never got impatient with her unlike their neighbors. He was kind like Mia-nee, he knew. He just didn't show it. And... If his own Papa was still around, he'd do the same.
Feeling a little bit braver, he went back to the room where Nicolas was.
Since the table was broken, Fuuta approached the man instead. "S-Sir?" He couldn't stop himself from stuttering.
"Thank you." Nicolas plucked the cup from his cold hands and drank it. He didn't bark at Fuuta or anything and it bolstered his courage a bit.
"Are you okay sir?" There was a tired sigh.
"You don't have to worry about it. How's Nana?"
"Mama is asleep. She's okay."
Nicolas finally looked at him and Fuuta wanted to go and hide. He looked at Fuuta the same way Mia-nee did that time when Tsuna-nii hid her special blueberry mochii from her. The silent question that didn't need to be said. Anybody she looked at like that that day just caved in immediately and confessed.
"I heard," he blurted out. Busted. He looked down on his feet.
"You don't seem surprised or scared."
"I grew up in the Mafia," Fuuta confessed.
At that, the lines on Nicolas' forehead deepened. He rubbed a hand against his eyes and chuckled lowly. "Ah god, you've gotta be kidding me."
"Unlike Tsuna-nii, I grew up in it." Fuuta felt he needed to say that. Mia-nee was right, Tsuna-nii didn't asked to be the boss but he was born into it. And for someone like Fuuta, who grew up in with, with a gift most families would kill for, he knew better than most to not have a choice like that.
Her words made him self-conscious about his own choices when he came to Japan. Like how he guilt tripped Tsuna-nii into taking him in or when Mia-nee protected him from Mukuro. They didn't asked to have all that happen to them but they did it, for him.
Nicolas paused, his expression guarded. "How much did you hear Fuuta?" He asked him tightly.
Maybe he shouldn't have said that after all. Fuuta chewed on his lip. "A lot sir... Sorry." Nicolas sighed again.
"I'm sorry you had to hear that," Nicolas murmured. "Thank you for the water Fuuta. You should go back to Nana now." Suddenly tired, he dropped his face in his hands.
But Fuuta didn't move. He hesitated. Then decided to sit beside Nicolas on the couch. "Mia-nee tells me that too when she's sad or upset. If I leave her alone too much she over thinks stuff."
Nicolas didn't stop him or tell him to leave and Fuuta didn't want to look. He kept his eyes trained on his lap.
"Mia-nee sometimes forgets stuff when she's like that. I don't know what to do. She's really stubborn! When she gets like that, I gotta tattle on Tsuna-nii or Hayato-nii but don't tell her that please!" He added quickly.
"I won't," Nicolas promised quietly. "Is it because of... Mafia things?"
That made him look up. "Oh no! Mia-nee's chair - um, I think its Chairwoman? Yeah, Chairwoman of the Disciplinary Committee at their school. So she's always busy with all sorts of stuff lately. Tsuna-nii gets all pouty when he doesn't see her for long."
Blue eyes widened a bit, bolstering him. One thing led to another and stories of their daily lives started spilling out like his rankings. He talked about the games he'd play with everyone, the food Maman or Mia-nee made, the weird couple fights Tsuna-nii and Mia-nee had or the fun games the older teens would get into with Reborn. When he realized he had been going on and on, he quickly shut up and went back to staring at his lap.
Was Nicolas tired of him? A knot formed in his tummy. Oh he always, always, talked too much. Its because of the eyes. He forgot he was talking to her Papa, not Mia herself.
"Is Tsuna really scared of Chihuahuas?"
The question surprised Fuuta, making him giggle. "I didn't know but its gotta be true. There's one living in the neighborhood and where its at, its the fastest way to school but he doesn't go that way."
"I have a feeling that was supposed to be a secret."
The knot loosened and Fuuta felt himself relaxing. "Let's not remind Tsuna-nii, its funnier that way."
The corner of Nicolas' mouth twitched and Fuuta knew how close he was to a smile.
"Do you like living with Tsuna?" Nicolas asked him.
"I do," Fuuta told him with a smile. "But... I love staying with Mia-nee too. She gives out the best hugs - oh don't tell Mama that either!"
Nicolas finally indulged him with a smile and he felt like cheering. "My lips are sealed." His joy quickly faded as Nicolas followed up, "So you stay over sometimes?"
Fuuta nodded carefully. He doesn't think Mia's Papa would be happy to know Fuuta stayed months at a time.
"Mia-nee had nightmares... I did too." And he still did sometimes and when it happened, he missed her a lot. "She just knows what to do and when we're together, its not that scary."
"Why not Tsuna?"
Fuuta chewed on his lip. "Tsuna-nii is really cool. I didn't want to be a big baby over it."
He felt a hand gently pat him on the head, the warmth spreading from the top of his ears and all the way down to the tip of his toes. He lifted his head and felt his heart clench with yearning at the soft expression that graced Nicolas' hardened features.
He knew that look too. Maman never looked at him like that. It was special. Something Tsuna-nii could only have. Did his parents ever look at him like that? He can't remember but he wished someone would. When Nicolas pulled his hand away, Fuuta almost wanted to pull it back and keep it on his head.
He swallowed his feelings instead "When I'm sad or scared, Mia-nee liked to sing this weird song for me." He hummed the tune.
Recognition flashed in Nicolas' eyes.
"Really now?"
"Yeah but she doesn't do it a lot. Gets embarassed about singing but she has a nice voice!"
"Do you know the lyrics?" Nicolas asked him. Fuuta shook his head.
"Mia-nee doesn't always sing it with words."
To his surprise, Nicolas started humming the song too. Fuuta hummed along with him and even if they didn't sound as good as Mia was, they gently bobbed their heads along the tune.
"...holding hands while the walls come tumbling down. When they do I'll be right behind you..." Nicolas sung the line lowly, eyes clouded.
Fuuta wanted to hear the rest but they were interrupted by a knock on the door. Oregano stepped in, brows creasing in worry at the sight of them together.
Nicolas immediately stopped.
"Fuuta, its time to go," Oregano told him. "There's a boat waiting for us outside."
Already? He glanced at Nicolas. The man had taken to staring at the wall again, their talk forgotten. With a frown, he slid off the couch and headed towards Oregano's side.
"Mr. Matteis? You should come and join us."
"No thank you," Nicolas declined quietly. "If Mia isn't already on, then no."
The woman sighed. She laid a hand on Fuuta's shoulder. "Come along now."
Fuuta knew that Nicolas was far more interested at the wall right now than him but he still wanted wish him off. He waved shyly. "See you sir."
To his joy, blue eyes focused on him, the corner of Nicolas' mouth pulling out for a small smile.
Every time she interacted with Ian on something, it felt like she was dealing with the devil. It didn't feel all safe and eighty percent of the time she felt like dying was a real possibility (as if being in the mafia didn't guarantee that enough).
He pulled back, pleased at her response. "That's a good girl. Once you've found the box, I'll collect it from you."
"You... won't be coming with me?"
"God no, you're on your own on this."
Unnease crept in. Was she really going to be okay? She wanted her father to forget, so bad she'd willingly work for the Order but she was going in blind with nothing but fragmented memories. She couldn't remember how to open the door, much less where the entrance to the monastery was.
