Disenchanted

Title inspired by: My chemical romance – Disenchanted

Disclaimer:I don't own KHR nor Aiko's lullaby or Lilli's melody.

Author's Note:

Warning. Violence at the end of this chapter.

My heartfelt thanks to Merisela, P3achi3, KHR LOVER, xSkywires, Papiermoon, Audriel, Marabou and the lovely renderedvoice

Xskywires– Thanks for paying attention to those references XD

Papiermoon– Oh, I don't consider it a flame. If anything, I'm grateful for your honest, justified critique. Apparently, I wanted to show Mukuro's cunning side during interactions with Hibari but after reading your comment, I think you're absolutely right and I try to keep it in mind for the following chapters. Guess I was also a little bit too eager to make him curse in Italian XD

Renderedvoice– Thank you so much! But self-destructive perfectionist that I am aside, may I kindly ask you what kind of mistakes you spotted (Grammar? Spelling?)? I'll try my best to avoid them in the future (and re-read the other chapters to find them) XD

Thanks for reading. I truly appreciate it!

"Once upon a time.."

Nagi liked fairy tales.

But she wasn't a princess, the knight in shining armour was still missing and cats were the witch's companions.

So, she decided to stop liking fairy tales.

Fairy tales were stupid.

Chrome disliked fairy tales.

The princess was useless, the knight was dead and nobody wanted to be stuck inside a huge tower anyway.

It was quite rare, but she agreed with Nagi.

Fairy tales were stupid.

The new morning immersed the empty streets in a yellowish glimmer, windows reflecting the light and rainbow-coloured dewdrops dancing over golden leaves. Cadmium orange pierced the sky and the sun's bergamot arms were infiltrating Chrome's bedroom, casting harmless shadows over the walls and bathing her skin in Naples yellow, generating a superficial glow. Her lone eye blinked sleepily and, instead of its usual lilac, seemed to glow in an abstract magenta.

Forcing her body into a sitting position, she stifled a yawn and stretched her tired limbs.

A new day was born.

She felt light-headed when she shuffled into the bathroom, stripping out of her clothing in progress and turning the shower on. A pleasant feeling shook her bare body when the first splashes of warm water hit the skin, droplets obscuring her vision and thoughts washing down the drain. Stepping out of the warmth and into the steam-filled room, she hummed an old lullaby though she couldn't remember where it came from. However, she did recall a soft voice, female and silky, and she stared into the fogged mirror quizzically. The reflection, hidden behind condensation, stared at her and, for a brief moment, she imagined to recognise Nagi.

Breathing heavily, she had to turn away.

The Mist breezed back into her bedroom, clad in a towel and translucent beads dabbling from her hair onto the shoulders. Slipping into a chocolate-coloured Alberta Ferretti tunic dress, she adjusted the small velvet bow on her neckline and strolled into the kitchen for a quick breakfast.

The song was still stuck inside her head and she murmured the melody while stabbing the tsukemono with her bamboo chopsticks.

There was a certain feeling of serenity and she had to giggle, her eyelid grew heavy and she finally closed it, entirely oblivious to the thin threads of mist around her feet. Eventually, they merged and crawled over the floor, reaching out to swallow the clean work space, the stove, the fridge, until the whole kitchen was covered in a thick blanket of fog.

The chirping sound of a bird.

Chrome opened her eye and gasped in astonishment when she found herself in the middle of a seemingly endless, green meadow. She rose from the chair and watched the piece of furniture crumbling into luminous pigments and then vanishing completely. Confused, she raised her head to the firmament, a vibrant cyan with dots of white clouds.

The colours, stolen by Mukuro-sama, were back at last.

"Naku na yo, naku na yo"

Cutting through the silence, a soft voice filled the air and the Vongola Guardian whirled around, noticing a single tree in a short distance. The familiar song echoed in her ears. A beautiful woman was sitting underneath the giant plant, sheltered by the shadows and her back rested comfortably against the bark.

"Mite goran"

A few chartreuse leaves were perched on top of her head, almost like a natural crown, and she rested her hands on her swollen abdomen.

