A/N: So I've had this fanfic in my laptop since 2015 and I figured that I should post it. There are so little Arcana/KHR fanfic in the internet which is a shame because both stories are mafia-themed. Plus, I think Felicita would've been great with Tsuna. So here you go! Enjoy.
Warnings: Some foul language
...
"So…" Tsuna began, taking a sip of brandy as he directed amber eyes towards a pile of documents. "The island of Regalo."
Across from him sat Nono, who nodded pleasantly and twined his fingers together. His smile was warm and open, which made Tsuna dread this talk even more. Nothing good came from Nono smiling that cheerfully.
"Why now? Why not send my guardians?" Tsuna asked, frowning. "Your guardians? Heck, why not the CEDEF? It's their job specifically, considering they're half of our Intelligence Unit."
"Because this is not a mission, Tsuna." Nono answered calmly. "This is merely a friendly reunion between two allies. The bond between our famiglia and theirs have been in place since the time of Primo."
"Oh?" Tsuna raised a brow in considerate surprise. Allies, hm?
The Vongola didn't hand over the title of 'ally' to just any famiglia. Most of them were subordinate, lower mafia famiglias against the might of the Vongola. Acquaintances mostly. The 'I-won't-bother-you-so-don't-bother-me' type of relationships. The Cavallone were a good example, for one. They had distant but good dealings with the Vongola during the time of Dino's father, but it wasn't when Dino took the reins and became Reborn's student that he and Tsuna— as the future of the Vongola— became allies in all the sense of the word.
Very few famiglias stood a chance against the Vongola, and currently they were all at peace with each other.
Millefiore, Shimon, Bertesca, Castillo…
"I thought I've known all of Vongola's allies by now." Tsuna hummed. As the designated Vongola Decimo since three years ago, he could practically recite them in his sleep. "I'm not exactly informed of the importance of this place. Or its famiglia. Why do I need to make a personal visit?"
Every famiglia allied with the Vongola had its own brand of uniqueness. Cavallone had its wealth, Bovino its brilliance in time and space experimentation, Shimon as Vongola's other side of the coin…
Why had this famiglia retained its allied status with the Vongola?
"I am quite sure of its specialness, Tsunayoshi." Nono said wryly. "It is the place Vongola Primo was born, after all."
Tsuna blinked in shock. "What?"
Vongola Nono chuckled. "Take my advice Decimo, and send for a meeting. Consider it a vacation of sorts. For you and your guardians. You might even find something… interesting over there."
Tsuna grimaced at Nono's suggestive tone. He had heard that tone before, usually right before they shove some daughter of a Don at his direction in hopes that he took a fancy to them. He sighed. If it helps him get away from Timoteo and his father's crazy match-making, then who was he to protest? His Intuition was surprisingly silent, so Tsuna trusts it enough to believe that this wasn't a ploy of some sort…
"Fine. I'll take the trip by next week. You'll look after the Vongola in my absence?"
"But of course, Tsunayoshi."
Once Nono was gone—with a satisfied look on his face, might he add—Tsuna took another look at the document that was passed over to him to peruse.
"Arcana Famiglia, hm?"
"Are you sure about this, Timoteo?"
"I am, Visconti. One last try and then I'll stop trying to set him up. But something tells me I'm leading him to the right direction." Nono said, hoping that his Intuition was correct. It never failed him before.
A chuckle from Iemitsu. "Yeah, kinda have the same feeling here, Nono. This girl might just be the one."
"Your Intuition is crap Iemitsu, don't even lie." Lal Mirch snorted.
"Aw, Lal!"
"You and your meddling." A voice drawled from the entrance and everyone turned to look at Reborn sauntering inside with his signature smirk in place. "Just admit that you want grandchildren to spoil."
"They do. Obviously." Coyote says in amusement, ignoring Iemitsu when he starts to wail about Nana wanting Tsuna to settle down.
"Well, I'm coming along. Can't wait to see how Tsuna deals with the girl you picked this time. Dame-Tsuna's such an amusement around the ladies, after all." Reborn said, chuckling lowly. His student was getting better at smooth-talk, but it was always a pleasure to see his face scrunch up in distaste whenever he disliked the woman he was talking to.
Timoteo harumphs and looks away with dignity. He wanted Tsunayoshi to be happy, that was all. Even though the idea of having children around the estate was a glorious thought—
Well, fine. Forget it.
He wants grandbabies. Lots of them for him to spoil, you happy?
And since Xanxus was still being a destructive hurricane over at Varia HQ, Timoteo doubts that he'd be settling and giving him grandchildren soon, being the difficult son he was. So Tsunayoshi was the closest victim—er, participant in hand.
But Tsunayoshi was proving to be his own brand of troublesome. It wasn't that he wasn't open to the idea of having a wife, it's the picking they ran into trouble with. Don Carlos's daughter was too flighty, Dona Velasquez' granddaughter was too dull, and Don Roberto's youngest was… well, her reputation as a loose woman was well-known and there was no way that the Vongola would accept a harlot as its Donna.
The problem was that there was a lack of women strong enough to stand beside the Decimo. They needed someone strong, independent, brilliant with a spark of leadership, and warm and nurturing enough to withstand the darkness of the Mafia.
And then Timoteo was hit with a stroke of inspiration.
Because why not? She was of age, despite Tsunayoshi being older by a few years. And if nothing came out of it, at least the Decimo and his guardians got to enjoy one heck of a vacation.
Timoteo mentally shrugs.
He just hoped that Tsunayoshi liked redheads.
"It's… quaint. How quaint. Quaint is boring. How old."
Tsuna made a half-smile at his Mist Guardian's rambling as the yacht sails to the sandy beaches of the island. True enough, Regalo was a sprawling Italian municipality of old, retaining its rustic Mediterranean culture that reminded Tsuna much of Palermo, Sicily only without the modern noise of technology. There were a few more yachts and a mid-sized ship at its port but other than that, there were fishing boats in abundance instead.
"Before we make land, I need more information." Tsuna beckoned his Guardians back inside the yacht. "I'd do this earlier, but… well. Reborn."
He said the name like it was an explanation, and it probably was. They had sailed for an hour already when they realized that Reborn was actually with them, lounging outside the deck like a terrifying apparition. No one saw him board or enter, Lambo had just turned around and there he was. Tsuna had to take three antacid pills and had completely forgotten to debrief himself and his Guardians.
