This is a Fruits Basket cross I simply couldn't resist making. Enjoy!
He was dreaming. It had been a very long time, but he still remembered the day his mother handed him over to his Shishou because she couldn't handle reality anymore. The Sohma family curse was something she had never really paid much mind to...until her own son was born with the Curse of the Cat.
She had never really recovered from that. The fact that for some reason he was able to call orange fire to his hands had been the last straw.
He only vaguely remembered his father, but it was never with any fondness. From what Shishou told him, the man was a complete idiot and not worth mentioning.
He was turning seventeen, soon to be eighteen and not looking forward to leaving high school.
Mainly because of the sentence hanging over his head by the head of the family, who was more than a little bit insane and from what little he had been able to research on the subject, schizophrenic.
After accidentally stumbling across the definition in the English dictionary when he was studying, he had brought it up with Hatori.
Apparently he had hit that nail pretty much on the head, and most of Akito's erratic behavior came from the fact they hated taking the medication for it and would pull whatever crap they had on those cursed to overrule Hatori on the matter, despite the fact the man was their personal doctor.
Kyo sometimes wondered why no one simply slipped a diluted form of the medication in Akito's food and drink. It would make things so much easier for everyone who had to deal with them.
However he had no idea his fortune was going to quickly change, and all because of a man who also suffered from a rather unfortunate curse.
A few days later...
"Ciaossu. Is Kyo Sohma here?"
Kyo looked down to find a toddler, and the second he saw the pacifier he remembered an odd comment his Shishou made about another person with an odd curse. He had mostly made it to cheer Kyo up about his own predicament.
"Arcobaleno?" he half-asked, half-guessed.
The 'toddler' looked up at him, and there was something rather sharp about his gaze that Kyo definitely didn't like. Those were the eyes of a cold-blooded killer.
"How would you know that word?"
"My Shishou made a comment about knowing another martial artist with a curse. Anyway what do you want?" he asked.
"I'm looking for Kyo Sohma," replied the cursed man.
"Well you found him. Who are you anyway?"
The man jumped onto the counter and gave him a serious look.
"My name is Reborn and I'm here to turn you into a mafia boss," he said with a perfectly straight expression.
Kyo's face went completely blank...before he yelled out "Shishou! I think you need to get in here!"
His adopted father took one look at Reborn before he winced.
Within short order, Reborn found himself sitting at a table with some hot tea.
"I have been sent by the Vongola familigia to turn you into the Tenth generation boss. That and I also double as a home tutor."
Though from what he had seen when he broke into Kyo's records, he didn't need that as much as mafia training. The kid had decent enough grades.
"May I ask why Kyo was picked? As far as I'm aware there are no Italians on his mother's side of the family. Most of the Sohma have stayed in Japan, with the rare exception that went to China."
"You can blame his father's side for that. His biological father is related to the first generation boss as a direct descendant," said Reborn, pulling out a family tree.
"So I'm descended from someone from Italy on my genetic donor's side. Why was I picked? Didn't the current boss have heirs or something?"
He wasn't complaining about being a mafia boss (if only for the thin sliver of hope that he might escape his fate of being caged for the rest of his life) but he was very confused.
"The Ninth's boss' first son was killed in a police raid," said Reborn, pulling out pictures. "The second was sent to 'sleep with the fishes', however cliché and overused that trick is among the newer and more idiotic familigias that don't really last long. The third was killed and only a few bones were found. The fourth is ineligible for certain reasons and is currently on house arrest. In short the only two options are you and your younger brother...though in his case it's debatable whether he would fit the requirements, so they sent me to determine whether or not you're worthy as the heir."
Kyo's younger brother, which he had never met and had even less desire to meet since it risked seeing his mother again, was a Latent Lightning from the test they did. And the Vongola needed a Sky to take the throne.
Kyo's face darkened at the reminder that his mother had sent him away for something he had no control over, and that he was lucky Shishou was the one who took him in.
"So how will you know if he fits the requirements needed to become a boss, and how exactly are you planning to get past Akito if he is?" asked Shishou seriously.
"Akito?" asked Reborn.
"Head of the Sohma clan and a known schizophrenic who never takes their meds. Very controlling and will not like the idea of any of those like me being out of Japan, since I'm assuming from the fact that we're talking mafia would mean I'd eventually move to Italy," explained Kyo.