"Kono hoshizora o"

There was a graceful smile on her face and Chrome was oddly drawn to her.

"Kowai monomo nayami mo"

Her pupil diameter decreased abruptly. Slowly approaching the person, she started to shake. Hands stretching out, trying to get closer to that long forgotten, faint idyll.

"Kie te iku"

With each and every step, the image of the woman faded more and more.

"Nansen nen mo mae no hikari"

She reached out.

… because saving Nagi...

"... mot... her...?"

And Chrome's fingers touched air.

Blinking, she registered the customary environment of her kitchen. Turning around in confusion, she bumped against the chair and it fell over with a loud noise, pulling the female out of her not-quite-imaginary reverie. A minor migraine spread through her temples and pale hands wandered towards her stomach, awaiting some kind of reaction although she knew it was too early. Inside her were nothing but dividing cells, hardly something she could call a baby.

The fabric of her clothing wrinkled under the pressure of her digging fingers.

Why was life this complicated? And Hibari-san too. Causing (forcing, she dared to believe) her to develop all these confusing, contradicting feelings.

She was aware of what she had said the other day. Stating that she had no intentions of keeping the child. It was just... she wasn't as sure anymore. Because Chrome (Nagi) knew what it was like to be unwanted. Those feelings were still haunting her. Abandoned by her mother. Abandoned by Mukuro-sama (even if the latter had shown genuine interest yesterday).

For a second, she mused.

Had there really been a time when her mother had actually been happy? A time where she had wanted to have a child? Questions were filling her head, her mind, her heart.

And, all of a sudden, she knew whom she could ask. Probably. Perhaps. Maybe.

A low sigh escaped the confines of her lips and she walked out of the kitchen, breakfast entirely abandoned/forgotten, and wandered into the entrance area. The encountered chaos was a vivid reminder of the previous day. Not caring about the mess, she bent down and picked the telephone up. The illusionist dialled a number (known by heart even if she had never been confident enough to wait for the receiver to actually pick up) and pressed the phone against her ear. Anxiety was laving through her veins, heartbeat accelerating, tachycardia.

This time, she was brave enough.

Greeted by a friendly "Moshi moshi!", she allowed herself to calm down. The cheerful disposition of her dialogue partner was captivating, occupying her mind to the degree that she momentarily forgot why she had called the person in first place. Refocusing, she somewhat managed to arrange a meeting.

The winter garden was blooming in green glory and the white cast-iron table was laden with books and two cups of sencha tea. Black Forest Gateau and lemon meringue pie were long forgotten and the more important matters of flower arrangements were discussed instead. Chrome hadn't been able to ask any of her questions yet but her dialogue partner had urged her to voice her opinion and now they were miles away from her desired topics.

"It's so nice of you to help me, Chrome-chan," Kyoko warbled, furiously scribbling notes on a pad.

The Mist blinked slowly and lowered her head in embarrassment.

"I-I'm afraid my knowledge of flowers is limited... but I really want to support you... because the wedding preparations are so stressful and Kyoko should concentrate on giving birth to a healthy baby."

The redhead gaped at the other female, tears welling up in the corner of her eyes. She wiped them away with a smile on her lips.

"Thank you so much, Chrome-chan. And sorry for being so tearful. Those hormones really get me ever and anon." She rubbed her belly with a smile. "Really, darling, what are you doing to your momma?"

And that was the cue.

"Are you afraid?"

She lifted her hand and placed her index finger and thumb against the chin, thinking.

"Of what? The birth? Oh no, not really, because I'll be rewarded with the most valuable gift in life."

The dark-haired woman shook her head.

"No, are you afraid of saying inappropriate things? Things your baby may hear."

And Kyoko was very, very quiet for a few minutes. Admittedly, it had never occurred to her to question her baby's abilities. Even so, she did talk to her baby but it was often involuntary or at night, accompanied by stroking her swollen stomach.

"Honestly, I-I'm not quite sure. I guess, I didn't give this matter a lot of thought." She reached for the tea cup and took a small sip.

"But now that you asked me..."

Chrome mimicked her actions and swallowed a larger gulp, almost burning her tongue in progress.

"Is that what you wanted to talk about?"

