Carousel -Part 3-Croissant-
You know we should start someday. Never mind, we have already begun. You know in those last moments? I keep thinking the same thing , that this is probably the last time I'll ever see your face. It's true and it's fiction all at the same time. I keep seeing you wherever I go, and I don't know why. You are a stranger who has always been something familiar to me, but the truth of the matter is you can't be a stranger. I won't let you be. And we're going in circles. You always tell me, 'Don't walk away from me.' But all I can ever tell you is 'I'm sorry.' Well, what am I sorry for? I don't understand myself anymore.(When have I ever?)
I'm going to die. And the only thing you are doing is prolonging it. But I'll remember you; I'll remember the way you cut through Salisbury steak with the same way you'd weld your tonfas and scissors. I'll remember the way you would let yourself eat in front of me, and I would always remember your big, calloused hands reaching for mine in the darkness.
I'll never forget you I say, but that's not a white lie, all lies are never that color. They are black, and I just want you to know that 'I'm sorry'.
I'm going to die, but you are just prolonging it.
In Tsunayoushi's dream he can't see the person he is speaking to; but there is a miasma that he cannot describe. It's cloudy and sunny at the same time. There were loud, hushed whispers that sounded desperate and urgent ,except there were no people around. The whole park was empty, and he was standing near a bench. The other person did not sit down either, they just had their hands clenched.
They just stared at each other for a while, and the others mouth opened. Forming words. When he spoke, loud music seemed to be everywhere, a Chanson to be exact. It's accordion going full circle, a pipe wisps around, and Tsunayoushi turns a different direction. There is light emitting next to him, and there he sees in the middle of a park- a Carousel.
It's turning slowly, the music accentuating it's bright lights and dramatic colors. The animals ranged from pigs, zebras, lions, mythological creatures (such as dragons, sea monsters or unicorns), and deer, to name a few. The mousy man became enraptured by it, as if he was on witchcraft. A spell was cast.
By that time, Tsunayoushi came to realize he wasn't on the ground. He was never on the ground , and he won't ever be. He's on the carousel, and decided to go on the king of beasts. A lion . The other person says something and he's not paying attention. He just blinks and says " Carosello" while the other says "Carrousel", and Tsunayoushi doesn't understand why he's speaking in Italian when he knows his accent is horrid, and he wants to ask the other " Why are you speaking French?" There is the feeling of euphoria caused by the lights and the beams all going in separate directions. The Chanson continues on, making it seem as if they were experiencing the epitaph of theatrical opera . But none of those things suit them, and Tsunayoushi is smiling , he's smiling because this is the only time he had ever been truly happy.
The brown haired man wakes up, his eyes shut because of the light coming from white blinds. It's cold today; he wants to stay inside his blankets, thank you very much. Suddenly, A pair of rough hands begin to tickle his sides causing him to break out into seeps of laughter.
" Reborn! Reborn! I give! I give." The other releases him and the other just wipes his tears that have accumulated in the side of his eyes with a sleeve.
Reborn stood tall and looking the same as always. One word to describe the man was 'perfection'. An expensive Dolce & Gabbanna suit, and a Vivienne Westwood watch was on his frame. Speaking for him. ' I am important; Don't fuck with me.'
" No Good Tsuna, time for breakfast."
The man in question stood up from his bed to yawn and stretch. He lazily made his way to the bathroom near his closet to brush his teeth. Reborn just looked at him from near Tsunayoushi's mirror ( where he kept his only bottle of perfume Dino had given him for Natale three years ago).
" I left you a suit on your bed to wear. Your brother Giotto sent it to you from Italia. I don't want you looking so boorish in your..interesting choice of clothing. Honestly, you cannot go into a business meeting in a cheap suit you found in a sales rack at Family Mart." he said this in the same sort of manner he played with cats.
Tsunayoushi comes back into the room (after he washed his face and took care of his personal hygiene) and began to remove his shirt. " What's wrong with Family Mart?" He said this all with a toothpaste mustache, 'Has he ever heard of a towel' thought Reborn?
