A/N : So um, here's the explanation! Enjoy~
~Sweetness~
Chapter 8 - You Tell Me, So I Tell You
Reborn leaned back in his black leather couch, his legs crossed and his hands tapping against the arm rest. The kids in front of him sat uncomfortably across from him stiffening from his gaze.
"So that's why you kidnapped him in the middle of the night?"
"Yes," Yamamoto straightened his back tall.
There was a look of determination on him as he faced against the family head.
"You should've told us if you wanted to go with your friend," Iemitsu turned to the spiky haired boy who sat beside the half naked teen, "We would've let you guys go if you asked."
A pink blush flushed across Tsuna's face at the obvious thing they should have done.
"Sorry," he managed to speak up.
The brunette sat at the other couch tightening his fists on his still naked legs. They still hadn't given him pants to change out of, but he lay Yamamoto's shirt over his lap to cover up at least a little bit.
"Can I please get a change of clothes?" the boy asked.
"No," came Reborn's immediate response. "Not unless you tell us why you don't have on any pants in the first place. I saw you leave with them, I expect you to come back with them."
A whimper came from brunette's mouth, but this was his punishment. Did the boy have enough courage to tell him the truth?
"Why are your clothes wet?" the arcobaleno stared at the embarrassed teen.
Tsuna kept his face down. "W-we got in the water,"
"Water?"
"It was my idea," Yamamoto spoke up up trying to take the heat away from the spiky haired boy.
Reborn's eyes became sharp as it switched to the dark haired teen.
"So you're going to take responsibility?"
Yamamoto's arms became tense.
"Yes," the boy looked down as well.
A frown kept at the arcobaleno's lips. Reborn was becoming irritated and no one could tell what he wanted to hear to satisfy him. Asari glanced over the troubled couple who was being picked on and spoke up. The two were too innocent to face against the power head alone.
"Esxcuse me, but Tsuna has been meaning to say something to both of you," he tried to lead the conversation.
He gave an encouraging nudge to the meek brunette to speak up but the boy gave a sharp jolt as the Japanese touched him; a worried crease formed on the pureblood's brow. Could Tsuna go through with this? He had to.
The priest turned to the small boy. "What is it, Tsuna?"
The boy fidgeted trying to shrink. He looked to the side of the baseball jock and Yamamoto stared back. He, too, was waiting for Tsuna's answer. Lucky it was the priest that had asked and not the forceful arcobaleno; Tsuna took a deep breath and lifted his head up, his eyes looking straight at his father.
"Dad," he made his voice free from waver, "I-I have something to tell you,"
The two grown ups in the room sat silent.
"I'm in love with Yamamoto,"
A huge breath ran out of the boy's mouth as he broke the news. Iemitsu's face turned block serious as he looked at his son.
"Are you sure about that?"
The boy shook his head up and down. "I-I'm sure,"
Iemitsu turned his head and sighed.
"Hmm..." his shoulders dramatically went up and down. He suddenly became very tired. "Then I have something to tell you too. Tsuna,"
He did the same as his son did and looked him straight in the eye. "I'm not your father,"
"Huh?"
"Tsuna, I'm a Roman Catholic priest – I can't get married. I was never married to your 'mom,'"
The horrified expression of the boy sent the man's heart in a twist. Was Tsuna being disowned?
The brunette clenched the shirt on his lap with a shaky smile. "I-Isn't that a little too much? I just said I was in love with my best friend... You don't need to say that I-I'm not your son. A-are you that angry with me?"
"No! I'm not angry with you! Tsuna," the priest dropped his head and rubbed his face in his hands. "I'm not... I expected this would happen. I hoped it wouldn't but..."
"Then what are you trying to say...?"
Tsuna scrunched his brows confused.
"Please..." Iemitsu let out an exasperated sigh. "Let me explain... I'm not your father – Reborn is,"
This was so not funny.
The priest raised his head waiting for the boy's reaction. Tsuna shifted his eyes at the suited man next to his 'father' and expected him to say something as well. Didn't he need to?! The things the man who he thought was his own flesh, the person he thought he came from, was telling him the lived a lie and Reborn was in on it.
