Title: Bonded
Author: Reishi
Fandom: Katekyo Hitman Reborn!
Rating: M
Pairing/s: Hibari x Tsuna; Yamamoto x Gokudera; others.
Warning: Yaoi, potential OOC
Beta: Far-Fetched Imagineer
Disclaimer: All characters courtesy of Amano Akira, not mine.

Summary: In this world of Masters and Slaves, will any of them find happiness?

A/N: oh yeah! Finally! An update ladies and gentlemen, no I haven't forgotten this story, but it took me a real while to update. Sorry about that. I'm still in the middle of polishing up a few things to make this more interesting. XD

And love to all those who never ceases to review for me! 5K hits with 86 reviews! I never imagined this will get very far. I love each and everyone of you.

But that's enough of me rambling, we all want to know what happens next right?

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CHAPTER 5:

"We apologize for the delay, ladies and gentlemen! We are now pushing through with the evening's event!"

Cheers and applause followed, some were impatient shouts for the emcee to hurry up.

"The auction is right this way, sir" Giannini had said, pointing Yamamoto towards the hall.

He tried to shake his head. "Ah...N-No, I'm not interested in…"

"Tonight we are showing the biggest collection of slaves you can feast your eyes on! Including our very own rare silver-haired slave! A beauty that will surely capture your interest! Of course, the slaves go to the highest bidder!"

The samurai's eyes widened slightly. Wait, did he hear that correctly? Silver hair? Didn't that slave he met earlier have silver hair? Could it be… Nah. It must be coincidence… Right?

Before he knew it, he was following the voices into the hall which was filled with people, men and women alike, all wanting slaves of their own.

This being his first time at such a gathering, he wasn't sure what to make of what he was currently witnessing. He couldn't even hear himself think over all the noise. He gently turned down Giannini's offer to take a front row seat and quickly scanned the room for signs of his teacher. The sooner he can get of the place, the better.

But his wish to find the hitman fast didn't happen as the emcee called for the first merchandise on sale for the evening, a young man with dry blond hair. He was shackled on both hands and feet and wore faded jeans and a torn-up shirt. He was looking at the crowd like they weren't there. In fact, he looked almost asleep.

'Drugged,' the swordsman thought immediately.

"Ladies and gentlemen, first on sale for the evening, this young man is imported straight from Italy. He's very obedient, and innocent as well," the man winked at the audience. "Of course, no testing of the product unless you buy this one, as he is still fresh. If this shounen is your cup of tea, then I suggest you buy him right away! The bidding for this pretty boy starts at 1 million!"

Yamamoto frowned, not just at the way this whole 'auction' was progressing, but more so since the boy being sold on stage seemed familiar. It took him a full minute to realize that he had, in fact, seen him before. The blonde's picture was on a missing person's report from Italy they were investigating a few months back. He remembered that he was one of those never found.

He cursed, anger starting to creep slowly in his veins. "They're kidnapping people to sell as slaves?" he muttered, disgust evident in his voice.

The bidding for the young man started immediately.

"1 million!"

"2 million!"

"2.5 million!"

"3 million!"

"5 million!"

Several catcalls and whoops came from the crowd as the emcee held up a hand to silence them for a while. "You heard that, ladies and gents, we have 5 million right here! Is there anybody going for a higher price?"

The people in the room looked at each other, as if daring themselves to go for a higher price.

Yamamoto shook his head, being just reminded why he didn't want anything to do with these kind of place, and his mind just provided him with, 'Where the hell did his mentor go anyway?'

Just when the announcer was about to end the bid, there was a voice that said from the end of the room. "150 million."

Heads turned toward the man that had just made the offer. Yamamoto's eyes widened slightly as he recognized him as Lancia, also a mafioso from Italy. He is known to be a brutal murderer who killed all of the members of his Family and many others. Even up to now, it was unclear who he worked for. 'This is certainly new, for Lancia to be interested in something like this…' he thought.

The emcee, a blond man whose name is Rasiel, grinned widely, positively happy at the way the auction is progressing. He could just smell a bonus coming his way. "Now, it has escalated to 150 million! Do we have any more offers? No? Going once! Going twice! Thrice! SOLD!" he shrieked happily, calling Lancia to come on stage to receive his 'product'.

A lot of jealous eyes followed the dark-haired man as he walked, while several others cast the blonde slave a somewhat hungry look, something that didn't miss his eyes.

"Ah, our first satisfied costumerfor the evening! Shishi~" Rasiel said, handing the end of the boy's shackles to him.

