Title: Ashes to Flames
Rating: PG-13 to eventual M
Pairing: X27, aka, XanxusTsuna
Warnings: Swearing, violence, BL and eventual Yaoi. Oh, and the fact that this is Un-Betaed and probably has crappy grammar
Summary: Every meeting had a reaction. Each reaction builds upon the next, meeting after meeting. But every reaction has a consequence.
Author Note: If you don't like BL or just this pairing, then don't read it. Any flames or immature negative remarks will be ignored, because I really don't give a damn what you think. On the other hand, I LOVE reviews, even if they are well thought out critiques.
Chapter 4: The 1st Reaction
The moment Xanxus stepped through the front door to the Vongola manor, he knew something was wrong. It wasn't the lower subordinates' behavior, their fearful eyes and hesitant steps, that set his nerves on edge. Nor was it the thick tension in the air that could be felt from miles around. Oh no. What tipped Xanxus off that something was terribly wrong, was the fact that the entire estate, was dead quiet. No screaming, no yelling, no explosions or the sounds of combat. Complete and total silence hovered throughout the estate.
Stepping into the entryway, Xanxus clicked the door shut, and almost winced as the sound echoed through the hallways. Quietly pulling out one of his guns, Xanxus warily eyed the empty corridors. He cautiously, yet swiftly walked towards one of the large living rooms, where he could hear the low murmur of whispers and sensed the presence of life. Pausing briefly by the doorway, he rounded the corner and stepped inside, gun held high.
And suddenly, Xanxus felt like he had walked straight into the Twilight Zone.
There, sitting together very quietly and still, were the Guardians and the Varia.
"Boss!" Squalo called from his spot on the couch next to Gokudera. Rushing up to him, Squalo clutched the front of Xanxus's jacket frightfully.
"You've gotta help us Boss! He's snapped! He's gone total bat-shit!!"
Xanxus looked from the pitiful Squalo who was latched onto him, to the others in the room. His Varia team were looking just as shaken as the white haired swordsman. The three Guardians that were present, Gokudera, Ryohei and Yamamoto, were looking even worse. They all looked like they'd seen a ghost, or some sort of devil.
"What the fuck is wrong with you all?" Xanxus finally spoke, pushing Squalo off of him and crossing his arms over his chest, signaling that he will not tolerate any more touching of his personal self.
In the far back of his mind, Xanxus was just a bit freaked out. What could possibly have scared both his ruthless Varia team and the Guardians so much, that they were forced into tolerating each other's presence through fear? Xanxus wasn't sure he wanted to know.
"He's going to murder us all Boss!" Squalo repeated again.
"Yeah, I got that already. Who?" Xanxus gritted out. Squalo was starting to sound like a broken record.
"That shitty- I mean… the 10th, Sawada Tsunayoshi." Squalo practically whispered, looking around nervously, as if he expected Tsuna to pop up out of nowhere.
Xanxus raised an eyebrow at this. The spineless little Vongola boss did this to them? Now Xanxus was even more convinced that he'd stepped into some sort of parallel universe. Either that, or the creepy Mist Guardian, Rokudo Mukuro, was somehow messing with his head.
Xanxus looked up at the other Guardians to confirm what Squalo had said. Gokudera wasn't looking at him, but instead at his lap. His fists were clenched at his knees, and he looked absolutely mortified. Yamamoto was sheepishly scratching the back of his head, nodding, but looking very pale and nervous at the same time. The last one, Ryohei, was wearing an expression that looked to be a mixture of excitement and fear.
"It's true! Tsuna was scary to the EXTREME!" Ryohei pumped his fist in the air for emphasis.
"Yeah Boss! That kid looked about ready strangle us with our ties!" Levi piped up.
"His killer aura gave me shivers. Oh how beautiful yet deadly it was. You should've seen it Boss." Lussuria swooned, hugging himself.
"Shi shi shi shi, the Prince is amused. Such a royal threat, it was almost enough to rival my own." Bel seemed to be the only one amused by the situation, thoroughly enjoying himself.
"Alright, alright. Shut the fuck up already, would you?" Xanxus put his hands up, trying to quiet the babble.
