"Fate brings people together no matter how far apart they may be." – Chinese Proverb
Takao drove to a safe house that could've taken fifteen minutes but only took four when he drove like a lunatic. Tsuna maintained steady hands over the boss' wound. Warm blood seeped through his fingers but he didn't pay it any mind.
The man was barely clinging onto life.
As soon as Takao parked in an obscure road, the other men carried their boss inside an unassuming building. Tsuna followed closely by, quickly scanning his surroundings. They walked through a narrow hallway that stretched out into three different rooms, looking more like a shoddy apartment. The lights flickered a bit, which wasn't good. He had an impressive dynamic memory of the human anatomy, but didn't trust this kid's hands to maneuver around organs and tissues, much less apples and oranges in the supermarket.
The men shouted orders at some underlings lingering around. Soon, the place buzzed with loud men and footsteps. Tsuna couldn't help but shiver—he lived for this.
"I need the cleanest sheets and sturdiest table you have," Tsuna said, drawing some attention. "Any medical supplies you have on site and possibly eleven liters of this man's blood type. If you don't have it, get O-negative. Keep a clean bed ready for later. Do you have gloves and antiseptic?"
The man who had held a knife to his neck brought everything he asked for from one of the cabinets. The scarred man and young subordinate pushed a long table in the room, which Tsuna quickly cleaned with antiseptic. He wiped it with a clean rag and nodded at the men to place the boss down.
Someone wheeled in a cart of medical supplies. He perused them with an appreciative eye. At least, their money was going into useful things. He gestured towards knife-man.
"More antiseptic," he said, raising his bloody hands. "One of you keep pressure on his wound."
The young subordinate did what he asked while knife-man returned with more antiseptic. Tsuna rolled up his sleeves, washed his hands with the cold liquid, and slipped on the latex gloves.
Cracking his neck, he approached the table. "If you have anesthesia, that'd be nice."
Someone handed him a syringe. Tsuna quickly inserted it through the boss' side near the wound. The man's breathing slowly evened out before he surrendered to deep slumber.
"If you're not a fan of this, I suggest you leave," Tsuna said, grabbing a pair of scissors.
The scarred man scoffed. "As if we'd just leave you here with Oyabun."
Tsuna narrowed his eyes. "Then remember this. One word from any of you and I'll personally see to it that you never copulate or see daylight again. This is my domain. My word here is fucking law. No one comes in or out of the room, understand?"
He didn't wait for a response; their silence was enough. Tossing his bloody vest to the side, Tsuna quickly cut the boss' shirt open to get a better look at the wound. He grabbed some clean sheets to cover the man's legs and upper torso, only leaving the stab wound in the open. After prepping the patient's wound and skin with antiseptic solution and saline, he picked up two clamps to mark the entry site and peel it back for a better view inside.
The room was deathly quiet while he worked his way slowly—too slowly for him, goddamn this kid's clumsiness; he was lucky he didn't nick anything in the process—to the incision at the femoral artery. There was too much blood to see the wound properly.
"Bucket," Tsuna said, inserting a long catheter inside the lesion. "And someone set up the blood bags. Hurry up!"
A metallic clang rattled by his feet. Tsuna dropped the other end of the catheter inside the bucket. Blood soon filtered through the tube, dripping into the pail. The pitter-patter of blood, the hum of the fluorescent lights, and the other men's quiet breaths were a small comfort to him, grounding him. Knife-man wheeled the blood bags over and Tsuna immediately inserted the IV line in one of the patient's vessels.
"Replace them as quickly as you can," he said.
The cut into the artery was clean, which was good for him, but he didn't trust this kid's hands. As the excess of blood slowly drained through the catheter, he dabbed some of the patient's wound with some gauze pads. Wiping a needle driver with some antiseptic and clean cloth—whoever handled the medical equipment here deserved a fucking gold star—Tsuna took a deep breath, prayed to God that he wouldn't fuck this up, and started to stich the cut open artery.
