*˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳ngl I am way more in love with Neo before the events of the matrix are revealed than after, I love my stinky computer hacker bf, he has a trashed room and never sleeps, coffee and cigarettes keep him going enough for his lame office day job, he hates the government, he has no rizz what so ever, he loves industrial goth music and aesthetics but is too scared to actually wear them, he's a sopping wet sock of a man but will tell people in power to fuck off whenever he can, if he was around today he would be a discord mod. ʚ♥︎ɞ.
((I just felt like delving into the backstory just a bit more for funsies for the threads I have going on with @skarletchains))
Word count: 1,918
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Reading over the numerous reports piling on his desk, there was a mounting sense of unease that he wasn’t quite sure of how to deal with. As much as he didn’t like the underworld, it wasn’t feasible nor realistic to want to rid of them all.
Additionally, there were some who honestly weren’t too bad from the civilian point of view. The Cavallone famiglia for instance had strict rules against harming the civilians on their turf. They were a famiglia that the common day people didn’t completely fear.
If one famiglia were to disappear, their rivaling faction may rise up in power and tip the balances of influence, which may result in a turf war for those ambitious enough to vie for more power.
Simply put, it was tiresome.
Who knew that the reports of some young person causing a scene with some of the mafia was the same person that they were investigating on the side. A pair of scarlet eyes sat in his desk, carefully tucked away. He’d ordered for the history of the eyes to be investigated, and if possible, locate any kin that could retrieve the eyes.
How disturbing for the eyes to be plucked from people and preserved like they were trophies to admire. It was grotesque.
The young man who was searching for the missing eyes of his people was the same one who was starting to catch the attention of mafia all around.
It probably wouldn’t take very long for people to connect the dots and target him for one reason or another. Perhaps they’d want to steal his collection, maybe they’d want to take him out to rid themselves of any competitors, or maybe… as his intuition told him- they’d suspect he was kin.
Having the scarlet eyes ripped from victims was one thing, but what about having a living specimen?
You couldn’t tell the young man to forsake his revenge, nor could you tell him to cease his efforts on trying to retrieve the eyes stolen from his people either. It would be best if they were able to somehow strike a deal to make it so they could mitigates some of the fallout that may occur any time the young Kurta wanted to act, but would he listen to mafia?
Regardless of how the Vongola operated now, they had many generations of bosses who have done their own fair share of evils. Would a young man who was left alone with the memories of his friends and family be willing to put his trust in such a big mafia famiglia? To trust that they had his interest at heart?
It wouldn’t be easy to convince him, that was for sure. They’d already made contact with the young man through their channels to secure a date to meet and talk. What Tsuna was deliberating on now was on who to send for such a delicate issue.
Who was sent had to be diplomatic enough to know how to behave in such serious talks, empathetic enough to not be insensitive, and the person had to not invoke fear or distrust in the young man.
A lot of those in their ranks weren’t the best when it came to the emotional spectrum of things, and sending in one of the guardians may be too imposing- making him feel like he was being threatened, which would make negotiations that much harder to pull off.
He’d much prefer it if they could forge a friendly relationship with the young man as to ensure that he’d be able to live a long life, something that his people were robbed of.
“Tsuna-san? You called?” Haru stood in the doorway, knocking on the wall.
“Haru, come in.” Tsuna gathered and organized the documents, hiding the documents that weren’t relevant to her arrival, “I have a favor to ask of you, a bit different from what you normally do.” He slides a few documents over for her to read over.
Trepidation. What could it be? Slowly, she grabs the papers and skims them over, eyebrows furrowing as she reads the harrowing contents. “Tsuna-san…? What is this?” Why was he having her read over such a horrific report?
The young Vongola Boss unlocks one of the drawers to his desk to pull out a pair of eyes recently gifted to him. The silence was palpable, possible to be cut with the sharp gasp from Haru. She trusted him and knew that he wouldn’t have gone to procure those eyes for himself, but she did remember Kyoko mentioning that some upcoming mafia was trying to get in the good graces of the Vongola.
She doubted that they had any personal involvement with the culling, but they were trying to profit off the unwilling sacrifices of the victims of the Kurta clan. Before she could say anything, “the ones who gifted me these are currently being dealt with.”
Creased eyebrows, fingers clenched tightly, and a solemn tone- the recipe of a Vongola boss who was mad, perhaps even seething with anger. He was always someone who could easily sympathize with others, something even empathizing with them. Just the thought of his family and friends being killed for body parts was unimaginable to him.
It was unforgivable at the very least, and he’d stop at nothing to ensure to avenge their deaths if he alone were left alive.
“Why did you call for me?” Haru asked again, quietly.
Tsuna slides another group of documents towards her, and she accepted them with nervously, worried about what else she’d read next.
Reports started with sightings of some mysterious person who was causing a scene with some mafia here and there, especially those who had dealings with scarlet eyes. Most likely a combined effort of Mukuro and Hibari, the identity and information of the person was detailed in another batch of papers.
‘He’s so young…’ it wasn’t a comment to disparage against his age but rather sorrow that he was shown such evils from a young age. ‘It’d be dangerous for him to continue operating as he is now…’
Then it clicks.
The very last document, a written contract.
“You want me to talk him into working with the Vongola to retrieve the eyes while also not causing too many waves in the underground.” She normally wasn’t put in charge of things like this. She sometimes did some espionage work, but she usually wasn’t public-facing.
Well, there were the rare occasions when there were formal events the Vongola had to attend and one of the guys needed to bring a plus one. It was easier to bring a friend along than some random person who probably would read too much into everything.
Her face wasn’t well known enough to cause immediate vigilance for most of the underground powers, but for those who had close ties with the Vongola, they knew her face. Just by being around her, it would be a sign that Kurapika was someone the Vongola trusted… and was endorsing to some degree.
The one thing that the underground learned fairly quickly was that the Vongola would fiercely protect and defend their own as it only took a few incidents with Haru and Kyoko being harassed for the Vongola to step in. Word spread fast: If you touched one of their members without just cause, you would live to regret that transgression. It didn’t matter if it wasn’t one of the guardians. No one was ‘too small’ for the Vongola to turn a blind eye to.
Haru’s looks and her usual attitude were unassuming enough that if she were travelling around the world, most people wouldn’t bat and eye and assume she was related to the mafia. She had a comforting and caring air about her that made most people relax around her.
Personable and friendly, she could make friends with mostly anyone if she put her mind to it, so she was an excellent choice for being the mediator between the Vongola and Kurapika.
Knowing her… the very next thing for her to say would be…
“Tsuna-san, you don’t intend for Haru to only be the intermediary to negotiate this contract, do you? Can’t Haru also be the liaison for the duration of the contract? Haru is resourceful and she is capable.”
“Hm…” Tsuna plays with a pen in his hand. “I don’t know, it could get pretty dangerous.”
Fighting the urge to roll her eyes, she sighs. “Tsuna-san, the only reason why you would ask Haru to do all this, making sure she knows about his situation is if you wanted Haru to feel sympathy for him. You want Haru to help manage his emotional and mental state.”
Who didn’t know that Haru could be such a busy body when it came to worrying about people around her? Haru would never leave someone alone if she knew they were struggling because of her big heart, and she was especially weak to those younger than her.
“Haru will only do this if you let her be the liaison. Haru doubts you can spare one of your guardians on this long-term, and many of the others are too hot headed or low on the EQ to be of any help. You want to help him avenge his clan while also making sure that someone can care for him emotionally.”
From what the paperwork had to say, Kurapika wasn’t necessarily alone, as he did have friends who he cherished. He had allies that he could trust.
Still, Tsuna thought it would be good to have someone by his side who had a higher EQ that could probably provide him with some much-needed comfort for his heart.
As expected, she was acting just like he wanted her to. It wasn’t a decision made alone, but one that was heavily discussed with the others. Haru was probably one of their better options.
She wouldn’t immediately come off as intimidating for the young Kurta, she had enough EQ to probably help him on an emotional level, she was smart enough to be able to act on her own, and most importantly, if it mattered for him that there were equal terms, then they could add a clause in the contract that he could do some bodyguarding work for Haru.
It wasn’t like Haru couldn’t protect herself in times of an emergency, but she certainly didn’t have much offensive power to speak of as she mostly worked in recon.
If there was one thing that Haru was confident in, it was that there was no way that Tsuna would ask her something like this if he thought that there was a chance that Kurapika would be a danger to her, so she trusted the fact that the young man would at the very least be civil company.
(Of course, she’d hope that he’d be pleasant company if she was going to be working with him from time to time)
“Can I trust you with this, Haru?” He asks as a formality as everyone and their mother knew what her answer would be.
Though what he was really asking was, could he trust that she was going to do her best to support Kurapika? Even if his past makes him hard to deal with? Could she be patient with him and not start sassing him off like she would with Gokudera?
“Of course, just tell Haru the date and time and she’ll see this through.”
“Thank you, Haru.”
“Haru will do her best. Haru will go prepare now.”
Neo here to do a thing because of many reasons including: yes. This is some background information and scenes for the @Signorinavongola’s Lady Boss AU. Some things had to change for—reasons, and so I’m writing some things out.
This is going to take me a while to write everything out and it’s going to be quite long, so I’m going to work on this as if it’s a multi-part series. Anything with a ❗ means that there is new/changed content from the previous drabble [x].
Next part: [x]
Word count: 9k+
[Revamped ch.11 scene from other thing to add onto the scene of Haru’s introduction.]
One morning, Reborn and Tsuna were strolling to school as they normally would in the morning, but they get stopped by a familiar voice (to one of them).
“Hold it! Haru had been observing you for some time now, and Haru needs answers. Tsu-chan, when did you have a new brother and not tell me about it?” She should know how much Haru adored children, so not telling her about a new brother… sacrilege! A betrayal! So mean-desu!
Not only that, “Haru also noticed you play mafia all the time. What kind of bad games are you playing with such a young child, Tsu-chan? Are you being forced into it by some of the neighboring kids?” Though it’s been some time since they last met, Haru and Tsuna were still childhood friends and she liked to believe she understood her friend well.
This wasn’t a kind of game that she would play with a kid, so there had to be a reason behind it. Maybe she was being bullied into it. If her friend needed someone who would sternly tell the bullies ‘no, we won’t play a game that is a bad influence on kids’ she’ll do it! She’ll be the first to volunteer!