The other extends his hand and rubs the foam off with the back of his thumb.
" Everything Tsunayoushi. Everything; Now go and make us some breakfast. Andiamo, Andiamo, I don't have all day. "
Brown eyes widened.
" But I thought you bought breakfast or something! Why do I have to do it! ? "
But Tsunayoushi does not know why he complains when he knew that Reborn loved the way he made coffee. 'It's the only thing you're good at,' he would always say with a smirk.
The dream wasn't just Tsunayoushi's dream and when Hibari awoke, he opened his eyes slowly; like it was painful or something of that sort. He looked the same as he always did, a bored expression on his face and a frown on his lips.
" Wao."
He stands up in his bed and looks in front of him. A great grandfather clock staring at him, the hands at '5:30 am'. Kyouya dislikes digital clocks. Herbivores would do anything to go about things the easy way; they lacked discipline and intelligence. That's why all academic facilities do not use digital clocks, he thought contentedly when he relaxed in the bath.
He timed himself. He would only give himself fifteen minutes at the maximum to shampoo his hair and clean his skin. As he was doing so, he thought about the type of breakfast he would have today. You see, Kyouya had a schedule to follow. It said that every Tuesday he would have rice with with fish and miso soup. He does not cook, and on his free days he checks out books from his local library to try to teach himself the art of cooking. (All it resulted in were failures and it angers him to the point of biting everyone to death. Even accusing the librarian of sabotaging his success. ' You chose the wrong book for me herbivore. It's your fault. It can't be me.'
He was already in his favorite suit, today was a bit special. Today was going to be the meeting of the Vongola corporations ( it was the only day of the week they would come together to speak of the business) and since he was already admitted to their group, he had no choice but to go. It was his obligation.
When he informed his father via phone the other said " Wonderful. It was only a matter of time before the Vongola realized how great the Cloud company is."
And Kyouya replies in a way you would talk to a roomful of kindergartners , " You mean how great 'I' am. This company has only achieved this much because of my managing and leadership while you only made it more plant eater-friendly." And with that he ended the call. After all, he already said what he wanted to say; anything else would be a waste.
He went up the entrance (where he would put his shoes) and opened the door with a gentle click. An old women was carrying trays of food in a bag, she smiled politely as her kimono sleeves dangled in the air.
" Good morning ,Kyouya-kun."
" Good morning, Mrs. Yamazaki. Thank you for the food." he bowed lowly at the women as she chuckled ( it seemed a bit sad today). Senior citizens should be treated with kindness and respect. In Namimori everyone hung their heads low when they would walk by (he made sure of that).
Kyouya had met Mrs. Yamazaki in the apartment building's parking lot. It was about the second week he had moved to the city ( his expectations for this place was/were zero) but when he saw her traditional food stand it reminded him of Namimori's summer festival .He saw this as some great advancement in the community and he was ( a bit) impressed.
" Make me food." he demanded one day. And since then she would cook him breakfast, lunch and dinner. ( Of course he paid her for her services ( and for the ingredients.)
" Thank you for the repeat business son, I'm really sad that this will have to be the last day." Her voice was ancient, but there was something soothing in her voice. "You see, I am moving in with my daughter out in the country side this week. So, I wanted you to know that." Kyouya blinked in recognition and nodded. " Someone my age shouldn't be living in the city, it's too rowdy, and everyone is too busy going this and that." paused. " Everyone is going too fast. I belong in a country side, with my family. You too, you are one of the good ones. I will miss you young man."
Kyouya isn't looking at her, but he's looking at the floor. " Yes, of course. Farewell ,Mrs. Yamazaki. I send you good fortune in your new home." They shared a bow and just as she was walking away (Kyouya wanted to see her off) she turns and says, " You always reminded me of a black bird I used to have." She positions her hands to form some small sort of ball, to show just how small her black bird used to be. "I tried to nurse it everyday, but see, his wing was broken. But oh, he was so regal and proud, he tried to fly just like the others were,but he was just pretending."
