In Their Story, There was a Girl

Chapter 30: Back in Those Days

*This chapter is in Squalo's POV!

*WARNING: Language! Bad, bad language!

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I don't know when I started to feel this way toward Boss's sister. Maybe it was the day that she helped bandaged me, or maybe it was the day that she ran in the rain to find me, but I don't remember. When we were young, I was the one that approached Boss first because I was captivated by his fury, his strength, and his power. And she was just a little girl who popped out from everywhere since then. At first, she was quite annoying. No matter how much I yelled at her, she would yell even louder. Whenever she came up to me, she said crazy things that normal kids wouldn't say. And whenever I get pissed off, she runs off faster than a cheetah.

Throughout the years all the Varia members have gotten to know her more. Even with her dumb actions and reactions, there always seemed to be something more that went on in her head. There is always something there that she's trying to achieve.

And now, seeing her grown-up face all beaten up, yet still sleeping soundly in front of me, I can't help but feel a little…… damn, I don't even know! What the hell, I'm not supposed to be soft toward this little brat! But before I knew it, my hand was placed on the brat's left cheek. The sun's brightness lit up and increased the contrast between her pale skin and bruises.

Just like how Boss's fury attracted me, I was captured by her helplessness.

Boss was wrong. The brat wasn't the same. In fact, she's changed quite a lot. The girl who used to always be the first to run when there were troublesome things or danger, has now become brave enough to sacrifice herself. I'm sure Boss realizes, too, because even he has gone easy on her last night.

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The five of us—the bratty prince, Mammon, Levi, the damn woman, and me—hid behind the slightly-opened door and watched the whole episode. Just like Boss's style, he shot the girl right out of the blue. The brat didn't even scream. She fell to the ground staring at Boss disbelievingly.

"Niisama… why?"

Boss did not say anything, and just kept shooting at her. The brat learned her lesson the first time, and started to dodge the bullets. Also taking out her own guns, the brat tried to shoot Boss. Maybe because she was losing a lot of blood already, or maybe it's time for her sleep, her shots missed Boss dramatically. Yet, the number of wounds on her body kept increasing.

"Little trash…" Boss seemed to be really angry. "Tell me, this is how much your determination is worth?!"

The brat seemed to be shaken by Boss's loud voice. But without an answer, the brat kept shooting, but it was already clear that she can't last much longer. She knelt to the floor; she couldn't even hold her own weapon. Boss stepped closer and looked at her coldly, but that frown on his face definitely said something else.

"I should just kill you right here. It's death for you anywhere you turn, anyway." Boss said sternly, and pulled the trigger, placing the gun between the brat's eyes.

The brat only looked at Boss for half a second, and her body fell limp. One look and I knew, she's unconscious. Boss, too, lowered his gun with a look of disappointment… I think it's disappointment, at least.

"Oh, fuck it!" Malvolia suddenly said, turning around to head to her room. "Even Boss turned into a pussy! When it's my battle, I'm going to pull off her head first. I bet her blood tastes like dog waste…"

The damn woman rambled on and on until she shut her door. Geez, that woman disgusts me sometimes. She's strong, I'll give her that, but she loves killing a bit too much. Anyway, seeing that the fight has ended, Xanxus plopped down on the couch.

"How long are you trashes gonna stand outside?"

With that, all of us rushed in.

"Boss! I'll clean up the floor!" Levi said and immediately started mopping.

"Ushishishi, let's bandage Princess up! And she can sleep in my room tonight!"

"Oooiii! No way! Who knows what you're going to do to her?!"

"Whatever it is, she's not sleeping in my room," Mammon said, "unless she pays me!"

"Shut up, trashes! Hurry up and get her out of here!" Boss bellowed.

"There's no other way. She'll sleep in my room tonight!" I said.

"Ushishishi… you are so greedy, long-hair!"

"What?!"

"GET THE HELL OUT!"

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I sighed looking at her wounds. The good thing was that all but one wound was not that bad. She dodged those bullets well; it wouldn't be just scratches for anyone else. Just as I was thinking to myself, the brat opened her eyes and groaned.

"Oi!" I said a little awkwardly.

"Squalo…" she muttered weakly. "Where am I?"

"My room."

She widened her eyes and lifted up the blanket. "No way! My virginity!"

My face heated up. "What the hell are you saying?! Who in the right mind would do something like that to a little brat like you?!"

I swung my fist at her. But she was quick enough to slide under the blanket and roll away. Okay, I was wrong earlier. She is still that same little brat that runs away. But the sudden movement probably hurt her a little bit. I could hear a muffled "ow" from inside the blanket.

I grabbed the blanket and unwrapped her. "Stupid brat! Don't you know that patients aren't supposed to move around?"

"Hypocrite." She glared at me.

I looked at her seriously. "Are you okay, now?"

"What?"

"You know… about how Boss attacked you last night."

"Oh," she looked down. "I knew that Niisama was probably really mad at me, but I didn't think he would actually shoot me. But I guess I should've seen it coming. Niisama hates weak people, and I'm just not strong enough."

I frowned. "That's not it! Boss… he actually cares about you… I think."

The brat started laughing. "I think we've had this conversation before. Right, Squalo?"

Yes. Yes, we have…

-----EIGHT YEARS AGO-----

"Oooiii! Open the door!"

"It's open."

The big wooden door creaked open as I pushed. It was my first time entering Boss's sister's room. Unlike I imagined, it was quite simple and empty. The brat sat at her windowsill, looking at the gray sky gloomily. Her leg had been bandaged up, and two crutches were put next to her. Anyone could tell that she's upset.

