Author's Note: I was going to post this as chapter story but decided to do it in parts instead. This is part one. Not much action. Just foundation.

COMPLETELY AU!

I have this headcanon that Federico's death was what prompted Squalo to defrost Xanxus because it was like he lost half of his Sky so I took that and twisted it. Federico is alive but Massimo and Enrico are dead. Physically, Xanxus is 16 (I think I mention his age, if not, tell me and I'll post it next part) but is actually closer to 21. Tsuna has just turned thirteen.

Armanio - Xanxus and Federico's Cloud.

i.

Four months.

It had been four fucking months since he'd moved back to this Godforsaken estate after being unsealed and he was already being reminded why he betrayed them in the first place.

"Sit up straight." Caillen, his etiquette teacher, said sharply.

'What am I? Five?'

But instead of replying, Xanxus grit his teeth to keep from lashing out and did as he was instructed, if a little belligerently. But the point was he obeyed, just like he promised the old man he would when what he really wanted to do was give the pompous asshole in front of him a wineglass enema.

And to top it all off, he was practically drowning in these fucking clothes. An undershirt, a bullet-proof vest, shin and forearm guards that acted as a conduit, a long-sleeve, dark red button up shirt, a with the white tie, a vest, a sash that went over the vest, a pair of gun holsters, a canvas overcoat with matching slacks, a belt with two rows of his specialized cartridges running along the underside and a separate gun holster, an ankle holster (because apparently, Mafiosi couldn't carry enough fucking guns, not that he was complaining) and a pair of dress shoes.

And all of it was woven to stand against his Dying Will Flames.

At least it wasn't all dead weight, he thought. At least, if he someone posed a danger to his life, he could blow them to shreds with it.

That curbed his temper just a bit.

It wasn't enough to stop him from glancing back at Federico and Armanio, though.

The two of them watched him and the etiquette teacher—'scuse him, cultural advisor, with a stoicism that didn't match the amused gleam in their traitorous eyes.

Fucking trashes.

They were enjoying every minute of his misery.

'Eat it up, assholes. My vengeance will come and you will bleed.' He thought darkly.

But he knew the truth.

When it came to them, he was all bark and no bite. He could never hurt them. Not in a million years. He'd give his own life before he hurt them. The three of them had been through too much together in such a short time for him to hold something like this against them.

And besides… they were the reason he hadn't blew this place sky high the first time around.

They were the reason he'd come back.

All it had taken was one look from Federico, one uttered word from Armanio, and Xanxus found all of his rage towards the old man, all of the pain from the lies he'd been told receding. It had been that easy for Xanxus to turn tail back to the Vongola after six and a half years of being imprisoned.

Federico was lean with dark blond hair—the exact same shade of Primo's, or so Xanxus had heard—and the brightest pair of green eyes anyone would ever see, a trait he got from his mother. His bangs were messy, almost like Primo's—parting on the side and crimping up instead of framing his eyes, but the back of his hair was in a different style than Primo's altogether. It was slicked back and tied in a wavy ponytail that cut off at the nape of his neck. He was immaculately dressed in a black, canvas suit that matched Xanxus' only with a vibrant orange shirt instead of a crimson red one. With perfect, unblemished features, high cheekbones, and eyes as bright as his, Federico was one sexy bastard that made many people (of both genders, mind) swoon.

He stood with an air of confidence, eyes alert and muscles coiled as though he was prepared to move at any given moment while still giving off a relaxed air. When he walked, it was with a lion's lethal grace.

But if Federico was a lion, blending with his surroundings the same way a lion blended with the desert sand, then Armanio was a tiger, flamboyant but just as lethal. Armanio was nothing like his stiff-backed brother and stood with an air of lazy elegance, disdain painting every feature but still managing to stay all alert and ready to strike. He wore a pair of white slacks, black dress shoes, an orange and black tiger-striped shirt (just to piss Xanxus off, he knew, because he told the man point-blank after he'd seen him fight that he was like a tiger), no tie, no vest, no sash, and an open white jacket with the top two buttons undone to reveal his chest. His hair was platinum blond and his eyes were a dark, hazel-brown that looked almost amber.

Lucky trash. He could use his Cloud Flames to stop and dissolve a bullet in the same movement. Xanxus didn't have that option because the Sky Flame wasn't hot enough yet. It would be… someday… but until then he had to deal with this fucking vest.

The two of them had met back when Xanxus was still a street rat by complete accident almost eight and a half months prior to this moment. Xanxus had been running from a group of loan-sharks that were looking for his mother. He'd lured the eight of them into an alleyway before burning the shit out of them.

Three of them had been using their allies as shields, the fucking cowards, and drew guns that the others hadn't had the chance to use against him. Federico and Armanio had dropped from fucking nowhere and landed on top of two of the thugs, snapping their necks quickly. Xanxus used that moment of distraction to light the third, and final, thug on fire since there was no way he was going to chance wrapping his arms around someone almost a head and a half shorter than him.

Federico had been such a cheery bastard back then, even after ending a life. Not that he wasn't still a cheery bastard. Because he was. It was just worse back then.

Armanio, however, had been cool and calculated. There was none of that casual elegance he displayed now. No, in that setting, he had been a predator, pure and simple. A killer.

Federico and Armanio came around more often after that, sneaking out of the estate and helping Xanxus out after they'd learned he had a Sky Flame. Skies protected their own—or something like that. Xanxus had been more concerned about stuffing his face with the food they'd brought him than hearing their reasoning behind it.

Granted, if anyone else done that to him at the time, he probably would have checked it for poison but if they wanted him dead, why did they make sure he got back to the crappy old warehouse he was squatting in with his mother?

They always brought him food, always dropped in when he was being chased or beat up, and before Xanxus knew it, he found himself attached.

Then came the bombshell.

His mother was dying.

It was a type of nerve atrophy that ate away at her spinal cord until she died of suffocation in her sleep. It was irreversible and there was no way to stop it. Before she'd died, she'd pawned Xanxus off as the Don Vongola's illegitimate son.

He should have known it was too fucking good to be true.

About three weeks before his betrayal, he'd been snooping around the old man's personal office to find the guns that Federico (who had been taken into protective custody away from Xanxus after Enrico and Massimo had been brutally murdered by enemy Famiglia) had hijacked from him—unfairly, might he add. They were his guns, damn it. He used his own money to buy the parts and custom build them himself—but had found a journal that said everything, from how he took pity on the women to how he took one look at the child's face and knew that, if he didn't do something, the child would end up just like his mother.

It was the first time Xanxus' Flame had burned hot enough to burn him.

It had been the first time since his mother's death that his vision had gone white.

"Are you paying attention to me, young Vongola?"

Xanxus bristled. "Yeah, yeah, get on with it, Caillen."

"I believe you meant to say Yes, sir."

"Yes, sir." 'Asshole.' Xanxus said, drawling the words out deliberately.