Also the monster... She squashed that thought immediately. Its just a nightmare. Really, her biggest concern was how was she going to get away from the others? From her Pa? From Tsuna? Oh she was not looking forward to that. Ian, at least, seemed to be enjoying her situation. The bastard.
He clapped his hands, startling her from her thoughts. "Since its been agreed on, I'll see you next week. Ciao love."
"Wait!" she grabbed his jacket before he tossed his coin. "I wouldn't know where to start!"
"I'm just the messenger!" Ian tried to pry her hands off. They struggled for a bit and Mia was thinking of holding him down by his middle when there was a soft trill, a scolding note, and bundle of feathers. A large bird swooped in out of nowhere then, smacking Ian in the face with its wings before landing on a nearby crate. A similar falcon to the one that helped her out before with the Varia stared at them. A merlin right?
"Oh come on," he groaned when he saw it. It held a scroll like hers in its claws. Muttering, he took it without fear of its sharp claws and talon. The wax immediately burned off in a quick flash of indigo at his touch. He quickly opened and read it. He grunted, extremely irritated.
"What is it?" She couldn't help but ask.
He glared at her. "Never you mind," he snapped at her. "I'm still not coming with you. I've got my own orders now - bloody brilliant."
"At least give me something to work with," she insisted. "You told me once there were traps."
Checking his watch, he sighed. "Fine, fine. Yes, they're rigged. I don't know what sort of traps are in this but if it causes another earthquake, like before, this time it'll probably collapse in itself."
Her heart plummeted. "Just what kind of trap is that? Its a vault right?" Its gotta be filled with all sorts of treasures and priceless artifacts... Right? And just like that they're fine with losing all that? Didn't he say it was one of the oldest in Europe?
Ian leveled her with a knowing stare. "Not everything needs to be brought to the light. Some things are better off forgotten. Remember that." He yanked his jacket from her hands.
"But this one thing should be?" She followed up. "How do I know what it looks like?"
"You'll know it when you see it." Flashes of a lone small box held down by chains. Her hands went cold. Maybe he was just messing with her? He couldn't possibly know what it looked like. "How can you tell?"
He didn't reply. He was looking over her shoulder, eyes narrowing. "Its time I go. Your friends are here to collect you."
"Wait - " He clapped his hands again, startling her and then vanished with the merlin just before she could ask what the thing looked like. Sound filtered in and two gentle hands held her shoulders from behind while her hand remained outstretched. She curled her fingers into a fist and held it to her side.
"Mia-san?" Chrome circled around and gingerly touched her forehead. "You're pale. You should sit down. Are you doing okay?"
She was far from okay. At this point she just wanted the ground to swallow her up whole. As if this day couldn't get any - stop. Don't you dare finish that, her brain warned. She held back a sigh. Chrome was still looking at her like she was about to keel over. Maybe she was, she wanted to after what happened. Shame burned her cheeks. God, she lost herself not once but twice and blew up on her father in front of her friends too.
"I-I'm okay... I think."
"My Lady!" Another voice joined them and she was passed over to another pair of hands. Hayato held her by the shoulders, worry painted in every line of his face. Had she always made people look at her that way? Her gut twisted. At this point people might lose years over her.
His grip was firm and for a while, he struggled on what to say.
"I'm sorry," she blurted out first. "For worrying you guys... What happened earlier..."
He shook his head. "No... You don't need to apologize." He squeezed her gently, comfortingly. "I - we get that it wasn't easy for you."
"You're not mad at Pa?" For the things he said about Tsuna? Was the whole question. Hayato opened his mouth, looking like he was about to say no but stopped himself. Second to her, he was the most protective of Tsuna and probably more vocal about it. She braced herself for the insults, the curses but they never came.
"Nicolas was out of line... But he was just worried for you and..." He sighed and dropped his hands, stuffing them in his pockets. "He's always been kind but strict. He never told me off for smoking - "
He clamped his mouth shut.
"Wait, you what - "
He coughed loudly over her question. "A-Anyways, he didn't judge. I'm... A bit mad he said those things that the Tenth would never do but I get where he's coming from my Lady. I get it."
She pursed her lips, deciding not to push on his slip up. At least he wasn't bent on attacking her Pa like he would with other people. Although they were on good terms before this. Before. Her shoulders drooped at the thought.
"Thanks guys, for checking on me but I'd like to be alone for now." She pulled Tsuna's jacket around her, hoping she could just disappear in it. "I want to think." She didn't have the strength to face her father again. She knew she had to apologize sooner or later but when she remembers bringing up Mama... She hadn't meant to but it slipped and to see the grief she had been working so hard not to bring up again, crashing down on her father's face... It felt like she was at the funeral again, when it was just her and Pa left or when he... Stop.
The two looked at her, unsure. "Please," she pleaded softly. "I won't go anywhere, just here."
Chrome pulled her into a hug, surprising her. "Okay," the younger girl said. "I'll stay close just in case... Boss would want you safe. You can come back in when you're ready."
She smiled a bit for the girl. Hayato was more reluctant to leave. She smiled apologetically at her friend. Hayato had always indulged her, no matter how unreasonable she got at times but among the others, he also understood her need for privacy best.
"Yeah... What Chrome said," he muttered, giving in. "But... If ever my Lady... You... Well - um..." He blushed.
Some warmth crept back into her smile. "If I wanna talk, promise I'll come to you guys," she promised and he nodded, still pink. Together, both guardians left her alone as she sorted her thoughts and feelings.
When Reborn arrived, dragging Skull behind him wrapped in green ropes, he found both students in a very tedious situation. A worst-case scenario, depending on how you looked at it. Oregano and Basil didn't waste time filling him in. Mia had hidden herself in the storage area and Tsuna had gone to watch over his mother in the temporary infirmary set up in one of the other offices. He headed there first, knowing that the other would come out when she was ready.
He didn't have a good feeling about any of these. The attacks kept coming and despite the Vongola's and CEDEF's efforts, the enemy were still in sight. What was Iemitsu thinking? There were also Mia's nightmares and her flames and now this? Something wasn't adding up in this clusterfuck. What Skull said before just confirmed his suspicions. There was a spy in their midst and it was starting to get on his nerves. Technically, he wasn't allowed to interfere with his student's battles but he wasn't prohibited from picking up his gun and resuming his role as a hitman either - assuming of course that the brats won't get themselves killed out of his watch.
"S-Senpai, maybe you don't need me around?" Skull pleaded with him.
"When I'm done with you, you'll know."
"That doesn't sound ominous at all!" The Arcobaleno squeaked and continued to struggle against Leon.
Reborn let him try. As if he would be able to get through. He left Skull in Basil's hands before heading to the infirmary. Tsuna sat next to Maman's bedside in silence, looking more tired than he ever did during training. He was scratched a bit but overall unharmed. He had his hands clasped together, pressed against his mouth in deep thought. One would have thought he was praying but Reborn knew that look. He was probably worrying about something pointless.
On the gurney beside him laid Nana Sawada, asleep. Cuddled up to her sides sleeping as well were Lambo and I-pin, their eyes and noses pink from crying. Fuuta was nowhere to be seen but Reborn wasn't worried, the boy wouldn't stray far.
