Gifts and Curses

Title inspired by: Yellowcard – Gifts and curses

Disclaimer: I don't own KHR.

Author's Note:

Thank you, guys. Thanks for 50+ comments. Thanks for all the favs/alerts. Thank you for reading this little (stupid) story of mine. And lastly, thank you for your patience. Assignment is done and the mental damage it has caused is reversible XD Also, my flight was quite... eventful. To say the least. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas (or any celebrations of equivalent importance... e.g. Hanukkah!)

My dearest thanks to Audriel, DatAnzKidx, KHR LOVER, Marabou, P3achi3, Papiermoon, Merisela, Valerie, Girasol D Bans and xSkywires

Papiermoon – Coincidentally, your question will be revealed in this chapter. Though I must say that more about her, Haru's and Kyoko's relationships will be discussed in later chapters.

xSkywires – I'm not too sure about the Varia. They make their appearances once in a while but, as it is, only Xanxus (and probably Squalo) will play some major supporting role. Hope you did a good job on your finals ;)

Thanks for reading. I truly appreciate it

Mukuro-sama once bestowed her with the wondrous gift of creating mirages, making her own lies. But the skylark pierced through her lying, the euphemisms and through that paper heart of hers. And, before she knew it, she was lost in her own words.

This gift was her curse for now.

A silent yawn escaped her mouth and an elegant finger travelled over the lipstick stained rim of her glass. While the restaurant was mainly engulfed in semi-darkness, she had found an almost hidden spot by the bar, a dim, secure refuge with soft red-cushioned bar stools where she could pout and sulk without being seen. And all because the previous excitement decided to die down after Chrome had managed to sneak into the bathroom where she secretly opened Hibari-san's present. She had stared at the gift for about three (wordless) minutes before any feelings surfaced. Disappointment was the first emotion, swiftly followed by indignation and finally anger.

A lot of anger.

Returning with an outraged frown, she had carelessly stuffed the insulting object into her purse and instead opted to observe and analyse the other guests from afar. Her gloomy mood shouldn't bother them, that wouldn't be fair.

Especially since it was livelier than before, presumably because most of the guests were halfway or completely drunk, and the music louder, almost hard and joyful. Even the Varia wasn't as lost before, the sparkling Sun man praised Boss' mother for her fabulous outfit choice and the monstrous Thunder man had lost all three rounds of arm wrestling to Boss' father. Haru was dancing with her husband though it seemed that Basil-san wasn't one of the most graceful dancers for she was constantly scolding him. Some of the males were engaged in a drinking contest and the female illusionist wondered whether Boss had been allowed to join since, surprisingly, he was the best to cope with enormous amounts of alcohol (the worst being Hibari-san, followed by Lambo-san and her).

She sighed.

Certainly, that dreadful alcohol was responsible for her current situation in the first place. It was probably the best her pregnancy forbade any further contact with said liquid. Dipping her finger into the fizzy water of her alternative drink, she trickled small drops on the polished surface of the bar and breathed on those translucent beads, blowing them into different directions until there was nothing left but a wet trail.

"What a lonely game."

Tucking some strands behind her ear, she gazed down at the approaching form.

"Reborn-san," she noted dully, head bobbing down in a greeting acknowledgement.

"Ciaossu Chrome."

The male smirked, placed a hand on the dark hat to convey his own salute before he jumped up, sitting down on the chair next to her. Her attention returned to the traces of liquid before a plate appeared in her line of vision. She shrieked quietly (because it had been handed from the right side. The stupid blind spot, her disadvantage, and the awful eye patch was a constant reminder of her past and weaknesses). Reborn-san chuckled in response.

"Good reflexes though I must say they were a bit delayed. Nothing, a few training sessions won't solve," he wiggled the tableware until she grabbed it and placed it neatly on her lap. Staring at the food intensely, she recognised insalata verde, carpaccio di manzo, linguine al pesto and loads of different vegetables. Overwhelmed, Chrome made a strangled noise.

"T-this is too much."

Ignoring her half-hearted complaint, he calmly sipped from his espresso, sighed in content and turned back to her.