"What are you saying?" Tsuna kept on hoping this was a joke, "You're my dad. I grew up with you. Uncle Reborn is just a family friend,"
Friend. That was all he was, wasn't it?
"Tsuna," Iemitsu looked at him like he was a lost child, "don't you think it's odd that your uncle would spend so much time with you, even more than me?"
"That's because you always have to go overseas," the boy argued.
What the man was saying was nonsense. Who cares if another person spent more time with him than his father? He grew up with them all saying that he was Iemitsu's son. I mean, Reborn... as his father?
"If Uncle Reborn is my dad... why didn't you tell me?" Tsuna's lip formed a thin line. "If Reborn-san is my dad, why wouldn't he tell me? If he was my dad, why would he go through the pain of seeing me all the time and not say anything?!"
Questions started racing out of his mouth.
"Why would a father visit his son all the time and pretend that they aren't related at all? If Reborn-san was my dad, why would you call me your son? Why would a father let someone else name their child as someone else's son?!"
His chest breathed in and out as he let all the angry things that came to his mind flow out. He focused on the suited Italian across from him. He thought that the pain from his questions only came through to himself, but Reborn looked at him equally knotted – the truth he and Iemitsu knew, tangling him.
"Tsuna," Reborn's voice sounded unexpectedly deep, "today, you had your first taste in blood, didn't you?"
The brunette didn't answer and only kept his eyes on him.
"You got that from me," the man stood up; his long limbs spreading out.
Tsuna grew tense at his nearing presence as he walked over, eyeing him suspiciously, but lost his intensity when Reborn came and knelt in front of him.
"Tsuna," he grabbed the boy's hand.
He had never realized how smooth the man's hand felt; it was like polished stone befitting a statue. The brunette's body shot up in a straight line when Reborn kissed his fingers. What was he doing?! Trying to make out the expression the man was making, his fedora shadowed his face making it impossible to see what he was thinking.
"When I couldn't be a father, I at least tried to be an uncle to you,"
Reborn kept his face down at the boy's white knuckles.
"No," Tsuna shook his head, "No... Why would you-? No,"
He tried to take his hand away but the man tightened his grip to make it stay where it was.
"If your my dad, why would you give me away? And not completely, when you're still able to see me? You see me, but you lie to me?"
"Let me explain," Reborn dug his nails into Tsuna's skin.
When he saw the boy flinch, he eased up but didn't let go.
"At least let me explain,"
He lifted his head up so Tsuna could see; the man's eyes softly flashing red. The tenderness Tsuna never saw before softened Reborn's eyes. If he could explain everything then...
"Please," Tsuna didn't notice it, but his eyes started to glow as well.
Please, tell me why.
…...
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"Why? Why would you kill your own brethren?!"
Rain pounded against the concrete as Reborn looked down on the man he stepped on. Water dripped down into his eyes obscuring his view, but the shame embedded on the vampires face couldn't be hidden. It was such a disgrace, these vampires that couldn't control their bloodlust. No self control or discipline... The Arcobaleno cocked his gun.
"Sinful beasts like you..." his eyes burned crimson.
"N-no... Please!" the vampire on the ground began to whimper as he aimed it at him, but there was no room for compassion in Reborn's heart.
"Please! No! W-"
Bang!
The gun shot blasted into the air. The bullet passed through the young blood's head, and then there was silence.
Silence...
"Don't deserve to exist,"
He tilted his head down as the only sound around them was the falling of rain. The arcobaleno pulled his jacket open and returned his weapon back to its holster. That was the last of them. For now, it was over. Not until tomorrow again, does all this repeats itself.
Reborn turned and staggered down the empty street. This was war. War within their own kind. Because there were those that couldn't help their selves from gorging into the addicting taste of blood, it came to this. Devouring almost all the humans that have lived within the city and the next three closest by, the shameless vampires had turned against their own purebloods so they could still get the fulfilling taste. Such a disgrace to the order. Now, there was blood everywhere.
A thick, nauseous liquid slimmed down his hand and he cast his eyes down at it. Red. His hand was red – covered with the delicious liquid they all wanted. All over him, the rain wouldn't even lick it away. His eyes became blank as he grew tired. Even he gets tired from all of this.