"You" He pointed to Squalo. "Explain."
Squalo nodded and swallowed heavily.
"It started like this Boss…"
"Vooooooiiii Can't you see I'm sitting here? Get lost." Squalo shoved Bel aside, who was attempting to squirm his way onto the couch which Squalo was currently sprawled on.
"Shi shi shi shi, The Prince demands to have the best seat. Only royalty may sit there." Bel smirked, pushing Squalo's feet to the side so he may sit next to him.
"Then sit over there. I'm sure that couch is just a royal as this one." Squalo pointed to the other couch which was directly across from the one he was sitting on, while attempting to kick Bel in the face. Levi, who was currently sitting on one side of the couch, proceeded to ignore them and flipped a page in the comic book he was reading.
Bel glanced briefly over to the other couch, catching Squalo's foot in mid-kick, then promptly looked back at him.
"The Prince does not sit with peasants." He deadpanned.
A vein twitched on Levi's forehead, but he said nothing. After years of working with the royal pain in the ass, he'd gotten somewhat use to the commentary.
"Come on Gokudera! The big game's on!" An energetic voice called from the hallway outside the living room, catching the Varia's attention.
"It's just a stupid baseball game. The world's not going to end if we miss 5 minutes of it. And why the fuck do I have to come anyway?" Another voice called out bitterly, as footsteps thumped closer.
"Because it's more fun with more people, that's--ah…"
The owner of the voice, Yamamoto, soon entered the living room, with Gokudera closely behind. The two stood quietly at the doorway, eyeing the Varia who stared right back.
"Are you here to watch the game too?" Yamamoto finally broke the silence, his voice a little hopeful.
"The Prince does not watch commoner riff raff." Bel answered, smiling triumphantly as he managed to secure his seat on the couch.
"The fuck do you two want?" Squalo growled, glaring at the two Guardians.
"We're here to watch T.V. dumbass. Why else would we be in here? Certainly not for your cheerful company." Gokudera spat back.
"Vooiii! As you can see, this room is currently taken. And as you just said you didn't want our company, you can just leave. Fuckin brats." Squalo sneered, leaning back into the couch, and putting his feet on the coffee table.
"How about your asses leave, since it's all just wasted space anyway." Gokudera flicked the ashes from his cigarette in their general direction.
"Come on Gokudera, let's just leave. We can find another T.V. somewhere else." Yamamoto tried to reason with the silver-haired Italian, attempting to stop the quickly approaching fight.
"No! I'm sick and tired of these assholes pushing us around as if they owned the place! They--" Gokudera was cut short however when three knives whizzed by his face and imbedded themselves into the wooden doorframe just next to his head.
"The Prince does not tolerate peasants getting his boots dirty." Bel hissed, brushing off the small flecks of ashes from Gokudera's cigarette that had landed on his boots.
"Well excuse me, Princess." Gokudera growled, flicking three bombing in between his fingers, cigarette already positioned to light them.
"Vooiii, the little brats want another ass kicking. Apparently they didn't get enough last time." Squalo stood up, swinging his sword swiftly through the air, as he prepared himself for battle.
"Mah, Mah, you guys. Let's all just relax and watch the game together!" Yamamoto once again tried to calm the building tension in the air.
"Screw that! Everybody knows football's(1) better then your retarded baseball!" Squalo barked out in laughter. He was surprised however when a flash of steel swiftly struck against his raised one.
"I'm afraid I can't let that comment slide. You're going to have to apologize now." The natural-born killer eyes of Yamamoto bore down into Squalo from behind the clashed swords.
"Hooooooo, seems I hit a sore spot!" Squalo grinned in delight.
"Forgetting someone?" Gokudera called from behind as he launched his bombs at the silver-haired swordsman, aiming for his side. None of them reached their target however, as they were ricocheted away by Bel's flying knifes. Unfortunately one of them hit the previously preoccupied Levi, who was happily ignoring the bickering, and quietly reading his comic. The blast barely harmed Levi, but the comic didn't have such luck, as all that remained was the few pieces clutched between Levi's fingers. The vein on Levi's forehead multiplied tenfold.
