"No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another." – Charles Dickens
Tsuna found himself nearly hyperventilating, his face pressed against Fon's chest and hands gripping the man's shirt like a lifeline. The wind blew harshly through his hair, feeling almost like little needles on his cheeks. And just like that, they were on the ground—solid, heavenly ground. Still shaking, Tsuna didn't even realize that his eyes were closed until he opened them. Dark spots danced in his vision before they cleared.
The distant noise of people talking on the sidewalks sounded from behind him. Car engines droned past while some shop owners shouted discount prices and special menus. Tsuna loosened his grip on Fon's shirt, his breaths eventually slowing down. Blinking blearily, he tried to regain his bearings for a moment. His head felt like it was missing his brain.
"Ah, it's been a while since I've been able to move like that," Fon said, unaware of Tsuna's hazy state. The brunet just sighed into his hands. How the hell did they get here, in this situation? Maybe it was just better if he wasn't born in the first place. "Thank you for sparing some of your energy to me."
"Yeah, whatever, you're welcome," Tsuna muttered, hopping down to his feet.
He looked around the alley they were in. It wasn't the same one in the vision but the district looked familiar and that was good enough, he supposed. How would he find the woman though? He didn't know what she looked like, and he wouldn't be able to hear her humming in the crowd.
Across the small street, the little girl appeared again as pedestrians walked by. She was pale under all the bright lights. Her glasses were cracked and there was blood on her green dress. Tsuna stiffened when their eyes met before she looked to the side. He followed her gaze to a woman in business clothes carrying some groceries. The little girl vanished when she passed her by.
That must be her, Tsuna thought.
However, before he could take a step, a strong hand pulled his arm back. Tsuna gasped when Fon slammed him against the wall, pinning him with his taller, heavier body. Fon placed a finger against his lips to keep him from speaking and smiled slightly. "It's best to stay quiet, Tsunayoshi," he whispered, his breath ghosting Tsuna's cheek. "We wouldn't want our meeting to be ill-fated, yes?"
Tsuna flushed. "I—Um, no…?"
He blinked when Fon suddenly covered his mouth and pressed him even further against the wall, the man's shirt obscuring his vision. The light fragrance of tea and plum blossoms made Tsuna's face feel hotter. A strange feeling surged in his chest, like when Lal Mirch had kissed him for the first time. The pedestrians' chatter swarmed in a dizzying blur around him. Finally, Fon pulled away; he didn't move too far though, still invading Tsuna's personal space, but the brunet could breathe. "Why did you do that?" he said.
Fon smiled. "There was what you would call a demon in the streets. I simply hid you from its sight. Did Lal Mirch tell you about them?"
Tsuna pursed his lips. "Kind of. She said they're remnants of the spirits' anger and guilt."
Fon nodded. "Yes, and it would be wise to leave the premises quickly. It has already chosen its victim, but it seems to be the fickle type."
Tsuna inhaled sharply. The woman! "Where did you see it? Was it following a woman with a grocery bag?"
Fon tilted his head. "Yes, but wh—"
"Where did they go?"
Fon pointed to their left. "They passed by a few moments ago."
Tsuna turned to exit the alley. He might be able to catch the woman in time. Fon grabbed his arm before he could leave, his grip strong like iron. "Where are you going, Tsunayoshi?"
Restraining a sigh, Tsuna looked over his shoulder with a frown. "Can you let me go? I need to find that woman."
"Why?"
And it was the curiosity in Fon's tone that drove Tsuna nuts. What did Lal Mirch say? That the Arcobaleno were deities that kept the world in check? Shouldn't they be close to humans then or something? Nothing made sense to him anymore.
"Because I have to save her!" Tsuna said, tugging his hand. "So, please, let go! She's going to die!"
"Why?"
Tsuna gaped at him. "Why what?"
"Why do you have to save her?" Fon's grip tightened a bit around Tsuna's arm, making him wince. "Do you know her?"
Tsuna furrowed his brows. "No."
"Then why do you have to save her? There is no relationship between you two. She is a stranger."
Tsuna wanted to bash his head against the wall. If this was how he was going to have to talk to these people—God, he really hoped that there weren't any more, but in his guts, he just knew that that wasn't the case—he was going to have to consider becoming a hermit and live in the mountains, far away from civilization.
"It doesn't matter!" he said. "She's an innocent person who's going to be killed by something the police can't even catch or identify, and I won't be able to save her if you don't let me go!"
"How do you know that she is innocent?"
Tsuna pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, I get that we just met like, five minutes ago. I'm trying to understand what's with you and Lal Mirch, really I am, but I have my own priorities to handle right now and I don't have the time for this. So let me go before you make me do something I'll regret."