His fingers trembled faintly from his excruciating pace. Focusing on suturing the wound and not letting the kid's clumsiness take over was more difficult than he thought. Tsuna bit the inside of his mouth so hard it bled. A bead of sweat dripped down the side of his forehead. He suddenly felt hot and cold all over.
One suture in…pull out and loop…knot…cut…repeat…in, out…loop…knot…cut…
He wiped the sweat away from his forehead. Halfway there. Come on, he could do it.
Kid, don't fuck this up, Tsuna thought.
Loud, muffled shouts suddenly sounded from outside. It took whatever amount of patience Tsuna had not to drop the needle driver inside and sever other veins and tissues.
"Fuck," the scarred man said, his quiet voice ringing too loudly in the room. "Who called the brat?"
"Leave and don't come back," Tsuna said, tying another knot. "Handle it. Don't let anyone in."
"I d—"
Tsuna looked up briefly then. "Get the fuck out and handle it." Scar-man gaped, looking paler than usual. "Am I speaking Dutch? You're not fucking deaf. Get out."
A few minutes later, Tsuna heard the door close and the lock click. He looped in another suture. The bleeding eventually stopped as he slowly worked his way down the femoral artery. He paused when his hands started veering off course. Goddamn it—he was going to wreck the kid's seal after this, his own safety be damned. He was also going to fucking sew and crochet with Nana from now on; he had to triple his shitty knots to keep the artery closed.
Mentally shaking his head, Tsuna rolled his shoulders, releasing some of the tension in his aching muscles, before resuming his work. He glanced at the patient's face, noting the steady breathing. Great, still alive. Maybe this kid had some kind of luck after all (or it was just him; either worked).
Several crashes and bangs echoed outside. A couple of pained shrieks mingled in the air. Tsuna hissed when his hands nearly slipped. What the fuck was going on?
The young subordinate suddenly pushed a large dresser in front of the door. Knife-man quickly helped him shove several tables and a bookshelf to block the entrance. Under different circumstances, Tsuna would've laughed.
Another suture in and out. Loop three times. Cut. Again. God, he was almost there.
A loud bang from the door made Tsuna look up. Blood stained his gloves, arms, and clothes, which would be hell to wash off. It became quiet again, but Tsuna zeroed in on cutting the last suture. There was no time to get distracted. He wondered how the kid's alcohol intake was. He'd probably kill himself with one shot.
The door suddenly burst open, snapping in two. Splinters of wood sprinkled to the ground and Tsuna had to resist every urge to gape at the display of brute strength.
"Ibuka!" the young subordinate said in panic.
Knife-man couldn't do anything—someone continued to kick down the door, actually shoving the dressers and tables away. Gritting his teeth, Tsuna tried to quickly close the wound. His hands shook while he clumsily went through the motion that was better-ingrained in his head. With no adept muscle memory or any straight coordination, it was a fucking miracle he even managed to get this far. He got two stitches in when someone finally barged through the barricade.
Tsuna nearly dropped the needle driver. It was Decimo's Cloud Guardian, Hibari Kyoya. He was young, probably sixteen or seventeen, but that wasn't what caught his attention: it was the teen's eyes, which were a milky pale gray, almost white.
He was blind.
Despite his blindness, Kyoya looked right at Tsuna with unnerving accuracy. Tsuna could only attribute it to his heightened senses, which wouldn't be impossible given the whole psychology behind it, but he digressed.
This one seemed stronger than the Cloud Guardian he knew, and Tsuna didn't know what to think about that. His hopes of never meeting Decimo's guardians' parallel counterparts were apparently ignored.
"Herbivores"—well, at least not everything was different—"explain."
Ibuka bowed deeply, his shoulders tense. "Kyoya-sama, he's only helping Oyabun."
Tsuna pursed his lips. "Until you came—leave."
The two subordinates gawked at him, but Tsuna was already working through the third stitch. Just four more and he was done. He glared when Kyoya approached the table with long, confident strides.
