Authors Note:

Well this is it. The final chapter. And I know, the smart thing to do would be to wait a week and see if I can get more reviews for the previous chapter, but hey, the way I figure it—you already waited a damned long time while I stewed in my bog of writers-block and so I have no right to withhold the ending from you guys. After all you waited right? Right. So, here it is. The last rule. I don't know if this is what you were expecting but I am content with what I wrote. And no, I know very well it's neither flawless nor perfect. That's not how I write. I just allow the fever to consume me and I let it go from there.

I want to say thanks to all the people who reviewed, read and reviewed, read and forgot to review, read and tried to review and those that read and said they'll review it when they have the time or inclination to do it. Thank you. The mere fact that you bothered to keep clicking and reading this work is thanks enough. I wrote the name of all those that reviewed at the end of this work, because as far as I'm concerned you should be placed at the end—because you made it possible for me to even find a reason to end this.

For those reading this work again after a long time, try re-reading. I tweaked it a bit and made a few adjustments. The essence is still there—but tweaking is my prerogative right? And I needed to fix some of the really dumb things I wrote the first time around. Hehehe. Oh well, I've already consumed quite a number of words and none of it related at all to the story, so enough babbling. Go read.

"There are two ways of meeting difficulties:

You alter the difficulties or you alter yourself to meet them."

Phyllis Bottome

When everything else fails—

would it kill you to read the damned instructions?

- Anonymous

(amended by author ^ _^ )

Alessandro found himself frozen—it was as if his entire body was suddenly plunged into a frigid pool, paralyzing everything except for his eyes and his wildly confused mind that kept churning and struggling against the onslaught of invading fear.

What the hell is this feeling?

The truly frustrating thing was that he couldn't even pinpoint the reason for his fear since his mind kept constantly reminding him that he hasn't been removed from his spot just moment before, that he was still in the same place, with the same people, with Mossimo just standing no more than six inches beside him.

And yet, everything—every damned thing was different and he could feel it! It doesn't matter what his mind tells him or what it is that his eyes showed him—he could tell the difference!

It certainly didn't help when his eyes landed on Mossimo and saw that his second in command was struggling against the confining grip of Romario who was quietly explaining something in Mossimo's ear that was drowned out by the feel of a cold, talon tipped hand suddenly caressing his throat and that same amused, wild chuckle whispering softly in his ear.

"Well, well…who do we have here? Fresh meat…oh Cavallone, you really shouldn't have."

"Merde. Of course after those two, we'd meet you."

For the first time since having met the man, Alessandro caught a glimpse of a truly discomfited Cavallone don. Granted it wasn't really the most unusual reasons or the most reassuring since for all intents and purpose, it was his neck that's currently being stroked by a man whose voice is enough to chill his very blood.

"W-what the hell is going on?"

"Ohhhh…such interesting choice of word little raven. So you're the little raven that the bronco found to join us…such a pretty little raven…with those pretty, pretty golden eyes…kukukuku."

"W-w-who are you?"

"Who am I is immaterial little raven…in this world I am every one and any one."

Alessandro blinked and tried to corral his wandering thoughts. There was something really eerie about the man standing behind him. It wasn't just the man having suddenly appeared out of nowhere or the fact that he managed that without alarming either Romario or Mossimo's battle-honed senses. It wasn't the fact that even the blustery, flippant Cavallone Don was uncommonly wary of this man and showed it.

No, the cause for his unease was more fundamental than that. More primal. The man behind him was a threat not just to his physical being but a threat to his very being. There was something so compelling—so haunting about the man that now stands behind him, stroking his neck like a possessive executioner caressing a death-row convict moment before being guillotined.

This man brings death. Lives with death. Knows it like the back of his hand and revels in it.

"What do you want?"

"Want? My dear little raven, if you must know what I want is YOU."

"W-w-what?!"

"Anou…Mukuro-sama…"

Like a sudden gust of a summer's breeze, the voice effectively shattered the tension that held them in a strange tableau. Alessandro's eyes caught sight of a single purple eye and felt something inside of him settle. The eye belonged to a slip of a girl with short choppy hair and small build. Dressed in a black blazer and a frilly purple shirt and skirt, the figure bore a remarkable resemblance to an elegant fragile china doll. The feeling that immediately followed was worry that the one with the purple eye would fall prey to the same figure that chained him and his next words certainly startled everyone around him.