Not saying anything, Lancia bent down to force the shackles apart without much effort. Once the boy was free of the metal bond, he picked up the young man and without another word left the stage. No one could even tell what his expression was.

Silence followed as the room watched the man walk away. Even Rasiel was a bit stunned by the action but soon enough recovered and waited until the man was already by the door.

"Shishi~ Seems like our customer can't wait to test out his new product! What do you say we bring out the next one and send another satisfied buyer home?"

The tension left the hall quickly as it had come, and the place was once again filled with cheers from the audience as Rasiel bought out another slave to be sold.

Meanwhile, Lancia cradled the boy in his arms protectively, ignoring all the looks being thrown at him. He glared back at those who threw him ugly stares. He had just found him. He had no intention of letting go again.

"Yo. I didn't expect to see you here," a cheery yet cold voice caught his attention, and Lancia found himself turning to its origin.

"Yamamoto Takeshi, Vongola," he said indifferently. They knew each other, of course.

"Ahaha, it's been a while," the swordsman said, staring at him then at the young man he was carrying. "I didn't know you were into this kind of…thing, Lancia," he said stopping for a while to consider his choice of words.

"Don't misunderstand, Vongola. That isn't the reason why I bought him," he replied gruffly. "But I doubt you would believe that, seeing that you are also here."

They stared at each other for a while.

And Yamamoto shrugged with a smile. "Actually, I'm just looking for Reborn." Speaking of who, is still nowhere in sight, he added mentally.

Whether the man believed him or not, Yamamoto didn't know. Still, Lancia always had a blank affect on. Though it worked well on several occasions, it was a bit disturbing when you were talking to him in person, just like now.

He cleared his throat. "So, er… You know him then?" he asked silently, pertaining to the currently unconscious young man in Lancia's arms.

The Italian merely stared at him, then he said, and though his face showed no emotion, his eyes softened slightly. "I do."

Yamamoto nodded, and since he wasn't expecting anything else from the man, he was rather taken aback when he spoke again.

"I was the one who nearly took his life," he said.

The Vongola mafioso fell silent, and Lancia, realizing he had said too much, decided it was time for him to leave.

"Stay vigilant, Vongola," he said, and with a final nod, left the room completely.

He was gone before the swordsman had a chance to ask what he meant, and with a sigh, he turned his attention back on stage and noticed that another person had been sold to who knows who to be taken who knows where. He glared. Being raised in this kind of world, Yamamoto knew he should be used to this kind of thing, and he is. He just didn't like any of it, and one of the reason why he became a mafioso was to change this.

"Now, I'm sure those who are already a patron of our dear beloved auctions probably know who I'm going to show next," the emcee Rasiel said. "He's been sold to different masters, but he remains a virgin to this very day! So, ladies and gentlemen, if you want challenges and thrill then we give our very own auction gem, the silver-haired beauty… Hayato-chan!"

"!" Yamamoto felt somewhat like a statue cemented on the spot when the so-called slave was brought in front of the people. His eyes grew wide in recognition. "Shit."

It was that person from earlier.

Yamamoto paled. So that was why he was running. This place was the one he wanted to escape. Why didn't he see it before?

The man was settled in front for everyone to see. Several "ooohs" came from the audience, and he resisted the urge to draw his sword.

Judging by the way he was acting then now, there was no doubt that he had been drugged, which only made the dark-haired man angrier than he already was. As impetuous as the silver-haired man was, he didn't deserve to be drugged, and based on the reaction on his face, it had to be a strong one at that.

"Damn it," he breathed. He wasn't going to just stand for this.

Gokudera heard them, the sounds of people whispering. He could somehow see the lights that were everywhere and he could only tell that they have won. He was captured, and now is back to being one of their fuck toys for sale. The drug kept him from moving and thinking, rendering him helpless.

He was able to escape all his previous owners because he was rather strong, unlike the usual slave. He wasn't the type to cry and just let others do what they wanted with him. He would punch, kick, and fight with his previous keepers, and since he stubbornly refused to do anything with them, he was returned here, the money paid for him at half the price, and would be sold off to a new owner. The one who runs the auctions wasn't pleased at first, but as he was returned, his value started to skyrocket, and many slave buyers were intrigued by his so-called stubbornness. Eventually, it became a cycle which had been going on for as long he could remember.

