Belphegor was sick as a dog and hating every second of it. His fever was bad enough that Luss had more or less banned any visitors, which meant Mukuro and the others couldn't visit at all and make things even slightly tolerable.
He had never expected to find a best friend and co-conspirator, but then Rosethorn had brought Mukuro and the two had just clicked. It helped that Belphegor had never claimed to be mafia... he was a prince and therefor above such petty things. He just liked to kill the peasants and remind them of their place.
Which, oddly enough, had only endeared him to the vengeful Mist. He didn't care about the fact Bel was a prince and more or less humored his titles. The two of them had gotten into some rather impressive rows on what Mukuro's own status was, until Rosethorn had found out and put her foot down.
Mukuro was actually a ward of an Ancient and Noble house, thus putting him on an almost equal level as Belphegor. A fact he hadn't known until that point, nor had he cared.
Belphegor coughed up more phlegm...he hated being sick. And were those polka dots he was seeing?
Whimpering as his fever spiked again, he barely registered Lussuria bustling over to him with concern... the Sun would have given him medicine, but his Storm Flames would have eaten right through them with little to no effect.
He curled into himself, wanting the worst of this to be over. He didn't even realize he was instinctively calling out for one person in particular in his native tongue.
"Mommy..."
Lussuria gave Belphegor a look. The poor kid was absolutely miserable and had one of the worst fevers she had ever seen. She had no idea who Belphegor was calling for, but could make an educated guess.
The infirmary door opened and Luss was ten seconds away from ordering the newcomer out...until they registered who it was.
Rosethorn hated the infirmary. Everyone knew she had an aversion to the place that was actually quite impressive and made it easier to relate to her.
So for her to walk right in and promptly go straight to Belphegor's side was pretty big.
Belphegor whined, and called out for someone in his native tongue. Rosethorn was at his side in an instant, running her hand through his hair (Luss had already removed the crown and put it to the side), crooning something in the same language.
Seeing the little prince curl into her side and settle, Luss relaxed. Everyone knew how maternal Rosethorn was. Hearing Belphegor whine and repeat the same word again, Luss couldn't help but ask...
"Who is he calling for?"
"He's repeating the word 'mommy' in Carpathian," replied Rosethorn. "Is it alright if I lay next to him? I might be able to siphon off some of his excess body heat."
"Go for it. It's highly doubtful you'd catch what he has since this was poison based and any comfort you could give would be a big help considering how miserable the poor thing is," said Luss.
The second she laid next to him, Belphegor was practically clinging to her like an oversized and slightly lumpy teddy bear. He sighed and nuzzled into her side.
"Poor little princeling... being sick sucks," said Rosethorn with open sympathy, stroking his hair or rubbing his back.
Luss checked Belphegor's temperature an hour later, and was relieved to see that it had gone down enough that the danger level had passed.
She also wasn't surprised to see the Boss in there after dinner, putting cooling cloths on his Storm's head. Just being there was helping Bel cope with the nasty fever he had, which thankfully broke by morning. Rosethorn stayed by his side the entire night, crooning in some bird language she knew that was ridiculously soothing.
Of course there were some repercussions.
Belphegor was not good at communicating with others, much less connecting with people and not trying to kill them later. He was beyond socially awkward (though he had gotten much better with the introduction of Mukuro and his brothers), and had a habit of keeping things bottled up.
So the fact he had been so sick that he had finally let his actual feelings slip towards Rosethorn had made him rather tense around her.
At least until he called her "Mommy" in his native tongue by accident again without realizing it until it was too late.
"Yes, my little princeling?"
Belphegor relaxed considerably, as the tension drained out of his shoulders. Rosethorn wrapped him up in a hug and stroked his hair, and he happily nuzzled into her side.
It was one of the most adorable things Luss had ever seen, and one of the rare times Mammon took multiple pictures without the chance of blackmail being involved later.
Funnily enough this opened up the floodgates for Mukuro and his group to start calling her mother as well. Rosethorn had practically acted like their mother since she rescued them and Teddy already thought of her as a replacement for the one he lost.
It was nice seeing them heal after the trauma they went through. Mukuro certainly relished the quiet hugs she gave when he knew others wouldn't see them.
Ken wasn't as reserved, and usually dragged Chikusa into it, not that the quiet Rain minded in the least.
"What exactly is this?"
"What it looks like. You're Belphegor's partner, which automatically makes you the Mist division's Second. If anything happens to Mammon, which isn't likely, or they retire you automatically take their spot as Mist officer. Unless you harmonize with someone, but the odds of that are pretty low," said Xanxus bluntly.
This meant Mammon could focus more on administrative and accounting (which they preferred) as well as the information network they had been forced to sideline, thus keeping the Varia ahead of the incompetence that was CEDEF intelligence. Xanxus couldn't stand Sawada for multiple reasons, and he refused to let the man's idiocy cripple the Vongola.
It also meant Mukuro would start being paid to go on trips with Belphegor and given incentive to keep Prince the Ripper on a damn leash...or at least hide the aftermath until Bel could clean up his own mess.