She raised her head, surprised.

"Ah... I-I, ano... well, yes. I suppose." Twiddling with her thumbs, she continued, "I-I've been thinking about the whole pregnancy thing and..."

Searching for the right words to blur the lines of truth and lie.

"It is amazing, isn't it? A new life growing inside you. A-and I was wondering... how perceptive a baby may be."

She shifted around in her seat and peered up, lone eye doubtful. Kyoko didn't notice or was too warm-hearted to regard her actions.

"I fear I can't answer this question either. You see, I firmly believe in my child's consciousness. That's why I'm talking to it, put earphones with soothing music on my tummy and rub my abdominal region constantly."

"You said before... it wasn't quite planned to get pregnant before the marriage. Have you ever thought of... abortion?"

The redhead winked at her.

"No. Not even a single second."

The illusionist returned her attention to the tea cup, swinging the olive-green liquid with slow, steady motions.

"Do you think... your baby would have felt unwanted if you had considered an abortion?"

Rapidly blinking, the pregnant woman fixed her gaze on the guest. There was a truth-seeking spark in her brownish eyes, as if she tried to figure something out but wasn't as successful as desired.

"Do you want an honest answer?"

Affirmation.

"Yes. I think so."

There was a moment of silence before Chrome stood up, bowing down in a polite farewell. She grabbed her purse, pressed it against her chest and turned around to leave, but not before bowing down a second time. Kyoko was literally baffled.

"Thank you very much! You answered all my questions but I have to go now. There is something of inexpressible importance that demands my full attention. I'm sorry!"

Practically running, she abandoned the winter garden, barely hearing the other woman calling out her name or the shouts of "Take care" and rushed through the hallway towards the door. There was something she had to do and there was only one place where she could do as she pleased.

"What. The. Hell. Are you doing here?" muttered the Storm, freshly lit cigarette in his mouth, hair rumpled up and shirt dishevelled. Chrome glanced at her mobile phone. It was almost eleven o'clock.

"Sorry, did I wake you?"

He made a displeased noise and tried to comb his hair by using his fingers. Passing people were scrutinizing him and he was tempted to slam the door shut. Ten years had flown past, yet Gokudera Hayato was still neither a morning person nor very good at keeping his temper.

Today required both skills.

"Let me rephrase. What do you want and why are you here?"

She viewed him without really acknowledging his presence. Almost, as if she stared right through his body. It pissed him off. But he could almost sense Juudaime and his querulous reprimand. He was forced to feign patience. Ultimately, his tenuous efforts were rewarded with a reply.

"You... own a piano, don't you?"

Ashes dropped onto his chest and he cursed, trying to rub the offensive substance from his shirt. The cigarette fell down to the ground, accidentally crushed underneath his foot.

"Yeah, so what?"

"May I... play?"

His honeydew-coloured eyes narrowed and he stuffed his hands into the pockets of the khaki baggy combats. This was an odd request, even for her standards. There was no harm, was there? Unless she had learned to cast illusions by using music, which he doubted. And the Juudaime wouldn't be too happy if he treated a fellow Guardian like some kind of beggar. Grunting, he stepped aside to let her enter.

"Just don't... touch anything or something like that!"

Chrome slipped her bronze loafer pumps off and arranged them neatly next to Gokudera-san's shoes. He closed the door and stormed off. She had trouble to follow him when he paced through three different, narrow corridors. Stopping in front of a closed door at the end of the last hallway, he abruptly whirled around and she bumped into him. Another gruff noise escaped his throat and he grasped the doorknob, opened the door and revealed a spacious, empty room. The opposite wall was nothing but large, ceiling-high windows with crimson curtains gracing their silver frames and the other walls were tinted in a soft, sandy colour.

Tentatively, she sidled into the room and detected an antique, ebony black grand piano to her right. It was covered in scratches, scarred and haggard like an old lady, but surprisingly cherished despite its blemishes. Gokudera-san walked over and skimmed his fingers over the ivories.

A high, clear sound resonated, sending a chill down her spine and making her skin crawl.

Sad.

That lone note sounded so sad.

