We might as well be strangers
Title inspired by: Keane – We might as well be strangers
Disclaimer: I don't own KHR.
Author's Note:
Thank you for all your comments, guys. I was so happy, I virtually squealed (and scaring my flatmates in the process, yay!)
WARNING: Endless thanking ahead! Just skip it if you don't feel addressed.
My dearest thanks to DatAnzKidx, Mhei'Len, Alice Barden, Azalie-Kauriu, Audriel, Marabou, Merisela, anonymous, KHR LOVER, Sweetie Tweetie, P3achi3, Ciaossu, sunwraith, Okuri Soji, chokolatito19 and chrome-yuuki
DatAnzKidx – Thank you... and I have to agree! More Chrome! And I'm glad you like Hibari's portrayal!
Mhei'Len – Thank you and welcome aboard! Amazing, I wouldn't have the stamina to read this in one go!
Alice Barden – Brilliant idea but sadly wrong ;)
Azalie-Kauriu – Of course they will. There wouldn't be enough awkwardness otherwise!
Audriel – I always love to read your point of view because I use it as an inspiration for portraying some characters (mainly Hibari) whenever I'm uncertain myself. I'm not sure if Amano-sensei intends to make Chrome stronger (or, in fact, anything else besides being the damsel in distress) but this is my artistic freedom :) Problems were settled but she's prone to attract them, so it will probably take some time until she can finally breath easy.
Marabou – You think it was? Phew, I'm glad! Being predictable would be one of the worst things for me... Thanks
Merisela – Yeah, I would like to give them more sweet moments but I'm afraid it would be too early at this point of the story. Also, I have this permanently fear of making Hibari OOC.
anonymous - I really appreciate your comment, especially because you said you're normally not reviewing! Thank you so very much! I'm also relieved to hear that someone likes my style... *happy*
KHR LOVER – Thank you for always commenting!
Sweetie Tweetie – Thank you so very much! I feel honoured whenever I reread your comment! "I love you" is nothing I can imagine Hibari saying. About Mukuro: I guess that's a personal quirk of mine but I hate stereotyped antagonists and such. Even the Mareggiata (whom I not really care about) won't be "evil just because they can"... but no spoilers ;)
P3achi3 – Though your comments make me happy, you don't have to feel compelled to do it ;) Sorry, I have to catch up with your story (and leave comments) because I hadn't had the time to read it before... Will do it tomorrow, hopefully.
Ciaossu - Know-it-allness... I'm so going to use that word from now on XD
sunwraith – Thank you and also welcome abroad! I hope I won't fail you in the future!
Okuri Soji – Hahaha, your comment is so great. I hope your mother wasn't too angry. If she was, please apologise on my behalf ;) Sorry, but as it is now, there are no plans for any M-rated chapters in this fic. About future fics: How knows ;) Anyhow, fluff won't be a problem.. at least my definition of 1896 fluff XD Oh, crema is actually not a typo. In fact, crema is the foam on top of an espresso and has nothing to do with cream itself. But, thanks to your comment, I detected (and corrected) three other mistakes in that very chapter :D
chokolatito19 – Thanks a lot! I generally love to explore Chrome's relationship with any person from KHR but I must say... Tsuna is likely the closest she'll ever have as some kind of family (apart from the Kokuyo gang). Oh, yeah, Tsuna's still in love with Kyoko but he's not the one who's going to marry her... Your English is great! And not being a native speaker is undoubtedly an excuse ;) At least I'm always using it... OTL
chrome-yuuki – Haha, your comment made me realise that there isn't enough Ryohei in this story XD Thank you!
Thanks for reading. I truly appreciate it
"Men only stay if you lie to them. Love is fleeting and no sane man would ever admire an honest woman. Displaying your true character is out of question!"
Mother's wise words of aloof advice.
Little Nagi received this hypothetical counsel at the age of seven, nine, ten (twice for mother must have felt generous) and twelve. Over time, the farouche family member added with a grave voice, "And don't be clingy. A woman oughtn't be dependent!" Her daughter's answer was nothing but a mute nod and they would keep quiet until one of them decided to leave the room.
Talking wasn't their forte but the silence drove these two strangers even more apart.
Today was the day. The day. Or the day?
No.
This wouldn't do.
Why?