"The Italian cuisine is remarkable healthy. Balanced, substantial and fresh ingredients combined with healthy oils."

"It's still too much."

"Well," he started and his eyes were shadowed by his fedora, "I'm sure there is someone who would approve of an extra huge serving."

Her own eye widened when he leaned forward and gave her stomach a careful pat.

"How...?" And because this question wasn't sufficient enough, "Bossu would never break his promise. So, please tell me how." Either way, denying was futile.

Reborn-san shifted around in the crimson-covered seat before taking another sip from his pure white cup and then he finally turned around to face her again.

"Dame-Tsuna is surprisingly good at keeping this particular secret (Was that a compliment or...?)." Regarding her with a knowing smile, he slowly twirled one of his sideburns around the index finger, curling and uncurling it until he deemed it time to answer.

"You know, I think women are like a good caffé espresso." And she made that weird noise, again (Women were...? Dark? Bitter? With crema on top?) "You can't see through either."

Afterwards, the male focused solely on his espresso, swinging the dark liquid around before filling his mouth with another gulp, teasing his taste buds with the bitter drink for a third time. And she couldn't help tilting her head in confusion because it made certainly more sense than what her mind came up with and yet...

"That's not really answering my question, though, Reborn-san," she remarked.

The Arcobaleno watched her through the rising steam of his drink.

"Initially, even espresso is just made of clear water. And this substance is not only an essential part of the drink, it's also as see-through as a mother who can't hide her subliminal pride."

A few minutes passed until and Chrome found herself nodding despite the fact that she still wasn't exactly sure what he meant. Nonetheless, it was fairly normal for Reborn-san to speak in riddles and she would fail to decipher the hidden meanings anyway. Instead of pondering, she grasped a fork and stuffed her mouth with some carpaccio. Pressing a hand to her cheek, she hummed in delight.

"I'm going back to Italy in a few days. When we see each other the next time, I expect the father not only to be sitting next to you but also to provide you with good, healthy food."

The Mist blinked and noticed that his seat was suddenly empty. Reborn-san was standing a couple of steps away from her, looking back with a playful smirk.

"Also, don't forget to give the baby a proper name. I wouldn't mind if you call it 'Reborn'."

Laughing, she shook her head rancorously.

"I-it's way too early to say something like that, Reborn-san," she huffed amused, "And we don't know its gender yet."

"Well, the name can go either way."

And she stared at his retreating figure, still chuckling. "You can go either way," she lisped with a grin and tapped a single finger against the tip of her nose. With his lithe back to her, he raised his hand, some kind of short farewell before merging into the crowd. The dark-haired girl bit her lower lip and the silver fork pierced the lettuce. About to dwell on Reborn-san's words, she was interrupted when another person decided to keep her company. Or rather, two persons.

"You looked kinda upset and we wanted to ease your mind and lift you mood but it seems Reborn already did a good job."

She looked up and smiled at Bianchi-san who was happily sipping on her scorpino. Behind her was Kyoko's brother, a bottle of Asahi in his hand (he preferred Japanese beer over those unmanly Italian cocktails).

"Already started to open the presents?" the boxer asked and pointed at the crumpled-up gift wrap. "Was it that disappointing?"

Opening her mouth, she yet failed to respond and mutely watched the man as he slumped into the soft cushion of a bar stool which had previously been occupied by Reborn-san.

"So, what was it? What was inside?"

"A handkerchief," was her short explanation and because he gave her that incredulous look, she felt compelled to extend her answer, "A handkerchief with Namimori chuu's emblem."

Clearing his throat, he raised one scarred eyebrow.

"But... you never attended our school. This is extremely confusing."

Bianchi-san tutted and leaned forward, folded arms resting on the male's shoulders.

"Amore, was there anything else?"

Chrome sighed, hands wandering to the paper and searching for the small purple card. Unable to find it, she opened her purse where the equally purple handkerchief was practically staring at her before she shoved it aside, grimacing. Nonetheless, she found the card.

"This," she finally admitted and the other two inspected the delicate characters, immediately recognising Hibari-san's neat handwriting (because he took pride in everything and even drinking tea or writing a simple card was done precisely). However, the content wasn't as adequate or fitting. The older female reached over to take the little thing.

