Heyo! I'm back. Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, life's been crazy. So we're just gonna jump right into this, there's going to be a bit of time skip just warning you. Also Hibari and Skull are now Nagisa's adopted big brothers.

Disclaimer: Nopity, nope, nope.

'This is amazing!' Nagisa thought giddelly as he flipped away from another of Kyoya-niis attacks. It'd been a couple weeks since he and Karma had activated their flames. And everyday after school since Tsuna-san and the others would teach them to fight and control their flames.

From what Nagisa had seen, Karma's classes were much more centered around control and focus. While his own lessons were much more battle oriented, though that might be because Kyoya-nii was obsessed with battle.

After the first couple days of his instincts going into overdrive he'd managed to calm down some and started synchronising with his flames and as he became more in tune with his new instincts he found himself becoming more playful and wild while still maintaining his patient and kind demeanor. According to Skull-nii he was an inverted Cloud, but not one like him. Apparently his behavior reminded the two of another cloud by the name of Kikyo who was known for his loyalty, his playfulness and his patience. Especially with his own Sky. Lets just say Nagisa was in no hurry to meet this Byakuran from what he'd heard of him.

"Hey, Kyoya! I think that's enough for now. You don't want to wear the kid out." Skull called out from the side where he'd set up some snacks. While Kyoya-nii handled Nagisa's combat training with his flames, Skull helped him with control and applications of his flames.

Apparently, despite being known as the weakest of the Arcobaleno (mostly because he wasn't born into the mafia or had much experience with combat) he was the most qualified in all the mafia when it came to creative flame application. He'd found ways to grow muscles using propagation even before Iris had started experimenting with it, he'd discovered how to make plants mature at rapid rates before Kikyo even knew what flames were, and of course there was the secret to his immortality. The capability to multiply his cells at incredible speeds to heal himself when wounded or fight an illness when it manifests in his body. This ability can even be used against others, as you can use it to turn a simple cold into a most terrifying illness. All in all, Skull-nii was highly underrated. But Nagisa knew as well as anyone the advantages of being underestimated, and Skull was teaching him to do all of this.

Kyoya-nii grunted as he halted his mouvements. Putting his tonfas away and pulling Nagisa off the ground. Kyoya-nii was very stoic, Nagisa realised quickly. He said little and had a very short temper. But he was also kind in his own way. He liked quiet and clear spaces and small animals. Like his little yellow bird called Hibird. The older teen liked to call Nagisa little pet names like little snake, small blue animal or little blue animal. Apparently small and little animal were already taken by Tsuna-san.

Nagisa plopped down beside Skull and grabbed one of the sandwiches and took a bite. He'd been sparring with Kyoya for the last fifteen minutes. Apparently that was incredible within itself and was a sign of his progression.

"Careful there, we don't want you to choke now."

"Right, sorry Skull-nii!" Nagisa chirped after he swallowed and moved to grab another sandwich. He was starving.

The three of them ate quietly for a couple minutes. Hibird coming to land on Nagisa's head and nestle itself in his long fluffy blue hair. It's strange since he'd started training with Skull-nii and Kyoya-nii he'd felt more at ease with his looks and his long hair didn't bother him nearly as much as before. Somehow everything about these flames and his bond with Karma in general just helped him feel more at ease with himself than he'd ever felt. He didn't even feel like he looked like a girl anymore or hated himself because of that, he just felt like Nagisa.

"Nagisa." Skull called shaking the little bluenette out of his thoughts. "I know you probably don't want to talk about it, but we do need to talk about your… Problem." Nagisa looked at the older cloud in confusion, not understanding what he was talking about.

Skull sighed and looked down at the small teen, a serious look on his face. "Nagisa. Is someone trying to chain you?" He asked and at Nagisa's continued confusion he elaborated. "Is someone trying to force you to be something you're not, or to do something you don't want to?" At the flash of panic in the small clouds eyes, Skull knew he'd hit the nail on the head. He could feel Kyoya's angry presence behind him, the younger cloud paying as much attention to the youngest as he was.

He had to stomp down on the burst of protective rage that bubbled up inside him. He couldn't rage, not here at least.

He looked down at Nagisa, who'd shrunken in on himself, and tried to flare his flames comfortingly. He and Kyoya had somewhat surprisingly synchronised with the little snake not long after starting his training and had become even more protective of him since. "Nagisa if someone is hurting you, you need to tell us. It's dangerous for Clouds to be forced to do anything they don't want to. It was dangerous enough when your flames were inactive, but now that they are active you could very well shatter your flames and go into a powerful cloud rage. If you do that you'll not only hurt anyone near you, but you will most likely die." The small teen seemed to shiver in fear at that. And Skull couldn't blame him. He'd only ever raged once, when he fought against Byakuran in the future that never was, and it had been a terrifying experience. Kyoya had had several small rages but never a truly dangerous one. Never one where he lost himself completely and stopped being able to tell friend from foe, only knowing how to destroy.

"Can we not talk about this. Please." Nagisa pleaded, he didn't want to tell them about his mom. Not yet. He wasn't ready. Wasn't brave enough. "Please. I'll tell you, but not now. Please." He almost sobbed and Skull could feel his heart breaking. They lost so many good young clouds this way everyday and it hurt him so much. But he couldn't force Nagisa to talk. That could do more harm than good. He could already feel the way Nagisa's flames were flaring in defense. Skull threw a look over at Kyoya who he could tell was bristling with rage. Though at the look from the older cloud he calmed himself down some.

Skull turned back to Nagisa and smiled gently at him. Enveloping him in a hug. "It's ok little Cloudlet. You don't have to tell us right now. But when you feel ready, please know that we will do everything to protect you. And not just Kyoya and I, but Tsuna, Reborn and Mukuro as well. And I can promise you that Karma would go through hell on earth if it meant he could save you from whoever is hurting you like this. So don't worry little Cloudlet, you don't have to be alone." As he spoke he could feel Nagisa start to shake with sobs as he started to quietly cry, he rubbed the little bluenettes back trying to comfort him. Kyoya coming to sit next to them to place a comforting hand on Nagisa's shoulder.

Nagisa couldn't hold back the tears, he just couldn't.

He wanted to believe them, so, so, badly. He wanted to know that someone actually cared, but a lifetime of bullying, abuse and abandonment made him think otherwise. Not even his own father bothered to fight to protect him from his mother. Why would anyone else? He wanted to trust them, to tell them. But what if they thought he was lying? Like the other people he tried to tell when he was younger.

He decided not to think about it and instead let himself have this moment of weakness. He let himself cry, let himself believe for just a moment that someone cared.

Oof, that went angsty real fast. Sorry, not sure where this came from. Nagisa is my precious baby and I'm sorry for hurting him. But I'm not sorry for giving big brother Kyoya and big brother Skull. I regret nothing. Also yes Skull is creative with flames, deal with it. Let me know what you think in the reviews.

Next chapter: Karma and his training and possibly some Tsuna and Nagisa bonding.

MotherfuckingDamianWayne over and out.