Two weeks of preparation hadn't been enough. Somehow, it seemed to be too early and, more importantly, too hasty. Yet she was forced to keep her word, that careless promise became a chaining burden. The burden became the impetus to practise hard. And practising, she did. But no matter how she tried to pronounce it, the words sounded still a little clichéd and the nervousness made her voice quiver. All those heavy implications. Why couldn't the tension be smothered?
Tilting her head, Chrome grimaced at her reflection and attempted to smooth down her flawless skirt. She knew she was going to be the centre of attention, therefore it would be best to present a confident appearance (never mind that it was nothing but a mere front) and to feign self esteem.
Because today was the day.
Yes, the day to confess, to come clean and to reveal everything. The pregnancy, the unfortunate circumstances of the conception and the father-to-be.
Giving her two weeks to gear up for the great event, artful Boss had coaxed her into sharing her secret with the family and thus prepared a meeting for her grand performance (with the Vongola mansion as the glorious stage). And while she was asked to play the lead, the remaining Guardians were (unknowingly) supposed to be the rest of the cast, supporting actors in her pitiful début as a mother. And, in the interest of full disclosure, she felt more anxious than ever. No, two weeks hadn't been enough time and the latent stress which was steadily gnawing at her subconsciousness.
Again, why?
Probably because she was afraid of their reactions. Boss was understanding and he had offered his help the very moment they talked about her pregnancy. But what about the other Guardians? What would they think about her?
Staring into her reflection once more, she sighed. She had proclaimed to protect her child against any upcoming dangers and yet she wasn't even ready to face her own family. "I'm being pathetic," the illusionist discerned and scratched the tip of her nose, "Why do I even want to appear strong when I don't feel like it."
No, denial was no longer possible.
The mirror showed her the truth by hook or by crook: Bags under her lone(ly) eye, pale skin and the deer-caught-in-the-headlights-expression. All those perceivable symptoms of stress and lack of sleep. Her face turned into buoyant grimace. Being honest seemed to be the best option, a final solution to end her nights of anticipation.
"Amore, I think you're losing it," stated a calm voice. Seeing Bianchi-san's reflection in the mirror, Chrome turned around and greeted the other person with a shallow curtsey. Ah, Bianchi-san, so mean and so candid.
"Yes, at this rate... well, I think I'm about to collapse," offered the Mist and leaned backwards, back resting against the hard surface of the wall
The scorpion smirked listless and waltzed over to the bed. She sat down gracefully before fixing her gaze on the younger female.
"I'm afraid you already skipped that phase and you're currently tumbling headfirst into the bliss of insanity." Cruelty at it's best. And though it was definitely playful, the teased victim couldn't help feeling somewhat annoyed. Yet Chrome was Chrome and sharp comebacks were neither her forte nor one of her character traits. Therefore she decided to say nothing and, in return for her lack of reaction, received an amused look from Bianchi-san.
"So, after the meeting, you're going back to your own apartment?"
The meeting! Yes, the meeting – source of her mind's current instability. Pinching her cheeks to encourage the blood flow (a light tinge of red to make her appearance less ghostly), the Mist stared at the ground for a short while. Then, her eye focused on her interlocutor.
"It's time to return. It's been two weeks." Her response sounded more detached than initially planned. She cringed.
"Are you gonna be alright? All on your own again?"
This time, there was a long pause before she replied.
"Sure," she reflected, "I'm a big girl." Besides, she wasn't alone. There was Boss and her baby and... hopefully, her family. For a moment, Chrome was tempted to add Hibari-san in her listing before remembering that she didn't know where they were standing. He had assured her of his role as a father in the child's life (At any rate: that was her translation of his 'taking pride in carrying out my responsibilities'). However, this was by no means an answer to clarify what kind of... connection (since relationship was too strong a word) they had. Right now, they were neither a couple nor friends nor complete strangers and acquaintances was something she hated to use in this case.
It also didn't help that they hadn't talked ever since the incident two weeks ago.
Shaking her head, mother-to-be banned all these thought from her confused mind and tried to focus on the meeting and how the baby had become a promise of a life without loneliness.
"I'll miss you."
