New A/N (12/8/2013): ^_^; Uhm... so I haven't checked the grammar in this chapter. I promise I'll check it once again when I got the time. I'm kinda busy writing the newest chapter now... ;))
Chapter #2: Cursed
"I'm telling you for the last time, omnivore. No matter how important this mission is, there is no way, and I mean NO WAY I'm going to let her go on the mission with that 'thing'."
The purple haired woman who had been in a deep sleep slowly stirred awake when she heard a familiar cold and emotionless voice growled lowly in pure irritation.
"This is your own fault for never finishing those paperwork of yours. Don't you dare try to drag her into your personal problems and don't make me repeat myself for a second time, you irresponsible omnivore." She could hear the venomous dripping in the other's tone as she slowly crack her sleepy eyes open. The first thing her purple hues see is a familiar figure's back and said person is talking on his phone while trying to get his own tie fixed. A deadly scowl is decorating on Hibari Kyoya's usual poker face and Chrome know from how the way the skylark is trying his best to get his tie fixed quickly with his right hand while his left hand is holding his phone, it is easy to know that the ex-prefect is going on an early mission today.
"If she's not in the mansion by the time I'm back from my mission… You better be prepared to face the most deadly kind of dying from me, omnivore." With the last threaten, the skylark ended the call, completely ignoring the protest from the brunet on the other line before he resume tying his tie properly this time.
"Kyo… ya…?" Chrome called out softly as she slowly sits up from the bed and yawns lightly.
When the cloud guardian hear his name being called by the feminine voice, he turned around to look at the illusionist. "How are you feeling now? Much better already?" he asked as he finally get his tie straightened properly. His sharp eyes glared at the innocent tie in annoyance, as it seemed to look much messier than it usually is. He give off a 'hmph' as he guess it was probably because he was too preoccupied in threatening a certain omnivore just now that he didn't seemed to notice his clumsy tying.
Chrome gave a light frown as she massaged her slightly throbbing forehead with her thumb and index finger. She remembered meeting Mukuro in the ball last night, which was possibly the cause of her headache. Aside from that, she also remembered that she cried in the skylark's arms and afterwards, her memory was quite a blur. However, she did remember feeling as if a pair of strong arms carrying her back to the mansion, if she is not wrong.
"If I didn't get it wrong… you're the one who carry me back and that might probably be the reason why I'm in your room instead of mine. Am I right…?" Chrome hesitated to mumble out her words. She was not really surprised at the fact that she is currently in the skylark's room, since the man had allowed her to sleep in his room a few times whenever she needed his comfort and company.
"It's not like there was anyone there aside me and you have fall into a deep sleep after your heavy crying. Don't you think it's obvious? Besides, who would want to carry a woman as heavy as a sack of bricks like you?" the skylark said aloud before he swiftly dodged the pillow that is sent flying towards him by the mist guardian who is now fully awake with different shades of red painted on her face.
"I'm not that heavy! And you do know that means you're saying I'm fat, right?!" Chrome growled out as she turned her head aside and gave off a childish 'hmph!' while she crossed her arms over her chest.
The cloud guardian playfully smirked before he decided to continue teasing the other. "Yes, I'm saying that you are fat." A tick slowly formed on the purple haired illusionist's forehead as she twitched her eyebrow at the skylark's words. "The last time I carried you back is when you was drunk and can't walk properly. You're so much lighter that time." Chrome slightly shivered when she felt Hibari leaned against her back and whispered huskily against her ear. "I think that it's probably because you have grown some on your… chest and maybe your hips had also become curvier from how I've saw you in your dress last night." The carnivorous man can't help but think that the purple head is so adorably cute when she suddenly scrambled away from him before he could tease her even more than he had already did.
"K-Kyoya, you are a pervert!" Chrome managed to stutter out in embarrassment as a tint of rosy red slowly formed on her cheeks. The other can't help but continue to smirk teasingly at her when he finally get his tie fixed properly.
"I'll be going on a mission at France for a week." The skylark announced. He gently ruffled her hair and pressed their forehead together, a rare loving smile plastered on his usual stoic face. "But I promise to come back as fast as I could."
It was getting usual for the ex-prefect to always assure the younger girl that he will be back as fast as he could. Although Chrome had never complain or whine about the other's long disappearance, but Hibari knew that the girl secretly felt disappointed that he can't spend any long time with her.
"Stop acting so protective and dramatic, Kyoya." Gently, Chrome pushed the other away and gives off a sigh. "… besides, I always know you'll be back as soon as you could." She smiles brightly towards the skylark before wrapping her arms around him, giving her last goodbye to the man before he goes to another dangerous mission of his.
