Chapter Text
"Hey guys! I'm so glad you could make it! I'm really happy to see you, lil bro! Welcome to Italy!" Dino Cavallone, the boss of a mafia family with over five thousand members, beamed when he caught sight of his honorary 'little brother', the future Vongola Decimo, and the teenager's Guardians. Hell, even the ever elusive and mysterious Mist Guardian, Chrome Dokuro, had accepted the invitation Tsuna passed along to his Guardians personally, though the biggest surprise was probably Hibari Kyoya's presence several feet away from the group.
Sawada Tsunayoshi, a simple middle school student who happened to have Vongola blood in his veins, beamed right back at the blond. The brunet even ran in for a hug, something he didn't usually indulge himself in, but it had been months since the Ring Battles and he was just glad to see the Cavallone boss again, since they might as well be brothers from different mothers, as only they understood each other's pain over having Reborn as a tutor.
"It's really great to see you too, Dino-san. Thanks for having us! And congratulations!"
Dino smiled at the genuine well wishes he received from most of Tsuna's friends and Guardians, but when his former tutor shot a look at him, Dino knew Reborn had probably noticed he wasn't as cheery as he was trying to portray himself as. Thankfully, the hitman didn't say anything as Dino received a hug from Nana and a stronger than need be punch in the shoulder from Ryohei, so that was at least one crisis averted.
"Bucking Horse~! Bucking Horse~!" The high-pitched chirp, though, brought his eyes to rest upon the one person he had been unsure if he would even see and despite himself, he grew excited and nervous, his whole being somehow softening when he caught sight of pale skin, jet black hair and silver-blue eyes. The yellow bird hopping excitedly on the Disciplinary Committee Chairman's shoulder kept chirping as the blond walked over, fluttering up to rest on the taller male's hair while the prefect himself remained still and emotionless.
"Kyoya, I'm really glad you could make it. Thank you for coming," Dino said to his only cute little student, who studied him with sharp eyes for a long moment before just walking past him. His men who had never gone to Japan with him but were accompanying him to the airport for security all gawked at the rudeness of the boy, but Romario and the regulars all chuckled, even more so when Dino immediately scrambled to go after the teenager. "Wait, Kyoya, don't just walk off like that! You don't even know where to go! What if you get lost?"
Dino was quite possibly the only person on earth who could survive grabbing Hibari Kyoya's shoulder like that and he was rather proud of it. Especially when Kyoya actually stopped long enough to look up at him and almost roll his eyes. "I'm sure Romario by now knows where you live, Cavallone. I'm going with him. You know I hate crowds."
"Ah, we came in a really big car for that reason, Kyoya, and it has a privacy screen, so you can sit alone if you want, but you have to go with us," the blond explained, rubbing the back of his head with his free hand in a habit he had picked up from his visits to Japan. However, as soon as his arm was back by his side, two thinner arms wrapped around his and a weight slammed into him.
"Dino~!" A pretty Italian woman with olive skin, auburn hair and blue eyes called in a sickeningly sweet tone, all but gluing herself to the don's side, beaming up at him with rosy cheeks. "Where did you run off to? What's taking so long? Are these the guests you talked about? Oh, they're all so cute!" She waved at them, speaking in broken Japanese. "Hello, everyone. Welcome to Italy and thanks for coming to our wedding! My name is Lucia Tocceli, the future Mrs Cavallone," she said with a giggle, not noticing how several people stiffened at her words.
Sasagawa Kyoko, Miura Haru and Bianchi, who had come as guests, all smiled at her while Sawada Nana congratulated Dino on finding such a pretty wife. Yamamoto Takeshi and Sasagawa Ryohei gave sunny smiles and happy - or extremely energetic - greetings while Gokudera Hayato and Chrome Dokuro grumbled/mumbled their own greetings. Lambo asked for candy and I-Pin admonished him like usual before bowing in greeting. Fuuta just smiled and said she ranked in the top fifty of the prettiest mafia women in the world, to which Lucia blushed in pleasure and (fake) modesty.
Tsuna found himself doing his best to smile genuinely, but something deep within writhed and screamed at him that this woman was simply bad news.
Reborn said polite greetings but his eyes were sharp and studying, trying to figure out why his hitman intuition was declaring Lucia to be a threat. She was obviously from a mafia family, he knew about the Tocceli and he could guess why they had arranged for the marriage to Don Cavallone, but those were the usual games played within the mafia for more power and connections and stability. That should not trigger his instincts.
Hibari Kyoya, though, shot the woman one look and glared. There was but a flash of confusion, then irritation, then understanding and finally anger before it all flattened out and it was just a glare that could really mean anything. Knowing the prefect, he might be even comparing how she would have clashed with Nami-chuu's dress code or other rules. It was Hibari, after all.