Within seconds, reality crashed down on Chrome and she was taken aback by the doleful sound of Bianchi-san's voice. Hence, she pursed her pink lips and scrunched up her neat eyebrows in wonder. Time passed until she regained her senses completely and she strolled over to the hitman. Promptly, she sat down next to her and glanced sidewards, "Are you sad?" The poisonous scorpion peered at the window and casually scraped her fingernails over an itchy spot on the shin. Then, stifling a yawn, she ran her fingers through the light hair. The dangling Swarovski bracelet on her wrist made a jingling, bell-like noise.
"Chrome dear," she boldly blinked the question, "You'll be late for the meeting."
Always the same, wasn't it? Simple routine: So many implications, so little time. And the illusionist would have loved to explore their meaning, to learn more about the other female's misgivings but she could practically hear Gokudera-san's reprimand for being late. However, there was still enough time to adapt an unhappy expression.
"What? I'm fine, Amore, I'm fine! Now, hurry! You don't want my brother to throw a fit, do you?"
Stultified laughter.
Nevertheless, her eyes didn't lend the sound of amusement any credibility, intrinsically making her lie plainly see-through. Bianchi-san was far from 'being fine'. No matter, the passionate cook had a point when she voiced her concerns about the younger one's tardiness and her brother's resulting tantrum. Pushing her own worries into some unknown corner in her mind, the Mist nodded, offered an awkward goodbye hug and went downstairs where Boss' father was already waiting.
"Give me your bag. I'll bring it to your apartment later on so you won't have to bring it to the meeting," he promised, already reaching out to relieve her of the leathern ballast. Reluctantly handing the object over, she stood in the genkan, already wearing her warm poncho and black boots.
"Thank you very much for your hospitality. I'm sorry for-" Chrome gasped slightly when Boss' mother hugged her with a tearful face and Boss' father patted her head and explained that there was absolutely no need for such formalities. However, she still bowed slightly when she bid goodbye to the Sawada household before finally leaving.
Today was the day.
The twentieth day of December. The three hundred fifty-fourth day of the year. Four more days until Christmas. Totalled up, she had spent two weeks at Boss' house.
Two weeks; fourteen days and no call from Hibari-san.
Snow. Snow. And some more snow.
Leisurely walking down the lonely road through an equally lonely forest, Chrome relished the stillness and, even more so, the presented scenery. Whitest purity. A fragile and enchanting artwork created by nature. She exhaled in relief. Though there still was some anxiety about the meeting, she was also happy for this whole farce to end. Regardless of the Vongola members reactions, she would be able to concentrate on her child afterwards. That feeling of nervousness and alleviation of tenseness was a tad weird. Notwithstanding this duality wasn't that bad. After all she didn't cry.
Honestly. She was fed up with all those tears.
Looking out for any witnesses, she twirled twice before a deep blush spread over her cheeks and she quickly decided to continue the journey, blaming her hormones for the mood changes. Five minutes later, she halted again, her mouth standing wide open in awe.
Sparkling icicles, mesmerising like expensive jewels, decorated the otherwise leafless trees. The few conifers preferred to be adorned with crystal crowns of virgin snow instead and, compared to their naked relatives, embellished the ivory surroundings with a glorious green. Clad in Sunday best, dressed to the nines, the forest was virtually showing off its frozen, temporary beauty. Another delicate compliment perfected the picture when the sky began to contribute a light curtain of snowflakes.
Almost, as if nature was trying to create a memento for the hibernal season.
"If you're a girl," Chrome stated softly, "I'll name you Yuki. And, hopefully, you'll be just as pretty as the snow here."
Rubbing her nose with the purple sleeve of her polo-neck jumper, she resumed her stroll, clumsily stumbling through the pure substance that covered the ground. The white poncho swayed in the gentle breeze and the female exhaled, vision clouded by wisps of visible breath. By and by, realisation hit her and she stopped again.
"Oh. That's no good. You'll be born in summer. Yuki won't fit."
It was a moment of disappointment since, despite the constant sniffling and those icy fingers, winter was definitely her favourite time of the year (plainly because: spring was generally overrated, summer was often too hot and she dreaded the tsuyu; Rain was fine but monsoons were a nuisance. Lastly: autumn. Actually, this season, in its colourful glory, was also quite nice but she was neither fond of the accompanied depressions nor the increasing number of tourists). Remembering the Storm's curses and complaints of the cold, she smiled and tightened the old scarf around her neck. A few snowflakes fell down and landed directly onto her nose. Almost immediately, the sensitive organ started to twitch and there was a tingling feeling of... A soft sneeze resounded, echoing through the air.