“If you’re struggling to tell the bullies to stop playing the mafia game, Haru will do it for you to stop playing such a dangerous game with the baby.”
Reborn decides to act in Tsuna’s stead. “First off, I’m Tsuna’s tutor. It’s my job to raise Tsuna to be the 10th boss of the mafia. I cannot be separated from her until then.”
“… You’re taking the game too far! Tsu-chan, I can’t believe you!” As always, Haru was a firecracker when she was angered. She always acts or talks first and only when she’s calmed down would she listen.
Her phone beeps, and she quickly says her farewells before heading to school.
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[New content alert!: Yamamoto consulting with Tsuna after noticing something is off about her]
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“Hm? You had a fight with a friend?” Yamamoto couldn’t think of any friends Tsuna had in class aside from himself and Gokudera.
He listens to her recount what happened and the history that she had with her friend. So she had a ‘fight’ with her childhood friend. “To me, it just sounds like she misunderstood the situation because she doesn’t know the full details.”
Understandably, Tsuna didn’t have many friends, so it must be scary to think that she could lose one of her only friends. From what Tsuna had to say about this Haru girl, she seemed to be a smart and friendly person.
She had strong convictions and she was always ready to get mad at bullies on her behalf. Tsuna was worried about Haru finding out about how she is at school, so she put some distance between them. It worked out because as first years in middle school, they were busy adjusting to a new school.
“I dunno her, but from what you had to say about your Haru friend, she sounds like a good person who cares a lot about you.” Haru didn’t seem to care that Tsuna wasn’t the smartest, nor the most athletic. “I think, if you tried to talk to her again, she’d be willing to listen to you.”
This Haru girl liked Tsuna for her personality, so she should be willing to listen after her initial anger wears off. Surely she’d be willing to listen once she cools off? That’s Yamamoto’s theory, anyways.
He pats Tsuna’s shoulder, comfortingly. “How about this? I’ll get up earlier to walk with you to school tomorrow. I can give you support as you talk to her tomorrow, okay?”
Yamamoto Takeshi, the best support.
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❗ [Back to regular scheduled programming. Haru confronts Tsuna and Yamamoto at the bridge]
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“Good morning. It’s come to Haru’s attention that Reborn-chan is indeed a hitman and he is in fact training you to become a 10th generation mafia boss. Haru will put aside the fact she’s disappointed that you didn’t say anything to Haru.” Was she not your childhood friend?
Do childhood friends not talk to each other about important things in life? Was finding out you’re an upcoming mafia boss not big news to tell your childhood best friend? HM??? Haru would tell you if she fell in love for the first time (and it wasn’t cake)!
“If all that is true, then that means he’s been training you to be strong.” Haru has always known Tsuna to be a bit timid and weak to confrontations. She didn’t like to have fights with others and she’d much rather let things go than to confront someone.
That didn’t seem like a good quality to have for an upcoming mafia boss. Of course, Tsuna had a good heart. She cared for others and wanted things to be fair. She didn’t like to see others be hurt. That was what Haru liked about her… but… the mafia is different from her nature, isn’t it? Would she be able to fit in?
Did she have what it takes to truly be a mafia boss? (Bianchi may have ‘forgotten’ to mention that Tsuna was against being the next mafia boss and was actively trying to get out of it.)
“Haru understands that the mafia has to be strong and sometimes be cut-throat. If so, you may have to fight against old friends turned foe. Haru doesn’t want to, but-! As a friend, she will test you!” That would explain why she was wearing a suit of armor and holding a hockey stick in the morning.
Haru Miura was always so dramatic and… weird. Yamamoto was looking between Haru and Tsuna worriedly. It was good that it seemed that Haru now understood the situation, but… was Tsuna going to be okay with fighting her friend?
To him, it looked like Haru was very concerned with Tsuna and wanted to make sure her friend had the backbone necessary to be a boss. Otherwise, people would only walk over her and not respect her.
Well, that’s his theory anyways, given how she looks like she’s going to cry as she resolves herself to test her friend.
“Nyahaha! Lambo-san arrives! Reborn, I found you! DIE!” Another kid comes out of nowhere and throws a few grenades out.
Everyone took cover, but Haru couldn’t move so quickly with the bulky armor she had on. She was launched off the bridge and into the water below.
Surprisingly, before Yamamoto could think of how to react, Tsuna had already jumped into the water after her friend. It was reminiscent of how she also jumped off the rooftop to save him when he accidentally fell.
Not wanting for Reborn to shoot her with a bullet, resulting in her clothes being blown off, he jumps in right after them both. The armor looked heavy, so it would be too much for Tsuna to bring Haru back to safety.
He pulls the both to safety and helps them both dry themselves off. Haru changes into the spare clothes that she had hidden away nearby, and Tsuna changed into new clothes as well. A habit because of her clothes always being blasted off.
SNIFF
“Haru is sorry… she was just worried about you, and she was scared that you wouldn’t want to stand up for yourself if anyone disrespects you. Tsu-chan has always been too nice and timid to fight for herself.”
That was a fact that no one could deny. Haru had a pretty good understanding of her friend. She wasn’t well suited to be a mafia boss, but it didn’t seem like there was a choice in the matter.
“Haru thought that she could give you some of her own fighting spirit, you know? Maybe then you’ll be able to handle things… but… Haru sees that you do have a lot of bravery that you show in your own way. Thank you for jumping in after her, Tsu-chan.” Haru smiles, feeling proud of her friend.
She jumped in so soon after Haru was blown off the bridge, so she must not have hesitated. That took a lot of courage to do, and if she had that much courage… surely she’d be fine even if she had to be a mafia boss.
“Haha, I’m just glad that things turned out okay in the end. Usually, Tsuna goes into this crazy wild mode and her clothes go missing, leaving her in her underwear.” Yamamoto explains why he jumped in after the both of them so that Reborn wouldn’t have to act.
“Hahi! Your clothes disappear? That’s no good! If only your underwear survives… perhaps you could consider sportswear underneath your uniform?” That would at least offer a bit more modesty than being in only your undergarments.
She had yet another reason to be worried about her friend now. What girl would want to be found almost naked out in public where people could sneer and oogle? Not on her watch! “It’s settled,” Haru grabs Tsuna’s shoulders, “we’re going shopping this weekend. We’ll find clothes you can wear under your uniform so it’s less revealing. Haru isn’t taking no for an answer.”
The arcobaleno was watching over them chatting at the bank of the river from the bridge after having finished punishing Lambo for his stupidity.
“Hm… she looks like she’ll be a good influence on Tsuna. The necessary feminine touch she needs and a good friend to use as emotional support.” Reborn was impressed by the fact that Haru had recovered so quickly after being blown off the bridge.
Not only that, she accepted the fact that Reborn was a hitman and that Tsuna was a next generation mafia boss, but she still confronted her friend. That took a lot of guts. “She’d be the perfect example of a strong wife to the mafia. Tsuna can learn more from her example, about her guts.”
Of course, Tsuna and Haru’s situation would be different. Haru could marry a mafiosi but Tsuna would eventually marry someone into her famiglia and retain her position as the matriarch.
Still, she could learn a thing or two from Haru’s guts.
Guess he was going to look into inviting Haru to more things so she can rekindle her friendship with Tsuna again.
“Juudaime! What happened? Was it an attack? Who the hell is this? Get your paws off her, woman!”
“HAHI! WHO IS THIS RUDE RUFFIAN!? Tsu-chan do you know him?” Haru hugs her friend close to her and hisses at the new person who ran up to them. “Haru is Tsu-chan’s childhood friend, you ruffian! Bother Tsu-chan and you’ll answer to Haru!” She hisses again.
Gokudera wasn’t the sort who bowed down to anyone (minus his boss, of course, but that’s just a given)! What was courtesy and chivalry? Was it something he could eat or use to survive in the cutthroat world?
Spoiler alert: No.
“Childhood friend or not, you can’t keep me from Juudaime, you idiot woman!”
If there was one thing Haru has never been called, it was STUPID. Don’t you know that Haru is a Midori girl? You dare call a girl from an elite all girl’s school STUPID? She takes offense to that! “Haru isn’t stupid! Tsu-chan, who is this?” Haru’s gnashing her teeth together in irritation.
It was readily evident to everyone involved that Gokudera and Haru both had tempers that weren’t the most compatible with each other.
Yamamoto laughs, “Maa maa, let’s calm down. What matters most is that the both of you are okay after falling off the bridge.” Well, being blown off the bridge was more accurate. “Despite how he looks, Gokudera is a decent guy, you know? He’s one of Tsuna’s friends. You can trust him.”
Haru makes a face, to suggest she 100% did not believe Yamamoto. He was the savior of both her and Tsu-chan, after all… but still… she turns to glare at Gokudera who only glared at her back in return. “Haru is okay with you being her friend… but that one… Haru isn’t so sure. He looks like a yankee.” In that moment, Haru vowed to visit Tsuna more often to make sure Gokudera wasn’t being a bad influence on her. “Haru doesn’t know if she can trust a yankee.”
The day Tsuna starts smoking, gets tattoos, or anything, she was going to start a fight with this Gokudera punk.
“THE HELL WAS THAT? Better than trusting Juudaime with someone who had to be fished out of the river wearing full armor! You’re sooner a liability than anything.” Gokudera scoffs, offended by the fact that this Haru girl was insinuating that Tsuna couldn’t be trusted around him.
Sure, there was a time that he was a lone wolf who answered to no one. Yeah, he was quick to blow anyone up if they so much as looked at him funny, and SURE, he had a long way to go to even be a useful and reliable subordinate of Tsuna’s. It was something that he understood well, and it was something that he worried about.
That’s why he hones his skill and studies hard to figure out ways that he can make Tsuna’s life easier, but that doesn’t mean he wants someone else to say it! Screw her!
“HAHI!? Say that again, you PUNK!”
“Stupid woman!”
“Maa maa… come on, you guys. We have class to go too. How about we break things off here?” Yamamoto gets in between the two bickering teens.
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[Ch.19 I decided to throw in the scene for Moretti. I do think a childhood friend dynamic would change a few things that I’d like to highlight.]
“Tsu-chan! Look at this! Haru is going to be a yakatabune for the play at the cultural festival!” She notices a dead man atop of Tsuna’s bed. “Hahi? Are you also practicing for something? That is very good stage effects make up.” Honestly? Haru is impressed!