"You came here to laugh at me too?" she asked before I could speak.

"There's nothing to laugh about," I said, "You don't have to be so upset…"

"Of course you won't be upset!" she glared at me. "You became the captain of a squad."

"Oh, face it, brat! You're too weak to be in the Varia! You should be happy that Boss chose Malvolia over you!"

"Happy?!" she snapped. "How can I be happy?! She broke my leg and Niisama praised her for it! And I know that Niisama could've chosen both me and Malvolia! There are seven squads and only six were filled, yet Niisama won't let me in!"

I sighed. "Quit being stubborn! You know that Boss actually cares about you!"

She looked away. "No, he doesn't! He's stopped training me and he's always been having secret meetings with you guys! Who knows what you guys are planning!"

My heart thumped. "Boss... he… doesn't want you to get involved. There are a lot of cruel things in the Mafioso. You cannot be a part of Varia if you cannot be heartless like Malvolia. And… Boss wouldn't want you to become like that."

I don't want you to, either…

She looked at me with an unreadable expression. Sometimes, she really does not act like a child. "I know about the cruel things. My parents died that way."

"…………."

"But…" she managed a smile. "Thanks, I guess…"

-----PRESENT-----

"Yeah, I remember," I said, "enough of that. Your clothes have been pretty torn up; I brought some clothes from Bel's closet since his size is closest to yours."

"Hehhhh? But I don't like his stripy clothes!"

"Oooii! Don't complain! Know your place; you're still our enemy!"

"As if…" she rolled her eyes. "Then what's that plate behind you?"

"………your breakfast…"

I handed her the plate. She looked at it in distaste.

"Ew. Who the hell eats sashimi for breakfast?"

"I said: don't complain!" I shouted. "Ever since you disappeared, Lussuria insisted on taking over the cooking. You have no idea what kind of food he cooks."

She raised an eyebrow. "Fine, then. Feed me! My arm is injured!"

"Oooiii! Don't get too comfortable now!" Even though I said that, I still picked up a piece with chopsticks.

"Because I'm the Princess!"

"Gross. Maybe you and Bel are the real siblings. You're both crazy brats," I said while sending that piece of raw fish into the brat's mouth.

"Congratulations." The brat mumbled with food in her mouth.

"Huh?!"

"Congratulations," the brat said again after she swallowed. "Eight years ago… I never got to say it. Congratulations for gaining that new position, and for getting Niisama's approval. You didn't even get the chance to celebrate for yourself, and you came to cheer me up. You really are the best swordsman in the world."

I don't really know what happened next. My body seems to have moved by itself. My fingers loosened around the chopsticks, and the plate in my other hand has dropped to the floor. Then, I saw both of my hands on the brat's shoulders, and she has been pushed back down on the bed. My face heated up. Damn, what the hell am I doing? She is that little brat! Why do I feel like I want to……

"Ouch! Squalo, what was that fo……" the brat stopped in the middle of the sentence and looked at me with her big black eyes. A rosy color appeared on her cheeks because of our distance, and my eyes were drawn to the purple bruise near her collarbone.

Ah, damn it all… I already went this far!

I leaned down and placed my lips to where the bruise was. The brat's body seemed to have stupefied. Seeing that, I bit that spot that I'd just kissed. And she jumped.

"Ow-ow-ooowww! Are you really a shark or something?! If you're hungry, then eat your own freaking sashimi!" the brat returned to normal and started squirming around under me. "Squalo! Get off me! You're so heavy!"

"No!"

"Why not?!"

"Oi, brat…" I looked at her and she looked back at me nervously. "You… I…"

"PRINCESS!!!!" The door flew open and two things dashed in. But even quicker, I got off the brat and jumped off to the corner of the bed. Bel and Mammon were here.

"What is this nasty thing?" Bel said as he lifted up his foot. He had stepped on the sashimi that I'd dropped a while ago. "Ushishishi, is long-hair trying to feed Princess his own food? Don't worry, Princess, I brought something more edible!"

Bel handed her a cup of milk. She was still recovering from Bel and Mammon's sudden entrance… or my actions earlier. She took a little sip.

"It's my milk!" Mammon said, laying her palm out flat. "That'll be fifty-thousand yen!"

"Puuuahh!!" the brat choked.

"Ushishishi… Princess is still so fun to play with!"

"I wasn't playing." Mammon still didn't retrieve her hand.

Damn these little brats… they're totally ignoring me. "Oooiiii!! Get the hell out of here! Patient needs to rest!"

I pushed the two kids out of my room and also came out myself. I shut the door behind me and saw the weird looks from Bel and Mammon. "What?"

"Shishishi… we saw! We saw!" the bloody prince smiled wickedly.

"Saw… saw what?"

"Hmm… Boss would sure like to know!" Bel said as he ran off, leaving Mammon behind.

"Oooii, Mammon, what did you guys see?"

Mammon remained silent for a while. "Sharks aren't very smart…"

With that, the little one floated away.

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TBC.

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A/N: Gentle Squalo is so sexy. He understands Xanxus, he understands! Anyway, this chapter came out rather quickly because I won't be home for the weekend. I'm going up north some ways for my university orientation and it's going to a few days, so I thought I'd leave something with you guys first. Well, I've had this chapter in mind for a while so it was quite easy to write. I realized that I really love to make Yotsuba suffer… bleed more! Just kidding. And Gokudera… I can't help but make him look like an ***! Who else can do it but him?

Anypoo, I'll work like lightning once I come back from orientation. You can expect the next chapter on Friday or so. See ya guys later!