"Something useful. I know herbivores tend to cry a lot," she read, ignoring Sasagawa-san's aghast gasps. Breathing out, she set the card down and faced the two other persons. "That's all," she concluded. Merely a split second later, her outburst boomed through the room, drawing everyone's attention towards the trio (or their tantamount reaction since most of them were drunk and didn't possess anything related to 'attention').

"How dare he... that... that bastard! He shall pay!"

Though it started as a screech, soon it turned into nothing but a venomous whisper yet loud enough for the Sun to be alarmed about future implications, resulting complications and the consequent damage. Simply because he had witnessed what had happened on her fake marriage with the Arcobaleno which had nearly ended in a massacre. Oh, the good old days. Basically, the reason was: Even though, or, as much as the poisonous Scorpion claimed to support love, she was also relentless, cruel and showed absolutely no mercy when she had to defend her point of view. And her current point of view included: First, tears were no sign of weakness and therefore not to be ridiculed. Secondly, a handkerchief was one of the most inappropriate gifts for a young girl such as Chrome.

"I don't think it's really advisable to fight Hibari or question his choice of presents," considered Sasagawa-san, carefully approaching the furious female and surprisingly insightful.

However, his reasonable arguments were plainly ignored.

"Don't care about his tastes, don't care about him being the strongest Guardian. All I know is he surely insulted Chrome... No, not only her but every single woman who ever shed a tear."

Avowedly, the really sad part was, Bianchi-san was perfectly aware of the fact that she was exaggerating, biased and all this was probably caused by her general hate for arrogant, conceited men who reminded her of husband dear. And yet she was unable contain her anger (or frustration). She wanted to see blood and Hibari-san was just good enough. Furthermore, she also blamed the alcohol. It was the Mist's petite hand, curled around her wrist, who stopped her from poisoning the whole Italian buffet and therefore killing the whole male body of their party.

"Thank you," was all she said and Bianchi-san felt her inner walls crumbling down, the wrath dissolved just as quickly as it had previously appeared. Still not able to let the topic rest completely, she commented, "If you change your mind, just let me know. I'm happy to give him a piece of my mind."

"Well, I can't argue with that. He does kinda deserve it... So, I would probably help," Kyoko's brother mused. "Especially since I didn't realise that he slighted a woman's pride!"

"I rest my case," Bianchi-san added, riling the boxer up.

"No, it's fine. Really, there is no need t-" Chrome started before someone interfered.

"Is everything okay?"

Instantly, the trio whipped around and they met the Sky's questioning, warm gaze. "Bianchi screamed," he offered nonchalantly, explaining the reason behind his sudden appearance. His stripped suit was neat with barely any wrinkles. A glass filled with red wine was secured by his thumb and his index finger. "What's going on?"

"Hibari is a bastard."

He tilted his head.

"I know." A jolly sneer. "And you just reached that conclusion? Bianchi, you're way behind us."

"More than usually," Sasagawa-san aided, arms crossed in front of his chest while he rose from his chair. "I hazard saying that he's looking down on Dokuro." Boss rolled his eyes dramatically. "Nii-san, I'm afraid he's most likely looking down on every single one of us. Not sure about Mukuro but he certainly thinks of you and all the others as nothing more than, sometimes quite entertaining, herbivores," he countered and faced Chrome, completely ignoring the open-mouthed expression presented by the Sun.

"How do you feel?"

And she shrugged her shoulders, brushing her own feelings of injustice off.

"Uhm... I suppose I'm good. Like you said, Bossu, it is Hibari-san we're talking about after all."

"But...," argued the Sun, wobbling on his feet and one hand scratching the back of his neck, slightly below the hairline, "Sawada, I thought you said... I mean after the incident with the Kokuyo guys..."

"Isn't Hana looking for you?" Boss snapped and the other man disappeared from the scene within the next seconds since Sasagawa Hana was scarier (and, figuratively, more powerful) than any enemy he ever encountered. Oblivious to the boxer and the phobia of his own wife, Bianchi-san sensed a sudden tensing of the atmosphere. She raised a questioning eyebrow, alternating her gaze between the female Guardian and the Vongola leader, but noticed that neither would reward her with an answer. Plus, she had her own share of untold secrets and hence should accept theirs as well (vice versa; she disliked it yet had to obey). However, this didn't change the fact that she was still nosy.