Caillen motioned towards the champagne glass. "Now take a sip of your drink."

Xanxus reached out and grabbed his glass, ignoring the way his arms burned from the weight of the guards. "No, no, no. The correct way to hold your glass is like this." He snatched it out of Xanxus' hand to show him how it was done. Xanxus rolled his eyes. Fucking annoying. And he wasn't even the Don's brat. "Try again."

Xanxus' lip curled into a snarl. "You know what? Fuck this shit." He drew out one of his custom guns and fired it at the glass. The base of it shattered and the bowl flew across from him, drenching the front of Caillen's white slacks in the crimson contents of the glass.

Well fuck if that didn't make him feel better. It was certainly entertaining.

Caillen took a deep breath as he attempted to reign in his temper. "Your father will be hearing about this." He said, huffing and puffing until he realized Xanxus wasn't listening to him and storming out of the dining hall.

Xanxus burst out laughing. "Fuck me." He said, clutching his sides. "That was gold."

At least he wasn't the only one laughing. Federico was rolling on the floor as well while Armanio was simply smirking. "You are evil to your rotten little core."

"Absol-fuckin'-lutely." Xanxus said, grinning sadistically. He blew off the edge of his blazing gun before tucking it back in its place.

Ah, that was so fucking worth it.

"How do you people stay sane?" He demanded, regaining his composure as Federico wiped away a mock tear. "Don't do this. Don't touch that. Hold the cup like this. Walk like that." He mocked. "Never thought I'd actually want to be frozen again. You know what? I pity the rich. They don't get to live."

"At least we still have people trying to kill us." Armanio said.

"Yeah, there's that." Xanxus allowed.

Federico snorted. "Bloodthirsty little shit, aren't you?"

"Mm," Xanxus grunted, standing up and bending backwards to break the creaks out of his back before twisting, reaching for the red gem that hung from a clip he wore on his ear. After a moment, he saw, from the corner of his eye, the light click off of the cameras in the corners.

He hated how tight security was, even in the fucking bedrooms, but loved this little nifty device. One of Mammon's contacts gave it to her to test out. Xanxus had been milking it for all it was worth ever since.

As soon as the cameras were out, though, Xanxus practically ripped off the coat, the sash, the vest and the tie in the same movement.

"You know, you shouldn't rip off your clothes like that." Armanio mused. "I'd ravage you senseless if I thought Federico would let me get away with it. Underage or no."

"I'm at the age of consent, douche-bag." Xanxus snarled without heat. He was twenty-one and a half years old, thank you very much, even if he didn't look it. "And I don't need you looking over my shoulder."

"No," Federico allowed. "But you do need temperance and since Squalo can't follow you everywhere, I will have to do and Armanio doesn't leave my side."

"Fucking limpet."

"Bite me, brat."

"Don't call me a fucking brat, trash!" Xanxus barked without the heat to make it menacing.

Federico sighed at their antics. His sigh was contradicted by the grin that turned up his lips.

"What's with all these extra fucking lessons anyways?" He demanded. "I don't need a refresher before every fucking party or social event."

Federico pursed his lips as though he was seriously contemplating whether or not he should tell him something or not. "I agree. You don't." He said in that patient, 'I'm listening' tone as though he knew that Xanxus was going to go off on a rant.

And, in a way, he was half right. "Then why do I have to learn this shit over and over again?" Xanxus demanded, trying (and failing) not to sound like a child that wasn't getting his way.

"Because it's not a social event."

Xanxus paused, his anger draining and giving way to wary calculation. "What is it?"

"It's a house call." Xanxus opened his mouth to ask just what the fuck a house call was when Federico's eyes snapped towards him, sparking with a warning that made Xanxus' mouth shut with a snap. "Father has asked that you and I accompany him to Japan to meet Iemitsu's family."

Oh.

Oh.

Xanxus' eyes widened a fraction as the thought processed. If Iemitsu was going to introduce them to his family—more specifically, his wife and son, that meant that Xanxus and Federico had better be on their best fucking behavior because this was an ultimate show of trust.

"Why?" Xanxus asked. Iemitsu didn't trust easily. Hell, he heard that he turned down Colonnello's request to meet his family and last time he heard, the blond and his female companion, Lal, were named his godparents.

Federico grimaced. "I don't know." And that was eating away at him from the inside out if his expression was anything to go by. Federico was always mild-tempered with the patience of a saint so for him to be making any expression close to displeasure... something must have been bugging him.

"Talk to me, Rico. What's going on?"

"Something about this feels wrong, Xanxus. Iemitsu has shielded his family. The fact that he's bringing the three of us in to that part of his life…" Federico trailed off. "Something is going to happen." He shook his head, his bangs flopping around with the motion. "Something bad. Something that we, as Secondo's descendants, can't feel."

Xanxus shifted, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Are our boys going as well?" Armanio shifted slightly, knowing instinctively that he was included in the term 'our boys'. He may not have been actively involved in the Varia (not since he was injured a few years prior and forced out of his place as the Captain of the Cloud Squadron which was under Xanxus and Squalo's control until they could find a suitable replacement and put as the head of staff) but he was still counted as one of theirs.

It took a lot of trust for two Skies to actively share Elements and even more trust for the other to allow them to serve as Guardians (and Xanxus had no doubt that when Federico became boss, he would ask that of their men) but that was how it was with them. They were two sides of the same coin.

"No." Federico's grimace turned into a full-blown frown. Xanxus shifted a bit and Armanio met his gaze. Xanxus jerked his head towards the door and Armanio nodded at the silent order.

"I am going to go check the dormitories for slackers." He announced before ducking out of the room.

"Talk." Xanxus said, point blank and not wasting time with pleasantries.

"What do you want me to say, Xanxus?" Federico asked. "I can't sense anything. Whatever Iemitsu feels… he's not telling us."

Xanxus scowled. "If he's not telling us something, it's usually for a very good reason." He tried to reason but couldn't fault Federico for being on edge.

"I agree…" Federico said slowly. "But… Xanxus…" Federico's eyes were those of a tortured soul. "The last time he kept a secret, it ended with Massimo's death."

ii.

If there was anything that was more tedious than paperwork, it would have to be airport security. Xanxus scowled as his luggage was, yet again, put through one of the scanners. Really. If they couldn't find anything on the first go through, why did they have to put it through three more times? Were they really that worried that he was some sort of terrorist?

Well, he thought as he eyed the security guard. At least it was someone he could charm. The woman paused long enough to meet his eye and wink before she was getting back to work, finishing his luggage faster and finalizing the search. "Have a nice stay!" She said, waving them off with more pep in her step than she had before.

Xanxus smirked. Maybe this trip wouldn't be so bad.

"Don't even think about it." Federico hissed in Italian, a hand landing on his nape and guiding him towards Iemitsu who was waiting patiently by the gate.

"Fuck off." Xanxus hissed back, glaring savagely at his older brother.