He pulled his head up to look at the grey sky, the clouds blocking the beautiful blue and sunny rays. There were never any happy moments ever since the war started two years ago. Trudging, trudging... He thought of the only thing that kept him the least bit sane from snapping. He thought of his son.
The innocent smile – the opposite of every thing that stood on the sinful battlefield he lived through all day. The small hands... He was turning three in four days. Just four days..
"Reborn!" a voice violently took him from his thoughts.
He jerked his head and up above on a roof top, he saw Lal Mirch. Her hair and clothes drenched in the downpour, her body heaved tirelessly as she rushed to catch up to him. She looked down at him with alarmed eyes.
"You're son," she panted. "The priests have gotten your son!"
The thing holding him back from breaking snapped in his brain.
"The car bringing him back from the hospital was attacked. We've followed their tracks to the eastern part of the city, but that's where the barriers are put up,"
Lal couldn't slip out another word when Reborn just vanished.
"Reborn!" she called his name.
She cursed under her breath that she was the one that had to tell him. Reborn wasn't thinking anymore, he was just going to kill. Damn it! She jumped from the roof and followed the direction to where he went.
…...
Italy...
Italy was such a beautiful place wasn't it? It was such a shame that it was the home of the wicked. All the blood that had been spilled from the war against the demons that have attacked innocent humans – it had turned the whole country into hell. A place full of fear.
Ieimitsu stood looking out the window at the incessant rain. It had gone non stop for a whole week – the ever lasting rain it seemed. It was raining so much, mother Earth must have been trying to cleanse itself from all the blood that had begun to stain her very ground.
Then again, he, too, had killed many and was part of why the Earth was pouring its tears on the country. A sudden crying clawed for his attention forcing him to look away from the sad scenery. To his side was a young toddler twisting on the bed.
He picked up the wailing child and wrapped it in a blanket. The shaking body was sick from fever and twisted from pain. It was sad he had to do this to a child, but this was a demon child. As he hugged the small boy, the floor of the room began to shake.
He's here – the priest quickly grabbed for his pickaxe and leaned against the wall. Loud gunshots fired in the hallway as he braced himself, screams of his own men who guarded him outside twisted him inside. The last shot fired and he waited as he gripped the small boy on one hand.
Bang!
The door flew open as it was blown away from its attachment from the wall. Smoke danced in the air and cleared to reveal the serious face of the notorious head vampire. The black grave suit and curly sideburns – it was him. The man from the strongest family of demons – the Arcobaleno.
The vampire's eyes raged as he saw the blond hold on to the small child. From the mere presence of him, Iemitsu couldn't move. His face paled, his hand froze, his heart raced – he kept his composure only by keeping still.
"My son," the arcobaleno barred his teeth.
They were the sharpest fangs he'd ever seen. Iemitsu dropped his weapon and held his hand up.
"I'm not here to fight," he knelt down to the floor and placed the toddler on his lap. "but I can't give you your son back. My orders from the Vatican told me to take him away from you,"
There was a violent glow in the red irises making the priest jump back.
"Give me. My son."
He was too dangerous.
"Can we please at least talk?" he tried to reason with the enraged vampire.
One wrong step and it could turn into his death. He needed to calm the demon down.
"This building has been isolated ever since you walked in. A barrier had been triggered by your bullets so you can't leave; not at least for a little while,"
The man didn't seem to care. He stared at the fidgeting boy in his hands and a feeling of sentiment started to get the better of the religious mercenary.
"Your son's sick, right? Maybe he'd feel better if you hold him,"
Iemitsu slowly got up and walked over to the suited man and handed the kid over. "Here,"
The man looked at him, distrusting, but at the mere sight of his son coming closer, he relaxed. The arcobaleno's touch was soft, different from any characteristic that the priest had ever seen on other demons like him.
"It's such a sad thing for a child to be born into this time – a time of war," he sympathized with the father and son. "Almost better if he wasn't born,"
The vampire scowled at his last sentence.
"This is my flesh and blood. The fact that he's here, I'm grateful for,"
"Ngh," the child heard his father's voice and clung on to him; his hands clutching on to the man's jacket.