When the fight broke out, there wasn't time to interrogate Skull so he lassoed him to his side to finish the job later. At that point, his students split on opposite sides of the square, separated by chaos.
A rare emotion surfaced, and he clicked his tongue. When he told Tsuna that the Vongola was going to handle it, he meant it. But at this point, it seemed that the fight was coming to them whether they liked it or not.
It left a sour taste in his mouth. He had gotten complacent, relying on CEDEF to take care of any pursuers. That was his first and last mistake. He was already close to his first target when the grunt had taken a clean shot in between the eyes. One bullet after another, the gunfire began to dwindle until there was nothing but silence.
He knew Lal was nearby but she wasn't that precise of a shooter. He peered up from his place near an arch and caught a flash of gold from the roof. It seemed his student had keener eyes than he thought.
Reborn didn't show himself when they decided to rendevous with Iemitsu nor did he follow them. He remained, hunting the rats to make sure they weren't followed.
He had picked up the guns that Lal's targets dropped, dragged a terrified Skull in tow, and located their hideout in a barren apartment nearby where he then proceeded to wipe them out. It had been a while since his last hitman assignment and he can't say he missed leaving streams of blood in his wake.
There wasn't anything amusing either from taking out the trash but at least he had the satisfaction of walking out with his suit still clean and crisp.
Tsuna finally noticed him, blinking. "Reborn, where have you been?" He asked.
Reborn glanced at the couch nearby. Takeshi and Ryohei both were conked out, the previous events from the last few days finally catching up to them. Bianchi was nowhere to be seen. He assumed the others were with Mia and Hibari... Probably nearby.
"I was making sure none of you were being followed." He ended at that and Tsuna's frown deepened.
"Did you - "
"I'm a hitman Tsuna," he reminded him.
He was obviously bothered but he didn't bring it up anymore. He shouldn't be surprised, Reborn thought with a sigh. Moving on. "I heard what happened with Nicolas."
Tsuna rubbed his forehead. "Reborn...I don't want to be the reason they're fighting but I just don't know what to do." He sighed, hands coming down to cover his face. He sighed deeply. "I hadn't realized how much Mia felt about... All this." He gestured in the air.
He did. Mia often masked the true depths of her feelings well around everyone, including him. It didn't surprise him the least that she snapped either.
And, if his kid was anything to go by, Nicolas finding out was bound to happen too. This may not have been the ideal circumstances but it was workable.
Fortunately, Mia felt very strongly for her friends and had deeply cemented a place for herself within the Tenth Generation. So he wasn't too worried with her leaving. However... As he looked at the face of his student, still round and young, barely at the cusp of manhood, he wondered which would be stronger: Mia's love for her father or Tsuna? Hard to say. He knew his students wouldn't think twice of sacrificing for the other, idiots of the same pod the two of them, but Mia had already lost a parent. She wouldn't want to lose another and she's proven before she would put her father above Tsuna if needed. Ah drama.
"Convince him," Reborn advised the boy. "Show him your dying will."
Tsuna stared blankly at him. "Please don't tell me to get naked."
"Why not?" He replied with a teasing smirk.
"Reborn!" Tsuna hissed. "I'm being serious here!"
And he was too. "If I have to shoot you with a Dying Will bullet, I will." He jumped on Tsuna's lap and looked up at his scowling student. "Unless you're okay with things ending?"
Tsuna's jaw clenched. "Of course not," he said lowly so he wouldn't wake the others. "But come on, my dying will?"
"Have you forgotten the effects of the dying will bullet?"
Asides from stripping down to your boxers? He watched as Tsuna ran a frustrated hand through his hair and waited for his student to get it. At first he was annoyed, but the irritation slowly faded.
"You want me to... Convince Nicolas, prove to him..."
Finally. A bit slow for his liking but it'll do. "Prove to him, to the best of your ability with no regrets." Or die trying, he added silently. It didn't matter how, just so he does. It was a bit extreme even for his standards and he'd rather it wouldn't come to that but he didn't go through all that trouble of setting them up only to have them break up.
"Why couldn't you have told me that sooner?" Tsuna muttered. Reborn grounded his heel on Tsuna's leg. The boy bit down a yelp.
"I won't always be around to tell you what to do Dame-Tsuna," Reborn warned. "Some things you have to figure out yourself. Besides, it would seem Nicolas isn't a man that wouldn't listen to reason."
Tsuna nodded, still rubbing the smart.
"You should talk with Mia."
Tsuna's eyes softened. "Okay," he said and stood up. Reborn hopped off.
"Are we to wait for Maman to wake up?" He asked.
Tsuna shook his head. "Dad said they're going to move mom and the kids out first. A boat is gonna come by I think."
Something wasn't right here. The whole point of bringing the Tenth Generation to Italy was to protect them. Tsuna was a priority. The Vongola had enough resources and manpower to safely carry them from the port to another safe house or to a larger ship. There was no need for second trips.
"Ne Reborn." The hitman was pulled from his thoughts. Tsuna shifted on his feet. "You think that the other Famiglia already found out about me?"
"They haven't," he assured him. They didn't yet, according to the lackey he interrogated before finishing him off. Tsuna didn't ask how he knew. Good, he was learning.
He paused at the door. "Is... Is it really necessary?" He asked quietly. Or maybe not.
"Tsuna..." He warned the boy.
"I'm going!" Tsuna ducked out of the room before he smacked him. Reborn shook his head. You think after everything he would learn that it wasn't that simple. The risk of letting them go was too great. The sooner he understood that, the better.
Tsuna found Chrome and Hayato first. They stood guard over the door to storage.
"Tenth," Hayato greeted him tiredly, though not physically.
"Hi guys, how is she?"
Hayato rubbed his neck. "She wasn't crying or anything..." That's good, Tsuna thought. "But... Tenth, the lady seemed very... Unstable. Emotionally wise I mean," he hurriedly added at the look on his face. Maybe it wasn't the most eloquent way of putting it, but his friend was being honest. Still, that sounded off to him. Kind of like a calm before the storm.
He turned to his Mist then for her input.
Chrome sighed softly. "I'm worried boss. If her emotions are really linked to her flames... I'm hoping she doesn't lose control." He didn't talk about it with them but from the look on Hayato's face, he knew and the maybe the rest too. Probably heard it from Chrome.
"Mia was half-asleep when it happened," he assured her. "What happened earlier - its the first time I've seen her snap like that but she didn't lose control right? It'll be okay. Mia had always been able to keep a cool head when it matters. I'll be around too to make sure it won't get out of hand again."
Chrome placed a hand against her chest and sighed. "Thank you boss."
"Tsuna, please Chrome."
She smiled a bit. "Because we're friends?" She said, sounding like she was echoing someone from a memory.
His lips twitched into a smile. "Yeah."
"That's... Going to take a while."
Hayato muttered something about propriety. Tsuna turned back to his storm, eyebrows raised. "And how many time have I asked you Hayato, to call me Tsuna?"
The bomber blushed. "S-sorry Tenth - I-I mean T-T-Tsuna," he stuttered out, while at the same time looking pained.
"Take your time," he replied.
"Would you like us to come with you Boss?" Chrome offered. "Sorry, I-I'll do my best to be... Less formal."
