(no subject)
Title: Casting Lots
Author: The one and only me.
Rating: I'm not really clear on the rating thing. But this is definitely a G.
Characters: Reborn, Luce, Yamamoto, Tsuna, Gokudera, Chrome, Ryohei, Hibari (in the background)
Warnings: Tsuna's hysterical-ness and Yamamoto.. being Yamamoto. Oh, spoilers for Future Arc.
Summary: Someone visits the future Tenth Vongola's family. Reborn makes them take turns to take care of her.
“Take turns.”
“But how?” Tsuna looked bewildered. “We’re all training, right?”
“Someone will take a day off each day.” Reborn looked around at all the guardians. “We’ll cast lots to see who gets when.”
“Sounds fun,” Yamamoto chimed in cheerfully. “How about Lambo?”
“The stupid cow’s not counted- he can’t even take care of himself.”
“Do we have to?” Gokudera looked annoyed. “I mean, can’t we just get Kyoko or Haru to take care of her?”
The Arcobaleno’s dark eyes bored into Gokudera’s green ones, making the teenager squirm slightly. “Consider it a part of your training. On the battlefield, you have to know how to take care of your injured comrades.”
“Haha, we’re playing the mafia role-play again?”
“If this is training, I will do it to the EXTREME!” Ryohei declared energetically, pumping his fists in the air.
“Um, Boss, do I have to do it to?” Chrome asked plaintively, clutching her trident in both hands.
“Um… yeah,” Tsuna said reluctantly, “As long as… you know… Mukuro doesn’t come out…”
“Oh.” Chrome looked slightly crestfallen.
“This is a waste of time,” Gokudera snapped angrily, turning to stalk away.
“This is also a test to see who will be the right-hand man,” Reborn said clearly. “A good right-hand man will surely take care of anyone in distress.”
Gokudera stopped in his tracks before turning back to them. “Che,” he muttered angrily, trying to conceal the excitement in his eyes. “I guess if the Tenth wants it…”
Tsuna visibly sweat-dropped. “Er… Gokudera-kun… it’s fine…”
“That’s right,” Reborn cut in. “I’m sure Yamamoto could take your day. Right, Yamamoto?”
“Sure, little man-”
Tsuna winced as Gokudera predictably erupted at the mention of the Rain Guardian. “I CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT BASEBALL IDIOT!”
“Haha, Gokudera’s so excited!” Yamamoto simply grinned at the seething Italian.
The Strom Guardian draped an arm around Tsuna and leant down conspiratorially. “Don’t worry, Jyuudaime,” Gokudera muttered in Tsuna’s ear. “I’ll be your right hand man! I won’t let that baseball idiot disturb you.”
“Ah… Gokudera-kun…” The future Tenth Vongola looked around desperately for an escape from his Storm Guardian’s fanatical mutterings. He was saved by Ryohei, who asked with a puzzled frown, “Hey, what about Hibari?”
“I’ll talk to him,” the baby hitman replied easily, looking unconcerned.
“Ahm… Reborn?” A lilting, slightly musical voice spoke.
They all turned to look at the figure in the doorway. For the first time that day, Reborn smiled.
“Hello, Luce. How are you?”
“So we’ll pull names out of this jar.” Reborn waved a little glass jar filled with small folded squares of paper. “Whosever name comes out the most gets to take care of Luce today.”
“That’s not casting lots!” Tsuna stared in disbelief. “How do we know you haven’t just filled the entire jar with one person’s name?”
“You don’t,” the Arcobaleno replied tonelessly. “Now pick, No-Good Tsuna.”
“I- ow! Alright, alright, leggo of my hand!”
“Gokudera, you next.”
“What if two people’s names come out even?” the silver-haired boy asked, sticking his hand in.
“Then they’ll do it together. However,” Reborn tilted his fedora downwards, “I have calculated that to be extremely unlikely, based on the amount of paper I put in. There’s three hundred pieces in there. Chrome, your turn.”
“Is Luce-san very ill?” the girl enquired shyly, reaching for the jar.
“Not particularly. She’s just in rather delicate health at the moment, and can’t be left alone.” Reborn nodded at Yamamoto, signaling him to pick from the jar. “While she’s staying with us, we must take care of her, anyway. This hospitality is expected of the Vongola family, especially to someone as powerful as Luce.”
“Hey,” Yamamoto inspected his square of paper. “How about Hibari?”