"Mhm, I guess it's out of tune. It's quite ancient and I haven't played since forever," he muttered, more to himself, though.

She ambled over to him and touched the cool keys, fingers caressing the yellowed, attrited texture.

"No, it's fine. Besides, I'm afraid my skills are a bit rusty, too."

Pointing at the piano stool, she looked at the male and he nodded curtly. She sat down, the red plush yielded under her slim physique and low weight. The fabric was worn out and she wondered just how often he must have practised in the past. Experimentally, she stroked the keys, creating a cawing sound and realized just how off-tune the instrument really was.

The smoking bomb cringed.

"Man, I never thought it would be this bad."

Gently, she shook her head.

"It's good. Almost as if it's telling you about its past."

He stared at her oddly. Sighing, he ignored her queerness and instead attempted to take a drag of his cigarette until he noticed he had dropped it earlier. His hand wandered into the back pocket and he fumbled with the cigarette pack. His lips secured the new fag and he was about to lit it, when her soft cough interrupted his actions.

"Would you mind... please?"

Groaning, he turned around, heading towards the door. This was his fucking home and yet he had to leave because he wanted to smoke? That woman was... He grumbled, showing his displeasure although he obeyed without further protest.

"Fine, take your time. And you better be careful. That piano was shipped from Italy and I don't want to see more scratches on its surface."

She agreed with a silent whisper and he left, unhappy and strangely satisfied.

Sitting all alone in front of the grand piano, Chrome tilted her head and surveyed the empty room. There was no additional furniture, no pictures, no... nothing. It was unexceptional clean and flooded with daylight which was bursting through the windows. Infinitesimal particles of dust were dancing in those golden rays of the sun and she started to play, entertained by the thought of providing these smallest molecules with music.

The Mist wasn't remarkable talented and it was clearly evident that she hadn't practised in years but, after a while, she got the knack of it and the room was filled with a rather decent melody. Humming along softly, she remembered Nagi's first piano lesson. Back then, she had genuinely tried her best to please her mother (her first and probably last try, but it had been an honest attempt) and polished her adequate skills on a daily basis.

But it was never good enough.

Nagi was never good enough.

On the other side, that woman had never been a mother per excellence either.

And she wondered where they went wrong and what had happened to make them fall apart first and foremost. Pausing the song, she placed one hand on her flat stomach. The vivid image of the green plain. The tree and her mother. A light smile graced her features, lips curling upwards and then:

"Do you want to listen to something nice? A lovely melody*?"

Smiling some more, she closed her eye and resumed playing, once again humming softly. The light changed and shooing shadows of clouds spun over the parquet. A gentle breeze knocked against the windows, leaves floating through the air.

And for once, Chrome felt absolutely content.

Gokudera gulped down a large sip from his raven-black coffee, his ashtray counted four smoked and three nervously stubbed out cigarettes. He surely was not a morning person. Hearing the cracking sound of a doorknob, he vacated his couch and walked into the hallway. Dokuro was standing in front of the music room and closed the door behind her.

"Fed up with playing?"

Gingerly chuckling, she brushed carefully past him.

"Yes, thank you."

"You do realize that you spent two hours in there, do you?"

Astonished at first, she regained her composure and nodded.

"Actually, I needed the time to sort something out for myself. Thanks."

Strolling towards the entrance, she halted, fingers playing with her dark hair and gaze directed at her waiting shoes.

"Would it... would it be okay if I came here a second time?"

He blinked in surprise. Followed by scratching his head and a casual wave of his hand.

"Yeah, whatever. Just don't go around... and spread the rumour we're friends or something."

Bobbing her head, she slipped into her shoes and stepped out of his apartment. But before she could say farewell, the door was already closed and she had to laugh because, at times, Gokudera-san was really, really childish.

She shrugged it off and headed towards the train station. Due to her self-isolation last week, a lot of work was waiting for her. The Sky hadn't mentioned anything but she knew he was that kind of person. Her recovery had been most important to him and work was always secondary. He also liked to have his family around and therefore built all the Guardians' offices in a huge, Victorian Vongola mansion, another secret base near the mountains. Reborn had been the one to initiate its construction and Timoteo had funded the building. And Boss had been shot there in a parallel future according to Irie Shoichi.