"Don't come here!"

"Anou…don't worry. I mean you no harm."

"That's not it! You must stay away from here or he might—!"

"Might what? Kukuku…are you trying to keep my little Chrome from me little raven?"

"Mukuro-sama…I think you should let him go now. Boss is looking for you."

"Ah…is that so little Chrome? Now, why didn't you just say so?"

And just as suddenly as he came, the pressure that shackled him mere moments ago vanished and Alessandro found himself stumbling straight into Mossimo's supporting arms. Shaking his head to clear away the confusing miasma of thoughts that assailed him, Alessandro pinned the trio in front of him with wild wide green-old eyes.

"W-what the hell just happened?"

"I apologize, Corvino. This is—are, well, how do I say it? Don Corvino, these are the Vongola Mist guardians."

"Guardians?"

"C-c-ciao. il suo bello fare la tua conoscenza. Il mio nome è Chrome. Benvenuti Don Corvino."

Hello. It's nice to make your acquaintance. My name is Chrome. Welcome Don Corvino

Alessandro could only nod at the young woman bowing in front of him and murmur the usual banal responses expected of someone being introduced. And while he was normally more suave when dealing with women, this certainly wasn't one of those times. He blinked and tried to gather his thoughts once more. He muttered the first thing that popped inside his head.

"Two?"

"Yes, two little raven. Two faces of the mist. Just as there are two faces of a coin, of the moon, of man."

Finally, a face to match the voice that he knows would haunt him for some time. Alessandro stared at the man standing insouciantly in front of him, clad in a dark leather jacket festooned with chains and zippers, purple shirt and aubergine tie. The smirk that painted the lips was expected as well as the patrician face. The pale coloring and the heterochromic eyes were not.

"Who are you?"

"Apologies for my horrific lack of courtesy little raven. They call me Mukuro."

Alessandro blinked. "Mukuro?"

The man gave him an even more unnerving chuckle and nodded as his hands caressed an intricately designed trident.

"Perhaps the name Rukudo Mukuro might make more sense to you?"

Alessandro stared at the smirking man for a full minute before wrenching his gaze towards the Cavallone Don. The resigned look in those blue eyes made his own grow wide and then wider still.

That name. It wasn't a name one could claim even if one did it for jest. It wasn't a name that anyone same would even dare to claim.

"Y-y-you—you're—!"

"BOO."

If Mossimo, Dino and Romario thought the image of the young Corvino heir fainting dead away at their feet an unusual sight, they were at least sympathetic enough never to reveal it to anyone else. They certainly would never disclose the fact that they too were just a breath or two away from doing the same after seeing the chagrined expression on a single purple eye and the downright evil smile that painted the lips of one Vongola Mist guardian.

PRESENT

Vongola Annual Sky Initiation Ball

"That wasn't the least bit funny Mossimo."

"Of course not my lord."

"It was just a reaction."

"Most certainly my lord."

"I was caught unaware. That was all."

"That would explain it sir."

"Mossimo."

"Yes, my lord?"

"Shut up."

"As you wish my lord."

The Annual Sky Initiation Ball was in full swing by the time Alessandro once again emerged from his assigned suite for the night. Spending a few hours taking a much needed restorative nap and a few more hours collecting his shattered self-respect and dignity calmed him down enough to actually look forward to the end of a life-changing few weeks.

Standing in front of an antique Cheval glass dressing mirror, Alessandro allowed Mossimo to fuss with the lines of his coat and straighten the crisply knotted silk tie he wore with his dove-gray evening suit.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather wear the black Armani suit or the white Valentino sir?"

Alessandro shook his head and held out a hand for the pair of vintage gold and black opal cuff-links that Mossimo brought with them to complete his ensemble.

"Black would make me disappear in a ballroom already awash with it. From the lowliest grunts to the decade old-timers, they would be clad head to foot in the pervasive black apparel of our world. White would be too much of a distraction and I refuse to be the one spot of bright coloring in that sea of darkness. That's akin to painting a target on my back and daring some insolent upstart to take a shot at it."