"Go find Luss and get outfitted with the official uniform. Your little brothers are going to stay with their divisions... I have it on good authority the little Rain was practically adopted by the mechanics," said Xanxus amused.
Mukuro accepted the paperwork and headed to the Sun division, still in shock.
This was the biggest show of trust from Xanxus and the others he had ever gotten. He didn't mind being put on the same level as Belphegor... it was a compliment considering his rank. He knew perfectly well why they did it too.
Some things left permanent scars.
But being made the second-in-command of the Mist division (according to the papers he'd be more field work oriented while Mammon handled the administrative side) meant that they were willing to trust him. To put their lives in his hands and accept him as one of their own.
He was still a bloodthirsty, psychotic and slightly unhinged Mist...but with this, it was like they were proudly declaring he was their Mist and they were not ashamed of it.
Rosethorn found him musing and let him curl up in her lap. Out of the three, Mukuro was the most hesitant to accept positive physical affection like hugs. At least publicly anyway.
He was like a great panther, one who had been hurt before and was less likely to trust as a result.
"Knut for your thoughts?"
Mukuro handed her the paperwork.
"Ah. Xanxus has been wanting to do this for months, but he wanted to do an unbiased assessment of your skill level first. It's not like you haven't earned the chance, and you've at least found an acceptable way to vent your anger and aggression at what happened to you in a way the Vindice won't get pissed over. That and Mammon said you were more than ready to take over most of the field work for them, so long as you had back up to keep you from going too overboard."
Mukuro leaned into the hand stroking his hair, head firmly in her lap on the couch.
"How am I supposed to feel about this?"
"Regardless of whether you accept this or not, this is your home. I know Belphegor will be thrilled once he finds out... you'll finally be able to go on real missions together," said Rosethorn.
Mukuro sighed, relaxing.
"Can I stay here and think it over?"
Meaning he wanted to nap a bit and think it through with a clear head first.
"Do you want a blanket or a wing?"
"Don't want dragon form," murmured Mukuro, cuddling against her. He slowly fell asleep on her leg as she summoned a thin blanket to lay on him.
A few hours later Mukuro left the Sun division...wearing a proper Varia uniform that also had a patch that declared him the secondary commander of the Mist division (I/E Mammon's eventual replacement) proudly stitched in full view on chest near the heart.
Belphegor was positively giddy when he saw it, and was bugging Mukuro for weeks.
"Explain to me again how exactly you convinced us to visit Japan during the one time of the year when paperwork is mandatory," asked Mukuro dryly.
"I'll second that question," said an amused Rosethorn.
"Ushishishi... I don't do paperwork, Mammy handles most of yours and the Boss wants to properly bring the Shark peasant back into his old role without worrying about any jealously issues that might spring up. Besides, neither of you have had a proper vacation in over two years."
"Fair point," said Rosethorn. "Why Japan though?"
"There is a peasant who is good at making sushi," shrugged Belphegor. "And I haven't any any in months. Besides, there's a beach there and it is summer."
Rosethorn snorted.
"Alright, let's see this sushi place of yours," said Rosethorn. "You're paying since you picked it."
"Welcome to TakeSushi!"
Right away Rosethorn liked the place. It had a nice, calming feel that had nothing to do with the fact the owner was an active Rain and obvious ex-assassin.
Mukuro cheerfully stuck with Belphegor while Rosethorn went shopping. Neither of them wanted to be stuck carrying bags around and Rosethorn had developed a love of fashion thanks to Luss.
However it was after she left the mall and was wandering around town that she spotted something that had her grin.
A baby Cloud fighting several yakuza and actually winning. The kid couldn't possibly be older than Mukuro and Bel.
An evil, hilarious idea occurred to her as she eyed the kid. The kid was clearly defending his territory from the yakuza trying to make their own claim on it and he looked like a decent fighter. He definitely had training from someone competent, which meant he might actually survive if she played with him.
The kid turned, and saw her. A feral grin that was all too familiar (she had seen a similar look on Mukuro's face when he saw a proper challenge) spread across his face.
"Carnivore."
"Want to play?" she asked, pulling out her weapon.
The grin widened with a pleased expression... clearly the poor kid was bored out of his mind with the locals.
The kid was in a very good mood and gave as good as he got. It had been a long time since she got to play with someone who actually knew what they were doing.
"Wao."
"What's your name kid?"
"Hibari Kyouya."
"Rosethorn," she said, holding out a hand. She could tell just by shaking it the kid was on the verge of going Active and was naturally strong. A wicked idea formed in her head. "How would you like to play with some other carnivores without giving them prior warning of your coming?"
The smirk on his face said volumes.
Rosethorn's boredom died the second she saw it. This was going to be hilarious.
A few hours later...
Mukuro dodged without thinking, only to find a boy his own age with a pair of tonfas bearing down on him. Belphegor would have come to assist...except he was being held back by a cackling Rosethorn.
So this was one of her pranks then?
"I hope you give as good as the female carnivore, pineapple," said the boy.
Oh it was so on now. No one called him a pineapple and got away with it sane afterwards!
Belphegor looked at Rosethorn who was unbearably smug.