"I'm afraid Federico is right, Xanxus." TImoteo said not unkindly. "You will have time to pursue other desires later. First we must see what it is that Iemitsu wants us to see."

Iemitsu shivered as they approached. "Are you talking about me?" He asked with overdramatic wariness, not bothering with Italian. They were in Japan after all.

"Yes." Xanxus deadpanned, mimicking his language of choice.

"Boo~! How mean." Iemitsu huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Your father has already met Nana, my lovely wife." Oh yes, Timoteo thought. He'd met Nana—keen as a snake but about as dense as a doornail. How could such a contradiction exist? "My adorable son, Tsunayoshi, is thirteen and has a couple of friends over. You'll…" He paused, his expression becoming oddly twisted. "You'll meet them as well."

Timoteo raised an eyebrow. "Is something wrong, m'boy?"

Iemitsu looked him dead in the eye and said again, this time more firmly. "You'll see when you meet them."

Xanxus and Federico shared dubious but carefully masked glances—what could possibly have Iemitsu this spooked (because really, what else were they going to call it)?

"I'm home!" Iemitsu announced. Xanxus raised an eyebrow at Federico who muttered something about 'please take care of me.'

Maybe he should have paid more attention to his etiquette lessons… oh well. Too late now.

"Welcome back, papa!" An out of breath voice greeted from the stairwell followed by an upbeat, "Welcome back, dear!"

Two brunets stepped into their line of view.

Xanxus felt his composure almost slip as his eyes widened a fraction before it vanished behind a calculated mask of composure. He thanked his lucky position because no one but Tsunayoshi and Nana had seen the slip and he didn't know if either of them were capable of recognizing the momentary lapse for what it was.

Standing in front of him were two brunets, true, and their resemblance was uncanny. There was no doubt that they were mother and son… but…

The smaller one. While he looked remarkably like his mother, he also had a very strong resemblance to Vongola Primo.

Xanxus was the first to move forward, bowing slightly (and hating the vulnerable position). "It's a pleasure to meet you." He said curtly. "I'm Vongola Xanxus."

"A-Ah," Federico stuttered, a delicate flush (that was all fake) spread over his nose. "S-Sorry! I'm Vongola Federico. It's really good to meet you!"

Tsunayoshi giggled slightly (really… he fucking giggled. Like a girl) "I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi. You can just call me Tsuna—hiiiie!" He cried out when a black blur launched at him from the hallway. He dodged deftly, slipping between the blur and the wall before twirling in a graceful display of limbs and facing Xanxus again as though nothing had happened. "And that's Hibari Kyoya." He added, an odd (but fond and warm) expression twisting his expression.

The blur, as it turns out, was a sharp-eyed teen with slate eyes. He inclined his head carefully, the action nowhere near polite so much as… evaluating. Federico ducked his head slightly but Xanxus knew that was the wrong reaction when his eyes narrowed.

Xanxus shifted and jerked his head back, baring his throat long enough to show that he was not a threat but not enough to be labeled absolute submission. The boy's lips twitched into a pleased smile. "I hope you enjoy Namimori." He said, padding back up the stairs where he came from.

"Strange boy." Federico murmured under his breath, his lips barely moving.

"He is." Tsunayoshi—Tsuna, Xanxus silently corrected, said. Federico met Xanxus' eyes incredulously. 'He heard me?!' His eyes clearly stated. Xanxus masked a smirk. "But he's also not usually that polite." His eyes lingered specifically on Xanxus for a moment. "Do you need help with your bags?"

Federico's expression melted in a smile. "No, thank you. This is all we have."

Nana took that as her cue. "Tsu-kun can show you to your guest rooms?"

"Uh—sure!"

Tsuna didn't know what to make of the three men that had come home with papa. He could feel something warm whispering against his skin, something heavy pressing against his eardrums—the sense of strengthpowerdominance almost overpowering his fight or flight instinct.

He managed to mask it but only barely and only after the youngest one—Xanxus—cocked his head to the side (a display of almost-submission, something from inside whispered, to put them at ease). "There are two guest rooms here across the hall from one another and then one down the hall on the far left. The bathroom is here," He motioned to the slightly ajar door. They didn't close it all the way unless it was occupied. "My room is across from the stairs. Kaa-san and Tou-san's room is at the very end of the hallway…" He paused, "That's all… I think." He turned towards them with a welcoming smile. "Make yourselves at home."

"Thank you, Tsunayoshi-kun." The elder man said, choosing the room that was off to the side a bit instead of one that was closer. Apparently the brothers would be sleeping closer together. Something told Tsuna that this wasn't particularly odd.

"I'll be in my room if you need anything else." Tsuna said before retreating. He felt more than saw them meet one another's gazes.

Kyoya, Takeshi, Kyoko and Hana were all sprawled out in various places in his room when he got back. Kyoya sat on the window sill, Kyoko and Hana sat at his table and Takeshi and Ryohei sat on his bed with enough space between them for Tsuna to sit. Tsuna took his place between them with a sigh. "Sorry about that. Dad has some relatives staying for the summer."

Kyoya's eyes narrowed but he didn't say anything. It was clear that he, too, felt something off about them. "This place has gotten too crowded for my liking." Kyoya stated, his lips pulling down into a distasteful scowl. "I'm leaving."

Tsuna smiled slightly. "As you wish, Kyoya." Tsuna shook his head. "We'll be sure to crowd at your place tomorrow instead." It had become a sort of tradition to go over to Kyoya or Takeshi's houses when Tsuna's was counted as off limits (which wasn't very often, of course, but it did happen from time to time) and since Takeshi's father ran the shop during the day, that meant they usually went over to Kyoya's as a second choice.

Kyoya smirked, obviously pleased at the idea that his pack, as he called it, was going to be in his territory. He lived alone so, as long as it was only them, he didn't mind having people around. They weren't like the noisy herbivores that invaded his school on an almost daily basis.

Without any further delay (or any over-familiar departing pleasantries), Kyoya dropped to the ground from his place in Tsuna's window.

"I'll never understand him." Hana said, her mouth twisting the way it did whenever she was faced with someone she couldn't quite figure out. "He's so weird."

"Eh?" Tsuna blinked. "He's not weird to me. I can understand him perfectly fine."

"That's because you're weird too." Hana said bluntly. Tsuna let out a wounded cry, as though her words truly hurt him (they didn't, of course, but they found his overdramatic tendencies amusing so he kept them up—they also served to hide the other half of his personality, the half that Kyoya had ingrained into him shortly after they met). Hana smirked, obviously pleased with herself.

"Hana, that's mean." Kyoko chastised lightly.

"Lighten up, Kyoko." Takeshi said with a grin. "She's only joking."

To anyone else, their group would look a bit strange. Hibari Kyoya was a household name in Namimori because of his violent tendencies and overprotective nature in regards to the middle school that they all attended and he absolutely loathed noisy crowds so to see him flocking together with Sasagawa Ryohei, who was both noisy and crowd-drawing, and Yamamoto Takeshi who was just a tad bit too upbeat to be considered normal was odd, even for someone as unpredictable as he was.