Fon stared at him for a moment before loosening his grip. Tsuna grimaced as he massaged the sore spot. Suddenly, Fon took ahold of his hand again, gentler this time, and kissed his aching wrist. Tsuna could only gawk when Fon smiled at him. That was wrong on so many levels, even if the warm buzz in his chest purred in content. "I apologize, Tsunayoshi." He glanced up at the roof. "Perhaps we can have a better chance of finding her from above."
Tsuna blinked. "We?"
Fon smiled slightly. "It would not be safe for you to chase her by yourself. It is also best to maintain a safe distance to keep that demon unaware of our presence."
Tsuna pursed his lips. That made sense, even if Fon wasn't sane. Though Tsuna didn't like it, he had to agree. There was no point in him trying to find the woman by himself, especially when he couldn't fight, which…was embarrassing. He'd end up killing him and the woman both. Sighing, he nodded, much to Fon's delight. It was still strange how he was somehow attuned to these people's moods.
"Okay," he said. "But you're not carrying me like before."
Fon tilted his head. "Then how can I—"
"You can just…carry me on your back." It was still embarrassing but not as much as being carried bridal-style. Tsuna needed to buy a car soon. "And can you also go slower…?"
Fon blinked. "Slower." The word might as well be foreign to him. "Was there something wrong before?"
Tsuna didn't have the time for this. "Forget it. Let's just go."
After he hoisted himself onto Fon's back, Tsuna tried hard not to blush when he draped his arms over Fon's broad shoulders. He felt extremely emasculated in this position. Fon's hands were wrapped securely around his thighs and Tsuna silently prayed that he wouldn't pull anything funny.
"Are you alright?" Fon said. "You are quite light. Have you been eating a proper human diet?"
"I'm fine," Tsuna muttered. "Can we just please go find her now?"
He yelped into Fon's shoulder and tightened his arms around the man's neck when the other leapt high in the air. The wind ruffled through his hair and was cold against his cheeks. Once Tsuna was brave enough to take a peek, he saw Fon soaring over four buildings at a time, which was just insane. His eyes widened when he saw the district below. All the streets and buildings looked small but vibrant, with colorful lights and busy roads. Cars and people continuously moved to their own beat, filling the cold air with life. Tsuna could barely believe that he was seeing this or that the world was so small and vulnerable.
"She is over there, Tsunayoshi," Fon said.
Raising his head, Tsuna searched for signs of the woman below. In a moment, they weren't in Block 12 anymore but an abandoned apartment complex. The woman was wandering on the grounds, almost like she was in a daze. Briefly, Tsuna saw something shimmer around her; it vaguely looked like a black rope or thread, something thin. He gasped. "Fon, it's on her!"
Within mere seconds, Fon dashed down to the woman, swiftly rotated in midair, and kicked the invisible creature off of her. Tsuna held onto Fon like a lifeline and couldn't hear himself breathe. His heart thumped rapidly against his chest. He flinched when he heard a strange noise coming from a few feet away. It sounded like a groan mixed with some sharp clicking noise that grated his ears.
"Tsunayoshi," Fon said, "I cannot defeat it with the state I am in right now."
Tsuna widened his eyes. "What do you mean? Then how were you able to carry me here?"
Fon's voice remained calm. "Because I was able to extract some of your core essence through physical contact, though it is limited. Since we are not Harmonized, I am unable to fight it without having you with me. It would be dangerous to leave you alone as you seem to be incapable of fighting." Fon tilted his head. "Has Lal Mirch not explained this to you?"
"She didn't say anything about this!"
They tensed when something rippled in the shadows. The streetlights were too dim around the complex. The strange sound grew louder before it turned into a full-blown shriek. Tsuna winced just as the creature revealed itself. It was about the height of a man but with thinner and longer limbs. Its skin was red, like it was scratched repeatedly, and its face was grotesquely deformed with slits as eyes and a long, crooked mouth that twisted upwards where its nose should be.
Suddenly it lunged forward and rotated rapidly with its claw-like hands extended to strike. Fon dodged it fluidly, moved behind, and kicked it away again. As it rolled on the ground, Fon landed on his feet. "It would be easier if Lal Mirch were here," he said, "but it will take some time for her to catch up to us. There is nothing I can do but stall until she arrives. Even then, I do not think I can destroy it."
"But she said you were like gods!" Tsuna said, his eyes trained on the stumbling creature.
"Yes, but our state now is equivalent to that of a human's. If we were Harmonized, then I would be able to kill it. However, that is not the case."
Tsuna didn't know what he hated more: the fact that Fon was still calm enough to explain what Tsuna should've known by now or that he was in this situation to begin with. His grip stiffened on Fon's shirt. "Then what do we do?"
The creature arched its back and screeched. Fon's hands tightened around Tsuna's thighs. "We stall. I apologize, Tsunayoshi, but I need you for a little longer."