Switching from the train to the bus, she gazed at the breath-taking panorama of Namimori. An old lady was sitting in the front of the bus and her hyperactive grandchild pressed his nose against one of the windows.

"Whoa, obasan! Look, look! The city is getting smaller!"

She laughed and patted the empty space next to her.

"I know, Hideyoshi. Come here, sit down. It's dangerous if you keep on running."

Little boy wasn't really listening to the wise words and jumped through the bus, staggering when there was a bend in the street. His fawn eyes wandered around restlessly and his gaze landed on Chrome who was amused by his previous antics. He stumbled towards her and hopped onto the seat.

"You're living in the city, right?"

He watched her face, legs dangling from the seat.

"You are reaaaally pretty and not as boring as the country girls."

Blushing slightly, she couldn't contain her giggles, especially not after his granny pulled a face and batted her eyelashes at the child.

"Don't say that! Your obasan was very popular when she was younger. Your grandfather considered himself happy because out of all the boys I chose him."

Hideyoshi made a disgusted expression and stuck his tongue out.

"Eww, that must have been a very long time ago, obasan. And I think people had different tastes back then, too!"

Both females started to laugh and the young boy relished the attention. He was charming and lovely and Chrome enjoyed his company. After a while, his grandmother walked over and joined their little conversation. It was such a pleasant time that she almost forgot to dismount from the bus and she saw Hideyoshi's frantic waving even after the bus continued the journey. She watched the vehicle disappear and finally toddled off. During her walk towards the mansion, she hummed the song* she had played on the piano and shrieked when someone hooted the car horn behind her.

Swinging around, she spotted an elegant red Maserati GranTurismo (the Italian car was practically screaming "Dino-san") and a sleek black Honda Acura NSX (Hibari-san, because: a Japanese car for a Japanese owner) behind her. Winding down his window, Dino-san popped his head out and he grinned broadly.

"Hey there, Chrome. Are you really a member of the Mafia? We were following you ever since you got out of that bus. With our cars!"

A bashful blush covered her cheeks and she stuttered in embarrassment. He laughed in a good-natured manner and opened the side door.

"Hop in."

She froze and her eye shifted slowly towards the other car. Neither Hibari-san nor his driver (Ku... Kusakabe-san, if her memory was correct) could be seen but she was fairly sure that she was still able to feel the oppressive aura and piercing stare of the former.

Averting her gaze, she climbed into the comfortable leather seat. He revved the engine and drove off, the street was bumpy and certainly not made for a sport car such as his. He fixated his gaze on the road and started the conversation.

"So, what brings you here? Tsuna called you?"

She peered at the male. This was prolly the first time they were alone and furthermore the first time they actually spoke (at least more than two to three sentences). He wasn't even family. Avowedly, Boss considered him a brother of sorts. And if anything was related to the Cavallone famiglia, the Sky was often biased. Nevertheless, she had problems to reckon up Dino-san's character.

"No, he didn't. But I wasn't able to work last week and I assume I have some catching-up to do."

He whistled in response.

"Have you heard about the super special secret undercover mission?"

She had to smile and shook her head.

"Well, don't tell anyone but Tsuna and I, we want to find out if..." And he drummed his fingers against the steering wheel, eyes narrowing in a conspiratorial manner.

"We want to find out whether Kyouya is indeed a human being or some dangerous alien robot lacking any kind of manlike feelings!"

And she burst out into laughter.

The car halted in the car park (almost taking one of the poles along). Dino-san jumped out of the vehicle and ran over to Chrome's side, opening the door for her. The black Acura pulled into the parking spot next to them. Kusakabe-san exited, greeting the other two persons with a swift nod and Hibari-san bluntly ignored them, heading towards the mansion.

"Ah, Kyouya is a friendly as always." He nudged Chrome's shoulder. "I'd say alien robot, don't you agree?"

The female stared at the Cloud's back. He didn't even bother to cast a glance at her. She was torn between feeling indignant and being relieved. Yet, a second later, her attention was drawn to Dino-san because said man tripped over his own feet and tumbled down the marble stairs. Accidentally, his arm shot forward and he grabbed the female's wrist. She, in return, gripped the next support who happened to be Kusakabe-san.