"Sorry, Chrome, he normally knows the topic is..." Sky lulled monotonically while staring after his peculiar Sun Guardian.

The Mist smiled in response but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "The past is dead and buried," she elucidated reluctantly, earning an affirmative grunt.

On the other hand, the Poison Scorpion rolled her eyes in a oh-for-the-love-of-fashion. If they wanted to keep it a secret they shouldn't bloody talk about it in those cryptic sentences inasmuch as it made her even more curious than before. The alcohol made her skin prickle and her blood boil. She was irritated.

"What time is it anyway? I'm rather tired. Must be late," Bianchi-san randomly stated in order to change the subject. Though it sounded slightly drunk, she didn't regret her insertion. Boss coughed and squinted at his argent wrist watch, chocolate brown bangs obscuring his view. "Ah... err, yes. That's true." He turned around, warily watching his subordinates who were still busy with their drinking contest. "I don't know. Maybe we should call it a day." Then:

"Chrome."

She stared at him and nodded, assuring him to go on.

"Why don't you come over to stay with my family for a few days? Nobody likes the thought of you being alone..." He stopped there but the rest, the unspoken part, of his sentence was weighting heavy on her. ...we don't want to tempt the Mareggiata... or something along those lines. Interlacing her fingers, Chrome stood carefully up and walked over to him.

"T-thanks, but only i-if it isn't causing t-too much trouble and..."

Smiling, he waved her off.

"No, don't fret." He looked at the older female. "Bianchi, I hope you don't mind to share a room with Chrome and look after her for a while. Our space is limited after all."

"Not at all," the femme fatale contributed, winking at the duo and taking a sip from her cocktail. "The more the merrier."

"Mhm, is it just me or aren't there as many guests as before?" The bucking horse glanced around and loosened the suffocating clutch of his snowy tie. His second-in-command was chuckling softly, holding his Boss' wine glass. "Who won the drinking contest, Romario?"

"Nobody. The last three participants passed out simultaneously," Hibari informed cynically from behind and gripped the back rest of a chair to sit next to his former tutor.

"Oh, I see... And where have you been, pray tell?"

The raven-haired man yawned loudly, placing his ivory tea cup soundlessly on the table. Italy was assuredly his least favourite country (nonetheless, he wouldn't necessarily say he hated it. No, the main problem was merely its connections with the Mafia, the not-very-Japanese-like countryside and the tendency to crowd; Additionally, he also blamed Rokudo Mukuro for being an Italian) and he refused to drink their traditional drinks while wine, or rather any kind of alcohol, was absolutely out of question. Why was this place their rendezvous point anyway? There were plenty of exquisite Japanese restaurants nearby and heck, he would even prefer to eat a savoury hamburger in a fast food chain rather than sitting here.

"Somewhere else."

The sophisticated blonde purred in amusement, discarded tie secured in his left hand and fair hair swept aside. "And after all these years I'm still expecting to get a somewhat prudent reply. Still no luck."

"Wao, and I'm still waiting for the day you'll stop asking these questions. Seems like both of us will always end up being disappointed."

The two vices, somewhere in the back, rolled their eyes on each other's behalf. It was only a matter of time until Tetsu and his Italian colleague would retreat to escape any possible damage and the cue came in form of a third person who joined their superior's conversation. Though the two males only acknowledged him with curious gazes.

"Ciaossu Hibari, Ciaossu Dino," the Arcobaleno proclaimed, head tilted sidewards, facing the Japanese with a vapid smile. "I don't want to beat about the bush. You looked for confirmation, didn't you, Hibari?"

"No, it's redundant now," he explained slowly before resting his smooth chin on the palm of his propped arm, grey eyes closed for a moment, "Your appearance is enough of an answer."

"And what about the Mareggiata?"

