Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn. Probably a good thing or people would have to wait long periods of time for the next chapter to come out.
Pairing-to-be: Chrome/Tsuna/Mukuro and other pairings are still fluid in my planning. Gokudera/Yamamoto/Haru has been mentioned.
Chapter Six
Chrome ran up the stairs, barely breathing as she reached the third floor. The moment needed for her to open the door allowed her to catch her breath and shout into the room. "Chikusa!"
Chikusa looked up from his book, with his usual frown, and raised an eyebrow. He sat already dressed on the side of his bed. Ken's head popped out from under the covers on the other bed.
"I need your help, Chikusa-kun." Chrome clasped her hands together in a prayer pose.
"You broke the Decimo already?" Ken's lisp was stronger than usual. Only experience allowed Chrome and Chikusa to understand him. He cackled and curled up in the blankets again with the comment of, "'Thought that would take a little longer."
Chikusa's frown deepened. "How troublesome."
"Please help?" Chrome asked again.
Chikusa stared at her blankly. "What happened?"
"Boss—"
"Hit his head. Kufufufu. So clumsy of him."
Chrome and Chikusa stared at the doorway as Mukuro walked in. Ken twisted and fell off the bed with his blankets, trapping him in a cotton cocoon.
"Mukuro-sama!" Chrome greeted and launched herself at the Italian illusionist. She wrapped her arms around him. As soon as she made contact she felt the fakeness that meant this was only a construct. "Are you really here?"
"In the kitchen, holding poor Tsunayoshi-kun."
Chrome flinched. "Is Boss okay? He didn't seem like he had a concussion. His pupils were normal and—"
"Shh. A hard hit but nothing serious." Mukuro patted Chrome on the head, smoothing out her mussed hair. The touch felt a little too light. Chrome wondered if Mukuro was distracted; normally his illusions were perfect even when he did not intend to make her believe them. "He seems a bit confused."
Chrome frowned against Mukuro's shoulder. Boss seemed dazed, not confused, when she had left him. What did you do, Mukuro? "Are you sure he is alright?"
"Doubting Mukuro-sama?" Ken asked with an unheated sneer. A loose bit of anger from the frustration of trying to get out of the blankets.
No, I am questioning him. But to say that would be an even greater sin to Ken Joshima and Chrome would prefer to pretend she doubted Mukuro. Not that Mukuro would have believed it; their connection was too great for her to hide such a thing and Mukuro would have smoothed such a thing out years ago. Mukuro could claim to be cold and uncaring all he wanted. Chrome knew the truth; he, like Chrome, was just picky who he cared for. "I'm worried, Mukuro. He slipped because of me."
His eyebrows raised, a theatrical action more than a response. Then he looked her up and down. "Surprised him, didn't you? I told you to leave him alone."
Unwilling to be implicated in the crime with her, Ken and Chikusa looked away. Chrome was not surprised. The duo may help her but disobeying Mukuro to his face—or in a way he could visible see—was a bit much. "I had him break off a meeting with Byakuran."
Mukuro's lips twitched for a moment. Then he shook his head. "Byakuran is not easily deterred, Chrome-chan. If Tsunayoshi does not normally cancel, he will be suspicious, investigate, and be more determined in his pursuit. He is not stupid and Tsunayoshi is equally as stubborn."
Chrome recognized the tone of voice. Mukuro was remembering his defeat and the events leading to Tsunayoshi's death. Chrome sometimes wondered what was worse for Mukuro, Tsuna planning his own death and not telling them or his failed attempt to revenge the Vongola Boss's murder. "And we will be here to out maneuver the bastard."
The swear felt odd on her tongue and all three men gave her weird looks. She didn't swear normally. Through her childhood she had been painfully polite and even after the Mukuro's assurances she did not need to stay that way, Chrome kept to her humble speech mostly and avoiding the words and foreign equivalents to what her mother was so fond of yelling at her.
Mukuro started laughing. Ken mumbled from the floor, "Swear in front of the bastard and our problems will be fixed. Right Kakipi?"
The stoic nodded.
Chrome blushed and smiled a little. "I will be sure to try it."
The illusion Mukuro smirked. "Perhaps we first should help Tsunayoshi-kun before the young Undicesimo wakes up."
Without waiting for a response (not that there would be any disagreement), the illusion broke into wisps before disappearing.
Chrome started back downstairs. She heard Ken shout, "Help me out of here Kakipi!"
She looked up the stairs to see Chikusa smirking as he followed her down.
