Chapter 15
And so, peace was restored to the world. Byakuran was gone. The real Vongola Guardians of the era reappeared. The Varia returned back to their base.
But Aoi was still troubled by… things. It had been weeks since Fran saved her from certain death with his 'kiss of life' but they hadn't been able to exchange a word or two since then. It seemed as if Fran was distancing himself away from her. It hurt. Her chest hurt. Ugh. Annoying. She squished the grapefruit she held between her fingers.
"Aoi-chan, it's bad to waste food like that," Lussuria reprimanded.
"Ah, gomen, Lussuria ni-chan," she apologized.
"Worried?" Lussuria asked.
"Hm? Me? Worried? Iya, iya, Chigau, you're wrong," Aoi forced herself to smile.
"I see," Lussuria frowned.
"Anyway, did boss give out any missions?" she asked.
"No, weren't you listening earlier?" Lussuria said.
"I guess not… Ja, I have to go, Tsuna asked me to come by for a while, he said that he had to talk to me about something," she stood up.
"Eh… the boss wouldn't like that."
"I already asked his permission. See you later!" she left.
It had been two months after the ten years younger version Vongola guardians left. During that time, she became close friends with Tsuna and his comrades, despite her fellow Varia officers' reluctance. Jeez, what was wrong with Tsuna anyway? It was fun to hang out with them… from time to time. Her thoughts shifted to a certain mist user, not her brother. By the way, she just recently found out that they weren't really related by blood. Oh well, who cared? Why was Fran acting so distant? Did he hate me? Agh! She was so consumed by her own thoughts that she wasn't looking where she was going. "Oof. Ah! Gomen!" she bumped somebody. She teetered backwards, a strong hand reached out to steady her. She looked up, and saw the person of her thoughts.
"Ahh…" Fran and Aoi simultaneously said.
Awkward silence. Still, Fran's grip on her waist didn't slacken. Slowly, a faint tint of pink crawled on their faces.
"Arara, Aoi, I thought you'd go and meet Sawada-san?" Lussuria asked upon seeing Aoi.
"Eh? Uhm… I was just leaving," she yanked herself away from Fran and walked as fast as she could to the exit, "Yabai! I'm an hour late!" she began to run.
Fran stared at her running figure. His eyebrows knotted together. What was Aoi going to do with Tsuna? Did she like him? His mind replayed the scene when Aoi helped Tsuna up. How come she was so kind to him and everyone else even if it was he, Fran, who saved her from certain death with his 'kiss of life'? Why did she smile at that Tsuna while she frowned at him? She even punched him!
Lussuria looked at Fran, he sighed.
"Tsuna! I'm so sorry! I made you wait for an hour!" Aoi said, panting as she apologized to the Tenth.
"Teme, how dare you make Juudaime wait like that?" Gokudera, ever present beside Tsuna, growled.
"Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna reprimanded his storm guardian, "No, no it's fine, Aoi, I just finished going over some paperwork, so its okay."
"Ehh, you know, I can't imagine your ten year old younger self doing paperwork," Aoi teased, and laughed afterwards. Tsuna joined in.
"I also can't believe I'm doing this kind of thing…" he sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Anyway, what do you want to talk about?" Aoi asked, getting straight to the point.
"Irie-san told me just now that you escaped from the Vindice, how?" Tsuna asked.
"Eh? Why do you want to know?"
"I was wondering if you escaped illegally, the Vindice would immediately come looking for you then…"
"Oh that, I kinda made a deal with my prisoners," she smiled.
"Hm? What deal?"
"That I would return to the Vindice after 2 months of freedom."
"Why? Why did you do such a thing?"
"Isn't the reason obvious? When the Vongola is in danger, everyone has to help right? Besides, I was itching to pulverize Byakuran even just a little bit."
"But then, you're last day is today!"
"Right! So yeah, the Vindice are collecting me at 12 midnight…"
Silence. Everyone in the tenth's office swallowed the crucial information.
"Then we should throw a party TO THE EXTREME!" Ryohei shouted, breaking the silence.
"Ehhh?" Aoi said in disbelief.
"Is that okay Tsuna?" the sun guardian asked.
"Of course!" the tenth agreed.
So, Aoi stayed over until ten in the night. It was fun partying with the Vongola people. It was really fun seeing their faces when she told them she played an electric guitar.
"H-how? I don't believe you!" Gokudera had said.
"Wanna try me out?" Aoi had replied. Out of nowhere she brought out an electric guitar and proceeded to play a farewell song.
She thinks I'm crazy
Judging by the faces that she's making
And I think she's pretty
But pretty's just part of the things she does that amaze ne
And she calls me sweatheart
I love it when she wakes me when it's still dark.
And she watches the sun.
But she's the only one I have my eyes on.
Tell me that you love me, and it'll be alright
Are you thinking of me?
Just come with me tonight
You know I need you
Just like you need me
Can't stop, won't stop, I must be dreaming
Can't stop, won't stop, I must be dreaming
Remember the day when we started this
And she made the shape of my heart with her hands
We try to make some sense of it
But she called me on the phone and said…
Tell me that you love me, and it'll be alright
Are you thinking of me?
Just come with me tonight
You know I need you
Just like you need me
Can't stop, won't stop, I must be dreaming
Can't stop, won't stop, I must be dreaming
Afterwards, she had cried. They had comforted her.
Ugh. She was going to miss those idiots. It was already eleven in the night. Only an hour left until she returned to the Vindice prison. She hummed the chorus of the song she just sang.
Tell me that you love me, and it'll be alright
Are you thinking of me?