"Tomorrow." And Hibari punctuated his statement with a sip from his tea cup. Regardless of the peremptoriness of the sentence, the baby stayed. Instead, he tipped his fedora and the little, green chameleon adjusted its position to prevent falling down. A mysterious smirk crossed its owner's face. "All the same to me. By the way, I assume it will be the four of us then. Probably even five."

"That's no good. In fact, there is no need for such a crowding," reprimanded the Cloud, obviously disturbed by the mere idea. A menacing shadow, caused by his bangs, crossed his features, a sign of utter annoyance.

"We'll see." The infant's smart counter. He tugged on the rim of his had, turned around and walked away, pleased with the confusion and silence he left behind. However, Dino Cavallone sniffed a chance to exploit said stillness for his personal advantage. Mainly, because he was currently puzzled and he didn't trust anything that involved the inscrutable Guardian AND his past tutor. Those two were a deadly combination.

"So... What was that about?"

Cendrée-coloured irises shifted towards the bubbly speaker and delicately chiselled features scrunched up in vexation.

"None of your business."

"But you and Reborn? Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."

And he received the shut-up-this-is-Japan-look. Wondering if Hibari had ever bothered to even acknowledge Shakespeare's (non-Japanese) existence, he did what he was (implicitly) told, simply because there were two beings in the world who would never tolerate any dissent. His former student was one of the two while his apodictic wife appeared to be the other person. As a matter of fact, he could only survive having one of them as an enemy (and wife dear had decided that she was presently hating him).

"Well... err... You're going? Tomorrow, that is."

"I fail to see an alternative."

"Must be important then?" And the head of the Cavallone famiglia tried a different approach. Maybe there was someone else he could grill about all those details. "Who else is coming?"

Hibari placed the tea cup against his lips and sipped the liquid, weary eyes closed in placid contentment.

"I don't know." And it was an absolutely honest reply. "Most likely the baby and the herbivore Sawada Tsunayoshi. Probably also..." Suddenly, his eyelids snapped open and he stared at his controversial partner with hypervigilance, any traces of fatigue gone.

"No," he warned with an astute frown.

"Why? Stop being such a complicated shrew with intricate yet interesting problems!"

"Stop being such a prying moron."

Accepting the circumstance that the Cloud was a dead loss, the defeated Dino Cavallone sighed and gave up. Yet: he would perish in style and his pride made him say, "You're a very cold man, Kyouya." Nevertheless, it wasn't his pride who felt the excruciating, vicious kick on the shin. Which could be considered to be an improvement. Any non-tonfa attack was an improvement, he pondered happily and grimaced in proud amusement, earning him another well-aimed kick. The aching pain in his leg was desperately crying for a subtle change of subject.

"Oi! Even more people are missing. Guess it's time to go home. Care to join me?"

Yes. Indeed very subtle.

Hibari yawned quietly before glancing inconspicuously to the bar.

"No."

The blonde's gaze travelled over the floor (covered with small puddles of melted snow) to the females who were busy talking to the Sky, right next to the bar.

"I highly doubt you were looking at my wife (the Italian managed to skilfully ignore the snorted comment 'soon-to-be-ex-wife')," he observed, automatically scratching his left cheekbone. Remembering the incident and Hibari's reaction after the Mareggiata attack, he deemed it worth to add, "Chrome is an extremely cute being." Surprisingly, his statement wasn't followed by a warning or a threat from the skylark. No physical violence either. No blood.

Just: The other man simply. Didn't. React.

Therefore, Dino Cavallone pressed on (health was overrated anyway).

"Frankly speaking, I can't believe someone like her is single. Don't get me wrong, I'm still head over heels in love with Bianchi but... if I had been younger..." His implication was left hanging in the air without any need for further explanations.

Still no response and he continued.

"I mean, I have no clue what is going on between her and Mukuro but I bet someone else might still have a chance if only he..." Wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, he was about to rant on but a deep voice interrupted his train of thoughts.

"I see. Now I know what the baby was talking about." Hibari stood up with a satisfied expression and whirled around to call for his subordinate. "Tetsu, we're leaving."

Gaping, the Italian man jumped from his chair to trail behind.

"Kyouya? What do you mean?"

"We're going home."

"Dammit, I didn't..."