"Where did you find this peasant?"
"He was playing with some yakuza with a bored look on his face. I could tell right away he was a strong Cloud, and no one ever said we couldn't scout some new talent before they're Active," said Rosethorn smugly.
"Ushishishi... Mukuro looks like he's having fun," said Belphegor. Mukuro's look of annoyance was quickly turning into a grin of delight. It was rare to find anyone who could keep up with him, and Mammon always sniffed when they saw him using physical force instead of just straight illusions.
In the end, Rosethorn called the fight as a draw...mostly because she was getting hungry.
Hibari looked very pleased with this turn of events, more so because he didn't have to pay for dinner.
Rosethorn saw the darkly pleased expression on Mukuro's face and grinned.
"So Hibari-kun...how would you like to be Mukuro's playmate while we're in town? I'm sure he'd love to fight you if you're already getting bored with the local yakuza."
Seeing the baby Cloud perk up at the suggestion, an idea formed in her head in how to rope the kid later.
"In fact, our group offers training camps every summer and I'm sure Mukuro and several other carnivores would love meeting you," said Rosethorn.
Xanxus would love this kid... he'd fit in with the Varia with terrifying ease, especially if his catchphrase was even remotely literal.
Hibari made a point of stalking Rosethorn and Mukuro for the next three days. He must have been really bored and was definitely pleased to find other carnivores who didn't bat an eye at his habits or complain about the bruising.
He did seem openly interested in the way Rosethorn used her weapons...more to the point he was fascinated with the way she made the chain longer or shorter using her purple fire which she assured him he had as well. He would give his tonfas odd glances, as if trying to figure out how to upgrade his own weapons so that he could play with chains.
It was adorable, in her personal opinion. It was like she had accidentally stumbled across a half grown tiger who was caged by his surroundings just waiting for the opportunity to show his fangs and break free.
Hibari had been very, very pleased when he saw her animagus form. He had a wild grin on his face when he tried to "bite her to death" to the amusement of Mukuro and Belphegor who found the idea of a baby Cloud who wasn't even Active trying to beat Rosethorn.
He lost, badly, but the fact she was all too happy to let him try again without being condescending about it improved his mood.
"Well this is interesting," said a serene voice.
Rosethorn looked up from reading a book to find...an Arcobaleno?
She took a good look at him.
Red pacifier, Asian features, monkey...
"Are you by any chance Fon, the martial artist who's mastered over a hundred different styles?" she inquired.
Fon looked pleased that she didn't automatically ask if he was the Storm Arcobaleno. Then again she knew from experience Reborn and Mammon hated being reminded of their cursed status rather than the titles they had fought tooth and nail to earn.
"You're the Varia Cloud officer."
"The Storm and the second for the Mist division are here as well. Viper is grudgingly respectful of your skills... I think they might have a crush on you," said Rosethorn with a conspirator's wink. Their tone was certainly different than when they spoke of Reborn or any of the others.
Fon's smile widened slightly into something closer to a smirk hearing that.
"Might I ask why you've been playing with my nephew?"
"Hibari-kun is your nephew?" said Rosethorn in open surprise. "That explains the training... he's very good."
Fon was rather pleased to hear such praise.
"As for why we've been 'playing'... well, have you seen how bored that poor kid is? He's been in dire need of some real competition or his skills are going to just stagnate," said Rosethorn. "Besides, it's hilarious to watch his expression when I make comments about how he's been flirting with Mukuro."
Fon chuckled darkly at that. He could very well imagine the indignant and slightly disgusted looks on Kyouya's face hearing that.
He cheerfully sat next to Rosethorn with a smirk on his face.
"So...is the Varia scouting him?"
"Would you rather the Triads tried to get their hands on him when he goes Active? And at the moment, no we're not scouting him as a potential member. It's bad enough that Mukuro and Bel are full members. I'd rather he graduate high school at the least, never mind that he would need to learn a few more languages to properly qualify. But I can at least give him the option of joining later when he's older, thus giving him some measure of protection from the lesser families trying to snatch up a powerful Cloud."
Fon relaxed considerably hearing that. He would honestly rather see his nephew in the Varia than chained by the Triads or some other family.
"Besides... considering how much Bel likes the sushi from the restaurant in town, I could easily come visit often and give him some proper training in how to use his Cloud flames when he finally goes Active."
"Thank you," said Fon sincerely. He found the woman ridiculously relaxing to be around. It was very strange.
"So... is it true you're a tea connoisseur? I swear that all that coffee has gone to the brains of the Italians, because it's nearly impossible to find anyone who appreciates a good cup of tea unless they're trying to perform a Japanese tea ceremony as a hobby," said Rosethorn.
Fon's eyes lit up at that.
"I might know a few good shops in town. If nothing else I know for a fact my nephew keeps the cabinet stocked."
"I say we enjoy a peaceful afternoon, don't you? Besides, I'd love to pick your brain for any interesting techniques I could play with when it comes to my tessen."
"I would be delighted," said Fon, accepting her silent offer of using her shoulder as a mode of transport. She was such a polite young woman!
Today was a very good day.