A/N: Did you enjoy my cliff hanger? :) Muwahah~ Thanks for the reviews, they make me giddy and blush.
As always, I wish you a pleasant reading.
Katekyō Hitman Reborn! does not belong to me
Tuna and the Beast: Refuge
A shudder of disgust quaked through Tsuna. He heard the trident tear through his clothes and felt cold hands trail up and down his quivering form. He squeezed his eyes shut as he wept. Mukuro whispered hotly into the shell of his ear, "How does it feel to have no control, Tsunayoshi? Your body is no longer your own. It belongs to me."
"Think again, fucking scumbag." Xanxus's long claws shot out at Mukuro's head and he aimed to kill, making clear his deadly intention. The indigo haired man pushed himself back, only far enough to be caught a hair's breath away; tiny bits of hair floated down from where he once knelt above Tsuna. The slight widening of his eyes was the only indication of his surprise and the beast didn't give him a second to recover before moving in for another swing, targeting Mukuro's face, barely leaving a paper cut deep wound. Xanxus wanted to wipe that smug look off that pretty boy's annoying face.
"Kufufu, Tsunayoshi, you didn't tell me you had a little puppy following you." Mukuro's eyebrow twitched in slight annoyance. He flicked his wrist with ease, extending out the end of the trident and locked the handle by twisting the staff. His hands spun the weapon with expertise; the trident stopped abruptly to point at the dark furred beast, poised for attack. He looked at him challengingly as if daring the monster to come at him.
Tsuna wheezed out short breaths of air under Xanxus, who glanced down. The feverish boy's cheeks were tinted pink and his hair was damp with sweat. Xanxus possessively boxed in Tsuna between his legs. The swish of the trident coming toward the red eyed beast's heart caught his attention.
Mukuro smirked without stopping his retaliation, "Oya, if I were you I wouldn't chance getting distracted." Xanxus snarled back and released a barrage of counter- attacks. The two of them exchanged blows as Mukuro danced away from the beast's damaging assault—one aggravated strike to his delicate skull could smash his bones in. The grave consequence behind each swing occupied the man's thoughts. Overly conscious of his crown, Xanxus's sharp crimson eyes found an opening in his defense. The beast sliced at his leg, claws easily carving through a bit of flesh. Mukuro fell backwards, grunting in pain. He pressed his hand firmly against his thigh and winced.
Through his hazy vision Tsuna could see the beast tower over the injured man; Xanxus drew his head back, preparing for the finishing blow. He planned to crush Mukuro's tiny head between his massive jaws and his ears anticipated the satisfying crunch of bones. Blood lust consumed his large figure. He had never looked so disturbingly monstrous.
Tsuna cried out, begged, pleaded to the creature, "NO! Don't! Please don't!" Despite his immense fear of Xanxus, he knew there was something in him that was akin to a human heart because it had reached out to him upon their first meeting. The horned being swiveled back in surprise, he searched Tsuna's eyes in angry confusion.
"Do you even understand what that fucking lunatic was going to do to you?" Xanxus snarled; he could not comprehend what was running through the boy's mind, but the look in his eyes drove him insane. Those honey colored orbs were brimming with compassion.
"Kufufu, what did I tell you about distractions," Mukuro wickedly chuckled before stabbing the beast in the arm with his trident. Tsuna's eyes widened in horror and he cried out. Roaring in pain, Xanxus turned to snap Mukuro's hand off with his jagged canines, but the calculative man was one step ahead, he blew a dust cloud from the palm of his hand. The powder enclosed around the beast's face and entered his eyes and mouth. Xanxus inhaled the powder, choking from its horrid taste. When he opened his eyes, he was shrouded in darkness.
"The fuck you just do?" He wheezed out and glared menacingly at nothing.
Mukuro used his trident to help himself up, and with a triumphant, but shaky smirk he presented the bottle from which the powder originated, "A hallucinogen—the best of its kind, if I do say so myself. You'll be paying a visit to the worst kind of hell."
"I'll make your life hell if you don't fucking treat me!" Xanxus scornfully howled out. He swiped at thin air, twisting about.
The apothecary unsympathetically shrugged his shoulders, "There isn't a known cure, best of luck." Mukuro waved him off as if Xanxus could see. The beast felt corned and as he fell silent, he picked up the increasingly harsh breathing of Tsuna. With a dangerous growl he lunged toward the boy and gathered Tsuna into his good arm as he set off in a fury outside the cave and dashed off blindly towards what he believed to be the direction of the castle. Xanxus was no coward, usually he'd never pass up the chance at a meaningless battle, but he had a liability.
As the beast escaped from the cave, Mukuro glared murderously at his shrinking figure, "Tsunayoshi, this isn't the last of me. Your body will be mine—regardless of that mutt of yours."
The trot of the beast amplified Tsuna's pulsating headache. The storm had died out and the fresh air provided relief as it cooled his burning forehead. He clutched the chocolate fur between his fingers—he felt so immensely guilty. If it weren't for him, Xanxus would not have gotten injured.
