In Their Story, There was a Girl

Chapter 40: The Promise

As reading this chapter, please listen to "Cry No More" by Fukuhara Miho.

It's been such a long way, but we made it through. It seemed like just yesterday that I fought with Malvolia and discovered the power of Alpha and Omega. It feels a bit surreal, but I cannot hide the overall happiness that came out from all of what had happened. On the day of the Battle of the Sky, I returned to the hotel where they stayed (and I stayed for a couple of days) after Niichan has finally gave up. It was a weird feeling: tending to Niichan's wounds and listening to Squalo's nagging and watching Bel and Mammon fight over trivial things. I guess you can call that nostalgia. It has only been a little bit over a year, but it felt like centuries ago when I could talk comfortably with Niichan and the Varia.

"So what's your plan now?" asked Squalo.

"What do you mean?" I asked him back as I tightened the bandage on Niichan's arm. "I said 'let's go home,' so I'm going back to Italy with you guys."

All of a sudden, the room became quiet. Squalo, Bel, Lussuria, and Levi were all looking at me with strange expressions.

"You're going back with us?" asked Squalo, again. "You're not going to stay with those little brats here? I thought you preferred them over us!"

I laughed. "I don't prefer anyone over anyone. It's just that…I haven't been with you guys for a long time, and I feel happy when I'm with all of you. Plus, I'm worried about The Ninth, also. So I want to stay In Italy for a while until everything is back to normal."

Silence was what answered me. Oh, and also Squalo's dumbfounded face. I looked toward Niichan, who has been quiet for a while, and as we made eye contact he turned to Squalo.

"What are you waiting for? Get me another plane ticket."

"Ooooiiiii! Why is it always me?!"

"Aha—n! I can't wait to go shopping with Yocchan again!"

"Shishishi…Prince can play with Princess again!"

"You still owe me the milk money."

And that was how it went down. I'm going back home.

On the next day, I was dragged by Kyoko-chan and Haru-chan to Yamamoto-kun's family's sushi restaurant. It was a celebration for Lambo who just got out of the hospital, but clearly it was a party to celebrate the Tsuna's victory. Did I mention that they put me into this white fluffy dress? I don't understand why these two girls always have to put me in fancy girls whenever they dragged me somewhere. But it was a good feeling, though, being able to talk and laugh like a normal girl again with Kyoko-chan and Haru-chan.

Yamamoto-kun, Gokudera-kun, Sasagawa-senpai, and the rest of the people that live in Tsuna's house were already there. Everyone looked so happy, but I was actually a bit nervous. I didn't really want to tell Yamamoto-kun and especially Gokudera-kun that I'm going back to Italy tonight. Gokudera-kun probably wouldn't approve for me to hang out with the Varia ever again, but I understand his reasoning.

"Yo! Yotsuba!" Yamamoto waved when he saw me at the door. He looked a bit taken back by my attire, but returned to his bright smile again. "You look nice today!"

"Thank you," I said. He had taken off the eye patch on his right eye; it seemed fully healed. "It's good that your eye is all better again!"

"Yeah, thanks!" he said cheerfully, hand reaching up to touch his eye gently. "Tsuna's mafia game is really something. It's dangerous and all but I loved playing with you all!"

"Is that so? I'm happy that you were there to play with us, too."

It felt kind of incredible. To be able to talk truthfully like this. I was always cautious with everyone. Even to my old butler. The only person who didn't fall for my act was Niichan, but he's never said anything about my façade. I remember the day that I met Tsuna-kun and the lot. The things that I especially planned for my debut to make myself inexplicable… it's crazy now that I think about it. At that time, Yamamoto-kun said the same thing about the mafia "game". Thinking that he was quite naïve at first, but now I'm used to it. And that is the best thing, because I can finally say my words truthfully.

Throughout the whole party I felt like I was floating in the clouds. Everyone was laughing and everything was peaceful. Even Lambo's annoying outbursts didn't annoy me at all.

"Oi! Stupid woman! Stop eating sushi from my plate!" shouted Gokudera-kun.

"There's plenty more right here, Hayato," said Bianchi.

"Sushi-eating contest to the extreme!!" exclaimed Sasagawa-senpai.

"Niichan! Don't eat so much!" said Kyoko-chan.

"Lambo! You're gonna break that plate!" panicked Tsuna-kun.

"Hahi! Tsuna-san is yelling at Lambo-chan?!" screeched Haru-chan.