“He already picked. I have his here.” Reborn patted his pocket.
“I’m next, right?” Without prompting, Ryohei grabbed the jar and shook it vigorously. “I will pick to the EXTREME!”
“Wait, Ryohei,” Tsuna said desperately, “you’ll break-”
The jar shattered under Ryohei’s energetic grasp. The folded squares fluttered in the air, while Ryohei’s continued clutching at empty air, looking slightly rattled.
“Haha, Ryohei’s so strong!”
“This one,” Reborn picked a piece of paper that floated down next to his foot. “This is the first one Ryohei touched.”
“How do you know that?” Tsuna asked suspiciously, then shrank back as Reborn looked at him, eyes glinting. “Ah, okay, okay, pick that one!”
“Everyone, open your paper and read the name on it.”
For a moment there was only the rustle of paper, before Gokudera announced, sounding slightly pleased, “Tenth.”
“Tsuna,” Yamamoto said cheerfully. “Congrats!”
“Boss- I mean, em… Tsuna,” Chrome said quietly.
“Sawada! Take care of the little girl with all your might!” Ryohei grabbed Tsuna’s shoulders and began shaking him.
“No-Good Tsuna,” Reborn read from the piece of paper he extracted in his pocket. “What’s yours, Tsuna?”
The bewildered boy opened his own piece of paper.
“It’s… my own name,” he stammered. “But… that’s impossible! How could we all have picked my name? Reborn, did you manipulate the resu- OW!”
“Stupid,” Reborn said calmly, twisting Tsuna’s arm behind his back. “Do you know anything about the laws of probability?”
“But this is just- ow ow ow! Alright! I don’t know anything!”
“So, it’s Tsuna, huh?” Yamamoto climbed to his feet, smiling. “Good luck, Tsuna! I’ve gotta go now and do my own training. See ya!”
“Wait-”
“Do your best, Tenth!” Gokudera looked excited. “I’m sure you’ll do brilliantly! And,” he added in a loud whisper, “if you need my help, just call!”
“To the EXTREME, Sawada!”
Chrome simply disappeared with a “Good luck, boss.”
“Alright, Tsuna,” Reborn said after everyone left. “Go prepare.”
“Huh?”
“Go make something for Luce to eat. Now.”
“But I can’t-”
“Shall I shoot you with the dying will bullet?”
“No, no! I’ll be fine!” The boy rushed out of the room like there were wolves at his back.
Reborn stood quietly in the centre of the living room, surveying the shards of glass on the floor with a dissatisfied expression. “Luce, you can come out now.”
The Sky Arcobaleno stepped out gracefully from behind the sofa. “So, this is the Tenth Vongola’s family, huh?”
Reborn snorted. “Yeah.”
She reached out and laid a small hand on Reborn’s shoulder, smiling. “You’ve done a wonderful job.”
“Um… Luce-san?”
“Yes?” she smiled at Tsuna from where she reclined on the couch, resting. She got tired very easily these days, she reflected- perhaps her time was coming.
“Are you hungry?”
“Not really. I’d like some company though. Come and sit with me, Tsuna-kun.”
The boy approached uncertainly, settling into the couch next to the little child.
“So,” she smiled at him, eyes bright as a bluebird’s, “You’ve met my granddaughter?”
He stared dumbly for a moment until it clicked. “Ah, yes! You’re… you’re Uni’s grandmother, right? Gosh, I totally forgot… you look really like her! Or maybe I should say she looks really like you…”
Luce laughed. “It’s the same thing.”
“Well, you… err… I was wondering…” Tsuna looked at her a bit doubtfully. “I don’t see how you… in this state…”
“How I could have a baby?” she gave a suddenly wicked smile and Tsuna flushed a bright red. “Well, I could tell you, Tsuna-kun, but it’s really complicated. Still, if you want to know…”
“No! No, it’s alright,” he said hastily. “Well… Uni’s a really great person! She was really kind… and sweet… and…”
The future Tenth Vongola’s eyes became distant, as he recalled memories of their trip to the future.
“She was beautiful… like you… and she was so good. She was willing to give up everything… to help us come back…”
“And she died for it.”
Tsuna snapped back to the present, gazing in horror at the girl beside him. “I’m sorry, Luce-san! I didn’t mean to tell you…”
“I know, young Vongola. Reborn told me everything.” She smiled gently at him. “The Sky Arcobaleno never lives a long life, and this is a trait passed down through generations. My own daughter will not live very far beyond adulthood.”