"Akito's schizophrenic?" said Shishou, looking at Kyo oddly. "That...actually explains far too much."
"He overrules Hatori about the medication, though why no one simply mixes it in with his food and drink is beyond me," said Kyo.
"As for the requirements, that's actually the simple part. If he has them, then I can get started on dealing with this...Akito... person soon enough. If not, then we'll simply have to see if his brother has it."
And if Takeru didn't, then Iemitsu was going to have to get working on a third child, or he was going to end up stuck as the next boss unless Timoteo wanted to allow his adopted fourth son to have the reigns.
Reborn's pet chameleon Leon turned into a gun, and without much warning he shot Kyo with a Dying Will bullet.
Orange fire sprang from his head...and to the amusement of his Shishou (once the shock wore off), Kyo let the feelings he had for his 'Master/adopted father' out for the first time since he came to live with him.
Kyo was always too embarrassed to call Kazuma his father, and he had never pressed the matter since they both knew he was even if it was spoken. He barely batted an eye at the fact Kyo was now only in his boxers.
At least this was slightly more dignified than when he turned into a cat.
When the five minutes were up and Kyo regained his senses, his face turned red as a tomato.
"That never happened and I will deny it ever did if asked," he said flatly.
Reborn smirked.
"Well it seems you do fit the requirements after all. That makes my job easier."
"Wait, you mean that orange and purple fire that sometimes shows up is normal?" said Kyo in shock.
Reborn frowned.
"You knew about it before?"
He held up his right wrist, showing a bracelet made of white and black beads.
"It shows up whenever this comes off. I just learned to ignore it," admitted Kyo. He kept his wrist away from being touched when Reborn went to remove the bracelet.
"I would advise against that, especially since you're not the only one who suffers from an unfortunate curse. Though in his case, it's genetic," said Shishou.
"A curse?"
"Kyo's curse is two-fold, and that bracelet was created to suppress the other half of it," he explained.
Reborn would only find out later (though he found the fact that Kyo could speak 'cat' the same way he was able to communicate with bugs and reptiles interesting) what he meant by 'curse'.
Reborn merely had to take one look at Akito having another fit to realize that attempting to remove Kyo from his control was a lost cause. At least directly anyway.
Hatori, once he got over the shock of meeting the cursed hit man, was at least willing to listen to reason.
"If you can fool Akito into believing that Kyo was prematurely locked up and make the illusion good enough to last between his episodes, I would be willing to go along with it. Perhaps having a permanent outlet for their episodes, even a fake one, would keep the rest of those cursed safe."
Hatori was not above locking Akito in the special room with a dummy built to mimic a human body, if it meant the head of the Sohma clan would no longer vent their episodes on the others who suffered from the family curse. Sure, it meant a little deception but it was honestly the lesser of two evils at this point.
Akito's mental condition was a well kept secret, though those that had frequent exposure to them (mainly those cursed) were aware that he occasionally became extremely violent and threw massive tantrums without any warning.
Reborn was already making a mental check list of who he could call in for this sort of thing, which was very few.
He was so getting Timoteo to reimburse him for this, because Viper was a pain in the ass to deal with and would certainly charge him through the nose for it.
However a week later Akito was firmly under the grips of a permanent Mist illusion. Hatori was able to divert Akito's personal staff (and the Rooster) with a discreet explanation of what was really going on.
He didn't like it, but he agreed to keep silent so long as Akito's mental health didn't deteriorate further.
As far as the rest of the cursed knew, Akito had banished Kyo from the family permanently and that his name was now so taboo that merely mentioning it in his presence would send the man into a destructive rage with them being the victims of it.
Considering most of them had suffered directly from one of his rather terrifying episodes, no one dared to mention Kyo's name in the main house or around Akito's hearing ever again.
"Are you sure this is a good move? Lying to them like this?" asked Shigure when Kyo and Kazuma moved to Namimori.
"It's safer than the alternative, and it leaves us a way to get the others out," said Hatori. "I would rather lie to them now and put Akito under a safe illusion than let what's happened before continue. If he would just take his medicines this wouldn't be nearly as abusive."
Hatori had considered ordering the staff to slip in the medications into his food and drink, but the Rooster always seemed to know when he tried and would subtly divert the 'tainted' product away from Akito.
He'd rather bear the brunt of Akito's anger than let the damage done to him happen to someone else. It was a silent agreement among the Snake/Dragon/Dog trio to keep the younger ones safe from their head of house.
