" Wouldn't it be better," Gokudera began wondering out loud. " If he did revive? If he remembered everything at this instant? Maybe we could prevent it together?" He sighed. " Of course not, Reborn told us that at all costs we shouldn't let him revive. If we let him revive it would just set the Carousel back in motion. It's stopped now, like it's in a pause."

The two adults were outside on the balcony that was connected to Tsunayoushi's room. It had a small table and the view left a great impression on the city before them. The lights of the cars and the buildings upwards the horizon seemed so close yet so far.

" Do you really want him to remember?" Yamamoto's eyes narrowed, tapping the table. " I..don't want to hurt him." He looks at the other. " Like my pops always said ' Ignorance is bliss.' "

" Uhm, excuse me."

The two men moved into position, alert and ready for whatever threat would come their way. It was Chrome, the women who was known to be Mukuro's sister. His personal secretary to the family business, The Mist. She walked slowly and in small steps. Her small heels clicking.

" Oh," Yamamoto's usual self appeared ( or maybe it was just a mask) and said , " Hello Chrome-chan! Did you get lost on the way to the ladies room?" He began to laugh as if he had just made a splendid joke while the silver haired man next to him shook his head, rolling his eyes.

The women in front of them spared no time and began to speak, her voice sounded like whispers. She moved her dark hair from her shoulder. Her eye patch decoration visible. Blue rose.

" I just wanted to agree with Gokudera-san." Her heels clicked. " I think it would be great if Boss regained his memories."

And with that, the moment became clogged, like a drain stuck with chunks of food. Seeping, but just barely. Yamamoto did not move, but Gokudera's cigarette fell from his fingers.

" Just what the fuck would you know?" He stood up, smashing his smoke with his shoes. " How much do you and your creepy ass brother know? Since when?"

Chrome looked at the floor, intimidated.

" We're waiting." Was what Yamamoto said quietly and coldly, looking at the floor as well. As if he was ashamed of treating one of the people he views as a friend like a criminal.

" Mukuro-sama, " They would never understand that quirk of her. Calling her brother in that way. " He does not know anything. He is probably aware, but he isn't getting the grasp of what's happening."

The silver haired man felt like he needed a smoke, or three. Or maybe five. Or maybe the whole pack.

" He dreams too." She looked and sounded as if she were about to cry. But the both of them knew she was that sort of person, when she spoke just a bit louder she always sounded like she was crying. " Sometimes, I find him sleepwalking, and he's doing the most strangest things. Sometimes, he acts like a child, and other times he's so miserable..."

" Mukuro-sama has been dreaming this way since he was a child. And only about..." Her eyes looked sideways. " I think about three years ago, was when I finally figured it out. Or more like I remembered everything that had every happened to him and me."

" It hit you hard didn't it?" Yamamoto's eyes were stone. He began to speak softly, like he was a child again and telling secrets with Gokudera and Tsuna underneath a tree on a summer night. " It felt like your head was going to split in two. In just one second you get to see every single thing that has ever happened to you in every life. In every life we've ever lived. "

Chrome nodded.

" I'm trying to help Mukuro-sama to remember. And I'm also trying to help boss, but I'm trying to keep him out of danger as well ."

" So," Yamamoto stood up straighter, relieved she was on their side at least. Gokudera looked back and forth between them. " When Mukuro was about to stab Tsuna, you knew that was going to happen? You asked Tsuna for the recipe on purpose?"

She began playing with the handles of her black bag.

" I didn't know exactly what was going to happen. All I know was that big brother was going to do something bad. He doesn't know what he's doing sometimes. I think, " She breathed . " The 'him' in the past is seeping through him. Making him do things he doesn't really want to do. "

" The only thing we know," Gokudera spat. " Is what happens to us in particular. We don't know anyone's else life word for word, only the part they play in ours. But all I know, " He stood up, towering over Chrome. " Is that that bastard you call a brother tried to kill tenth in some of his past lives. I should know...I should know cause I was always the one holding him back."

Chrome looked at the Italian.

" Don't be so hard on him..."

Gokudera saw red.

" Don't be so hard on him?" He began to laugh , but suddenly, hit the table with his fist. " Don't fuck with me! Do you think it's right, for me at age six to see the only friend I've ever had up until that point die in front of me? I've had these dreams since I was a kid, and each and every one—- every single one. " He swallowed something only he could feel. Regret. " I couldn't save him. " Gokudera looked away from everyone. " I couldn't save him." He repeated to himself.

" How far, " Chrome's lips moved. " Would you go for Boss?"

When she said that , Yamamoto walks up and crosses paths with her , heading straight towards Tsunayoushi's room . Puzzled she waits for a couple of minutes, and sees him coming out again. Only this time with a katana . A real sword that cut, that hurt . She turned to Gokudera, who had a lighter with a couple of dynamites on him. They were hidden underneath his shirts, pockets, anywhere he could fit them.

This is what they were capable of.

" I can feel, " She says , " Your despair."

"You're wrong." Gokudera raises his lighter to a stick of dynamite. " What you're feeling isn't that at all." He looks at her with straight eyes . " It's our loyalty."

Chrome closes her eyes, the wind began to scatter some of the flowers Tsunayoushi had planted in the balcony. The plants were swaying.

" Is that so ?" The night sky turned into a light red mixed with orange. The ethereal glow seemed to fill everyone on the balcony, it engulfed the city and all of the shops and trees . It was an eternal sunrise , the feeling of being surrounded by people yet still alone. The static had come back. And Yamamoto and Gokudera both stared at each other, nodded and acknowledged the change.

" Hey, Baseball freak." Gokudera tried to speak clearly, he felt heavy. " You know why this keeps happening right? This is between time and space. The space time continuum." He knew the taller man was completely lost, but continued to speak anyways. He knew that Yamamoto did not know the term, but he knew how it felt . " Right here, we 're in a place that has no gravity and no track of time. We've lived so long, so everything that we've learned in our past lives we know now , because we've remembered."