A loud crash resounded and the trio was lying on the ground, at the bottom of the stairs.

Hibari-san scoffed and entered the mansion.

"I-I'm so sorry... I don't know what happened... I just...," the Cavallone wailed.

"O-oh, I didn't mean to... I'm deeply sorry, Kusakabe-san, it really wasn't my intention to...," the Mist pleaded.

"M-my excuses! I wasn't able to prevent the fall! I'm truly sorry, I should have...," the former vice of the Discipline Committee babbled.

The trio went silent and Kusakabe-san helped Chrome up. Dino-san stood up as well and was well aware of the fact that the other two kept their distance when they climbed the stairs a second time. He couldn't blame them. They arrived at the door and walked in, Tsunayoshi's amused face greeted them.

"Do not comment."

"I wasn't going to, Dino-san. Actions speak louder than words."

"Mhm, guess my actions are rather screaming then."

The brunette chuckled softly before peeping over Dino-san's shoulder. He raised an eyebrow and walked past the other man. Hibari-san was standing apart of the group and had obviously no interest in any of them. She itched to ask him about the previous night and, more importantly, about the kiss. Contradictorily to the fear of being close to him (because love was for the weak and she...).

"Chrome. What are you doing here?"

She flinched, surprised by the sudden attention. Whirling around, she stared into Boss' cinnamon eyes.

"A-ah... ano, I... err... about the work... from last week?"

He furrowed his brows. She took a deep breath and tried again.

"Due to my illness, I wasn't really able to do anything let alone fulfil my duty as a Guardian."

Once she regained her senses, it wasn't as hard to formulate a proper sentence.

"There must be tons of-"

The Sky held his hands up, cutting her off.

"Nii-san took it upon himself to finish your work. He mentioned some quarrel with Hana-san and he was afraid to go home and face her... extreme wrath."

Air quotes and lowered voice. The Italian walked over and stood behind her, hands resting on top of her shoulders.

"You could have told her. She came all the way to complete her work and now it was all in vain?" he scolded even though there was still a friendly expression on his face. She cringed under his touch.

"I-I forgot. I was concerned about her well-being and there was the Mareggiata famiglia and your mission... Why do I have to vindicate myself? This is not a cross-examination."

Scowling, he ran his fingers through his sienna-coloured hair.

"Sorry, Chrome, I really should have-!"

"Yeah, shame on you, Tsuna."

"Dino-san, do you remember Reborn's 'shut up stick'? I'm not afraid to use it."

The blonde scrunched up his nose.

"I'll take her home."

The two bickering men became silent, their heads creaking into the direction of the voice. Hibari-san gave them a level look, hands resting in his neat black dress pants and back straight.

"And the meeting...," inquired a puzzled Tsunayoshi.

"Explain the details to Tetsu."

Words filled with authority, there was no room for arguments. He made his way briskly towards the group and grasped the female's pale wrist, yanking her away from the Cavallone's touch. Kusakabe-san bowed formally.

"Kyou-san, shall I drive her? This way, you'd be able to attend-"

He shut his mouth when he noticed his superior's expression. It was the kind of humour-me-or-feel-my-wrath-because-I-swear-I'll-be-going-on-a-killing-spree-face that absolutely nobody wanted to mess with.

"Of course, Kyou-san. I'm staying here and you will receive the information tomorrow."

The two Mafia bosses were flailing in the background, displeased with the solution but not stupid enough to oppose the bloodthirsty Cloud.

Chrome was conscious of Hibari-san's firm grip on her wrist as he dragged her towards his car. He slipped into his seat and she was hesitant until his annoyed gaze was directed at her. She hopped in and fastened the seat belt. Pressing her back into the bright leather, she waited for him to start the car and realized that she had seen Hibari-san on his motorbike but never in a car. Usually, Kusakabe-san was the driver.