The hitman smirked and waved them away, content to bask in the sun like a deadly, lazy cat.
Everyone shuddered.
"Right. Let's leave him alone. Hayato?" Tsuna prompted as he shut the door, flicking a look at each of his Guardians.
"Got it, Tenth." His right-hand man coughed. "There's not much to say. It's in the records that Primo was born in the island of Regalo. And… well. He got the idea of a vigilante group from the famiglia that protected the island. It's safe to say that it's the same famiglia Nono wants us to visit."
"Wait, what?" Tsuna's head had shot up at that. Nono didn't tell him that.
Tsuna had admired Primo for starting the Vongola as an organization of defense for the less capable. He had wanted the same goal for his own generation, a dream that was coming to fruition. To learn that the Arcana Famiglia was responsible for inspiring the thought in Primo's head…
"I see… That's interesting." He murmured in interest.
Hayato continued. "The island is rich in natural resources. Forests and rivers surround the island. There's a rumor that there's large deposits of oil and gold under and inside the mines of Regalo. A lot of people wanted to get their hands on them, but the whole island is under independent property of the famiglia protecting them." He glanced at Tsuna. "It's declared as a no-man's land, the only neutral mafia territory besides Mafia Land agreed upon as so under the declaration of the Vindice."
Everyone looks startled at that.
"A famiglia under peaceful rules and approved by the Vindice." Mukuro said. "This famiglia is full of surprises."
"Irony at its finest." Takeshi chuckled thoughtfully. "Maybe they're really nice guys?"
"Nice, but ruthless, baseball head." Hayato mumbled distractedly. "Anyone is welcome at the island, but any sinister intentions gets you kicked out, no questions asked. Which is odd, because how can they pick up traitors and spies that fast? And how do they defend the island?"
"Maybe they've got flames as well?" Lambo piped up.
"Perhaps." Tsuna considered. "Still, the whole thing is such a mystery. This island… this famiglia… And Nono's complete trust in them. And it's fascinating to learn that Primo was born in this island—"
The other Guardians exchanged knowing smirks. Nothing riled up their Sky like a good mystery. Ever since he claimed complete control over his Hyper Intuition, it was difficult to keep him surprised.
"Well, shall we go exploring?" Reborn drawled from outside.
Tsuna opened the door and made his way to his ex-tutor. "Hey Reborn, do you have any idea about this Arcana Famiglia?"
The hitman smirked. "More than you do, Dame-Tsuna."
"And you're not talking. Of course." The Decimo sighed. "Alright, let's just make our way on land and look for this famiglia."
"We might have to be careful." Takeshi hummed. "Especially on asking questions."
Hayato nodded. "Yeah. The townsfolk might not be open to giving information about the famiglia protecting them."
…
"Oh, the Arcana Famiglia? You must be visitors! Tourists! Of course! See that building over there? That's the outpost leading to the famiglia's Headquarters!"
"Well," Tsuna said, stunned. "That was disturbingly easy."
"Uh… Should we follow their directions, Tenth?" Ryohei asked.
"Maybe we should—hey wait! Reborn!"
The hitman—donned in khakis, sunglasses, and a Hawaiian shirt—wandered swiftly away from their group and into a gaggle of other tourists and was instantly lost in the throng of people. Takeshi, Hayato, and Ryohei tried to follow and came back empty. Mukuro and Kyouya just stared in haughty amusement.
Tsuna sighed. Great. Reborn was gone but Tsuna didn't need his Intuition to know that he did that on purpose. Of course. Now he had the Greatest Hitman in the world out loose on one of two rare neutral territories of the mafia. Well at least Reborn was smart enough not to challenge the Vindice's decree.
Hopefully.
Tsuna heard a growling sound and turned to see Lambo blush.
He chuckled. "Hungry, huh? Maybe we could find somewhere to eat around here…"
Regalo apparently had a marvelous hotel and casino, as well as several bistros and open-aired restaurants. For such a secluded island, it was a pleasant surprise that it was as modernized as it can be without taking away the beauty of its old culture.
After a swift lunch at one of the bistros (their lasagna was heavenly), most of Tsuna's guardians had wandered away through various entertainments. Mukuro was drawn towards the poker table and was cleaning everyone out of money like it was no one's business, Hayato and Takeshi were playing a round of pool, and Lambo and Ryohei were at the slot machines being watched over by a smiling Chrome. Kyouya was lounging at the smoking area, arms crossed and eyes roving around with sharp intent, but there was a lightness in his shoulders that made Tsuna smile.
It was slightly frightening that his Guardians found it so easy to relax in unfamiliar territory, but Tsuna's intuition reminded him that this was neutral grounds, no strings attached.
"You should try a round of Russian Roulette, Dame-Tsuna."
Tsuna cursed and almost flung his glass of cognac at an amused Reborn. "Sonofa—"
"Ahahaha! Lambo-sama is the best!"
Lambo had apparently hit jackpot on the slot machines.
Tsuna breathed through his nose, staring at his Lightning Guarding who was showering himself in coins. "Tell me, Reborn. What was Nono's plan in bringing me here?"
The hitman leaned on the bar table, gesturing to the bartender. "I'm your Adviser, oh honorable Tenth. What makes you think Nono confides in me?" The bartender reaches Reborn. "Scotch. Neat."
"I do know that you have an idea why Nono sent me in godforsaken nowhere." Tsuna said in irritation.
"Don't give yourself an aneurysm, Dame-Tsuna. Look," Reborn winks at two scantily clad girls who giggle and flutter their eyelashes. "Just enjoy yourself. The famiglia can wait, Nono himself said that this was a vacation. Treat it that way. Regalo is definitely that. A gift. So sit down and enjoy the fucking gift. Or fucking the gift. Whatever."
Tsuna rolled his eyes at Reborn's innuendo. "I'm not about to fuck some random chick out of a whim."
"Which is a shame, really. You're awfully picky despite the hoard of women panting at your feet." Reborn snorted.