" So," Yamamoto wheezed. " It's reacting to the bonds and memories we all have with one another? That's why it reacts when certain people get together? Because we subconsciously know some people were important factors in the past?"

( Or they will be. )

Everything made more sense now that Gokudera had explained it to him. The other did always have the best grades. Yamamoto knew, the other could be an astronaut if he wanted to. ( But helping the world out wasn't his thing, he would rather cause a difference in just one person's world. And that person would always will be- )

" Tsuna." Yamamoto spoke, ( he spoke because it was for him too) . He always felt, like he would always throw away something important to him to protect the other.

The sunrise was still there.

"Can you feel mine as well?" Chrome spoke, her eyes were clear. " My loyalty for boss? "

Shadows emerged from her sides, grabbing the others feet and arms. They began to struggle for a bit , for they did not know her intentions.

" I don't want to fight you," She stated. " I want us to work together, but we're also a bit different. The only thing we have in common is that we don't want anyone to get hurt."

"Then let us go crazy bitch!" Gokudera began to thrash around more attempting to ignite the bomb between his teeth.

" You want to restrain Boss's memories, and you aren't even certain that it will save him. You are only doing what you think is best, but what about his feelings?" She spoke a bit more passionately now. She started to remember her parents, and she began to speak more from experience. " He is the kind of person that would want to know. He has the right to know, it's his life that's at stake."

And the two men became still, Chrome called back her shadows when she saw how much the words caused their faces to change completely.

The two friends fell toward the ground and began to cough. Slowly standing up.

" I'd hurt tenth," Gokudera swallowed as he stood up from the ground, rubbing his arm. " to protect him."

" Even if it hurts him. " Yamamoto added. " We care for him so much that we'd let him hate us."

Chrome clenched her hand tightly, biting her lip. Love, that was true love wasn't it? Putting someone elses well being before yours? ( But is it also regardless of their own feelings? ) But was that really the case in this situation? The sunrise was refusing to continue, going back down and down. Returning to night.

" You... you two don't know what's really going on , do you?" She was staring at the ground but slowly raised her head. Her eye patch ornament shown. Blue rose. " I'm.." She turned their back on them. " I'm going to help Mukuro-sama gain his memories back. I was a bit reluctant, but seeing you two made me change my mind." She paused. " I'm also going to help Boss. I'll be trying to help him revive while you two can try to stop it. You two can continue doing what you think is right, but.." She didn't have the heart to say ' but I know why you want to do this , because in the past you've been trying to do the same thing only to fail. You are going in circles. ' " But just to help you out,-"

" I hope you remembered that in this city, we've reunited here once. And if you haven't remembered that, you haven't remembered anything at all."

She walked away from them, her heels clicking as she shut the door with a small 'clack' behind her.

" The only way you'll be able to stop it," She says to herself. " -is to make him stop sleeping."

They were enemies now.

( But just barely. )

The party was in full swing.

Everyone was seated around the living room on the furniture and chairs that the youngest Sawada brother had rented. He found a party supply store down the street that even volunteered to set them up - free of charge. ( It was a good deal too!) All of the guests were in deep conversation and catching on the latest gossip. Giotto, Dino as well as Reborn and his father were in their own little clique. They were set up in the kitchen table chatting and playing cards.

The air was amiable yet at the same time homey. Just what you'd expect from Dino's birthday party.

" Ah, Tsunayoushi-kun." It was Uncle Fong , who was donning a yellow colored Changshan with white cuffs. He looked down on the other who was juggling several plates filled with food and beverages. He extended his hands and gently tried to probe it off the Tsunayoushi's fingers. " Go on and take a breather. You must be exhausted."

" Ah, no!" The younger began to stutter. " It would be rude on my part to let the guest serve!"

" Nonsense!" Fong ushered the young man by steering his back towards the sink, next to the kitchen table with his family. ( All the while balancing the plates with extreme precision.) He pulled back a chair for him, smiling as he did so.

" Now Tsunayoushi, sit down like your Uncle Fong has told you to."

Reborn smirked and mocked disappointment.

" You're disrespecting your elders again, No Good Tsuna?" The Italian clicked his tongue as he shuffled a pack of cards. " Quite a rebel."

" T-that's not it at all!"

Giotto ( who was seated next the youngest) smiled also.

" My little brother is gong through his rebellious faze. You know," The blonde began to speak in a condescending tone. " Teenagers."

" B-but I'm in my twenties!"

Dino joined in, checking his cards with a quick peek then looking down dejectedly. Bad hand.

" Next thing you know, little bro is going to get some chick pregnant."

Tsunayoushi's father began to laugh near Reborn's side.

" That's crazy talk! My little Tsunayoushi getting some women pregnant?" His father had tears in his eyes. " I'd put my money on my secretary Basil to do so first!"

" Now, Now," The Chinese man began to nag his finger at everyone. " Be nice to Tsunayoushi. He's been working hard for all of us, hasn't he made such delicious food ? He has accommodated us splendidly, hasn't he?"

And Tsunayoushi began to smile, a small shy smile that only his Uncle Fong would bring out. Since a child , Fon had always paid more attention to the things he could do rather than the things he couldn't do. And to Tsunayoushi, that was an incredible feat. No one had ever encouraged him with that sort of sincerity much like his Uncle Fong had. Granted, the Chinese man wasn't really his Uncle, more like he was friends of the family's, as well as Reborn's. He would visit ever so often with Uncle Collonello and Aunt Luce.

Whenever Tsunayoushi would get together with his family, all sorts of memories would come all at once. Like, when he would be around his Uncle Fong and his Godfather Reborn it made him think of good things. Good memories, like the time they taught him how to make paper stars( that was Fong) and when they taught him how to play with a BB gun ( that was Reborn). But it also made him think of painful things, things he would never admit to anyone because it made him feel embarrassed and small.

One of these painful memories, was how Reborn had always been strict in mathematics ( or any of his subjects) . Since at the age of five, the older would keep on pushing for Tsunayoushi to learn lesson after lesson without explaining it more than once. ( You only need to hear it once. If you don't I'll slap you.) So the child Tsunayoushi would try to please his Godfather, the one he called Uncle when he was much older due to the embarrassment that comes with growing.