The purple haired illusionist glanced at herself in front of the whole length mirror. When Hibari had finally leave his room and went on his newest mission, the girl had immediately dress herself back in her dark purple suit and getting ready to meet her boss. She knew it was Hibari's fault that her boss didn't call her for help just as he would usually do. It made the purple head somewhat embarrassed at how much the cloud guardian actually cared for her.
When her mind wandered off towards the cloud guardian, a smile graced her features.
She would never forget how much the man had helped her various times during her past and she is really grateful that he is there for her whenever she needed a shoulder to cry.
'This is why you shouldn't worry him any further.' A voice at the back of her mind said and Chrome silently agree to herself as she stared down at her Vongola mist ring. 'Stay strong, Chrome! Don't let your past to haunt you again!'
She smiled to herself and looked at her reflection at the mirror for the last time, making sure her clothes are tidy and neat before she walked out from the Japanese style room.
Chrome knocked on the double mahogany doors and when a soft 'come in' come from the brunet inside the room, she twisted on the brass knob and walked in.
"Boss, is there any work you would like to have me helping you-" her smile dropped, replaced with a horrified expression when she saw the other man who stand beside Tsuna with a creepy smirk on his face as he looked at her.
No way it's going to be Gokudera.
The Italian man can be harsh and rude from times to times when something concerned his beloved Tenth, but he is still too nice to be a creeper.
Standing right beside her boss is the man she would never want to see in her life ever again.
Ever.
"Y-YOU!" she exclaimed out in a very high-pitched voice as she pointed her index finger accusingly at the smiling male illusionist. "WHY ARE YOU HERE?!"
Mukuro gazed at her in amusement while Tsuna stared while his jaws nearly dropped down as he can't believe that the usual shy and quiet Chrome he knew was screaming with a very spiteful glare directed at the other illusionist.
"Kufufu~ didn't he ever tell you about anything?" Mukuro asked as he pointed his trident at the brunet who was sitting on his chair. Tsuna glared at the blue haired illusionist, but he tried to remain his calm just like he usually will as he shoved the weapon away from his cheek. His expression turned back to its usual clumsy demeanor as he lightly scratched his cheeks while looking at his purple haired mist guardian with a nervous grin.
"This is… kind of hard to explain, but Chrome… m-meet my second mist guardian; Rokudo Mukuro… Although I knew you've met him even before this…" The Vongola Decimo said with a sigh as he rubbed his forehead.
"E-Eh?! But I-I've never heard about something like this before!" Chrome exclaimed, looking at her boss in disbelief as her violet hues are filled with her shame for herself as she was disappointed for not meeting her boss's expectations. "A-Am I… am I not good enough to be your mist guardian, boss?"
"O-Of course not, Chrome! You've always did your best in your works, and I appreciate all your hard efforts!" the brunet quickly tried to assure the other before he continued. "It's just… I eventually had assigned both of you as my mist guardians during the inheritance ceremony... since that is the fairest decision I could make for both of you. However, I don't understand why Mukuro only choose to come back by now."
Chrome turned her attention towards the blue haired illusionist. Her usual calm and loving purple hues were glaring at him hatefully. She just have this weird feeling that Mukuro had everything planned out!
"Kufufu… as you can see, I'm coming for my first mission today…" the pineapple head explained as he turned his attention towards the brunet. An all innocently sweet smile with a glint of evilness formed on the thin lines of Mukuro's lips, making the Vongola Decimo to shiver slightly.
"A-And… since this is his first mission, he will need a partner. So… Chrome, I'm sorry to say this but you are being assigned to go on a five days mission with Mukuro."
"H-Huh?! But why is this so sudden, boss-"
Purple hues widened in realization at the next moment as Chrome remember the presence of the cunning illusionist in the room. Slowly, she turned around and looked at Mukuro with a smile that is ready to kill and her tone is as cold as ice.
"You have something to do with all these, don't you…?" she asked with a sickly sweet smile plastered on her face.
The other only chuckled lightly before he gave her a fake hurt look. "Aww~ you're hurting me, my dear Chrome! Of course not! Isn't that right, Sawada Tsunayoshi…?"
Tsunaa's mouth twitched slightly as his smile began to grew crooked.
"R-Right…"
.
.
.
As if.
On this very early and refreshing morning, Sawada Tsunayoshi was playing Tetris in his phone under his working desk while humming happily to himself 'till the door of his office room was suddenly being slammed open. The Mafioso quickly hide his cell phone under his desk and had his boss mode on, plastering a serious demeanor as he tried to pretend he is busy doing his paperwork.
