Gokudera woke strangely happy.
"She's back on my side. She doesn't hate me."
The silver-haired boy yawns and stretches. He had fallen asleep on the couch soon after he and Phoenix had stopped talking. His back and neck were sore, but still...nothing could have made Gokudera feel better. The phone rings and Gokudera picks it up, thinking that it was Phoenix.
"You calling me back already?"
"Well, well, didn't think you'd be so happy to hear from me."
Gokudera shoots up, his happy mood disappearing in an instant.
"Reaper. Get the hell outta here, jackass! No one is 'happy' to hear from you, bastard."
"You are getting better at the insults, Young Hayato."
"I've always been good with them; I just dirty my mouth a bit more when I'm pissed off."
"I'm sorry, did I make you mad?"
"I don't understand why I'd be mad. I only have one emotion right now and it's not anger."
"Well I did manipulate you, break a girl's heart, soul, and possibly mind, threatened your boss, and friends. Anger is understandable, murderous rage is even better."
"I don't feel like dealing with you right now. I know I'll be able to defeat you. I have Phoenix by my side now. That's all I need to know. So do me the honor and go fuck yourself."
"Aw, young love." Reaper laughs. "I only wanted to tell you that you will be receiving a two day long reprieve from me, as I must go back to my beautiful city for a meeting. Have fun trying to hide the children while I'm away."
"Tch. We're not in love! How many times do I have to tell you! And GOOD! Stay gone!" Gokudera hears the click of Reaper hanging up his phone and sighs. "Asshole."
It was a Saturday and since Gokudera knows that Tsuna likes to sleep in on the weekend he busies himself with cleaning up his apartment. About an hour in the small black phone rings and Gokudera half runs to pick it up.
"You better not start blaming me for something! Whatever's happened? It's not my fault!"
"Don't go jumping down my throat first thing! I know it wasn't your fault! Maybe you need a drink...jeez. So I don't know if you've heard or not but Reaper's leaving Japan and going to Chicago...which means I have to leave Chicago." Phoenix sighs. "But it should be a relief for you at least, no more annoying, backstabbing, son of a bitch Reaper to annoy you."
Gokudera laughs; Phoenix always knew exactly what to say.
"I seriously do need a drink. But I haven't gone out at all today. Not even to buy another pack of cigs. I've just been very economic with them. Just smoking when I feel like it or need to. Not just when I'm bored. Anyway, I do know, he called me earlier. I think he was trying to piss me off but I'm just glad that asshole will finally get off my ass about this whole thing."
"On the topic of annoying things Reaper does, his constant insistence that there's something more between us is starting to scare me. He does know that we haven't actually met right?"
"I know!" Gokudera drops down on his couch, all cleaning forgotten. "I don't understand how he could think like that when you're all the way in Chicago and I'm over here in this little town in Japan. Yeah, not exactly a relationship I see sprouting right there."
"So what if I live in Chicago? I mean, this is all hypothetical right, but there are a lot of relationships that start long distance. My parents were one, my grandparents another."
Gokudera feels his palms break out into sweat as Phoenix starts to talk like they might actually be...together.
"It's not that a long-distance relationship are bad or can't work out. I'd just rather not. I'd want to be with the person 24/7 and just...be with them, ya know? I don't want any doubts to come between us. And distance does that to you. At least, only when the parties involved aren't mature enough to know what they want."
"Just gonna to put this out there one more time. Two generations of long distance relationships, just saying."
"Let's just not. This is getting too much of a girly subject for my taste.
"God forbid you confront feelings!"
Phoenix laughs but Gokudera can tell that her heart's not in it.
"Phoenix...is something wrong?"
"I found out what Reaper did to get you to lie to me...I am so sorry. I knew he was an evil son of a bitch but I didn't think he would go that far. I should just stay in Chicago and blow up his apartment...maybe that'll kill him. And if it doesn't...well then I'll go in with a knife."
"No. Don't put yourself at risk like that. Not while we're not around to help. But you should blow up his apartment before you leave. Or maybe put it on his car..."
"You have obviously never been to Chicago. Car bombs are the last thing you want. Too many people and way too many unknowns. Now apartment bombs create another problem, mainly the other tenants...Ah I'll figure that out later. I told you I don't need help. I can kick his ass myself! Although it would be interesting the have you in Chicago. I wonder how many fights there would be...And what's the fun of a bomb if you aren't around to watch it go off?"
"Heh, you read my mind. It's not just because I have a thing for dynamites, bombs, fireworks and the like, but I just like the excitement from seeing something blow up. Especially an enemy." Gokudera grins. "Hm...I might go. But only if Juudaime wants to. We might not be able to since he has school and Hibari would kill us if we didn't go."
"Finally someone gets it!" Phoenix laughs. "Well what if I blow up the school? While no one is inside of course. Then school gets canceled and Hibari would come to Chicago to kill me...and Tsuna would want to go to stop him! I should do this planning thing more often; I seem to be good at it."
Gokudera's grin grows wider.
"I like the way you think. Hm...It might just work. And oh please, don't flatter yourself. We all have out epiphanies every now and then."
Gokudera laughs.
"Why are you so mean to me?" Phoenix laughs. "You mock my jokes and are just plain rude at times! I just saw the fatal flaw in my plan. I would have to go to Japan to blow up the school and go back to Chicago. And considering I don't have a job anymore I don't have the money for a round trip plane ticket. Of course you could blow up the school...you know what I take it back, I hate planning."
"Thank God, I hate planning too. Once you said, 'You could blow up the school.' I was just like, 'No thank you.' That would involve me planning out the best time to do it, making sure no one's inside, and then having to get out of the country before Hibari bites me to death. And heh, I'm not mean. You're just not smart enough to understand my sense of humor."
"I do believe that when we first began talking you said you don't have a sense of humor...but then again you also said you wouldn't let me near Tsuna...which you failed at spectacularly by the way." The girl chuckles. "I just had a thought. What is Hibari finds out about this? Oh God we would be dead before sunrise!" The girl laughs loudly. "I think I have developed a death wish."
"I don't have a sense of humor. At least, not one that many understand. And shit. I didn't think about that. Hopefully he's too busy fuck—, I mean warding, and off Din...'herbivores' that he won't even hear the rumors."
Phoenix laughs and Gokudera grins.
"You have one messed up mind my friend."
Gokudera laughs.
"No I don't! It's clear as day that's what he's doing."
Phoenix laughs again.
Phoenix spends her day talking to Gokudera, happy that she still managed to keep him as a friend, despite what had happened between them. It wasn't until Gokudera had to say goodbye so he could check on his boss that Phoenix realizes there is a...distrust curling in her heart. Not against Gokudera but against his family and that thought scares her.
"Can I continue to trust him...even if I don't trust the Vongola? What will he do once he finds out? Do I have to tell him? No. I need to tell him. He deserves to know. I need to tell him...but, how do I do that without losing him as a friend?"