Now, along that time ( when Reborn had sorted to violence) Fon would come along and add his two cents , claiming that he could teach the smaller better. That Tsunayoushi needed to be taught differently because there are several types of learning and everyone is different.

" That isn't true, " Reborn as a teenager had said. " My teaching methods were the same way I was taught. And I excel at every subject, you know that Fong ." He crossed his legs. " The only reason people use those methods is to spoil children. If I keep at it, it will be drilled into him sooner or later. He will learn to adapt. "

Was that what Tsunayoushi was? A spoiled child? He wouldn't want to be. Spoiled sounded rotten. An apple that he couldn't eat.

The younger Fong folded his arms across his chest, Tsunayoushi sitting in between them on a small desk while the two were above him arguing. He felt small and uncomfortable, so he clenched his fists and looked nervously back and forth.

" No he won't. There are different types of learning styles. Tsunayoushi is not an auditory learner, which you have proven time and time again." He proceeded to take out a small picture book with apples that had small cutouts. " He is a Kinesthetic learner. See?" His expression turned softer. " Tsunayoushi how many apples are here?"

The small boy looked like he was about to cry, he was no good at math, or anything for that particular matter. He forced himself to look, but was pleasantly surprised that the cutouts were detachable . He took the apple cutouts off the tree in the book and began to count.

" Five!" He shouted excitedly.

" Excellent work! Now, " Fong pointed to the other page, gleaming in pride while Reborn just stared with a sour look on his face. " Count the other ones on the other tree."

"Uhm,...t-two?"

" Correct! Now subtract Tsunayoushi-kun. What's five minus two?"

Normally, the small child would be crying right about now. He dreaded mathematics, but today was a bit different. He put all the apples together and took two away, and counted them once again.

" Three! It's three! " The small boy began to clap. "It's three!"

And why shouldn't the young boy be ecstatic? After all that was the first problem he had ever gotten right.

He didn't notice Fong swapping Reborn in the shoulder with a rolled up piece of newspaper.

" Kinesthetic learner, Kinesthetic learner, … I told you..."

Reborn gritted his teeth, and his mouth was in a flat line. " Although it may be tempting to stick with what works, he has to learn the other methods as well. If not he's going to turn out the type of person everyone takes advantage of. "

Reborn threw that book away into the trash the next day.

He never got why Reborn had become so angry, but then again, in a way Reborn was right. He never did get the hang of any other learning method. ( And he was taken advantage of). He was so caught up in his memories, that he hadn't even noticed when Fon had left to start serving others, nor did he notice when the card game had ended.

His eyes settled on towards his father who wore a messy suit, his smile that he had passed down toward Dino . He really didn't have any good memories of him, or any for that matter. His father was always at work, and at the times that he did bother to appear he was drunk, either that or sleeping. Giotto and Dino told him that he wasn't always that way, that before he had been born Iemetsu would take the Sunday of every weekday off. For 'Family Time' as he would call it. ( This did not concern Tsunayoushi,because he wasn't there.)

Tsunayoushi then decided, that he was going to try to talk to his father again. He still disliked him, but he had to have respect for him.

" F-father." Tsunayoushi began. All eyes were on him, but he didn't notice that they were looking in back of him. Hibari had taken a stool near the refrigerator and sat. He was in a foul mood ( anyone could see that, ) except people that were sitting in the other way of course. Hibari was away from the crowds, and the kitchen was the only place that had room to walk and to breath. ( He wanted to leave, but something told him to stay.)

After someone had already confused him for his elder brother, it made him a bit peeved. Alaude and him looked nothing alike. Hibari looked at the eldest Sawada brother, that once aware of his eyes on him, began smiling politely. It was condescending, and if Hibari were an undisciplined individual he would have taken out his tonfas and created a disturbance.

He did not talk to him for more than five minutes and he knew he hated him. It was the same feeling he had gotten from that pineapple herbivore. Contempt. And Hibari knew, the feelings were mutual.

" Remember that time, you took us to the Namimori town festival to see the gardens ? " It wasn't a very good topic starter, but Tsunayoushi had to begin somewhere. The memory fresh in his mind since he had spoken about it to Hibari the other day.

His father crinkled a smile. " Ah, I remember taking all of you to the festivals," He then began to have a confused expression, his crow's feet on the edge of his eyes moving. " But I don't remember any with a garden."

Giotto laughed through his nose, yet still retained that cool expression he always wore. " How would you remember?" The blonde placed a hand underneath his chin. " You were drunk most of the time anyways. You always left right after you drove us there."

Dino laughed while talking. " Aww, c'mon. At least he drove us." He gained his composure and added " And Pops, what are you talking about? There was a garden there."

Kyouya, ( who had begun to devour a plate of macaroons) stood still. So , there are now two others that had seen the gardens. He reminded himself to write about this discovery once he returned home.

Reborn began to shuffle the cards for a new game.

"The Gardens," Tsunayoushi looked at his father desperately , for Iemetsu did not know it, but he was playing with his strings. " Don't you remember? It had Hydrangeas, and tulips and-"

"Tsuna," His father began. " There was no garden, I mean, it's been such a long time. Maybe you have forgotten." Iemetsu smiled. " Maybe you've been working too hard." Laughter. " God , Tsuna, I always knew you had it in you to become the head of the Vongola."

No you didn't, was what Tsunayoushi thought but didn't say. How can you believe in that if you don't believe in me when I tell you what I saw?

" I remember." Giotto stands up, faces Tsuna and intertwines their fingers together. The color of their skin was the same, they blended in nicely. " We held hands like this and on the other side of me," He raised a hand toward the middle brother. "- was Dino."

Dino blinked slowly. " Yeah, I was." He was repeating these words as if he was remembering for the first time. " I was looking around for Tsuna because we lost him in a crowd right?"

