Gokudera walks into his apartment smirking.
"I'm back. Did ya miss me?"
The smirk drops from his face when all he sees is an empty apartment and a note. Worry immediately flairs to life in Gokudera's chest as he picks up the small white paper.
'Come down to the shopping district, I'm playing guitar there.
-Phoenix.'
Gokudera flips the note over and frowns.
"Jesus...that woman just can't do like I ask can she?"
The young Italian walks down to the shopping district and almost immediately runs into a crowd of people. Gokudera sighs and begins to push his way through the crowds but stops when he hears the singing. The song he knows, "Collide" by Howie Day, but the voice...he had never heard anything like it. The closest Gokudera could compare the voice to was a strange mix of Evanescence and Kelly Clarkson but at the same time it was completely different. Gokudera starts pushing his way to the front again, he gets there just in time for the song to end and to see Phoenix smile as people began to place money in her open guitar case. Gokudera walks up to the red-haired girl in a slight shock, she gives him a nod as she begin to collect the money she made.
"I...I didn't know you played guitar."
"My mom played so I took it up to...I don't know, honor her...I guess."
"Why the hell are you here anyway? I told you to wait at my apartment!"
"I don't like to be confined to one place, I have to keep moving around...old habit of mine. Well really it's an inherited trait." Phoenix shoulders her guitar case and looks hard at Gokudera. "So let's get this over with..."
"Get what over with exactly? I just came to...well...I'm not gonna let you go. I don't give a damn whatever kinda deal you made with Reaper. You're not leaving." Hayato grabs Phoenix's wrist. "I won't let you go , damn it."
Phoenix's old instincts kick in as Gokudera tries to pull her along the street and she has to restrain herself from breaking his arm.
"Let me go Hayato. I am leaving on Friday at one. I will be at the airport at eleven. And you can't stop me."
"I thought you said you're flight left today?"
"Reaper gave me an extension. Now let my wrist go!"
Phoenix yanks her arm back and Gokudera tightens his grip.
"No, I'm not letting go! Stop...struggling..." Gokudera struggles with the girl, trying to keep his grip on her. "Damn it, Aydan!"
Phoenix slaps Gokudera and pulls her wrists out of his grip. The red marks around her wrist reminded Aydan of the years of abuse she had suffered and she bares her wrist at Hayato.
"What the hell, Hayato! Can you really do something like this without even thinking twice about it!" Gokudera stares at Phoenix's wrist in silence, guilt eating at him. "Damn it Hayato...I have to go. You wouldn't understand but I have to do this. I hate that I have to do this but I do, and I have my reasons...just trust me...please."
"No, I can't! You...I..." Gokudera punches a wall. "I just met you and now you're just gonna leave again? We're never gonna see each other again. And I don't...I mean...you're like...a friend to me, I guess." The silver-haired boy looks away from Phoenix's prying eyes. "I don't know. I just don't want you to go. Remember? We're Famiglia now."
He forces a sort of smile.
"...You shouldn't punch public property." Phoenix looks down and puts her hands into her sweater pockets. "I'm not a part of your Family Hayato. I was sent here to kill you, to kill Tsuna. I could never be a part of your Family with that on my conscience." She looks up at the sky and Gokudera sees Phoenix blink back tears. "I am glad that I got to meet you though. It's nice to talk to you in person instead of over the phone." A small smile forms on Phoenix lips only to dissolve into a frown. "I am getting what I deserve for my life choices. This is my repentance."
"There's nothing for you to suffer. You've already repented. That's all anyone asks of you. Don't...Tch. Stupid woman." Gokudera grabs Phoenix's arm again and pulls her into a tight hug. "Don't you know how much I'd miss you? And you better feel fucking lucky 'cause I hate hugs."
Phoenix tenses up and pulls out of the hug.
"Don't do that...Don't hug me." She rubs her arm. "And please, for the last time, don't call me woman. I have a name...well two." The girl laughs slightly, sadness still covering her face. "I am going back home, I have to because...this is so hard to explain. I'm doing this for Nicky, for my parents...for you. You have to let me go."