Tsuna grimaced at that. It was the truth, unfortunately. He didn't have a shortage of women willing to throw themselves at his bed. Especially with his looks and his wealth. Hayato even reported that there were catfights over who got to approach him during parties. But due to his Intuition, he could sense that most of those women were power-hungry gold diggers in love with the idea of an influential husband with an unlimited back account. And of course he wasn't going to take one of those whores to bed; that was just asking for damn trouble. Kyoko wasn't even an option anymore because she was… well, bland. The textbook Yamato Nadeshiko. Tsuna wasn't sure about what he wanted, but something in him definitely cringed at the idea of having a subservient, household wife.
He was a fucking Mafia boss, for fuck's sake. Vigilante ideas aside, they were still part of the underworld even though they were the closest thing to 'nice mafia people' that the underworld had.
Reborn smirked at the distaste on Tsuna's face. "Like I said. Picky. Well, if you find out your preference in women Dame-Tsuna, give me a call and I'll—"
What exactly Reborn would do if he found out Tsuna's preference was anyone's guess because at that moment, two idiots decided to start a brawl in the middle of the bar. It was amusing to see them grunt and exchange fists at first, but the moment guns started to make an appearance, Tsuna tensed and reached for his own gun, aiming—
Only for the two idiots to be sent flying though the wall by a flurry of motion.
A blur of red flashes at Tsuna and suddenly, his eyes were filled with the image of a beautiful girl with long crimson hair and furious green eyes inching a long blade at his neck in warning, silently commanding him to drop his own gun. A trickle of energy from the girl made Tsuna realize that she was a Sky.
"Drop the gun." she intoned, green eyes sharp.
"…oh." He says lamely, tracing her long silky red hair that flowed at her back like a waterfall of blood.
Tsuna didn't know he had a preference for any kind of woman.
Until now.
Click.
"Nono? I think you might get those grandkids you wanted."
A whoop of joy echoed through Vongola manor.
Once the two brawling idiots were dispatched, the red-haired girl had disappeared after shooting Tsuna another distrustful look.
She was obviously Mafia, wearing skin tight black clothes classically cut into the uniform of an underground officer. Young too, obviously younger than Tsuna. Her features were exquisite, an exotic aristocratic face with vibrant colors that made it difficult for anyone to turn away.
Tsuna wanted to follow, not needing his Intuition to know that she was one of the Arcana Famiglia, but another unknown mafia officer with the same crest as the girl's approached them, before bowing and greeting them.
The tenth Generation of the Vongola (Reborn had disappeared, again) was then formally invited to the Arcana's Headquarters, a sprawling seaside manor strategically located by the edge of a cliff and the forest grounds. They were ushered inside a large office with offers of tea and sweets by the attending maids. But Tsuna was more interest at the giant of a man who sat on the center desk, his weathered face lit up with a boisterous smile.
He was brimming with powerful Sky flames.
"So! Timoteo informed me you were arriving today, although he didn't specify what hour exactly. I suppose it was partly our fault as well for not asking, but I hoped you enjoyed our recreational areas."
He beamed at them all before resting his eyes at Tsuna's form. "And of course, we need to introduce ourselves." He held out an arm. "A pleasure to finally meet you, Don Vongola. I am Mondo di Graci, the fifteenth Don of the Arcana Famiglia."
Tsuna smiled faintly and grasped the offered arm. "Tsunayoshi di Vongola, tenth Don of the Vongola Famiglia. And my Guardians, of course."
He introduced every one of them to the other Boss, who gave each Guardian a genial grin. They settled in for some tea, and by the time an hour rolled, they were calm enough to make small talk. Tsuna enjoyed the other Boss's gruff yet amiable personality. He was open and genuine, and in a world filled with lies and deceit, finding a Boss this candid was a refreshing change of pace. Yet beneath the pleasantness, Tsuna could sense the underlying power Don Mondo had in his grasp. It made him understand why his famiglia was an ally, not a subordinate.
"I must say, I enjoyed your casino. Although not as much as I enjoyed seeing the incident after."
Mondo laughed heartily. "Ah, yes. The reports just arrived. It was my little girl's work, you see? We should wait for a few minutes for her to arrive. She'd want to hear your praise on her own."
Sure enough, the front doors opened and the same red-haired girl entered, not sparing a look at the visitors as she strode towards Mondo before bowing lowly.
"My daughter, Felicita." Mondo said, quirking his mouth. "And ah… your mother, dear?"
Felicita darted a glance at the wide open doors just as another figure walked in. Tsuna's brows rose at the sight of the shapely woman in a low-cut kimono. She was as beautiful as her daughter, there was no doubt about that. Long black hair and blood-red lips curved in a sultry smile. Her smoky eyes appraised Tsuna and each of his Guardians, before landing on the Cloud standing farthest away from the group.
Her smile grew more genuine. "Kyouya."
To everyone's surprise, the raven-haired Cloud straightened into position before bowing low in her direction. "Aunt Sumire."
Sumire gave a tinkling laugh. "So this is what you have been up to. My, my. I didn't believe it when I first heard, but I suppose you found your place, finally." She addressed the room at large, noticing everyone's confusion. "Kyouya here is my nephew."
Sounds of shock echoed all around. Tsuna turned to his Cloud in silent question.
Kyouya grunted. "She is my mother's twin."
Amidst his other Guardian's surprised exclamations, Tsuna rose an impressed brow. Tsuna was well acquainted with Kyouya's mother, Suzume. She was a Chinese Triad Princess, one of the deadliest women in the underground. Everyone was well-aware that Suzume had a twin sister somewhere. A twin that was just as deadly and dangerous. It was just that no one knew where she was.
Apparently she had settled with her own famiglia.
Tsuna tilted his head slightly and took another look at Kyouya's aunt. She did look like Suzume, he suppose, although there were obvious differences. They were not identical. Fraternal twins then. Now that he could see it, Sumire looked more like the twins' older brother, the Arcobaleno Fon. Looked like Kyouya, even.
He smirked at his Cloud. The ex-prefect ignored him with a huff.
"Felicita, meet your cousin Kyouya." Sumire smiled, gesturing to her daughter. "Your Aunt Suzume's son."
Felicita made an assessing motion towards her cousin, eyes barely roving his figure before tilting her head in acknowledgement. Kyouya was vaguely impressed that her scrutiny took less than a few seconds before she accepted his presence. It wasn't a motion of submission either but a wary look of cool appraisal. She knew he was someone to look out for.
This one was a young carnivore.
Kyouya approved.