" Exactly," Giotto smiled. " I began to look for him in the gardens, and I even remember winning him a red ball that looked a bit like a lantern, or it reminded me of it."

"Oh!" Dino clapped his hands as if it were bingo and he had just won. " No, you won the ball in the morning and the lantern in the evening!"

All the while they began to reminisce of all the pleasant memories they shared at that festival, their father looked quite troubled and confused.

"That's odd." Iemetsu began to rub the stubble on his chin. His tongue clicked. " Last I remembered, The gardens were in the Kyouya estate, and the festival was moved to the town square. I remember when it moved...Giotto are you sure?"

Kyouya was on his last macaroon, he bit hard.

"Yes father."

His father didn't seem to be taking it in quite well, but blinked, and began to smile again. "Oh well, I guess I 'aint as young as I used to be. You know me, always forgetting everything." He slapped the table." If Giotto says so then it must be true."

Reborn stays silent and begins to cut the cards, not bothering to look up at anyone else on the table. He handed the cards out, but does not pass one to Tsuna.

"Hey," Dino said suddenly. Looking at his cards interestedly, only glancing at his younger brother shortly. If he would have noticed , he would have seen a face that looked crushed. A face that looked like they had lost something. " You forgot to give a hand to Tsuna."

" He won't be playing."

Tsunayoushi does not speak back, he merely stands up and begins to wash the dishes, lightly humming to himself while his family played cards on the kitchen table.

All the while he scrubbed the pot roughly, his thoughts were filled with so many things. His home, picture books, his job, files he needed to turn in, his resentment towards his father, his dreams, 'Why does my father agree so quickly when it comes to Giotto but when it comes to me, he doubts me?' And the 'He doesn't even try to understand me.' Those sorts of thoughts.

Kyouya who was on the stool near the refrigerator (which was near the faucet) had begun to stare at the herbivore who had begun to clean. He saw the way he grabbed the pan roughly, scrubbing at it as if he were erasing chalk on a board.

" I'm leaving." Kyouya said suddenly.

The herbivore drops the sponge frantically, scared and jumpy.

" Hibari-san!" The brown haired man lifts a hand to his chest. " I didn't see you there. How are you enjo-"

" I'm leaving." He repeated once more and begun to walk out the front door . He had reached the latch , only to feel a smaller pair of hands on top of his.

" Please don't go."

The living room was full, but in a split second they were both alone. The music was shut off, the lights on the room began to flicker on and off. From the window in Tsunayoushi kitchen , an eternal sunrise could be seen.

When the two were together this happened frequently, for it was a warning. A warning that the same things were happening, yet again. Different situations, but the same outcome.

Hibari's hand stopped.

" I dislike them."

But before Tsunayoushi could say 'Who' Kyouya opened the door and walked out, but not before turning his head to the right, and looking at the herbivore from behind his shoulder.

" Tomorrow, we need to talk. "

And he closed the door.

Mukuro sat on the far off corner of the room, the place Tsunayoushi liked to keep his collection of books with the spines all bent backwards. Meaning to say he had read them quite a lot. He had an enormous headache and knew that he would get an eye infection soon. He was born with a birth defect, a mutated eye. His younger sister was born with the same problem, and the doctor had told them it was due to the mother being stressed out during the pregnancy. Often times, when the side of his head would hurt, ( it felt like a needle pinning through his skull) he would often get an eye infection. His eye would get swollen and he would have to put warm teabags over it to stop the swelling.

It was inconvenient if he had an infection during a business meeting , but luckily eye patches only made him more intimidating.

He saw his youngest sister Chrome a few feet away, speaking to Tsunayoushi. She spoke with a tint of blush on her cheeks and the other did the same, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. They looked like they were some sort of love birds.

A sudden sharp pain drilled into his skull, the pain was so great that it resulted in him squeezing the handles of his seat.

" Big brother Mukuro." He looks up and sees from the corner of his eyes his younger sister carrying a small pot in her hands. " I told Boss that we were leaving since you weren't feeling very well."

His younger sister knew him better than anyone. She knew when he was with a fever. He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped as soon as a pair of warm hands were placed on his forehead.

" Mukuro-san, are you alright?" Tsuanyoushi's voice was laced with concern. " You have a fever, you should go get some rest."

In front of the other, he wanted to appear strong. Indestructible and fierce. So he stands up, and dons his usual smirk.

" My, My Tsunayoushi-kun." He laughs his strange laugh. " If I knew you were this worried about me, I would have asked you to become my personal nurse."

" Hieeeeeeee. No way! How gross!"

" Is that so, what a pity. Even so, I bid you adieu Tsunayoushi-kun." He curtsies. " Until next time."

Chrome laughed, and placed a hand on her brother's sleeve. " Actually big brother, I asked Boss-" A small cry of ( Call me Tsuna) was heard. " If he would like to have dinner at my house this Wednesday. Would you like to join us?"

His two most important people were going to be in one location. He took this opportunity with delight, and said-

" But of course Chrome-chan. Would you mind Tsunayoushi-kun? I wouldn't want to be intruding." He smiled.

The other began to move his hands about. " Ah, no, it's f-fine! I'd be really happy if you'd come Mukuro-san!"

The Italian began to tease the other in a light manner.

" Now don't lie to me Tsunayoushi-kun." He began to fake a sob. " I know you detest me with every fiber of your being! "

" I don't hate you Mukuro-san!" Chrome saw as Tsunayoushi took in her brother's hands in his. He saw the way his brother's leather gloves moved, for the other was holding his hands tightly. " I really like you! You know that!"

The man with the thigh high boots, looked at their hands together, and then at the others embarrassed face. Mukuro's pain in his eye and forehead completely forgotten.

"I-I would really like you to be there."

Mukuro squeezed the others hands back. His eyes looked at the other with a look that sent sparks towards each others eyes.

" I'll be sure to be there."

Chrome lightly smiled, for what she had planned was already in motion. With this, she thought carefully, I will change destiny. I will change everyone's destiny for the better.

But was that really such a good idea?

The Carousel had begun to turn, but just a little bit.

