My, my, this story is moving along progressively. I'm slightly panicked though. I'd planned on this to be rather completely AU, without hints of the rings or other stuff in it… And what do you know? Somehow, the rings got mentioned along with several other spoiler-filled things. *headdesk* Why me? Why me?

Anyway, please enjoy the fruits of my labor!

PS: The bottom A/N will be rather important, so please do read it!

Warning: This story WILL contain YAOI, as in Male on Male relationships as well as sexual relations. If you don't like it, DON'T READ.

2nd Warning: SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!! (circa chapter 136-ish)

For (main) Pairing & Disclaimer, please return to chapter one.

Indelible Night

Chapitre 3

Tsuna awoke with a start as his head bounced back from smacking the window. "No-Good Tsuna, we're here. Wake up Hayato before I do."

Tsuna massaged the bump at his temple as he shook Gokudera awake. The plane was landing, and he couldn't tell if it had been the plane's bumping along or Reborn who had made him hit the window. He glanced at the leader of the Vongola and hoped it had been the plane.

"Hand me back Leon."

Tsuna blinked at the outstretched hand. "Le-who?" He jerked with a squeak as something crawled up his chest before the lizard's head poked out of the collar of his shirt. Yellow eyes blinked at him before it turned and crawled onto Reborn's awaiting hand. Tsuna rubbed at his chest and eyed the lizard as Gokudera awoke. "H-How did –?"

Reborn's lips quirked as he deposited Leon onto his fedora. "Over the seats." He replied as the plane came to a shaky halt.

Tsuna shuddered, not entirely comfortable with the idea of having slept with a scaly reptile on his chest. He waited until they were allowed to get off before removing his seatbelt. Gokudera led him onto the aisle, and they followed Reborn out.

"Master, who's picking us up?" Gokudera inquired as they walked onto the terminal. Reborn didn't respond; instead, he gestured to their left as they turned.

Tsuna's gaze focused upon two blonds with another suited man; one of the blonds was waving to them, smiling widely as they approached. His hair was unruly and fell about his face. His eyes were a soft chocolate that were exuding a tangible excitement. He was dressed casually, jeans and a white t-shirt.

He turned his attention to the other blond. This one's hair was shorter and messy, with a blue camouflage bandana wrapped about his head. His eyes were an electric blue, and they were focused with unerring intensity upon Reborn as they approached. He wore a green army jacket over a blue shirt and green army pants, with mid-calf length black army boots to top it off.

They stopped in front of them and Reborn turned to the man in the suit. "Romario," he turned to the smiling blond. "Dino Cavallone," he gestured to the other blond without a glance. "Colonello," he turned and gestured to Tsuna. "Sawada Tsunayoshi, your clan mates."

Tsuna offered a smile and stepped forward with an outstretched hand. "H-Hi." He was startled as Dino bounded forward and took his hand in a vigorous shake. "It's nice to meet you! I'll teach you everything I know and then some! So ask me anything, my cute, sworn brother!" Dino released his hand and grinned as he ruffled Tsuna's hair playfully. The brunette blinked at him and glanced towards Gokudera as the silver-head turned to Reborn.

"What? But I thought I was – "

"You have obligations, Hayato. Dino is capable of doing this, and Romario will be there to lend a hand if need be." Reborn replied as he gestured to Romario briefly. They followed the man out.

Dino moved as Colonello approached Tsuna and looked down at the offered hand. "Welcome to the clan, Tsuna, kora." He smiled and took the hand, squeezing Tsuna's fingers and grinning when the brunette flinched at the pressure. He let go and advanced to walk beside Reborn.

Gokudera took Tsuna's hand and, when the brunette looked at him, said, "Dino's a good guy. He'll help you a lot, and I'll do my best to be with you at all times and – "

"No, it's okay." Tsuna interrupted. "You should focus on what you have to do. I'll be okay with Dino-san." He squeezed Gokudera's hand reassuringly before the silver-head smiled and relented.

The car they rode in was large, fitting all six of them with Romario and Reborn in the driver and passenger seats respectively. Dino convinced Gokudera to let Tsuna sit next to him, and the silver-head and Colonello sat in the very back.

The car was filled with idle chatter all of it from Dino and Tsuna as the brunette answered questions that the blond asked.

Favorite color? Orange. Favorite ice cream flavor? Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. How long had he known Gokudera? Five years if you didn't count the ten years he went AWOL. Are there any places in Italy he'd like to visit? The Coliseum and Duomo.