Chrome smiled and continued her way down. She made her way to the dinning room and was almost in the kitchen when her name was called out. She stopped and turned around. "Gokudera-kun," she said, more in surprise than greeting.
"Why are you running around in just a shirt?" Gokudera asked, blushing brightly.
Chrome cocked her head, unsure of what to say. The slightest idea of Tsuna being injured would send the man into a panic, likely involving a rash use of explosives.
Chikusa appeared beside her. Gokudera's fist clenched, a tame reaction compared to some of his responses when the Kokuyo Gang appeared. Gokudera had gotten over Chrome (mostly, he still sputtered when she would kiss Tsuna on the cheek--she almost felt bad for him, she planed on geting much more affectionate with the Boss) but the others brought combat responses to the surface. He walked over to them. "Is everything alright?"
"Yes, of course." Chrome cheerfully responded. Gokudera relaxed a bit and the unclenching of his fist made his Vongola ring glitter in the morning sun.
Chikusa blinked. "Sistema C.A.I. can use the Sun Element."
Gokudera crossed his arms. "Yeah."
Chrome was suddenly glad that Ken could talk a person's ear off. She would have gone nuts if she had to deal with more than one laconic male.
"Can you heal?"
A slight shift in his hands told Chrome he had bombs ready. Chrome glared at Chikusa.
"I can heal. Is that a challenge?" Gokudera hissed out. Chrome supposed he should look threatening (and he did when she first met him) with his piercings, punk jewelry, and bad attitude but Chrome had seen him go from ready to kill to excited puppy as soon as Tsuna appeared too many times.
"The Decimo needs help in the kitchen."
Gokudera rushed past them after Chikusa said the word kitchen. Chrome flinched when she heard the scream of "Let Judaime go!"
Mukuro's only response was laughter. Chrome mentally cursed the eggs and the chickens that laid them for ruining her plans of teasing Tsuna all morning.
She finally entered the kitchen with a silent Chikusa behind her to see a squirming Gokudera attached to the counter with lotus vines and Mukuro crouched on the kitchen table with Tsuna in his arms. "Stop!" She yelled. Miraculously, Gokudera and the vines stopped moving. "Gokudera-kun, Mukuro did not hurt Boss. The injury was my fault. Mukuro-sama, Gokudera can heal Boss. Would you let him go?"
"Kufufu. What every my Chrome-chan asks."
Chrome was tempted to test that.
The vines dropped Gokudera onto the floor and remained attached to the counter, twisting and buds blossoming behind the Storm Guardian. Gokudera did not seem to notice the vines' continued existence and repeatedly mouthed "Your fault" in Chrome's direction as if his brain broke.
Chrome sighed and helped him up. She pulled Gokudera over to Tsuna who now lay on a hospital bed with Mukuro dressed like a surgeon, complete with apron, mask, and scalpel. As much as Chrome loved Mukuro, the idea of him with a scalpel and as a doctor scared her. "Mukuro, please?."
Mukuro gave a long suffering sigh that Chrome did not feel he deserved and the imagery disappeared, revealing Tsuna laying simply on the small kitchen table. Gokudera quickly got to work first checking the head wound—Chrome was grateful there was only bruising, Mukuro and her own conscious would never give her peace if she nearly offed Tsuna by accident in the kitchen—and activated the Sistema C.A.I. The healing was instantaneous and Tsuna blinked several times before looking around. He smiled.
"Gokudera!" He jumped off the table to give his right hand man a hug. "I haven't seen you in a while. Hey guys, what's going on?" Tsuna looked around the kitchen.
"No hug for me, Tsunayoshi-kun?"
Tsuna went pale and he turned to face Mukuro. He stilled completely before uttering, "You-your lips-mine-ack!"
Mukuro merely smirked.
Chrome's jaw dropped. Her whisper of "hypocritical bastard" was drowned out by Gokudera's reaction.
"I am going to kill you! You kissed Judaime!" Bombs appeared in his hands but before he could light them a voice called out behind him.
"Who kissed my father?"
Undicesimo--Eleventh
About concussions— I am not a doctor and I twisted the situation to fit my wants (aka Tsuna kissing Mukuro). I am basing the head injury on my brother's experiences and from my own experiences and little research. The most visual sign for a concussion seems to be different shaped pupils, which Tsuna did not have. I have had some injuries (non-serious, my brother tends to get the concussions and more serious injuries) that temporarily make me just plain weird (I freaked my Mom out with the giggle fit after a hockey stick incident) and messes with my vision, so Tsuna's head injury is kind of based off that. Sorry if this confused anyone.
Only marginally longer, sorry. Thank you reviewers!