It was nearing twelve, and the guests had already begun to leave. His Uncle Fon had given Dino a sweater and a statue for good luck, as well as a well organized explanation as to why Aunt Luce, Viper, Skull and his Godfather Collonello couldn't make it.

" Nah, I know how it is." Dino grinned. " No hard feelings."

Reborn began to shake hands with Fong . " Fong stop lying to the boy. Collonello just doesn't like him."

Fong smiled, but took a few steps backwards, slowly as not to raise suspicion. He was almost near the door, almost, almost , al-

" Wait! Uncle Fong ! What did Reborn mean by that! ? Is that true? " Dino ran after him only to trip on his own shoes. That's Dino for you. He'd fall upwards the stairs if he could.

" Tsunayoushi-kun," Giotto towered over his youngest brother. " Thank you for taking such good care of us."

Tsunayoushi waved as random guests left for the night, he turned back to his brother.

" No, don't mention it." He still had his plastic smile on. " I should thank you for coming! See you soon!"

"Ah," Dino picked himself up and held the door open as the last of the guests left. He then beamed a smile at him , that sort of smile he always wore as a kid when he asked the youngest for a couple of dollars. " Actually, we were wondering if we could stay over your house for a couple of days." The blond's voice was near clear and crisp, the house now quiet. " The branch of the Vongola I work for sent me to the one in this city to get some things done. It's the same for Giotto."

"Ah," This came as a surprise to the youngest, it was very unusual for his brothers to do this. When he lived on the other side of town, they never asked to sleep over. And perhaps that was the real reason. That now , because he had a nice apartment they wanted to stay.

" We hardly see each other because of the companies and all that, but if you're busy then we can just stay at a hotel, no biggie." Dino patted Tsunayoushi on the back. " We were going to talk to you about this earlier but you seemed busy."

Giotto stepped in. " We would just like to spend time with you is all. "

Hearing this made Tsunayoushi's heart soar. He felt happy that his brothers still cared for him as much as when they were children. He quickly regained some of the energy he lost at the party, and it showed.

" Ah, it's alright with me!" His smile lit up the whole room. "I only have one extra bed and that was my old one. Did I tell you that Reborn bought me a King sized bed? It's huge!" He laughed. "Maybe we could all sleep on it together, or if you want I'll give you guys the bed while I sleep on the couch."

Dino laughed and ruffled his smaller brothers hair " No it's all right. You're all skin and bones little brother. We'll all fit. And if we don't I'll sleep on the couch!" To prove his point he fell face down on the couch, bringing Tsunayoushi down with him as well. They both fell on each other and the smaller began to laugh as Dino began to tickle him relentlessly.

Giotto smiled at his two brothers and began to look around for a broom and a small sweeper ( he thought it would be best if they began to clean.) He found the cleaning items and began to sweep lazily, only to see Reborn, who was sitting on the couch in the living room enjoying a cup of coffee.

" Well Reborn, it was nice seeing you again."

The elder merely turned on the television.

" Likewise."

The blond wondered, when would Reborn go home? He turned to his youngest brother( who was sitting on Dino's stomach) as he was loosening his tie.

" Boy, what a day." He sighed as he took off his small suit jacket revealing a vest. " Parties are sure hard work."

" Thanks little bro," Dino spoke as he pushed in his stomach in and out, much to the annoyance of the one who sat on him. ( He always did this when they were younger.) " You're always good at these sorts of things, sorry for pushing all of this on you. I just really wanted some of your cooking. "

"It's alright Dino." Tsunayoushi sunk his back on the couch. " I had fun preparing the food."

"Ahem."

It was Giotto, who towered over them with a hand at his side. And Dino knew that look, this can't be good, he thought.

"Yes, big brother Giotto?"

"A guest is still here."

The brown haired man looked around.

"Oh, who?"

" Your godfather Reborn." Giotto motioned to the kitchen. ( Reborn had said that he needed a snack to watch television.)

"Oh." The other blinked.

"What do you mean 'oh'?"

Dino looks between the two and wonders why Giotto is a bit miffed over all this. Oh, wait. It's Reborn. Reborn and Giotto were closest to age, so when they were children, both of them would often fight over the power they had over others. He can't believe he had just forgotten that. You can't have two dictatorial tyrants in one room, it just wasn't possible. Because both would create a scene if one paid attention to one or the other.

"He sleeps here all the time."

Tsunayoushi likes to answer in short sentences when he knows he is in an argument, that or when he has no where to run. It was a very quiet form of resistance. He stands up (noticing the stature of his eldest brother) and walked quickly to the kitchen.

" Since when?" Giotto sounded unamused.

" Since I moved here."

Before the two could continue their conversation the doorbell rung. Dino breathed a sigh of relief, they were all supposed to be spending time with one another not arguing . Dino remembered, that when they were small the eldest would often take the ' big brother' privileges far. Granted, Giotto did use his overbearing personality for the good of everyone, to take care of them and keep them out of trouble. But sometimes, his cruelty would show and he would use his powers to oppress . He was just that sort of person. So it was no wonder when he wanted Reborn out of the picture, two positives make a negative.

Tsunayoushi raised an eyebrow,who could it be at this hour?

He excused himself and walked toward the door, opening the latch and said-

" Hello, Welcome to-"

He was greeted back with a punch to the face that sent him flying, all the way to the back of the couch. Now this garnered the attention of everyone, and Reborn emerged from the kitchen with a pistol cocked, Giotto bolted out of the kitchen, ready to annihilate anyone that would hurt his brother like that, he was even cracking his knuckles.

Reborn took just one look on the violent guest and his anger deflated, the rage and protective stance was gone.

The tall man placed his pistol back on safety. "Oh," He spoke as if the man with the scar on his face were some kind of toy cat. " It's just you Xanxus, carry on."

But Xanxus didn't seem to hear, he appeared to be more..angrier than usual ( and that's saying a lot.)

" Why didn't you invite me?" He sounded like some kind of rotten brat. A kid that hadn't gotten invited to a class birthday party.

