A/N: I SMELL FREEDOM! NYAHAHAHAHA!

:D Do you know how happy my friends and I are when we pass up our last exam paper? We practically threw our bags and scream: "FREEDOM!" before we run out from the hellish examination room. So yeah, I'm totally free now! \QAQ/ Uwaaa! I feel so relaxed now!

D': BUT! BAD NEWS!

My writing skill has totally rusted up! So I'm desperately sorry for this short chapter (2k+) and maybe some grammatical errors as well! Though, I promise to update quicker this time! So, please enjoy reading for now!


Chapter #15: Guilt


In a small room at the dead end of the huge mansion, Chrome sat in front of an ancient table with a cup of steaming hot tea. She was mindlessly stirring her tea while her attention was settled at her cuffed left hand.

"This is the worst." She softly mumbled to herself as she clenched and unclenched her fist several times. The delicious aroma of the glorious food set in front of her did not attract her attention although her stomach had started to growl in hunger an hour ago. All her attention was settled on her cuffed hand and she was trying to find a way to break the damn cuff.

"You must eat, miss." A woman with short, curly golden hair said as she sauntered into the room. "Your men won't like it when they arrived here, only to find you growing skinner and paler than you already are. They would feel much better if they learn that we have treated you well."

"Treated me well?" Chrome slowly tilted her head up and narrowed her violet hues at the woman who took her seat in front of her. "That insane man injected a drug into my body and now I'm left to choose between becoming that psycho's belonging or to die slowly and painfully. How does that count on treating me well?" The female illusionist said before she turned her attention back to her hand.

The blonde woman let a sigh escaped through her lips before she poured herself a cupful of the steaming tea. "… Zeo-sama isn't really a bad person." A soft murmur that was almost inaudible escaped between those perfect lips as the blonde sipped her tea.

"Zeo?" Chrome raised her brow as she looked at the other in question.

"My master. More clearly, your kidnapper." The woman said blankly before she continued. "I'm a slave being bought by Zeo-sama's decreased father during my childhood." The woman's ocean blue orbs watched plainly as Chrome widened her eyes in surprise at the sudden confession.

"However, my life is completely different from the other slaves." A small smile formed at the edge of the woman's lips. "Back then, Zeo-sama is still the adorable and loving man he once was." The blonde leaned back against her chair with her teacup in her hand as she gazed out the window. "He changed my view of this world. I once despise myself for existing in this world and I wanted nothing but to die painfully. However, during my countless times of failed suicide, he is always there… encouraging me." A faint blush formed between the golden haired woman's pale cheeks. " I believe he have a very good reason for doing all these."

Chrome could see the pain and lonesome pass across those tight blue eyes before the blonde woman smiled to her, as if nothing was wrong.

"Keep faith for your men, Chrome Dokuro." The woman said before she took a sip of her tea. "I believe they could make it 'till here. I'll pray for them along with you."

The purple haired illusionist gazed at the woman who sat across her and a bittersweet expression troubled her face. Over the years, she had met a lot of people who would try to ease her worries down with a faked smiley face and comforting words. They didn't know that she could see through lies, or the fact that she knows they only tried to care for her just to please her boss.

She thought she had hardened her heart, knowing fully those words and smiles were nothing but just a beautiful and wonderful lie created by them. However, this blonde woman gave Chrome a different view. For the first time in those ten years she became a Mafioso, the purple haired illusionist felt like maybe, she could put her trust on the woman she barely knew and believe that she truly means no harm.

"… Thanks." Chrome smiled tightly, but the smile quickly faded away as she slowly lowered her head down and gazed at her own mist ring. Her thumb unconsciously moved on top of her middle finger as she lightly caressed the ring as if it was the most precious thing in the world – which is real for Chrome herself.

'Mukuro-sama… Kyoya… Everyone…' she gently bit on her lips as she pulled her balled fist close to her chest. '… Please… be safe.'