The reaction of Tsuna’s didn’t seem very promising though as she was evidently in shock, and she admits that she’d actually killed someone.
Now it was Haru’s turn to be shocked as she walked back into the doorway, breaking her yakatabune costume that she made herself.
“What are you doing here!?”
“I don’t have club activities today, so I’m someone without anything to do, like you.”
Two voices could be heard in the hallway leading up to Tsuna’s room and Haru and Tsuna started to panic. How to explain what happened here? There is some dead guy that Tsuna shot to death in her bed?
Hm? That’s right, why is the guy in her bed? Haru was originally thinking about hiding but she had a revelation of the connotation of a guy in Tsuna’s bed, dead. Was this some pervert who had tried to do something nefarious to her friend in broad daylight? That was some nerve!
Tsuna was still probably reeling over the fact that she’d killed someone when the two guys walked into the room, confused on what was going on.
Haru acted, rushing to Tsuna’s side. “This man is clearly not a good man. He obviously had bad intentions!” With the strict gun laws of Japan, there was no way that this actual gun belonged to Tsuna. The only reasonable explanation was that the gun belonged to the man!
“Put the gun into his hands and put his fingerprints on it. IF anyone questions anything, you’re obviously the victim here. In the struggle to defend yourself, he accidentally shot himself.” That would be enough to convince the authorities, right? Would it be better if she put her fingerprints on the gun as well?
That was certainly tampering with the evidence, but… she couldn’t bare the thought of her childhood friend being sent to jail after having gone through such a traumatic experience.
“What gibberish are you talking about, Woman? Huh? What’s with the dead-” Gokudera sees the gun that was still in Tsuna’s hand and the dead person atop Tsuna’s bed. It didn’t take him long to piece together what had happened. To think that he hadn’t been around to defend his boss!
What a failure for the aspiring right handman!
“Hey, let’s all calm down for now. It’s not clear if the guy is dead yet, right?” Yamamoto spoke clearly, trying to calm the situation down. In these times, it was better to keep a level head than to panic.
That’s right! He might not be dead yet! In that case… Gokudera knelt next to the man, holding a lit cigarette over the man’s face. If he really had life left in him, it would be Gokudera’s job to finish the job. How dare he attack the 10th while she was still asleep!
This jerk deserved hell and more!
When the body twitched, Gokudera popped his cigarette back into his mouth and rolled up his sleeves. Time to finish the job, this outrageous villain!
Lucky for the soon-to-be-corpse, Yamamot holds him back from doing anything ‘stupid,’ and Haru latched onto Tsuna’s arm, “I bet he was thinking about leaving burn marks on that corpse. Hahi… how terrifying, and you trust him as a friend, huh?” She whispers. There was a lot that Haru could say about Tsuna’s recent trend for making friends, but Haru would trust in Tsuna’s judgement.
No matter how many times Haru questioned it, Tsuna would always say that Gokudera wasn’t a bad guy and that she viewed him as a friend. An enemy of an enemy is a friend indeed, but maybe the opposite was true? A friend of a friend is an enemy? Yeah, that makes sense, with the way they always fought once they laid eyes on each other.
“Hey, I saw him twitch, so he might still be alive. Maybe we should call the ambulance?”
“Hahi! An ambulance!” There was hope for her friend yet! If he lived, then no one could possibly be charged for murder! Maybe assault, but surely they could figure out a way around it!
Reborn walks into the room with a drunk man in tow. “I’ve already called a doctor.”
“Ah! It’s him! He was one of the doctors that was hired to work at the castle exclusively, but he’d always come around with a new woman, saying that they were his sisters… I thought for the longest time that he had 62 siblings…”
“What the heck is that!?” Yamamoto laughs, and Haru stifles a small laugh. ‘It sounds like young Gokudera-san was pretty cute with how naïve he was. Hm? Wait… 62 siblings…?’
“Yo, it’s you, Hayato,” the drunk man greets.
“Don’t talk to me! I don’t want to be infected by your womanizing ways, you womanizer!”
Haru grabs onto Tsuna’s arms and pulls her into the corner of the room, acting like she’s being repelled by the force of a womanizer’s aura. If this ‘doctor’ is a womanizer like Gokudera says, she had to protect them both.
“Cut the nonsense and ask him to look at the patient.” Reborn reminds them all of the pressing matters at hand.
“Right! Can you help us look at the patient?” Yamamoto motions to the guy on the bed, but for some reason Dr.Shamal approaches the girls instead. Before he couch reach out with his hands to touch either of them, Haru hisses.
“Haru will punch you if you get any closer.” That’s not a threat but a promise, you sham of a doctor!
Dr.Shamal shrugs his shoulders, “they both look fine upon a cursory glance. That one is feisty.” He points at Haru. “They’re both cute, too.”
A shiver runs down Haru’s spine at the comment and she pulls Tsuna to another part of the room far away from Dr.Shamal and behind Yamamoto and Gokudera. This creep cannot be trusted! She can see that lecherous glint in his eyes!
“Old man, this guy is the patient!” Gokudera points to the ‘corpse.’
Glancing at the man, Dr.Shamal looked very unconcerned. Running his fingers through his hair, “don’t you remember? I don’t treat men.”
Gokudera did seem to remember that about Dr.Shamal. That was one of the reasons why there had to be multiple doctors on staff at the castle. It was convenient to have multiple doctors on shift to ensure that someone could be on call at any hour of the day, but it was troublesome to vet that many doctors and ensure their loyalty.
Dr.Shamal was a talented doctor who not only could treat his patients, but could also fend for himself. A genius in his own right, it would be stupid to not hire him as staff- but the obvious caveat was that he only treated women.
That damn womanizer was bound to start troubles somewhere down the line with all the women he saw. He was also one reason why Gokudera felt strongly about not turning out the way Dr.Shamal did, despite them both being geniuses.
He’s not going to turn into some womanizing gigolo! He’s a product of adultery, and he wouldn’t allow himself to follow in his father’s footsteps in such a way.
‘Che, maybe he was hired to begin with. Like attracts like, and it takes one adulterer to hire another one.’
“Is he even alive anyways? If he’s not breathing, doesn’t have a heartbeat, or have dilated pupils, he’s dead.”
Seeing as the doctor wasn’t going to make the diagnosis himself, the teens had to move to check. His pupils were dilated, he wasn’t breathing, and… nope! No heartbeat.
He’s dead!
“Guess he passed on during our conversation. I don’t deal with the dead, so I’m leaving. Bye.” Dr.Shamal left with a casual goodbye. He acted as if he’d done anything of note, but he didn’t.
Back to square one of panicking! “Surely, we can create an alibi? Should someone else take the fall?” Haru was trying to think of the best plan of action and Gokudera takes the gun from Tsuna’s hands.
“If it’s just taking Juudaime’s place, then I can do that.” Tsuna didn’t deserve to go to jail. She was too gentle and frail to survive in such an environment, but it wouldn’t be an issue for him.
What he didn’t expect was for the other three teens to stop him. What kind of stupid plan was that? Tsuna wasn’t going to forsake her friend and have him go to jail in her stead!
What an idiot.
“Calm down, I called for someone else. He’s useful for a situation like this.”
Hibari appears in the windowsill, “Yo.” He jumped up from the street, using the gate as leverage.
The three Namimori students were surprised by his presence, but Haru had no idea who this guy was. Was he someone important? Maybe he’s someone scary? The guys shrunk back slightly when they saw him, so maybe he was the king of the miscreants?
“I didn’t come to play with you guys today. I came to make the baby owe me a favor, sort of like a transactional deal.”
“We’ve been waiting for you, Hibari.”
Hibari scanned the room before his eyes finally happened upon the dead body. With his foot, he rolls the corpse over to get a better look at the ‘damage’. He was testing to see just how ‘fresh’ the body was. It hadn’t gained a deathly pallor yet, nor was rigor mortis settling in. A fresh corpse, recently deceased.
From the looks of the gunshot wound, it was just one shot through to the heart. In truth, he did know about the situation from Reborn beforehand. Even without him divulging the details, he would’ve understood the truth.
It was the instincts of the strong that could ‘see’ through the falsities. These weak herbivore puppies still had a long way to go. He scoffs underneath his breath. “Good job,” half-hearted compliments, “you got the heart in one shot.”
Playing along with the charades was enough to make the arcobaleno owe him a favor. He could ask for a proper fight or something else more fun. It would be a waste to make use of his favor right away, so he would patiently wait for now. With all the interesting things happening around Sawada, it would be prudent to wait before cashing in his favor.
It was best to let everything marinate to savor the most optimal indulgencies.
“Okay, I can dispose of this corpse for you.” Hibari sent a quick look Reborn’s way.
The shock weighed heavy on everyone in the room. Just how can this guy talk about hiding a dead body so easily as if it were nothing? What was his background?
‘Tsu-chan knows so many shady individuals!’
“Perfect, he’ll get rid of the corpse so it can never be found. This way, it’ll be like the murder never happening. Appreciated, Hibari.” Reborn thanked the disciplinary officer, a sign that he would be accepting the aid in return of a favor granted by his truly.
Owing a favor to anyone wasn’t his style, but for the sake of his student, this was something he could accept.
Hibari walked over to the windowsill to jump down, “I’ll send someone over from the disciplinary committee later to get the job done.”
What kind of thing is he using a school disciplinary committee for!?
Haru felt her knees go weak at the idea of Tsuna’s new friends. One was a punk, the other was a well-intended idiot, and now there’s a grim reaper of a guy? Woe is her friend! She’s surrounded by troublesome weirdos!
Gokudera was also the sort who repaid his debts, and the memory of Hibari wiping the floor with him and Yamamoto before just pissed him off. Dynamites ignited, he ran to the window, “I can’t be at peace until I take revenge! Die!”
Haru hadn’t seen Gokudera use his dynamites before, so she assumed what he had in his hands were stage props. However, when Hibari slapped the dynamites back with a flick of his tonfa and they exploded in mid-air, Haru had to reevaluate her opinion on Gokudera.
The guy is a dangerous menace!
The dynamites set off in the room, causing a huge mess. Haru stayed close to Tsuna, so she checked on her first, making sure that she was okay. Two arms, two legs, and a head resting on a pair of shoulders. Good!
“It’s already fall, and you’re still carrying around fireworks?” Yamamoto sits up and sighs at the damage caused to Tsuna’s room.