"Ah, everyone, let me introduce you to my lovely wife-to-be," Dino said, maybe a bit tensely, gesturing around with the hand of his trapped arm, the other one never leaving the Cloud Guardian's person. "Everyone, this is Lucia. Lucia, these are Tsuna, my honorary little brother, and his Guardians and friends." He introduced each person by name before finally gesturing at Kyoya. "And this is my student who I've told you about, Hibari Kyoya, the Cloud Guardian."
Lucia smiled sunnily at the sullen teenager. "It's a pleasure to meet you! Dino talks about you a lot, it seems he's very fond of you. I hope we can get along." She extended a hand, expecting a shake, but the prefect shot her a disdainful look before walking over to Romario, who seemed rather strangely pleased by the rude behavior. "Why that little brat! The nerve-!" Lucia fumed, unable to believe someone would brush off her kindness like that, but Dino just laughed it off, patted her on the shoulder before racing off after Hibari.
"Doesn't that seem a bit strange?" Kyoko could be heard commenting to Haru, sounding perplexed.
"Yeah, he should have stayed with his lover!" The other teen girl agreed, pouting at Dino's retreating back for not fulfilling her fantasy version of how all ideal couples work.
"Well, that tonfa freak is far more dangerous if left alone, so it's probably for the best to keep an eye on him," Gokudera grumbled, not at all happy to be back to Italy for some reason. No one dared ask because they didn't want the bomber to reveal he'd managed to smuggle in tons of dynamite onto the plane, though no one was actually sure how he'd done it.
"Don't worry about it, Lucia," Yamamoto said easily to the woman. "Hibari is always like that and he was rather irritable that he had to be in a crowded airplane. Though he was really helpful when it came to getting out first, since people kind of just dived out of his way." It had been a sight to see, since most people tended to try and rush out as soon as possible out of the plane, everyone getting ready to go as soon as the plane lands and even before it comes to its proper gate. But as soon as Hibari had stood up when the plane stopped and was being prepared to let out the passengers, every single person on the plane had scrambled to get out of his way, sitting on each other's laps just so the annoyed teenager could pass. Tsuna and his family had followed in the Cloud's wake so they wouldn't get separated, because Hibari was sure to bite them to death if he had to wait for them, too. The flight attendant had looked ready to cry in relief when the prefect stepped off of her plane at last.
"Hibari is as extreme as ever," Ryohei nodded in agreement. Those of Dino's men close enough to hear the conversation laughed merrily as they took everyone's luggage. Up ahead, Dino was trying to convince Hibari to let him take his single duffel bag that he'd packed, which only served to annoy Lucia more for some reason.
"It's good to see time and distance don't change those two's interactions," Reborn commented, seemingly to no one but his eyes were trained on the future Donna Cavallone, studying her reaction. He almost smirked when he noticed her twitch and seethe some more. 'Well now, I don't know what game you're playing, Dino, but this is bound to be interesting.'
The ride to the Cavallone mansion was a bit tense, since while the car was big and spacious - a limo, to be precise - Hibari had not, in fact, decided to sit in the middle area, blocked off from both the bodyguards up front and Dino and the teenagers in the back. Instead, he sat on Dino's left, their shoulders almost brushing, completely content to just gaze through the window and ignore everyone else as Hibird sang on his head. Dino's right side was occupied by the future Vongola boss, which meant Gokudera was on his left and Yamamoto had all but sprawled himself against the Italian bomber's side, much to his annoyance. That, however, meant that the fiancee had to sit with the other females and the kids, right across from her husband-to-be. Trying to scold the teenager for taking her place by her future husband had actually left her as traumatized as any poor, unfortunate outsider to Namimori when they first meet Hibari Kyoya, because the prefect had whipped out his tonfa and threatened to bite her to death if she disturbed him again.
Lucia was still fuming inwardly at the fact that no one had tried to take her side against the teenager, even Romario and Dino himself wary of that Hibari brat's temper. The World's Greatest Hitman, though he obviously wasn't intimidated, didn't come to her aid, either, instead seeming rather amused by it all. Lucia just knew that she was going to have problems with those two, especially as she couldn't just brush them off. Dino greatly valued and respected Rebron's opinion, the Arcobaleno having been his tutor and all and Dino had indeed talked about Hibari Kyoya enough that Lucia knew the brat was important to him. Important enough that Dino had sent a separate invitation directly to Hibari instead of just the one passed along by the future Vongola boss. Important enough that Dino would travel to Japan as much as he could just to train his 'cute little student'.
She'd have to win those two over, especially as they were clearly the sharpest ones in the group. It wouldn't be good for them to go snooping around and ruin her wedding.