Add into the mix Sasagawa Kyoko, the school idol, Kurokawa Hana, who acted like the silver-tongued dragon protecting the princess' virtue, and Sawada Tsunayoshi, the local pacifist, and hell yeah, that was going to look weird.

But, like everything else in Namimori, there was always an interesting back-story.

Hibari Kyoya and Sawada Tsunayoshi had met by complete accident. Kyoya had been walking home one rainy evening when the two of them, quite literally, bumped into one another. At the time, Tsuna had been running from bullies—of all things. Kyoya, who loathed the sniveling group that had been crowding around the small animal that couldn't defend itself, had confronted the group.

The rest, as they say, was history.

Kyoya had seen something interesting in Tsuna that evening and vowed to teach the boy how to fight. Now, come six years later, Sawada Tsunayoshi was not only a capable fighter but he was also the pseudo-leader of their little group with Kyoya in second command (although, if anyone asked Tsunayoshi about it, he would tell them that he and Kyoya were both the leaders—there was no first and second).

The second person to get involved in their little group was Ryohei who had viewed Hibari as a sort of rival even before Kyoya and Tsunayoshi had met. Kyoya had used Ryohei to train him in martial arts. After being beat up several times by fists that were far too fast for any middle-school student to wield, Tsuna learned to dodge.

Predictably, after that, came Kyoko. She had heard about a younger student being able to match her brother's speed almost effortlessly (Tsuna had snorted and told her, point blank, that there was nothing effortless about it), she opted to watching a match. Hana had accompanied her out of fear that the monkeys, as she dubbed most men, around her would try something (Tsuna knew that was a boldfaced lie—she just wanted to see Kyoko's older brother in action). The two of them weren't as connected as the guys were but they were still just as close.

Out of all of them, however, the one that knew him for the shortest amount of time was Takeshi. He and Tsuna hadn't known each other for very long but they acted like they'd known each other for years (something that made Kyoya very jealous at first. There had been something about the baseball player that put him on edge and made him see him as competition instead of an ally. That had quickly changed after many reassurances from Tsuna) and within a couple of months, the two of them were on a first name basis.

They had become friends during PE after it had become apparent that no one wanted to partner with Tsuna because he was friends with the Hibari Kyoya who had a revered reputation for brutally biting to death any and all rule breakers in Namimori. Takeshi had been the only one brave enough (or, if you asked Kyoya, stupid enough) to befriend him.

Tsuna had never been more thankful for his Takeshi's calming presence until he faced Kyoya's wrath later that afternoon.

They were all… his—mind, he was still in denial about calling anyone his but he hadn't gotten to the point where he had to point out the obvious so, until he did, he was spared from embarrassment (and there was no doubt in his mind that they would reach that point eventually—at some point they would need a little push).

The door shook. "Come in!" Tsuna called. The door opened to reveal his father.

"Time to send your friends home, Tsu." Iemitsu smiled apologetically when Tsuna groaned. "Did Kyoya already leave?"

"Yeah." Tsuna stood up, helping Kyoko and Hana up from the floor. "I'll walk you guys to the gate." He tacked on, huffing at his father as he stepped past them.

"Sorry, Tsu. You know the rules—no friends past six."

"It's Sunday!" Tsuna protested. Normally, he wouldn't even be here until nine!

"It's still a school night." Iemitsu said pointedly.

Tsuna huffed again. "Think about it this way, Sawada." Ryohei said, wrapping an arm around his pseudo-younger brother's shoulders. "It's the last week of school."

"Don't remind me." Tsuna said sardonically. He hated the last week. Things were always so wild between last minute cram sessions for the procrastinators and buttloads of paperwork for the teachers (and Kyoya). It was like nothing else mattered beyond vacation plans.

Not to mention… Kyoya's temper became almost unbearable. He was going to be one giant walking bruise by the end of the week.

"See you tomorrow!" He called after them as they all meandered off.

He sighed as he latched the gate shut for the evening. This week was going to be downright torture. "Something wrong?" Iemitsu asked as Tsuna settled in the kitchen.

"It's the last week of school." Tsuna said blandly. "Kyoya's going to be in a right snit."

"That boy always did have a violent temper." He ran a hand through his hair.

"Iemitsu was just telling us how you're part of the Discipline Committee." Federico said, leaning on his intertwined fingers.

"Sort of." Tsuna admitted, scratching his neck. "I'm more like a secretary. I file paperwork. I don't do any of the heavy lifting, so to speak." Lie, lie, lie. Well, not quite a lie. He did do that stuff but he also helped Kyoya with… er… clean up.

Federico didn't seem convinced—in fact, Tsuna could feel something hot coiling behind his gaze, as though he was weighing the pros and cons of calling him out on his flimsy little lie. "Why do I get the feeling you're lying?"

Because he was.

"Because you're reading too much into things." Tsuna shrugged as though what Federico did hardly affected him in any way.

"How did you and Kyoya meet?" Timoteo asked politely, cutting off whatever Federico was going to say next.

"We met through unfortunate circumstance." Tsuna said wryly.

"Really?" Xanxus asked, looking intrigued.

Tsuna snorted under his breath. "I was being chased by an unruly bunch of thugs. Kyoya saw something he liked and, since my grades were abysmal, he offered to tutor me." More half-truths. He was getting too good at this… maybe he should make new friends.

As if Kyoya would let him…

Well… it's not like he was hiding much—nothing more than his father was hiding, at least.

"Are you always in the habit of lying?" Xanxus asked casually.

Tsuna blinked at him before he smiled a bland little smile. "I guess it just runs in my blood." Iemitsu stiffened. He didn't wait for his father to defend himself. Instead, he stood up and said carefully, "I have homework I have to finish. Excuse me."

iii

That boy was hiding something.

Maybe it was the way he heard sub-vocal communication between two Mafia-made men. Maybe it was the way he held himself, self assured and confident, as though he'd long since accepted his place in the world as one of the natural born leaders. Or maybe it was the way he picked up on Xanxus' nonverbal placation (something that Federico, the fucking pacifist, failed miserably at)... but something told Xanxus that this brat not only knew more than he let on, but was keeping one hell of a secret from them.

His lips curved into a feral smirk that had Iemitsu bristling. "Whatever you're thinking about, don't." He hissed sharply in Italian.

"Whatever do you mean?" He asked, feigning ignorance.

"Xanxus…" Timoteo said warningly.

"Alright, fuck, just listen." Xanxus ran a hand over his face. He wasn't willing to diverge his theories... not yet. Something told him to wait and see how this played out before he made any drastic moves but he would diverge this much, at least. "You know how there are three types of leaders, right? The pacifist," He jabbed a thumb at Federico who quirked an eyebrow, "the tyrant," under normal circumstances, he would have pointed to himself but, since Timoteo was already giving him a stern look, he jabbed a finger towards Iemitsu who snorted under his breath, "and the hybrid."