The smaller man, struggles to get up ( Little brother take my hand! ) and says with blood trickling down his nose " But I did! I sent you a fax and I called you a couple of times... I even sent a note out to your secretary ! "

Xanxus's expression didn't change, but he did take out his cellphone, and began to dial. It was on speaker, since Xanxus did not trust phones. ( But then again, what did he trust?)

" H-hello, Boss. " The voice was fuzzy due to a bad connection. " How may I hel-"

" Trash you're fired."

"No! Please wait ! What di-"

The call was disconnected.

While Giotto was disinfecting his wound with rubbing alcohol, Tsunayoushi knew, that it would be one hell of a night. Literally.

In Kyouya's apartment the yellow canary was staring at his owner in interest. And the other stared back at the bird through the white cage that divided them. His owner was analyzing him, inspecting the small creature if he were fit to be a carnivore.

Kyouya began to leaf through a book he had grabbed from his study and went to a bookmarked page. He reread the passage and promptly shut it quickly.

The man walked around the room, shutting all the windows with a lock and made sure the fire place's gate was closed. He placed the fire poker on it's stand.

" I don't like herbivores, Hibird. " Kyouya says with a straight face. He did not know why he named the canary such a silly name, but it fit. He had no choice but to call him that. " So if you're intelligent enough, I'll teach you to become a ferocious carnivore, like me."

The bird chirped, and as soon as Kyouya undid the handle on the cage, the bird perched on it's owner's finger.

" Fly to the north."

Hibird flapped it's wings and flew in the direction he was instructed.

Kyouya smirked.

" Fly toward the south."

The bird did as it was told.

" Now," Kyouya began to make a small square using his fingers. " Give me a small notebook from my desk." The dark haired man pointed to his desk , Hibird chirping as he did so.

Hibird quickly swooped down, grabbed the smallest notebook he could find and dropped it in front of his owner, leaving him nothing but pleased. This bird was intelligent that much was certain. He was about to give another order, when he saw the way Hibird kept looking back and forth at the window next to his study.

It looked a bit like longing.

"You want to go outside?" He asked.

Hibird chirped.

Kyouya steps toward the window and opens it. He sticks his head out the window, looking out at the night and seeing how little stars there were out. He could count them all by hand, but at Namimori there were a million. An entire cosmos. He breaths in, and stares at the canary that had begun to chirp loudly. And the both shared a look, and just like that the bird began to soar away into the night sky.

Kyouya did not have to tell Hibird anything, because the look told the canary , that it was alright for him to go, ' Just come right back to me.'

He looked at the way the form of Hibird's wings stretched out as he flew. How he stood out from the dark sky. He did not belong in a cage, Kyouya thought, and he decided- that he would get rid of it promptly.

" You were important to me ." He realized.

Dino sits crisscrossed in front of his younger brother's DVD collection. He was currently searching for an action flick that covered everyone's taste. He extended each of the DVD cases if they caught his interest, reading through the summaries idly.

Xanxus sat on the couch with his legs far apart, chugging down a bottle of alcohol that Tsunayoushi had ran towards the twenty four hour convenience store for . Who knew that they carried imported fancy liqueur ? All that he really knew was that the city at night never died down. There were still people out and about. It was a bit scary. When did they ever get their sleep?

Tsunayoushi placed a tray with the food that was leftover from the party. Croissants, to stakes, to macaroons. Everything was there.

The man with the scar on his face began to sniff the food, suspiciously. " Did you make the food trash?"

" Y-yes."

The man with the leather boots was surprised, since the food was actually quite delicious ( not that he would ever admit it).

"So, is it to your liking Xanxus-san?" Tsunayoushi says this slowly and gently.

The other snorted.

" I'm shoving it down my throat aren't I?"

Tsunayoushi does not say anything else, in fear of angering the other. ( Little did he know, that this was his 'good mood'.)

" Yo, bro!" Dino smiles. "Can we watch this movie? I found a good one." He extends to hand Tsunayoushi the film.

" Oh, a mafia movie." The younger tilts it to the side to show Xanxus the film in question. " We'll have to ask Reborn. He left the movie here last time."

" Put it on." Reborn appeared out of no where, a hand on the coach behind the youngest Sawada ( who just jumped).

" Hiieeeee! Reborn don't sneak up on me like that!"

" Don't get scared then."

" Let's wait until Giotto comes out of the bathroom, alright? He likes these sorts of movies." Dino begins to get comfortable underneath the Kotatsu table. " Hey, don't you think being in the mafia would be fun? What about you little bro? Doesn't it seem exciting?"

Reborn doesn't seem to be interested on the conversation and begins to set up the television for the film.

"I would never want to be a mafia man." Tsunayoushi's voice sounded muffled from fatigue. " Its dishonest. Its wrong."

And Xanxus tries not to release a bitter laugh at that statement.

The next day Kyouya is in front of Tsunayoushi's apartment. He does not know when the other had went from 'herbivore' to 'Tsunayoushi'. He does not keep track of such useless things. He taps on it once more for good measure, nothing. It was nine o'clock sharp. Surely that little creature should be out and about. He knocked on it once again, and this time it did open.

A blond with a bedraggled appearance smiled at him sheepishly, "Yo, you must be looking for Tsuna. I'm his older brother Dino. "

In his mind, Kyouya knows that the person before him is an idiot. That being so, idiots should be ignored, which was what he was taught at a young age. He pushes the Italian away from the door, steps inside and begins to take his shoes off at the entrance.

" Hey." Dino raises his voice just a bit " You can't just enter like this ! I'm Tsuna's brother, and I don't know you so-"

"Correct." Kyouya says flatly. He sits on the couch in front of the Kotatsu table." You are that herbivore's brother, you are not the owner of his apartment. You don't know me, but your brother does, you idiotic creature."

Dino could accept the iced tone the man speaks to him in, he could even take the seething glares that were sent in his direction , but he will not take his insults.