"Mhm, Gokudera-san must be a summer person, right? But he is generally hot-headed, he shouldn't mind these cold temperatures. Just like Kyoko's brother."
And then:
"Maybe those two can think of a proper name for you, what do you think?"
Obviously receiving no reply, she blinked some liquid snow away and recalled the moment during her birthday celebration when the smoking bomb had displayed his apparent dislike for cold weather. With the slightest hesitation, the illusionist puckered her lips and tried to form a few rings of expiration. However, she failed horribly yet again. Determined, she parted her lips for a second try but froze when she heard the engine noise of a car in the distant. In an instant, she turned around, eye wide open and heart beat steadily increasing. If she remembered correctly, then, the last time she had walked down this path, there had been two cars and one of them had belonged to-
The drowning sound moved further away and, for a short moment, she caught a glimpse of a blue vehicle. Certainly not black. The noise became less audible and finally disappeared. Definitely not driving in the direction of the huge mansion. Her shoulders slumped down and a short, self-mocking laugh erupted from her mouth. Shaking her head, Chrome continued walking.
"Ah, it would have been too cliché, right?"
That man had a frightening effect on her.
And she still didn't know where they were standing.
Fourteen days and no call from Hibari-san.
The unique shape of the white Victorian mansion loomed ahead, its sheer size allegedly intimidating and powerful. Howbeit, Chrome was not impressed. For her, it was simply a building and, moreover, she had already experienced what true power felt like. Be it in form of an enemy or an ally. Therefore a mere villa wasn't enough to scare her (the real problem was rather the confession which was eagerly waiting to be made).
But, with all due respect, that was her resolution. Other people certainly felt different.
For example that very nervous person who helplessly climbed the stairs leading towards the great entrance. Not only was he struggling to hold on to the various papers and folders in his arms but it seemed as if he was also not quite sure whether or not he really wanted to enter the building in front of him. In the blink of an eye and a minute of indecision, he tripped and fell on his bottom and finitely stayed in a crouched position in the middle of the staircase. Adding insult to injury, all his (previously organised) sheets were gliding artistically through the air, temporarily soaring up before raining down on their poor owner, covering him and the ground around him rather efficiently. He groaned in a whiny voice and started to pick up his belongings. Anyhow, he appeared to be surprisingly used to this kind of situation.
"It's always the same. Why do I even bother to come here? They would be better off with Spanner-san."
Feeling pity for the distraught male, the illusionist hurried towards him and knelt down on the cold stone steps to support him in his task to gather all the papers before they were saturated by snow. The auburn haired man looked at her with a startled expression.
"C-Chrome Dokuro-san! I didn't know you were here!"
His embarrassment was easily to spot and she could hear the faint muttering of 'sorry for being a nuisance'. However, she decided to bluntly ignore his uneasiness. Instead she searched her brain for his name while her fingers collected the clattered records skilfully. Using his middle finger, the male pushed his glasses up and the Mist had to stop herself from calling him 'megane man'. Boss wouldn't be happy if she started to call people after distinctive feature or attributes... like she used to do. Plus, she considered, what would be more rude: Calling him by this title or admitting that she couldn't remember his true name (especially since he was perfectly capable of saying hers)? Either way, she was a horrible person (not intentionally, though. It was just a thing like that with names, a problem born from her unreliable memory and that social awkwardness she generally suffered from).
"I-it's been a while! The last time we met must have been at some time around August," he rasped and accidentally ripped on of his documents, "My apologies for not attending that party of yours even though I received an invitation from Sawada-san. I was in Osaka to attend some kind of-"
Chrome looked at his frantic hands. He was a nice guy, she assumed, but they had never really talked to each other. Practically a stranger. On account of this, it was pretty astonishing to see him being presumably as awkward as her in terms of having a desultory conversation. A kindred spirit, perhaps? Her gaze travelled upwards and she observed his face and his moving lips until she noticed she had been spacing out and that he was still speaking to her.
"-gain, sorry for not coming to that celebration. Frankly, I would have loved to go but... well, I already said I was somewhere else yet-"
Once more, she began to tune him out. The inability to recollect his name was frustrating. Besides, she hadn't even noticed his absence on the day of the afore mentioned party. In fact, she would have believed him if only he had told her he had been there. Realising and berating herself that she wasn't listening (again), the dark-haired female tried her best to focus on his words.