"I can see..you have something much more heavier than a broken wing, but you.." Her voice croaked. " ...are also pretending. "
Kyouya looks at her, but does not speak. He just looks at the elder women with clear eyes. " Humor this old women will you? From the moment I've met you I have never seen you with anyone, not even on festivities meant to spend with family. Promise me you'll look for a good wife or at least some companions? You're like a son to me." Hibari bows once more, and lifts his head up " Thank you for the concern . I will do as you suggested."
The old women smiled, and her wrinkles moved up on her face a bit more, and she turned away from him. Walking toward the elevator. But as she did so, Kyouya still refuses to close the door. He wanted her back to be forever impaled to his retina, and at that moment he felt like he was truly alone.
" What kind of dreams do you dream?"
Tsunayoushi asks this while he pours the elder man some dark coffee. The aroma filled the room and made it seem like it was some sort of cafe lounge. Instead of the kitchen, he insisted of eating on his Kotatsu table. His sofa was centered in the living room, courtesy of Mr. Fon ( one of Reborn's close friends) who insisted on placing certain things in corners to provide just the correct amount of Fung shui. ( He wasn't present but he gave immediate instructions in his kind and soothing voice. " You have so much bad energy Tsunayoushi-kun." he always nagged.)
" I don't remember my dreams." Reborn took a bite out of his cream cheese croissant. " I've told you this a million times already. Are you having those strange dreams again?"
"They never stop Reborn." Tsunayoushi says from the kitchen. He's making a lunch for him and Mukuro( he had already promised him), good thing he already had everything set since yesterday. ( A traditional lunch box with some fresh sushi for him and some salad and fettuccine for the other. Mukuro wasn't too fond of Japanese food.) "And all of them feel so nostalgic. I mean, it's crazy isn't it? To think I'm becoming so wrapped up in these little dreams." He stops in midway of finishing a roll. "It always leads me to think about death ."
The room suddenly turns a bit stuffy, like there is a heavy weight around the room. It felt like a cave, and it felt like he had the air conditioner on (HIGH). The television turned on, except it was only static. Black and white static. The brown haired man slowly takes a few steps back, unsure of how to react. And he looks at Reborn , and Reborn seems to not even notice the atmosphere change.
"Then you must have some kind of death wish." The man with the onyx eyes soon become still and with a daze look says-
" Just so you know I'd follow you there too."
And just like that the room turns to normal, and the unplugged television was the same as before. It felt like some sort of time skip, and he was the only one aware of what had just happened . But before he could ask Reborn what he meant to say by those things the other was already eating Tsunayoushi's portion of breakfast.
"Give that back!"
Tsunayoushi and Reborn arrive early in the Vongola corporation building , everyone bowed their heads to them in respect. Out of the pair, one was embarrassed beyond words while the other didn't even blink. The taller man pressed the elevator button that said 'up'.
" No-good Tsuna, I'll be going to get some papers, so I'll be leaving you in front of our meeting room. Stay out of trouble."
Tsunayoushi rolls his eyes in exasperation, annoyance in his features. " Hey, Reborn! I'm not five years old!"
And the others foot hits their designated floor and says " And that's precisely why you need to keep your guard up. I'll be back."
The walls of the corporation were stark white, it seemed like those things you would only see on television. It seemed like there were no furniture, it just blended in with the white of the walls. The doors were clear slide in doors. Tsunayoushi thought he would never be in a place like this, he thought the most expensive place he would ever get to was the fancy Italian cafe Mukuro and Chrome took him once.( Or maybe that Armani store his brothers took him to that one time .) Everything seemed so immaculate, he made sure his stubby fingers wouldn't touch a thing.
From the corner of his eyes he saw something tall, and dark. He flinched in reflex and trembled like a mouse. It was Hibari Kyouya. That man that scared the soul out of him.