He rolled his hazel eyes, cheeks huffed.

"What was Reborn talking about?"

"The crowding herbivores."

A pathetic yelp.

"You're truly an impressive master of confusion. Never making any sense, always talking in riddles. Just like Reborn. I'm genuinely amazed, Kyouya. Splendid!" groused the bucking horse in a cynical undertone of peevishness. And, either because Hibari was pissed off about the constant whining or he felt generous enough to deign him an answer (or it was something akin pity), he stated, "Rokudo Mukuro seems to be involved. Guess we can't have a party without his heckling." Subsequently, he grabbed his jacket with a sinister smile.

The blonde, on the other hand, nodded and crossed his arms while they were stepping out of the restaurant (followed by their loyal vices) and into the cold air without bidding anyone goodbye. They wordlessly stalked towards the car park and the older male sneezed loudly before brushing some snow from the top of his head. Apparently, the snowfall had increased, wintry surroundings completely covered in a blanket of white frostiness.

"Mhm, let me get this straight. Tomorrow's... participants will be you, Reborn and Tsuna. Furthermore, you expect Mukuro to appear and the fifth person...?"

"Chrome Dokuro."

The Mafia heir narrowed his caramel eyes.

"What an odd constellation." And, with a cheerful grin, "Hey, can I join your little get-together?"

The death glare, evidently directed at him, spoke volumes of apparent repulsion, disdain and something similar to disgust.

"I was joking," clarified Dino Cavallone haughtily. He chuckled lightly when Romario rushed over to open the door of the red Maserati. Sliding into the leather seat, he winked at his former student and motioned something with his hand, seemingly giving him a thumbs up. "Dear (touchy) Kyouya, I wish you the best of luck. May everything work out fine."

Glancing at him with an impassive expression, the Japanese deadpanned, "Do me a favour and crash into a lamp post."

Figuratively slamming the door of his Honda in the bronco's face, he ignored the other man's exhilarated laughter and commanded Tetsu to take off.

The whirring sound of the engine was calming, almost lulling her into sleep. Her head rested against the window, prolly her favourite position when sitting in a car, and a foreign jacket was sprawled over her lap. Chrome yawned.

Bianchi-san made satisfied noises and nestled her head against the padded door of the car, calmly sleeping in the back seat. An abrupt curse left her lips (addressed to someone named 'Romeo') and the scorpion grumbled in her sleep until she suddenly proclaimed her undying love for Endo Shozo and started fantasising about their future together. According to her prediction, they would have fifteen children and would live on a houseboat.

A delicate smile flitted over Chrome's lips and she heard Boss' tired chuckle. Stretching her aching limps, she turned in her seat and glimpsed at his focused face.

"How are you?" she whispered, observing his hands which were clutching at the steering wheel. His response was a carefree whistle.

"I'm still fit. Just a bit worried about my parents since both of them were extraordinarily drunk. Well, I mean, I'm used to my father being drunk but my mother?" he laughed, "Also, I feel kinda sorry for Fuuta. Taking care of them should be my responsibility."

She blinked.

"And yet you're forced to chauffeur Bianchi-san and me around. I'm sorry."

He coughed lightly, troubled by her self-reproach.

"Nah, stop being so hard on yourself. After all, it was me who asked you to stay with my family for a while. Plus, it's pretty cold outside and I don't want you to amble around in your...," and he stopped, leery cinnamon eyes darting towards the rear-view mirror, "...In your current condition."

Tapping her smooth fingertips against the coarse plastic of the dashboard, the young female adjusted the wrinkled fabric of her skirt with her other hand. She paused when he carried on with his monologue. "Reborn said he wanted to talk to me tomorrow. So, there is no option for me but to meet him at the mansion. But I'm fairly free afterwards," Boss informed, "So, how about you come with me tomorrow and we fetch some of your stuff later on?"

"My stuff?" she repeated laxly.

Clearing his throat, he halted in front of the red light.

"Yeah, from your apartment. Like clothing, brushes, make-up... I don't know. Admittedly, there are still some things in the bag from your stay in the hospital and, hopefully, it will do for now but I doubt it's enough for a longer time period."