Being sold off to different people is no joke. Those who buys him grew stronger and stronger each time. Gokudera knew it would only be a matter of time before he would be purchased by a master strong enough to subdue him and have his way. As scary as it seemed, he knew it was bound to happen. He was still a slave, after all. He was lucky he got to act like how he did in the first place, because in reality, he was just a mere slave. He was worth nothing.

Under the influence of the drug, he couldn't make out the faces of the people in front of him, but knew well enough that they were laughing, looking at him maliciously, the fucking bastards. He would have loved nothing more than to throw dynamites at them. They were all gits who knew nothing than to satisfy their stupid impulses, and they deserve to rot in hell.

He gasped when all of a sudden, a bucket of cold water was turned over above his head, drenching him. His first reaction was to swear and shout. But he was too weak. Instead, he started trembling, cursing inwardly.

Rasiel's laugh echoed around the hall. "Isn't he precious? Don't get hard yet, people, that's not all this one has in store!" He walked behind the slave and grasped a handful of silver hair, giving a sudden forceful yank backwards.

Something between a hiss and moan escaped him from the action, earning a lot of "Oooh," "aaahs," and catcalls from the audience, the damn bastards.

Gokudera instinctively tried to struggle, but in his state couldn't give off a fight. He choked back a sob that threatened to come up his throat. Was there no getting away from this hell?

"Alright, that's enough preview, ladies and gentlemen... Shishishi~" Rasiel said, releasing the hold on his head so that his head slumped back to bowing down. "If you want to have fun with this precious gem, you have to buy him." He grinned widely, "Of course, he shall also go to the highest bidder! The price for this feisty silver beauty starts at 50 million!"

"50 million!" Someone from the audience immediately shouted.

"70 million!"

"80 million!"

"100 million!" Another shouted.

And the bid went on.

By this time, Reborn, who was still blaming Verde for ruining his schedule for the evening finally made his way towards the hall where the auction was being held.

'Damn, it started already. You'll pay for this, Verde…' he said to himself, slipping quietly inside.

And while he was doing that, he noticed the man whose name was Lancia, who was making his way outside the place with a slave in his arms. Reborn recognized who the blond slave was at once.

He stared at Lancia curiously, "Him?"

The Italian man nodded, "It's the only way," he replied.

The hitman didn't say anything, but he empathized with the man. He would've done the same thing if he was in his place. He gave Lancia a small pat on the shoulder. "He's all yours then," he said with a small smile.

A blush became visible on the man's cheeks as a muttered a feeble thanks and went on his way.

He grinned as he cast them a last look. For both of them, what will happen in the next few days will be awkward indeed, but he knew that Lancia made a wise decision and he wouldn't regret it.

"Now, time to see if there's anything else interesting going on tonight," he said to himself.

The auction was still ongoing when Reborn entered. The first thing that caught his attention was the person currently being sold on stage, and since he was a regular costumer, he recognized the young man instantly. "Still haven't found your rightful owner, eh?" He shook his head. He also took interest in the silver-haired slave, but he just didn't find his way into Reborn's eyes. Besides, the hitman had been quite sure he would eventually find his rightful place.

Though clearly, it hasn't happened yet…

A tall blond man suddenly stood up and declared loudly, "500 million," causing people to stare at him, even the emcee gawked at the price he offered. It was the highest amount anyone declared at the evening's auction.

Reborn recognized the man as Gamma, a member of the Giglio Nero Familia. The said Family was one of the Vongola's far allies, but they only share minimum interests.

A few seconds of silence, and the bidder crossed his arms. "Mr. Emcee, aren't you supposed to be counting?" he smirked as if saying 'Is there a need to?'

Rasiel cleared his throat. "Oh, right. Ladies and gentlemen, there you have it! Our highest bidder at 500 million! Anyone taking on the challenge of competing with this man?" he said "Ten! Nine! Eight!"

The mafioso scoffed. What was the use of counting? There was no way anybody else could offer a higher price—

"800 million."

A collective gasp ran around the room, as a dark-haired young man walked towards the stage.

"What?" Gamma said in surprise. Who the hell is this man? His eyes widened slightly.

Reborn stared disbelievingly, "Yamamoto…"

The swordsman stared straight at the emcee. "I'll buy him for 800 million," he said, eyes flashing murderously.

Rasiel merely gulped while Gamma whistled. "Hehe, based on that expression, I'd say you're already pissed off. Looks like you really want that-"

Yamamoto didn't even turn. "You might want to shut up. I don't have time for you."

The man raised his hands. "Easy, kid. We're not here to kill each other now, are we?"