He waved them off. "Thank you guys, but I'll be okay. I'm just gonna talk with her."
"Good luck Tenth."
"Take care."
Tsuna sweat dropped as he closed the door behind him. Why did they sound like he was facing off with a dragon? Maybe he was, he thought as he looked for his girlfriend. Mia could be really scary when she was angry but that wasn't the case right now. He hadn't been able to get it out of his head. The way her voice cracked, when her frustration burst like a dam as he held her in his arms...
He had wanted to tell her to stop, that it was okay, and Nicolas had every right to be mad at him because he was a coward who couldn't stomach the idea of dealing with it alone, but the words never came out - drowned out by an emotion that took root in his throat.
Every time. Every single time.
Whenever she would stand up for him, it weakened his resolve to keep her away. From harm. From him. The temptation to keep her near, to feel her warmth and her smile had warred fiercely with his long-buried guilt that Nicolas dragged up it stopped him from following her like his first instinct would have been. Out of respect for Nicolas he didn't, at least, not until he quelled his feelings.
Talking with his tutor had really helped and he was thankful to the hitman, even if he was a bit unsettled at what he had been doing a few hours earlier. Reborn said he was a hitman after all... wasn't it funny? A hitman giving love advice? If Reborn was around he'd get smacked in the head but the hitman was spot on.
Giving Mia up wasn't an option, not anymore.
Mia was knee-deep in this as he was. Had landed herself a place where normal is nothing but a dream for them now and even had a separate organization to worry about damn it Mia...
Protecting her was all he could do and well... he didn't think he could live without her hugs and kisses. The longer he thought about it, the more his fingers itched, longing to hold her but then what? What should he say then?
As he rounded a corner, he found her at the end of a long row of shelves, pacing back in forth in the short space between them, looking as frazzled as she would have been in the Disciplinary Committee's office after a long and stressful school day. She drummed her lips with her fingers and her forehead wrinkled. She hadn't noticed him yet.
At the familiar sight, he felt his worries, his doubts and his guilt fade away, overtaken by the scorching need to get close. He set towards her in a hurried march. She heard him coming and looked up. She was a mess of nerves but she was so pretty...
"Tsuna -" she started, an apology from the sounds of it but he didn't let her finish as he rushed forward and captured her lips in a deep kiss.
She squeaked in surprise as they stumbled back against a wall but it dwindled into a soft mewl as he made it down her jaw to the curve of her shoulder, suckling and licking like he'd been wanting to since he saw her in that damn dress. Hands firmly against her back and waist, it took him just about everything to not go any lower than her collarbone. She clutched his shoulders tightly, completely taken in by his mood, and fought hard not to let out a sound. Whatever she couldn't control, he devoured it before it even left her lips, taking straight from her tongue and leaving her knees trembling.
What was he doing? Talk his ass, he had her pinned against the goddamn wall! Talk? Yeah, that's right.
What was he supposed to say again? She moaned softly in his ear and the the words disappeared.
"T-Tsuna... Ahh... W-what's going on?"
He was thanking her the best way he knew how. He poured as much as he could into his kiss until she was breathless. Foreheads touching and chest heaving, he looked into her eyes, pleased that he had rendered her completely dazed. Focus, a voice that suspiciously sounded like Reborn said. He hadn't meant to take it this far but he saw her and he just couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Tsuna?" She murmured as her hands slid down to the collar of his shirt, where the ring Lancia gave him and his Vongola ring hung together.
He pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. Okay, maybe he could indulge himself a little more, he thought. "Thank you," he finally said. His voice low and thick from all these feelings still swirling inside him like a tornado.
She swallowed, completely pink. "For what?"
Where should he start? For believing in him? For sticking by his side no matter how dangerous it got? For being extremely hot whenever she stood up for him? The list could go on and on but he settled for one thing instead. "For being you."
"Uh... You're welcome?" She said, completely perplexed and pink.
He had slightly grown taller over the last few months, and while the difference between them wasn't all that big, she had to tilt her head a bit to meet his eyes nowadays. Yet, she always maintained a presence bigger than her size. As he looked down on her however, hair in complete disarray and his jacket hanging loosely from her shoulders, she felt small. Vulnerable. He didn't know if he wanted to protect her or eat her. FOCUS.
"Thank you," he told her again with great restraint. "For what you said to your dad."
"Oh," she breathed softly. "I like this but I don't think I can do that again."
He chuckled and kissed her cheek. "You won't need to."
If possible, she flushed darker. It wasn't often that he could tease her like this but when he did, he relished in it. Get your head out of it, a sharp reminder from his inner Reborn. Right. Talk.
"How are you?" He asked her.
"Turned on," she immediately replied.
He chuckled nervously at that. He really wasn't making this easy for himself. Taking a deep breath, he recalled Nicolas' lessons a few days ago and the mortification alone from that memory helped him clear his head, sobering him up in record time. Now was really not a good time.
"But before?" He pressed carefully.
Her expression rapidly shifted to his concern. "That bad?"
She blinked, her eyes dropping to her hands as she fiddled with the hem of his collar. "I've never done that before Tsuna... Does Pa... Do you think he hates me now?"
"Of course he doesn't," he automatically replied. He couldn't imagine Nicolas would do that, not when he remembered how the man looked after she ran out.
"What are you so scared of Mia?" He asked her quietly, brushing her cheek with his thumb. Now that they were alone, he could ask her that. Her eyes slide to the side, avoiding his gaze entirely.
"Why shouldn't I be scared?" she asked him back.
"You know what I meant. Even with the Varia you weren't like this - freaking out isn't like you. If anything, it should be me."
At his gentle prodding, she finally gave in. "I want my Pa to be happy. But I can't... I can't go back to that." She dropped her head on his shoulder. "I like living in Namimori - I have friends, a Family, you. People who see me for me. Sometimes when he looks at me, he doesn't even see me." It all came out in a pained rush.
This was giving him more questions than answers. "Who does he see?"
"Mama." She lifted her head, exposing her pain with such clarity he unconsciously stepped back when she leaned in. "And you know what? I don't even remember what she looks like anymore Tsuna. I don't even have a picture of her! I can't remember what color her eyes were or-or what her voice sounded like but Nonnino tells me I look just. Like. Her."
"And Pa can't stand to look at me for long without seeing Mama." She confessed with so much bitterness, he was surprised. "Every time...He doesn't keep pictures, we don't talk about her a-and -" She stopped and pulled away from him. Turning her back to him, she wrapped her arms around herself. "Its like half the time he forgets he has a daughter. When having me around gets too much... Can't go to work to forget... he drinks."
"Hey..." He touched her shoulders and she slowly faced him. This was sounding too familiar with him and it ached that it was reflected in her blue eyes.
"Pa... He's not easy when he's like that," she murmured. Blue dimmed. "Sometimes... Sometimes I think maybe things would have been better if I - "
What the hell.
She shut her mouth, realizing what she was about to say just as he did. She tried to get away, but he managed to hold on to her wrists as ice slid down his spine.
His stomach lurched. He did not like where she was going with that. "Don't even think like that," he hissed, his grip tightening as if he could keep her there, with him, rather than let her drift down that road.