"Alright you bastards! You asked for it!" Levi barked, standing up, fists clenched.
And thus the melee began. And oh how it was a vicious battle of epic proportions. If a spectator were to stand along the sidelines, they would only be able to describe it as pure chaos. Swords and fists swung to and fro, clashing and banging with each hit. A constant barrage of bombs and knifes were continuously flying through the air, with little regard for their target. The battle only escalated when the Sun Guardian entered with a flurry of fists, demanding to be let in on the so called "EXTREME indoor training.". The last contestant to enter was the flamboyant apron-dressed Lussuria, who was attempting to announce that lunch was soon to be served. It only took a fist to his face for him to join in on the brawl.
Sadly, the T.V. was the only casualty, as it took several critical hits from both sides. It did not survive.
An earth shattering slam soon brought the fight to a standstill. The warriors all froze in place, as footsteps could be heard stomping through the hallways, heading in their direction.
"Shi shi shi , sounds like Boss. Maybe he's coming to play?" Bel giggled.
"Vooiii, no way! He's going to be pissed! He threatened us to stop fighting in the manor, or he'd personally rip our tonsils out." Squalo swallowed, and stepped back hesitantly.
Everyone braced themselves for Xanxus's fury when the footsteps stopped in front of the living room door, and the door swung open.
They were not however, prepared for the fury of Sawada Tsunayoshi.
A thick ominous aura poured from the small Vongola boss. His head was slightly bowed, and his eyes where shadowed from the bangs on his face. One of his hands clenched the doorframe, his knuckles white.
"Shi shi shi, it's just the littlest brat of them all!" Bel giggled, apparently too high on the battle adrenaline to sense the killer intent that Tsuna was emitting. He swung his hand at Tsuna, sending three of his knives in his direction.
Tsuna caught all three of the knives mid-air with one hand, without his gloves, and without even looking up. Bel then gave a small eep, and stepped back.
"Sit. Down." Tsuna spoke firmly, finally looking up, and practically piercing them with his glare.
They all sat down immediately, scrabbling around like children playing musical chairs. Yamamoto and Lussuria apparently took the command very literally, because they promptly sat down on the floor where they stood.
After a brief moment of suffocating silence, Tsuna finally spoke.
"You guys…have got to be the most immature bunch of morons I've ever met." His words pieced them like rods of ice.
" I'd like to think I've been lenient with you. That I didn't ask too much, just simply… get along. We're a family, are we not? A family is suppose to support and look out for one another. Sure, some families have arguments from time to time. But this…this is bordering madness." Tsuna walked slowing further into the room, eyeing each person. As he stepped closer, they attempted to scoot away, well out of striking range.
"A family…is not suppose to fucking attempt to KILL each other every day!" Tsuna snapped, his foot stomping harshly on the floor.
"But 10th…!" Gokudera attempted to explain, but was stopped short by the intense glare Tsuna shot at him, his words dying in his throat.
"This. Has. Got. To. STOP! I feel more like I have a bunch of elementary kids for a Family, then a group of supposedly mature adults." His fist arched in front of him, indicating exactly who he was referring too.
Tsuna paused briefly, taking a deep breath, and calmed himself. He straightened his posture, and looked directly at his Guardians and Varia once more. An expression of disapproval and frustration fixed on his face.
" As I said, I think I've been too lenient. That apparently is going to change." He placed his hands behind his back, and stood very professionally.
"Reborn, would you please accompany me to my office?" Tsuna called out, not bothering to look behind him, as the arcobaleno appeared in the doorway. He'd apparently been listening the entire time.
"What do you have planned?" He asked in a rather humorous voice. He was totally loving this.
"Punishment and a solution." Was all Tsuna explained, before turning around and walking towards the door. Just before leaving, he turned briefly, sending the frightened-stiff mafia members another icy glare.
"Don't even think about moving from this room. That includes you too, Marmon." Tsuna then turned and left, clicking the door shut as the Mist arcobaleno seemingly materialized out of thin air.
"And we've been sitting in here ever since." Squalo finished his story.
"Ooooo, I bet the two of them are plotting many horrible and cruel ways of killing us. I can only imagine!" Lussuria added as he wept into his feathered boa.