"...I hate you so much, I hope you realize that."
"It's just a co-ed high school," said Reborn smirking.
"Exactly," said Kyo with a sour look on his face. "You know the triggers for my curse, so why are you tempting fate like this?"
"Blackmail and boredom, mostly," admitted Reborn. "Now get in there and try not to jump out the first window when the girls try to make friends with you."
"You are such an asshole," scowled Kyo. Reborn smirked.
Kyo reluctantly walked into the school, got his schedule and waited for the teacher to announce the transfer student.
Quite a few people stared at his odd hair color, but it was eyes that held their attention most.
For as long as he could remember, his eyes had been the color of dawn/dusk, a warm amber that seemed to draw people in. It went nicely with his naturally orange hair color.
Said hair color was the reason why Iemitsu and Nono believed that young Tsuna would grow up to be a powerful Sky... occasionally Flames types bled into outward indicators such as unusual hair color. If Nana hadn't sent her son away when she did, it was likely Iemitsu's wish to seal his son would have worked.
As it was, they couldn't find the boy before Nono had to return to Italy, and the matter was dropped since he didn't show any indications of having an Active Flame thanks to the bracelet suppressing the majority of Sky Attraction.
That might change soon enough, once Kyo got used to summoning his Flames. But for now he read as a "civilian" to anyone who could sense such things.
He looked at the class and inwardly shuddered at the number of girls in there.
"My name is Sohma Kyo. I like martial arts, training and my dad. I don't like being crowded and rain," he said simply, giving them all a glare at when he mentioned being crowded.
He was rather confused at the collective wince most of the students had at that, and the fact that several started immediately making comparisons to someone called "Hibari-sempai".
It didn't stop them from surrounding his desk during the lunch hour, especially the girls.
The number of questions aimed towards him were one thing, but it was their close proximity that really caused him the most grief.
It wasn't well known, but Kyo was actually mildly claustrophobic. It was a combination of a minor incident when he was eight when a tree managed to pin him in a closet where he had hidden to ride out a thunderstorm (he had spent close to fifteen hours in there before they could properly clear out the tree to get him out...it had traumatized him ever since), and the knowledge that one day he would be caged for the rest of his life.
As a result, Kyo did not do well when he felt like he was being caged in. There was a reason he slept on the roof whenever he could get away with it and left the windows open.
Having so many people surrounding him, with no real way out save through a locked window (it was too cold to open, even for him), or through several girls (which would only trigger his curse and make things even more complicated) was really setting off an anxiety attack.
Seeing a slight opening between two guys, Kyo didn't hesitate. He grabbed his lunch and darted between the guys and bolted out of the classroom without even a word.
He didn't get his breathing under control until two hours after the lunch period passed.
Kyo's head was leaning against his knees, just trying to calm down and get his anxiety and panic to drop to 'normal' levels so he could get his bag and leave.
That had been a bad one. Damn Reborn and his 'brilliant' idea of sending him to a co-ed school!
He looked at his watch. School was almost over, and he really didn't feel like getting his bag. On top of that, by the time he came down from the stairwell just outside the roof exit, the halls would be crowded and likely set him off again.
Today was not his day.
"Mind explaining what that was about?" asked a familiar voice. There was no judgment, just honest curiosity.
"I'm claustrophobic," said Kyo. "There's a reason I didn't argue when Akito sent me to an all-boys school before this."
Reborn said nothing. He looked Kyo in the eyes with some concern.
"What set it off?"
"Having that many girls around me is too nerve-wracking. If they came any closer it risked setting off my curse, and they were all around me without giving me hardly any space. I even said outright I don't like being crowded and they still did it," said Kyo with a pained whine.
Screw putting up a brave front. His pride and male ego always went to hell after one of his attacks. It had been such a nightmare hiding his condition, because he knew for a fact if Akito had any idea Kyo was claustrophobic he wouldn't have hesitated to use it to make his life a living hell.
The only ones that knew were Hatori and his Shishou, and they weren't going to say anything.
Reborn was silent. There really wasn't much he could say, considering his student had a firmly-rooted reason for hating enclosed spaces. Instead he sat next to Kyo and used the kid to take a nap, lending some silent support.
Kyo barely noticed Leon leaving Reborn's fedora to perch on his own head.