"Thanks." And Chrome leaned backwards, cuddling into the seat.

"You're welcome," murmured Boss, gingerly steering his father's small car.

The rest of their drive was silent, except for the sleeping Bianchi-san's occasional verbiage and amusing interludes. The Mist resumed her previous position and, after seven serene seconds, drifted off to sleep, a silken slumber in the safety of her family.

The next morning was placid, a sedate stillness cradled the Sawada household. An amber beam of light was artistically filtered through the curtains and painted the walls of the small, cosy room with a kaleidoscopic effect. Minuscule, indefinable particles swirled around and Chrome had to sneeze after she accidentally inhaled some of those. Yawning, she craned her neck and stretched her arm, inadvertently bumping against Bianchi-san's napping form. Due to the fact that she received no reaction, the Mist bent forward and noticed the other female's steady breathing, hinting that she was still sound asleep. Mutely holding her own breath, she carefully untangled herself from the sheets and she nearly twisted her legs, the bare soles of her feet touching the cool, wooden floor. She shivered involuntarily.

It was quite a task to convince her heavy body to go into the bathroom, but she finally managed to drag herself away from the inviting bed and, approximately after half an hour, consummated her daily morning routine with a warm shower (she had spent an enormous amount of time with brushing her teeth until the weird taste in her mouth faded away). After blow-drying her long hair and changing into an ecru chiffon dress with a dark grey wool cardigan, the woman trotted downstairs and into the kitchen.

"Good morning."

She shrieked in surprise.

Boss was leaning against the kitchen counter, fully dressed with a cup of coffee in his right hand and a newspaper in his left.

"Let's go after you ate your breakfast," he offered nonchalantly before bringing the tacky mug to his mouth. Though he wasn't a morning person, he was certainly coping better than anyone else she had ever met. Presumably because there was no Reborn-san who kicked him out of his bed anymore and he was able to do things in his own pace now.

"... Ano... I'm not hungry."

A twinkle in his eyes.

"But I bet your baby is. Therefore, I'm deeply sorry but your objection is overruled."

Chrome blinked rapidly but obeyed anyhow, sitting down with a somewhat bland facial expression and she started to fill a bowl with boiled rice. Distracted, she didn't notice the content smile on his face nor the way he desperately tried to hide it behind the newspaper. Altogether, she was remarkably oblivious to the world around her during her meal, only concentrated on providing her unborn baby with nutrients and vitamins.

"You'll make a good mother."

The young successor of the Vongola famiglia left the kitchen with a soft cackling. Occupied with his own merriment, he, on the other hand, didn't notice her smile of affection either.

The duo departed soon afterwards, abandoning the other residents and their respectively upcoming hangovers. Instead of going by car, they relied on the public transport and Chrome told of her encounter with the young boy and his grandmother during her coach tour through the outskirts of Namimori-shi (and it was funny, because Boss and her were currently sitting in the same bus where she had met them). The brunette male was entertained by the little story and candidly praised her, stating that it seemed like her social skills had improved. His laudatory speech was interrupted when the driver stepped on the brake and their destined bus stop came in view. Jumping out of the vehicle, he shuddered and zipped his jacket up. Chrome exited the bus and rubbed her hands.

"So cold," pointed Tsunayoshi out and they came to the tacit agreement to dash in the direction of the mansion. A few minutes later, the two Vongola members arrived at the building and they metaphorically burst through the grand door with little regret. Catching his breath, the male established in a hoarse voice, "My nose... is numb. It's necrotic tissue." He touched the icy skin with a cross-eyed look, his hand hovering over his abused olfactory organ.

"Stop whining and follow me, Dame-Tsuna! Ciaossu, Chrome."

A book hit the back of his head and he tumbled but regained his composure just in time to prevent falling.

"Good morning, Reborn." And his lips twitched in a weird way, almost as if he tried to stop himself from murdering his old tutor. So much for coping better with the morning. One assault from Reborn-san and his self-control, any kind of sangfroid, was gone with the wind. Boss' past with the Arcobaleno must have been traumatic. "You want to talk to me... somewhere else?"

"Mhm. Nothing gets past you."