Her face fell. "Mia you know he doesn't really think like that," he pleaded with her.
With a sigh, she gently pried his hands off. She chuckled but it was empty of humor. "I kinda liked the mood earlier when you had me against the wall."
He wasn't going to fall for her attempt to change the subject. "Mia." He held her hands in his.
"Sorry," she murmured. "I love Pa but I'm happy here. With you. Everyone. I want to stay."
His heart swelled with affection at that and resisted to gather her in his arms and squish her. "You don't have to be sorry. If anything, I should be sorry for making it harder for you already." Before she could protest, he went ahead saying, "But you're probably not gonna let me apologize so let's not."
She thumped him lightly on the shoulder. "Damn straight I wouldn't let you. I chose this and even if we weren't dating, you're still my best friend. I'd still be with you in this."
Unlike him, there was no doubt in her eyes, no hesitation. He'd always admired that about her. His smile widened. "Same," he simply replied. "We'll figure this out."
"And the assassins?"
"Doesn't matter."
She frowned disapprovingly at him. "Tsuna, this is your life that we're talking about right now!"
"Is it so wrong to make you a priority?" he swiftly argued back.
She blinked, caught off guard and it hurt him that she thought that low of herself. Before she could say anything, probably to assure him that he didn't need to worry about her, he followed up with, "I know its hard, but the Varia could come after us again and you'd still be my priority."
"That's not funny," she muttered.
"I'm serious," he said. "As long you're happy, I'm happy."
Her eyes glistened. "You're so corny," she told him, an echo of a similar conversation they had years ago, but the jibe was weaker and her voice was thick. She didn't argue any further.
"It'll be okay," he told her firmly.
"How can you be so sure?" she asked him with a sigh of defeat.
He lifted her hand up and kissed the back of it, eyes never leaving hers. "We just stay like this," he murmured. "Together... and maybe because my Intuition says so." He added as an afterthought. She snorted but he was glad some humor made its way into the conversation. It was small but he considered it a win. "Maybe Nicolas can still be talked with."
She looked down on her feet, her smile fading. "Thank you Tsuna but I don't know about that..."
"He's your father. He still cares."
"I know he does." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "But..." She shook her head and rolled her shoulders back. A determined glint appearing in her eyes. "Alright, lets give it a go. Wouldn't hurt right?"
There was something in her expression, that made him doubt her. It wasn't just her earlier confession. She was giving in to this too easily, almost as if she was expecting Nicolas to say no and was just humoring him.
"Are you planning something?" He asked her.
Her expression didn't change but her breathing faltered. If he hadn't been holding her so close he would have missed it. "I'm just...I'm nervous."
He frowned sternly. "Mia..."
"You won't like it," she confessed. "Just... Trust me on this?"
Hell no. It wasn't that he didn't trust her but he knew her. If she said he wouldn't like it then most likely she was going to keep him out of it. Frustration bubbled in him but he didn't let it show. In a flash of wicked inspiration, he leaned down on her, making her step back until she was against the wall. He didn't know what she had planned this time but he'd be damned to let her out of his sight again.
"T-Tsuna...?" Suddenly finding herself trapped, her eyes grew wide.
"I trust you," he told her. "But I bet you're planning on going off without me again right?"
Her eyes darted left to right. Looking for a way to escape maybe but no chance. He planted both hands on either side of her. "This really isn't fair!" She blurted out, dodging his question.
His eyes narrowed. "Fair like the time you ran to Tokyo without saying anything?" She flinched. Low blow he knew. He didn't mean to make it sound so accusing, but it was still a sore spot for him and it just slipped out. He sighed and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"I'm sorry. Its just things are different now - whatever you're planning, I'll help you. So..." He went back to interrogating her and traced his lips over her skin. "What." Temple. "Are." Jaw. "You." Cheek. "Planning?" He brushed his mouth over hers. She shivered in his arms.
"This is so not fair," she whined again.
"And you're stuck with me until you talk. Now fess up." He peppered her jaw with light kisses and felt her pulse spike.
"You're gonna hate it..." She said weakly.
His hand went to her waist, slowly running up her curve, stopping just below her breast. He rubbed lazy circles over her dress with his thumb, squeezing and kneading while keeping himself in check as he let warmth build between them. It wasn't easy, playing this dangerous game, but he wasn't going to break first. She gripped his shirt when he nibbled her ear.
"You really wouldn't want to kno - ohhh."
She craned her head back when he reached the hollow of her neck where her sweet spot was.
"Try me," he muttered against her skin.
Then she uttered a three letter word that completely ruined it.
"Ian." He froze. Nothing could have killed the mood faster than that. Of all the guys she knew, did it have to be that asshole's name that came out of her mouth? He pulled back and stared at her in disbelief. She grimaced. Even Mukuro would have sounded better!
"Told you," she muttered at his souring expression.
His lips pressed into a thin line. He hadn't seen the fox since the clearing all those months ago. Probably chose to stay out of his sight. Wise on his part. But he never forgot the way the stupid fox impersonated her... it still made his blood boil until now. Especially when he recalled how goddamn detailed his illusion was, down to the last curve. He often had to let out steam on a boulder whenever he remembered it but what did the fox have to do with anything though?
"I - you know what, you can tell me about it later," he said shortly. One thing at a time. He watched as her brows pinched together in confusion.
"You're not mad?"
Oh, he was mad. Or annoyed. Whatever. "No," he lied. "I'm just not done with you yet."
"Hey," she protested. "I already gave upmmmff - " He closed the gap between them, not wanting to hear anything more, preferring to forget for the time being. Since he had been a bit rough earlier, he started it slow, but it seemed she didn't appreciate it this time, especially after the torture he just put her through. Her arms came to circle his neck and she pulled him flush against her.
Her soft chest brushed against his and the warmth burst into a blazing inferno that travelled from his spine down to his lower half. He felt her hands, they stroked his chest, his shoulders before winding to his hair, tugging and pulling. A low groan escaped the back of his throat that she returned fervently.
He was soaring, way past cloud nine and when her nails dragged across his back demanding he deepened it, he plummeted several thousand feet, her breaths like rushing air to his ears. Before he knew it, the jacket she had been wearing was on the ground and one of the straps of her dress and bra had slipped off, baring her shoulder to him. If Mia was trying to get back at him for earlier, it was working and then some.
She grasped his hand that stayed firmly on her waist and slowly guided it upwards. His breath hitched as he felt her fill his palm...
"SAWADA!" Onii-san's voice echoed throughout the warehouse.
He roughly broke the kiss, choosing to slam his head against the wall beside her to stop himself from growling. Whyyyy?
Mia let out a weak laugh. He turned his head to her, sulking. She squeezed his hand, still on her breast and kissed his nose. "Next time gatton."
Unwillingly, he peeled back, his hand empty and his pants uncomfortably tight.
"SAWADAAAA ARE YOU HEEEEREEE?"
"Coming! Wait for us back inside!" He hollered back and picked his jacket up with effort. He dusted it while Mia adjusted her dress.
"YOU HEARD THAT TURF-HEAD? GET BACK IN HERE!" Hayato's voice joined in. They listened to them scuffle a bit before a door slammed closed.
"Astounding timing," she commented.