"You better fuck off before I slice your stomach open," Tsuna said. "You just contaminated the room."
Pausing, Kyoya stood only a few feet away from the makeshift-operating table. He seemed to mull over what Tsuna said before directing his gaze to the other occupants in the room. Tsuna clenched his jaw, ignoring the grunts, breaking bones, and screams to focus more on suturing.
Finally, he set down the needle driver in the medical tray and grabbed some thick bandages. Kyoya had stopped beating the other men a few minutes ago—he still used tonfas in this world apparently—but Tsuna focused on wrapping the bandages around the patient's stomach.
Was every Kyoya always so bloodthirsty?
Tsuna then removed his gloves and dumped them in the trash. "Keeps the wound clean. Don't soak it in water. You can get rid of the sutures after two weeks. Keep the bandages on for another 24 hours before taking them off. You can rinse it then—no baths. Showering's acceptable. Clean the wound twice a day until the two weeks are up."
Barely looking miffed, Kyoya regarded him curiously. Blood stained his black suit and Tsuna didn't even have to look at the men on the ground to confirm they were dead. He raised a brow. Yes, Decimo's Cloud Guardian was violent but he had some rationale—well, barely.
He could only imagine the carnage outside the room.
"Who are you?" Kyoya said, slowly stalking around the table. "You're only a child."
Tsuna bit back a smartass retort about respecting your elders. He really wanted some whiskey now.
"I'm no one," he deadpanned. He glanced at the dead subordinates. "I hope you don't expect me to work on them either. I drive a hard service fee."
Kyoya suddenly loomed over him, his milky eyes staring right at Tsuna's face. It took every ounce of willpower not to tense when Kyoya raised a hand to touch Tsuna's cheek in a more curious fashion rather than an intimate or threatening one. His hands were cold and his calloused fingertips were oddly gentle. Still, Tsuna swatted his hand away with narrowed eyes.
"Keep your hands to yourself," he said.
Kyoya didn't seem offended at the gesture; in fact, he seemed more intrigued and that was never a good sign in Tsuna's book.
"You have fire inside you," Kyoya said, tilting his head. "It's small."
Tsuna unconsciously stepped back. His Sky Flames hissed when powerful Cloud Flames poked and prodded the seal with no ill-intent. Tsuna gritted his teeth. Reaching out for Flames was an intimate act that was solely exclusive for a Sky and his or her guardians. It was even more offensive when a Sky was un-bonded and not in any position to accept its elements.
Seemed like this Kyoya was still a brat.
"Back off," Tsuna said, grabbing a scalpel. "I don't care if I hurt you."
Kyoya's lips twitched into a slight smile—that was baffling in itself; Decimo's Cloud Guardian never smiled—and he backed away, his arms relaxing by his sides.
"You're an interesting little animal," Kyoya said, so unlike and like Decimo's Cloud Guardian at the same time.
Tsuna's guts tightened at the thought of them being different in this world, too. "Oh, so I devolved into a 'little animal'? Listen, you should be grateful I'm not charging a fee. All I ask is for some clothes and that you pretend I never existed. Works out for both of us."
Kyoya stayed quiet for a few minutes before whistling sharply. Two men stepped into the room and immediately bowed. One of them had a ridiculous pompadour that Tsuna never understood for the life of him—Kusakabe Tetsuya, Decimo's Cloud Guardian's right-hand man.
"Take the herbivore to the car," Kyoya said.
"Yes, Kyoya-sama," Kusakabe said.
While the men carried Kyoya's father out the room, Tsuna quirked a brow when Kyoya followed them out. Really, he was just going to leave like that? That was either gratifying or insulting—Tsuna couldn't tell.
Kyoya paused in his step but didn't turn to face him. Instead, he slightly tilted his head towards the door, a small but innocent gesture that seemed so bizarre and yet so right for this Kyoya. Tsuna just couldn't wrap his head around this situation as much as he tried. He just really wanted that shot of whiskey.