"Yeah, and?" Iemitsu asked. This was all basic knowledge that was being roughly paraphrased. The pacifist accepted and embraced any and all that came to them—they were the gentle leaders, the ones that wielded words better than they wielded weapons. Manipulative as hell but inspired true loyalty—that was the kind of leader Primo had been. They always accepted those that served under them directly as equal in rank (even if the ones in question knew otherwise).

Then there was the kind that wanted to dominate and conquer with little regards to the consequences in the aftermath. They were savage and ruled by fear, save for a handful of soldiers who were raised to lead, only ever submitting to one person. The tyrannical leaders were cruel to their enemies and allies alike and knew no mercy. Secondo had been as such, sitting on a throne that rested atop of his enemies' blood-ridden corpses, punishing all who defied him regardless of their standing. It was, within reason, the same kind of leader that Xanxus was (granted, he had a little more restraint then Secondo did—that man had lacked honor from what he had heard about him and had been borderline insane when he took the Vongola's mantle—but that didn't take away from the fact that this was the type of leader Xanxus was). They tended to view their own with an animalistic outtake on things like rank.

And then there were the hybrids. They were, by far, the most dangerous type of leader because they could inspire both loyalty and fear—a silver tongue coupled with the ability to utterly destroy their enemies. They were rare and often lived in denial of their more bloodthirsty and animalistic traits, hiding behind a pacifist's mask instead of accepting the fact that they enjoyed the thrill of the chase as much as they enjoyed the peaceful moments.

But it went beyond that.

The different ways the leaders ruled also influenced the way their Intuition manifested—or, at least, that's how it was for Vongola Skies (since they were the only ones known to have any form of Intuition). Pacifists were more empathic than combative while the tyrants were more combative than empathic... but the hybrid leaders...

Xanxus knew that he was speculating—because there hadn't been a mixed-type leader since Ottavo and he hadn't been around long enough to know how she led so there was no possible way for him to distinguish how the Vongola Intuition manifested—but at this point, all he had to go off was speculation so...

"Your boy is Vongola blood."

"What's your point, Xanxus?" Iemitsu asked, annoyance painting his features. Xanxus rolled his eyse and resisted the urge to snarl something caustic and biting.

"Call it a hunch," Xanxus said slowly as though he was talking to an idiot. "But I think your son might be somewhere in the middle."

"Why?" Iemitsu asked.

Before Xanxus could open his mouth, Federico took over. "Notice how that Hibari brat was lookin' at us?" Federico asked, falling into step with Xanxus' line of thought. Xanxus fought to keep the pride off of his face (because really, who wouldn't feel pride at having a comrade that could read your own line of thought without having to say it out loud?). "He wasn't at all placated by my display."

"That's because he's a little monster." Iemitsu said darkly, his eyes narrowing. Timoteo raised an eyebrow. "He's Kaiser's son." Xanxus' eyebrows shot up and Federico's eyes narrowed.

Hibari Kaiser was the only Mafia made man that could have a foot on both sides of the law and he came from a long line of people that did the exact same thing. He acted as the go-between with the cops and the Mafia. If you wanted an entire organization taken down without breaking one of the Mafia's Vendice enforced laws, you went to him. The man was untouchable from all angles and always remained freelance.

The last Xanxus had heard, the man had disappeared after his wife fell sick.

Xanxus whistled. That meant he was connected to the Arcobaleno through his mother who, according to Viper, was Fon's younger sister.

Which meant that Hibari Kyoya was her godson.

Well, Xanxus thought, since the boy was technically under the Varia's protection (through the whole blood law), why didn't he… extend a hand of sorts?

But, then, that brought him back to Iemitsu's boy. The way he stalked after Tsunayoshi who had dodged the attack almost effortlessly… it reminded him of his and Armanio's scuffles.

Hm. More connections, he mused. Any more of them and they'd have to recruit them full time when they got a little older. As it was, when Tsunayoshi gathered the rest of his Elements—because there was no doubt in his mind that this would happen—Xanxus would make sure to get to him first before anyone else did.

"What does Kyoya's disposition have to do with your hunch though?" Iemitsu asked.

"Elements are influenced by their chosen Skies." Federico shrugged the same way Xanxus would have—like the information he gave didn't influence him in any way. "I don't need to tell you that Clouds are feral and tend to have episodes where they lash out at anyone that tries to talk to them and yet Tsunayoshi seems to have Kyoya pegged." The way he smoothly dodged Kyoya's attack was proof.

"How many Elements does he have?" Xanxus asked, point blank. There was no more denying that this was the reason they'd been called here. Tsunayoshi was answering the call of his blood and Iemitsu didn't like it. It would only be a matter of time before people started to flock around him naturally.

(There was more—there always was with this bastard—but that was a good majority of it.)

Iemitsu scowled. "So far? He has three. Sun, Rain and Cloud."

Which meant he was missing some vital pieces, Xanxus thought. Rain was temperance, Sun was encouragement and Cloud was discipline but he was missing passion, deceptive protection and unpredictability. Without those three Elements to balance it out, he would forever feel like there was something missing.

That was Storm, Mist and Lightning—coincidentally the three Elements that had remained in Italy when Primo fled the country.

Well shit. Maybe he could—

"Xanxus," Federico said in warning.

"Bite me." Xanxus responded on reflex and then cursed when he realized that was exactly what Federico wanted—a confirmation that he'd been planning something.

"Xanxus…" Federico began.

"You don't understand." Xanxus hissed, smacking his hand away while, at the same time, desperately trying to keep the embitterment out of his voice. "It'll only get worse."

"What'll get worse, my boy?" Timoteo asked lightly but Xanxus didn't reply, instead shooting him a savage glare before roughly shoving away from the table.

"Excuse me." He spat out the words as though they physically pained him to say before dodging any further attempt at interrogation. Before he left, he heard Federico sigh.

"He's right, you know. It will only get worse." He said softly. Xanxus paused long enough at the stairwell to listen in.

"I want to spare him from that." Iemitsu said quietly. "He doesn't deserve the pain of being half empty."

"It's far too late for you to think about stopping the call of his blood now." Federico said and Xanxus knew he would be giving him that almost pitying stare. He mentally sneered. Fuck Federico and his pity. "The best thing to do would be to trace the rest of Primo's Guardians' bloodlines and…"

He could tell by the way that Federico cut off that Iemitsu was giving him a savage glare but Xanxus didn't care to hear the rest of what was said. He didn't want to, to be honest.