"Couldn't he have waited for five more minutes?" He complained as she took his jacket from him. He ruefully watched her slip it on, already missing her shoulders.
She chuckled. "I don't know... Its about time we headed back."
He sighed. He had to agree. As much as he wanted to, there were things they had to do. Glancing at her even more disheveled and flushed form, he grinned.
She noticed his smug grin and lightly shoved him. "Yeah, yeah, pat yourself on the back."
He grunted when he moved, feeling uncomfortable in his jeans. That's what you get for being a cocky brat, he told himself with a grimace. Mia frowned when he didn't chime back. "Are you okay Tsuna?"
He coughed as heat climbed to his ears. "I'm okay. You go on ahead. I just need a minute."
"I thought you said together?"
"That is not what we talked about. Just a minute please," he begged her. Her blue eyes searched him up and down before they widened. Her mouth dropped into a little 'o'. She covered it with her hand.
"Oh... Um... Sorry?" She offered him with a small, unsure giggle. "Does it hurt?"
"Can we please stop talking about this?" He muttered, completely embarrassed at being caught. This wasn't the first time it happened and it probably wasn't that obvious, considering he was wearing jeans but it was still embarrassing that she realized it.
"Did I...?"
He cleared his throat. "You don't need to know."
Curiosity sparked in her eyes. "What do you do to make it go away?"
Nuh-uh. Nope. Not going there. But knowing her, she'd keep asking. "I think of something... Off." He told her. Like Reborn threatening to shoot him, seeing Onii-san in his speedos or Adult Lambo performing a hula dance half-naked. He had a long list to pick from and most of the time, it worked. Just not as fast as he wanted to.
"Oh, okay." She fell quiet at that and he sighed in relief. As they headed back, she spoke up, "Ian."
What the -
Exasperated, he looked back at her. "Can we not mention him?"
"Did it help?" She bit her lip, fighting a smile.
"All it did was raise my blood pressure," he muttered, not wanting to admit that the fox's name could kill a boner. His intense dislike for the fox easily overshadowed anything.
"Thank you Tsuna." He paused as he was about to push open the door.
"Thank you too," he looked over his shoulder with a smile and he didn't mean for the treat. He was honestly grateful. He then opened the door, what greeted them was a familiar sight of Hayato and Onii-san locked in a shouting match. Looking at them, he couldn't help but feel how domestic it was. How normal it was. As Mia came to stand beside him, it may be that she was thinking the same.
It was a petty argument, nothing that serious but it wouldn't do to let it go on and it was either Takeshi or his job to break them up.
"Onii-san, did you need me for something?" He interrupted them. Last he saw, the boxer decided to take a nap. Between everything going on since they landed, they really hadn't had much sleep.
"Sawada!" The boxer rounded on him. "Some Vongola guys just came round and took your mom and kids out. They'll be back in half an hour for the rest of us."
That was fast. "Oh, thanks onii -"
"Also!" The boxer boomed. "Master Pao Pao will be accompanying them so you don't have to worry!"
Master who?
"Thanks senpai," Mia thanked him for Tsuna. He glanced at her in confusion and she mouthed, Reborn. Right, one of his tutor's infamous aliases.
"Yeah, that's... Nice of him to do." But at least he'll know his mom and the others will be okay.
"Boss... Are you two okay?" Chrome approached them. "You've been there for a while." Her single eye flickered between the two of them.
"We're okay." He assured her. "We talked it through."
"Talk huh," Mia muttered from beside him.
"Yes. Talk." He cleared his throat, hoping to suppress the blush. Thankfully, none of them picked upon it. "Onii-san, did Nicolas-san go with them?"
Several pairs of eyes turned to Mia. She stared back at them, as if daring them to call her out. "Uh... No." Onii-san answered. "He didn't want to go. Nobody wanted to force him either."
"I see," Mia murmured. "Thanks senpai. I'm gonna go and apologize to him."
"Matteis, wait." The boxer caught her by the arm. "You sure you're okay?" He asked her, grey eyes worried. "You were extremely sad."
"I'm okay. Extremely." She squeezed his hand and smiled at him.
"Its not extremely easy, with parents, but if things comes down, you've still got us." Onii-san sincerely told her and ruffled her hair. Mia stared at him, stunned. Realizing what he did, he rubbed his neck and let out a loud laugh.
"Sorry. You've always been extremely mature. When you started crying you reminded me of Kyoko."
"I did not cry!" She denied immediately with a small laugh of her own. She pushed him lightly. "And thank you but I'm really okay now. Really." She told all of them.
"You're going to talk with him now my Lady?" Hayato asked.
She nodded. "Better sooner than later right?"
Tsuna patted his Guardian's shoulders as he passed them by. "Guys, if she's says she's okay then let's trust her."
Onii-san rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That must have been an extremely effective talk. You gotta teach me that Sawada!"
This time he couldn't stop the heat spreading like wildfire across his face. "I - uh..."
Mia hid her giggle behind her hand. "I don't know senpai - it doesn't work with everyone." Only Hayato seemed to have gotten it as he turned pink.
"Okay!" Tsuna said loudly. "Let's go Mia." He steered her away before things got really awkward.
"Y-Yes boss. We'll go wait for you with the baseball-freak," Hayato said, coughing into his hand to dispel any weirdness.
They proceeded to look for Nicolas, checking on some of the rooms along the way although Tsuna was sure the man hadn't left his place at the couch and that they were just procrastinating but he didn't comment on that. After each door however, Mia progressively fell back into her nerves. Finally, they stood at the last door.
Tsuna turned to his girlfriend. "Mia, before we go in you have to promise me that you will try. He still might listen."
"Key word is 'might'."
"Mia..."
"Okay, okay," she relented. "I promise I'll try."
He breathed heavily through his nose, gathering specks of his courage and without knocking, went inside.
Just as he thought Nicolas stayed the same as when they left him. The man was hunched over his knees, in his hand he held his cracked glasses and was staring listlessly at the broken coffee table. On the floor beside his feet was a paper cup. He didn't seem to have heard them.
He glanced as his girlfriend. Mia was as still as a statue. Tsuna gently nudged her and she mechanically walked in, her movement so stiff he was worried she might actually pull a muscle from how tense she was.
Tsuna silently closed the door behind him and gestured encouragingly at her to go on when she looked to him for help.
"Pa..." She started.
At her voice Nicolas moved. He looked up at her and even if it wasn't directed at him, Tsuna tried not to wince at his piercing gaze. Then the man suddenly stood. Like a frightened mouse, Mia skittered backwards, running into Tsuna.
"Mia?!"
Nicolas' hard mask crumpled and abruptly turned away from them.
"I can't do this." The words bubbled out in a panicked frenzy. "I-I'm sorry!" Mia pushed past him again, leaving him and Nicolas alone.
Now that it was just him and the man alone, beads of sweat started rolling down his neck. Mia had run out, again, and this time it was out of fear. This... was not how he wanted it to turn out but Reborn's advice came floating back up and he had to remind himself that backing out wasn't an option. Mia was in no way capable of facing her dad right now. He had to ease it up between them at least.
"I'm sorry," he started out, breaking the thick silence. "I'll bring her back here."
"It best if you don't," Nicolas told him. "Stay for a bit Tsuna. Talk with me."