"This is all my fault," he confessed through a series of wheezes. The burnet buried his head in the warmth of the beast's cradle. Strangely enough, Tsuna felt safe in the arms of large creature.
Xanxus grunted in reply, "Of course it is, dumbass."
Nuzzled into the crook of his arm, the beast could barely make out a muffled "sorry" from the chestnut haired boy. Tsuna found it terribly hard to stay awake, what with the rhythmic rocking of Xanxus's gait and the cocoon of warmth his surprisingly soft fur provided. Too soon did slumber ebb away at his consciousness.
"Master!" Levi cried out to him, tired from his attempt to catch up with Xanxus. He had followed far behind his master at a slower pace because he knew the beast would be infuriated to find him, but his loyalty to the horned being far outweighed his fear of dying. Yet, it was lucky that he had followed the beast: the sound of the black umbrella's flutter had lead Xanxus toward the castle.
Levi flapped over to his master, instantly realizing that something was off. The beast's eyes were clouded over, his breathing irregular and haggard. Although his body faced the umbrella his eyes remained unfocused. Bits of powder clung to his face and saliva dripped from his mouth despite the cold weather.
"If the brat wakes up tonight, he is forbidden to leave his room," Xanxus instructed before his loyal servant could put in a questioning word, "and above all, he is not to see me until dawn—none of you are."
The large umbrella felt the warning within his master's words and despite the slight slur in his voice, he still managed an authoritative tone that allowed for no inquiry. Levi wisely chose to keep his trap shut and led the way toward the castle. Xanxus followed slowly with Tsuna in one arm, blood flowing freely from the other arm; it hung limp at his side, swinging with each step.
Upon arriving, the injured beast promptly set the unconscious boy down onto a worn down leather chesterfield. He left Levi to care for Tsuna as the rest of the servants clamored around in wonder. Squalo shouted obscenities at the state he found Xanxus and he swatted around in a fit. The horned creature ignored the mop as he made his way through the castle with no assistance necessary—for he knew his prison well. He had stalked these halls a million times over in the dark, night by night, day by day, and year by year.
Mukuro's drug had circulated well into his veins and arteries by the time he reached his room. The ground below him seemed to melt away as he found himself spinning into a downward crash against the floor. A strange hissing noise greeted his ears, like the sound of a radio buzzing, disconnected from any channel. Humming around him senselessly, the cacophony reached its crescendo. With a ringing hammering into his ear drums, Xanxus slowly lost feeling in his limbs. The numbness crept all along his body. He felt the floor suck him in lower as if it meant to devour the beast.
Every part of him felt empty and for brief moment there was nothingness, that is, until his lungs caught fire. As though Xanxus were underwater, he could not breathe. Kicking his legs about violently, he wildly swam through the darkness—its viscosity heavy and thick. Able to break through to the surface, air suddenly filled his lungs as he greedily gasped. His eyes flew open and bit of his vision returned back to him like pieces of a puzzle.
Xanxus dreadfully found himself staring into the barrel of a familiar green revolver. He was no longer in his room, but at the entrance of the castle. He quickly glanced down, and his heart missed a beat. He recognized those tan human hands. He balled his fingers into a fist. Anger washed over him for he knew what this was, and Xanxus refused to relive that goddamn forsaken moment. It had been the worst moment in his life—the most painful. With all his might he slapped away the gun and twisted away down the hall.
Reborn's voice mockingly echoed behind him, "A monster on the inside should be made a monster on the outside." Time slowed and his body became unbearably sluggish despite the huge struggle he was making. The hall stretched out further and further—escape was futile. He could hear the chamber firing off, its sound amplified through the halls. Heat from the bullet licked at his backside as it chased him. The projectile spun mercilessly into his body and dug itself dead on into his beating heart.
"AGHH!" Xanxus crumpled to the floor in agony. The magician's voice hissed, "You have been cursed Prince Xanxus." It was whispered over and over seized through his body was like nothing he had ever felt before. The head of a beast tore through his body. He let out a blood curdling scream. Rooted at his shoulder, its crimson eyes glinted in hunger.
Jaws snapped at Xanxus's head.
Tsuna jolted. The murderous howl of the beast had awakened the chestnut haired boy. A wet rag fell from his forehead as he jumped from bed. The servants had brought him back to his room by the order of the beast. They fretted over his over-heated body and managed to cool him down with old rags.
"Xanxus?" the confused boy called out in panic. He rushed to the door only to find it blocked by Lussaria.
The bureau managed to look guilty, "Sorry, hon, but instructions from the higher ups."
"What do you mean?" Tsuna frowned at the feathered dresser, "Don't you hear him screaming?" The hallucinogen was causing this. Xanxus needed help and he needed treatment.
"He won't let anyone see him, not even Squalo," Lussaria explained half heartedly, worry was evident in his voice. "Master will be fine," The peacock engraved chest stated firmly as if to reassure himself as well. He was surprised when he felt Tsuna pushing against him.