"Wh—"
Fon dashed forward and met the creature in midair. Tsuna screamed when its face appeared inches away from his before Fon hooked his left leg around its thin neck and flipped underneath it in a graceful arch. He hurled the creature to the ground just as he up righted himself in the air. A loud thud sounded from beneath them. Tsuna felt dizzy from the sudden movements, almost falling over if Fon hadn't steadied him. "Are you alright, Tsunayoshi?" he said.
"Wonderful," Tsuna mumbled into Fon's neck.
"I'm glad to hear that. It was a little sudden but not bad. It has been a while since I moved like this."
This man does not understand sarcasm at all, Tsuna thought with a deadpan expression.
"W—Who are you people?" someone said behind them. "What am I doing here? What is this place?"
Tsuna looked over his shoulder to see the woman gaping at them from the ground. He internally cursed. He had forgotten about her. "Ma'am, it's okay," he said. "We're here to help you. Do you remember how you got here?"
The woman blinked. "Huh? I—I was just going home after getting some groceries and then…" She furrowed her brows. "I…don't know." She looked around the dirty complex. "And then I find myself here…"
The creature stood up shakily, snarling and clicking rapidly. Fon slightly shifted his stance. "Get ready, Tsunayoshi."
The woman screamed. "What is that?"
Screeching, the creature jumped high over Fon and reached out for the woman with its claw-like hands. Fon sprinted to quickly intercept its attack by hooking his foot around both its thin wrists and rotating to back kick its chest. The woman screamed and covered her eyes when Fon landed in front of her. At this point, Tsuna felt like he was going to throw up. He pressed his forehead against Fon's shoulder in hopes of easing his dizziness, unconsciously breathing in the man's strangely comforting scent.
Before Tsuna could say a word, the creature moaned, its claws growing longer and sharper. How many beatings would it take for the monster to get the message already? The sound of grinding bones made him flinch. The creature's shoulders drooped as it arched its chest.
Its voice was garbled and low. "E…ri…sa…"
The woman's breath hitched. Tsuna furrowed his brows. Erisa? Was that the woman's name or the creature's? Was it sentient? The Butcher had been coherent but not mentally sound, saying something about wanting to eat souls. Tsuna's thoughts were cut short when the creature's claws shot forward like long needles. Fon immediately jumped, making Tsuna gasp. "Wait!"
The claws surrounded the woman below like a parody of scissors. Tsuna screamed, "No!"
A long wire shot from a distance, wrapped around the woman's waist, and yanked her away before the claws could slice her limbs. Fon landed on the creature's face with one foot and pushed off, shoving it away.
"Why can't you idiots stay still?" a familiar voice said. Scowling, Lal Mirch held the trembling woman in her arms. The wire led to her gauntlet. "Do you know how hard it is to keep up with you, Fon? I wasted all my energy following your trail and then I see this."
Fon smiled slightly. "I apologize, Lal Mirch." He tilted his head. "I thought you and Tsunayoshi had already Harmonized."
Lal Mirch scoffed. "We almost did until that brat showed up. And then you barged in before I could even get him ready."
Tsuna wanted to bash his head against the wall, preferably the two of their heads together. Maybe it was time to get those anti-spirit talismans his mother had recommended a long time ago. However, he had a feeling that it wouldn't be enough to keep these psychos away. Maybe because it was outnumbered, the creature snarled at them before vanishing in the shadows. Lal Mirch dropped the woman on the floor, making her yelp. "Stay still," she said, untangling the wire. "These have poison nicks on them. You don't want to die, right?"
"W—Who are you?" the woman said, looking at them with wide eyes. "What was that? How did it know my name?" Her breaths became more labored. "I must be dreaming. This is all just a bad dream."
Tsuna tapped Fon's shoulder. "Can you put me down now?"
"It is safer for you to be with me, Tsunayoshi," Fon said.
Lal Mirch narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, right. You couldn't even kill the damn thing. Just let him go."
Tsuna would never believe that he would actually thank Lal Mirch, but he shot her a grateful look when his feet touched solid ground. She returned it with a small smirk. Swaying a bit, Tsuna shook his head before heading over to the woman. "Are you okay, ma'am?" he said.
Lal Mirch got the last of her wire to unravel from the woman's stomach and retracted it into her gauntlet. The contraption dissipated soon after. When Tsuna tried to help the woman up, she slapped his hand away and crawled backwards. "S—Stay away from me!" she said.
Lal Mirch glared at her. "Hey, you're lucky enough to be alive right now without this idiot so the least you could do is show some appreciation."