" G-good morning Hibari-san." The tall man glared at him, but nodded anyways. It seems that they were the only ones who had decided to come early ( the meeting was not until thirty more minutes.) Both of them stood side by side, not saying anything.
Tsunayoushi was the sort of person that could not stand still by any means. He supported himself on one foot, then when he was bored with it he went to the other. He constantly paced back and forth too, not even noticing that he was doing it.
" Stop moving undisciplined herbivore."
" A-ah, sorry Hibari-san. I-I'm just nervous is all." The man raised his hand to begin biting his nails, until a tonfa was raised to his face.
" Continue on what I think you are going to do and you will be bitten to death." He did not care that this was his boss, Kyouya did not have one . He did not listen to anyone. ( Which is just a contradiction because what he did listen to are invisible rules.)
Not knowing what to do to calm the beast, Tsunayoushi does the only thing he could think of. Give it an offering. So he opens the small container he brought with him ( his lunch) and brings it up to the others face.
' That's so like him,' thought Kyouya, but he didn't know why.
Its just a herbivore, Kyouya thinks. ( He shouldn't care if he ate in front of him.) So he extends his hands and takes a sushi roll, he puts it in his mouth. After a few mouth watering seconds he grabs Tsunayoushi's lunch box with a hard pull.
"Give me your lunch." He proclaims. It would be a little funny if the other was still in high school (only a little.)
The mousy man's eyes widened, and after some time started to laugh nervously.
"What?"
"I don't like repeating myself, herbivore." And dejectedly, Tsunayoushi sighs and gives his lunch away to the bully-his coworker. The dark man takes out a black leather wallet from his back pocket and pulls out a 2000 yen bill. This lunch box may be a little to small for his lunch , but he would manage.
" Hieeee, Hibari-san. It's alright, you can have it. I d-don't mind really..."
A sharp glare.
" Are you patronizing me?"
"N-no! I-it's fine, you can have it! I made too much anyways, haha..." He continues to laugh like a herbivore ( but he doesn't really mind right now, the small lunch box in his hands).
" Hey you, make me food."
The other gave him an incredulous look, what in the world was going on?
" That is payment for the next meals." He stops the man from speaking by talking over him. " You live in my complex building.. From now on you are hired to make me breakfast, lunch and dinner. I do not like foreign food much, but I like meat. I like any traditional Japanese food. You are excused." he says without skipping a beat.
"Wait, w-what! ?"
He was about to take a few steps back until he heard someone calling for him in the distance. Tsunayoushi turns his head to look in back of him.
" Tenth!" It was his silver haired friend, Gokudera Hayato. And right behind him was Yamamoto Takeshi. Both of them were his childhood friends, they had met during kindergarten and had been inseparable ever since. They had other friends besides their closed trio, but many stayed back home. It was only (truly) a coincidence that all of them were the inheritors of big companies. ( It was all a string of fate.) Mukuro , although living in the same town as them had went to a different school. He wasn't accepted ( alongside his sister) within their circle of friends until elementary school. ( That is a story for a different time. Back then they thought he was a devil, and yet, Gokudera still thought him to be so.)
" Yo, Tsuna!" The tall , tan man put an arm over Tsunayoushi in a friendly manner. " Sorry we couldn't go to help you unpack. I was super busy with pop's restaurant and the company. I'll make it up to you bud." Gokudera crossed his arms in annoyance, he was speaking first after all.
" I-it's fine Takeshi, it's fine!" The meek brown haired turns to his short tempered friend in hopes of calming the other ." Ah , Gokudera-kun. Good morning, how are you doing today?"
It seemed that his bad mood was never even there to begin with, instead it seemed that he was smiling since he got there. " And a wonderful morning to you tenth! I'd like to ask you for forgiveness for not helping you yesterday! Mr. Reborn gave me some work to do..."
Tsunayoushi remembered the never ending stairs and his back pain a hundred fold. 'So it was all Reborn's fault!' He clenched his fist as small tears appeared at the side of his eyes.