"Dino, blindfold." Came Reborn's voice from the seat in front of Tsuna. Dino chirped a response and took out a tie.

"Blindfold?" Tsuna reiterated as Dino's hands wrapped the tie about his head after he removed his sunglasses.

"You're not allowed to see where we're going in case you run away and blab to hunters. You have to prove you're loyal to the clan. Until then, you'll be blindfolded when you enter or leave." The blond explained, checking the tie to be sure Tsuna could see nothing through it.

Tsuna listened as the car continued on the road. It made sense that they were cautious. And Dino had mentioned hunters. There were actually people who hunted for supposedly mythical creatures? "Why do hunters – ?"

"Hunt us?" Finished Dino from beside him. "Because they fear us. To them, we openly seek to obliterate the human race; an obvious lie. The ones you really need to watch for are Millefiore. They're trained especially against our clan, so you can't go anywhere alone for a good while. You're easy picking for them. They've killed a few of us before, so we know not to take them lightly."

Tsuna nodded, feeling the car slowing down. "I'll be careful, Dino-san." He pledged. He felt the blond ruffle his hair again. "We'll help you out, Tsuna."

Once they got out of the car, Tsuna clung to Gokudera's arm and managed to make it up some steps before he felt a breeze as doors were opened. He was led forward and blinked as Gokudera removed his blindfold.

"Welcome to the Vongola manor, Tsuna."

The ceiling was incredibly high, and a chandelier hung from the center, white gold with luminescent lights and crystals ornately hanging. There were doors to his left and right, and a staircase was in front of him that broke off to the left and right.

It was rather brightly lit but not so much to hurt Tsuna's eyes. There were a pair of girls walking down the stairs, a brunette and a redhead, both carryings trays and dressed as maids.

They noticed them and twisted their hands over their chest as they bowed to Reborn. "Welcome home, Master." They chorused.

Reborn nodded to them and turned to Tsuna. "This is Miura Haru and Kyoko. Their families have worked for us for generations." He hooked a hand into the back of Tsuna's shirt as the brunette stiffened. "They are humans." He confirmed and gestured for the girls to step back. "This is Sawada Tsunayoshi, Hayato's mate."

Tsuna snarled as the girls curtsied to him before they left. He was released once their smell had disappeared. "W-Why humans?" He asked once he got his bearings.

Dino came up beside him and wrapped an arm about his shoulder. "We have a pact with their families from centuries ago. We'll protect them, and, in return, they serve us."

Tsuna frowned and nodded. Was that really all there was to it? That couldn't be the complete truth... He smiled as Gokudera took his hand once more. He would eventually learn the truth, right?

"Hayato, show him the way to your room. Afterwards, we'll meet for dinner so Tsuna can meet more of the clan." Reborn departed with the others trailing him. Before he turned away, Tsuna could swear that Colonello had brushed hands with Reborn, a decidedly intimate gesture.

"Come on, Tsuna." Gokudera beamed at him and led him to and up the stairs. "The rooms are all upstairs. To the right are the girls and the left are for the guys." He led him to the left staircase.

"How many rooms are there?" Tsuna asked as they emerged onto the hallway. To his right were three doors, the first and second split by a hallway, and after the third was another hallway.

Gokudera shrugged, leading him down and into the first hallway that came up. "I never really kept count, but they're along both hallways. Not all are used though. Reborn will send some of us off on missions or vacation and the like."

Tsuna looked up at Gokudera. "Which was yours?"

The silver-head grinned as he stopped on the first door to their right. "Mission, yet to be completed." Before Tsuna could inquire further, the door was opened and he was nudged in.

The bed was large, a queen Tsuna guessed, and it had a canopy with double curtains, white and burgundy. There was a closet, a dresser, no window, and a lamp atop the dresser.

"I know it's not much. I wasn't here often enough to have bothered with decorating before… But I'll take you shopping soon, so we can make the room homier." Gokudera shuffled behind him, fingering the strap of Tsuna's carrier bag he held.

Tsuna smiled and shook his head. "It's okay. It's not entirely bad, Gokudera-kun. I don't mind if it takes a while to redecorate." He laughed as Gokudera embraced him from behind. "Where's the bathroom?"

Gokudera grinned and motioned to the door beside the dresser to their left. "It's adjoining. I'll put your bag away." He pulled back as Tsuna wandered away to see the bathroom.