Tsuna swallowed. The older man, continued facing the other way. "Mia said you couldn't help being born into this - what did she mean by that?"
Where was he supposed start with that? He had a feeling if he tried sugar-coating the truth, Nicolas would lash out and he didn't want to risk that. Still, it was a good thing Nicolas was asking rather than shouting. "I was thirteen when the Vongola Family sent me a tutor to train me as the next successor in line. The tenth boss."
Nicolas whirled around at that, eyes wide in disbelief. "You're a what?"
"B-Boss," Tsuna squeaked at the sudden intensity, the rest of his words rushing out as he tried to explain. "I had no idea I was even related to the Mafia! Apparently my ancestor that came to Japan was the first head of the family. The Ninth didn't have anyone to succeed him so they picked me."
"They chose a thirteen-year old kid to be the boss for a mafia family?" The mounting anger in the man's voice for every word nearly made him want to run from the room.
"Y-Yes." Tsuna managed to get out. "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry sir."
Nicolas closed his eyes, trying to reign his temper. "How... how did Mia fit in to this?"
"She..." he swallowed. "It's all my fault - "
"No," Nicolas sharply cut him off. "I'm going to stop you there." Tsuna bit his words back as the older man loomed over him threateningly.
Tsuna should have made a run for it like Mia did. He'd fought with a crazy pineapple, faced the leader of the strongest assassination group in the Vongola and had the world's greatest hitman as a tutor, but a middle-aged professor put the fear of god into him. He couldn't help the low whine of fear slip out, "Hieeeee..."
"You don't need to apologize."
Wait what? He stared dumbly at the older man. Nicolas' expression lost its edge as he came closer. "I... was wrong. I'm sorry Tsuna - for what I've said."
"That's ah - uh - you don't need to - "
"Pardon my rudeness, but I do." Nicolas stopped just in front of him. "My temper often gets the best of me and your mother tells me often I have a face of a bear." Mom, what?! "It was wrong for me to have said those things about you especially after seeing you literally jump into a fire for her." He smiled dryly.
Tsuna ducked his head at the that.
"Do you love her?" The question struck him like lightning.
"Wha - " he choked out.
Nicolas stepped closer. "Do you love her?" he asked again, more softly this time.
Maybe the reason why Tsuna was more intimidated by the older man was his godforsaken ability to strike at people's hearts with words alone. He swallowed his shock. Tsuna hadn't mustered the courage to have told this to Mia yet, afraid on how she would respond but...
"I do." He looked into Nicolas' eyes, the same pair of blues that reflected him in a better place. Blue meant freedom, hope and love for him.
Nicolas closed his eyes. "I see..." When he opened them, Tsuna braced himself for the battle to come.
"If you really feel that way then you understand that you have to let her go."
"No." His resolve had never been sharper then. He knew it was coming but to still be asked for it... it hurt.
"I can understand that this was completely out of your control. You don't deserve this," he echoed Mia, placing a hand on his shoulder. Unlike before, it weighed heavily. "But Mia is different - this isn't a life you'd want her to have."
His fingers curled tightly.
"You can still give her a happy future."
"Just not with me." Finishing high school, going to college, getting married and starting a family of her own... his heart curled in itself. Mia would lose that if she stayed with him.
Nicolas' eyes were sad. "Not with you."
Nicolas really had a gift with words. He might as well have punched Tsuna in the throat with that. Even so... even so... he was a selfish bastard. Mia chose to stay and even if he could push her away, she'd stubbornly find some way back to his side again, beating his ass while doing so. Somehow the thought that she would brought him comfort.
"Like I've said before sir... if Mia wants to live a life without me, I won't stop her." He stepped back. "I want her to be happy but if she doesn't want that, then I can't do what you're asking me. I'm sorry. That's not my choice to make."
Blue sharpened to ice. "Then its mine as her father to keep her safe." Nicolas moved but Tsuna blocked his way.
"Move aside Tsuna, I'm taking her with me and we're leaving Namimori."
No.
"Even if you could, she'd still be in danger," Tsuna argued back, quick to retort as he would have with Mia. "You saw how it went back there! It would be crazy to go out now. Please, stay here for the moment, let me protect you." He pleaded. "I swear on my life I won't let anything happen to her or you!"
Nicolas looked stricken, the anger breaking away in his eyes. "No, you will do no such thing." He grabbed him by the shoulders. "You're just a boy - enough of that!"
Huh? A few seconds earlier he looked like he wanted to bulldoze Tsuna down and a boy? He was fifteen! He reigned in his annoyance. "I'll be alright, protecting you and Mia - its the least I could do."
"Don't be reckless you - " Nicolas never got to finish his sentence as an explosion ripped into the building. Tsuna grasped the older man's forearms as he stumbled. Oh no, did the enemy find them already?
Mia. Where was she? Did she get caught up in the blast? He couldn't leave Nicolas here. Just as he thought that, the wall on the far left of the room collapsed as a body sailed like a rag doll through it, hitting the other end of the room. Silver gleamed through the dust.
"Hibari-san!" His Cloud Guardian stepped through the rubble, looking unharmed in the least. Lord he was praying for a miracle, not the devil.
"Herbivore," Hibari greeted him.
"What the hell was that?" Nicolas squinted, trying to get a look at the body.
"Ahhhhh..." Tsuna tore his eyes away from the bloody mess, fighting the sickness threatening to burst out of his mouth. Hibari really didn't hold back this time. "H-Hibari-san, could you look after Nicolas please? Dad shouldn't take long before he comes back. I need to find Mia." Hibari glared at him but didn't say no. He gestured sharply with his head to leave already.
"Nicolas, stay with Hibari-san. He's strong, stay close okay? I'll find Mia." Tsuna got up but Nicolas held fast to his wrist.
"Tsuna, your father is going to be here soon. Wait for him!"
"There's no time - " He tugged his arm back but Nicolas held firm. There was a new emotion there that stopped him. Fear, he recognized. Was Nicolas actually afraid for him? Mia really was like him in so many ways. Because of that, he couldn't help baring his feelings. He placed a comforting hand on top of Nicolas' "Thank you for worrying about me," he said with a smile. "I'm sorry - for dragging you and Mia into this. I'm really lucky to have met her - she's great and I probably don't deserve her but I'm grateful all the same. I won't let anything happen to her, I promise."
Nicolas stared at him but Tsuna couldn't stay to comfort the overwhelmed man. Hibari was glaring daggers into his back, his emotional tolerance reaching its peak.
He took the chance to take his arm back and before Nicolas could latch on to him again he ran through the door, calling for his friends and for Mia through the hall. Another explosion rocked the warehouse again, making him stagger.
"Alright bastards, I'll blow you twits to pieces!" Hayato shouted angrily. Tsuna immediately headed outside from the other end of the warehouse and had to duck when a fist came out of nowhere, knocking a man square in the jaw.
"Sawada!" Onii-san greeted him with a grin. "How did it go?"
"Uh... okay?" The man had fallen into a couple of broken crates nearby, his jaw most probably broken.
"Like okay okay or extremely okay?"
"Extremely okay...?" he replied, seriously unsure. "Where's Mia?"