“They’re not fireworks, you dunce!”
Sometimes, Haru wondered if Gokudera fought more with her or if he fought more with Yamamoto. It was amazing how Gokudera hasn’t died from heightened blood pressure yet with how angry he always was.
“Hahi! The body, it’s gone!”
““WHAT!?””
From the corner of the room came a new voice, “Haah, I really thought I was going to die for real there. That was a close one.”
“Kyaa! Zombie! Tsu-chan, we gotta get away.” Haru clung onto her childhood friend in clear panic. The girl had a tendency to cling onto things when she was frightened, and Tsuna was the closest one to her.
Unperturbed by Haru’s dramatic antics, “It’s nice to meet you, 10th.” The walking corpse introduces himself as he coughs up blood, causing Haru to scream some more from the shock.
Reborn hopped over to Haru and jumped onto her shoulder to gently pat her cheek to calm her down, “Calm down, Haru. This is Moretti, a professional in being assassinated. He mastered the ‘addio’ technique, where he can stop his heart at will and achieve a state of apparent death. He’s one of the specialists in the Vongola.” Reborn explains.
Ah… so he wasn’t dead for real, it was an act.
Then the blood had to be fake. Haru drops to the ground, losing all the energy in her body after the adrenaline rush started to fade. How tiring… was this how Tsuna was living out her daily life? How exhausting…
The guys were laughing it up with this Moretti guy, but were they not going to address how chaotic everything was? Surely the neighbors were going to call in a complaint about all the noise. What about all the damage to Tsuna’s room?
Hm? Speaking of damage…
“Hahi! Haru’s Yakatabuneeeeee! NOoooooooooooo!” She’s going to have to make the costume all over again!
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❗ [Ch.22 I REFUSE to allow for them to forget about Tsuna’s birthday for the ‘comedic effect’. If Haru is childhood friends, she’s going to remember and change that. HMPH!]
“How exciting! It’s almost Reborn-chan’s birthday? Of course, Haru would love to help with the preparations for it!” Haru is enthusiastic about the invite to join in the celebrations of Reborn’s birthday.
Haru thought it was odd that Tsu-chan wasn’t the one informing her about the surprise, but then she realized that with how close their birthdays were to each other, this had to be a joint birthday celebration!
With how busy Haru was on the daily, her schedule was always very hectic, and the same could be said for Yamamoto as well, who was busy with club activities and training. They sometimes crossed paths by mere coincidence, when she got out of tutoring and him out of practice.
That was likely the reason why he brought it up to her, being the first one to come across her.
Looking from side to side, she ensures that Tsuna isn’t nearby for the rest of this conversation. “Ne, Haru is just asking out of curiosity, but why are all the plans Reborn-chan related? Shouldn’t you also plan around Tsu-chan as well? What about her interests?” Seemed pretty unfair to cater the entire joint-party around Reborn.
She could understand how some parents would tell the older children to make concessions for the younger siblings, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of feeling neglected and ignored on their special day.
The look of confusion on Yamamot’s face made Haru squint her eyes skeptically. Surely even Tsuna’s mother wouldn’t have forgotten her own daughter’s birthday…? She must have brought it up at least once?
‘Maybe she’s just been so busy with caring for all the kids that it slipped her mind?’
Understanding of how busy Nana could be, maybe that was the reasoning behind it… but it still didn’t sit right with her. “Tsu-chan’s birthday is the day after Reborn-chan’s birthday. Planning two consecutive parties is a lot of effort, so it would make sense to celebrate them together, right?”
Haru Miura is not one to forget important dates, and Tsu-chan’s birthday was one she always remembered every single year. If they couldn’t find the time to celebrate together in person, Haru always made sure to send a small package with a gift to the Sawada household, so it wasn’t like she’d suddenly forget for this year.
“Ah, is it?” Yamamoto laughs awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. He had no idea that it was also her birthday so soon. They’d only been planning the party for Reborn, but they could probably make some changes to the plan to account for Tsuna’s birthday celebrations as well.
Then again, he remembered something. Gokudera had occasionally gone out window shopping, trying to find a gift, but the shops he’d look into didn’t seem to be something that was to Reborn’s tastes. Knowing Gokudera, it made sense that he’d know about her birthday- but he should share the bountiful harvest of knowledge!
‘He probably wanted to hog the knowledge to prove how loyal and dedicated he is.’ The guy had some selfish tendencies that would only make some sense when you knew that Gokudera was a lone wolf for so much of his life.
Back to the topic, no one would want to feel left out or forgotten, so plans were going to have to change. Without Haru saying something, Tsuna would’ve felt disappointed or hurt by them forgetting about her birthday as well.
“That’s the great thing about childhood friends, huh? You’ll make sure to have Tsuna’s back. Let’s think of some ideas to propose to the others to incorporate Tsuna as well to the plans.”
“Hahi! Haru would love that! Ah- but is Gokudera-san going to be attending the planning sessions as well…?” Haru asks quietly.
Yamamoto chuckles, noticing how easily Haru showed her emotions on her face. It was clear that she didn’t get along with him and was hoping that the answer to the question would be ‘no’.
Then again, with how often they bicker whenever they’re in the same room, it was understandable that she didn’t like him very much. “Yeah, he’s going to be there too. He’s pretty excited about it, I think.” Yamamoto could tell that Gokudera had a bit more energy and interest in the plans than he normally would in regards to something he didn’t care for, so it was safe to say that he was excited.
Haru’s nose scrunches at the news, but, she knew that Gokudera was a person that Tsuna cared for. He was one of Tsuna’s first friends at Namimori, so Haru will relent on the ‘anti-yankee’ feelings of hers.
.
[A tiny time skip because I can. I don’t feel like writing out the entire planning process lol The time skip is of the actual party itself. Also, a vague reference to ‘Bomb Bambino’ is included.]
.
The party was going smoothly and Haru was so happy to see that both birthday people were enjoying the day. Reborn was being celebrated as was Tsu-chan! She was glad that she said something to Yamamoto so they could remedy the fact that they almost threw a surprise party for just Reborn and not Tsuna.
As it turned out, Nana was worried that Tsuna wouldn’t want a surprise party thrown for her because she could be pretty shy about things. It was perhaps more accurate to say that because she didn’t have many friends to begin with over the years, it may end up being more hurtful than anything- but after the behest of everyone, she agreed to also celebrate Tsuna at the same time as Reborn.
She already had plans to celebrate as a family in case Tsuna would rather a more private affair, but with how adamant all the young teens were, she felt that it was safe to trust in these kids to make her daughter’s birthday a special one- and a special one it was!
Reborn had such an interesting idea for party games! It was something about ranking gifts? Reborn had said something to the effect of, “Tsuna, you won’t be able to objectively rank the gifts/performances so sit out this year. You’ll only give everyone a ranking of 100 points.”
The party was certainly a lively event with lots of delicious food, laughter, and the occasional threats. Reborn and Tsuna both got presents or fun performances to enjoy, and Nana could rest easy seeing just how happy her daughter was. All of Tsuna’s new friends were good kids, and she was happy to see Tsuna enjoying life more with her new friends by her side.
Haru wasn’t a new friend, but she came back into Tsuna’s life once she got used to her new school. Nana went back into the kitchen to cook up some more food in her excitement. Bianchi had gone into the kitchen to aid her.
The only thing that could be considered weird about the party was the fact that Haru couldn’t stop looking at Gokudera with squinted eyes throughout the duration of the party. When it was his turn to give Tsuna a gift or a performance, he’d requested that he give her the gift later.
Suspicious.
When Gokudera left the room after Bianchi, Haru followed him out into the hallway to confront him. Slamming her hand against the wall, “what’s up with you, Gokudera-san? You were fine with doing a performance trick with your dynamites for Reborn-chan, but for Tsu-chan, you tell her to wait?” That had to be a bit embarrassing for her, wasn’t it? What, discriminating against her friend?
You think she won’t smack you for that? She will! Still, Haru is a fair person and she’ll at least wait for an answer- Hahi? Why was he a bit red? Why are his green eyes darting around nervously?
“Yeah, he’s going to be there too. He’s pretty excited about it, I think.”
‘Could it be?’
“Are you… being shy?” What was so different between Reborn-chan and Tsu-chan? What was there to be shy about? Was the difference… in the way that he felt between the two individuals? Maybe there was something special about Tsuna?
‘Does he like her? WELL HE’S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!’
Really, no one was going to be good enough for her gentle friend, especially not some yankee punk!
Gokudera felt the hairs on the back of his neck raise when Haru hit the nail on the head. Yeah, he was nervous! It wasn’t like he hadn’t attended birthday parties when he was a young master of a mafia famiglia when he was younger, but it was the first time he’d attended a party of someone that he liked and admired.
The lone wolf had finally found a place to call home and it meant so much to him, but he didn’t know how to actually convey it properly. He knew that sometimes he was a bit much with how intense he could be and it troubled Tsuna, but he couldn’t help it! Tsuna was the person who saved his life and the sole boss that he’d ever risk his life for!
He was really excited about the party, but when the time came for it, he suddenly grew really awkward and shy. It was the first time he’d been invited to a party to celebrate someone… someone that he actually cared for. He had a thought in his mind: ‘Do I even deserve to be here? Am I even good enough to be here? What if… by my being here I cause more trouble for the boss?’
Of course, he was still overjoyed to celebrate Tsuna’s birth anniversary, even if he didn’t particularly like to celebrate his own… because it doubled as the anniversary of his mother’s death. He had some mixed feelings about birthdays.
When Haru confronted him, he felt irritated that she somehow got it right so quickly. “S-shut it! I’m not feeling shy or nothin’! I-I’ll just give my gift later! It’s special!” Gokudera couldn’t prepare anything fancy or expensive, because he was struggling financially on his end.
He lived on his own, and he worked part-time to pay for his rent and other stuff. The gift he picked out wasn’t anything grand or anything, but he did spend a lot of time carefully picking something out and he hoped she’d like it.
Haru squints her eyes skeptically, stepping in closer into his personal bubble to stare into his eyes. “Haru won’t comment on whether the gift is special,” Yamamoto did say something about how Gokudera seemed excited about the party… so he probably put some thought into the gift.
“That Gokudera fellow, he’s come all the way from Italy to meet Tsuna, the rumored heir to the Vongola name. He’s always been a lone-wolf, even if he was under the watchful eye of the Vongola, though he wasn’t a part of it.”