"Does it adjoin to another room?" Tsuna asked as he beheld the room. The shower had a large tub (big enough for two, he observed) and the sink was by the door with the toilet between the two. He turned to watch Gokudera unpack his bag and put away his clothes.

"It does. The other room belongs to a jerk, but you can lock it from the inside." Gokudera noticed Tsuna watching and flushed as he put away the pair of briefs he held. Tsuna smiled and went over to him.

"Reborn's, uh," he struggled to find an appropriate word.

"A nut?" Gokudera offered.

Tsuna laughed and shook his head. "I was going to say eccentric and not what I expected, for the most part... Does he treat all the new vampires as he did me?" He rubbed at his temple, feeling the lingering pain from the earlier bump.

Gokudera grinned. "Only if he likes them."

-.-.-.-.-

The apartment was empty. Belongings lingered, like the flower vase he had given Tsuna on Valentine's, but the place was essentially empty.

Yamamoto surveyed the living room and the kitchen, where he noted that the bag of food he had brought had been opened and eaten from. That proved he had come here after all. That man had lied to his father about his being supposedly mugged.

He moved on to the bedroom, surveying the rumpled sheets with a frown. Was that blood? As he made to move forward to investigate, he heard a knock at the door. He hurried back and opened it to find a woman in a crisp, black suit.

"Yamamoto Takeshi?"

With a blink, he nodded and took the envelope he was handed. He watched the woman walk away before he looked to the envelope. A letter for him? He opened it and pulled out the letter within.

Unfolding it, he easily recognized Tsuna's messy handwriting and noted the splotchy smudges of tears before he began to read.

Yamamoto,

I'm guessing you know I'm not at home anymore. There's a lot of things I wish I could tell you right now. Why I left, where I'm going… But I can't.

What I can tell you is that where I'm going, I'll be happy. I'm moving pretty far, and I'll visit you again once I'm ready. Maybe I'll be able to tell you then...

I wish I could have done this properly, but I didn't have any time. I just want you to know that I have cherished your friendship for these past ten years, and I love you as though you were the brother I never had.

Thank you for everything.

Tsuna

Yamamoto stared down at the letter, stunned at the unexpectedness of it all. Tsuna couldn't be gone... What sort of trick was this?

But it was unmistakably Tsuna's handwriting (no one else linked their words in print or had funny ways of curling their g's and y's) and Tsuna's words. Something like this would have been almost impossible to forge without having known the brunette as intimately as he did.

He lowered his hand. Tsuna was really gone. He would visit once he was ready. Ready for what? What had made Tsuna leave so suddenly? He wasn't the sort who did things on impulse. He was too cautious, too wary...

So what had happened?

He folded the paper up and pocketed it carefully. He headed back to the bedroom and inspected the sheets again. A weird smell clung to them and blood was definitely what stained the rumpled sheets. Had Tsuna been hurt? Kidnapped maybe? And forced to write that letter against his will?

He took a step closer and his foot nudged something. He knelt and picked up an open tube of lotion that had spilled all over the floor. He turned up to the drawer, where he knew Tsuna kept the lotion, and frowned at the oddly stained knob. That looked strangely like dried –

Yamamoto dropped the lotion and stood. His face burned and he took several steps back. Tsuna couldn't have...and just leave without telling him?

What on earth had transpired?

-.-.-.-.-TBC-.-.-.-.-

Feedback is greatly appreciated!

And in the letter Tsuna wrote to Yamamoto, the bolded letters meant that they were smudged by his tears. XD; Sorry if you were all wondering if it was some sort of weird typo.

And this may be Yamamoto's last appearance for a fair while... Maybe until the end of this story. I haven't decided as of yet... Maybe in the epilogue (assuming there is one)... Ah, well, we'll just see how things play out.

And another thing, I do apologize for the belated chapter. I'd honestly thought I'd already submitted this! –sweats– And before I forget (boy, I use 'and' a lot. XD), if there is anyone willing to help me, NOT TO BETA, but to help me gather information since I alone can't seem to find the time to do so. The information gathering would be something along the lines of: researching the Vongola history, vampire-related things, and other things like that. Feel free to email or PM me if you're interested! I'd be happy to take on up to three people! The more, the merrier! If a lot of people offer though, I may end up having a few one-on-one chats (don't worry; I don't bite...much) and drawing my decisions. Thank you in advance!