leilani really didn't wait for her boyfriend who was stumbling after her, only to throw herself directly in front of Reborn on the couch "Reborn."

The hitman raised an eyebrow at her.

"This." she pointed at Colonnello "Is my boyfriend."

"You wanted to tell me first?"

She paused "No?"

"But you did."

"Yes?" she blinked a few times "I… won't allow you to beat him up over this."

"I figured."

She tilted her head, actually stunned "I… didn't expect this."

"What did you expect?"

"another tantrum?"
"I don't throw tantrums."

"You do."

The hitman ignored the choked down laughs from his side "I don't."

"But you do."

"Skull."

"What? You do."

"I don't."

"No, you really do."

"Are you here to argue?"

"I mean yeah, pretty much."

He raised an eyebrow.

But she hastily shook her head "But not about that. I won't let you interfere."

"I won't."

"You… won't?"

"I won't."

"But why not?"

"You want me to interfere?"

"No! But… you lost your shit last time."

"Let's just say… I want to be your friend."

"my… friend?"

"Indeed."

"Did you drink something wrong?"

"Skull. I'm serious here."

"But you're Reborn."

"Skull."

"What?"

"I'm doing the sensible thing."

"And that would be?"

"supporting you and letting Colonnello know that he will deeply regret any misdeeds against you."

"Huh?"

"Shovel talk."

"You…. Bugger off."

"No, I think you need a friend for that, right? A good friend would do that. I'm the best kind of friend."

""You're the worst friend."

"But I am a friend."

"I never said that"

"You like me."

"How… Did this happen? I was trying to protect Nello."

Fon shook his head "So your boyfriend needs protection now? Maybe we need to put him into shape then. You down lal? educating your former student?"

Lal grinned "Sounds good. Boyfriend crash course then?"

Verde nodded "I already have a list of must dos for being a perfect gentleman. The dos and don't."

Leilani just stared "Excuse me?"

Viper nodded, "I'll tell you what we talked about if you pay me."

Leilani blinked even more "What?"

lal just smirked "Let's just say. We all had a little chat."

"You did?"

"indeed."

Reborn leaned forwards "We accept it."

"You never had a choice in this matter," Leilani immediately said.

"We know. This is why we redirect it."

"To what?"

"Shovel talk."

"You're not going to give Nello a shovel talk."

"Yes we will."

"No."

Fons smile deepened "We have to make sure he treats you perfectly."

"He already does."

"Then he doesn't have to worry, does he?"

"But… no."

"Yes." Reborn smirked.

"No."

"Yes."

"No, can you even say something else?"

"I sure can but it won't change the matter."

"You just want an excuse to beat Nello up."

"I don't need an excuse for that."

"Cut it off. there will be no shovel talk."

"Everyone deserves one."

"Then do it with me, not Nello." she protested.

"Why would we?"

"You said everyone. You can give me one."

"That's not how it works. it's about making sure that Colonnello treats you right."

"He will."

"Skull it's essential."

"It isn't."

Colonnello still stood slightly uncertain in the room "Skull? It's no big deal. I can deal with it."

"I don't want you to." she answered without missing a beat.

He paused before stepping in front of her, slowly crouching down to be on eye level with her "What is this actually about, kora?"

She actually didn't look him in his eyes, pointedly looking down "I don't want them to interfere."

"That's not it, is it?"

She stayed silent, chin pushed out and still stubbornly looking down.

He gently placed a hand under her chin "Skull?"

"It doesn't matter."

Colonnello took a moment, taking her in and actually thinking about it "This is about… that… isn't it?"

"I… Nello…"

"Hey, it's alright."

"It's not."

"You don't have to be afraid."

"I'm not."

"Skull…" he sighed before placing both of his hands on her cheeks, nudging her to actually face him "I'm not going to abandon you."

"I…"

"I let someone else's opinion push me away from you once but never again. Especially not now."

"it's just…"

His fingers slowly caressing her cheeks, lightning flames on his fingertips "That you can't shut it down?"

She slowly nodded, clearly uncertain.

"Do you trust me?"

"yes."

"Then trust me in this. I'm not going to abandon you, under any circumstances. The threat anyone could make that would keep me away from you doesn't exist and will never exist either.``

She was chewing on her lip, clearly conflicted by her own doubt and her trust in her rain "Can we just not do it?"

"I actually think it would be good."

"But why?"

"Just so that I can prove to you that there is no chance in hell that I would abandon you."

"But I believe you."

"You're still struggling with it."

"But…"

"What was it? We wanted to work things through? Not let minor things hinder us?"

There was still this uncertainty in her eyes, the nervousness, the fear and Colonnello had to swallow hard at it. He honestly just wanted to roll her up in her favourite blanket and spend the rest of the day reassuring her but… he knew this wouldn't be the best course of action. Not for the future.

He knew Skull had abandonment issues, actually not rooted by his struggle with her age but from… back when she had been a child. He wanted to help her and for this he knew what he had to do.

Colonnello gently let one of his hands part from her cheek, raising his pinky in the air "Trust me Skull. Pinky promise. No matter what anyone says I won't let that stop me from loving you, because I do. I really love you Skull and nothing will change that."

It was adorable how she could still blush in this situation. Still even while he only noticed it when she interlocked her own pinky with his, her fingers were trembling. He paused for a moment to look her into her eyes. To try to translate to her how serious he was, before he gently pulled her closer by their interlocked fingers "I promise, kora." and with that he placed a small kiss on her lips.

He had to take a moment to just smile softly at her, at the way she blushed even harder. Still not used to it, especially not in public.

Colonnello pushed himself off the floor "So? I'm ready. Want to go outside for it?"

Reborn threw a last glance at the bright red Skull before he stood up to go outside, the rest of the arcobaleno following aside from Skull naturally, who curled herself together on the couch, doubts still clouding her mind even if she didn't want them too.

Fon chuckled slightly as they closed the door behind them "What a way to take the wind out of our sails. How should we even follow that now?"

Reborn pushed his fedora slightly up "I know how" before he started a rapid fire of threats.

Colonnello grinned though. It was kinda nice to see a perfect example of how deeply Reborn really cared for their tiny sky.

The rain wasn't worried after all he didn't plan to hurt Skull, neither deliberately nor unintentionally.

If there was one person in this world that he was certain he could do right by it was Skull.

He knew her, better than anyone or anything. While it was true that they had needed a laughable long time to figure it out.. it didn't mean that their 19 years of friendship had been a waste of time in comparison to what they could have, far from it.

Colonnello knew Skull, he knew how she liked her tea, what she liked to eat when she was upset. How that one specific strand of her hair stood up in the opposite direction when she was angry. He knew her favourite dessert and which spots made it perfectly according to her taste. He knew her favourite flowers. He was able to pick a movie out she would like that day just by looking at the way she carried her head in the morning.

While she still managed to surprise him, while she still had secrets, thoughts and stories that had never came up… it didn't matter as he knew her. He knew how vulnerable she could be, when she needed cuddles and when she needed to be left alone.

In theory Lal had been right; he and Skull had been dating, had for a long time and he was determined to make use of his knowledge to make this perfect, not just for her… for him as well.