So Federico'd made the connection too, Xanxus thought. He'd seen the sharp resemblance in both of them—how the dark haired teen looked almost exactly like Alaude did in the only surviving picture of the first generation (there were rumors of an entire art gallery filled with pictures of the First Generation Vongola but no one had ever seen it so no one knew if it actually existed or if Secondo burned it all to destroy any and all evidence of the Founding Family—the fact that one painting remained in the central ballroom disproved that theory so there was only speculation that it even existed in the first place… but there was also the matter of the missing watches that Giotto had commissioned which is believed to reside within the gallery but no one knows the exact location) only with black hair and grey eyes instead of platinum blond hair and ice blue eyes... and how Tsunayoshi was the same way with Primo only with brunet hair and copper-brown eyes instead of golden blond hair and fiery sunset eyes.

He knew, just as Xanxus knew, that Tsunayoshi's blood was one hundred percent pure.

Xanxus hadn't gotten a good look at the other boys but he was willing to bet that, if he had seen them, they would share the same resemblance.

Later that night, after dinner was served and everyone was ready for a full night's rest, Xanxus felt something cold sweep over him and embrace him like a sinister mockery of a lover's embrace. It was a sensation that he knew very well by now.

There was trouble in the wind.

But followed by that sensation of impending doom, Xanxus felt another sensation wash over him just as strong and somehow, instinctively, he just knew that soon, they'd find out exactly what it was that Tsunayoshi was hiding.

And they weren't going to like it.

iv

Hibari Kyoya was not, by any means, an idiot.

He knew that there were things Tsunayoshi would never tell him and he accepted that. He accepted the fact that Tsunayoshi had his secrets and the fact that three of his relatives had the same eyes that he did at times and he tolerated—not quite accepted, of course, because he hated everything that the one in question for everything was worth—the fact that Tsunayoshi used his first and second classes to skip school and head down to the abandoned Kokuyo facilities.

He just wished the stupid omnivore wouldn't go alone.

For the past two and a half years, Tsunayoshi would use the time spared up by working for the Discipline Committee (because it was an elective that took up his Phys Ed class, which was first period, and his language class which was second) to head down to the Kokuyo district which was completely baron because of the multiple health risks that the land served after the landslide some time ago.

At first, Kyoya didn't know why… a few months ago, he followed him there, weaving through the maze of alleys and buildings with catlike grace.

He didn't like what he saw.

Sawada Tsunayoshi playing housewife to an insect.

He was even wearing an apron.

Kyoya saw red.

He didn't remember what happened but apparently, he'd gone on a rampage and attacked Tsunayoshi. The next thing he remembered was standing over a kneeling, and bleeding, Tsunayoshi with a sense of smug satisfaction.

Apparently, the one he was playing housewife for was called Rokudo Mukuro—a worthy name for an insect, Kyoya remembered thinking—and he'd taken refuge in Namimori because the Vendice were after him. Tsunayoshi swore up and down that he was going to tell him and ask his father if he could buy Mukuro some leeway but the time hadn't been right.

'As if there would ever be a right time.' Kyoya remembered thinking.

But, as soon as Tsunayoshi flashed those eyes—the very same eyes he'd seen that day—Kyoya instinctively knew that whatever he said next was going to happen regardless of Kyoya's emotions on the matter.

"Mukuro stays." He'd said firmly. Kyoya remembered storming off and ignoring Tsunayoshi for a solid month after that because something about that pineapple-haired insect just rubbed him the wrong way. It had taken almost a full year for the two of them to repair the damage done to their relationship but the raw hate he felt for Mukuro hadn't faded, even if Tsunayoshi swore up and down that Mukuro wasn't a threat to them.

Kyoya was the only one who knew about Mukuro and his little group (a frequently reoccurring source of their arguments—when are you going to tell the others about them?—that always ended on the same note—when the time is right) but left the task of telling the rest of their pack about the interlopers to Tsunayoshi.

Mentally he sneered. That was a task he had yet to see fulfilled.

"I don't understand why you have to feed them too." Kyoya sneered.

"I feed them because they'd starve otherwise." Tsuna said lightly.

"Fine by me. Let them."

Tsuna sighed, looking back at him with weary eyes. "Kyoya…" He trailed off, the same thing he always replied with falling from his lips without him actually having to say the words out loud.

You know that I can't do that.

Why? Kyoya shot him a savage glare that said more than words ever could.

Because I'm in a position to help them. Tsunayoshi met his gaze as though he was willing him to understand his compassion. Kyoya knew there was more to it—there was always more to it—but Tsunayoshi couldn't form it into any words (or even actions) that they could understand. It was just how he was, nurturing and compassionate like any good leader should be.

It was enough to make Kyoya subside for the time being. He may not understand Tsunayoshi's reasoning but this he understood—looking out for the weak until they were strong enough to fend for themselves. Their argument was far from over, though, and he told Tsunayoshi as much.

"I know." Tsuna said, smiling a bit. It was never about words between them so much as actions so that was why when Tsuna's fingers spread over his chest, the tips of his fingers curling slightly into the material of his shirt. Mine, the action said.

Kyoya's hand rose of its own accord and rested over Tsuna's. Yours. Always yours.

The satisfied smile he got in return was enough to placate any further argument Kyoya may have come up with for the time being.

You found your way under my skin and now we are both bound.

Tsunayoshi felt the words form around him like they were a semi-corporeal wraith. He felt a sense of serenity wash over him. "You don't have to hide behind petty illusions, foolish Mukuro." Tsuna said softly as the air became humid with his Mukuro's presence. "I won't run away."

"Oh, but that makes you the foolish one not I," A smooth voice said from behind him. Tsuna leaned back instinctively before he caught himself—was Mukuro testing him again? "Not tonight, Tsunayoshi. I am in no mood for games." He said, wrapping his arms around Tsuna's shoulders and burying his face in Tsuna's hair.

Something must have happened to make Mukuro this needy. Concern swept over him like waves from the ocean crashing down on the sandy shore. Had someone hurt that which belonged to him?

"Who hurt you?" Tsuna asked, his eyes promising pain to those that crossed an invisible boundary set by Tsunayoshi. Kyoya's wrath was nothing in comparison to what the younger teen was capable of when someone he loved was placed in danger. It was a side that he kept well hidden under lock and key because he could be every bit the monster that his blood was capable of becoming if given the slightest incentive to do so but that didn't mean it wasn't there. It was only that no one had ever seen it.

No one except for Mukuro, at least.

Tsuna guided Mukuro into the reception-room-turned-master-suite and was immediately accosted by vines that pulled him onto the bed and held them there, the bag that held the food slipping from his fingers and landing upright on the floor without spilling the contents inside (a feat that only Mukuro could manage, really).

"Mukuro…" Tsuna said warningly when his shirt slid up his belly. He was too young physically to cross these boundaries yet. He knew it was hard on him, to be unable to show his love in the only way he knew how after countless trips through peoples' dreams but he would have to bare. Tsuna would seek him out when he was ready for such companionship.

At least Kyoya hadn't reached this needy stage yet, he thought with a shiver.

"It's not like you to be cruel." He said softly, tracing nonsensical designs over the exposed skin. Tsuna felt heat coiling under his skin.