Who was he to walk in like he owned the place? Most importantly, Dino thought, Who was he to Tsuna? They did not appear to be acquaintances, for the dark haired man in front of him does not seem to bother with that. And they did not appear as friends, they just couldn't be friends.

Tsunayoushi waltzes into the kitchen to make himself a cup of tea, inattentive to the chilly atmosphere in the living room.

"Oh, Hibari-san." Tsunayoushi blinks. Remembrance. " Oh, we were supposed to speak today right? If you'd like we can go to a-"

" We are going to a library." The man with the charcoal hair stood up, not even acknowledging that the shorter man had begun to introduce his brother.

" Let's go." Kyouya demands as he places his black spotless shoes on his feet.

"Ah, right, right." The other does the same grabbing his brown shoes from the entrance.

Tsunayoushi clutches his wallet and keys on the stand near the entrance. He looks back at his graceless brother and says, " Big brother, Sorry , but I have to go. Get breakfast with Reborn and Giotto, alright? I'll be back by lunch, hopefully. Xanxus left a little earlier, but he'll come back later. See you!"

Dino was left flabbergasted and tongue tied, he was now left with the two demons, and they were not, let's say, articulate in the morning.

When the door was shut, he thought about going back to sleep on the couch. Last night, it was a war who would get the bed. So in the end, Xanxus was too drunk to care where he slept. So he slept on the couch across from Dino.

Giotto had ( reluctantly) slept on Tsunayoushi's old bed ( in the guest room) ,while Reborn had slept with Tsunayoushi on the king sized bed. But to be fair, the younger only slept with Reborn for about an hour, and came crawling to Dino in the couch. When the middle asked why he left, and why hadn't he went to Giotto, the youngest said-

" Because Reborn drank a bit and it made him weird. And I can't go to Giotto because he'd complain about sharing."

Dino looked at the other drowsily. " And you think it's safer with him?" He points to Xanxus who had begun to snore loudly.

" I'll take my chances."

Dino heads straight for the couch again and relaxes, but he can't because he keeps having a single thought bothering him.

What was Tsunayoushi doing with a person like Hibari?

When they boarded the Train into the heart of the city, it was a bit crowded. Kyouya did not mind as long as they left him with more than enough space. He did not speak to the timorous man beside him, latching on to one of the handles above them. They both stood up due to the seats being full.

Today was a Saturday, most didn't have school and a lot more did not work. Such was the case for these two neighbors. They only had one day of the week off, and on Sunday they had a half day. But in a corporation like the Vongola, you were never on break.

It was a bit peculiar, but being with the younger man made him feel the same as when he was with Hibird. Tsunayoushi made him think of Namimori, it made him feel at peace. He looked toward the windows and saw that it had begun to sprinkle a bit. The clouds a light gray. The choice of words he had used to describe the feelings he had around the herbivore was strange , but he had no other way of explaining it. He felt dead. But in a good way if it made sense. Eternal peace.

He wished for this moment to pause. For the train to go on for eternity and never reach their destination. If it did happen, Kyouya would not mind at all.

They train is in halt, and the doors are open. More people come in than out, leaving everyone around them jammed.

This causes Tsunayoushi to lose his grip on the strap ( since he was height challenged) and began to tumble, falling down.

He landed on a chest, and when he looked up, he saw that he was pressed up against Hibari. They were in a very compromising position, his head not even reaching the others chin. He tried to move ( for he was frightened over being bitten to death) but it was to no use. The train was too full.

Tsunayoushi was prepared, that at any given moment ( any moment ,now) Hibari would turn brutal

and bite everyone to death for crowding around him. He waited and waited, but nothing came.

Hibari placed his chin on the others head, and sighed. The other was but stone, frigid and uncomfortable. He did not know what to do in this situation, being in such close proximity with the other man left him feeling strange. ( Nostalgic even.)

It felt like they were holding each other, but their hands were not around each other.

"Tsunayoushi." The man says his name clearly. The train moving up and down. " You asked me what I would remember in a dream once."

The other says nothing, the scent of the others cologne filled his senses. It made him think of a light breeze in a field. In the fields he used to play with Yamamoto and Gokudera.

"And what did you respond Hibari-san?"

Hibari leans on the wall behind him a bit more, his jaw off the others head and now staring outside to the drizzle that turned into a downpour.

"Everything."

And unbeknownst to Hibari, Tsunayoushi had begun to wish that the train would forever go on as well.( Even though forever was such a long time.) Because somehow, he knew that once they would take even a foot of the train, things were about to change for them.

The library was an impressive thing, it's architecture inspired by old English buildings. It really did encourage one to engorge in literature and escapism.

They walked to the main lobby ( while Tsunayoushi's head kept turning around to look at everything) and stopped at the front desk.

Kyouya's eyes narrow at the shorter man " I'll go reserve a conference room for the two of us. Wait here."

Tsunayoushi nods pleasantly.

He doesn't look too convinced and says again,

" If you leave I'll bite you to death."

While Hibari leaves to demand for his reservation Tsunayoushi's eyes wander around the library. Everything is in a very neat order, the shelves organized like some sort of maze. Anyone could get lost in here if left alone for some time.

"Once upon a time," Tsunayoushi heard. It was an enchanting but obviously male voice, but he was not sure from where it was coming from. " There was a Knight that lived in a village that knew nothing of pain or hatred. The village's name could not be pronounced in human tongue, for it could only be spoken in whispers. Whispers that sounded like the wind. He protected the village with all his might, and was blessed with a pure heart."

Something inside him had a strong desire to listen to the rest of the story, but where was the voice coming from? His feet had begun searching for the direction of the voice.

" This knight with the pure heart cared about only two things. His town and the prince who was his royal charge. They were good friends, and once the prince was to be king, he would be gifted with the documents to ensure that he would be the sole ruler of the village."

Tsunayoushi ran between bookcases after bookcases, ducking his head in and out, trying to find the voice that sounded close.

" One day, the Knight left to hunt for food in his village. He was running a bit late and crossed an enchanted forest to get to the hunting grounds faster. The Knight knew he was strong, so he had nothing to fear. But that was what he thought, that wasn't the truth."