“Hahi? Gokudera-san wasn’t a part of the Vongola to begin with?” Haru almost expected that he was born into the Vongola with how avid he was about supporting Tsuna to becoming the best Vongola boss she could be.
“No, he was around, so he could be watched after he made a big mistake that Nono fixed for him.” If not for Nono acting fast after Gokudera’s confession, they managed to prevent the bombs from going off at the concert hall that would’ve killed everyone inside, including Carlo the performing pianist… and his young son Niccolo.
“Why are you telling Haru this, Reborn-chan?” It was weird that Reborn would be telling her anything about Gokudera, knowing how often the two butted heads.
“Just letting you know that he’s got a past. He’s been on his own since he was 8, so it’s not easy for him to relate to the rest of you. Cut him a bit of slack.”
“Haru can try…”
“Are you nervous because you aren’t sure if Tsu-chan will like your gift? Tsu-chan would appreciate and treasure anything you got her.” Haru had all the faith in her friend that she would care for the thought that went into the gift than any monetary value.
Just knowing that a friend gifted her something made it worth its weight in gold to her.
“I don’t need to explain myself to you, you stupid woman!” Gokudera growls, and for once, Haru didn’t launch her own attack instantly. Instead, she only squinted her eyes even further, her eyebrows furrowing into the center of her forehead.
She didn’t hang out around the Namimori students that much, but she had noticed something in the times that she had- Gokudera cared about Tsuna more than anything, and he really didn’t know how to socialize with others in a meaningful way. Piecing together that he’d been on his own since he was 8… what socialization did he really have when he was probably trying to fend for his own life?
Being under the watchful eye of those that he didn’t view as friend or ally… he could only grow up being on edge. No wonder he was such a prickly cactus! There was probably something deep down where he did worry if Tsuna would like his gift or not… but the biggest thing that bothered him was probably…
“Haru has known Tsu-chan since we were really young kids. If you give her your gift, telling her happy birthday with a small smile, that’ll make her happy. It doesn’t have to be exuberant or anything. Sometimes, simple is best.”
Whether he would appreciate her words or not, it didn’t really matter to Haru, but she hoped that it could help him a little bit.
Before he could say something, “Hayato, stop causing such a ruckus on a good day.”
“Gah! A-Aniki!” Gokudera doubles over, holding his stomach in pain.
“Hahi! Gokudera-san is down!”
The gift would have to be given to Tsuna later, after the party was over. The poor guy was out like a light for a few hours. He had found one of those alarms that girls use when creeps are around and gifted it to Tsuna after he customized it a little bit.
It’s moments like this that it sinks in that he really was a genius to be able to tinker with the device to make some small changes. The moment he heard the customized alarm, he’d come running. It was his way of showing his devotion to his boss and also his consideration.
She may not think too much about her safety now because of how safe Japan was in general, but with the other heirs dying such deaths, he couldn’t take any chances with Tsuna’s safety.
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[References Volume 5, chapter 2 of the Secret bullet novel series. ‘Gokudera’s Worst Day Ever’. Sadly, I don’t have a translated ver of the whole thing to reference, so I will vaguely reference a synopsis ver as inspo. I obviously had to reference this for—reasons...]
Whatever happened, a whole lot of them were sent to the hospital and of course, that meant Haru came to visit to check in on everyone. Did it mean that everyone was happy to see her? Nope, there was even someone who was pretending to be completely fine- when he’s not!
Haru had gone to visit Tsuna who had been transferred to a different ward because she was so worried about Gokudera’s injuries. His attempt to act like nothing was wrong seemingly had the opposite effect- who knew!
A bit vexed, Haru played a small prank on Gokudera, something that she does when her trolling acts up. He needs to learn a small lesson for being a naughty guy who doesn’t properly take a proper rest!
She told him that he was cursed, and that if he didn’t do something about it, Tsu-chan could end up harmed because of it. To undo the curse, he would have to receive a straw doll from Lambo.
It was supposed to be a simple prank. She honestly didn’t think he’d take it seriously, but she also didn’t know how superstitious Italians could be, so he ran off to fuss with Lambo about retrieving the doll from him.
One thing led to another and somehow there was a giant Kaijuu in the hospital that caused great damage! Haru rushed over to see that Gokudera and Hibari were fighting when the rubble came down because of the giant Kaijuu-like creature. She watched as the two were buried underneath the rubble and she felt her heart stop for a moment.
This was her fault.
Hibari pulls himself from the rubble unharmed, but there was no sign of Gokudera. She hastily tries to find him in the rubble, and when she did, he was severely hurt- but alive. She had to confess to him that the thing about the curse was a complete lie.
“Haru’s sorry! The curse thing was just a lie! Haru thought that it would make you get along better with Lambo-chan!”
“Why tell me now that this is a lie? Don’t worry about me, this is none of your bu-”
“What are you talking about!?” Haru snaps at him, brown eyes glaring into his surprised greens. “IF Gokudera-san is hurt, Tsu-chan would be further saddened! She’d be worried! Haru has to tell the truth now to prevent you from further hurt!”
Gokudera averts his eyes and clicks his tongue. Of course, she only cares because of the 10th. Haru didn’t actually care for him, but cared for how her childhood friend would feel.
“… Haru would be upset too.”
“Huh?” Gokudera was surprised, and unsure if he was even hearing things right. Why would she be upset?
“You may say mean things to Haru all the time and you bully her… but… despite you being the way you are… Haru still sees you as her friend.”
She starts looking around at all the damage around them. She would’ve liked to tell him to go back to his ward… but… where was it in all this damage? Was his ward even left intact? Probably not. “Hah… how did all this happen? How are you going to recover now?”
“So annoying.” He mutters quietly.
“Hahi?”
“Not ‘Hahi’ – it’s annoying! Don’t say weird shit like that, stupid woman!” Gokudera blurted out impulsively. He never really had anyone who truly worried about him without strings like this before. Family was different, as was a boss that he was willing to risk his life for.
This Haru girl was someone that he didn’t really have a solid relationship with, and yet she still cared for his well-being. It left a weird prickly feeling in his chest.
“HAHI! What was that? Haru was being nice-”
“You’re so annoying, stupid woman. You stupid woman!!” The flustered teen didn’t know what else to say in this moment after finding himself incredibly flustered.
“HAHI! Why’d you say it twice!?” Haru was getting annoyed, puffing out her cheeks in annoyance. It was just like a hamster and that just frustrated him all the more.
“I’ll say it as many times as I want. STUPID WOMAN STUPID WOMAN STUPID WOMAN STUPID WOMAN”
How childish!
Haru gnashes her teeth, “Gokudera-san… you… you… YOU’RE THE MOST ANNOYING ONE HERE!”
A nurse pushes through the rubble to see the two teens fighting. “I’ve found someone over here! He looks injured! Get the stretcher! Miss, please move aside so we can relocate the patient.”
Haru clicks her tongue and steps aside, glaring him down the entire time. The two teens were locked in a heavy glaring battle but once they were out of eyesight from each other… Haru drops to her knees and sighs heavily.
It was truly a miracle that he was okay. If he had the energy to bicker with her, he was going to be okay. She was feeling relieved, but the young teen boy was feeling confused and flustered.
What kind of stupid woman is she anyways? What an idiot!
Caring for someone like him? PFFT! What a useless thing, right? He wasn’t worth anyone’s care.
Idiot.
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[Original content, but set in the Daily Life arc]
Gokudera had finished his shift at the convenience store that he worked at. What a drag, working until this late, but what can he do? He had to make an honest living somehow. He didn’t have anyone who could sponsor him- not that he would want that.
He wanted to live on his own terms and not owe anyone anything.
“Hahi!”
Ugh, it’s that annoying girl again. Gokudera rolls his eyes and he turns around to take the long way back to his apartment. He didn’t feel like dealing with the girl right after he’d finished a work shift.
“Ow! Let go of me!”
It didn’t even take one second before he’d already turned around once more and made a dash towards where he heard Haru’s annoying voice.
Ever the hit first, yell next, and ask questions later- he ran up and kicked someone’s face in. “Let the stupid woman go.” His boss would be very disappointed in him if he ever let Haru get hurt if he could’ve prevented it.
As much as the girl annoyed the SHIT out of him, he did appreciate the girl’s guts. She wasn’t deterred by the fact that Tsuna was a mafia-boss-to-be and remained steadfast friends with her childhood friend. She would always support Tsuna in whatever she was doing, and she was a source of comfort for Tsuna as well. He wasn’t blind to not be able to see that.
He didn’t see Haru as being one of ‘them’ yet, but he wouldn’t let a girl he knew be bullied, not on his turf! When the guy let Haru go, Gokudera pulled her in behind him. “I dunno what your deal is, but you’d better leave things here while you still have all your teeth.”
“The fuck!? What did I tell you? He’s just a regular useless punk who only knows violence!” One of the guys ran over to check up on his friend that was knocked out unconscious with Gokudera’s kick.
Yeah, that’s true, so what of it? Gokudera cracked his knuckles, ready to give the guys a thorough lesson that they won’t forget. What he didn’t expect was for a certain girl to chime in from behind him.
“Hahi! You said it again! How rude!”
He knew that Haru had a temper, how could he not when they verbally fought all the time? He didn’t know that Haru could have a violent bone in her body, considering she never had the urge to strangle the shit out of Lambo when he was being annoying.
The brat has a way of bringing the ‘I wanna strangle something’ out of someone.
Haru walked up to the one who spoke and landed an open-faced slap against his cheek. Gokudera noticed that another of the guys sported a matching palm print on his cheek as well. Context clues helped him deduce that some guys were speaking the truth about Gokudera and pissed Haru off for some reason?
That didn’t make sense. Why get mad about something that’s true?
“Gokudera-san isn’t a useless person! He has a temper, he’s incredibly rude, he’s allergic to being nice to people,” “Hey! Are you done talking shit about me stupid woman!?” “YOU SHUT UP, IDIOT!” Even Gokudera had to shrink back at her yelling at him like that.
Sure, they had screaming matches, but he’d never seen her this angry before. “Gokudera-san is smart, and he is loyal. He is protective and caring in his own way, but it’s hard to see because he’s such a tsundere! He is a grouch, but he follows (most) rules! He’s better than you guys who graffiti the walls and litter!”