"It's not like you to be this needy. Talk to me, Mukuro. You know I won't leave you." Tsuna said, sitting up and pulling free from the illusionary vines. There was always more to Mukuro's need than just lust or the desire to pay him back for all that he's done so far.

"Kaiser stopped by yesterday to finalize the indictment."

Oh.

That meant that Mukuro would be going in front of the Council for a full trial.

The Council was an all neutral party that served just below the Vendice. They overlooked case investigations, trials and were witnesses to executions. It was a party made up of retired Dons, surviving Guardians and some of the oldest assassins known to man.

"Have you thought about who you're going to call to your defense?"

Mukuro nodded. "It's only a matter of finding him."

"Do I get to know who this mystery person is?"

Mukuro smiled enigmatically at him before his bangs fell into his face and shadows his expression making him look like a mischievous child. "Kufufu, there are some things in this world that should remain a mystery, my dear Tsunayoshi. This is one of them."

Tsuna huffed before he settled against Mukuro's side. "I'll let it slide for now… as long as you promise to tell me when it's all said and done."

"But of course~." Mukuro said, offering the smaller boy a charming smile that would have had most women swooning. "I always do."

v.

Following Sawada Tsunayoshi was harder than it seemed. For starters, that kid was sharp. Every time he got too close, the kid would stop, scan his surroundings and take a different route. It was as though he'd been followed before.

That's alright, Xanxus thought. He'd followed people before. He knew how to stay hidden.

But when Tsunayoshi ducked through an open slot at the abandoned Kokuyo Middle School, Xanxus was thankful that he'd taken extra precautionary measures before he started following the brat.

He put a tag on the brat's uniform before he left the house this morning.

So when Xanxus slipped between the gaping space (big enough for an agile person to slip through) between the wrought iron bars that made up the school's fence-line, he found himself counting his lucky stars that, not only did the child not know guerilla warfare intimately, but he also seemed oblivious to defensive mechanisms as well.

So that brought up the question—if Tsunayoshi didn't have traps set up to guard whatever secret he was protecting, why did he bother keeping it hidden?

When he got to the cement-brick wall that marked the very end of school territory and the beginning of Kokuyo Health Land, he quickly found out the answer because permeating the air was the humid scent of adolescent Mist Flames forming a deflection barrier just beyond the decaying brick wall.

'Better make that four out of seven, old man.' He thought somewhat smugly.

(Hey, it wasn't every day someone one-upped the head of the CEDEF. Xanxus had the right to feel smug.)

The barrier was weak and, if he wanted to, Xanxus could have easily broken through it but very deliberately chose not to. Instead, he wove around it, testing how far it went. It only covered a portion of the land but the buildings were all closer to the center.

Xanxus tucked the information away for later before looking down at his watch. He'd told Federico he'd be back before lunch, that he was only going out for a pack of smokes, and that he'd be gone for roughly three hours (since the business district was quite a ways away) but it had only been one and a half.

He'd have more than enough time, he thought with a wry smile as he made his way back to the main gates of Kokuyo Middle and waited.

"Yo," Xanxus drawled lazily from his place in the corner. Tsunayoshi froze halfway out of the gate and whipped around, his eyes wild and frayed as though he'd just been caught doing something he shouldn't have. 'Funny—that's not too far off the mark.' Xanxus thought with a fleeting smirk.

"What are you doing here?"

"So much hostility." He said casually, putting a hand over his heart as though Tsuna had wounded him. The teen scoffed. "A better question… would be what you were doing at Kokuyo Land." He said casually, watching as panic flared for one raw moment before it bled way into cold calculation before that, too, was gone.

"Kokuyo Land?" He asked, tilting his head before he laughed. "You know that Kokuyo Land is buried from a landslide, right? I know that you're not from Japan but I'm pretty sure that the typhoon that swept over half of Japan made international news with the amount of damage that was done."

Xanxus rolled his shoulders, craning his neck to either side before he kicked off of the wall. "Okay." He said, meeting Tsunayoshi's eyes. "We'll play things your way." He sighed and turned halfway as though he was going to leave. He saw Tsunayoshi's shoulders release some of their tension before he struck.

The blow was weak with no Flame behind it whatsoever and would have been considered child's play to any of his boys back home but it was enough to knock a civilian flat on his ass and he wouldn't have even known what hit him. The fact that Tsunayoshi met the amateur attack head on only further confirmed Xanxus' suspicion.

He was not as normal as he appeared.

"If you want to take me down," Tsunayoshi said, lowering his voice until it sounded almost threatening. "You're going to have to do better than that."

Xanxus' smirk widened into a feral grin. "I think… that you know more than you're letting on, Sawada Tsunayoshi."

Tsunayoshi stared at him for a few moments before he saw fire bleed into his eyes. "If that's the case," He said, sensing that any denials at this point would be futile (because Xanxus was nothing, if not persistent), "then prove it."

Xanxus threw his head back and laughed. "Oh, I will." He said, his grin turning savage. "And I'll enjoy watching your world fall, Sawada Tsunayoshi."

Something had happened, was Kyoya's first thought when Tsunayoshi barreled into the reception room with a look of undisguised panic painting his features.

"They know." He said and Kyoya felt all of the blood drain from his face.

"How?" Kyoya asked sharply, his mouth twisting in distaste.

"I don't know… but they know. The Vongola knows." Tsunayoshi began pacing, his heart thudding unevenly in his chest. "Xanxus… I don't know why I didn't make the connection before. He's the leader of the Varia. That means that Federico is Vongola Decimo. Oh God. That means the Ninth is staying at my house!"

The door opened again and Kyoya grimaced as Tsunayoshi dissolved into hysterics. "You calm him down." He said, giving Takeshi a glare that dared him to protest. Takeshi blinked, somewhat bewildered before he caught Tsunayoshi's shoulders and did just that.

Kyoya tuned them out and instead turned to look out the window where a small yellow canary was circling the sky.

'So that's how it is, hm?' Kyoya thought, brushing a few irritating strands of hair away from where they fell. 'That's alright. I'll just have to…' He lowered his head to mask his eyes behind the shadow of his bangs while a feral grin split his features like the slash of a dagger. '…bite them to death.'

vi.

"I'm home!" Tsuna called into the house. He'd gone over to Kyoya's house after school to plan around the Vongola but had come up blank—as had everyone else. They were going to meet again tomorrow night until they had a sense of security, if not a solid plan, but the fact that they didn't set Tsuna on edge.

"Welcome back!" Nana called from the kitchen where she seemed to be permanently stationed when she wasn't sleeping.

"Do you need any help?" Tsuna asked, tossing his bag into the corner of the room. He'd worry about taking it upstairs later. Nana turned to face him and smiled brightly.

"My son is so cute~!" She crowed. "But no. I like cooking."