"Did you not want clothes, little animal?" Kyoya said.
Tsuna clenched his teeth before stuffing the scalpel, a few more medical instruments, and some anesthesia inside his backpack. Grabbing the last clean sheets, he followed Kyoya out the room, not giving much of a glance to the small carnage behind him or the massacre in the hallways. He forgot how freakishly demonic Decimo's Cloud Guardian was. It was so different from sweet Skull who preferred gathering intel over annihilating enemies.
He wasn't sure about this Kyoya's few shared traits with Decimo's Cloud Guardian. Actually, he wasn't even happy that he met the brat.
Either way, Tsuna still followed Kyoya outside, ignoring the safe house burning down behind him. Even when they were a mile away, Tsuna still felt the sensation of fire scorching his skin.
"You're only a child," Kyoya said after they got settled inside the car.
Tsuna's brow twitched while he adjusted the unconscious Oyabun in a more comfortable position. He checked the man's temperature and breathing rate before covering his body with the sheets to keep him warm.
"We established that already," Tsuna said, sitting far away from Kyoya he possibly could. "And you're what? Sixteen? You're a kid, too."
Kyoya didn't seem fazed at the jab. He remained eerily calm, which reminded Tsuna more of Fon than Decimo's Cloud Guardian. It was just…weird.
The other teen didn't face him, his gaze fixed on the car's back window, and crossed his arms over his chest. The privacy barrier prevented the men in the front from listening in on their conversation.
"But you're not a child, too."
Tsuna tensed. As usual, he had gotten too caught up in the moment to really think things through. Sometimes his proclivity for helping people tended to get him in some of the worst situations—ask Reborn. And, this Kyoya seemed to be more perceptive than he let on despite being fucking blind. So what? It was a handicap, sure, but it could be conquered with the right mindset. Tsuna was more concerned about the teen's heightened senses. Kyoya was a brat but he wasn't stupid. Seriously, the possibilities in that were honestly both fascinating and terrifying—okay, he shouldn't gush about that.
Posing a casual front, Tsuna looked out the window to watch the passing streets and darkening sky. "How would you know? You're blind. I could be some thirty-year-old man who eats little kids like you for dessert."
Kyoya grunted lightly. "I'm not stupid, little animal."
"What if I'm an enemy?"
"You wouldn't be able to kill me."
"I could."
"You can't."
Tsuna scowled at the utter truth (and arrogance) in those words. He wouldn't stand a chance against Kyoya, not in the state he was in. He was weak and clumsy, and goddamn it, he was going to destroy the fucking seal, even if it was there with some noble (still fucked-up) intentions. No one should seal Flames, and Tsuna concluded that this kid had it since he was very young. God, if the kid didn't have a seal in the first place, maybe he would've had a much happier and easier childhood, made some decent friends or something. Sometimes, Tsuna wondered if Iemitsu was just a couple levels of stupid—probably.
Since he took over the kid's body, his presence had cracked the seal just enough for him to get in touch with his Sky Flames, but not enough to tap into the famed Hyper Intuition Primo was known for. Tsuna had ran through several options, but most of them were nearly impossible due to his limited resources and zero connections.
The first option was more direct and easiest in theory, but he immediately discarded it: find Fon and convince him to disintegrate the seal with his Storm Flames. Tsuna wasn't ready to face him any time soon and was also terrified at the prospect of finding him…different like this Kyoya was. The second option was finding a strong Storm Flame user in Japan, but it was farfetched and highly unlikely since yakuza didn't really use Flames. Traveling to Europe was also out of the question.
The third option was confronting Iemitsu, but Tsuna wasn't fond of the possible repercussions or drawing suspicions; plus, he didn't want Nana to suffer from the knowledge of the mafia or get wary either. He owed her that much. The fourth option was even worse: find Reborn and ask him to shoot him with the Vongola's Dying Will Bullet. One, he wasn't keen about running around in his boxers in public if what Decimo had said was true. Second, he was terrified of finding a different Reborn. Third, he just wasn't fucking ready. Fourth, what if Reborn wasn't affiliated with Vongola?