Xanxus was silent as he gave them all a single look over, surveying the situation again once he'd gotten the full story. He then pushed Squalo out of his way, and turned to leave.
"Che, this ain't my problem. You dug your own graves, dig yourself out." And he promptly left, ignoring the wails and pleas for help.
However, Xanxus certainly wasn't going to ignore the situation. Oh no. This was by far the most curious and interesting thing he's witnessed since he started living at the Vongola manor two weeks ago.
So, after leaving the living room, Xanxus immediately started walking towards Tsuna's office, where he and the arcobaleno Reborn were said to be plotting the demise of the Guardians and Varia members. Of course, Xanxus wasn't going there to help his idiot team. Far from it. He fully hoped that the 10th gave them a sweet and painful punishment. And Xanxus was going to be right there when it happens, enjoying every moment.
Even so, Xanxus would be lying if he said he wasn't worried about his own safety. Would Tsuna direct his rage at him as well? Xanxus thought back on his actions over the past two weeks, and honestly, he could find much that Tsuna would get angry over. Sure he was the one that broke the front doors off their hinges last week by accident. He was also responsible for practically emptying the liquor cabinet, as well as a few scorch marks here and there. But it wasn't anything too extensive…right?
Once again finding himself in front of the door that lead to the 10th office, Xanxus knocked on the door, this time with determination.
"Enter" was soon heard from the other side.
Stepping into the room, Xanxus took notice at the change in atmosphere. The curtains were drawn back fully, letting the bright afternoon sunlight fill the room, giving it a warm glow. However, despite it's sunny look, Xanxus suddenly felt chilled to his bones.
"Ah Xanxus, just in time. Please come in. Join us." Tsuna called from his desk, with a bright smile on his face. A shiver ran down Xanxus's spine from the malicious aura that filled the room. Reborn was sitting to Tsuna's side, his trademark smirk on his face. It was clear that these two had been in the midst of plotting something devilish.
"I take it you saw my Guardians and your Varia members recently?" Tsuna asked innocently, as Xanxus took a seat in the chair in front of Tsuna's desk.
Xanxus snorted. "Che, yeah. They were crying like a bunch of sissies."
"As they probably mentioned, Reborn and I have been discussing a possible solution for their….teamwork issues." Tsuna laced his fingers together and rested his chin on them, his innocent smile never wavering. "We've managed to come up with a plan, and would like your opinion on it."
"Oooh?" Xanxus raised an eyebrow, looking from Tsuna to Reborn, and back. "Please, continue."
And so, Tsuna explained their plan, with Reborn commenting here and there. Xanxus patiently listened. On the inside, his excitement grew, overcoming his previous fear that he felt just moments before. He decided that he rather liked this merciless Tsuna, granted he wasn't on his bad side.
"So, that's what we've managed to come up with. Your thoughts?" Tsuna finished.
Xanxus was quiet for a moment, scratching his chin, lost in thought. Finally, a wide toothy grin spread across his face as he gave a low, rough laugh. "Not bad, brat. Not bad. I have no objections."
"Perfect. Shall we go and deliver their sentence then?" Tsuna clapped his hands together and stood up, with Reborn following. Tsuna walked out of the room, with Reborn and Xanxus at his heels.
Xanxus couldn't seem to stop smiling, cause damn, the kid finally grew a backbone. He supposed hanging around Reborn so much was bound to have an impact eventually. But, shit, he'd never guessed the kid would adopt the arcobaleno's devilish side.
Upon entering the living room, the Guardians and Varia sat perfectly still, staring up at Tsuna like they were kicked puppies. Tsuna stood proud and tall, arms crossed over his chest, and smiled at them.
"We've come to a decision. You're all going to hell." He spoke with such an cheerful and joyous smile on his face.
Xanxus could've sworn that at least half the people in the room all had a heart-attack at the same time, because they appeared to have stopped breathing.
'WE'RE GOING TO DIE!!' They all thought simultaneously.
"But it's actually worse then hell." Reborn stepped up now, directing their attention to him. "You're going to be spending the next few weeks with me, at boot-camp." He too, was giving them such a joyous smile, his gun pushing up the rim of his hat.