The boy's flushed face buried deep into the arcobaleno's chest seeking for his warmth. The way the two were so close, the priest couldn't help but feel the bond of a family.
"I want to help you," Iemitsu couldn't help but form his intent in an empathetic way. "Don't we share a common goal?"
"Common goal?" the vampire raised a brow, "with your religious sect?"
"Don't we?"
"We're nothing but heretical beings in your eyes. Why would we have a common goal?"
The man scoffed at him, but it was true. The Vatican had classified the vampires as unclean demons that defies the church and their standards – they were immoral beings.
"Aren't we facing the same enemy?" Iemitsu tried to reason with him.
"No, we're not," the Arcobaleno gave a sharp reply. "We're facing our own men that has gotten out of control. Our mission is to restore order to our kind, while you, on the other hand, are trying to destroy all of us completely,"
He made it sound like they were out to kill everyone. The priest shook his head.
"We only target those that endanger the human way of living,"
"And our existence endanger your human ways,"
"Please," the priest let out a breath, "right now, we are both facing against the same group here. Despite the two forms of anarchy we consider them to be doing, we are being attacked by the same band of anarchists."
"This is an internal problem; don't it mix in with yours," the man hissed.
Iemitsu thinned his lips not knowing what else to say. It was hard convincing the obstinate demon head. He studied the vampire before him who now stood calm with his son in his hand.
His son! The blond's eyes widened.
"Sooner or later, you will be overtaken by numbers," he knew how to lead the conversation to his advantage. "Out of the three original family lines, the Arcobaleno are the only ones living here in Italy, am I correct?"
The man grew tense again. "So what?"
The priest grew brazen and walked up to him facing him up close. "Although you are from the strongest line, your family will tire from fatigue. The other families are dealing with their own rebels in their own countries and can't help you. Sooner or later, the stray vampires will attack everyone that follows the Arcobaleno house and no one will be here to help you. Sooner or later, they will take your son like I did,"
The pureblood swung his arm and Iemitsu stepped back.
"And you propose we join hands like allies and defeat them together – just like that?"
"Yes," he nodded.
Although he could do without the sarcasm, they had to work together if they wanted to extinguish all the stray vampires and Iemitsu knew that the Arcobaleno family needed the help.
"With the Vatican by your side, this war can be over," he picked at the man's fatherly side, "We won't attack you - it'll be a temporary truce. If we work together, the war can be over in just four days."
"Four days?" the demon's eyes shot up.
"Yes," he gave a soft smile, "in four days. And as I remember, your son's birthday is in four days. Wouldn't that be a great birthday present for him? In October 14, the war that had conflicted the whole vampire race was ended at the day of his birth? You'll be able to celebrate his special day in peace,"
The demon grew silent at his proposition and looked down at the boy he carried in his arms. The red eyes shifted as it searched for some type of answer on the toddler on what he should do.
"We all want peace," Iemitsu watched the vampire rack his brain for a decision. "don't you?"
…...
"For your son,"
Reborn remembered the priest telling him that. He fired another shot worrying if the promise would be kept. It was the enemy he decided to trust after all. He was putting his family on the line by letting the priests get so close to the main family. The vampire in front of him dropped dead from the critical shot and he could finally see the others in the next rooftop. Colonello's heavy fire along with Fong's close combat made messy of the vampires.
"At your back!" Reborn yelled as he saw a young blood jump up behind the spiky blond.
"Huh?" Colonello turned around.
Reborn aimed his gun for coverage when a bright light burst from the floor. The sparkling rays burned the young blood into ashes as the blond arcobaleno stepped back. What was that? He turned around and heard the chanting of the dead language – fluent Latin flowing from a group of men's lips. Priests, the arcobaleno stared at the odd sight.
They should have been opening fire on the humans already, but the temporary pact they made restrained their urges. Colonello tore his stare away from the religious mercenaries and returned back to the battlefield.
"Kora! Take this!" his trigger happy finger pulled against his gun.
The explosion's of his familiar's gun turned all the arcobaleno back into their pace, but Reborn sharpened his eyes. This was strange, the alliance they made with the hateful humans. It just seemed... off. There was something behind all this, he just knew it.
He reloaded his ammo for another round. Two more hours...