The listless expression adorning the Sky's facial features was hilarious and likewise pitiful. Sighing scarcely, he rubbed his orbital cavities with the heels of his hands till colourful spots were embellishing his vision. "Fine," he complained bitchy and shot a sympathetic look at the Mist. "Please wait in your office. I'll come and pick you up."

The black-haired infant hopped on his shoulder and muttered something along the lines of 'Move it!' before the grumpy Vongola leader wandered off.

The male duo left the foyer and Chrome behind. Brisk footsteps carried the young successor through the mansion and he entered his office with a swift motion. However, though he wanted to snap at the hitman for his outrageous behaviour, he was completely taken aback when he realised that another man was already waiting for him. Furthermore, Reborn suspiciously didn't seem to mind the fact at all and instead decided to bounce down from his present place, deftly landing on the tidy desk. The third person crossed his legs, arms reposing on the back rest of the couch. Alternating his view between the infant and his other guest, Tsunayoshi clicked his tongue.

"Good morning." The greeting was delayed. And he finished with a protracted, "Mukuro."

The tall Italian who graced them with his questionable presence scoffed.

"To answer your unspoken question: The Arcobaleno asked me to come. During the party yesterday. I was just about to scarper when he appeared out of nowhere." For him, courtesies were superfluous.

The Mafia boss looked back.

"Reborn?"

"I'm suspecting you of knowing about Chrome's state," professed the addressed person, black fedora shadowing and nearly hiding his face. Consequently, the soft sound of Mukuro's trademark guffaw rang through the air. As a result, his confession wasn't as shocking anymore.

"Naturally."

Reborn nodded leisurely while his former student used those moments of silent contemplation to collect his thoughts. His fingernails scraped the fabric of his shirt and he bit his lower lip incessantly. Then, after a while, he straightened himself and he looked the male Mist dead in the eye.

"Mukuro," and it was a low statement, void of any emotions, "You know about the pregnancy?"And: "Oh, dear Kami-sama, please tell me you're not the father."

"I'm not."

"Thank God." He emphasised his relief with a drawn-out sigh.

"I just happened to be there when she received the diagnosis."

"You spied on her," Tsuna concluded and he furrowed his brows in disdain, a vivid image of an eavesdropping Mukuro in his mind's eye.

"Precisely. She's my precious, cute little Chrome, after all."

"You abandoned her." The barbed, fierce accusation.

"You told me to." The smooth, placid defence.

"That's not true! You know I didn't mean it like that! That time was just... I wanted you to- argh!" Shaking his head in frustration, he banged his fists on the desk imperiously. "Okay, it is partially my fault. But that doesn't change anything. So stop pretending you're innocent!"

Mukuro placed a gloved hand against his mouth, thumb resting calmly on his lower lip. "You're not the one to judge. In the end, nothing else matters but Chrome's decision."

Deciding to intervene, Reborn cleared his throat and folded his arms. Giving both of them a level look, he warned, "Stop it. That's irrelevant right now." His legs dangled from the edge of the desk. "Mukuro, is there anything else?"

And that arrogant, smug smirk returned.

"Of course. I'm quite sure I know who the father is."

Tsunayoshi gasped shortly and even the infant tilted his head, mouth set in a thin line. Sensing his superiority, the illusionist rose form his seat and ambled towards the door.

"I'd love to tease you some more but I think I should consult dear Chrome first. Let me give you a word of advice," he feigned sincerity and candour, hand pressing the door knob down, "The father is absol-" He opened the door but stopped dead in his movements. And while the Sky contorted his face in baffled bewilderment and Reborn readopted his blank stare, Mukuro managed to keep his countenance. Instead, he stepped back and braced his left arm against his hip.

Then, with a playful tone, he welcomed the newest addition to their gathering.

"Why, hello there, Hibari-kun."

And after another battle of words, countless playing with meanings, nobody knew where they were standing anymore.

Lost in gifts and curses and truths and illusions.

I'm rereading the other chapters and it's amazing how often I write "secrete" instead of "secret". At first, it was simply funny but now, on reflection, it's also kinda disgusting... I mean "secrete mission"? Ewww!

Reviews and constructive criticism make me happy.