"Gokudera-kun, please don't tell me there is another stack of paperwork waiting for me to sign-" The brunet was suddenly cut off by a familiar creepy laughter.
"Kufufu~ don't worry, Vongola Decimo. There isn't any extra paperwork for you… at least for now."
Tsuna slowly looked up from his paperwork and his eyes narrowed at the sight of Rokudo Mukuro standing right in front of him with his typical sly smirk dancing on his pale face.
"Well, now this is a surprise." The Vongola Decimo stated calmly before placing both of his hands together on his desk. His chocolate browns were flashing in a brighter orange color now as he scanned the male illusionist in front of him. "What bring you to Vongola after your ten years of disappearance, Mukuro?"
"Oya, oya. I see that you definitely had become much braver than the last time I met you ten years ago."
Mukuro said in amusement as he cackled creepily just as he always would do while Tsuna slightly twitched his eye. He remembered how he was always the victim of the pineapple head's gory illusions during his past. However, he is sure that anyone would had been thoroughly traumatized by such expert, not to mention creepy illusionist who always pop out of nowhere and enjoy torture innocent minds with some of his skilled 'techniques' involving horror filled illusions and all those things that were unimaginable by any others aside from the illusionist himself.
"Seriously, Mukuro…" Tsuna give out a sigh as he ran his hand through his shaggy mane. "What bring you to Vongola? Do you still want to possess my body and achieve your dream of destroying the whole mafia world?"
"Well, that's quite true." Mukuro chuckled lightly as the Mafioso glared warningly at him. "But that's not the main reason I'm coming here for."
His reply made Tsuna to raise his brow in curiosity as he stared at his second mist guardian in confusion now.
"I'm here to get my first mission." The other stated plainly as he leaned his body against the wall.
Tsuna blinked his eyes, trying to absorb whatever the creepy illusionist had just told him.
He blinked once again.
And he blinked one last time before he slowly open his mouth to ask.
"… Okay… So who are you and what have you done to the real Mukuro?"
Luckily for the brunet, his hyper intuition saved him from being stabbed by the illusionist as he managed to dodge the sharp trident that aimed straight to his head.
"Now… now… Sawada Tsunayoshi. I see that you've also become rather rude now, huh? This isn't really good."
Tsuna gulped as he glanced at the trident inches away from his face.
"The next time, I'm not going to miss." With an evil yet playful grin, Mukuro pulled the trident out and aimed at the younger's forehead. His cold threaten managed to make Tsuna quickly scrambled back to his desk and flipped through a messy stack of papers filled with different sort of missions for the Vongola guardians.
"U-Uh… anyway, Mukuro, where do you want to go for your first mission then? Rome? Paris? O-Or…" The brunet's voice was trembling in fear as he flipped through the stack of papers, trying to distract himself from the murderous stare of Mukuro.
"Well, anywhere will be fine. As long as my dear Chrome is coming along with me~" At the mention of the other mist guardian, the killing aura surrounding the illusionist slowly dissipated into thin air.
Tsuna stopped flipping the stack of papers and stared at Mukuro with a nervous grin. "Ah… but you see… Hibari-san won't like it if he knew I sent you two to the same mission. I-It's like digging my own grave, you know… "
It was supposed to be just a mere thought of his. However, Tsuna did not aware that he had just said it out aloud enough for the blue haired illusionist to hear. And by the mention of the skylark make Mukuro's smile to slightly twitch a bit.
"Kufufu~ Sawada Tsunayoshi," Mukuro called out in a sickly sweet tone that managed to make the mafia boss to shiver. "Let's make a deal, ne? If you let Chrome and I go on a mission together, I promise that I won't tell your dearest fiancée and your Spartan ex-tutor about how you have been skipping your work and burning your paperwork in secret."
"P-Pardon?" Tsuna slightly stiffened at the other's words. "What do you mean?"
Mukuro flashed a creepy smirk before he snapped his finger. Purple mist appeared and it soon gathered as an image started to form in it.
In the pile of mist, Tsuna saw himself walking along the hallways with his stacks of paperwork hold firmly in his hands. He greeted the workers of the mansion with his typical heartwarming smile before he walked into the elevator and pressed a button.
In another second, the screen changed and it show Tsuna who fiddle the doorknob of a steel door. He twisted the doorknob twice to the left before pushing it open as a 'click' sound could be hear. Cautiously, the brunet walked inside and closed the door once he entered, making sure that no one had saw him before he walked through the dark hallway and the sight of the forest came to the sight.