The mousy man stops running when he noticed that the voice seemed more clearer, more in the vicinity. He looks at the decorations around the bookshelves, 'This must be the children's section.' he thought, and he turns around to a place that had big beany bags and a rug.

Sitting on that rug were a handful of children, around twenty four he estimated. They were all listening quietly and attentively (it reminded him of his students and as well as his teaching job). The one who was reading the story was a man around his age that had white hair, wearing nothing but a simple monochromatic suit. His eyes were a bit mysterious, for they smiled for him.

The both of them locked eyes and Tsunayoushi sat down beside the children.

" Ah," The man with the gentle voice spoke. " It seems we have a big kid here with us."

The children turned around to see the newcomer, but when they did so, one of them stood up and shouted-

" Tsunayoushi-sensei!"

They tackled the poor man and began to latch on to him not wanting to let go. And now he realized why they appeared so familiar to him. Every single one of his students were seated on the carpet, they were all here. He couldn't help it, but tears started to form at the corner of his eyes.

" Hi everyone! I'm very happy to see all of you again." He spke as he felt tiny hands all over him, some even pulling his hair.

" But you need to be quiet and use your in-door voices." He brought a hand to his lips. " This is a library. And what is the first rule in the library?"

" Be quiet." The children chorused.

Once the commotion died down a bit, they bombarded Tsunayoushi with many questions.

" Why did you leave teacher? "

" Yeah, you just dissapeared one day!"

" Well, I was uhm," There was no way he could sugarcoat his layoff. " The principle told me I couldn't work in there anymore."

A chorus of ' boo's' filled the air.

" What! ? "

" The principle is dumb!"

The white haired man laughed as Tsunayoushi looked at his students bashfully. He looked at the other and said " Sorry for interrupting...Uhm, you could continue if you'd like."

The man on the chair shook his head. " I think it would be best if you told the rest of this story. We barely started on this chapter book, and the children seem so eager for you to do it ."

" B-but I couldn't possibly-"

"Besides , " The other says slyly. " I'd like to hear you as well."

" Ah, uhm-"

"Tsunayoushi."

A stern man looks at the younger in a reprimanding way. The same look a mother has when her child has run amok in a grocery store , causing him to become lost, only to return again with no guilt.

Hibari snaps. " What did I tell you? I told you to stay in the main lobby where I could find you. But I find you here playing with children."

" Don't be mean to teacher!" A child chimes in.

" Yeah, it wasn't his fault, we took him to play."

Kyouya does not care if they are children, he speaks to them as the same manner he would speak to adults. " Then you should know it is rude to take one's toy away."

Tsunayoushi felt, like this would not turn out well.

The children stood up and began to defend their honor. " We saw him first. He was ours before anything!"

"Lies," says Hibari. " I'm bigger than you so that means I'm more intelligent than you. You may have seen him first, but I bought him first. Whatever I says goes-"

" H-hibari-san!" Tsunayoushi jolts up quickly, knowing that if Hibari was serious about fighting against some gradeschoolers it was going to be one hell of a fight. For he knew, the atrocities children were capable of doing to their enemies. " I'm terribly sorry. But you see, these are my ex students. I used to be a teacher-"

" I don't care, let's go."

Tsunayoushi sighs and begins to stand up. He raises his leg to walk, but suddenly feels a dozen pair of hands on him. Not wanting to let go. It broke his heart.

The children all began to plead him to stay, to not go. He wanted to, he wanted to stay in the library and never come out. But he wasn't a child anymore, he was an adult with a responsibility to join the working force, pay taxes and mingle with other adults.

He didn't want to be an adult.

He turns to the children and smiles a hopeful smile. " I can't stay I'm sorry, but, if you'd like I can visit you here every Saturday and read to you here at the library. How does that sound?"

The children agreed simultaneously, happy that they would see the teacher that they loved again. And so was their teacher, who felt like something inside of him was taken when he had quit his position as a teacher.

He was about to join Hibari ( who was now looking quite annoyed) but was stopped when a hand touched his shoulder.

It was that white haired man. " Here is my contact information," He handed the other a slip of paper." For when you want help regarding the procedures to become a volunteer for the library."

" Oh, thank you very much , uh-"

" Byakuran." The other one smiled and tilted his head. " It's Byakuran, but you could call me Byaku-Byaku!"

" Ah, s-sure." Tsunayoushi bowed. Unsure of what to make of the others personality. " My name is Sawada Tsunayoushi, but you can call me Tsuna if you like.."

" Tsunayoushi?" He began to laugh like a mocking child, pointing fingers and everything. " Hahah, your name is so funny."

He was definitely strange.

" I'll stop the reading for today, and pick another book."

" Ah, you don't have to-"

Tsunayoushi raises his hands, but the taller raises a hands to his lips.

" You seemed quite interested in it," Byakuran says while lifting the small chapter book in his hands. " -and it wouldn't be a problem. It was either this or 'Alice And The Looking Glass.' See you next week!

" Yes, see you next week Byakuran-san!"

When Tsunayoushi turns around, there was something in his chest that felt heavy. It sounded a bit silly, but it felt like there was a piece of wood stuck in his heart. He could not wait to hear the rest of the story, there was something about it that made it seem so familiar. Perhaps, he read it when he was a child. Rediscovering what was lost.

When the two men approached the meeting room, Tsunayoushi is still in a ditzy daze, his happiness seeping through him because good things have been happening all day today.

" We are brought here together today because I needed to speak to you."

Kyouya places his hands on the desk, staring right at the others eyes.

" I have a couple of theories about our dreams and what the strange illusions we see are."

Tsunayoushi nods for the blows that were to come.

" Someone is lying to us." He says suddenly. " The Hibari Gardens, I was informed that they have not existed for over fifty years." Tsunayoushi turns pale and opened his mouth, but the other continues to speak. "That means our meeting did not happen. We do not exist. "

" What do you mean by 'our'-"

" I was the boy whole gave you your ball back."

Destiny begins to turn.

Thank you.