“You done talking, bitch? I’m gonna avenge Hiroki!” One of the other guys sporting Haru’s handprint of JUSTICE makes a lunge at her and if not for Gokudera pulling her back, she would’ve stood her ground. She meant what she said and she wasn’t going to back down for any reason. If he wants to hit her, she’s definitely not going down without a fight! She can bite! She has nails that can scratch you up something fierce!
Haru stumbled backwards from Gokudera pulling on her arm towards him. He wasn’t one to let a woman fight his battles for him, nor was he one to allow a woman to get hurt in a battle, even if she did start it herself. (What a fucking stupid woman, right?)
“Stop! What are you kids doing this late at night!” A police officer arrives and the boys scatter, grabbing their unconscious friend and running off. Only Haru and Gokudera were left behind, and anyone could see that this punk-looking guy grabbed a law-abiding school girl. “Young man, I’ll be needing you to come with me for questioning.”
Gokudera being used to questioned for simply existing didn’t even put up a fuss about following the officer. He’d found out that rebelling was far more energy-expensive than cooperating.
“Ah, hello officer-san. My friend here was only helping me from the other boys who were being mean to be earlier.” Haru stands in between the officer and Gokudera, pushing him back with her hand. “Haru understands that he looks a certain way, but he’s really a nice guy, please believe Haru. He’s still acclimating to living in Japan after having lived abroad for so long.”
Would a girl from Midori, an elite all girl’s school really go out of her way to vet some random punk?
“Hey, you should greet the hardworking officer-san properly.” Haru quietly reprimands Gokudera, who nods his head in greeting reluctantly, following her prompting.
Seeing the way he was compliantly listening to her directives, it did seem there may be some truth to her words. Despite how he looked, he probably wasn’t that bad of a kid. If he came from abroad, that may explain his rude demeanor and his sense of style. “Well, be careful next time. It’s getting late, so you kids should go home.”
“Thank you very much, officer-san! We’ll be on our way promptly! Have a pleasant night, sir.” Haru bids a pleasant farewell to the officer and sighs in relief.
“Care to explain, stupid woman?”
“Haru isn’t stupid. Shouldn’t you at least be grateful that Haru got you out of a visit to the police station?”
Gokudera only rolls his eyes in response. Even if they wanted to, they wouldn’t persecute him for anything. Even if they tried to, there would be ways to get out of it.
“They were saying rude things about you, and they said that they’d blame the graffiti work on you. Haru couldn’t stand it, so she said something about it… with her hand.” She shakes her hand a few times before showing him how red it was. She put all her weight into those slaps, you know?
“You should’ve just let them, it doesn’t matter to me what they say or think about me. Building up street cred works for me.” Gokudera scoffs, finding her actions to be such a waste. The more notorious his name was, the less likely anyone was to bother him. The more notoriety he had, the better his name could keep his boss safe. “It’s not worth getting into trouble with punks like that over me.”
Haru put both of her hands on Gokudera’s face to pull him closer so they could be at eye level.
She was annoyed, but not because he didn’t appreciate her efforts. “No. Haru won’t tolerate anyone talking badly about her friends. You may be a rude punk, but you’re not a bad person.” She lets go of his face and puts her hands on her hips, “it isn’t like Haru really thought about it before acting. She was so mad about what they said about you. If Haru gets hurt defending her friends, so be it. She won’t regret it.”
Gokudera flicks her forehead, “idiot. My honor doesn’t mean shit if you have to get hurt over it. Next time, just snap a picture of their faces and I’ll deal with it myself.”
Haru rubs her forehead, grumbling underneath her breath. How dare he flick her forehead? Hmph!
Puffing out her cheeks, she turns away and walks off.
“Oi! Where is your answer, stupid woman!”
“HARU CAN’T HEAARRR YOOUUUUUU, LAA LAAA LAAAAAA~”
“Oi!”
-
--
-
Neo is stopping here for now. Phew! Part 2 will come eventually whenever I have the time and energy to do so.
Tell me something I don’t already know/Like how'd you get your kisses to fill me with electricity?
The crowded rooftop bar pulsated with the rhythm of laughter and clinking glasses. Neo, moved through the sea of people with the ease of a shadow. His dark eyes held a magnetic allure that drew glances from curious onlookers.
At the corner of the rooftop, he spotted you, a woman with a smile that could light up the night. Neo couldn't resist the pull, like a moth captivated by the warm glow of a flame. With a practiced nonchalance, he approached, his silhouette melding with the backdrop of the city lights.
"Tell me something I don’t already know," you said, your gaze locking onto his.
Neo's lips curled into a half-smile, a hint of mystery dancing in his eyes. "How to get your kisses to fill me with electricity?"
You raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the challenge in his words. "Electricity, huh? You've got my attention."
Neo leaned in, his voice a low murmur that mingled with the hum of the city below. "It's all about the unexpected, the subtle current that sparks when lips meet. It's a dance, a connection that transcends the ordinary."
You chuckled, charmed by his poetic explanation. "Well, then, Neo, show me this dance of electricity."
Without another word, Neo took your hand, leading you to the edge of the rooftop where the city skyline stretched out like a canvas. The night air crackled with anticipation as you two stood, silhouetted against the backdrop of twinkling lights.
As your lips met, it was as if the world around you fell away. Neo's kiss held a promise of secrets untold, a current that surged through you like a gentle storm. In that moment, the cityscape became a blur, and all that remained was the connection between two souls suspended in the electric dance of desire.
When your lips parted, you could not deny the subtle spark that lingered between the two of you. There was a knowing glint in Neo's eyes, as if he had whispered a secret that only you shared.
"Tell me something else I don't already know," you teased, your fingers tracing patterns on his chest.
Neo leant forward and his lips brushed her ear. "I can read the city like a novel, every street a page, every light a sentence. But with you, my dear, the story takes an unexpected turn."
You laughed and your heart danced to the rhythm of his words. You moved through the rooftop party like conspirators in a shared secret, your laughter and whispers drowned out by the ambient noise.
As the night wore on, Neo and you found yourself on the rooftop, while the city below you was a carpet of dreams and possibilities.
"Electricity," Neo murmured, his gaze never leaving yours. "It's in the unpredictability, the thrill of discovery. Like how the city lights shine brighter when you're around."
You smiled and felt the warmth of his words envelop you like a comforting embrace. Neo had a way of turning the ordinary into the extraordinary and making the city feel like a playground of magic and wonder.
They lingered on the rooftop until the early hours of the morning as the city awoke with a new day. As they parted ways, Neo's lips touched hers one last time.
"Tell me something I don’t already know," he whispered.
You grinned, a spark of mischief in your eyes. "That you're the most electrifying thing that's happened to me tonight."
And with that, Neo disappeared into the shadows of the city, leaving you with a lingering thrill - a taste of the electric dance that had unfolded on a rooftop, where kisses sparked like a furtive stream and the night promised endless secrets yet to be revealed.
Can you write a neo x reader where he overhears the reader talking about how in love she is with neo to dozer but she’s afraid he’s being to oblivious. Neo realizes later after dozer tells him and he flirts and teases the reader all day (winking, showing some of his skin etc) and then its smutty fluffiness
Brushing the sleep off your eyes, you entered the Nebuchadnezzar and looked around to see if the crew was ready to leave. It was really quiet and you only managed to find Dozer dropping his stuff in the living quarters. “Is Neo coming? I haven’t seen him today,” you asked, trying to sound casual and not too interested.
“Yeah, he was just here, he went to talk to Morpheus, I think.” After hearing his answer, you turned around going to mind your own business. “Y/N,“ but Dozer had something more to say. “Every time we’re about to go on a mission, you come and ask me about him.” He arched his brow and put a teasing smile on, trying to mess with you on a friendly note, but you froze in place, feeling yourself getting a little sweaty.
“What? No!” You gasped, terrified the he might know too much about what you feel for Neo. “Well, it’s definitely not every time,” you tried to defend yourself, but in the middle of a sentence you realized how pointless it was, you just hoped Dozer was the only one suspecting this.
“Why don’t you simply go and talk to him yourself, ask whether he’s going?” Dozer seemed like he genuinely wanted to help, seeing how shy both of you were. “Or do you want me to play the matchmaker?” He smirked.
“No I just, I-I…” You stammered not knowing what to say. “That’d be weird, we’re not like…”
Dozer exhaled with a slight disappointment, “Don’t worry, I get it,” he smiled. “But come on, look at him… I honestly don’t think Neo will figure this out on his own.”
“I don’t care,” you whispered, realizing you should probably lower your voice in case anyone was around. “Yes, he can be clueless at times, I know, but just don’t tell him anything, please.”
“Whatever you wish, I was just saying.”
You heard Morpheus calling everyone to the deck, so Dozer quickly helped you with your bags and you both rushed, leaving the conversation behind.
---
The trip was really different this time. You felt like you were seeing things that were not actually there, maybe it was just your imagination or your desperation to know that Neo felt something too.
It all began on the first day aboard, when Neo accidentally, or maybe not, knocked on the wrong door, saying he was looking for Dozer, when in fact, he was on your doorstep, apologizing for mixing up the rooms. He did seem nervous too, so maybe it was actually his mistake, and it meant nothing, but you wanted to believe it was something.
The same day before plugging you in, Neo gently brushed your hair aside uncovering your headjack, his fingertips smoothly running down your sensitive nape, sending excitement throughout your whole body. Even if that happened seconds before going into the matrix, the feeling lingered for days after you got back, reminding you how soft you actually were for him.
Another day came, and there was an accident with a flamethrower. Of course, you were the one to get injured, but it wasn’t all bad, since Neo rushed to help you, squeezing your waist tightly in order to put your flaming sweater out. Later, he even came to check up on you, offering to take a look at your burn, but you chickened out pretending it was all fine.
Five days in, you felt Neo sitting unusually close during lunch, his elbow occasionally brushing against your side. It was the point where you realized, that for the whole trip, every single meal, Neo had been sitting next to you. You could even recall how unusually funny he was, trying to keep the conversation going between you two with his lighthearted jokes.
There were too many signs and little details for this to be just a coincidence. Part of you felt like Dozer might have ratted you out, but then again, you really trusted him and that wasn’t something he would do, especially when you had specifically asked him not to. The mission was coming to an end, and you knew that the time would show whether Neo had been really trying to tell you something during this trip, or it was just your mind playing tricks on you.