Affixing the jeweled links onto his cuffs with a few deft moves of his fingers, he walked towards the ornate dressing table that matched the old world décor of his suite and reached for a small intricately tooled wooden box. Withdrawing from its velvet nest an old-fashioned pocket watch and chain, he attached the fob and placed the timepiece in one of the pockets of his vest before buttoning up his jacket.

"I have made arrangements for a light repast to be delivered here so that you may eat before the actual dinner. I am sure that like all other gatherings, the actual presentation would take some time and I don't wish for you to feel lightheaded from hunger."

"Thank you Mossimo."

Mossimo directed his young boss towards a small table set with delicate china and crystal. Pouring a small amount of red wine into the flute next to his young master's hand, he used his other hand to deftly remove a silver dome off the serving dish that contained a small collation of cold salad and a sandwich.

"Si prega di godere, Padrone." Please enjoy, boss.

"Grazie per il cibo, Mossimo." Thank you for the meal Mossimo

His regent gave him a small nod and gestured for him to proceed with his meal. The man then whipped out a small appointment book and consulted the notes he kept for as long as Alessandro had known him.

"I have also made arrangements for the gifts that would be presented to the Vongola Decimo. I believe that your father and grandfather requested specifically that they be the one in charge of bringing the largess with them."

Alessandro nodded absently, well aware of the fact that his own father and grandfather wouldn't miss his presentation for all the wine in Italia. It was a rare honor conferred to the Corvino Famiglia and the fact that it was being given while it was his turn to be Head was not something lost to either men. It was a testament to his own worthiness for the seat and a validation for all their years of sacrifice and hard work.

"Mossimo."

"Si Padrone?"

"Portami il Libro delle Regole, per favore." Bring me the rule book, please.

"Come desidera, signore." As you wish, sir.

La Regola Più Importante

The most important rule

When the time finally comes for your presentation, there is only one thing that you must remember above all else. Forget all that you have learned. Forget all that you have read. But no matter what happens, do NOT ever, ever FORGET 'THE L.I.S.T'.

The presentation, just as Mossimo predicted, took forever. The virtues extolled for every candidate soon became tedious and monotonous. It took all of Alessandro's considerable patience not to show his boredom. It took even more patience not to twitch every time his ears would pick up certain 'voices' from the crowd. He shuddered just imagining the vision of confronting those personalities that were written in the journal he kept close to his heart.

When he was brought to finally meet the young Don that caused him many endless days and many sleepless nights, it was all he could do not to gape in a display of utter gaucheness.

The Vongola Decimo met with all his new allied candidates in a cozy corner of the ballroom designated for just that purpose. Comfortable chairs and sofas, wide-backed armchairs festooned the cove and all around them loitered men and women from the best and brightest famiglias of the Underworld. The only jarring note one might take an exemption to was the undeniable presence of two young men who stayed close to the Vongola Decimo, allowing no one to actually come close enough to the powerful famiglia head.

Each candidate was presented by the famiglia that endorsed them, and stayed for a few minutes to chat and exchange pleasantries with the young don. When Alessandro's time came, he was accompanied no by no less than his father, his grandfather, Mossimo and the Cavallone Don himself.

The formal signing of the alliance documents took all of twenty minutes. The Vongola Decimo was sweet-tempered and very charming to all of his guests. He apologized for any inconvenience Alessandro might have faced and spoke warmly about his eagerness to learn more about the Corvino Famiglia. Alessandro could not for the life of him remember exactly what he said to the young don because the only thing that kept reverberating in his head were the last page on that now accursed Rule Book.

You are NOT allowed to Linger.

And yet he noticed that the number of the ones that committed this particular offense increased exponentially as the night progressed. That the offenders varied in age, social status, reputation and gender also confused him. There simple were no pattern or reason to the kind of people that committed this specific turpitude.

There were the usual bevies of young unmarried women, sparkling talented ingénues and titled madams who flirted and cajoled and simpered and fawned over their oblivious host who only continued to blush and smile and nod his head at whatever passed for witticism for ladies of means. His voice, soft and mellifluous could be heard clearly from across one end of the room to the next.