And if she showed to be less annoyingly cheerful than their Uncle Fon, she might be someone he would publicly acknowledge as kin in the future.
"Is the world ending?"
Kyouya shot an irritated look at an amused Yamamoto. It pissed him off that his fellow Guardians could read him well now.
"How rude of me." Sumire said, gaining everyone's attention. "I was elated at seeing Kyouya again that I haven't introduced myself." She bowed lowly, showing off an impressive cleavage. "Yuen Sumire. Formally known as Sumire di Graci, of course."
She glanced at her daughter promptly. The red-haired girl gave her mother a faint nod.
"Felicita di Graci," she said quietly, and Tsuna was enchanted at her silky soft voice, a hint of steel lacing her words. "It's nice to meet you."
"Tsunayoshi di Vongola," he prompted, giving her a genuine smile. He took her hand, and upon meeting no protest, laid a swift kiss on the soft skin. "A pleasure."
Tsuna was pleased to see a hint of pink in her cheeks.
"Oh my. I certainly didn't receive that kind of greeting, Don Vongola." Sumire pouted before smirking, eyes alight with mirth. "But I suppose my daughter holds your greater interests."
"Mama!" Felicita exclaimed. She withdrew her hand as if burned, then turned to look at her father. "I—I'm off to patrol with Nova."
Mondo nodded, looking faintly amused. "Be safe, Felicita."
She darted away quickly, avoiding Tsuna's eye.
Mondo chuckled. "I didn't know this visit included courting my daughter, Don Vongola."
Tsuna gave him a disarming smile. "Neither did I."
Tsuna was looking death in the eye.
Well he was looking at a seething Kyouya in the eye, so same thing.
The Cloud had gone eerily silent at the acknowledgment of a courting from both Mondo and Tsuna, and the moment he was alone with his Guardians, Tsuna was treated to his Cloud's broody, pissed-off glare.
The rest of his friends looked amused or uninterested that their fellow Guardian was attempting to annihilate their Sky via death glare.
Traitors.
"I'm not going to spontaneously combust, Kyouya." Tsuna said. "No matter how much you glare. So tone it down."
"You want to court my cousin." Kyouya said with a half-growl.
"I just want to get to know her." Tsuna reasoned. "I find her fascinating."
Apparently, Kyouya found that unacceptable as well, judging from the noises he made at the back of his throat.
"You never find girls fascinating, Tsuna-nii." Chrome said.
"It's an interesting predicament." Mukuro drawled. "You usually love 'em then leave 'em. Or find them completely repulsive."
Kyouya made more of those strangling noises.
"I'm not going to do that to Felicita, obviously." Tsuna said, frowning. He ignored the realization that he liked how her name rolled in his tongue. "For one, I really do find her enchanting. And second, we're here as guests in her father's own house. I am not that crass."
"You will treat her well." Kyouya intoned.
"You make it sound like I'm going to marry her," Tsuna says, exasperated. He ignored the niggling feel of his Intuition. "But yes. Of course. What kind of person do you think I am, Kyouya?"
His Cloud studied him for another moment before giving a jerky nod.
"You only met her today," Lambo said. "You're awfully protective, Hibari."
Kyouya glared at the young Lightning Guardian. "Hn. She is family."
Tsuna smiled faintly. Family was territory to Kyouya. And Kyouya had always been possessive of his own territory.
"Her birthday is at the eighteenth of June."
Tsuna blinked at Kyouya. "What?"
His Cloud looked at him blandly. "She likes spicy food. She has a pet owl named Fukulota. She hates frilly clothes and heavy perfumes."
"Are you… telling me how to court her?" Tsuna said in disbelief.
"Bwahaha! Kyouya's a matchmaker now!"
Cue Lambo being punted into the wall.
"Hn…" Kyouya sneered. "If you're doing this, then do this right, omnivore. Having her in our territory is better than having her in others."
"How do you know all these anyway?" Takeshi asked.
A faint ruddy color appeared in Kyouya's ears. "We exchanged mails as children. And a few letters every year."
"Ahhh…"
…
It turns out that Tsuna didn't need to look for Felicita.
After Mondo had announced the presence of the Vongola to his own famiglia, it had started a party from sunset till dawn. Tsuna was trying hard to keep up with his chaotic Guardians at first, but gave up the moment he saw Lambo swinging from the chandelier and Ryohei chugging beer in a drinking contest started by Mondo himself, his subordinates cheering in the background.
Thank god Kyouya went to bed early. Otherwise he'd get pissed at all the crowding and would've tonfa-ed everyone in the face.
Just as he leaned at a balustrade and sipped a glass of cider (he already had half a bottle of brandy, he didn't want to get smashed in the morning), a lithe figure shadowed his eyes and he looked up, startled.
(His Intuition had been eerily silent.)
"Don Vongola," Felicita, in her mafia attire looking pristine as ever, nodded at him.
Tsuna blinked. "You're not dressed properly."
His Intuition then came alive. Mentally hitting him for saying something so stupid and sexist.
Much to his relief, Felicita just smiled. "I know. But I don't dress for these events. I've been forever scarred as a child, my mother treated me as her own dress-up doll. I've hated frilly gowns since then."
Tsuna laughed softly, remembering what Kyouya had told him about her. About how most of her childhood companions had been boys and as such, she developed a rather boyish streak.
Then he realized that she was being far more open and friendlier right now and his smile grew.
"I just wanted to apologize for the incident earlier in the casino," she said. "I thought you were part of the stragglers. I didn't know you were Papa's guests."
"It was also partly our fault for going straight to the casino instead of looking for your famiglia. So let's call it even, shall we?" Tsuna said, pleased when she nodded in earnest.
"I also want to apologize for my mother." Felicita added, leaning on the wall beside him.
"Oh? What for?" Tsuna said knowingly, downing the last of his cider. His eyes were teasing.
She flushed, not looking at him. "For… for… you know."
"I'm afraid I don't." Tsuna said innocently.
She darted a petulant look at him. "For insinuating that they wanted you to court me."
She looked genuinely upset. Tsuna bit the 'what if I want to court you' retort forming in his mouth. She wouldn't appreciate it at all. "There's nothing to apologize for."
Felicita gave him a bland look. Then she sighed. "It's just that… I'm their only daughter. And as much as I love them, they're traditionalists. They want to pick my husband."