"-t's funny. We are both Sagittarius. Winter's children, so to speak."
Apparently, there was nothing else for her to do but lean back a bit and nod. Thankfully, he was patently pleased with her approval of whatever he had been saying. Fitting the pieces of conversation together, the Mist stood up and secured the picked up sheets in her arms. Parties and zodiac signs and December. Well, was that his topic? If her assumption was correct, then he had been non-stop talking about birthdays. He followed her example and arose, holding fast onto the rest of the documents.
"Thanks for your help and... err, sorry... for being clumsy. Otherwise you wouldn't have had to help me."
Tilting her head slightly, she examined him.
"When is your birthday... Shoichi-san?"
The bespectacled man was briefly taken aback by the sudden nature of her inquiry and he scratched the back of his head, almost letting go off his reports again. Furthermore, a deep blush was rapidly spreading over his cheeks which Chrome failed to notice. She was too absorbed to glory in her small victory. Irrespective of the fact that she wasn't able to recall his full name, she remembered leastwise enough to properly address him.
"Uh... rather was than is. My birthday was on the third of December."
His crimson face intensified when she smiled at him.
"But aren't birthdays kinda annual? Therefore, is would be right, no?" she offered and ascended the stairs, "Well, in the meantime: Happy belated Birthday."
Shoichi-san had a perplex expression on his face. Shortly afterwards, it was replaced by a nervous smile. Catching up with the female, he walked next to her.
"Thank you. Likewise. Happy belated Birthday, C-Chrome-san."
Thereupon they entered the mansion together and, unlike the brunette male, she was only mildly surprised to find Boss waiting for them. Suave and professional, he wore his trademark pinstripe suit, the Vongola cloak draped over his shoulders and inherited cuff links glinting in an elegant manner. The Vongola crest decorated a golden brooch that was sparkling on his chest, keeping the cape in place.
She was awed by his appearance.
She also felt horribly plain compared to him.
"You always seem to have someone to escort you, Chrome," laughed the young heir and greeted her companion with a small bob of his head, "Good Morning, Irie-sa... -kun (Irie Shoichi, right! That was his name). I'm afraid you're a little too early. Would you mind waiting in the library?"
The mechanic beamed at him and received his remnant papers from the female Guardian to his left. Struggling temporarily, he gripped the wrinkled files and returned the greeting with a polite gesture of his own.
"Not at all. Please, take your time. These files aren't too thrilling, anyway. Furthermore, I can reorganise them after... well, eto... nevermind!"
Turning around, he was about to stalk away but halted his movements and instead looked back for a second time. A smile graced his features, clearly directed at Chrome. As a quid pro quo, she raised an eyebrow.
"Thank you very much for your help!"
He left. And the bemused Boss whistled. She raised her second eyebrow as well.
"Boss?"
"It's nothing."
Yet his knowing smile told her otherwise. Admittedly, she was unable to make head or tail of it but there were always times when he behaved weird like that. Boss and his idiosyncrasies. Very likely borrowed from Reborn-san. It would be best, she concluded, to let the matter rest or to wait for her leader to share his secret whenever he deemed it to be the right time.
Oh.
Share.
Secret.
This subject, she almost forgot.
Instantly, the panic and the anxiety were rushing back. And she had been so good at suppressing those fears while being entirely enchanted by the wintry scenery before, too. Now they were all coming back. Thanks, self-consciousness, thank you very, very much. Additionally, Boss gave her a funny look when he led her towards the meeting room.
"Chrome."
She blinked. Twice.
"We're here already. Shall I open the door?"
No. Definitely no! Not by a long shot. She wasn't ready.
"O-okay," the stupid vocal folds betrayed her and answered on their own. In addition to it, her inner voice went unheard and the wooden door was relentlessly opened. Subsequently, her natural instincts, along with the even more seizures of fright, kicked in. Do it fast and painless. Just like you would rip a plaster off, suggested her distressed mind. And the Mist was determined to heed the advice.
"Hey guys, Chrome's here. So, without delay, let's start the mee-"
"I AM PREGNANT!"
The sound of shattering of glass was only interrupted by Yamamoto-san's merry laughter.