Two more hours, then they should be done.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
….
It's been two hours.
He gripped the handle of his gun tightly stretching his skin. An exasperated sigh flew out of his lungs and into the air.
"What is this?" Lal shifted her eyes as they all stepped closer into a circle.
Why? Why did he trust them?
With their backs turned against each other, they faced their enemies in a tight formation. Verde tried to step forward but quickly inched back as the sole of his shoe hissed. The floor lit up as a barrier was formed trapping the arcobaleno into a tight space – they were double crossed.
Reborn glared through the pale barrier that fenced them like animals and at the lying bastards that chanted around them.
"Wait!" a robed man came running to the scene. "Stop this! Stop this, whatever you guys are doing!"
The man ran up to the priest leading the chant and grabbed him, shaking him to stop.
"You were not authorized to do this!"
The lead priest lashed his hand out making the man drop his hood.
"Iemitsu!" the priest revealed the the blond hair of the interrupter. "You are a man sworn under the name of the church! You know that these demons must be exterminated!"
"They are allies! They have just fought with us to end the war!" the blond grabbed the high priest's collar.
"Damn them, Iemitsu! I will kill you too if you do not let go of me!"
A fit of rage blew up in the blond's face and he swung at the high priest's face. Bam! The man's eyes rolled up inside his head to show the blank white and he fell to the ground. Stripping him of the overzealous church dog, Iemitsu slid out his pickaxe at his side and smashed the floor. A gust of black wind swirled into the air as he hit the concrete and the pale light trapping the arcobaleno faded into dust.
The black specks floated in the air as the vampires were freed, and a wave of shocked voices rose in the air.
"What have you done, Iemitsu?!"
"You are a priest!"
"You have doomed us all!"
As soon as the demons breathed their fist breath of fresh air, the barrier broken, the arcobaleno quickly jumped into action and soared into the air. Those who had guns cocked it and aimed at the humans below.
Bararararara!
The gunfire sent the priests to run back.
"Demons!" they yelled as they ran in fear.
The vampires were fueled by their screams as their level of hate rose from the betrayal. They continued their onslaught and hunted the fleeing humans. Another gallon of blood dashed on the floor as more victims were added to casualty list.
"Stop!" a voice yelled for reason in the havoc.
Neither side would listen as one attacked and the other kept running.
"I said stop!"
A multitude of blue explosions burst in the midst of the battlefield. The vampires turned tail for stable ground as soon as they saw the explosion.
Reborn skidded away as a huge force pushed him back. He gritted his teeth as he headed for a safe place out of the zone of explosions and watched as the bursts and smoke cooled itself down. He tilted his fedora with the barrel of his gun and panted trying to catch his breath; his eyes shifting for any sudden movements that might come at him. After a few seconds, the cloud of dust blew away and he was safe. The tension on his jaw eased and was about to step forward when he noticed an unnatural glow on the floor.
What the? He shot his head up and his eyes widened at the sight of a floating cross in the sky. Before he could move, the cross came crashing down to the concrete and a magnetic pull strung them to the sacred object.
"Ahhh!" he could hear the other vampires scream as they were ripped from the ground and slammed onto the holy cross.
A sharp pain burned their skin as they touched it, the searing pain sending their minds blank. An invisible hand grabbed at the vampires holding them in place as they twisted in agony. Shit! What the hell was this?!
Reborn's arm spasmed out of control but he refused to drop his gun. He gritted his teeth toughing the pain as he looked up, searching for the asshole who did this. All the humans were far away as they chased them from their sudden attack earlier but one man did come forward.
The black robe fluttered in the air as he came closer, and the arcobaleno's body jerked as he tried to rip himself from the cross so he could go over and kill the man.
"I said stop,"
Reborn glared at the priest who just saved them seconds ago. What in the world was this man doing? He saved them then he goes and binds them again?
"You can not kill humans like you wish," Iemitsu frowned.
A scowl bent Reborn's lips as the feeling of being crossed bubbled inside. "You betrayed us,"
"The priests just lost their sight of authority because of their loyalty,"
Bullshit. Reborn wanted to spit at the way Iemitsu was trying to protect the humans.