Tsuna made a commiserating sound, giving her a wry smile. "I completely understand."
He was in the same position, more or less. The only difference was that he was male, and a Don at that, so had more power to refuse who to marry.
"You do, don't you. Understand that is." Felicita gave him an assessing glance. Tsuna's brows rose at the faint feel of… not exactly Sky flames, but something close. A power that was studying, almost scrutinizing him.
He nodded once, too curious at the strange new power he was sensing.
Felicita beamed at him. "Thank you."
"Of course." Tsuna said helplessly, eyes wide at her lovely smile. Her face had lightened and it brought out the color of her eyes. "You're free to make your own choices. You are your own person."
That smile was going to kill him…
She laughed, a gay happy sound that made Tsuna's chest burst with feeling.
"I'm relieved to hear that." Felicita straightened, smile still in place, giving him a tiny bow. "Especially from you, Don Vongola."
When she left, Tsuna was left with his empty shot glass, grinning like a fool at nothing in particular. It felt good to make her laugh. It felt right.
Then his Intuition sarcastically reminded him that he had just practically announced that he had no intention of courting her and Tsuna's mind screeched to a halt.
"Oh, fuck my life."
His Guardians were jerks.
In the face of this new dilemma, they just laughed and waved him away. Kyouya in particular looked justifiably smug.
"Fuck you all. Fucking traitors." Tsuna muttered, half-heartedly shooting a ball of flames at Mukuro's direction.
"We are not to interfere with a man's romance, Tsunayoshi." His Mist sang, dodging.
"What romance?" Tsuna grumbled. "I basically told her that she needed no man in her life."
Takeshi snorted. Tsuna shot him a rude hand gesture.
"Well isn't this pathetic." A voice by the windowsill piped up. "Dame-Tsuna strikes again."
"Reborn." Tsuna narrowed his eyes at the hitman who was wearing bathing shorts and eating a banana.
"You guys should try the beaches. White sand and all that jazz." Reborn said, carelessly aiming his banana peel at a trash can twenty feet away. Of course it landed perfectly. Bastard.
"I can't believe I need to give you a pep talk." Reborn eyed the Decimo. "Dame-Tsuna. Are you not the strongest Sky in the world? One whose will overcame Xanxus, Byakuran, and who knows how many other shitheads?"
Mukuro muttered something sullenly. Chrome patted his back.
"You shouldn't be this depressed over a girl." Reborn smirked. "Although it is hilarious watching you fumble. Then again, judging by how she smiled at you last night, you won't have any problems getting close to her."
Kyouya growled inaudibly.
Tsuna blinked at Reborn. "How did you know—were you spying— Wait, of course you were, you stalker."
A tentative knock on the door made everyone look up. A trail of red hair entered the room and Tsuna automatically straightened at the sight of Felicita.
"Er… good morning." She greeted, eyes bright. "My friends and I are having a spar over at out colosseo. We were wondering if you'd like to attend."
"That's very generous," Tsuna said once he regained his bearings. He smiled at her. "We'd love to attend."
Felicita nodded and smiled back, a hint of color in her cheeks. "Right. We'll be waiting at the main entrance, Don Vongola."
"Please," he called out before she left. "Call me Tsuna."
She jerked in surprise and blinked verdant eyes at him. Felicita nodded, cheeks turning a steady pink. "Tsuna, then. You may call me Felicita."
She left.
A beat of silence.
"See? Not a problem at all." Reborn finally drawled. "Smooth. Very smooth, Dame-Tsuna. I'm impressed. If it goes on like this, you won't have any problem at all."
…
There was a problem.
Five minutes upon meeting Felicita's 'friends', Tsuna realized they weren't just friends.
They were her Guardians.
There was Nova, the shocking Hibari mirror image that took Felicita a few moment to confirm to them that yes, he was her cousin from her father's side and no, he wasn't related to Kyouya at all no matter how much they look alike and shared the same cousin. Nova was a classic Cloud like Hibari and it was quite frightening to see them stare off at each other like prowling jungle cats.
Then there was Liberta. A cheerful, possessive Sun that hugged Felicita openly and called her 'Princess'. He eyed Tsuna with a calculating edge that reminded him of Reborn on a mission. Or Ryohei when serious. Tsuna bristled Sky flames back at the upstart and was satisfied to see him twitch in alarm. No matter how powerful a Sun he seemed to be, Tsuna wasn't the Boss of the most powerful famiglia of the world for nothing.
Then Luca, a fretting mother hen of a Rain. He had such a passing resemblance to Reborn that it made Tsuna wonder if there was any blood relation. Then he saw how much he fussed and tittered at Felicita and cancelled that thought. Then again, appearances can be misleading, and Luca had one of the most potent Rain flames Tsuna had felt, almost on par with Takeshi and Squalo.
Pace was a hyperactive Lightning and had gotten along with Lambo a little too well. He had alarming strength as well, accidentally kneeing Luca in the chest and sending him flying for feet away.
Dante was an inverted Storm, a rare flame type. He was as composed as Fon but Tsuna could feel the raging tempestuous flames beneath the calm. He seemed to be the most sensible of the bunch and had kept Liberta and Pace in line more than once.
Debito was an odd one, a Sunny Mist. He was as slippery-mouthed as Mukuro, but was far more openly cheerful than Tsuna's own Mist. It made Tsuna's head hurt on how a Sunny Mist could even be possible. It was contradictory.
Tsuna didn't know if he should laugh or shake his head. A female Sky with a complete set of Guardians. This was a hurdle and a half.
"Right this way, Don Vongola." Luca motioned him and his Guardians to the Arcana colosseo, a miniature amphitheater. He could see a few mafia officials sparring below.
"So," Felicita began once they had an open field to themselves. "Spar?"
Tsuna smirked at the open challenge in her face. "Mine against yours?"
She ignored his light teasing and gave a grin of her own. "Why not? Might prove to be interesting."
"Flames or no?" Tsuna shot back. He felt his Guardians tense. Flames were an open secret in the underworld. Not every famiglia had it. But Tsuna had an inkling that—
"Not for now," Felicita said casually, flicking a strand of potent Sky flame at Tsuna. Orange fire licked at her arms and palms before it travelled to her fingers.
Tsuna laughed in delight and released his own flames, a slightly deeper ochre color than hers. Brown eyes met green in eager challenge, both now alight with brimming Sky flames.