"…"

He didn't say anything more, and kept glaring at the man onstage, as if waiting for him to talk.

Rasiel stared nervously. "Er...right." Without needing to say anything else, he nodded to the other men. "Take him away then."

Yamamoto followed them backstage, ignoring the looks on the others' faces behind him. As of now, there was only one thing in his mind.

Gokudera tried to focus his vision, but it was in vain. He felt the men pull him back towards the shadows, away from the light, which only meant that someone must've bought him again. But he couldn't make anything out yet. The damn drug was still in his system.

But he could feel two men dragging him harshly. He wanted to pull himself away from their grasp because it was starting to be painful.

"What do you think you're doing to him?"

Yamamoto Takeshi's eyes narrowed when he saw the way the two men were pulling the young man. He didn't have to be a doctor to determine that it was too tight, and it was bound to bruise later on.

"Sir," one of them answered, "This one is strong. He might escape if we don't-"

But they both backed off when they saw his face. They released Gokudera at once, who just slumped on the ground, too weak to even carry himself upright.

"Doesn't look that way to me. Besides, I don't care," he said to them coldly. "He's mine now, isn't he? Keep your filthy hands away from him." In one motion, he was able to carry the silver-haired slave in his arms.

There were people talking near him, of that Gokudera was sure. But he couldn't understand what they were saying.

He felt himself being lifted in the air, and he couldn't even give off a weak struggle to protect himself.

A voice whispered in his ear. "It's alright. I've got you."

He didn't understand, but something in those words soothed him. Perhaps it was the cool, relaxing tone of the speaker. Or, maybe it was the voice that was somehow familiar to him. Whatever it was, he had no idea, and he found himself relaxing in that person's broad chest. He may turn out to be a good or a bad person, Gokudera had to just find out later, because right now, as bizarre as it sounds, he felt secure in this man's arms. Maybe it was the drug, maybe it was because he was tired, but he soon drifted off to sleep.

Yamamoto smiled inwardly when he felt the slave's breathing even out. He seemed to have fallen fast asleep. All that was left was to take him away from this hell. He cast another piercing glare at the two men before turning on his heel to leave, the silver-haired man securely in his arms.

"So, I guess this means you've changed your mind?" a voice said behind him as he walked away from the place. "But you sure picked an expensive one."

"Reborn!" he exclaimed, seeing his mentor. "It's not like that! I…"

The hitman shook his head and raised a hand to stop him. "Don't say anything else. I don't need it."

"…"

Yamamoto complied and stared at the man.

Reborn's eyes then turned to the person in his arms. "Still, I never imagined you'd go for him."

The swordsman's eyes narrowed slightly, "Why do you know him?"

The hitman met his eyes. "He's been sold in this auction over and over, to different people and places."

A curse escaped the young man's lips. He didn't even want to hear how many people became the slave's owner before him, or how they treated him. The mere mention of it made him want to kill someone.

Noticing the deadly aura that was starting to come out of his student, Reborn patted him on the back. "Nevertheless, he's yours now, isn't he? He's found a great owner who can be gentle and rough."

Yamamoto felt heat rushing up his cheeks. "H-Hey! I-I didn't buy him for t-that!" he stuttered.

But the man just looked at him dismissively, so Yamamoto knew it was another cue for him to stop talking. He shrugged. All that's important was he was going to be safe in Yamamoto's care.

A few minutes later, Yamamoto was inside the second car, the silver-haired young man fast asleep with his head in his lap. The swordsman smiled at him. "You're free from that hell now," he whispered.

Gokudera stirred from his sleep when he felt a different kind of movement. He must be somewhere else again, but he was too weak to open his eyes to see who was running a hand through his hair. It was very gentle, as if scared that he would be hurt with just a wrong tug.

He felt confused. What was going on? He was currently helpless, so whoever bought him should've been doing other things, unless…

He couldn't think. The hand in his hair was soothing, and he'd known better. He would've actually admitted it was nice. But a second later, he lost consciousness again, left with hoping that his new owner would be easier to deal with than the others.

-to be continued-

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oh yeah! At least not a cliffhanger yeah? I hope I get to have 100 reviews here! Is that so hard? Please review my work ne? XD

oh, and keep sending those pairings you want, otherwise they might end up only as cameo or paired with someone else.

Next will be some HibaTsu moments~ and hopefully in the next I can share a bit about the past and the plot (yes, I has plot, I think, XD)

Anybody else aside from my great beta-san who was reminded of okane ga nai? XD