For the first time in my life, I feel very, very, scared, thought Reborn uneasily.
He was putting his business, his whole life for the past five years, on the line for a feeling he never felt before, for a girl he barely knew. His fame and fortune would disappear the moment he decided to leave, leaving him with nearly nothing. Everything he lived for would be thrown away if he chose to pursue Tsunade, and even then, there was no guaranteed he'd succeed.
But that was the least of his worries.
Keiko and Kureko have been whispering to each other for an awfully long time now, thought Reborn, and it's never a good thing when the top strategist of a major criminal organization and the most persistent person on the planet get together to plan something.
Those two had been conspiring amongst themselves ever since dinner. They had purposely sat at the farthest possible seats away from Reborn and Tsunade, and with Leoko's loud talking, their secretive conversation couldn't be heard by even his keen ears.
After dinner, Keiko had insisted on taking a separate taxi with Tsunade back to the hotel. Reborn had let out a sigh of relief then since it meant Kureko and Keiko could no longer plan whatever it was they were planning—until Leoko and Kureko had started whispering in the back. He remembered thinking, First my top strategist and his stubborn girlfriend, and now my top advisor too? This must be the greatest scheme of the century, and unfortunately, I'm mixed up in it somehow. Thanks to their training, (that Reborn himself had taught them) Reborn could only catch snippets of their conversation, none of which were helpful.
Even then, the secretive talk wasn't over. The moment they got back to the hotel, Keiko dragged Tsunade back to their room (a sight that was no longer uncommon) and appeared 30 minutes later, makeup removed and wearing a nightdress, in front of Kureko and Reborn's room.
Reborn had left the room 3 hours go to explore the hotel, leaving the couple to continue formulating their secretive plot. He was surprised (and frightened) when he returned 45 minutes ago to see that Kureko and Keiko were in the exact same position as they were in when he left.
Even after he took a shower, they were still whispering. Reborn sighed as he continued to dry his hair. They're planning something big, he thought, and their determination is starting to freak me out. He slung the towel over his shoulder and twirled his toothbrush thoughtfully. What could they possibly be planning?
A knock on the door shook Reborn out of his thoughts. "Reborn? Kureko? It's me, Leoko!" shouted Leoko's muffled voice from the other side of the door, "Let me in!"
"Hey Reborn, could you get that?" asked Kureko with a pleading look. "We're discussing something."
Reborn shrugged. "Sure," he said, walking to the door, still holding his toothbrush.
It's nearly 11:30, thought Reborn suspiciously, I was almost positive that Leoko would be at some bar or club by now. What could he want at this hour?
He opened the door tentatively and peered out, "Leoko?" he said aloud, confused at the empty hallway in front of him.
In his short moment of confusion, Reborn didn't notice the two pairs of hands behind him until he was roughly shoved out of the room. "What the—"
The door slammed shut. "Kureko! Keiko! What's going on?" demanded Reborn, knocking on the door loudly. He could hear their laughter on the other side.
"Sorry Reborn-kun!" said Keiko between giggles, "We'll be taking over this room for quite a while."
"Try coming back say, oh, I don't know, 7 in the morning," said Kureko before bursting into laughter again.
Reborn stopped knocking and slumped against the door, seething. This, he thought angrily, is what they were planning?! A childish prank such as this?!
He took in a deep breath. Calm down, he chided himself, think about the possible courses of action. Reborn ran the possible scenarios through his head. I could go downstairs and ask for another room key, he thought, but knowing Kureko and the extent of his planning, he probably already has a plan B in case that happens. Leoko was probably also in on this, so I can't go to his room for the night, not to mention the fact that he most likely already has plans include leaving his room open for…company. There's no place out of the hotel I can stay for a whole night since my wallet and other belongings are in the room. I can't stay out in the hallways either since many of my clients frequent this hotel. Although some people would still consider a white dress shirt and charcoal dress pants made from French Terry (A/N- I did some research and French Terry is a fabric that looks like fine suit cloth but feels comfortable, like sweatpants. This is an actual thing and I'm just borrowing the idea, meaning I, in no way, own this amazing invention.) formal, it is not suitable for meeting any important people right now.
Finally, Reborn sighed and stood up, knowing he only had one course of action available. There's only one place I can go, he thought resignedly, and unfortunately, I think Kureko had planned for me to make this choice all along.
….
Keiko's been gone for an awfully long time now, thought Tsunade uneasily.
She knew Keiko and Kureko had been planning something by their suspicious behavior and the mischievous aura that had been shrouding them ever since dinner. Keiko had dragged her back to the room in a hurry so that she could show Tsunade how to properly use makeup remover. After her hasty demonstration, she had taken off her own makeup and took a shower in twenty minutes (a new record for Keiko) before running out of the room, leaving Tsunade bewildered.
After Keiko left, Tsunade removed her own makeup (I never knew it was possible to have this much material on one's face without suffocating) and took a shower. After that, she called Iemitsu to make sure he was ok ("I'm fine, so stop fretting over me and enjoy your vacation!") and wandered around the hotel for an hour or two. She was shocked to find the room still empty when she returned, thinking that Keiko would've surely returned by then. Tsunade brushed her teeth and washed her face, the empty room giving her no distraction from the one thought she couldn't shake off:
Reborn.
What is he to me, really? she thought, The excuses I had before no longer apply to what I'm feeling anymore. I know I'm working for the Interpol to continue my family's belief, to complete the fate my brother gave up to save me. I know I'm doing all of this for what my whole life had been training me for, but why does everything seem to dim in importance when…when I'm with Reborn? When I'm with him, I feel like I could throw away everything if it meant I can stay with him for a little while longer, to be with him without any strings attached. I feel as though I'm a puppet, controlled by the beliefs I was trained to protect and the fate I was taught to follow, and Reborn, Reborn is like a sharp blade, willing to cut me free from the strings that bind me. This feeling, this feeling is starting to scare me. Can I really throw away everything, for him? My brain says one thing, but my heart says another. The real question is:
Which one is right?
A knock on the door snapped Tsunade back to reality. That must be Keiko, she thought, putting down her towel and going to open the door. "Keiko-chan," she said, unlocking the door, "I was beginning to worry! Where have yo—"Tsunade opened the door and froze.
Instead of Keiko, on the other side of the door was Reborn, looking quite embarrassed.
"Reborn-kun?" Tsunade managed to say through her shock, "What're you doing here?"
"Well, you see, due to some unforeseen circumstances, I may need to stay in your room for the night."
What?
Kureko and Keiko really are the ultimate power couple! (Well, at least until Reborn and Tsunade quit denying their feelings) They got Reborn and Tsunade exactly where they want them, and their elaborate plan isn't over yet. Next chapter will be longer and hopefully more interesting ;D!
PLEASE leave reviews! I have no idea what I'm doing and would REALLY appreciate any feedback you guys have!