"Wha…?" Gokudera was the first to breath, confusion written all over his face. However, before he could continue, Tsuna raised his hand for silence.
"Basically, you're all going on a little camping trip with Reborn, where you'll be spending the next few weeks training, and working on your teamwork and cooperation skills. And you will not be allowed to return, until said skills have improved." Tsuna explained.
"But…but Boss! You can't send us out there with these lunatics! It's three against six!" Gokudera blurted out.
"Actually, it's three against five. And I didn't realize you cared so much about fair odds, Gokudera. But if you want, I can summon Hibari and Mukuro. I'm sure they'd love to join you all." Tsuna smirked.
Any further complaints died in Gokudera's throat. "No…just us three will be fine, Boss." He bowed his head in defeat. The very thought of having to spend a camping trip with 'I'm going to bite you to death' Hibari, and the 'let's screw with your mind' Mukuro, gave him nightmares.
"Voooiii, wait a minute! What do you mean just five? What about Boss? Why isn't he going!?" Squalo was next to object, pointing an accusing finger at Xanxus, who glared back.
"Xanxus has been the most mature one out of the entire lot of you. He, since his arrival here, hasn't caused any major problems, unlike you all." Tsuna replied, with a bit of a scowl. Xanxus ignored the slight flutter in his stomach. He also denied the fact that he felt happy that Tsuna was defending him. Not that he needed any defense.
"But…he…!" Squalo attempted to say more, but the venomous look Xanxus was shooting him quieted any further comments.
"Ok, enough chatter. You'll be leaving immediately. No packing required." Tsuna clapped his hands together.
"But, Boss! We can't just leave you here by yourself!" Gokudera attempted to once again, trying to change Tsuna's mind.
"Mah, mah, Gokudera. Don't worry. This could be fun!" Yamamoto laughed, clapping Gokudera on the shoulder.
"Yeah octopus-head! It'll be like….EXTREME training!" Ryohei shouted, already pumped for the trip.
"Yeah! It'll be like baseball camp!" Yamamoto nodded at Ryohei. The two sports idiots clearly didn't grasp the concept of it being a punishment.
"You morons! This will not be fun! Are you retarded or something!" Gokudera lunged at Yamamoto, fully intending on strangling the smiling baseball nut. Of course, in the process, he managed to kick Squalo in the shin, who promptly began swearing. Hell broke loose once again.
"Ah-hem!" Tsuna coughed harshly into his hand.
They all froze.
'Shit!' They thought. They'd already forgotten what had gotten them in this situation in the first place.
"Reborn?" Tsuna said quietly with his fists clenched at his side. A twitch had developed in his right eye.
"Yes, Tsuna?" Reborn calmly asked, who was in the process of checking the bullets in his gun.
"I'd like to add a few additional conditions to the trip."
"What would that be?"
"No sports allowed. No weapons allowed. And lastly, no smoking allowed." Tsuna declared.
Gokudera, upon hearing the last rule, gasped for a moment like a fish out of water, and swayed on his feet. He looks about ready to pass out from shock, as he went deathly pale.
"You heard him. All weapons. Now." Xanxus stepped up this time. He pointed to a spot on the floor, where they promptly began depositing their weapons. Both Bel and Gokudera stood in front of the pile for a long while, continuously emptying their pockets and hiding spots of their knives and bombs.
"All of them." Both Tsuna and Xanxus called, when the two tried to sneak away with a few leftover. Grumbling, they each pulled out an additional twenty bombs and knives.
Yamamoto gave a small sniff when he dropped his baseball bat onto the pile.
Both Ryohei and Lussuria smiled sheepishly, as neither of them could exactly give up their weapons, as they fought with their bodies. Squalo, however, tried to act as inconspicuous as possible, as he had yet to give up his sword.
"Squalo, the sword. Now." Xanxus growled.
"But…Boss, my sword is attached to my arm." Squalo pointed innocently at his wrist, where the sword was attached.
"Either give me the sword, or give me you whole damn arm. Because I know I can remove that." Xanxus stepped closer, knuckles cracking. Squalo didn't need to be told twice. He promptly detached the sword from his artificial arm, and tossed it into the pile.