Meahnwhile, ( right by the door and next to the plant eater's side) Kyouya hated to be ignored but what he hated even more was for herbivores to crowd around him. He unleashed his tonfas quickly.
"You all must have some death wish crowding around me."
Gokudera snarled ." And who the hell are you?" the smoker glares and sizes the other up, slowly.
Reborn ( Who had appeared rather suddenly) walked slowly behind Tsunayoushi, and as soon as he was near the mousy man he lunged at his sides, squeezing them.
"Boo."
Tsunayoushi jumped a meter high including a very impressive back flip. Perhaps the man wasn't as herbivorous as he thought...
Gokudera's eyes shone in admiration ( Tenth, that jump was brilliant!) and Yamamoto merely laughed ( You're so funny Tsuna.)
" No good Tsuna, Didn't I tell you to have your guard up?" The tall man smirked at his student ( who felt so humiliated). " Anyways since all of us are here why not commence the meeting ?"
"Ah, isn't Lambo , and big brother Ryohei going to be here? " And what about Xanxus-san, he thought to himself. ( he didn't really want him to be there, but he thought as vice president he should at least attend.
" Lambo and Ryohei couldn't make it today. I sent them on foreign affairs. Don't try to wrap your head on it no good Tsuna, you barely came here a few days ago. " He began to hand out papers to everyone. " Here are the things we will discuss at out meeting. Now, let's go in . " Reborn slides a card in front of the slide in door, opening the doors for everyone. The room had a circular table, glass chairs and a couple of boards.
Right before they entered Mukuro stepped right beside Tsunayoushi ( he was the last one to proceed.) He always appeared like this , as if he materialized out of mist. It was a bit unsettling. Even though they were friends he didn't want to tell him .( that something inside him screamed at him not to trust him, not to pick him.)
The other greeted him with a wave.
"Ah, Mukuro-san. You arrived just on time!"
"Traffic was a bit on the horrid side today." He said this with his two hands in the air with a ' I don't care' stance." Ladies first," he said jokingly as he gave Tsunayoushi room to enter.
Kyouya sits in the seat away from everyone, but also close enough to generate a dominant presence. He looks around for once in boredom ( since he has to associate himself with everyone from now on.) In short there was only a grinning herbivore, a loud mouth herbivore, a ' super' herbivore ; nothing but herbivores. ( Except Reborn who is carnivorous as those dinosaurs he did a project on in his first grade class. 'Namimori needs more Dinosaurs since we have to expand the community.) He turned to the other side and that's when he froze.
He saw a a foreign man with mismatched eyes, he wasn't paying attention to the other, just getting some documents ready. As if the man could tell he was being watched he turned to Hibari, recognition in his eyes. Mukuro gave the other a furious smirk ( it was hate, hate , hate) and just as Tsunayoushi was going to stand up to give a mediocre speech the two lunged at each other, greeting one another with punches, kicks, and where the hell did Mukuro take that pocket knife from? Where did Hibari get his tonfa's out?- but they both fought unmercifully and in the process breaking the desk, chairs and just about anything that came between them.
Gokudera was about ready to do something about it, and Yamamoto was laughing it off ( They just have too much testosterone or something) and the one that no one expected to do anything about the situation (Tsunayoushi) walked in between them and said
" Stop it !"
And the both of them stood still because when Tsunayoushi said that, they heard it more louder than anyone in the room had. It was like a very loud echo without end.
When Reborn emerged from the meeting room, he had a furious look on his face, and when people asked him 'How was the meeting?' He responded with a ' What meeting?'
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Next chapter will be about the rest of the characters. It's going to get long soon. Haha.
Thank you!
♠TITLE♠ Carousel
♠RATING ♠ 13+ later on 15+
♠WORDCOUNT♠ 4,348
SUMMARY ♠ In which a group of people's lives are nothing more than a mere orgel. Destined to spin the same tune over, and over, and over again...AlternativeUniverse