So, guess what? The option Tsuna had left was being stupid and throwing himself into extremely dangerous situations to force his Flames out.
Great.
But then again, he already met Kyoya, a ghost from his old life, (and Goro, his weary mind added). He was never really close to Decimo or his guardians, only patching them up when Shamal was being infuriatingly difficult. How that man managed to become a doctor was beyond him, and Tsunadidn't even have a medical license. Honestly, he didn't know the guardians personally, only picking up on some of their habits and traits here and there when they came to him. Again, he had his own family to look after. Either way, Tsuna didn't really put in much effort to get to know them.
Okay, maybe he was also salty at the fact that Reborn was forced—"I'm only returning a favor, Tsuna. Stop being dramatic."—to train Decimo for a couple of years, but he digressed.
"Why did you kill them?" Tsuna said to fill up the aggravating silence.
A few minutes passed before Kyoya responded, "Culling the herd is necessary to dispose the weak."
Tsuna glanced at the unconscious boss. "Some of the men weren't there when he was stabbed."
Kyoya inclined his head towards him. "You know what happened, little animal?"
Tsuna placed his chin onto his palm. "I was only passing by so I didn't see him get stabbed. They were loud. Is he your father?"
"He's a useless herbivore."
"I'm just going to take that as a yes." Tsuna sighed. "Look, I don't care about whatever business you have with whoever. I just helped patch him up, that's it. I'm not looking for trouble."
Kyoya quirked a brow. "And yet you helped the herbivore."
Tsuna deadpanned. "Don't you know about the Hippocratic Oath? 'I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligation to all my fellow human beings, those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm'? No? Well, there you go."
Tsuna actually never took the oath since he never attended med school and wasn't even a legitimate doctor, but semantics.
Kyoya didn't say anything but his slight amusement wasn't lost to Tsuna.
"You know, you're taking this in too well. I'm getting clothes and leaving, right? No strings attached?"
"You talk too much."
Tsuna rolled his eyes. "I don't get your hierarchy. Where does 'little animal' even stand? Is it below 'herbivore'? In-between? Above? Left? Right?"
Kyoya's brow slightly twitched, which was a small victory in Tsuna's book. "Stop talking."
"Then answer my question."
A buzz from Tsuna's backpack made him tense. He fished it out quickly to see who was calling, paling a bit: Nana.
"It's my mom," he said, the words still foreign on his tongue. "Do you mind?"
Kyoya just huffed in response.
"I'm taking that as a yes then." Tsuna placed his phone against his ear. "Mama?"
"Oh, Tsu-kun! Are you alright? You didn't come home and I was wondering where you were. Are you lost? Should I come to get you?"
"Ah." Tsuna glanced at Kyoya who wasn't looking at him, but definitely listening. "I'm just…with a friend."
Nana gasped. "A friend? Oh, that's wonderful! Who is he?" She chuckled. "Or she?"
"It's a he. I met him at the science club."
"You joined a club, Tsu-kun? That's great! Why don't you invite your friend over for dinner?"
"I don't know, Mama. He's really shy and I don't want to, you know, push him too much."
"Of course, of course. I understand. But do bring him over some time soon, alright? I'd love to meet him."
"Yeah, I'm sorry for making you worry. I was just wondering if I could stay out longer? We were thinking about watching a movie, so…"
"That's no problem at all! Just call me when you're done. I'll pick you up!"
"Okay, thank you, Mama."
"Of course, Tsu-kun. I love you."
Tsuna's breath nearly hitched. He should be used to that by now, but he wasn't. "I love you, too."
"Have fun! And don't forget to call me after."
"Yeah."
After Nana hung up, Tsuna didn't pocket his phone away until a few minutes later. He stared at the brightly lit time on the corner of the screen: 4:58 PM.
