ALiVE (KHR Fanfic)

59. Broker

59. Broker

(POV: Third Person)

"So, have you been able to light a flame yet?" 

Tsuna jumps as he notices the tall man sit down on the chair beside his. They had just finished a training session on lighting flames-- and they were all exhausted. Kyoko and Haru were sound asleep in their rooms, and only the boys were here procuring some late dinner.

"Not- Not quite yet...?" Tsuna speaks up hesitantly, "Uh, You're-"

The black-haired man raises a hand to stop the sentence. "Is'alright, I know." he chuckles, "You're Sawada Tsunayoshi, the current Vongola Decimo, ain't you? Ah, but you're the past version, from ten years ago. You're probably fourteen now, and you lived in Namimori and studied in Namimori Junior High."

Takeshi and Hayato raised an eyebrow in a mixture of alarm and curiousity. Russo had chanted Tsuna's details as if it was a quote from a textbook--

"And you're Gokudera Hayato, the Storm Guardian; and Yamamoto Takeshi, the Rain Guardian." He flashed an innocent smile. "Nice to meet you both."

Gokudera's eyes sharpened.

Russo laughs at that. "Chill out," he urged, "My name's Russo. I'm an information broker. I joined this Family a little after where you guys did. I"m a freelancer, but allied to the Vongola. This is our first meeting, eh?"

"N-Nice to meet you!" Tsuna bowed lowly, oh god it's a Mafioso! Really?? Seriously?? At least he seems more normal than Lal or even the older Yamamoto...

"Russo?" Takeshi repeated the name, "Weird name. Nice to meet you!"

Shaking hands, the two smiling idiots formed a semblance of a smiling idiot bond. Gokudera rolled his eyes at the sight, groaning something about morons multiplying under his breath.

-

It was a simple passing by.

In one of the many hallways of the base, Russo was walking towards one direction, and Lal happened to be going the other way. Passing by each other in the same alley, they barely gave each other a glance.

Russo did not crack a smile, and Lal did not bother looking over after she first identified him.

They simply passed each other by-- strangers in the same household.

Tsuna, who happened to see the scene a distance away, felt confused. It simply didn't connect. Russo seemed like such a nice and friendly guy, so why was he and Lal so cold to each other?

Maybe he shouldn't be meddling.

-

"Hey, Lambo, no snooping around!" Russo reprimanded sharply.

"Lambo-san's not snooping around! Lambo-san just saw something shiny and came to take a look!" denied the cow child.

"That's what you call snooping around, Lambo." Russo sighed, "So what did you find?"

Picking up Lambo into his arms, Russo observed the red, dew-shaped gem Lambo had picked up from the floor of his room. It was a pendant that had fallen from its string.

Seeing it, Russo's eyes softened. Taking it from the cow child's hands, he chuckled dryly. "Look closely, Lambo." he said.

Lambo tilted his head curiously.

Cradling the cow child gently under his arm, Russo wrapped his fingers around the red gem. Lambo stared intently at it.

"Closely, closely--" Russo whispered, "And--"

Russo flicked the gem upwards. Lambo's eyes shot upwards towards the gem.

Russo caught it easily, swirled his fist a few times-- and showed Lambo two red gems clasped in between his fingers. Closing his fist, he unfurled them again and it multiplied to three.

Lambo's eyes sparkled. "Wooahh!!"

Russo chuckled. Children were so easy to please.

Curling his fingers back into a fist, he brought his hand back to his chest right where Lambo was. This time he open his fist, there were zero red gems.

"Ehh? Where did it go?" Lambo asked quickly, "Rosso, where did it go? Where did it go?"

Russo chuckled. "I wonder!"

-

"You call yourself Russo, right?" Reborn spoke up to Russo at the dinner table. No one else was around at the moment, so they had a private conversation.

"Yeah. What about it, Reborn?" Russo replied absent-mindedly, taking a sip from his glass of water.

"So, what's your real name?" 

Russo froze. He put his cup down-- and let out a despaired sigh. "Really, Reborn? Of all things you ask? I thought you'd be more sensitive about that because you're using an alias too!"

"Was just curious." Reborn pouted fakely. 

-

-

-

-

"Xanxaaaasss," the brown haired boy whined like a lazy cloth, slumping over the older man's knee, "Pleaseee, Xanxus-samaaaa? Won't you just ever say 'Welcome back' to me?"

Xanxus's fingers twitched uncontrollably, his lips quivering and his eyes white in absolute fucking go die in shit, scum, and he really wasn't far from screaming now.

"NO!" his settled on just that. 

The brown-haired boy smiled contentedly. "Ah, he said something."

Slumping down in semblance of comfort at Xanxus' lap, it was a wonder how the boy was still alive. He probably wasn't gonna be for any longer, though.

Sparks flew on Xanxus' palm. The air of death was exuding in floods, flowing out of Xanxus like a broken dam of anger--

Lussuria placed a hand on Rei's shoulder.

"Now, now, Rei-chan," Lussuria giggled intimately, "Welcome home, but let's not bother the boss now, alright?"

"Alright, Mommy~" Rei chuckled jokingly in response.

Rei got up and dusted himself off. Tucking his hands back into his suit, he moves to a proper spot before the Boss' throne, and got on one knee.

"I have returned, Boss." he said, "Would you like a report, or shall I give it to Squalo instead?"

"Get out of my sight!" Xanxus snapped. 

"Alright~" Rei casually trotted out, his arms swinging lazily as he left the room.