Tsuna quickly blocked her from actually killing the woman and hissed, "She's terrified. You're just making it worse." He crouched down to the woman's eye-level, keeping a small distance to not frighten her more. "I know everything's overwhelming and that you're scared but please, we're not the bad guys. My name is Sawada Tsunayoshi. I work with the police."
The woman widened her eyes. "Police?"
Tsuna nodded. "I work with them on special cases. I know this might sound hard to believe but I'm telling you the truth. You saw that creature. I'm sorry, but you're not dreaming."
The woman tightly gripped the gravel underneath her. "I'm—I'm not?"
"I'm trying to figure out why it targeted you. I believe it's the same thing that killed Ashida Megumi and Tachibana Chisa."
The woman tensed when Tsuna mentioned their names. She looked down at her lap. "Megumi, Chisa…"
Tsuna furrowed his brows. "Do you know them?"
The woman nodded. "We were friends…since pre-school."
"Then does Erisa sound familiar to you?"
The woman bit her lip. "That's my name. Umeki Erisa."
Tsuna frowned. The dots were slowly being connected in his head. There was a definite connection between the victims, which could make things easier. The creature had specific targets in mind but Tsuna didn't know how many more it was going for. Also, the creature's motives were unclear. It had seemed sentient and knew Erisa's name, but Tsuna needed more information. Furthermore, what did that little girl had to do with this?
"It looks like it has a grudge," Lal Mirch said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Sometimes remnants can manifest with specific goals in mind if their hatred is strong enough." She glanced at Erisa. "It's not going to stop until it kills you."
Erisa inhaled sharply. Tsuna frowned at her sympathetically. "We can protect you. I can call someone from the police. I don't think the creature will hurt you if you're surrounded by people. The murders so far were isolated."
A bout of silence hung in the air. Finally, Erisa slowly nodded. "Okay," she said, letting out a shaky breath. "Okay. Thank you."
Tsuna nodded before grimacing a bit. "I'm sorry but could I borrow your phone? Mine broke a while back."
"Oh, um, yes." Erisa pulled her phone out of her small bag. "Here."
"Thank you." Tsuna dialed Kusakabe's number and waited for the man to pick up.
Two rings passed. "Kusakabe speaking. Who is this?"
"Ah, Kusakabe-san," Tsuna said, "it's Tsuna."
"Sawada-san? Are you alright? I'm en route to your apartment. Whose phone are you using? Did something happen?"
"I'm fine, just, I have a favor to ask of you if you don't mind. I found Ashida-san and Tachibana-san's killer and stopped it from taking its next victim."
"I'm sorry but you found the killer? Where? How?"
"I can't explain everything right now but I'm with her. Could you come here instead? I was hoping that you could put her under protection. The killer won't stop targeting her."
"O—Of course. Where are you right now?"
"We're at an abandoned apartment complex. Somewhere between Block 12 and 14 in Kokuyo, I think. I don't see the name."
"I know what you're talking about. I'll be there soon."
"Thank you, Kusakabe-san."
After Tsuna hung up, he handed Erisa her phone back. "He'll be here soon."
Erisa nodded, clutching her phone to her chest. "Thank you."
Tsuna reached a hand out to her. "Let's move over there. It'll be more comfortable."
"She can get up herself," Lal Mirch muttered, making Erisa tense.
"I agree," Fon said, his smile still in place. "Her legs are fine, Tsunayoshi."
They both shut up when Tsuna glared at them. After helping Erisa up, he led her to a bench a couple of feet away. Then he noticed her groceries soiled on the ground. Grimacing, he said, "I can ask Kusakabe-san to reimburse you somehow."
Erisa shook her head. "It's fine. I…don't really have an appetite."
Tsuna couldn't respond to that. He sat down next to her with Lal Mirch and Fon standing behind him, their presence almost stifling yet reassuring at the same time. "I'll do my best to protect you," he said. "You don't have to worry, Umeki-san."
Erisa smiled shakily. "Thank you." She looked down at her hands. "I still think I'm dreaming."
"It's okay. I don't expect you to accept it at all. Just know that me and the police will do our best to keep you safe." Tsuna smiled comfortingly. "Leave everything to us."
Erisa chewed on her lip. "Was that thing…the Butcher? I've seen the news and the things that's been happening lately. It seems like stuff you watch in movies, but…it was real. I saw it with my own eyes."
Tsuna shook his head. "No, it's not the Butcher. It's something else. I'm sorry that you had to see that."
Erisa's voice softened. "When I heard Megumi died this morning, I thought it was someone else, but they showed her picture and I just…couldn't believe it. When they said that it was a suicide, I knew that that it couldn't be true. She was going to get married." She chuckled breathlessly. "I remember when she told us when Kaito proposed to her. She was so happy. How could someone who had so much to live for just kill herself? Then when I heard Chisa died, it was just too much…"
"You seem very close."