Mukuro leaned back against his seat, letting an exhausted sigh to escape through his mouth as he pressed his thumb and index finger on the bridge of his nose. It had been two hours since they found Chrome was kidnapped and he is really worried about her safety. Moreover, he is stuck in the same car with his greatest rival now, which made the whole situation worse for him.

"Hibari Kyoya." Mukuro called out, breaking the dead silence between him and the skylark. The cloud guardian who sat at the opposite site of the car ignored his call and he had his eyes settled on the stack of papers in his hands. It was a stack of paper filled with the information of Chrome's possibly kidnapper.

The blue haired illusionist frowned when the skylark did not reply him. Then again, he was slowly getting used with the ex-prefect's cold and ignorant attitude to him. So, he decided to get straight to the main point why he called the skylark.

"… You love Chrome a lot, don't you?" Mukuro asked silently, but it was loud enough for the other to hear. The cloud guardian stopped reading the stack of information paper in his hand before he tilted his head up, giving the pineapple haired man a cold look.

"… It doesn't matter anymore." Hibari mumbled softly as he gazed out of the car window. "She pick who she wants. I would never force her and I'll respect her decision. As long as she is happy, that is all the matter." The skylark turned his attention back to the stack of paper, but he paused on the middle of doing so as he looked at his rival with a debate raging on his face.

"I know this is none of my business and I could care less if you die in the middle of a fight. However, are you really planning to die faster?"

Mukuro's mix-matched hues slowly widened in surprise, before they narrowed into a serious stare as his mouth slowly quivered to a tight frown.

"… What do you mean, Hibari Kyoya?" the blue haired illusionist growled out lowly.

"I know you are depending on painkillers to loosen your heartache, herbivore." The skylark stated and his serious onyx hues seemed to read through the other's mind. "And even if I'm not a doctor, I know that over-used of painkillers can risk early death in heart failure. Your condition isn't in the best situation from the beginning. This means that if you continue pushing yourself too far and depending on those painkillers, you might die sooner than you expected."

He looked truly stunned at Hibari's words. The mist guardian slowly turned his head aside as he tried his best to avoid looking at the ex-prefect's strict glare. He stuffed his hand into his pocket and his palm unconsciously tightened its grip around the small bottle filled with painkillers hidden inside his pocket.

"I haven't got a good rest since Chrome was being kidnapped. It's only been a few hours, but I'm starting to feel as if my heart is being wrecked and it's getting hard for me to breath." Mukuro's mix-matched hues dimmed as he stared down at his palm. "I know it's pathetic of me to depend on these painkillers. But I could care less. If taking on these pills could help me to stop this heart-wrecking pain and give me the strength to continue fighting, then I would risk my life on doing so."

Suddenly, a hand roughly grabbed Mukuro by his collar and yanked him forward, forcing the illusionist to look deep into his rival's heated glare. "Stop trying to be the hero." Hibari growled lowly under his breath before he continued. "She needs you."

The skylark stopped sharply and he slightly jolted at the words he had just said. The mist guardian was also looking at him in the same wide-eyed and shocked expression. Hibari lowered his head, letting his bangs to cover his envy filled onyx eyes.

"She… needs you." The ex-prefect repeated his sentence for the second time before he slowly let go his grip around his eternal rival's collar. He pushed the illusionist roughly, letting him to fall back to his seat not so gently. Slowly, Mukuro rose back to his feet painfully before he made himself comfortable on his seat and tried to straighten his shirt while grunting out curses at the skylark under his breath.

Again, the two rivals fell into a dead silence. Hibari grabbed the stack of paper beside him as he tried to concentrate on reading them, but his attention was quickly returned to Mukuro.

He recalled the day when he found Chrome heavily sick, how furious he was when he knew he was being tricked by his rival yet at the same time, how madly worried he was at the girl's health that he did not hesitate any longer to grab her up from the bed and bring her to the nearest hospital. Then he remembered when Chrome finally recovered from her heavy injuries caused by M.M, how badly she was traumatized and Hibari had to stay by her side every day and calm her down. He even swore to her that he will never let Mukuro to hurt her again. Lastly, he also remembered the day when the two illusionists reunion, how hard Chrome cried in his chest until she drifted into a dreamless sleep while he loyally stay by her side the whole night.