"You have no loyalty for keeping your word," he growled. "It just comes to show that you humans are just as deceiving and tactful as any demon, don't you think?"
The blond looked down at the pissed arcobaleno before him and silently sighed. His eyes glided across the prisoners he caught with his cross and studied their pained angry faces. As his gaze traveled to each and every one of them, all of them glared back at him.
"You were attacking members of the church; I had to restrain you guys," Iemitsu closed his eyes, "According to the the many generations of the holy church, you guys are marked unholy and untrustworthy beings,"
Reborn was about to snap when the pressure that was keeping him pressed against the cross vanished.
"but I don't think so,"
The pureblood's eyes widened as his body fell to the ground, the cross's hold on him gone. His face met the cold dusty surface of the concrete and he suddenly found it hard to breath. He tried to move his neck to look up, but found the nerves connecting his body unable to make commands. He shifted his red eyes confused as he found himself in a doll like shell immobilized on the floor.
Clack. Clack. Clack. He could hear the small heels come closer to him when he finally saw the black leather of a man's shoes.
"I believe that you all have the right to live – at least to exist, but it seems the Vatican had ordered one of the other high priests to kill all of you,"
Reborn strained his eyes to find Iemitsu's face as the priest talked to him.
"I will talk to the Vatican and present my case to the pope. For the future generation, I hope you will keep alive,"
…...
Innocence. Putiry. The potential to live in harmony without bringing calamity. Soul.
These were the things he had been accused for not having.
Time had blacked and passed him by. Now, the head of the Vampire race stood before the religious gathering of the church congregation as if a prisoner presenting his innocence of a charged crime before becoming sentenced to death.
"These are the things you say we vampires don't posses? We have been living within your society for thousands of years without you noticing. We can live perfectly well with you humans,"
"Ha!" one of the priests spoke out of term. "You dirty demons have caused havoc just days ago! The two years of you all ravaging throughout the cities, you demons nearly sucked the country of Italy whole! The manner in which you gorged yourselves, you are immoral creatures!"
Reborn cast the loud mouthed priest a sharp glance making him jump.
"Ngh!" the man drew back.
"Your priest is the one without manners," the arcobaleno turned to the pope.
The holiest man in the room watched as the demon seethed in anger. Reborn hated that he had to take being judged like this.
"Vampire," the man dressed in the most ornate robe called to him. "You say that you demons have in it in yourselves to live honestly? Can you prove that?"
The red irised of the peeved vampire looked at the plotting human.
"I understand that you have a child. A child of three, now is he?"
Reborn grew stiff as he didn't like the mention of his son. "Yes," he answered.
"Hmn... Children... they are born pure," the elderly man stroked the tip of his beard nodding.
"They come into the world as untainted slates that are painted by their experiences in the world. If you can prove that a demon child can be born and melt in to confines of the human society – growing up and budding out into what we can accept as an acceptable 'human' being, then we will accept your race within ours as well,"
What the hell? Reborn scrunched his brows.
"I intend to raise my child the way I expect him to act to become a man,"
"But you are not 'man'," the pope quickly shot him down.
"If we are to let your race live, we need to proof that a child of yours can live and be raised by humans. If the child accepts humans unconditionally, it proves that there is hope for you demons after all,"
Was the pope just looking down at him? The demon didn't like the condescending tone.
"I doubt any of you would want to take care of a demon child," he gave a smug smirk.
Murmurs went around the room silently complaining that none of them would ever even think of doing so.
"Father Iemitsu seems to have no problem," the pope refused to waver. "From now on, you can leave your son to his care,"
"Your holiness!" Iemitsu's head shot up from his seat.
Reborn's fangs twitched inside his mouth but he bit it down. Like he'd give his son.
"Vampire," the elderly man noticed his suppressed anger to tear his head a new one. "Do you wish to hear the conditions for us to let you live?"
The man raised a cocky brow at the demon expecting him not to answer, and indeed, Reborn kept his mouth sealed.
"The first, is the condition that you give your son to the church,"
No... Reborn thought that the demand was too cruel.