"Hey, enough of the flirting you two!" Ryohei called out. "I wanna fight to the EXTREME!"
Tsuna and Felicita chuckled, stealing another glance at each other. Felicita's cheeks were flushed with excitement.
"Shall we?" Tsuna asked politely, offering his arm.
"Of course." Felicita said, placing a hand on his bicep.
"How about a spar with me?"
Felicita wasn't really surprised at the question. She and Tsuna were the only ones who hadn't had a go at the field. Fighting must have given the others some sense of release, because now they were quite calm. Earlier, she could feel things ready to explode with just one wrong move. Lines had been drawn, and Nova and the others were basically making the mafia equivalent of claiming territory against the Vongola group by saturating the whole place with familiar flames.
After letting of some steam by hitting and kicking each other, both groups were much more amiable, talking about fighting styles or generally just being less a pain in the ass for the less talkative Guardians. Her cousins (Kyouya and Nova, that is) were still staring at each other like murderous vultures but even they had eased up.
She was then reminded of what her father said before, about how fighting was its own form of words.
Felicita tilted her head at Tsuna's question. She ignored how everyone went quiet.
"Weapons?" she asked.
Tsuna considered. "What would you prefer? I don't favor any weapon. I'm more of a close combat type."
Felicita smirked. "Long knives?"
Tsuna gave her a lazy smile. "If you want. No flames."
"No flames." she agreed.
…
Well now. He was fucked.
Tsuna dodged another set of sharp knives, darting forward to lessen the distance between him and Felicita. He drew his fist to hit her first as a diversion, only to find out that she had blocked the real hit he had intended for her shoulder before using his chest to push and flip away from him.
It was maddening.
It was really hard to hit what he can't catch.
Tsuna could of course increase his speed, but this was a spar and not a real battle. And to use his real speed would definitely end the fight. He knew Felicita wasn't using her entire skillset either, enjoying the fight as he was.
He retreated for a bit, eyeing her long red hair. She noticed his lingering stare and had the audacity to laugh, twirling a crimson strand in challenge. His heart pulsed faster.
Minx.
He aimed for her hair now, figuring it to be a weak spot, only to find out that it was even harder to catch than her body. Her movements were precise and efficient enough that the red strands darted away from his grip at the last second.
"Very predictable, Tsuna." Felicita said, words alight with laughter. She backed a few feet away. "Going for my hair is such an obvious ploy."
"You cut your hair to precision." Tsuna said in realization. Her hair was so accurately trimmed that she knew its length like the back of her hand.
"Very good." Felicita nodded. "It's not for show. It's to throw people off when they think of it as a weakness."
"Well it certainly threw me off." Tsuna murmured, trying to side-sweep her legs. He hit her left side when she wasn't fast enough to pull away, but she gathered herself enough not to get hit again. "It's very impressive."
"Thank you." Felicita swiped two more long knives from her hips and went for the offense, crimson locks gleaming as she moved with elegance.
It was really impressive, actually. Hair was one of the worst parts of the human body in a fight because they provided no purpose at all, unless you count being dragged and pulled a purpose. Or managed to hide a weapon in it. Most fighters preferred their hair short so it wouldn't get in the way, and Tsuna met more women in the mafia with short hair than long.
Long hair was a statement, a challenge to enemies that their hair would not be a deterrent in a fight. Long hair was only worn by the most skilled or daring fighters. Tsuna's mind flashed to Superbi Squalo, Bianchi, and to Felicita's own mother and uncle, Sumire and Fon…
He smirked.
Felicita was a woman full of surprises, again and again.
He eyed her figure, before charging forward for another attack.
…
"So would you mind telling me what your powers are?" Tsuna finally voiced, taking a sip of water. "Apart from the flames of course."
They had finished their fight in a stalemate. It was quite obvious that Tsuna had the upper hand due to having more experience and power, but as neither of them actually yielded, they had called it a draw.
Felicita shot him a startled look and paused from patting her forehead with a towel. "What powers?"
"It's really quite obvious when you know how to look." Tsuna said. Behind him, a couple of his Guardians were nodding. "You give yourself away sometimes. During the fight, I noticed some inconsistencies with how my Guardians were acting."
He shot a look at Liberta. "Ryohei practically had you in a grip. Then you yelled about being let go. Now, I know my Sun Guardian is generous, but not enough to release his opponent just because you told him to."
"Aw, fuck." Liberta ducked his head in shame. Debito whapped his head.
"And I know Kyouya's terrifying." Tsuna continued. "Nothing short of breaking his legs would prevent him from biting his opponents to death. But halfway through the fight he started to get sloppy and sluggish."
Kyouya twitched and snarled, but he was tied up too well in a bundle of rope to go after his fellow Cloud. He still won his fight, but the indignity of slowing down in the middle of it actually irritated him. Nova smirked and Felicita gave him a glare for baiting her other cousin.
"There are several more inconsistencies I can name but the general idea is that you have something up your sleeve other than using Dying Will Flames." Tsuna said.
Felicita was silent for a moment before he glanced at Luca, who smiled at her softly.
"Papa cleared them, Princess. So why not." He shrugged.
Felicita nodded at him before turning to Tsuna. "Alright then."
And that's how they learned about the Arcana Tarroco Cards.
"Wait." Tsuna said tiredly, glancing at an amused Mondo. "So you're telling me that the Arcana Cards were created by Kawahira's daughter—who I didn't even know existed—as a protection from the Tri-Ni-Sette. And apart from that shocking revelation, where the hell have you been, Reborn?!"
His tutor took a dainty sip of tea, now wearing his usual suit and fedora. "I was hanging out with Mondo, Dame-Tsuna. Have been since yesterday. Who do you think alerted them that we've dropped anchor in their docks?"
Tsuna twitched.
Mondo laughed boisterously before subduing and staring at Tsuna with keen eyes. "Ah, well. The Arcana Tarroco were created as a means of protection, Don Vongola. It is not as powerful or ancient as the Tri-Ni-Sette, but it serves its purpose well."
He held up a beautifully crafted golden card that glowed faintly with power. There was a womanly figure in the middle of the card, surrounded with a large wreath of green vines and flowers. The roman number for twenty-one was stamped on its left.
"The World." Mukuro said, eyes calculating. "Mondo. The world."