"Tsu-kun?"
Tsuna scowled at Kyoya who didn't meet his gaze. The little shit was definitely smirking.
"You're a prick, great," Tsuna said, shoving his phone in his bag. "Listening in on other people's conversations is just shitty, you know? Your mom never teach you?"
Kyoya slightly tensed. "You talk too much, little animal."
"And you're a fucking broken record."
They didn't speak for the rest of the ride.
Tsuna didn't recognize the neighborhood they arrived at. The houses were all large, modern, and filthy rich. The streets were relatively quiet; no one was around despite it being mid-afternoon. Tsuna frowned. The place was so empty, it was eerie.
His suspicions were confirmed when they drove deeper into a more isolated area that might as well be another neighborhood of its own. Suited men guarded the tall, wooden gates to a traditionally-styled home. Tsuna easily picked out all the surveillance cameras in the area before the car stopped. Kusakabe and the other man carefully carried Kyoya's father onto a gurney.
"You'll take care of him, right?" Tsuna said, exiting the car.
Kyoya left from the other side and shut the door. "That's none of your business, little animal."
Tsuna just sighed. "At least, make sure all of my hard work doesn't go to waste."
Kyoya glanced at him with a slight twitch in his pale lips. "Then isn't it best for the doctor to oversee his patient?"
"Shut up."
And Tsuna meant it. This Kyoya spoke more in the past twenty minutes than Decimo's Cloud Guardian ever did in a year. Tsuna had to keep reminding himself that he willingly accepted to be in this situation that Kawahira gave him. Granted, he should've expected that this world was different from his, he only hoped it wasn't any worse.
Some of the guards and servants peeked at him curiously, but scurried off once they noticed Kyoya. Tsuna didn't give them much more than a glance as Kyoya led him inside the house. The front courtyard was large with a nice koi pond close by; the grass was cleanly-cut and fresh, and the fragrance of cherry blossoms was just enough to keep Tsuna calm.
Clutching his backpack to his chest, Tsuna slipped off his shoes and nearly jumped when a maid quietly handed him some slippers. He accepted them with a quiet "thank you". The woman left silently just as she came. Tsuna caught up with Kyoya after, his steps thudding lightly in the quiet household.
The other teen didn't touch the walls for guidance or asked for help from the silent servants, his steps confident. Tsuna trailed behind him, taking in the house's layout. There was more open space and less rooms the further they walked; the garden outside was large too, with a pond. A red pavilion rested in the middle with a circular table and two cushion-seats inside. The place was quite stunning with its modest simplicity.
Kyoya finally stopped in front of a large door and slid it open. Tsuna followed him inside before realizing that it was his bedroom. It was quite big and bare. There was a writing desk in the corner with a small bookshelf filled with texts in braille and print, and another table with some ink and paper.
Tsuna pursed his lips. "Why did you bring me to your room?"
"Close the door, little animal."
Tsuna rolled his eyes but closed the door anyways. He didn't move from his spot while Kyoya opened one of the dresser's drawers. Moving effortlessly, he shifted through his clothes.
"Why did you bring me to your room?"
Kyoya shifted through another pile of clothes. "You're harmless."
Tsuna's brow twitched. He marched forward, grabbed Kyoya's empty tea cup, and threw it. Kyoya just moved his head to the side. The cup shattered against the wall.
"You'll pay for that, little animal," he said.
Tsuna just scowled when Kyoya returned with a clean black T-shirt and some beige. He didn't accept them right away. Kyoya glanced down at him.
"This will do," he said, nudging the clothes in his arms. "And clean yourself."
Tsuna furrowed his brows. "What?"
He nearly jumped when the door slid open again. Another woman stood at the doorway with her head bowed.
"The herbivore will take you," Kyoya said, shedding off his bloody suit jacket and unbuttoning his white shirt.