Sniffling, Erisa nodded. "We ar—were. Megumi…was always happy. She could always brighten up the room with just a smile. Everyone loved her. Chisa"—Erisa laughed softly—"You could always depend on her for anything. After college, we got busy with our own lives but we tried to meet up when we could. We just saw each other yesterday…" She quickly wiped away her tears. "I'm sorry. I'm such a mess."
Tsuna shook his head. "No, it's okay. It's fine to let everything out." He searched his jacket pockets to see if he had any tissues and luckily found one. He handed it to Erisa. "Here."
"Hey," Lal Mirch said.
Scowling, Tsuna pulled the tissue away from her reach before giving it to a confused Erisa. "Um, I didn't want to pry before but who are they, Sawada-san?" she said, dabbing her eyes.
Fon's smile tightened slightly. "We are his lo—"
"Cousins!" Tsuna said quickly. "Um, what I mean is that Fon is Hibari-san's…cousin."
Erisa blinked. She glanced at Fon before blushing a bit. "Well, they do look similar."
Fon tilted his head. "Who is—"
"And Lal Mirch is Hibari-san's second cousin! From his…mother's side." Well, Lal Mirch looked scary enough to be part of the Hibari family.
Lal Mirch scowled. "Don't clump me with that ba—"
"They're just here to help with the investigation." Tsuna forced on a smile. "It doesn't hurt to have extra hands sometimes."
Erisa nodded slowly. "I see." She bowed towards them. "Thank you for saving my life, Fon-san, Lal Mirch-san."
Tsuna breathed a small sigh of relief. He almost blew it. He'd think about the consequences later. "Ah, Umeki-san, I was wondering if either Ashida-san or Tachibana-san had a daughter or niece."
Erisa cocked her head. "A daughter or a niece? No, Megumi wanted to wait until she got married and Chisa doesn't like children. They also don't have any siblings. Why?"
Tsuna rubbed the back of his head. "Ah, I see. I was just wondering because…we think that Ashida-san might have been led to the roof by someone before her death. The details are a little fuzzy, but can I describe her to you?"
"Of course."
"She seems to be around 6-years-old, with glasses, rectangular glasses, and black hair up to here." Tsuna gestured vaguely at his shoulders.
Erisa widened her eyes before looking away. "I—I don't know who you're talking about."
"It is not good to lie," Fon said, his smile still faint.
Tsuna waved him off. "It's okay, Umeki-san. Thank you though."
Soon, a pair of bright headlights lit up in the distance. Two black cars appeared at the complex, the gravel crunching underneath their tires. Smiling reassuringly, Tsuna helped Erisa up. "That's them."
Kusakabe exited the car in the front. "Sawada-san!" He looked taken aback when he saw Fon, blinking a couple of times. "And…?"
"I was just showing Hibari-san's cousins around," Tsuna said, silently praying for Kusakabe to get the message. He glanced at Erisa with a strained smile.
Shaking out of his stupor, Kusakabe nodded. "Ah, I see. Right. Thank you, Sawada-san."
"Kusakabe-san," Tsuna said, "this is Umeki Erisa."
"I wish we could meet under better circumstances, Umeki-san," Kusakabe said. "But I can assure you that my men and I will protect you to the fullest capacity."
Erisa bowed. "Thank you. I truly apologize for this."
"There's no need to apologize. You're the victim here. Daiki, take her to the car."
One of the officers saluted. "Yes, sir!"
After Daiki led Erisa away, Kusakabe turned to Tsuna and pulled out a phone from his pocket. "I was just about to deliver this to you when you called," he said. "I put our numbers in there just in case."
Tsuna accepted the orange phone with a smile. It looked exactly like his old phone; even the model was the same. "Thank you, Kusakabe-san. You didn't have to."
Kusakabe shook his head. "It was the least we could do." He pursed his lips. "Are you alright, Sawada-san? Do you need to go to the hospital?"
"He's fine," Lal Mirch said.
Kusakabe tensed a bit before regaining his composure. "Ah, yes. Thank you for keeping him safe, Lal Mirch-san." He glanced at Fon. "And you are…?"
Fon smiled slightly. "I am Fon. What is your relationship with Tsunayoshi?"
Tsuna pinched the bridge of his nose. "There's nothing between us. Kusakabe-san is just my…boss."
"Boss," Fon said, testing the word. "Like your master?"
Tsuna looked at him, mortified. It didn't help that Lal Mirch was snickering in the background. "Work boss!"
"Ah, I see."
I don't think you do, Tsuna thought, mentally tearing his hair out.
"I called for another car to drive you home, Sawada-san," Kusakabe said.
"Oh, thank you," Tsuna said, blinking.
"Is there any way you can explain the situation?"