His hands clutched the steering wheel while she trembled, fear was getting the best of her. Faintly, she recalled Yamamoto-san's warning that the Cloud was driving like a madman, not caring whether he was on the street or on the pavement (however, he had failed to mention that Hibari had tried to run Mukuro over, making his driving less frightening and his mentality more questionable). Her nails sank into the soft leather. After ten minutes, she finally relaxed and concluded that he wasn't such a horrible driver after all.

She observed him out of the corner of her eye.

His black hair was naturally ruffled unlike ten years ago and she craved to touch it, wondering whether it was soft or wiry. The memory of her fingers on his slender shoulders, muscles jumping under her touch and skin pleasurably smooth, crawled into her mind and she blushed spectacularly. His grey eyes gazed at her before returning their focus on the street.

The Mist's head drifted to the side, resting against the cool window, the glass surface reflecting her pale image.

Her feelings were stupid and she knew it. Pathetic weak person that she was. For her, the silence was unbearable yet she didn't want to break it. Simply because they hadn't talked ever since the day he had brought the folder and she had stupidly asked him about his point of view concerning love. Afterwards, no communication. Her cheeks turned from brilliant red into crimson.

The kiss.

That was communication too, wasn't it? Other than that, he had ignored her presence for the last week(s). And yesterday... he had kissed her and left without any further explanation. What if Mukuro-sama hadn't been there? What would he have done? And what about herself?

Gritting her teeth in frustration, Chrome felt the beginnings of a headache, gripping her cranium, crushing her temples. Her fingers fluttered against her stomach.

Oh, yes. That dreadful topic, too.

Sooner or later, she had to tell him about the pregnancy. Especially now that she was tending to keep the child.

"Hi-Hibari-san, I..."

She gulped. Maybe, this just wasn't the right time. Other things needed to be clarified, matters needed to be discussed. Deciding to be starkly honest, she formulated another sentence, a second attempt.

"You confuse me."

Chrome looked into the rear-view mirror and watched him raise an eyebrow. Her head resumed leaning against the chilly window. Hot breath rebounding, warming her nose. He didn't reply, just like she expected.

"Your actions seem to be coordinated by hidden intentions, some concealed aims. And yet, most of the time, nobody can even remotely comprehend what's on your mind."

Stoic expression of his remained indifferent. Howbeit he condescended to provide her with a comment.

"You talk too much."

She sighed. The female's reflection grimaced, lips twisting into a listless smile. His unreadable nature was driving her crazy but it also reminded her of the first time, she actually noticed him.

It had been during their trip to the future, to be more precise, during his fight with the phantom knight. Sensing an attack, she had called out his name and he had been able to block just in time. Helping him out was a matter of course.

However, two years later, the Vongola had been forced to fight the Valanga famiglia. Their Storm Guardian had been a bulky guy, dim-witted but gifted with immense strength, and he had rammed his glowing red mace into Chrome's arm, throwing her off balance. She had fallen on her back, abundantly defenceless, but the finishing blow never came. Gathering her wits together, she had looked up and her opponent had been crouching on the ground, Hibari-san's foot on his back and his tonfa splattered with blood.

"We're even," was all he had said before fighting against another enemy.

She had continued to observe him afterwards. In retrospect, she doubted that she had been in love with him back then.

An undeniable attraction, yes.

Love, not really.

But he grew over the years, became more mature and less impulsive. And she was awed by his progress. And intrigued by their differences and similarities. Whereas he was a cloud, up in the sky but not to be touched, she was the mist, just as untouchable but earthbound. There were many strong men in the Mafia world yet he was among the strongest, independent and self-confident.

Contrary to her. The illusionist was anything but feeble, she had learned a few tricks over the years and improved her fighting skills but her willpower, volition, was weak and her self-worth hardly worth mentioning.

She grew up relying on others.

He conquered the world on his own.

At this point, Chrome Dokuro realized that her love for Hibari Kyouya wasn't as sudden as she had previously thought. The night the two of them spent together had only been the tip of the iceberg, his insides filled with mementos from many years.

And she also concluded that it would and could never work out. Because the pitiful princess wasn't supposed to fall for Kerberos.

"You can drop me at that corner."