He once thought that he could accept it if Chrome ever wanted to go back to Mukuro's side. Yet now… he almost wished…

"You are important for her as well." The smooth voice of the blue haired illusionist startled Hibari. He looked straight at his rival's face and realized that the man was smirking teasingly at him. The smirk told him that Mukuro had saw through his stoic mask and he knew exactly what was he feeling now.

"Don't look so defeated. This isn't the prideful Hibari Kyoya I used to know." The blue haired illusionist let out a light-hearted chuckle, before he continued. "When I first know about your relationship with Chrome, I was frustrated. I feel angry at you for grabbing her away and replaced me for her. However, when I think back, I started to wonder. Should I really feel like this? I was the one who decided to leave her behind during her edge of dying. I was the one who pushed you to her. That's why, I won't ever regret for loving her if her heart decided to change their direction to you. I will wish the best for her."

'… True.' The skylark was silently agreeing with his rival's statement. If he wasn't well-experienced in hiding his emotions, the ex-prefect knows that he would be smiling in agreement to the other already.

Besides, just like Mukuro, he always wished for the best for Chrome, there is no way he would ever want to destroy her happiness. For once, Hibari Kyoya started to wonder himself if he could truly despise a man like Mukuro when the blue haired illusionist himself was willing to sacrifice his life for the happiness of the woman they both loves.

"I want to reach our destination faster than we planned." Hibari turned his attention towards the front and ordered his driver before he turned back to look at the blue haired illusionist in front of him. "Don't you dare die in the middle of your fight, pineapple herbivore. I'm not going to save your sorry ass." He said strictly to the other man before he leaned back, making himself comfortable on his seat before he closed his eyes, attempting to get a short nap.

Mukuro looked at his rival in amazement and surprise before he stifled a soft chuckle under his breath. "Kufufu… the same goes to you as well, dear skylark-kun."


Meanwhile, at the huge mansion in where Chrome was kidnapped, in a dark room that was only being lit by a candle, a man was sitting comfortingly on the red velvet couch. His long, straight silver white bright hair cascading down on his shoulders like a moonlit waterfall as his bright golden eyes were watching the security camera screen that showed Chrome sitting in the small room, ignoring the food his servant had made for her, her violet colored eyes focused on her handcuff.

"… Will the trio ever discover their buried feelings for each other's? Chrome Dokuro is definitely a very interesting woman. She is not the lover of the fearless Vongola cloud guardian and the cunning Vongola mist guardian yet, but I believe that she definitely has feelings for the duo hidden so deep inside her heart that she never realizes their existence. It will definitely make things even more exciting and suspenseful." The silver white haired man took a dainty sip of his glass of red wine and swished it around his mouth, savoring the bittersweet taste.

"Sadly, this woman lacks of confidence for the two men. I just hope that the two heroes could arrive on time to see her face during her last moment before dying. It would definitely be entertaining to see what kind of face they would make when they saw their most beloved woman dying in front of them." The albino looked delighted as he could almost imagine the sadness, agony and pain reflected on Mukuro's and Hibari's faces when they found Chrome lying on the floor in her own pool of blood.

.

.

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[CHROME'S LIFE COUNTDOWN]

24 hours

l

20 hours


To be continued.


Ending Note: In the upcoming chapters, I will slowly reveal bit by bit of the reasons on why Chrome's kidnapper (Name: Zeo) is being such a psycho. And for those who said that I favored MukuroxChrome more than HibarixChrome, well, I can't deny the truth that MukuroxChrome (6996) is my OTP. *dodge weapons from 1896 fans* However, I can guarantee you that I won't only satisfy 6996 fans in this story! It's a 699618 story for god sake! And to tell the truth, MukuroxChromexHibari is my guilty pleasure (Kufufufu~)

Oh, and one last thing here. ;)

Author-san personally believes that she is as sadistic as Zeo-kun (Chrome's kidnapper).