There were the young men who hovered and gravitated toward the young Don like moths drawn to an irresistible flame, young men who were reputed to be impetuous and brash now stood seemingly reserved and shy around the short-statured Head as they listened in rapt attention for the soft, lilting voice that dispensed advice and encouragements with equanimity.

Decades older heads of established famiglias stayed near the young Head, their heads turned diffidently to hear fully whatever it was that the soft-spoken young man was saying. There were new acquaintances and guests whose handshakes became extended far beyond the norm.

His own hand betrayed him as well once his own enveloped the ridiculously small appendage that wielded with enviable ease and total control the reins to the most powerful family of them all. The hand he held was small and calloused yes, but delicate and seemed far too fragile for their world. They certainly didn't look capable to breaking anyone down or causing any one harm. There was such warm regard and comforting feeling expressed through those long, frail digits that for a moment he feared that his own touch have caused him some harm. They were surprisingly warm, soft and for some reason, he wanted to hold on just a bit longer.

And it was then that he learned why the list mentioned that one is not allowed to linger. After all, one ought to recall perfectly the reason why one ended up feeling the unmistakable and unyielding pressure of reinforced steel tonfas cutting off your air and stealing the very breath from your lungs.

"Hibari-san! What are you doing?"

"Kyouya that's enough! He didn't do anything wrong!"

"He loitered far too long. I don't like herbivores lingering close to where I am forced to perch."

"Hibari-san, please."

Alessandro tried focusing on the soft beseeching tones of the Vongola Decimo to relieve the constricting pain burning through his chest when the pressure suddenly lifted and he found himself stumbling nearly to his knees.

Glaring up at the man who attacked him, green-gold eyes clashed against a pair of fierce steely purple-grey eyes that dared him to break his silence. Alessandro didn't fear easily and after his confrontation with the wildly wicked Mist guardian, he would've bet that his sense of self-preservation has been pretty much numbed. But he certainly didn't account for the sheer primal presence that is being generated by the man standing so indifferently in front of him.

This man fears nothing the world could offer. Rokudo Mukuro might know death but this beast revels in causing it.

"Forgive me Don Corvino. He means no harm. Please forgive him."

"W-who—?"

"This is Hibari Kyouya. He is my Cloud guardian. I do apologize for his actions. It's just that he doesn't like people crowding close to him. I'm so sorry."

Alessandro watched as a truly becoming blush bloomed on those soft cheeks and found himself transfixed. So much so that the cold, apathetic voice that spoke close to him caught him by surprise, wrenching his eyes away from the alluring sight.

"You apologize far too much Omnivore."

"You didn't have to attack him so violently Hibari-san. He meant no harm."

"Whether he meant it or not is immaterial. He crowded and he shall be bitten to death."

The statement sparked a moment of recognition inside Alessandro's mind and his lips parted unconsciously to murmur.

"Bitten to death?" Alessandro stared at the proud profile of the sharp-eyed young man and exclaimed suddenly, "Ah! The Foundation! You sent me that bold demand for payment for finding my French chateau!"

"Alessandro Valerius Corvino." The thin, blood thirsty smirk that painted the Cloud guardian's smile made even the young Decimo squeak. It took considerable effort on Alessandro's part not to duck and hide. Especially when he noticed the chagrined look on Mossimo's face and the utterly delighted one on the Cavallone don. "You did right to pay so promptly. Otherwise I would have bitten you to death."

"I thought you already did."

"Hn."

And with that Parthian shot, the taciturn guardian simply walked out and Alessandro was left wondering just what happened.

You are not allowed to Insult anyone in front of the Vongola Decimo.

Alessandro sat next to the Cavallone Don and tried mightily to put the events of the last few minutes behind him by engaging the young Don in simple conversations about the party and the people that they might both know.

The Vongola Decimo was reticent at first and Alessandro felt the faintest stirrings of unease that he might inadvertently offend his host when one of the young men that stayed close to the Decimo simply laughed and asked if anyone caught the recent result of the World Series. Being a fan of the game since his college days, Alessandro turned to the raven-haired, hazel eyed young man and launched a discussion on statistics and batting average of their favorite players. Relaxing truly for the first time that night, Alessandro would occasionally look at the Vongola Decimo to see if his host was bored and was pleasantly surprised when he noted the indulgent smile that lingered on the young don's thin lips as his eyes lingered on the hazel-eyed young man that spoke so enthusiastically about a game he clearly loved.