"I don't care if no one can go to him! He needs help." Conviction burned brightly in his honey colored eyes. "I owe this to him. So please let me pass."
Lussaria refused to budge when Tsuna shoved at him more aggressively. His doors creaked opened and closed in opposition, body bobbing in protest. The pair froze immediately when they heard the beast let out another feral cry.
"Voi! Let him pass, Lussaria." Squalo had been resting against the dresser when he felt him budge. He swished in a circular motion, "Don't blame us if you get hacked to pieces." Tsuna's sharp intuition saw through the mop's façade. He couldn't hide the concern laced in his words. The young man smiled genuinely; these servants truly cared about their master.
Squalo and Lussaria paused, astonished by Tsuna's warm grin. The mop moved away from where he leaned against the bureau, "Che." Hearing the mop's signal, Lussaria's heavy set body shook in movement.
"Thanks Lussaria," the brunet nodded at the two servants, their moment was interrupted by Xanxus's angry roar. With the large bureau away from the door, Tsuna wasted no time bursting out of his room. He chased the cries towards the beast's sleeping quarters.
When he arrived the screams fell silent. "Xanxus?" He grew wary of the hushed bedroom. Cautiously, Tsuna peered through the door.
The horned beast's back was turned away from the entrance. His figure enlarged with his ragged breaths, shrinking as he expelled the air from his tired body. Excruciatingly slow, the creature turned to face the entrance.
Tsuna's breath hitched and he felt goose bump crawl along his back. Foggy eyes gazed right through him, the beast's black nose flaring, and ears erect, listening intently for the slightest noise. The fearful teenager locked onto the saliva that hung from the beast's lips, and followed the trail up to the foam forming about his mouth, causing wet clumps of fur to mangle together. The creature lowered his head to the ground and growled, baring knife-sharp canines and pink-grey gums. Scapulas jutted outward from the beast's back as though it were the sprouting wings of a fallen angel.
Without warning the beast snapped his sight into focus, as if something inside had set off, glaring directly into the dead center of Tsuna's eyes and with a snarl he pounced. His back pinned to the ground, Tsuna fearfully stared point blank into the dilated pupils of the beast. His hot breath washed over the brunet's face, blowing brown locks away.
Despite his fear, honey eyes refused to waiver from the intense crimson glare, "Xanxus?" Recognition flashed through the beast's features. Unsure of himself, Tsuna gathered the courage to raise a hesitant hand toward the wild creature's snout. A feral growl vibrated from within the beast's throat. Carefully, the boy with the brown hair raised his palms as an offering for the creature to sniff as though he were a frightened dog.
His dry nose huffed air onto Tsuna's palms, the sensation making him almost giggle, but considering the situation, the cautious youth wouldn't dare let out a sound. He wasn't even positive that in Xanxus's current state, the beast would even be able to realize who Tsuna was, let alone decipher him from his illusions.
"Don't you ever fucking listen?" Xanxus was too tired to deal with two problems at once. He squeezed his brows together; the hallucinations had taken a toll on his mind. Overall, he was having a pretty shitty day thanks to a certain stubborn brat who was bothering him in his only minute of delusion-free reality. He felt the saliva around his mouth crusting over, but he really couldn't care less.
"You've caused enough damage for once, leave." For good measure, Xanxus hissed out his words menacingly.
"No," Tsuna steeled his gaze, "I won't leave you, not this time."
"I wasn't ask—" The beast fell silent. Intently listening to something until his face screwed up in pain. He let out a cry when an unbearable ringing overwhelmed his hearing. His body careened to the side as he began to convulse—paws clawed wildly about the floor. The beast's whole being was possessed by the delirium. He snapped his jaws wildly, almost nicking Tsuna. Acting on instinct, the frail boy wrapped his arms around Xanxus's snout. His grip acted as a muzzle as he buried his face into the writhing beast.
He all, but shouted out, "I promised, didn't I?" As the rest of the night drew on, Tsuna continued wrestling with the beast's mouth, trying to hold on for dear life. Sweat beaded upon his forehead. He prayed fervently that his words were not falling upon death ears, he reminded Xanxus where they were, how they got there, and explained to him that it was the his fault that he was this way.
When the episodes had passed, he murmured soothing words to the horned being; he gently stroked the fur on the beast's crown, rubbing circles atop his head. Tsuna mimicked all those times when he was a little boy and had run crying to his mother. A nostalgic expression graced his boyish features—he wished his touch was as comforting as his mother's so that Xanxus's heaving chest would simply even out. The burnet tiredly sighed and rubbed his dry eyes. The fur looked so inviting. Slowly, blinking heavy lids, Tsuna leaned his forehead against Xanxus's own and let himself drift off to sleep.
A/N: I was going to take it in a different direction with the Mukuro (as in Xanxus didn't save Tsuna, at least on time), but plot line overrode trolling the reader's expectations. XD Also the story would just be way too overwhelmingly dark ;U; I got in a little bit of fluff!~ :,D
Plot holes will be covered later. XP