---
Everybody from Zion gathered to hear Morpheus’ speech, he was the one to calm and inspire people of the last human city, even if everyone knew that the war was approaching soon. No matter how little time Zion had before the machines were about to take over, the people here had an unbreakable spirit and that was the most powerful of their weapons. This wasn’t the city that would mourn over never ending war, quite the contrary, these people were celebrating how far they had come.
There were no other parties like the ones of Zion. The music was so loud, that the beat felt like ripping through your veins, and people dancing in a crowded underground, surrounded by rivers of magma, their sweaty bodies moving in a synchronized motion, turning into one. To say it was a spectacle was an understatement and you came to enjoy the view.
You got yourself comfortable on a high cliff, gathering the whole cave in your sight and relishing the trance of the party. You were so immersed in the scene, that you barely noticed Neo coming to sit next to you. He smiled and said something, but you couldn’t hear a word, the music was just too loud.
“What?” You asked, sticking your head forward, trying to grasp his words.
“I said…” That was all you heard and you were beginning to feel embarrassed, desperately trying to read from his lips, but you failed as you got distracted by how perfectly smooth and rosy they were.
You raised your voice with a frustrated “What!?” leaving your throat, but Neo just laughed, realizing it was pointless to repeat anything he had said.
Waiting for his further actions you gazed into his eyes, noticing they had flames inside, reflecting from the burning torches. The atmosphere was already scorching, the heat of the party was divine, but as you noticed Neo getting closer, leaning towards you, you felt like really boiling within. Suddenly, you sensed his warm breath soothing your cheek, as he got near your ear. “Should we go somewhere quieter?”
With Neo’s words sinking in, you felt your stomach tingling, that familiar feeling of butterflies you’ve been carrying for so long now. There was no use in vocalizing your words, and at this point you couldn’t even do so, as the excitement and anticipation had completely taken over you, leaving your mind blurred. You just smiled and nodded, reaching for his stretched hand, feeling his fingertips settling on your skin like electricity, spreading those tingles all over your body.
Following Neo, your knees felt so shaky and weak from all the thrills, that even walking was difficult now. He was still holding your hand, going in front of you and couldn’t help but admire his physique from behind.
‘Seriously, Nebuchadnezzar, after the whole week of rotting in there?’ You thought, as you realized where Neo was taking you, but you couldn’t complain. You would have followed him anywhere.
“There’s something I want to show you” Neo said, letting you enter first. He gently pressed his forearm to your lower back, directing you towards the living quarters. Every touch was delicate, and you could see how Neo wasn’t sure if he was allowed that, but you didn’t oppose, wanting to feel him closer.
After reaching the dining area, Neo rushed to the food dispenser, leaving you to wait in the corner. “Are you asking me to a dinner?” you giggled, finally finding yourself able to speak.
“Just wait a minute,” Neo chuckled, and you saw him preparing something, but you couldn’t see exactly what it was, as his broad shoulders were getting in the way.
Once Neo was finished, he turned around giving you a bowl filled with what you called food here. Everyone hated it and you were really confused why Neo would offer you this. “This goop? Please don’t make me eat this more than necessary,” you grimaced taking it from him.
“Just try it,” Neo grinned curious to see your reaction, and somehow he convinced you. Reluctantly, you stuck the spoon inside your mouth, and you felt like your taste buds were mocking you, it tasted so sweet, that even food in the matrix could not compare to it.
“What is it?” You looked at him completely puzzled, with your mouth slightly agape. “It’s sweet, how is that possible?”
“It’s sugar,” Neo seemed so happy seeing you pleasantly surprised. You figured the sensation was probably so strong, because your receptors had never tasted anything nearly as sweet as that in the real world.
“I thought there was no sugar here?” You rapidly emptied the bowl, handing it back to Neo.
“Well, Dozer synthesized some in his lab, and he said I could show you”
“Dozer said that? For you to show me? Really?” It all started to make sense, and you realized it was Dozer after all, who told Neo. However, you weren’t sure anymore whether you should be mad at him or grateful.
“Relax, he didn’t snitch you.” Neo was moving closer to you, and you couldn’t understand what he meant by that. Was it someone else?
“I overheard you speaking with him before leaving the last week,” he continued smirking, standing inches away from you.
“Oh, okay…” At this point there were no words to describe how hot your cheeks felt, and you were confident they were the brightest shade of red. “That’s embarrassing,” you mumbled looking at your feet and hiding your face.
“No, not at all,” Neo giggled, trying to catch your eyes, while you were desperately avoiding his. “It’s cute, I’ve been trying to give you signs for the whole week.”
“I thought I was imagining things,” you said very shyly, finally raising your head to look at him. Neo seemed to be in awe, staring at you from above and he looked like he couldn’t believe you actually felt the same way he did.
You felt his chest getting even closer and his palms landing on your shoulders. “I really like you, Y/N.” He kept on staring, and his hand went up your neck, finally arriving to cup your cheek. For another second he looked at you, making sure you were comfortable with him doing all this, and then he leaned in for a kiss, his lips gently pressing against yours, getting more open with every touch.
Savoring the kiss, you felt Neo raising his second palm up to your other cheek, and you couldn’t believe this was finally happening. In that moment you kind of wished you had told him sooner, much sooner…
All of a sudden, you sensed Neo pulling away and you opened your eyes, witnessing a cute smirk ornamenting his face. “What?” You whispered.
“You taste so sweet,” you both giggled, and you couldn’t help but snug back into Neo’s lips. It felt like this tension had been building for so long, that once it was out, there was no way of stopping it. Your hands suddenly felt freed, roaming all over his body, and there was this unexpected confidence taking over you, indeed, you felt really comfortable with him.
Caught up in the kiss, you sensed Neo slowly pushing you backwards until your thighs bumped into the brim of the table. His hands reached down your sides, gripping on your hips, and he sat you up on the tabletop, pushing his core forward between your legs.
The kissing had gotten more passionate, with your tongues timidly gliding against each other and your hands loosely exploring. Feeling his bulge getting prominent against your inner thigh and his kisses getting wetter trailing down your neck, you decided to push things further. “Neo?” He snapped away, looking at you a little worried, considering that maybe he went a little too far, but you grinned dissipating his concern. “Should we take this to my room?”
“Are you sure?” You felt his thumb softly stroking your cheek, and you knew you were surer than ever, you had been dreaming about this for so long, that you didn’t want to waste another second. Gently biting your lip, you nodded at him and an eager yes left your mouth as you were jumping off the table.
You turned around closing door after yourself and felt Neo intensely breathing against your shoulder. His fingers were holding the only strap keeping your dress in place, hesitantly fiddling with it. “Go ahead,” you encouraged him, and with a simple tug, Neo left you standing just in your panties. His fingers were stroking your shoulder, and then his lips joined in, leaving hundreds of little kisses down your spine before you felt Neo’s hands firmly twisting your hips and turning you around.
He knelt in front of you, his breath was warming up your stomach. “I thought you said the burn wasn’t serious,” Neo placed a kiss on your belly, close to where the damage was.
“It looks worse that it feels, really. It doesn’t even hurt anymore, you can touch it.” Neo gently pressed his lips to your reddened skin, and began gradually getting lower.
He ran his fingers along the waistband of your underwear. “May I?” He asked. You were so aroused that you just hummed your agreement, enjoying him slowly peeling your panties off. Neo brought his fingers back up your thighs, pushing them further apart and rubbing your slickness with his thumb. Suddenly, you felt his tongue pressing on your swollen nub, as he started licking you in broad motions, gathering all your heated sap, his steady hands were holding your shuddering body.
Neo carefully helped your leg up onto his shoulder, and you moaned with your back rubbing against cold steel door. But it didn’t matter, Neo was making you hundred times hotter, and you felt like melting right into his face. “Right there, oh, Neo” you whimpered, his name felt so right leaving your throat in sultry moans, and as you sensed your muscles tightening, you gripped his shoulder in need of better support.
Feeling you getting closer, Neo pressed his hands firmly onto your bottom, tightly sealing your slit to his face, with his tongue vigorously quivering around your ready to explode nerves. In that moment, your ecstasy erupted, making your pussy throb under Neo’s lips, while you kept on tugging his hair and whimpering his name.
It was so strong, forcing you to slide down with your back leaning against the metal door, and you ended up on the ground leveling with Neo’s face. His eyes were blazing with desire, scanning your bare body collapsed from the satisfaction, and you bent forward rewarding his overworked lips with a fervent kiss.
Grabbing the hem of Neo’s sweater, you hooked your fingers under his shirt too and dragged them together over his head, exposing his radiating skin. Your hands landed on his abdomen and you were slowly guiding them down. “Neo, I’ve been craving you for so long…” You whined, feeling his fingers settling on your breasts, playing with your sensitive nipples.
One of his hands went up to your shoulder, pulling you closer into a kiss, while another lowered to your pulsating heat, gently spreading your folds. “Me too, Y/N, you have no idea.” Neo slowly pushed two of his fingers inside your needy hole, paving the way for what was to come, and you gasped focusing on his belt.
“Neo, please,” you were becoming desperate, rolling your hips to meet his fingers, whining under his amorous touch. “Make love to me,” you moaned.
Escorting you to the bed, Neo stripped what was left on him, slowly guiding you to lie on your back. He stood compelled, admiring your alluring body exposed just for him, with your perfect breasts slightly slanting, and the succulent glint between your thighs inviting him.
Neo stepped closer to the bed, looking sexier than ever, and you felt the strong urge to grab his voluminous length, which was standing tall pressed against his belly. Stroking him, you could feel the blood rushing through his prominent veins, pulsating in your palm, as your thumb was smearing seeping precum all over his glistening head.
“Tell me if something’s wrong,” Neo said kindly, positioning himself over you and covering his member in your juicy essence. He leaned in locking his lips with yours, and you felt his generous girth cautiously invading your tight walls.
Neo was controlled and tender, gradually increasing the depth and examining you face for any sign of discomfort. But it wasn’t there, he felt like heaven inside of you, perfectly filling you up, hitting just in the right places and making you moan with every thrust.
Neo’s fingers were brushing through your hair while he kept panting against your lips, occasionally letting a grunt slip. “You feel so good…” He whispered, delving into your lips and increasing his pace. Sheer layer of sweat was covering your bodies, making your skin cling to each other with every push, creating a rhythmical sound adding to your moans.