With the benefits of hindsight, it was easy to say that the ostensibly good idea had its flaws after all.
Unbelievable as it might have sounded but, in the end, everything had gone smoothly.
Despite their initial shock, the four present Guardians and Dino-san had listened calmly to her story (Boss took over at some point because she had started to wander off topic and was suddenly lost in her own dream world) and they had taken kindly to the news.
Yamamoto-san, with a sincere smile and a warm handshake, had congratulated her. Had given her an affectionate hug and had sniggered when she had stiffened due to the contact. Moreover, he had announced to apply for the position of an uncle.
Consequently, Sasagawa-san had jumped up, had then declared that he would be a more extreme uncle (of that there was no doubt) and finally offered to come up with an extreme name for the baby (though he had been confused at first because he had assumed that the Rain was the child's father). This offer aroused suspicion even now and she suspected that Kyoko had already overruled him and had rejected his suggestion. What was in store for her own child then?
The youngest Guardian, though uneasy at first, had been eventually rife with sympathy. Even to the point of warning her about 'how troublesome children could be' (something he was very familiar with. Primarily, because he had been the troublesome child). Nevertheless, she had been absolutely thankful when he had proposed to play babysitter once in a while.
Dino-san whose expression had been rather unhappy, had congratulated her with another friendly handshake. Looking at Boss with a miserable countenance, he had said, "Well, seems like we have to pay Reborn after all. But seriously? Who could have known that Kyouya possesses human urges? Guess that really means he's no alien robot, right?"
The Sky, sharing his look of desperation, had eventually countered, "I told you he is a human. Yet you talked me into agreeing to this bet!" And, after a short pause to catch his breath, he added, "Ah, I don't want to pay Reborn. Not again. I should simply learn from my mistakes and flee whenever he suggests to bet on something."
"Especially if it involves Kyouya," had the Cavallone contributed before falling uncharacteristically quiet. The reason for this were probably his worries about all the money he was still owing to Reborn-san.
In conclusion, out of all reactions, Gokudera-san's had been the most amusing one. He had freaked out thrice. First, when he had heard about her pregnancy. Secondly, when he had learned that Hibari-san was the father. And thirdly, when he had realised what they must have done in order for her to become pregnant. This insight was followed by an extraordinarily long pause of pure, hilarious awkwardness (all the other men had thought about his implications until they had to turn away in embarrassment). The Strom had excused himself afterwards because, or so he had claimed, it was impossible to digest this information without a cigarette.
Basically, those events led to the current situation.
Once the smoking bomb had disappeared, Boss had asked Chrome to check on him. He hadn't explained the reason behind this strange assignment but they both knew that she would unfailingly comply anyway. And, after searching the villa, she ultimately found him outside, sitting on a snow covered bench and smoking one fag after another.
Standing at the top of the stairs, the Mist mutely observed him till she was fed up with the lack of progress and called out his name. His green eyes shifted in her direction for a second, revealing that he was aware of another presence although it took him several minutes until he fully acknowledged her.
"So, you and Hibari?" he stated without any hint of malice. There was solely interest.
Uncertain of how to proceed, she walked down the steps and slowly approached him. Passing the big lion statues at the end of the staircase, she stumbled towards him, the mass of the white substance made the task more difficult. The snow was even higher than it had been earlier. The man moved over to create some space on the bench, wordlessly inviting her to sit down.
"He's pretty good at fooling us all, huh?"
Head skewed, she gave him a bland look.
"What do you mean?"
He, on the other side, took another drag and exhaled sharply through his nose.
"He knew about the pregnancy yet he played his little games with us. Reminds me virtually of that Mukuro bastard. On top of that, both of them didn't show up today even though they're as much concerned as anyone else. No, even more than anyone else," Gokudera-san mooted and gaped at a frozen plant, then returned his focus on her, "By the way, don't tell him what I just said. I would be bitten to death for comparing him to that guy. "
The tip of her boot drew circles into the snow.
"I won't. Telling him something he wasn't supposed to know... that kind of thing brought this mess upon me in the first place," Chrome admitted ruefully, "So, what do you think about this whole story?"
"Does it matter?"
The illusionist didn't answer straight away. In lieu of speaking, she rather concentrated on the ivory forest which surrounded the mansion. Whereas it seemed absolutely incredible at this moment, springtime would come and everything would bloom into lush greens and pinks. Yes, it was truly hard to imagine the prosperous Sakura trees when tiny snowflakes were sitting on her head like a crown right now.