“But… that’s horrible.” He looked at her, stunned. “I mean… don’t you feel sad? Your life is so short…”
“It can’t be helped.” She looked wistfully down at the pacifier hanging around her neck. “My only sorrow is that this curse is passed down to my successors. But I know Aria had a happy life. And Uni,” she sighed, hands clasping together over her stomach, “Uni lived the shortest life of all… but she died with someone she loved.”
Tsuna bit his lip, unsure of what to say.
“And someone else I’m really grateful to,” Luce added, almost dreamily, “is that man, Gamma. Both Aria and Uni loved him. And he was faithful to the Giglio Nero family…”
“Yeah,” Tsuna recalled the proud, tall man who had been their enemy at first and then later, their savior. “He was by Uni’s side all along. When she was afraid, he helped her…”
“And you too.”
Tsuna looked at her, startled. “What?”
“You protected her,” Luce said fondly, reaching out to pat Tsuna’s hand. “When Uni asked for your help, you gave it. You fought with your dying will for everyone.”
“I was just… I just wanted to protect everyone. But.” The boy’s eyes clouded over. “I couldn’t save Uni in the end…”
“Nonsense,” Luce said crisply. “The future can change, Tsuna-kun. Now you’ve defeated Byakuran, it already has, hasn’t it?”
Tsuna’s brow wrinkled. “I… guess…”
“So maybe,” Luce’s voice grew softer, “Maybe since you fought in the future to defeat Byakuran, maybe now Uni will live. And it won’t be in vain after all. Remember the possibility of parallel worlds, Tsuna-kun. Nothing is impossible.”
Crazily, Tsuna suddenly recalled Reborn’s words from that morning.
“Stupid. Do you know anything about the laws of probability?”
Before he could reply, the clock chimed loudly, startling them both. Sawada Nana’s cheerful voice called out, “Tsuna, Luce-chan, everyone, it’s time for lunch!”
“Oh, it’s twelve already,” Tsuna noted, looking at the clock. “I wonder where’s Reborn… I haven’t seen him since this morning.” He stood up, stretching. “Ah, Luce-san, let’s go and eat lunch.”
“Tsuna-kun,” Luce smiled at him, “Can I sit on your shoulder? I’m a bit tired…”
“Ah?” the boy was startled. “I mean… of course!”
He gently picked up the Sky Arcobaleno and settled her on his shoulder, before heading to the kitchen.
“Hey, little guy. Aren’t you watching Tsuna?”
“No need. Luce will tell me everything later.”
“Haha, that little girl is really cute. Is she related to you?”
“Focus on your training, Yamamoto.”
“Ah, okay.”
For a while, the only sounds were the swish of Shigure Kintoki slicing through the air and Yamamoto’s steady breathing.
“Hey, Reborn.”
“Yes?”
“Are you going back for lunch?”
“Maybe.”
“Haha, why don’t you eat at my place? It’ll be my treat, since you’re training me.”
“Alright.”
“Ah, and there’s something else I wanted to ask…”
“What is it?”
“The lot-casting this morning… were those folded pieces of paper, by any chance, the ones you told me to write Tsuna’s name on yesterday?”
“Yes.”
“All three hundred pieces?”
“Yes.”
“Aha, and I was wondering why you wanted me to write Tsuna’s name so many times on those little pieces of paper… my fingers still hurt!”
“I have some more here.” Reborn held up a little bag. “After we finish today’s training, you’ll be writing someone else’s name three hundred times.”
“Only me?” Yamamoto’s voice held only the slightest hint of apprehension, and Reborn smiled slightly.
“Yes, only you. Remember, this is our secret.”
“Why me?”
The Arcobaleno shrugged. “Who else can I ask?”
Yamamoto opened his mouth to say ‘Gokudera’… before remembering the boy’s short temper and impatience for tedious work and promptly shut up. Ryohei and Hibari were absolute impossibilities, Lambo… well, that was obvious. Chrome?
He couldn’t imagine asking the meek little girl to do anything except fight.
“I see you understand,” Reborn’s voice held equal parts approval and amusement.
“Whose name is it this time?” the Rain Guardian asked, resigned.
“We’ll cast lots to find out.”
Yamamoto Takeshi threw his head back and laughed.