Mondo chuckled. "Indeed. My parents weren't really creative with my name I admit." He spun his card and it disappeared with a flash of light. "With the card of The World, I am able to create a barrier for the island of Regalo. To keep it from being tainted by greed and sin. I can watch over its inhabitants and keep vigil over them."
"That's why information on Regalo and Arcana Famiglia is scarce." Hayato said in realization. "You keep them away."
"Yes. Our Intelligence controls the amount of information being passed around the underworld. We do have our own spies." Mondo said.
"So everyone has cards? How does that even work?"
"There are only twenty-two cards in the major deck of the Arcana. The Cards choose upon the moment of birth. It could be anyone who is Flame Active." Mondo shrugged. "Most of the time, the Cards choose those who are island natives of Regalo but they can choose beyond the seas. My wife Sumire, she was chosen upon birth despite being born under the Triads."
Tsuna glanced swiftly at Felicita. She smiled at him faintly and nodded.
"Felicita has the Lovers with her." Mondo smirked. "It allows her to see inside the hearts of people. That Card has been owned by many interesting people. Including your own Primo."
Noises of shock abounded the room. Reborn yawned.
"That's where he got his Hyper Intuition, you know." The hitman drawled, looking pointedly as Tsuna. "Giotto di Vongola was the very first owner of the Lovers card. Chosen at birth. Then he was chosen to guard and use the Vongola rings as well. It gave him enough power to enhance the abilities given to him by the Arcana. Enough to pass it on to his children despite them not holding a contract with the Card itself."
Tsuna mentally groaned at all these revelations. Everything was too much of a coincidence. It was quite obvious now, why Nono sent him to Regalo. He stared at an embarrassed Felicita.
"Do you know Timoteo?"
Felicita blinked at the unrelated question. "Yes? He is my godfather."
'Nono, you sonofabitch.' Tsuna smiled even as he cursed the old man to the high heavens.
Nono knew Felicita. Nono was Felicita's godfather. Felicita was beautiful, fiery, and Tsuna could feel something more than attraction stirring inside him whenever he looked at her. Felicita held the Arcana card of the Lovers, the original Card Giotto di Vongola, his ancestor, held.
It was like a bullseye for Nono. A win-win-win scenario. Getting Felicita as a wife meant Vongola had a competent Donna, Tsuna a stable life partner, and the Arcana Card of the Lovers returning back to Giotto's bloodline through marriage.
Yet judging from Felicita's bewildered look, she honestly had no idea what the old geezers were up to.
The question now was, would he allow it?
Tsuna wasn't in love with Felicita. Well. Not yet, anyway. But in the short two days that he'd known her, she held his interest far more than any woman did for two months. He was excited to know her further. Eager. And there was definitely attraction there. It would be so easy to follow Nono's tune, to see where this could lead.
But the manipulation…
Tsuna's eye twitched. Ah, fuck it. He could be petty when he returned home. Maybe spar with his dad and run him through the ground. And he'd pile Nono with so much paperwork, the old man would drown in it—
"Tsuna? Are you alright?"
He looked up to see Felicita's concerned green eyes gazing at him.
Tsuna smiled at her. "Depends. What do you think I'm thinking?"
Felicita looked taken aback. "I don't really make it a habit to pry into people's privacy but since you asked…" Her eyes flashed and she tilted her head in confusion. "You want to pile paper on my godfather?"
Tsuna laughed out loud. "That sounds about right."
A week and a half passed in the island.
Tsuna's Guardians found a comfortable niche within the Arcana Famgilia. Not to mention they got a kick out of watching their Sky spend more time with the Arcana's only heiress while avoiding her own Guardians' silent threats. Nova and Liberta were the most troublesome, dodging their footsteps and stalking Tsuna and Felicita. His Guardians were more than happy to distract the two, all the while sending their Boss waggling eyebrows and endless thumbs-ups.
Tsuna glared at a smirking Ryohei, leading Felicita into the gardens. He took her hand, noting them to be small and soft yet marred with faint silver scars. He ignored the slight thrill that went through him at the casual touch.
Felicita noticed his scrutiny and smiled. "I deal with knives the most. I got cut up a lot as a child. Not so much now though."
Tsuna idly played with her fingers, not noticing that her cheeks started reddening.
"I wasn't really involved with the Mafia as a child." He started. "I only started learning in my teens, so I had a difficult learning curve. I mainly use guns though, and gloves."
"And flames." Felicita added, sitting on one of the marble benches.
"And flames." Tsuna nodded. The Vongola ring brushed the back of her hand and he perked up. "Felicita? I'd like you to meet someone."
"Oh? Who?"
He smiled and activated his Sky ring. A burst of flames erupted from his ring finger and dropped on the grassy ground. It coalesced and formed a bright ball of yellowish-orange, before showing itself as a miniature Sky lion shaking its ruffled fur.
"His name is Natsu." Tsuna said.
"Oh, goodness!" Felicita said in delight, crouching down. "He's made of flames!"
Natsu cooed at her, purring at her tentative touch and demanding cuddles. The Sky-lion's eyes met Tsuna's in question and he smiled at his Box Animal, nodding.
He had never let any other woman meet Natsu. The Sky-lion was his most basic self in pure flames and unlike Tsuna, Natsu would have no hesitation in showing his distaste for the women introduced to him.
Felicita was different though. Natsu seemed to thoroughly approve of her, rubbing himself at her body and purring. Tsuna could feel his Sky flames slyly leave its mark on her own flames, one so inconspicuous that she didn't even notice.
Tsuna raised a brow at Natsu. The Sky-lion stared back.
Well now.
That's a long assumption.
"You have to meet Fukolota!" Felicita burst out happily, Natsu still snuggled in her chest. "Wait—"
She whistled a sharp tune. There was a rustle of wings above them and Tsuna blinked when a brown-black owl landed on Felicita's outstretched arm. Before anyone could react however, Natsu chose that moment to pounce on the owl.
"Natsu!" Tsuna admonished.
Fukulota had avoided the pounce, hooting in haughty triumph. Natsu growled playfully, crouching and trailing golden brown eyes on the bird. To Felicita's surprise, Fukulota reacted to the little lion's goading, flaring her wings in a mocking swoop.
"They seem to get along." Felicita said happily.