Takeshi came slashing out of nowhere, taking on three opponents at the same time. With a twist of his wrist, their weapons became nothing but pieces of scrap metal as Shigure Kintoki sliced through them like paper. When he saw one of them pull a knife, his feet started moving on their own. Stepping on top of a crate, he leaped high in the air. Tsuna twisted his hips and kicked the assassin in the face, sending him flying into another one with painful crash.
"Tsuna!" Takeshi rammed his hilt against his attacker's throat, then swiftly knocked him out with a precise strike to the head. "Mia's with Hayato. Is her dad with you?"
"Hibari-san is looking after him."
Takeshi let out a surprised laugh. "That's something. Good thing he came with us."
"Y-Yeah..." He looked at his friend's sword. "Where did you get your sword?"
Takeshi swung his sword as he would with his bat. "The kid dropped our weapons off before he went with your mom. You got your gloves?"
Tsuna frowned. "Yeah...?"
"Don't go into Hyper Mode." Takeshi eyed the area, his usual cheery eyes sharpening to the color of rust. "The kid said not to give yourself away just yet."
"Reborn did?" Tsuna shook his head. That's fine. He didn't need to use his powers yet. "Where are they?"
Takeshi didn't respond right away, even when another explosion occurred near them. Just when his patience was about to run out, the swordsman gave him an easy smile. "All clear. Let's go."
Tsuna didn't need being told twice. He followed his friend, Onii-san in the rear. They circled around the building but had to take cover as bullets nearly turned them into pin cushions. He looked under Takeshi's elbow and saw Mia and Hayato back to back right in the middle of it. They didn't move, why weren't they moving? Tsuna felt a tingle in his senses and felt rather than saw the illusion. Chrome was nowhere in sight but she was close.
The shooting didn't stop but as soon as the trajectory led away from them, they sprung. Hayato tossed his bombs in the air, their ends popping off then shooting towards their enemies. When his Storm moved, Mia stayed in his shadow, no matter which end he faced, guarding his back, her hands clasped tightly on Merry but she didn't hold it in a shooting position. Her eyes were wide open, her mouth never ceasing its movement.
She was relaying information to Hayato, he realized. It's how the bomber was able to unleash his large-scale attack without care or aim.
"Mia isn't looking so good," Takeshi said, frowning worriedly. "I don't know how she's doing it, but she won't be able to keep it up forever."
He was right. Her left eye was twitching and her skin had a thin sheen of sweat. "Did she say how many were there?"
"Fifteen? Yeah, fifteen. Me and senpai led most of them away. Nine or so."
"Hibari took out one inside," Tsuna recounted. "So there's five left."
Boom! "One," Tsuna corrected himself as a lone shooter stepped out, burnt and hair completely gone. Before he could raise his gun, Chrome reappeared behind him, knocking the assassin out with one heavy strike to the head with the butt of her staff. As soon as the last dropped, Mia slumped against Hayato's back, forcing the bomber to kneel to support her weight.
Tsuna ran up to her. She was covering her eyes with the palm of her hands.
"Mia?" She turned her head, eyes still covered. Tsuna helped her sit properly. "Does it hurt?"
"No, no...I just need a moment." She blinked and looked up at him. "Sorry for leaving you back there."
"Its alright," he brushed it aside. "You guys did good. Is anybody hurt?"
"Boss." Chrome called for him. "We should go."
"The Carabinieri..." Hayato cursed. "They moved faster than I thought." At the confused expressions of his Japanese friends he added, "Police."
"No rest for the good guys huh?" Takeshi said.
"It's wicked," Hayato immediately corrected him.
Mia looked into the alley behind Chrome . "They're close. There's no time to run, circle back!" She hauled herself to her feet but Tsuna didn't let her walk. He scooped her up in his arms as she protested and ran back behind the warehouse like she told them to. The rest followed.
"Tsuna I can run on my own!" she protested, kicking and struggling so much he had to drop her. "Honestly!" she huffed.
"You really think we can't run?" He asked her.
"Its a port - they would have blocked all exits already. We don't know how to drive a boat and Pa's injured." She clicked her tongue. "We shouldn't fight our way out. If only we could buy ourselves some more time..."
"Gyahahaha! Lambo is here to save the day!"
They all turned. Lambo stood in all his stupid glory on top of a crate, his ten-year bazooka hefted on his shoulder.
"Stupid cow! The hell are you doing here?" Hayato snarled at the boy. "You should have been with the others."
Lambo picked his nose. "Bakadera is so noisy... Lambo - I mean - I was told you needed help."
Tsuna frowned. "Who asked you?"
"Dunno, I didn't ask for his name."
"Lambo, what did I say about talking with strangers?" Mia immediately scolded the child, approaching him with the aura of a real child-eating demon.
"Wah! See you in a bit Mia-nee!" Lambo yelped as she got closer.
Mia stopped in confusion. "See me in a bit? What - "
Lambo dropped the bazooka on her, filling the entire area with pink smoke. Several of them called out her name, Tsuna included.
Tsuna had never seen the bazooka used on anyone other than Lambo so this would mean... His pulse shot up as he saw a figure in the smoke. "Mia?" He stepped forwards.
"Tsuna?" Her voice was familiar but also different. The figure moved and suddenly she was in front of him. Tsuna couldn't fight the blush that overtook him from head to toe.
Older Mia stood a good foot taller than him, Tsuna just coming up to her well-endowed chest. She wore a simple long sleeved white blouse that was tucked into a fitted, high waist black slacks and heels. A single piece of jewelry was on her person, a brooch the color of her eyes sat on chest. He had to practically force his head to look up to meet her eyes and even then he couldn't stop his heart thudding loudly in his rib cage.
Her face had matured as well but he could still see the girl he knew and loved. She had braided her hair back into a bun, leaving a few strands to frame her face. He felt several arrows pierce his heart. Lord she was beautiful.
She looked confused at first, as to why she was here but it didn't take long for her to figure out why.
"Lambo." The child flinched. Her voice had only grown sharper through the years. "What did I say about using the bazooka?"
"W-Well someone told Lambo - I mean me - that Tsuna-nii needed help and that you - um..."
"And that I was the best person to be here," Mia finished. "We're going to talk the next time you visit, alright?"
Lambo paled but jerked his head into a nod.
Mia looked back to the rest of their stunned group and waved before turning her attention back on Tsuna. He held himself in place as she leaned down on him. Holy crap, to think he had her against the wall earlier...
She pinched his cheek, her stern expression breaking away as she doted on him like an owner over their pet.
"I forgot how cute you were Tsuna awwwww. I missed your baby cheeks!" She crooned.
"Wha - knock it off Mia!" He spluttered, embarrassed. Swiping her hand away out of habit. She giggled.
Placing a hand on her hip, her tone shifted to business-like and just like that they were back to the fray. "Well, I'd love to stay and chat but it I can't stay long. What's the situation?"
A/N In truth this should have come out since the weekend but a lockdown was implemented in my city. It's been a busy couple of days, my company had also issued a work from home directive. Its been nuts with the Corona Virus Outbreak but I hope everybody is doing okay and staying healthy.
Anyways, I hope this was worth the wait. Its been great fun writing as usual but if you guys would like to share your thoughts, don't hesitate to let me know. Til the next chapter readers!