So caught up were they that it came as a shock when a brash young man suddenly appeared and demanded an explanation as to why he was denied entrance to the Vongolas' supposed inner circle. True to his peace-loving nature the Vongola Decimo tried to calm the clearly irate man and invited him to simply sit and have a talk. The man however, clearly inebriated and unwilling to back down, simply reached out and tried to pull the Vongola to his feet.

Alessandro was sure all he did was blink but when his eyes focused once more, the sight that greeted him was certainly not what he expected. The smiling raven-haired, hazel eyed baseball enthusiast he was conversing with just a few seconds before vanished completely and his place stood a poker-faced, smirking sentinel holding easily a glistening silver sword against the brash man's throat as his eyes curved into a unusual smiling arch. Alessandro felt a shiver pass through him when the same friendly lilting voice that spoke of baseball stats suddenly murmured in a cold, menacing undertone.

"Mah,mah…now why did you up and do something so stupid as man-handle Tsuna like that? Don't you know any better?"

"Lasciatemi andare stupido straniero!" Let go of me you stupid foreigner

"Now see here, I know I'm a foreigner but there's no need for name calling here! This is a party and I don't like it when people upset Tsuna. Do you understand that? Do you? You foolish maggot? I DON'T LIKE people UPSETTING Tsuna AT ALL."

This time the hazel eyes opened fully and the brash loud-mouthed man quickly stuttered to silence as he stared at a pair of unforgiving, chips of ice-cold hazel pools fairly burning with barely restrained anger. The tone of the hazel-eyed guard was as amiable as ever but there was a lethal edge to his every cadence—a threat implied even as he continued to smile down at the man he was holding hostage with the sharp edge of his sword held so nonchalantly and steadily in his hand. Alessandro exchanged befuddled looks with Mossimo and must have caught the eye of Dino who explained belatedly.

"Ah, sorry, he hasn't formally introduced himself. He forgets sometimes that not everyone could recognize him right away. That's Yamamoto. The Vongola Rain guardian. And as you can probably tell from the Jekyll and Hyde transformation, he doesn't like anyone upsetting Tsuna."

"I can certainly see that."

'Oh but don't worry. He's one of the nicest most even-keeled among the guardians. He usually laughs a lot and is quite playful."

Alessandro turned to look at the blubbering mass on the floor that was once an actual human being and found that he was nodding.

"If you say so."

His attention was stolen by the soft chiding tones of the Vongola Decimo as he quietly admonished his own guardian for losing his temper.

"Takeshi, that really wasn't necessary…"

"It wasn't? I guess I went a little overboard. I should apologize then, Tsuna."

"Don't worry, I'll do it—!"

"Nah! Don't mind it. I'll do it tomorrow, I promise."

"If you're sure—"

"Mah, mah, pay it no mind. I'll come by their mansion tomorrow and extend a proper greeting and apologize."

"Thank you Takeshi. I'm sorry I have to ask this of you-!"

"Tsuna, its fine. Don't worry alright? It's no biggie."

"If you're sure-?"

"Yeah, its fine! No worries Tsuna!"

That man has no intention of apologizing. And if he did—it would be better to be threatened than be subjected to that man's version of an apology.

Alessandro pinned the Cavallone Don a look and gestured towards the Rain Guardian.

"I don't know which one is scarier…the one that threatens to bite you to death or the one that smiles at you while casually swinging three feet of deadly steel in front of you."

"Hm…tough choice really. But he really is quite harmless you know."

Alessandro snorted. "Quite being the operative word."

"Well, of course."

You are not allowed to STARE at Decimo beyond the moments dictated by necessity and propriety.

And yet, Alessandro found himself doing it again and again. There was just something so compelling about the young Don. The way he held himself, the turn of his head, the way he would tilt his head attentively towards someone and the way the luminous light from the chandeliers gilded his skin and the smooth fine lines of his cheekbones turning his features into something that seemed more apropos in the halls of the Louvre than the mere ballroom of an ordinary mansion.