Tsuna smiled at her. In the past few days they've spent together, he got to learn a little more about her. He realized that she was a mix of contradictions that made her a dizzying whirlwind of surprises. She was quite short-tempered, yet unnervingly sweet as well. She was intelligent and knew the bloody system of the mafia, yet contained a bright innocence stemming from her family sheltering her. She didn't know that half of her Guardians held romantic affections for her, but seemed hyper aware of Tsuna's intentions. Her eyes held a questioning challenge to them whenever he took her out sightseeing, to the gardens or the beaches or the main towns.
He talked to her. Told her stories of when he was young. Told her of Reborn and his sadistic tendencies, of how it was a shock to be named a mafia heir, how his difficulties in life turned him into who he was right now. She listened with an open ear, empathetic and never judging.
She shared her stories as well. About how hard it was to control her powers, how distant her father was as a child, how she wanted to explore the places beyond Regalo but never finding the heart to leave yet. They saw more of each other than they said, with their Hyper Intuition and the card of Lovers hinting more than they should, but it bothered neither of them which they both admit was a first.
"Luca and the others always freak out when I use it accidentally." Felicita had said, wrinkling her nose as they strolled through cobblestone streets. "Especially when they went through puberty. Nova and Liberta's thoughts were a nightmare."
Tsuna laughed out loud. "Same here. Although I use my Intuition to keep my Guardians in line instead. It's hard for them to do something stupid when I know about it a minute before it happens."
She hummed in understanding.
It was exhilarating to be with her, one whose ability to read hearts rivalled that of his Hyper Intuition. He couldn't predict her.
And there was that burning pit of possessiveness that seemed to develop the more he got to know her. His flames approved, his Inuition approved, and Tsuna himself approved. His sixth sense was driving him up the wall, hinting that if he liked her—could come to love her even—then he should make a move, as soon as possible.
"Tsuna?" Felicita broke him from his reverie. Her brow was raised. "Something you want to say?"
There she went again. Challenging him.
"I think you may have an idea." He said, taking a hold of her palm and making idle drawings on it with his fingers.
"Like I said, I don't make it a habit to use my abilities out of respect to people." Felicita said. "I can control what I see now."
And thank heavens for that. Otherwise she would've long figured out the things he wanted to do to her—
"Felicitaaaaa! Don't do it!"
It was instinctive. Tsuna pulled Felicita to his chest when the large figure went for her, arm tight around her waist. The figure went stumbling forward, and was revealed to be a sobbing Luca.
"Luca?" Felicita blinked, frowning. She straightened up slightly but didn't do anything to pull out of Tsuna's caging arms.
"Princess! Those scoundrels said that you're going to be taken away!" Luca said, tears streaming down his face comically.
"Taken away? By who?"
"By him!" An accusing finger pointed at Tsuna.
Eerie silence.
Then the Decimo shrugged. "Sure. I've thought about it."
Felicita pursed her lips at Luca. "Nova and Liberta put you up to this, didn't they?"
"What—"
"And you can't kidnap the willing, anyway." She shrugged.
Tsuna and Luca stared at her.
"Princess! You can't be serious!"
"Sure." Felicita trailed a look at Tsuna, smiling. "I've thought about it."
Then Tsuna laughed, warm and fond and reached for Felicita's face. His Intuition pulsed and her eyes flashed, but neither of them pulled away. "You have, haven't you?"
He kissed her gently, softly. It was a brief meeting of lips that made both of them breathless anyway, as their twin Sky flames brushed each other in affection.
Cue pandemonium as several of their Guardians stampeded forward.
"Haha! Pay up, baseball freak!"
"Took you long enough, Tsunayoshi."
"Kyouya and Nova are fighting again!"
"You guys… Impossible." Tsuna said in shock. "You can't have been hiding all this time, I would've sensed it."
"We weren't hiding, Boss." Chrome chirped. "There was sort of a fight? And we ran. It's a coincidence that we found you here."
"Fight with who?" Felicita blinked.
"With your Guardians, hime." Takeshi said cheerfully. "It's kinda hard to stall them while Tsuna's taking his sweet time alone with you."
"You can't come with him, Felicitaaaa!" Pace burbled. "What about the Famiglia?!"
Felicita tilted her head. "I'm not going with him, Pace. Not now. And what about the Famiglia? There's Nova. And Liberta. Both are very capable."
"I'm not sure about Liberta being capable." Dante murmured, staring at Tsuna dead in the eyes. "This is dangerous territory, Felicita. Think it through."
She paused, then nodded solemnly. "I will."
Dante grunted. "Then you have my approval."
He marched away, a whining Pace trailing after him. Debito shrugged.
"Well, if it makes the bambina happy." He drawled before heading off as well, but not before giving Tsuna an 'I'm watching you' threat.
The other Guardians were still rambling and fighting. Both Skies sighed, before looking at each other.
They knew it wasn't an easy decision to make. They weren't sure it was even possible. Or worth it to risk everything as of now. Both of them had their own Famiglia. Felicita could not drag Tsuna away from the Vongola and neither can Tsuna take Felicita away from her Guardians without serious consequences. This was a decision for a lifetime, and they didn't have all the time to decide.
But still…
Felicita smiled faintly, leaning up and pressing a soft kiss on his cheek. "Let's… figure it out one day at a time, shall we?"
"Of course. And I'm sure," he murmured, reaching for her, brushing her cheeks and tucking a red blood strand of hair behind her ear. "The next few months are going to be very memorable."
...
A/N: And done. As for the epilogue, it's an open ending. You can either conclude that Felicita married Tsuna and accepted the position as Dona of the Vongola (having those grandkids Timoteo was ranting about) and left either Nova or Liberta as the next Papa, or stayed in Regalo as the next head instead. She could either have a long distance relationship with Tsuna or rejected his proposal entirely and went the otome route with one of her Guardians.
The history of the Arcana Cards is completely made up except for the part that the card chooses by birth (that bit is true according to the wiki), and Kawahira was indeed mentioned to have a daughter. The purpose of Mondo's Card is also a theory only, as well as Giotto holding the card of The Lovers. Again, I'm making my own 'connect-the-dots' game.
The ending seemed to be a bit rushed, but I've had this in my computer for two years now and I'm too lazy to fix it haha. So yeah.
Read and Review.
Memory out!