"The second, the Arcobaleno familia will fall under the church's loyalty to serve as the force that'll keep the vampires in check. This requires that all vampires must be subjected to you and your family. Third, you will create a small organization under your command meant to help you keep order. Fourth, all vampires must be congregated into institutions easily monitored by the church. Lastly, all heirs of the three main families must be kept together in one institution where they will be kept under heavy watch,"
No...
Reborn closed his eyes at all the petty demands.
No...They were not part of the church.
No...
"Do you agree?"
No...
"Not my son," he refused to give in.
A dangerous air filled the room as the vampire and the pope fell into a stare – both eyes full of contempt of the other. They remained like that for what seemed like hours on end rejecting each others proposals.
Was it day? Nights? The meeting went on forever when an emptiness filled the vampires heart. There was no ways the humans wouldn't get what they want.
"Then we've agreed,"
Reborn stood there motionless.
"We will take your son,"
The haughty voice couldn't get out of his head.
The church, the church... They only wanted control of everything. The pope dismissed the meeting and Reborn caught a glimpse of the blond priest give him a sorry look. Heh.. He didn't need that. He turned away from the group of priests. He didn't need any of this at all.
His steps echoed down the tile floors of the Vatican church. They were hollow and mocking and he did his best to walk as fast as he could out of there. He hurried out the heavy doors with dark eyes as he met the gloomy rain. Pellets of water smashed onto the pavement as the rain still continued pouring down.
The rain never stopped. For a moment, he thought it never will. He tilted his head up to look at the still grey clouds. Really, will the beautiful blue ever come back?
…...
Raining, raining, it obscured anything outside. Even inside the Arcobaleno house, the hissing of the rain audibly sang. It remained silent inside the mansion as they still didn't know what was happening to the family head. Was he being tortured. Killed? The priest promised he would help them. But then again, he was a priest.
Yuni was alone in the room as she drowned in the uncertain thoughts but a fussing around her legs distracted her. The toddler in her lap fussed and she patted his head trying to calm him down.
"Don't worry, Tsuna," she was trying to comfort herself more than the boy who had no clue as to what had been happening for the past two years, "your dad will come home soon. He will,"
The boy squeezed her hand and tried to bite it.
"Ngrhm," he salivated on her skin.
She gave a small laugh at all his silly antics and wished that everything will get better. As she looked at the clueless brown eyes below her, tears began to water her view. Ugh, was she going to cry? She bit down her lip and was about to let herself go when there was a faint sound of Verde's voice.
She shook her head shaking off the weak feeling; she couldn't let anyone see her like this.
"Verde," she turned to the door prepared to see the scientist.
Instead, her eyes widened when she saw the dark suit of the long body that she hadn't seen for so long.
"Uncle Reborn!" she let out in a surprise.
The man didn't reply but the other did. Verde tilted his glasses higher up his nose as he put a hand in his pocket. "Your son's in here,"
The long absent head gave a nod as his gaze landed on the boy in Yuni's arms. The man looked tired as as he walked inside the room with the green haired braniac and sat beside her. A relieved smiled tugged on her face as she finally got to see the vampires face safe despite his worn expression. He bent over reaching for his son as the boy compliantly waddled over switching to his lap.
Reborn gave a heavy sigh as he leaned back in the couch, his eyes looking tired but never leaving the small boy's face.
"Thank you for taking care of Tsuna," he turned his head to young girl.
Something was not right in the way he slumped, and Yuni grew worried.
"He missed you," she patted the toddler's back.
Everyone missed you. The very least, couldn't hold their selves down wondering if he'd ever come back. Reborn looked longingly at the brunette in his hands, then suddenly leaped forward wrapping his whole body around the small boy.
Yuni gave a jolt of surprise as the head broke with his son's in his embrace.
"U-uncle.. what's wrong?"
The boy became restless at his tight hold. Reborn eased up and rested his chin against Tsuna's tiny shoulder and gazed his eyes far longing in the distance.
"He should miss me,"
Yuni grew confused as to what was going on. Did something happen? A tint colored the older man's face as he slowly let go of his child. At the moment he let go, a knock came at the door. Yuni turned her attention to the sound and found a human standing.
"Reborn," the blond man in the black robe spoke up.
There was guilt in his scrunched brows as he called for the vampire.
"We're waiting outside,"