Suddenly, the room was filled with rapid gunfire. Reborn began shooting at their feet, and started herding them out the door.
"Enough stalling! We're leaving!" Reborn shouted, enjoying using the idiots for target practice. They reluctantly exited through the front door, where a van was already waiting to transport them.
"But…..Boosss!!" Gokudera called pitifully as he was dragged out by Yamamoto.
"Take good care of them, Reborn." Tsuna spoke softly to his home tutor who stood next to him, as he watched his family prepare to leave.
"It me who should be saying take care. You're on your own for now. Don't do anything stupid, baka-Tsuna." Reborn smiled at his student. He gave Xanxus a brief look, giving him his all-knowing smile and then turned to leave, running up to the already quarrelling gaggle of idiots who were fighting over who got shot-gun(2).
Tsuna listened to the muffled bickering and swearing as the eight Guardians and Varia pushed and shoved each other into the van. He smiled innocently and waved goodbye as they drove away.
Back inside, Tsuna promptly collapsed onto the very same couch that his family had been occupying not too long ago. He rolled onto his back, with one foot resting on the arm of the couch, and the other on the floor. He draped an arm over his eyes, and gave an exhausted and heavy sigh.
Footsteps soon entered the room, and Tsuna heard the muffled sound of someone sitting on the other couch. Without even looking, Tsuna knew who it was.
"I can't believe I just did that." Tsuna groaned, not removing the arm draped over his eyes.
"I gotta hand it to ya, that was fuckin brilliant." Xanxus gave a small chuckle, settling into the couch, watching Tsuna.
"Do you think I did the right thing? I hope I wasn't too hard on them…" Tsuna asked. He already beginning to regret what he did.
"It needed to be done, one way or another." Xanxus replied, his voice soft.
"I hope they won't hate me after this." Tsuna's voice was low, almost a whisper.
"You and me both know that's not true." Xanxus gave a low growl. He could already see Tsuna slipping into his state of worry and denial.
"Yeah, but…" Tsuna began.
"But nothing. Listen. You are the 10th generation boss to the Vongola family, one of the most powerful and influential mafia families in all of Italy, if not the world. They know this, and will forever respect you because of that. However, they need to be taught to respect each other. If they actually faced an enemy acting the way they did now, they'd end up getting each other killed." Xanxus growled fiercely.
Tsuna removed the arm across his eyes, and turned his head to look at Xanxus. He was quiet for a moment, before closing his eyes again and smiling softly.
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
(1) Football-- Soccer. I figured since Squalo is Italian, he's more likely to call soccer "football".
(2) Shot Gun-- the front passenger seat.
Wooooo -runs around like a crazy woman- Yet another chapter done!
I wish to apologize for this being so late. My laptop, where I had written well over half of this chapter, decided to be evil and crash on me. It took a while to fix, but luckily I didn't lose any files.
But oh man….this was LONG! On average, a chapter is somewhere between 3-5 pages long. This….was 10. It's probably riddled with spelling and grammar mistakes. I've been mostly writing really late at night (or should I say, really early in the morning). Past midnight, my grammar is usually non-existent.
This chapter was also one of the hardest ones to write. A very pissed off Tsuna and a scared Varia was difficult to portray, because I wanted it to be somewhat humorous, but not too OOC. There were sooo many characters too in this chapter, I just couldn't give everyone a huge amount of dialog without it dragging on forever and ever. And I just realized that I didn't give Marmon dialog at all. fail Just imagine he left with everyone else. So, out of all the Guardians and Varia, only, Lambo, Hibari and Mukuro didn't leave (Lambo is still in Japan, and Tsuna has no idea where the other two are P )
This will probably be the last time you see any of the Guardians or Varia for a very long time. It's going to be strictly Xanxus and Tsuna from here on out. There will be appearances of other characters, but mostly just brief meetings.
The next chapter contains lots of super-fluff which I know you've all been waiting for. I'm really looking forward to it, so I should finish it fairly quickly.
Until next time, lovelies
Remember, Reviews are my fuel for writing!!