"It does. You're family. The others were fine but you-"
"Dunno about the story but I think you're alright."
Her lilac eye widened and she faced him with a questioning expression. Never ever had he complimented her before.
"Alright! Nothing more! Don't think I like you or anything! Besides, Juudaime will always be the best," proceeded the male hastily. Spitting out his cigarette, he crossed his arms and hid his nose inside of his bilious green scarf. "But because you're alright, it'd be a shame if Hibari would hurt you."
He groaned and wiped his hand over his face.
"Argh, this talk is ridiculous."
"Thanks."
Gokudera-san made an affirmative sound and buried his face even more into the scarf.
"You remind me of my mother."
Thoroughly amazed by his avowal, the staggered girl viewed the crushed snow under their feet, a few cigarette stubs and smears of grey ashes tainting the flawless absence of colour.
"At least, what I remember."
"How so?"
Putting on an annoyed façade, he began to play with one of the buttons at the end of his jacket's sleeve, entirely fascinated with the loosening object.
"You must have heard her story at some point. Well, in my memories, she is a very soft-spoken, yet easily exploited kind of woman. Forgives the man who treated her like shit, gives up everything for her child and then dies a horrible death."
At that point, Chrome didn't know how to react. Was she supposed to comfort him (at which she sucked) or was it normal to remain silent? Oh no, what if she had to hug him? She simply couldn't imagine him to be a 'huggy' person. Neither was she. This was bound to have a bad end. And just now, that he had started to open up to her (and vice versa, she often forgot), too.
"Hey, don't worry. I didn't mean to say that you're going to die in a tremendous car accident."
Ah, he had misunderstood her silence. For being a so-called genius, he was quite oblivious. Perhaps because the emotional department was rather Yamamoto-san's forte in contrast to Gokudera-san who was better at theoretical abstractness.
"And about the 'man who treated her badly' part?" asked the mother-to-be, deliberately changing the quote in order to avoid cussing like him.
"Yeah, sorry 'bout that but I guess Hibari will not be a charming knight in shining armour. He's more like a manic sociopath who'll murder you in your sleep because your cat wandered off to his place."
"Yamamoto-san and I are calling him Namimori's Kerberos."
His features relaxed and he allowed himself to smirk.
"Don't mind if I borrow that name, do you? The bird names are getting old."
That was all. Sitting next to each other, the duo didn't say anything else until the male reached for another fag. Just when he was poised to lit the smoke, he peered at his fellow Guardian and put the unlit object back into the packet. It finally dawned on him why she had acted so defensive whenever he had smoked before.
"So, how was it?"
She goggled at him with an incredulous face.
"Ano... we-well, you mean... the... err... with Hibari-san?"
And this sounded the bell for another round of freaking out on his part.
"GOOD GRACIOUS, NO! Why would I ask such a question? Talking to you about this kind of topic is like asking my sister about her sex life with the bucking horse. Downright embarrassing, completely awkward and traumatising horrific."
Hearing that he thought of her as a sister was touching. Until today, she had always assumed he hated her. Especially after she had kissed Boss ten years ago or so.
"Chikusa had once told me that men think about... this topic all the time."
"That might be true for some men but this saying certainly doesn't take account of a sister-like person being your interlocutor."
"For some men?"
He groused.
"Don't push your luck, Dokuro. How was it when you found out you were pregnant? I intended to ask that."
"Sister-like?"
He blushed.
"Shut up. Let's talk about Hibari's qualities in bed then."
Indeed. For a genius, Gokudera-san was often quite dense inasmuch as he constantly forgot that Chrome was a novice in social matters and therefore didn't comprehend if he was joking or being serious. This time, his sentence had been nothing more than a careless joke. Nevertheless, she felt compelled to answer.
"W-well, to be honest... h-h-he seemed to know what he w-was doing. A-and a-about the s-s-size..."
Even the other Guardians who had stayed behind in Boss' office, and Shoichi-san in the library were able to hear the Storm's desperate scream.
Pride.
An appropriate word.
Chrome felt actually proud.