I laughed at their comical actions; everything is back to normal. Yet, something else is still not quite right. I looked around the room and scanned everyone's happy faces and wondered what he is doing right now. Of course, the real him couldn't be doing much, but it would be nice to see him here as well. But who am I kidding? He's not going to join us without causing a bit of commotion.

"Mikami, your mind is drifting off!" said Reborn as he jumped onto my shoulder. Tsuna, who was standing close by, heard what Reborn said and turned toward us.

"Yotsuba-chan, are you not enjoying yourself?"

"Oh, no, I am!" I answered quickly. Maybe a bit too quickly.

"You're thinking about Mukuro," Reborn said, right on the spot, "aren't you?"

I didn't answer, but the answer was obvious.

"Ah, Mukuro…" Tsuna murmured, "oh yeah…Yotsuba-chan and Mukuro are quite close somehow, right? You should go see him, Yotsuba-chan!"

It took me a while to register what Tsuna had said. "I…what?"

Tsuna smiled gently. "I just think that…if Mukuro is alone right now, it'd be good if you kept him company."

Tsuna-kun.

You are amazing.

"Good-bye, Tsuna-kun! I'll see you again in a few months!"

Tsuna-kun waved back at me with a warm smile. I wasn't wrong about the right person to be the Vongola Decimo. The warmth hooked the corners of my mouth; I smiled while my legs carried me to the place where I'd first stepped into that sanctuary of beautiful clovers.

Cry no more

Spread your wings and fly so far

'cross the seas to distant shores

Always be there for you

As I arrived at Kokuyou Center, Ken and Chikusa were already expecting me. They told me that Mukuro had known that I was coming, though I know not how. And then, Chrome entered the room timidly. I was relieved to see that she hadn't been horribly injured from all the battles we've been through. As Chrome and I settled down on the big couch, Ken and Chikusa left us.

"Mukuro-sama had been waiting."

"Chrome…" I looked at the girl apologetically. "I'm sorry that I'm sort of using you to talk with Mukuro…"

Chrome made a little smile. "You're a very important person to Mukuro-sama."

My face heated up. "Chro…"

Before I could finish my sentence, mist eroded from where Chrome was sitting, and the girl was replaced by the man I had been dying to see. There he sat, just like a real person. Maybe he is real; he is definitely real. He smiled at me, gently and mysteriously. It had occurred to me that after all this time I still haven't completely figured him out. Yet, what I feel for him…I am so sure that my heart even aches when I think about it.

"Well, this feels a bit awkward, doesn't it?" Mukuro said casually. In a second, the room was filled with fresh green clovers. "Now that feels better."

"Aren't you going to tire yourself out?"

"The first few times are always harder, but now I'm used to this body and I'm not exactly fighting you."

There was silence between us. It's actually quite embarrassing.

"I…" I paused for a while, "I wanted to talk to you, but I'm here and I don't really know what to talk about."

"Kufufufu…" he chuckled, not minding the awkwardness. "Then why don't I ask you something?"

I looked at him, hinting for him to ask the question.

"I want to know…what exactly is the world of the Mafioso in your eyes?"

Eh?

He ran a hand through his silky hair slowly. "I know I've asked you this question many times, but I've never really gotten a satisfying answer."

I've never given a satisfying answer? Well, I've answered honestly all those times, but you're just asking for too much! But still, I scratched the top of my nose and thought for an answer.

"The world of the Mafioso through my eyes…I guess it's like the saying 'to boil a frog with warm water.'"

Mukuro's expression suddenly turned blank. It's quite rare to see that kind of expression from him. "Boiled frog?"

"It's a folk saying about how if you throw a frog into boiled water, it will jump right out. But if you put the frog into a pan of warm water and gradually heat it up, the frog will doze in the water happily until it is cooked to death, without ever waking up."

Yes, we all live in that kind of world. Ever since we were born, all go through all the turmoil of growing up with our family. We stumble through the turmoil of learning different things in the hard way or easy way. We struggle through everything, even the smallest things possible. We keep falling and standing back up. For the Family, we just keep trying to make things "right" again. And believing that in the end, everything is worth it, so we foolishly let ourselves watch our muscles boil and into that meal on the table.

"…if it's that kind of world, then why do you want to live in it?"

Why?

Ah ah…haven't I answered you many times already?

Because in that world, there are people I love. So I don't mind being a frog. I believe, strongly believe, that it's worth it, even if it's worth. Maybe, one day when I get a kiss from the one I love, I can become a princess too.

I want to be with them, no matter what.

