Author's Note:

This is the part of a series of Skull-centric one-shots. Overall, this series is a crossover with Baccano! but there were no charcters present or referenced in this piece. In this little series, Skull really is immortal and does not take Reborn's shit.

Also, this is un-beta'd.

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR.

Pre-Arcobaleno

—

"For the sake of everything that you hold dear, shut the fuck up."

Everyone in the room froze and looked over at the growling Cloud. His fingers were massaging his temples and his eyes had a steely glint to them that they usually saw during missions. Very rarely did it ever come out otherwise. However, let it be known that Reborn, with his penchant for Chaos, did not necessarily listen to his survival instincts at this point in time. After all, it was only Skull, right?

"Or what?" Reborn's voice purred low with smugness. "You are a stuntman and I am a hitman. The Greatest Hitman. What could you even do to me?"

Fon just relaxed into his chair, having been reading while the others (minus Skull) had sunk to the levels of petty squabbling.

Skull just looked at Reborn with an annoyed glower. "How would you like to be banned from your precious espresso for a week, hm?"

Reborn outright glared at the Cloud. "You wouldn't dare."

Skull quirked an eyebrow. "I would." His eyes flicked to the other elements. "And I will do something similar to each and every one of you. If you don't believe me, that's your problem."

Behind his book, Fon mentally applauded Skull. If he had to guess, the other man definitely had experience with little kids based on that tone. He was also sure that Skull would follow through with the threats. Given the natures of the Strongest Seven, Fon was willing to bet that it would happen soon, too.

—-

To no one's surprise, a week later Reborn pushed Skull to the limit. The hitman didn't believe that the purple-haired man would follow through and told him as such. The line, however, proved to be something that they didn't believe the hitman would actually stoop to.

There was a gun muzzle pressed against Skull's head. A gun that was currently being held by Reborn.

"Lackey." That was new. "You will make me an espresso. Now."

Skull turned to look Reborn in the eye, which made the gun now resting on his forehead. Reborn would never admit that the completely calm and bored look in Skull's eyes unnerved him when the stuntman spoke.

"No. So either follow through with your threat," he gestured to the gun, "or leave me the fuck alone. I am no one's lackey, least of all yours."

Standing up with the gun still pressed to his forehead, Skull kept eye contact with the hitman, as if judging him and finding him lacking.

"Well, Reborn?"

The hitman simply stared, never having been put in this position before. After five minutes, Skull rolled his eyes and he sat back down to eat.

"No espresso for a week."

Reborn didn't know what was worse: the sliver of disappointment he heard in the other man's voice or the fact that he was, in fact, capable of keeping any and all espresso away from him, even outside of the house after confirming that Skull was still there. He never found out how the stuntman pulled it off but it did earn some respect from the hitman, not that he would admit it.

—

Surprisingly, Luce was the one to piss off Skull next.

"Donna Luce, please refrain your Sky from trying to bond with mine. Our elements do not align so please do not try again."

That was four weeks ago and the Giglio Nero donna had not stopped trying to pull the odd Cloud into her sky. He rebuffed any and all attempts both verbally and physically, going so far as to leave the room whenever she entered, if possible. At a mandatory dinner for the Seven, though, she pushed too far by attempting to all but smother his elusive flames with her sky.

"Donna Luce. This is the last time I will say this. I am not and will not bond with your sky. As people we are not compatible regardless of power. I have a Sky, who is very possessive of me and vice versa. If you do not stop your attempts at poaching me, I will leave. No. Matter. What."

The whole table froze. Of all the elements gathered, they had not expected Skull to have a sky, given his civilian status.

"Before you ask, I would destroy the world for my sky."

For the rest of dinner, Viper and Luce attempted to needle the cloud about his mysterious sky to no avail. At the end, after dessert, he looked both of them square in the eye.

"Luce, no Disney movies for 3 days. Viper, no strawberry milk for the same time frame. My Sky is my own and you have not respected them or me with your questioning." He paused and sighed. "Puppy dog eyes don't work on me and no, Viper, bribes wont work either."

Much like Reborn, they couldn't discover how Skull enforced their punishments. Viper even went to another country and couldn't escape it either. Unlike Luce who sulked about not having Skull's Cloud in her Sky, the Mist was grudgingly impressed with Skull's skill.

—

Lal refused to tell them what happened while they were away on a job (one that listed not wanting a cloud or rain to be part of it). The distinct lack of opera music for two days, however, was telling.

—

Verde made the mistake of messing with Skull's bike, not out of malicious intent but to make it better and implement an idea the two of them had been throwing around. Early on, the scientist and the stuntman had bonded over mechanical engineering projects. The only reason that Verde was slapped with a severe punishment was his genuine apology and quickly telling the Cloud what he was doing and why. Basically, the 'why' was wanting to do something for the stuntman as a thank you for helping him with different projects and experiments.

Skull did lock him out of his lab for a day though. He took it graciously and joined Skull in his garage with a grin.

—

Fon was quiet and witnessed the punishments doled out to his colleagues with suppressed grins. He quite liked the purple-haired Cloud and the green scientist as well. The martial artist preferred to observe the others before interacting so that he would be much less likely to step on any toes. Something that helped him earn the title of 'The Calmest Storm'. During a quiet day he knocked on the closed garage door. Skull told him to enter and found his two favorite colleagues, almost friends, working on the stuntman's bike.

"You both missed lunch so I volunteered to bring you refreshments." He gave his standard smile as he closed the door.

Verde snorted and Skull chuckled. "You mean they're being loud and annoying," the scientist piped up.

Sitting on the ground, the Storm just sighed. "They must've been only children to act like this. Or were the youngest."

Skull shrugged and reached for a tool. "They'll learn. Eventually."

Verde grabbed a cookie from the tray. "We'll see. I'm surprised they haven't asked why Fon hasn't been punished for anything."

Fon actually pouted when Skull laughed. "I took his manwha collection for 2 days."

Verde shook his head. "I don't want to know."

—-

When asked why he used this methods to corral the other Seven, Skull simply replied "I grew up with 2 little brothers. How else would I retain my peace of mind?"