The Mafioso pulled his gloves out from his coat and put them on before he held his 'papers from hell' in his hands. He watched as those papers slowly burn into nothing but thin air without a trace. An overly sweet smile graced on his feature as he picked another stack of the papers and burns them.
Sawada Tsunayoshi paled as he watched himself started to laugh almost too happily and maniacally while burning those cursed papers. Mukuro is just enjoying watching the shocked expression on the mafia boss so much that his sadistic smirk grew wider before he tapped his trident on the velvet carpet, making the pile of mist slowly dissipated.
"So…" The blue haired illusionist said in an all innocently tone as he tilt his head to aside while smiling oh-so-sweetly for the other. "What do you say, the all mighty and kind-hearted Vongola Decimo?"
Tsuna can only bang his head on his desk for a few time before he murmured curses under his breath in every type of language he knew.
Damn it! Did his dame-Tsuna bad luck just strike back to him?!
'… Great. Now I'll either be bitten to death by Hibari-san, or have Kyoko and Reborn giving me triple the amount of these cursed papers all thanks to my own (unfortunately, and regretted for choosing as) mist guardian. Isn't life just so SWEET?' Tsuna thought sarcastically as he rubbed his forehead, silently grimacing about his cursed life.
"It's okay though… if you don't want to do this, Chrome. I won't force you." The Vongola Decimo said firmly.
He knew something had happened between Mukuro and Chrome during these ten years. Something that had managed to change the adoration Chrome felt for her ex-master into hatred and rage. Tsuna always know that there is something Chrome had been hiding from him and the others, but he decided to shrug it off since it's not a good idea to pick on other's sensitive privacy.
So, no matter how torturous Reborn is going to punish him after know his dirty little secret, he would still place his friends as the most important in his life. He would never use them as his shield, especially not Chrome who had helped him a lot in his work and encourage him in his love life all these years.
Chrome could see the worries and guilt in her boss's chocolate brown hues. She knows it must be hard for the other. So, instead of whining and running away like a coward who did not want to face the reality, she simply smiled bravely to her boss and grabbed the file on his table.
"It's okay, boss. I'll go on the mission with him."
She could felt her horrible headache is coming back as she stared down at the file given by her boss to her. She had an urge of tearing the file into pieces and then burnt it into nothing but ashes… only if it's not important to her for her newest mission.
Life is really funny… and kind of cruel.
Just fifteen minutes ago, she was vowing to herself about how she would never worries Hibari any further and she will forget the awful night yesterday like it was just supposed to be a very bad nightmare. However, she don't know if she could still act like everything that happened yesterday is just a mere dream, when in her hands held a file with her name and that bastard pineapple's name written together.
The file of paper stared back at her innocently, but why did she still feels like it was looking at her with a mocking smirk while screaming; 'HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR LIFE NOW?'
She swears that she will burn the file once she finished reading it.
"It's just a very simple mission in which that will surely help us to catch up what we had miss in each other during these ten years. It's not that hard, right?" the annoyingly familiar voice asked from behind. Chrome slowly turned around and sent a dead glare at the smiling man who is, by now, the very cause of her headache.
"Well… it's just a mission. So, I don't think it will be a really big deal…" she murmured, pushing back a few strands of her purple locks as she tried to remain her calmness. Yeah, it's just a mission. A simple mission that will only last for five days. She shouldn't be so worked up with it. It's not like anything awkward will happen in these five days when she's all alone with the older illusionist, right?
… Right?
'Okay… I'll just prepare a pepper spray … just in case he tried to do anything 'funny' to me…' Chrome nodded her head at her own thought. She had to be cautious around the man who is… after all, a perverted pineapple who dared to fool her around last night.
Mix-matched hues stared at the woman who was particularly too lost in her own thought. He can't believe that ten years had passed just like this, and this girl… his lovely Nagi had changed so much. She used to look up at him, and always gazed at him with her violet eye filled with her adoration, loyalty and… love for him.
"I'll… make you fall for me from head to toe once again…"
"Pardon me?" Chrome stirred from her own thought and raised her brow at the other in question. She didn't really hear what the other was saying just now as she was too busy planning different kind of ways of escaping from getting into any awkward moment with Mukuro.
"… Nothing." He simply smiled back to her.
Although Chrome dislike being with the blue haired illusionist, but she still feels a bit concerned over the other as his smile seemed so fake and filled with some kind of twisted emotions that she couldn't really describe.
To be continued.
Ending note: Please review, alert or favorite this story if you love it.