Hibari-san made a nondescript noise and pulled over. The female unfastened the seat belt and peered at him before leaning in. He was more reactive than last time (granted, she had been drunk, motivations even unclear to herself) and the silvery tonfa was pressed against throat, the tip cold against her skin. She forced herself to smile and leaned in further, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling the weapon was giving her. He, on the other side, remained calm, glaring and intimidating but not pugnacious.

His lack of resistance was her invitation.

Her lips touched the skin of his cheek for a split second before she withdrew and exited the car.

"Sorry for bothering you. I promise it won't happen again."

The Mist vanished and the Cloud drifted, wondering if her silence had been good after all.

The sky was cerulean blue, almost like a photography; blurred with a mild blueish purple (like an aconite) and Chrome's mind was pleasantly empty. Another fifteen minutes and she would arrive at her wonderful apartment where she would take a long, long bath and nibble some delicious pocky and eventually go to bed to sleep.

But.

"So, he really was right after all. I'm surprised," exclaimed a low voice, layered with a thick accent.

Chrome's head shot up. Seven men were in front of her, tall and definitely not ethnic Japanese. Her eye widened. Italians?

""Yeah, walking around without any care. The Vongola must be shitting us."

Stepping back, she reached for her box.

"Mareggiata, I suppose," whispered the outnumbered female. One of the men sneered and summoned his box animal, a mongoose. Blue flame, rain attribute. Another man stepped forward, next to him was a burning indigo zebra, mist attribute.

"Our boss wants to send his greetings."

Cursing under her breath, she resented the fact that she gave up on the trident, relinquishing it to Mukuro-sama in exchange for the Vongola box.

"There's still time to beg for yer life, signorina. Though it won't make much of a difference."

A smirk crossed her features and she activated her box, quietly calling the white owl.

"Arrendersi? Neanche per sogno!"

Because she was fighting as a Vongola Guardian. And as a mother.

Surprisingly, it was Chrome who initiated the fight and, if it hadn't been for the other men to show up, she would have won, too. Her illusions were strong and tissues ripped under the pressure of amazing Fata Morganas. Two men (lacking any boxes, she concluded) were killed within seconds. Furthermore, she was still doing well until the backup arrived, attacking from behind and taking advantage of the unfair proportions. It was common knowledge that the Mareggiata famiglia couldn't care less about pride or fairness and they relied on cheap, dirty tricks. Vendettas were merely an excuse to achieve their goals.

So, all her effort was for vain.

Her loss was decided after a forceful blow against her stomach, efficiently incapacitating her.

She lay on the ground and the cowards kicked her broken body in amusement, laughing at her bruised face, entertained by the blood sipping through her nose. After their torment, the nine survivors left her on the street, boasting their victory and mocking her defeat.

The bodies of their killed fellows were unregarded. Family. Left-behind.

Eventually, the taunting voices disappeared and Chrome blinked slowly, blood obscuring her vision, colouring her world in a shade of crimson.

Spinning vertigo and dull aches. She felt like being trapped in a kaleidoscope. Lights and sounds were blurring together and her red blood stained the bright clothing. Dripped onto the ground. Covering her body like a blanket. The concrete was hard and scraped her skin.

It hurt.

Another sound was added. A siren. Or a scream.

There was no the difference anymore.

Then, suddenly, everything became insignificant for the pale, bloody girl as she lay on the ground, vision blackening.

She stared upwards; clouds looking down on her and the blue sky turning grey and finally black when she lost consciousness.

"...there was a small girl with a heart of paper."

Nagi stopped liking fairy tales.

Chrome disliked fairy tales.

Because she (they) knew that princesses were pathetic and knights in shining armours were delusions. And cats were the witch's companion. Well, with all her illusions and mirages, she was rather a witch than a princess.

Witches were meant to be burnt.

And Chrome felt the flames leaking through her skin. Bursting from her wounds; warming, burning her insides.

With the witch gone, the magic was lost as well.

Disenchanted.

Fairy tales were stupid.

"Once upon a time..."

*The song Chrome is humming/playing on the piano is called Lilli's melody. The Japanese song is called "Aiko's lullaby".

Reviews and constructive criticism are appreciated.