Just come with me tonight
You know I need you
Just like you need me
Can't stop, won't stop, I must be dreaming
Can't stop, won't stop, I must be dreaming
She made it safely back to the base. Just as she was about to enter the living room, she felt a hand grasp her wrist and pull her backwards.
"Success!" Fran thought. Aoi was now encased between a wall and him. No room for escape.
"F-fran-kun? Wh-what are you doing?" demanded the enraged Aoi.
"Why?" Fran asked.
"Why what?" Aoi fumed. Why is it that ever since then, she had been acting this way when talking to Fran? Maybe because it was easier to hide her feelings by being angry or acting irritated…
"Why do you keep avoiding me? Why do you add –kun to my name? Why did you go and visit the tenth?" he asked a barrage of questions.
"Whoa. Wait, before I answer any of those questions, answer mine first. Deal?"
"Yes, deal."
"Do you like me?" Aoi asked, nervously.
"… NO."
"Oh," she bit her lower lip which was trembling. She sniffed. Fran raised his eyebrows at her reaction. "Okay, my answer to your first question: truthfully, I thought you were the one who was avoiding me… I didn't want to see or talk to you because I couldn't bear –because I couldn't take the pain I feel in my heart whenever that happens. I add –kun to your name because it would be terribly awkward to just call you 'Fran' when you just said that you didn't like me and third, I visited the tenth because I had to tell him something really important that has no relation whatsoever to you nor the Varia," she took a deep breath. "Are you happy now?"
It was thirty minutes to midnight.
"What important thing?" Fran asked.
"It won't matter to you anyway, so why don't you just let me go and sleep?" Aoi countered.
"Oh yes it would."
"No it won't."
"I won't let you go unless you tell me."
"Why is it that you make my business yours? I already told you that it wouldn't matter even if I tell you!" she said, her tears flowing down. She frowned and rubbed her eyes fiercely with her hands.
"Tell me, Aoi, please?" Fran said. He was nervous, nervous enough to make him say her name and plead. What if Aoi told Tsuna that she loved him?
"I escaped from the Vindice right? In order to do that I made a deal with them, I'd be imprisoned again after two months of freedom and… at midnight, they would take me back… I told you that it wasn't related to you or the Varia."
Fran was shocked. He was going to lose her? Just like how he lost his family? His relatives? No! He didn't want that to happen.
"Fran?" Aoi called his attention. It was now or never. He turned to look at her. Her lips hit his. She gave him a brief kiss and broke away. She screwed her eyes shut. "I-I l-love you."
For the first time, Fran's eyes displayed emotion. It softened… a lot. He hugged Aoi with all his might.
"Eeh?" Aoi asked, confused, her cheeks red.
Fran pressed his mouth to her ear and whispered something.
"I did not just hear that…" Aoi thought.
As though Fran read her mind, his breath tickled her skin as he repeated his words.
So this is what heaven feels like.
The two young people's lips met for the second time of the day. But at this moment, Aoi and Fran didn't hold any reservations.
It was a midnight.
"Voiii! That Aoi! Where is she?" Squalo shouted.
"Ushishishi… first one to kill her wins the game," Bel said.
"Arara, didn't you mean to say, 'first one to find her wins the game?" Lussuria corrected.
"Urusai, has anyone of you seen Fran?" Levi asked. Everyone glared pointedly at Bel.
The prince raised his hands, "Search me, I don't know."
"Senpai, you were looking for us?" Fran asked, his right arm draped casually over Aoi, keeping her close.
"Fran, it's really, really hot, can you let go?" Aoi urged.
"Yada."
"Aww. Come on! Fra-" Aoi was cut off as Fran used his lips to silence hers, tilting her head up using his hand. He let go after a minute.
"Na-na-na-nani?" Squalo, Bel, Lussuria and Levi shouted.
"She's mine," Fran announced.
Aoi sighed at the hopelessness of his case.
"Anyway," Lussuria said, waving the case off, "the boss wants to talk to you, Aoi."
"Hai!" Aoi walked, closely followed by Fran. "Fran, you can't come."
"Yada. I'll go with you."
"You have stubborn-ish issues," Aoi said, sighing… again. She opened the door to Xanxus's room, and dodged a bullet. "Boss, you called?" she dodged another bullet.
"Teme, do you know how much I paid to make the Vindice release you?"
"Nani? They did? I'm free? Seriously?" Aoi did a mock shocked face. For this, Xanxus fired another bullet aimed at Aoi. "Hiiee!" she dodged again.
"And you had the nerve to tell that to Tsunayoshi Sawada…"
"Well, you didn't ask!" she retorted.
"For that, go on this mission," he threw a piece of folded paper to Aoi which hit her squarely on the forehead.
"Ittaii! Nani? What's this? EHHHH? B-be the c-covergirl of the V-vongola M-magazine?" she sweatdropped. "FFRAAN!"
Interestingly, all of the Varia members blushed.
"AHO!" Aoi let her powers go loose, sparing nobody, even if Fran was her boyfriend and all, he got his fair share of bruises. "Baka," she wiped her hands on her uniform and stomped out of the room.
The Varia headquarters had to be renovated again…
THE END.
YESSS! I FINISH! SORRY FOR THE SUCKY ENDING THOUGH. *pouts* gomen gomen gomen gomen
The song in this chapter is "I Must be Dreaming" by the Maine. Check out there songs, they're awesome. *thumbs up*
I'm planning to make an epilogue. *winks* What do you guys think? Comment me if you want to have one. :))
Thanks for all the reviews! I really really appreciate it!
Oh yeah, if you think something's wrong with my grammar or I spelled Japanese terms the wrong way, please don't be shy to leave suggestions!
Arigatou Gozaimasu! :)) *gives everyone a great big hug.* :