And of course there was the way the glittering crystal shards would set aflame the warm glow of his autumn locks transforming the soft, fluffy mass into a literal wave of temptation that seduced one's hand to simply dip and comb the silky mane.

He found his eyes following the way light seemed to be absorbed and reflected into those sinfully beautiful eyes, illuminating them from within, turning the less than unusual brown depths into a kaleidoscope of possibilities-one moment the color of newly turned earth, the next lambent russet, the next shimmering red-gold like the dying sun. They were the eyes of an ascetic or a saint, of someone not completely of the world-all at once inhuman and yet all too mortal...eyes that seduced the mind and enslaved the sense, making anyone who looks in to their depths the young man's all too willing slave.

So absorbed was Alessandro in his reverie that he failed to hear the voice harrumphing behind him. He failed to note a pair of intense teal eyes narrow in irritation before trying once more to catch his attention. He failed to notice the amused tilt of a raven-haired, hazel eyed guardian who watched his actions with unholy glee. He failed to notice the outright grin that grew on the lips of the Cavallone Don who was reduced to waving a hand in front of his face just to break the spell cast by an alluring pair of russet eyes, soft silky mane and smooth skin gilded by the candle's light.

"What?" he muttered irritably and prepared to rebuke the one who was impertinent enough to disrupt his current interest when his eyes clashed against incensed eyes the color of sun-struck aquamarines.

"Stop staring at him, you'll make him antsy and uncomfortable."

"I'm sorry—what did you just say?"

"Stop staring at him."

"Staring at whom?"

A heavily beringed hand pushed back a fall of shimmering silver strands and cast him an unimpressed look, a lit stick of cigarette dangling from the corner of thin lips. A moment later, a thin stream of smoke was expelled from the smirking mouth and a rough, husky voice murmured at him once more.

"Don't play dumb Don Corvino. I am asking you nicely so you better do what I ask before I stop asking and start doing instead."

"Doing what actually? Who are you anyways?" Alessandro asked irritably, staring at the man standing so insolently in front of him, puffing on his cigarette like the things were about to go out of fashion and he needed to make sure that he has one in his mouth until the very last moment.

Alessandro's irritation only spiked even more when Dino sputtered while taking a sip of his wine and stared at him incredulously. He ignored the Cavallone don waving at him some kind of coded hand message and turned back to the silverette who was now snickering openly in front of him, all he while keeping his view of the Vongola Decimo thoroughly blocked.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"You didn't answer any of my questions."

"You didn't do what I asked. And to think I asked so nicely too."

"Alessandro-!"

"Begging your pardon Don Cavallone but please stay out of this please."

"Now, Alessandro you see—he's—!"

Thoroughly incensed now that the Vongola Decimo vanished completely from his sight, he glared at the Cavallone don only to hear the insolent cigarette-loving silver-head laugh aloud.

"He's trying to tell you who I am."

"And who is that precisely?"

The silver-haired, teal-eyed man gazed thoughtfully at the clearly flustered young Don before pulling another drag of his cigarette. He reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew a slim red cylinder.

"My names—!"

"Hayato!"

The three of them jumped at the chagrined sound of the Vongola Decimo's voice. The young don hurriedly came to their side and quickly wrenched the red stick away from the clearly discomfited look on the silver-head's face.

"Juudaime! Ah—this is—well, you see—this isn't what you think—!"

"Why are you waving something like this around Hayato? There's no danger is there?"

"No! No danger at all Juudaime! This is-Ah well, you see, Juudaime, it's like this—I was just—the Corvino Don—"

"Ah, Don Corvino, I don't think you've had the pleasure yet of meeting Hayato. Let me present to you my Second-in-Command and Storm Guardian, Gokudera Hayato."

"Second in command? Your Regent?"

The Vongola missed the tremor in Alessandro's voice and instead beamed a smile his way.

"Yes, he is. Hayato, this is Alessandro Valerius Corvino. From now on, he will be a part of our alliance."

Alessandro was prepared for the man to continue glaring at him and was thoroughly surprised when he was met by a bow and a firm handshake followed by a diffident murmur affirming that he is acquainted with the newest member of their alliance.

It's official. Everyone in the employ of the Vongola Decimo suffers from some kind of split personality. That or schizophrenia must be a job requirement.