Tsuna sat down at the table and ignored the way Xanxus was smirking behind his tea. "I never imagined you as the housewife type." Xanxus said casually. Tsuna shot him a frigid glower that said more than any smarmy remark could have. "Ouch. What bit you?"

"A skylark." Tsuna said before laughing when Iemitsu scowled.

"Do I need to give Kyoya-kun the talk?" Iemitsu asked casually, his smile sharpening a bit. Tsuna threw his hands up.

"Oh, papa, I'm only joking." He said, accepting the tea that Iemitsu poured for him. "You make it seem like I'm up to salacious activities."

Federico must have been waiting until Tsuna had a mouthful of tea because he waited until the cup was at Tsuna's lips to say, "Well, you are getting to be that age."

Tsuna's other hand flew to his mouth to keep himself from spraying the mouthful of hot tea over the table. He attempted (and failed) to swallow a few times before coughing and dispelling some of the liquid from his lungs while blood flooded his cheeks. "Federico!" He shrieked, his voice cracking halfway through the scandalized reply. Xanxus and Timoteo were shaking with laughter while Iemitsu looked half-torn between crying out in despair at the supposed-loss of his son's innocence and breaking down with laughter along with them.

Tsuna turned his head away from the highly amused trio, resisting the urge to cross his arms and look like a sulking toddler. He wasn't five, thankyouverymuch.

His phone let out a shrill demand in that same moment. The laughter died down as he looked at the caller ID.

It was Kaiser.

Tsuna smiled apologetically at Iemitsu. "It's Kyoya. He gets fussy if I don't answer him. Excuse me." Tsuna stood up and stepped out onto the porch. "Hello?"

"I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Mukuro has already told you the good news."

Tsuna cocked his head to the side and listened for conversation that was strangely absent. He grimaced and moved further away. "You know that he did." He grimaced. "I wish that you would tell me before you brought up old wounds. You know how he gets."

"I do and I know that you're too young to take on his anguish alone."

"Are you suggesting I hand him over to you?" Tsuna asked lightly, something dark and hot coiling under his skin. This was an argument he'd had with Kyoya's father multiple times. Kaiser knew how to take care of children who had been experimented on, having been down that path himself, and the damage he couldn't repair, his wife could.

"You already know the answer to that."

"He is mine, Kaiser." Tsuna said, his voice dropping an octave. "Just as your son is."

He heard Kaiser sigh. "He wants to give back to you in some way."

"And he will—when he's ready." Mukuro wasn't ready for this kind of devotion yet. What he wanted to demonstrate was passion that should only be shared between lovers. What they shared was far different and much, much stronger than the love of a couple.

Besides… there were still pieces missing.

"When he's ready… or when you're ready?"

Tsuna bared his teeth before consciously biting back the snarl that would have passed from his lips. "You are not a Sky, Kaiser. Don't pretend otherwise."

"…very well… but don't wait too long, Tsunayoshi. You may break him further if you do." The line died. Tsuna listened to the dial tone for a few moments before he snapped his phone shut with a little more force than necessary.

Damn that man.

It was like nothing had happened.

Xanxus made no mention of their confrontation during dinner. Neither did anyone else for that matter. It was as though nothing had transpired between them. Was this all an act to get Tsuna to lower his guard or was the Vongola made up of damn good actors?

Or had Xanxus truly kept his mouth shut?

Tsuna rubbed his hair dry, pondering these thoughts after a hot shower later that evening. Why would Xanxus intentionally keep his brother and father out of the loop about Mukuro?

Thinking back, Mukuro hadn't said anything about his barrier being breached… did that mean that Xanxus didn't truly know or had the man been keeping his distance intentionally?

There were so many questions that were unanswered.

His thoughts were interrupted when there was a knock at his door. "Come in." He called, not lifting his head to see who it was that entered.

"Can we talk?" A gruff voice said. Tsuna paused, lifting his head enough to get a look at Xanxus' expression which gave nothing away.

"By all means." Tsuna said, a touch of sarcasm entering his voice. Xanxus hadn't seemed to keen on talking earlier. He heard the older man sigh quietly.

"Look. I don't know what you're up to and, quite frankly, I don't care." He said bluntly. "The old man, Iemitsu and Federico may feel differently but your actions have nothing to do with me or my boys."

Oh how wrong he was, Tsuna thought. His actions had everything to do with the Vongola… but he didn't need to know that.

Yet.

"Your actions beg to differ." Tsuna said bluntly, dropping all pretenses.

Xanxus grimaced. "Rico is always saying I jump into things all-cocked. I guess he's right." Tsuna wasn't stupid enough to think that he was going to get a full apology out of the man so he took what he could get.

"Why haven't you told the others about what you found out today?" Tsuna asked.

Xanxus shot him an odd look. "Did you want me to?"

"No." Tsuna answered honestly. "Don't dodge my question."

Xanxus closed his eyes rolled his shoulders the same way he had earlier. "Like I said. I don't care what you get up to."

"Even if that's the reason Iemitsu called you here?" Tsuna asked.

Xanxus opened one eye and stared at him lazily. "If you think that your extracurricular activities are the reason you were called here then this is going to come as a bit of a shock. You aren't that special."

Tsuna felt a flash of cold run down his spine and he fought off the urge to shiver—Xanxus had lied. "Bullshit." Xanxus opened both eyes and raised an eyebrow. "You and I both know that Vongola blood runs thick through my veins. If I am doing anything reckless or dangerous to the Vongola or my wellbeing, it'll only be a matter of time before the Ninth steps up and puts me in chains."

"Are you doing anything reckless?" Xanxus asked.

"Nothing more dangerous than what you get up to." Tsuna said casually. Xanxus snorted wryly. Did he know who Xanxus was?

"I highly doubt that." He said dryly.

"I'm not joking." Tsuna said, turning around and letting his lips form a smile as thin as paper. "My… extracurricular activities are about as safe as what the Varia gets up to—that is to say..." Tsuna's smile gained a sharp edge. "Not at all."

Xanxus' eyes narrowed. He didn't get the sense that the kid was lying but…

"But then most of the fun things in life are dangerous, ne?" Tsuna continued.

Fucking Vongolas. They were all mind readers.

Xanxus shifted his weight, leaning onto his other leg and jerking his head back. "The Mafia isn't just something you can take for a joy-ride." He said darkly.

"I'm not taking it for a joy ride. I'm swimming along with the current so it doesn't drag me under." Tsuna countered. "If you have issues with my involvement, feel free to take it up with my father." There was a distinct heat in Tsuna's eyes that told Xanxus that his actions were more than just a joy ride.

They were defiance.

Maybe it was the fact that he'd gone through that stage as well. Maybe it was the fact that he could relate to the embitterment burning through Tsuna's gaze. Maybe it was any number of things but Xanxus found his resolve to keep his mouth shut solidifying.

Because if anyone could understand what it's like to pay for the sins of the father where the son is held guiltless, it would be him.

Tsuzukeru.

Notes: None.

Thanks for reading~!