When I close my eyes

I see the darkness

fade into a memory

Seen the light

shining so bright

The dawning of a better day

"Isn't that what I should ask you? I know you were the one who asked Lanchia-san to help us during the Sky Battle. Aren't you the same as me, so to speak?"

Mukuro started to laugh, as if he'd known what I was going to say. And then he looked at me. In those eyes I could not find reflections of anything. Not even a shadow. The shallow sound of the wind could be heard in my ears, but there was something echoing loudly behind that sound. After staring into those eyes for this long, I've finally realized. It was the darkest moment before dawn.

"You and I, our standing ground are completely different," he said finally, "We've been different ever since the starting point, so I cannot answer your question."

I let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding. "I thought so."

"I'm a little curious. Why do you search so hard?"

He got me confused again. "Huh?"

"Why do you search so hard?" he repeated patiently. "About me. The results that you usually end up not liking, but you still keep searching."

My mind went blank for a couple of seconds. My heart felt like a pond that had just been hit by a rock. The surface was rippling, and each wave was pushing through my chest, my throat, my eyes. I did not realize that a drop of tear has fallen out of my eye until I felt the coldness down to my cheek.

"I just think that…if I searched hard enough, I might find…a bit of happiness."

Mukuro's eyes widened at my statement. It probably shocked him. Whether or not that was a smart thing to say, I could not care anymore. I cannot stop now, as the waves poured out.

"I can ask you the same thing, Mukuro. All this time you've been going into my head, challenging me with words, confusing me with strange questions. You're searching inside of me as well! You're right about how we are different and similar at some points, but I've realized that when I'm with you, I seem to be able to see a little deeper into myself. I can't believe that I'm actually saying this to you right now, but please, continue to search within me. Open every door you see, and when you finally figured out everything about me……please let me know."

Mukuro's eyes faltered. "Why?"

I smiled.

"So we can see for ourselves—why we cannot leave each other alone for all this time."

Look up to the skies you'll realize

I live for all eternity

Take a look within your heart

A love for all the world to see

Another gush of wind blew through the window. The curtain's shadow swayed to the rhythm of the wind. I noticed that quite some time has passed since we started talking. There was a short silence, and then he began to move. It had been lazy position that we'd been in on the couch, but he'd straightened up and the distance between us began to decrease.

"Maybe…this is a good idea."

I watched his enlarging face, still confused by everything he says. "Huh?"

"Open every door. Open the doors to my corrupted world. Open the door to the world where your hope exists. And open the door of the world that's not black nor white. Maybe we can see it then. I will let you know at that time."

The sun has moved to the back of him, which made his face so dark that I could not see the expression on his face. The only thing I could see was his shadow prolonging to rest on my body. But even in the darkness I could feel the warmth of his breath close to me.

"……Maybe…we can see what?"

In his calm voice, there was a hint of laughter.

"That after all the doors are opened, we'll be standing in the exact same place."

He leant down.

And slowly, his warm lips claimed mine.

A blissful feeling overcame my entire soul. I had not realized that his arms were fastened around me, and mine circled him as well. Even though it felt like my heard was going to burst, I kissed him back. I had to let him know somehow. I had to let him know that he is a part of the reason why I live so foolishly in this world. And quite frankly, I don't mind being a fool, because this happiness feels so real.

Maybe I've become a princess.

And it's just the right person right before me. Or, with me.

Rokudou Mukuro.

Il mio principe.

Cry no more

I'm your eyes when sight has gone

Make a wish upon that star

I will be there for you

TBC?

A/N: First of all, I'd like to apologize for not giving all of you a notice in the last chapter that I was going into final exam weeks and I couldn't write anything, hence the late update! But yes, it's finally over! I hope you all liked this chapter. Yotsuba and Mukuro are finally together!

Now, the reason why I put "TBC?" is because, well, the Future Arc of the manga is dragging on too slowly, and I just don't see myself writing all about it. So in any case, if this story is going to go on, it'll become very AU and some characters might not even appear. Which means I'm going to make my own ending. So depending on how many people would like to see a continuation like that, I'll be waiting in your reviews! For those people who will accept this chapter as the final chapter, I hope that you enjoyed it and thanks for your support for all this time!

Well, now it's time to say good-bye? Maybe? I'm really happy that so many people have read this story and liked it. I never thought that I'd get this many readers when I first started this story. I would cry right now, but that's just weird. Anyhow, I hope you all have a great holiday! And since this story has begun last year on the day after Christmas, Yotsuba will be turning one-year-old soon! Ha, ha!