Tsuna clicked his tongue but followed the woman anyways with his backpack and Kyoya's clothes. He really didn't like where this was going. On one hand, he could start making connections but he was solely unprepared (and didn't think things through); on the other hand, he could just wing it, which wasn't his favorite option.
Still, Kyoya bringing him into his home—his room—implied that Tsuna wouldn't be leaving any time soon. How the hell was he supposed to know that the boss was Kyoya's father anyways? Was Decimo's Cloud Guardian even part of a yakuza? It didn't seem likely though; he worked on his own terms, never under anyone else. He wished Reborn or even Lal Mirch was here to beat him down a peg or two because he actually deserved it.
The servant remained quiet while she escorted Tsuna to a bathroom. Her footsteps were silent against the wooden floors and she moved eerily like a ghost. Her black hair was tied back into a neat bun and her light gray kimono stuck tightly to her thin body. Yeah, she could pass off as a ghost.
After turning another corner, they finally reached another room, which was bare. She led him to another door inside and opened it for him. The bathroom inside had a large, wooden tub with smooth stones decorating the edges and a see-through shower stall a few feet away. A stool was nearby with a shower stand above it but with no barriers. Huh, options.
Tsuna shifted on his feet when the maid didn't leave. "Um, I don't mean to be rude, but are you supposed to…watch me? I'm not going to leave."
The maid kept her head bowed. "I will leave once I take your clothes, young sir."
"Oh. Well, could you…turn around?"
A few seconds of awkward silence passed before the maid complied. Tsuna dropped his backpack to the side and Kyoya's clothes on the stool. He undressed quickly, keeping his boxers on, before folding his clothes and placing them by the maid's feet.
The woman picked them up, bowed, and left. Tsuna grimaced when he entered the shower stall. Did it have to be see-through? It felt strange. He turned the knobs before hot water sprayed onto his small body. A content sigh escaped his lips while steam slowly rose in the air. He frowned. He gained some weight after creating a diet regimen, but he was nowhere near his old body. God, he also needed to think of how to train himself, too.
Sighing, he slowly relaxed under the pounding water. The heat soothed his aching muscles while he threaded sunflower and honey-scented shampoo in his hair. After rinsing and applying some conditioner, the water turned light red while he scrubbed his skin. The body wash smelled like lavender.
He was tempted to stay in the shower forever—the hot water made it difficult to leave—but turned it off. Grabbing a fluffy white towel from the rack, Tsuna dried himself and his hair before slipping on his boxers, which made him feel icky, but it was better than wearing nothing. Kyoya's clothes were too big for him; the shirt went down to his thighs while the shorts reached just under his knees.
Huffing, Tsuna rested the towel on his wet hair and grabbed his backpack. He glanced in the mirror. His cheeks were flushed red and he looked like some soggy kitten. Great. Well, at least he still looked cute—harmless but cute.
The door slid open before he could touch it. He blinked when the maid from before greeted him.
"Kyoya-sama is expecting you, young sir," she said, bowing.
Finding his slippers, Tsuna put them on and followed the maid. Grumbling under his breath, he tried to keep the shorts from slipping down his waist and ended up holding it up with one hand until they reached Kyoya's room. The maid opened the door for him and closed it after he slipped inside.
Kyoya sat at the table in the center of the room with a kettle of tea and two cups. He looked a little flushed and wore a simple black kinagashi. The scent of spices and orange wafted in Tsuna's nose.
"Sit, little animal," Kyoya said.
Suppressing a sigh, Tsuna plopped down across from him and dropped his school bag beside him.
"Thanks for the clothes," he deadpanned.
Kyoya just sipped his tea, not giving him a response. His eyes looked down at the table, but that didn't mean he was unaware of his surroundings.
"Your bag is dirty," he said.
Tsuna rolled his eyes. "How did you know?"
"I can smell it, little animal."
"Don't worry about it. I can clean it later."
"Your clothes are being washed. When they're clean, you can have them back."
"But…?"
Kyoya's lips twitched into a slight smile. "There is no 'but', little animal."