Tsuna pursed his lips. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around it, too." He glanced at the car where Erisa was. "But do you mind if I tell you later, after I get things sorted out? I think we'll be okay for now. The killer wanted only Umeki-san and since she's still alive…"
Kusakabe nodded in understanding. "I see. We'll keep her in the station overnight just in case and assign some surveillance officers later. Thank you, Sawada-san."
"It was the least I could do. Please keep her safe."
"We will. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yeah."
Lal Mirch climbed in the back of the car first before pulling Tsuna inside, making him yelp. Fon calmly followed suit and closed the door. The driver glanced at the mirror. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes!" Tsuna said, sitting upright. He glared at Lal Mirch who just smiled innocently. "Everything's great."
As the officer drove him back to his apartment, an awkward silence fell in the car. Tsuna felt like melting into his seat. It felt hot. He unzipped his jacket to cool himself down but it didn't work. He jumped when Lal Mirch suddenly whispered in his ear, "You know, for a moment back there, I thought you were going to bring that woman back home."
Tsuna rubbed his ear. "Do you have to do that?"
Lal Mirch glanced at the driver who was speaking into his Bluetooth earpiece. Tsuna sighed. "No. I thought about it but there's too many things I don't know so it would've been counterproductive. You still owe me an explanation, both of you."
Lal Mirch raised her hands in mock-surrender. "Right."
Tsuna furrowed his brows. "Also, it would be better for us if Umeki-san wasn't with us."
Fon tilted his head. "Why is that?"
"Because then that creature won't reveal itself if it sees us around her, specifically you two. I don't know how things work in your world, but I'm guessing that it knows its place when it comes to you guys. Lal Mirch told me before that it would be better if she wasn't fighting against it alone." Tsuna tapped his lips in thought. "Then again, it could just be because it was outnumbered."
He grunted when Lal Mirch pulled him into a headlock and ruffled his hair. "I like the way you think, Tsuna," she said, grinning.
"So you are saying that the woman is bait," Fon said, nodding to himself. "I see. That works in our favor. We must be prepared for the next time then."
"That's not what I said!" Tsuna said. "Lal Mirch, let me go."
"I like it," Lal Mirch said, ignoring him. "Plus, it's faster that way." She grinned almost manically down at him. "We can get more acquainted after."
Tsuna blushed at the implications. He shook his head. "No! I don't want to!"
Fon just smiled. "Then I will also do my best so that we can get acquainted."
Lal Mirch glared at him. "Hey, I found him first."
"And yet, you have not Harmonized with him."
"Oh, just you wait and see. I'll have him screaming by the end of the week while you watch from the sidelines."
"I have no intentions of being there."
"Is that a bet?"
Tsuna just wanted to die.
When they entered his apartment, Tsuna tossed his jacket aside and ran inside the kitchen. He groaned when he saw the ruined soba noodles. Sighing, he threw them out and just settled on making some fried rice. Lal Mirch opened his fridge and peered inside. "No wonder you're so skinny," she said. "You need to go shopping."
"My paycheck comes in next week," Tsuna muttered, cooking some simple fried rice. "And I'm not that skinny. I just…don't eat a lot." He yelped when Fon suddenly touched his waist and almost dropped the pan. "What are you doing?"
Fon's hands roamed around his stomach, almost like he was feeling him up. "I have said this before. You are fairly light. I can feel your ribs, Tsunayoshi."
Tsuna smacked his hands away. "Word of advice, don't get into people's personal space like that! For someone who talks about being polite, you're not like that at all!"
Lal Mirch snickered from the table, chugging down a water bottle. "That's no way to flirt, Fon," she said.
"Like you're any better!" Tsuna said, filling up three plates. "Don't you have somewhere else to stay? A hotel or something? Just eat and go back."
"I don't have money," Lal Mirch said, shrugging. "Spent everything to come here." She smiled at him coyly. "Plus, I found you and wherever you are, I'm there, which is here."
Fon just smiled. "The same goes for me as well."
Tsuna gaped at them. "How did you even manage to get this far?"
"It was easier in the beginning," Lal Mirch said, taking her plate. "We were still at full power for a while."
Fon nodded in thanks when Tsuna placed his dish down. "Yes, but not having Luce took a toll on us and we eventually deteriorated. I was stuck in China for a while because of that." He smiled at Tsuna. "But since Lal Mirch sent us a message that she found a likely-compatible Sky, I did not waste any time coming here."
Tsuna raised a brow. "Luce? Who's Luce? And what do you mean by Sky?"
Lal Mirch pointed her spoon at Fon. "How did you even get a ticket? Last time we spoke, you were in the mountains or something."
Fon smiled. "I spoke to a woman who had a ticket to Namimori and appealed to her empathy. I told her that I needed to see a lost lover before she died. Humans can be quite soft when it comes to emotions."