"I didn't ask you do to this for me. And how the fuck would this be doing anything for Nicky? Because I'm a replacement for him? Is that what this is all about? If it's not, then tell me damn it! Why are you doing all of this! Just tell me and...I might let you do it... Just tell me the fucking truth already."
"You didn't need to ask me to. I am done letting Reaper lead you around and I am done letting him use you to get to me! I am doing this for Nicky because I couldn't save him. I had time to get him in the closet with me but I didn't and he died...and it's my fault." Phoenix's restrained tears begin to fall down her face. "I can never do anything to make up for that, for getting my little brother killed. That is one reason why I am doing this, because I need to take responsibility for what I did. I don't see you as a replacement for Nicky. I never did. I...I can't tell you what this is about I just...I can't! I'm sorry."
Gokudera grabs both of Phoenix's wrists and crosses them behind her back.
"I'm not gonna let go of you unless you tell me. I'm sick of this shit! Of nobody telling me anything! Just tell me!"
Phoenix struggles against Gokudera's hold, blushing due to how close Gokudera's face is to hers.
"Hayato, let me go."
"NO! Not until you tell me!" His face unconsciously moves closer to Phoenix's. "W-Why are you blushing like that?"
Phoenix pulls back slightly, blushing more.
"I can't tell you! It's...I can't...It's complicated!"
"IT'S ONLY COMPLICATED IF YOU MAKE IT COMPLICATED, DAMN IT!" He tightens his grip. "Tell me, Aydan. Please."
Gokudera's eyes soften and he notices for the first time a small crescent-shaped scar in the corner of Phoenix's right eye. He wonders how she got it, it didn't look like something she could have gotten from abuse.
"I'M NOT THE ONE MAKING IT COMPLICATED!" Phoenix breaths deeply. "I..." She shakes her head. "No. Please let me go Hayato."
"You think I'm the one making it complicated! Tch. I'm trying to be fucking nice okay! Why can't you tell me? Damn it! I hate it when you do this!"
Phoenix bites her lower lip while breathing deeply through her nose.
"You...I can't...This is...Ah screw it!"
Phoenix kisses Gokudera, pulls out of his grip and runs down a side street. Gokudera stands where she left him, frozen in shock. Phoenix had just...kissed him! His hand goes up to touch his lips.
"What...the fuck?" Gokudera snaps back into reality and looks around, trying to find Phoenix. "Aydan? AYDAN! Fuck."
He runs down the same side street as Phoenix and begins to look for her, passing the place where she was hiding behind a wall.
"Leave me alone Hayato!"
Gokudera wheels around.
"I-I can't! Damn it Aydan, what's going on! Why did you..." Gokudera blushes at the thought. "EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON! I'm so fucking confused...I thought you didn't...But you..."
Gokudera pulls at his own hair in frustration and Phoenix quickly moves her position.
"I...I like you. A lot. Okay?" Phoenix moves again, as Gokudera gets closer to her. "Just leave me alone Hayato! I can't go down this road! Not now!"
"I...I don't believe you. No one could ever like me. This isn't...it's not possible...Why me?"
Phoenix steps out from behind a wall right in front of Hayato and he has to slide to a stop.
"Because you care about me. Because you have done more for me in a few weeks than anyone has done for me in eleven years...Because you're perfect for me." The girl looks down sadly. "Even if I'm not perfect for you."
Gokudera bites his lip.
"I never said you weren't perfect for me. I just...I'm not the type of guy you want. I'm no good. I'm an asshole, I'm a fucking chain smoker, and I have mood swings, not to mention I'm ugly as fuck. I just don't understand why you'd choose me just because I care about you? Even when you know I still...Tch."
"You just can't see the true you...I am ten times worse than that. I am an antisocial kleptomaniac with severe social anxiety who's also a hitman! I am broken, I have been broken since I was five." Phoenix takes a few steps further away from Gokudera. "But I can't do this right now..."
Before Gokudera can stop her, Phoenix runs away and disappears into the shadows.