You were so close again, absorbing the pleasure Neo was giving you, with his cock reaching your deepest furrows and stretching your drenched passage. “I-I’m about to…” you exhaled feeling the weight sinking in your lower stomach, ready to burst any second now.
“Come on,” Neo kissed you and began thrusting vigorously, piercing through your core and bringing the stars to your shut eyes. You were trembling under him, incoherent cries leaving your throat, while your pussy was clenching around his stiff member that was exploding and coating your throbbing walls, fucking you through your astounding climax.
Neo finally stalled and collapsed onto you, burying his face in the nook of your neck, with his softening member remaining inside of you. Trying to collect your breath, you were rubbing his shoulders, smoothing the marks that your nails had accidentally left all over his back. That was how good it felt to have Neo make love to you.
“You know, when I came to your room saying I was looking for Dozer it wasn’t the truth,” Neo whispered to your ear, slightly raising his hips to pull out, and you could feel his warm seed erupting from your stretched hole.
“Yeah, you made it seem pretty obvious,” you giggled pushing Neo off of you and rolled over to lie on his chest.
His large hands began stroking your slightly damp hair, and you felt a kiss landing on the back of your head. “I was going to tell you then,” Neo silently said.
“So why didn’t you?” Slightly shifting your head, you rested your chin on his chest, in order to see Neo better.
He sighed and smiled at you. “I got scared, imagine how awkward it would have been, if you rejected me and we still had the whole week ahead of us on the Neb.”
“Well, it’s good that we finally figured this out,” you winked and moved closer for another kiss.
Premise: You're the girlfriend he always wanted. Life was empty before you, life was nothing before you. Neo is simply a loser hacker who lucked out his perfect goth girlfriend. He has nothing but you to fill the void. He should be happy he's not lonely anymore, he should be happy, he should be...
TW: horror inspired, unreality heavy, you are not what you seem, you digital siren of the deep. The cycle will start again.
A/N: horror drabble for the season. May want to use a binary code translator here. Vagueness as not to give too much away. If you don't enjoy horror/unreality do not read.
Neo had only known you for a few months, but in that time, you two had become inseparable. He can't believe you, you with your pitch black hair, your gothic make up, and pouty black lips had just walked into his life. He loved you. He loved how you dressed, with your black attire, your stompy boots, hair a whimsical bats nest. He loved your mind, you were so smart, he felt like he finally met his equal. He loved how you looked at him, with all the love he wanted in your eyes. Your voice, always soft, and gentle, a perfect contrast to your harsh dress.
In fact, he loved you so much, and you were so perfect, he could swear he dreamed you. Maybe he did. He couldn't say what his life was before you, you with your gorgeous darkness that had filled his life.
You were perfect. Everything he needed. You two never fought, nor did he ever need to think of much else. In fact, as he lay next to you in his tiny, clothes strewn bed, his filthy, loser little room enclosed around you two like a nest, and he tries to remember for a second what he had even done for the day. How long has he been facing you, his perfect mate, talking about something he had lost the plot of. His heart lurched for a moment, and he swallowed down an anxiety that tended to fill him if he looked into your eyes too long. He whispered out your name as you stopped speaking mid sentence to furrow your brow at the sudden interrupting.
"Yes, Neo?" Your voice was soft, kind, gentle as always.
"What…um…" Neo rubs his sweaty forehead, wondering how he even began to sweat in the first place. He pauses for a while, and you of course, as the good girlfriend you are, don't talk over him, and simply listen as he tries to find his words. It's like trying to find something precious lost in a thick bucket of honey, the sweet sea calling him to ignore what he even lost in the first place. He finally decides on a sentence to begin with. "When did, um, when did you come over today, exactly?"
"What do you mean my love?" You tilt your head and reach out a hand, moving now damp hair across Neo's forehead. "I came over at the same time I always do…"
Neo stares at your form, laying so closely in bed next to him. You're wearing an old band shirt of his, and when he tries to focus on what that band once was, he can only see shapes of a faded, long gone album cover. He can't remember what he used to listen to, he can't think about that right now. No, he should focus. Focus on you.
He finds your big soft eyes, that look at him with all the love in the world.
"Yes…but….when was that again?" He has to clear his throat to get the sentence out. The anxiety rises again. His stomach feels empty, and he has no idea when last it was full, or if it ever was, for that matter.
"Are you feeling sick, hun?" You let your hand press against his head, feeling the heat from his body against the back of your hand. Neo almost flinches from your touch, it's cold.
"Yes, I am…" He pauses, then shakes his head. "Well, maybe I'm not. I'm not sure. I…What were you talking about before this?"
He tries to remember, then looks to your face, soft and full as the moon, your dark makeup blending into the dark of the room.
"Oh? That…that doesn't much matter. What would you rather talk about?" You smile widely, always happy to listen to your all loving boyfriend first.
"No, no, I…." Neo sits up, his lungs have tightened too much. He needs to breathe away from you, from your beauty that wraps around his mind like a fog.
"Neo, you don't seem like yourself tonight…" You say, with worry that is appropriate.
"Can I just, I need some space right now." He stands up, then when you turn to follow, he goes to speak your name out. The word, that name of yours, catches in his throat like a stone. Neo coughs, trying to get it out, before his mind finalizes on the fact that he's never known your name at all. Who are you….?
"Neo…you're starting to scare me…" He has his back to you, he can't even look at you right now. He can't imagine what you look like. The darkness of the room is closing in. He can feel your hands enclose around his shoulders, always there for him. Never away, never letting him out of your sight. You have a cold heat, the kind that burns like dry ice, Neo can feel it through his shirt. The room has nothing in it. He knows that. It never had anything in it.
Neo can't even look at anything while your mouth breathes chilly crystals over his ears.
"Why don't you come back to bed, my love…"
Neo doesn't think his eyes are even open at this point. He isn't standing. He might as well be floating in this darkness. He might as well be nothing, and he already knows what you are. He can't say it. He can't speak, he keeps coughing. It's all caught in his throat now, as it always is when he remembers. He's drowning. He can feel it, the stench of real life seeping in once again. He can feel it devouring him, melting his body to a more useful goo. The screams won't come this time. He needs to stop thinking, he needs to listen to you, his loving girlfriend, his perfect girlfriend his his his his his his
His what?
Who even is he?
Where is he?
His hands are going now, and soon enough it will be all of him. He should stop this, he can't think this way. His hands illuminate the darkness, he sees it again, the code
John smells like sweet mint, astringent, cold metal. He has a musky, sweaty smell that mixes with in wonderfully. His base smell is evergreens and smoke. Underneath you can almost smell a fireplace, like a home long forgotten.
John Constantine
Constantine smells like gunpowder, cigarettes, and shaving cream. He has an earthy scent about him, and sometimes you catch a whiff of coffee, an aroma reminiscent of vanilla almost.
Neo
Neo smells like citrus. He has notes of lemongrass, orange peel, and pine. In the matrix, he smells very clean. Outside of it, you can smell the smell of rain before the storm if you inhale deep enough.
Kevin Lomax
Kevin is always clean cut and fresh, his suits smell like cotton and after a long day of work his Cologne really starts to hit. He smells of cinnamon, bold and spicy. He has mid notes of whiskey, vanilla, and musk. His base notes are sweat and coffee. He has an odd top note of Rosemary, that brings an almost herbal scent.
Ted Logan
Ted smells like a teenage boy from the 90s. He smells like a bit too much body spray, musk, and his clothes always smell a little bit like weed. After a nice shower he smells of little bit of coconut and strawberry shampoo.
Scott Favor
Scott smells like money, cigarettes and fresh dirt. He has a smell similar to walking into a packed night club when you should have stayed home. He is salty, with a jasmine sweetness to finish. His base notes are hot summer nights and after it rains.
I’d suffer hell if you'd tell me/What you'd do to me tonight.
Neo was a complex man, and his presence exuded an air of danger that drew them like a moth to a flame. On the dimly lit streets of the city, he appeared like a phantom, his silhouette snaking through the neon glow.
A chance encounter in a smoky club had brought you together. The lament of the bass guitar mingled with the low hum of conversation, creating an atmosphere that seemed to breathe with the heartbeat of the night. You felt drawn to Neo, the enigmatic stranger whose gaze held unspoken promises.
The two of you found an inconspicuous corner, away from prying eyes, and the sultry notes of the band created a cocoon around you. Neo's eyes, dark and intense, met yours with a magnetic force. In the muted undertones of the music, he spoke words that sent a shiver down your spine.
"I’d suffer hell if you'd tell me what you'd do to me tonight."
His voice sounded like smooth whiskey and you felt the weight of those words, a strong mixture of desire and danger. Neo's gaze was a challenge, a silent invitation to dance on the edge of the unknown.
You, never one to shy away from the allure of the forbidden, met his intensity with a playful smile. The air between them crackled with electric tension, and when the band switched to a slower melody, Neo held out his hand.
Without a word, you both stepped onto the dimly lit dance floor. The world around faded into the background as you moved to the rhythm of the music. The dance was a conversation between bodies, a silent negotiation of desire and devotion.
As you swayed to the lazy melody, Neo's lips touched your ear and he once again whispered words that fanned the embers inside you.
"Tell me... what you'd do to me tonight."
His breath on your skin sent a shiver through your veins. At that moment, the dance floor turned into a battlefield of seduction, a place where vulnerability and passion met.
The club held its breath as Neo and you moved in a dance that transcended the boundaries of the physical. Your bodies spoke a language of longing, and with every step you two drew closer to the abyss of something raw and untamed.
The music reached its crescendo, a symphony of lust that reflected the fire in Neo's eyes. As the last notes faded into the air, he held your gaze, the unspoken promise hanging like a delicate thread between two of you.
The night continued its journey, and Neo led you through the labyrinthine streets of the city. Every step was proof of the magnetic attraction that bound you together, a force that defied reason and consistency.
In the shadowy corners and hidden alleyways, Neo and you explored the depths of your desires, a journey accompanied by the sounds of bass riffs still in the night air.
As dawn broke and cast a pale light over the city, Neo disappeared back into the shadows. You stood alone, the echo of your night together still reverberating in the depths of your soul.
As the first light of day settled over the cityscape, you couldn't help but wonder if Neo was just a figment of the night — a phantom whose presence had lit a flame in your heart and forever haunted you with the memory of dancing in the embrace of the unknown.