"Yes, there is. I was hoping for the 'no strings attached' route, but it's apparently not the case."
"You're an interesting little animal." Kyoya looked up then, his eyes unnervingly sharp despite their milky white-gray color. "You're skilled but young. You have fire inside you but they're not free." He tilted his head slightly in a disturbingly curious fashion. "Why?"
"Slow down there," Tsuna said dryly. "You might choke."
Kyoya wasn't fazed by the sarcasm, but a glint of amusement shone in his dull eyes. "Well?"
"Well, what? I'm not going to tell you anything. Same for me—I won't ask you anything. Seems like a pretty good deal, right? So back off."
Of course, the stubborn shit didn't listen. "Do you know who you saved, little animal?"
"Your father."
Kyoya's brow slightly twitched but he continued, "A useless herbivore, but he leads the pride."
Tsuna outright sighed. "Look, I don't want to know anything. So please, shut up."
"When he wakes, he'll ask for you."
"Just tell him one of your own doctors helped him. Is it that hard to make something up? He was delirious when I first saw him; he won't remember anything."
Kyoya smirked. "We do not have our own doctor."
Tsuna wanted to bang his head against the table. "How do you not have your own doctor? You had a heaven's supply of medical equipment in that place. Someone had to use them."
"We do not have family doctor, only a herd doctor."
Tsuna deadpanned. "Are you seriously considering having a fucking fourteen-year-old with no medical license or degree whatsoever to become your family doctor? Unless I'm getting the wrong signals here."
"The herbivore will."
Tsuna narrowed his eyes. "No. Also, remind him how fucking crazy that sounds."
This whole new development was strange, but Tsuna wasn't that surprised, no matter how much he didn't want to admit it. He could practically hear Reborn saying how stupid he was in the back of his mind, which wasn't helping.
Kyoya stood up then and headed towards the door, his cup now empty. The silent "follow me" didn't go unnoticed. Still, Tsuna grabbed his school bag and grudgingly followed Kyoya out. He grumbled under his breath, keeping the shorts from slipping. He hoped he hit a growth spurt soon, like in a week or something.
"Where are we going now?" he said.
"To see the carnivore."
Dread coiled in the pits of Tsuna's stomach. He nearly tripped if he didn't support himself on the wall in time.
"And who the hell's that?" he said, trying to keep his voice from shaking.
Kyoya didn't stop or turn to face him. "My uncle."
A/N Oh, look at that—tearing canon to shreds like usual. (cackles)
I had fun writing this chapter, especially Kyoya because I feel like the parallel universe really offers a lot of creative license and I just took advantage of it. I feel dirty now…
Well, this Kyoya is blind and a bit tamer than canon but still bloodthirsty and ruthless (he reminds me of Daredevil, lol). Since we're limited to Tsuna's point of view, who knows? He'll have to deal with him more in the future anyways. It's going to be fun to write their future relationship and more of Kyoya's character. Poor Tsuna—nothing ever goes his way, does it?
The impromptu surgery scene may or may not have medical inaccuracies so please take it with a grain of salt. It was also difficult to research for since it's not in a hospital and Tsuna could only do so much without proper equipment, but he managed—somehow.
I know you peeps are wondering who Decimo is in the other world but everything will be revealed soon. We're all trying to get acquainted with this parallel world like Tsuna is and he never really had much of a relationship with Decimo or his guardians to begin with (plus, he has other priorities at the moment, haha) so it's not going to be revealed so soon. Patient, young ones, haha. More will also be explained on why Kyoya basically killed all the men in the safe house, but if you figured it out, let me know!
Thank you so much for your reviews and favorites! Leave a comment or two (especially your thoughts on this Kyoya; I'm curious to what you peeps think about him) if you can! I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can if you have any questions. :^)
Thank you for reading! I hope to see you again in the next chapter.
Have a lovely day~
Little Miss Bunny
Revised: 4/20/2018