Upon arriving at the Cavallone mansion, the teenagers were all rather impressed. Well, actually Gokudera, Chrome and Hibari weren't, the former two having lived lavish lives while the third was simply not impressed by such things as a huge manor and luxuries that were more excess than needed. When Dino asked the prefect for his opinion and he said as much, everyone sweat dropped, but they were all honest with themselves that they hadn't expected anything different. Still, Hibari allowed himself to be showed around just like everyone else but disappeared during the middle of the tour after they finished in the second floor library.
Lucia wanted to go back and get him, but Dino just waved it off, saying it was a miracle Kyoya had stuck around for that long and that it was probably for the best to give him some space for now. When the tour was finished and everyone was settled into their rooms for the duration of the stay, Dino walked back to his home office, sat down in his comfy leather chair and sighed, running a hand through his hair agitatedly. Things were going good so far. Lucia didn't suspect a thing and her men had only just caught glimpses of the Vongola Tenth Generation, which was good. It won't last, as they were bound to be seen and analyzed at dinner later, but this was off to a good start. In fact, everything was going according to plan so far, even if he had been rather worried about how things with Kyoya will turn out.
'Kyoya ... ' The blond sighted, tempted to just tug out all of his hair and be done with it. He'd known from the start that things would get complicated even before the true complications arouse, mostly because he was so damn fond of his student, because he cared for Kyoya's opinion so much. The Cavallone had known, the second Hibari got here, the first problem he'd have to face would be his own damned heart and the helpless longing he felt.
Hopeless, too, given he knew Kyoya probably only saw him as a stepping stone to becoming even stronger or just someone intriguing to entertain him and give him a good fight. Maybe, if he kept up his current persistence, he might one day even earn himself the title of Kyoya's first tentative 'friend', though he suspected Reborn might actually already hold a title like that, due to the mutual respect they shared and that strange sort of understanding that would mark them both, in Kyoya's mind, as fellow carnivores, predators, who ought to keep each other alive to prevent the other from growing bored with the world.
Dino, on the other hand, was just a lovesick herbivore.
He sighed again and wondered if he should just tell Kyoya. He played a rather crucial part in all of this, but Dino would actually prefer his honest, unbiased opinion. Not that anything could actually make Hibari Kyoya's opinion be biased. Kyoya was far too straightforward for that, for all that he was one of the most mysterious people Dino had ever met. Second only to Reborn and the other Arcobaleno, perhaps, but a person who's personal information could not even be fished out by Mammon ... Yeah, Kyoya was an enigma alright.
But most of all, Kyoya had almost animalistically sharp instincts and an even sharper mind, capable of analyzing and categorizing a person into a personality group or level of skill within seconds. A single demonstration was all the prefect needed to see through a person or an attack. That would be incredibly useful, if it could be utilized in this situation.
"Man, this is all getting so troublesome already! And the real issues haven't even started!" He complained to the empty room, rubbing the heels of his hands over his eyes. He should be getting ready for dinner, preparing some sort of speech to give with the activities list he had planned for the next couple of days before the actual wedding ceremony. This was so unbecoming of a Don, especially one of his reputation.
But, then again, a certain Cloud more often than not made him act or react unbefitting of a Don of his reputation.
"I knew it," a familiar voice said from his window and Dino froze instinctively, not at all surprised that he hadn't noticed the other's appearance. "So there is something wrong. I wish you would have just been open with me instead of leaving me in the dark like that, you wimp. I'd rather not run into Bakamitsu being Bakamitsu or have to introduce Tsuna to Lal Mirch the hard way. Now," Reborn said as he jumped from the window sill and onto his desk, sitting on a pile of paperwork, crossing his legs and pointing Leon in gun form at the blond. "Tell me why this wedding is suddenly happening and why the bride seems so suspicious."
"Reborn-" He tried, not really sure if he wanted his former tutor to get more deeply involved. Sure, Tsuna's Hyper Intuition would be useful in the situation but he didn't want his little brother involved, and Reborn was the Greatest Hitman in the world because he was a great judge of character and danger, but he'd seriously prefer to keep them out of Cavallone business.
The gun clicked. "Don't try to bullshit me, Dino. I had a hand in making you into the man you are. Tell me what's going on and why do you need Tsuna's Cloud Guardian for it." At Dino's stunned silence, Reborn chuckled. "You think I wouldn't notice? You underestimate me, my no good wimpy student number one. Number two hasn't yet noticed that beyond his scary fighting strength, Hibari has some other rather frightening skills, but you would. So tell me how he's involved and how I may help? I wouldn't be a very good tutor if one of my students got killed while the other lost his strongest Guardian."
Dino stared intently at Reborn, thought his options through and told him everything.