A minute later Alessandro found himself shaking the hand that just a while ago offered to stick a piece of dynamite down his throat.

And above all things. You must never, never TOUCH the Vongola Decimo, EVER.

As the party neared its end and most of the guest made their way towards the main door, Alessandro trailed behind the Vongola Decimo's entourage, content to simply listen to the cadence of the Decimo's voice as he laughed and teased the men around him. Dispensing comfort and offering congratulations to the new members of his ever-growing famiglia. He watched as the Decimo bowed and hugged people as they left, touching a shoulder here and ruffling a head there, enforcing the benevolent air that seemed to emanate from deep within him like a bright burning torch.

And when it was his turn to finally bid the Decimo goodbye, replete with good food and finally resolved of the task of learning all the rules that he was required to learn, Alessandro succumbed to a moment of whimsy and simply allowed himself to be spontaneous.

His right hand reached out and touched the Decimo's shoulder. The young Don suddenly stilled and gazed at him with a soft questioning look from beneath the shadows cast by heavy dark lashes. Then the don did something that really made something inside Alessandro forget just where he was.

The Vongola Decimo gave him a small smile and then he just laughed.

Alessandro leaned close and brushed the pale flawless cheek a single kiss. Or more suffice to say—he managed to do it on a single cheek before he felt everything around him explode in action and his entire body held unexpectedly and expeditiously immobile.

Mossimo stared at the image of his young boss held immobile by a steel tonfa pressed against his chest, a three-foot long edge against his throat and several sticks of dynamite waving in front of his face.

"Padrone! Don Decimo, per favore! Rilasciare il mio giovane padrone, ti prego!

Boss! Don Decimo, please! Release my young master, I beg of you.

The Vongola Decimo squeaked and hurriedly shouted instructions at his guardians to stay their hand and put their weapons away.

"Guys! Please! Let him go! He didn't mean any harm!"

Hibari was the first one to withdraw, though withdraw perhaps wasn't quite the word since days after Alessandro would still find a big bruise on his left rib.

"Don't cross the line again herbivore."

Yamamoto swung his sword away but kept the unsheathed blade close at hand. The smile that painted his lips however belied the cold ire that flashed across cool hazel eyes.

"Mah, mah. Little Raven-boss. Tsuna isn't used to such physical demonstrations. Please don't do that again without asking permission first okay?"

Gokudera took an unholy degree of glee while slowly pulling out all the dynamites he managed to stick to the Corvino don's person, the lighted tip of his cigarette bobbing merrily as he spoke.

"Sorry about that, but we don't like anyone touching our Boss."

Alessandro tried to compose himself and bowed his apology, explaining that it was just an impulse—a spur of the moment brought about by his relief and gratitude. The stream of apologies were quickly stemmed by the touch of the Decimo's hand on Alessandro's shoulder, absentmindedly clearing away the tell-tale ash trail of Hayato's cigarette as he assured him that he didn't see any offense in the young Don's action. He admits sheepishly to being surprised but that he knows that it was simply a European mannerism.

Alessandro, dazzled and clearly disconcerted nodded but then again something still poked him from behind and he cleared his throat meaningfully before admitting,

"Ah…Don Decimo? Did all your guardians heed your orders?"

"Yes. They removed all their weapons. Why?"

"Well…you see there's the matter of what I can quite clearly feel is a muzzle behind me."

"A muzzle?"

"That would be me."

As one, Mossimo, Dino, Hibari, Yamamoto, Gokudera and Tsuna looked past Alessandro's shoulder and just reacted. Alessandro recalled once more the annotation written in a forgotten corner on the last page of the rule book the Cavallone Don gave him.

The entry was so minute and quite smudged that he almost overlooked the note if not for the unusual color of the ink it was written in. While all other entries were written in clear, fluid precise copperplate using black ink, this single notation however, was written in block letters and bright RED ink.

Il Regola Primaria

The Primary Rule

The Vongola Decimo is never alone. He is never unprotected. He is never vulnerable. He is never without the all-seeing eye of his guiding SUN.

Only fools go against Fate.

Or Reborn.

THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING. You guys are AWESOME!

CrimsonSkyTamer

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