Lal Mirch blinked. "And she just gave you her ticket?"
"Yes."
Lal Mirch clicked her tongue. "That only worked because you're good-looking. If you weren't, she wouldn't even look at you." She shoveled more rice in her mouth. "Still, good for you, I guess. Also, do you have more of this, Tsuna? It's really good. You can cook."
Tsuna shook his head. "Wait, wait, wait, wait! Back up! Answer my questions! What do you mean by Sky? That's what you called me when I found you. What does that mean? And who's Luce?"
Fon blinked. "You did not explain anything to him?"
Lal Mirch shrugged. "Things happened. Not my fault."
"Ah, well, we are the Arcobaleno," Fon said. "As Lal Mirch had told you, you can think of us as gods or deities, but we're more powerful than your visions of a god. We keep the different planes in balance and are primarily situated in the mortal realm, or what you call Earth. We each have our own skills and functions that distinguish us from another. For example, Lal Mirch's domain is the gateway between Earth and what you would call Heaven. She could be considered a Rain but since her Flames are not as pure, they are a mixture of Rain, Cloud, and Mist. On the other hand, Colonnello is our primary Rain. I, myself, am a Storm. Luce was our Sky until she disappeared and left us." His smile tightened when he spoke Luce's name. "We each represent what you call the weather elements for simple classification. There is Sky, Storm, Rain, Cloud, Lightning, Sun, and Mist, with the exception of Night, which goes to Bermuda. He is in charge of the gateway between Earth and what you would call Hell."
Tsuna's mind swam with the deluge of information. He chewed on his rice in thought. The woman from his dreams flashed in his mind. "Did you find her?"
Lal Mirch scowled at the table. "No. We just ended up wasting our time. She just left. Didn't tell us why or where she went." She leaned back on her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. "We die if we don't have a Sky for too long." She smirked at Tsuna, making him shiver. "But I found you and you fit the bill more than perfectly. Congratulations."
"I'm surprised that you even exist, Tsunayoshi," Fon said. "But I'm glad that you do. In a sense, you will help us become whole again. I do admire humans' will but I do not think I can stand the state of my body forever. It's quite oppressive."
Tsuna abruptly stood up then. He passed Lal Mirch his half-finished plate before walking by. "You can eat it," he said.
Lal Mirch tugged his shirt. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to shower," Tsuna said blandly. "Just put your plates in the sink when you're done. I'll wash them later."
He entered the bathroom and locked the door. His shoulders sagged. "I did not sign up for this," he mumbled under his breath, turning on the water.
Instead of a shower, he decided to just take a bath (and maybe drown to death). Shedding his clothes, he crept inside the tub and sighed, the sound echoing in the small space. The warm water felt good on his skin; his muscles relaxed and he sunk deeper until the water reached his chin. He looked up at the white ceiling. His mind was foggy and he was too tired to think.
Tsuna pursed his lips. "I don't want to believe them," he muttered, placing his hand over his chest. His heartbeat quickened a bit. "But…"
He shrieked when the door suddenly slammed open. Some water spilled over the tub. "What the hell?"
Fon smiled at him. "I thought it would be a good time to join you."
"What?" Tsuna was torn between kicking Fon out—Tsuna was naked—or drowning right then and there. "You can come in later when I'm done!"
"I believe that it is a waste to use that much water for so many people at different times," Fon said, entering the bathroom. "Conserving water is quite important, especially with the state of this world, and the bathtub has room for two or three people. It's doable."
"And I believe that you should get out!" Tsuna widened his eyes when Fon started to strip. "What are you doing?"
He flushed when he saw Fon's well-toned chest. That was definitely a six-pack and a dragon tattoo. Oh, God. Tsuna covered his eyes and wished he could just die right then and there. Being a ghost didn't seem too bad in retrospect. What could go wrong? Tsuna's hands muffled his cry when Fon stepped inside the tub and sat down, the water sloshing against him a bit. He tensed when Fon's long legs brushed against his.
"There is nothing to be embarrassed about, Tsunayoshi," Fon said. "We are both men, no?"
"Oh my God, just get out," Tsuna spoke into his hands.
"What that hell are you doing?" a voice said from the doorway.
Gasping, Tsuna looked up and paled when he saw Lal Mirch glaring at them. "Wait, no, this isn't—"
He shrieked and covered his eyes again when Lal Mirch just took off her shirt. He heard her toss it aside and her footsteps drawing closer. This wasn't happening, this could not be happening right now.
"We are just conserving water," Fon said.
"Move, idiot! You're not getting all the fun! How many times do I have to say I found him first?"
Tsuna coughed and sputtered when water rushed in his mouth. He sat up, unknowingly making space for Lal Mirch, and rubbed his face. His eyes widened when he saw Lal Mirch sit in-between him and Fon, her arms draped over the edge of the bathtub. He tried hard not to stare.