The day before yesterday, she had managed to make another friend. It wasn't as easy as it had been with Yamamoto-san but she was still sure Gokudera-san could be considered a friend now. Even though he refused to accept this title and was in general harder to deal with than the Rain. Yes, that was okay. Because they were friends, right? Plus, the right hand had also claimed that she had scarred him mentally though she couldn't figure out what he meant by that. Only that, for now, nobody was allowed to mention Hibari-san's name in his presence without having to fear the consequence (he would turn ghostly pale, just like he used to whenever he had seen his sister).
Furthermore, it was nice to be back home.
Living in the Sawada household had been a new experience yet it felt really reassuring to sleep in her own bed or groom herself in her own bathroom. A lot of memories were attached to these walls and a lot of them had been made recently.
She sat down on the couch and gripped the newly purchased book by Tsushima Yuko with her right hand, a cup of sencha resting in her left. However, it was difficult to concentrate and the telephone tempted her to make an overdue call. Maybe waiting for him would get her nowhere. Maybe she had to take the first step.
The concept was entertaining but appeared to be impossible for Chrome who had spent her whole life waiting. Being passive was something she was familiar with, safe and easy and so damn convenient. No way, she couldn't call him. Leaning back into the cushions, she refocused on Tsushima-san's work. Her weak will was once again triumphant.
Hence she was all the more surprised when the phone did ring.
The book was thrown into... heck, she didn't care where it would land, be it somewhere in oblivion, and the tea was spilled over her table. Tripping over some imaginary objects, she reached the entrance area with more than just one bruise. In addition, she knocked the side table over and the receiver collided with the floor before she hastily picked it up to greet the calling party.
"Chrome-san?"
Not Hibari-san. The first thing in her mind. A very persistent thought, too.
She shouldn't even feel disappointed.
"Ah, it would have been too cliché, right?"
"S-speaking," the Mist replied and tried to regain her composure, "Is that Shoichi-san?"
A short laughter.
"Err, yes. I'm sorry to call you this late... well, actually it's not that late."
His stuttering was somewhat adorable. Reborn had once mentioned that this was probably due to the fact that he was inexperienced in terms of the female specimen but he appeared to be easily flustered without regard to the circumstances. Adventitiously, if she remembered correctly, he had got along just fine with the Cervello. On the other hand, he was always extremely uncomfortable around Bianchi-san (Boss blamed the phenomena on a past incident which nobody really knew of, besides him).
"Oh yes, the reason for my call. I wanted to ask if you happen to go to the Christmas party at the Vongola mansion?"
Why would he call for such a trivia?
"I haven't made up my mind yet," she delivered cautiously. Because. She really hadn't.
"Oh, Sawada-san planned a little gift exchange, didn't he tell you? So, I thought, that... maybe... if you haven't already bought something... we could go together... Shopping, I mean! Tomorrow! Not a real date... but kinda... if you want... maybe?"
Sitting around and moping was silly. Waiting would get her nowhere. A decision had to be made.
"Okay."
Shoichi-san sounded awfully happy when he hung up and she couldn't make sense of it. Wondering why shopping with her would be a good thing, she went back into the living room to search for her poor book. The opportunity to befriend Shoichi-san was promising. So, the date would be most likely nice and she could think about something else than Hiba-
Date?
Did she genuinely agree to go on a date with him? The realisation was accompanied by a perplexed grimace, her face twisting in shock. This wasn't exactly the kind of decision she had wanted to make. Why were unexpected turns of events always so... unexpected?
The twenty-second day of December. The three hundred fifty-sixth day of the year. Two more days until Christmas.
Sixteen days and no call from Hibari-san.
"Men only stay if you lie to them. Love is fleeting and no sane man would ever admire an honest woman. Displaying your true character is out of question!"
And mother hadn't been interested in Nagi's true self either.
They had always been strangers to each other.
It was a shame, that Mukuro-sama had bestowed Chrome with the gift of lying and not Nagi.
Things would have been so much easier.
Love rival. Shoichi? To be honest, this isn't a secret pairing fetish of mine but I thought his concern for her during the future arc was rather cute. Also, he's completely different from any of the Guardians and, most importantly, from Hibari. I apologise for the ridiculously huge amount of non-fic stuff in this chapter. And the lack of Hibari.
Reviews and constructive criticism make me happy XD
R.I.P. Earthquake victims. A meltdown would be tremendously terrifying.