"Get used to it, Tsuna," Lal Mirch said, running a hand through her hair. "I can't have you freakin' out on me later in bed." Tsuna just stared at her, mortified. She narrowed her eyes. "Have you been with a woman before?" She eyed him up and down. "Nah, you're definitely a virgin." She grinned. "You were all flustered when I kissed you. It was cute."
Shit. Fon wasn't smiling. "You kissed him?"
"Yeah, because I found him first."
"But you have not Harmonized."
"We will, and I call first dibs."
Tsuna nearly choked on his spit. "I—I'm not!"
Immediately, Fon and Lal Mirch's gazes zeroed in on him. A chill settled in the air. Tsuna flushed and hugged his knees closer to his chest. He wished that he could just blend in with the walls.
"You're not what, Tsuna?" Lal Mirch said, her voice low.
"Not—Not—" Tsuna couldn't find the words to speak properly. "Not…Harmonizing?"
And just like that, the tension dissipated. Lal Mirch shrugged. "Oh, no worries." She winked. "We'll get there. I'll make sure to give you a good time."
Fon's smile returned. "Ah, for a moment, I thought you were about to say that you are not a virgin."
Lal Mirch nodded seriously. "That would be a different story."
For the umpteenth time that day, Tsuna wanted to just drop dead.
Tsuna almost collapsed on his bed. After that hell, he just wanted to sleep and hopefully wake up to an empty apartment with no psycho gods around or whatever. He yelped when Lal Mirch plopped down beside him. "I call this spot," she said.
Tsuna gaped at her. "Why are you here? I gave you a futon!"
His bed sunk on the other side where Fon sat. The man smiled at him as he slipped under the covers. "It is better to protect you when we are with you."
"What?"
Tsuna grunted when Lal Mirch hugged him against her chest, making him blush. He was right on her…breasts. His face felt like it'd explode any second. A cool, rippling sensation flowed through his body, making him relax. Lal Mirch hushed him gently as she ran a hand through his hair. "Just go to sleep, Tsuna."
Fon draped an arm over his waist just as Tsuna's eyes closed shut and darkness sweetly enveloped him.
He didn't dream that night, which was a first. It felt almost liberating, nice.
When Tsuna stirred awake, he was greeted with an empty bed. He blinked a couple of times. Was this when the dream would start…? He sat up, the covers falling from his shoulders, and looked around groggily. Fon and Lal Mirch were gone. Ignoring the small emptiness in his chest at the sight, Tsuna stumbled out of his bed. The floor was cold against his feet until he slipped on his slippers. He checked the time: 8:21 AM.
That…wasn't bad. He'd usually get up much later since he was mostly exhausted from working on Hibari's cases or his night shift at the restaurant. Right, he had to call his boss and somehow beg him not to fire him. Ruffling his hair, Tsuna opened his door and headed outside. He rubbed his eyes to get rid of some remaining sleep.
"Oh, you're up."
Tsuna froze. Slowly, he lowered his hands to see Lal Mirch, Fon, and another stranger at his dining table. Lal Mirch grinned at him, leaning her cheek on her fist. "You look cute like that," she said. "Doesn't he?"
The green-haired man fixed his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "I cannot determine that without more sufficient evidence."
Lal Mirch rolled her eyes. "Come on. Look at him."
"I am."
"He looks like, I don't know, a bunny."
"That is not possible. The human anatomy—"
Lal Mirch dropped her face on her hand. "Forget it. Just shut up."
Fon smiled at Tsuna. "I took the liberty of brewing some tea, if you don't mind. You only had green tea though. Could you get some oolong tea the next time you go shopping?"
Tsuna wisely didn't mention that the green tea was mostly for Hibari. "Who are you? What—How did you get in?"
The stranger considered him with sharp eyes that belied his nearly haggard state. "I'm Verde, the Lightning Arcobaleno. You are Sawada Tsunayoshi, supposedly our Sky. I'll have to study you further to see if we are compatible to Harmonize. Until then, pretend I'm not here in order for me to observe you properly."
Tsuna just stared at him. "Can I ask a question?" he said slowly.
"You never answered mine about the oolong tea," Fon said. Was he pouting?
Lal Mirch sighed. "Go ahead."
"Exactly how many are there of you people?"
Lal Mirch smirked in amusement. "Three down, five more to go."
Tsuna didn't even bother to ask if any of them were sane. They just grew stranger as they kept appearing in his house.
He really wanted to die.
A/N Oof, tons of stuff going on here. But hope you enjoyed the fan service. :^D
Thank you for reading! I hope to see you again in the next chapter.
Have a lovely day~
Little Miss Bunny