KHR - Staple
Summary: When Sawada Tsunayoshi officially took on the mantle of the Vongola Famiglia boss, Kyoko had given him a small, very cute staple.
I don't own KHR... Sometimes I wonder why I always write stuff related to the Future Arc. ^^ The angst? Maybe.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When Sawada Tsunayoshi officially took on the mantle of the Vongola Famiglia boss, Kyoko had given him a small, very cute staple. Despite its defiance toward his (nonexistent) reputation as a manly, fearsome and powerful ruler, he couldn’t find the will to put it away.
“I heard that you will have a lot of paperwork to do in the future, Tsuna-kun,” she smiled. “So I thought you might need some office supplies.”
It was a blue tuna fish staple, with ridiculously cute fins and an even more adorable curled up tail. It was not supposed to be on the desk of a mafia boss, but Tsuna still blushed to the roots of his hair while thanking his long-time crush.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Over the years, people around the young Vongola boss became accustomed to the cute, so out-of-place staple on his work desk. Between treaties, missions and confidential documents, the small tuna fish stood out in the mass of bloodstained papers stacks.
“Jyuudaime?”
“Yes, Gokudera-kun?”
“Your staple has a side crooked, do you want me to replace it?”
“Ah, no, it’s okay. It’s still working, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but-”
“Then we don’t need to change it. It’s perfect as it is.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Against all odds, Reborn didn’t come back from his mission.
When the news of his death, along with those of the other Arcobalenos’ reached the Vongola HQ, Tsuna didn’t get out of his work floor for days. He had his meals in between meetings, scribbled until morning, and got into a habit of dozing off in his chair instead of sleeping properly on a bed. No one could say anything though, Reborn’s work load and unfinished business had to be sorted out by someone, and even though Gokudera had offered time and time again, Tsuna couldn’t push this responsibility onto someone else’s shoulders.
He was the one who let his subordinate and ex-teacher die.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Why are you here, Lambo?”
“I came to see how you are doing, Tsuna-nii.”
“I’m fine, I just need to get this done and I’ll be back. Tell them to stop worrying.”
“We are your Famiglia. We have the right to be worried when you’re doing everything on your own and not going out with us anymore…”
“I’m sorry, Lambo-kun.” A sigh. “It’ll be over sooner than you think, I promise.”
“If you say so, Tsuna-nii… Oh! Is this the staple Kyoko-chan gave you years ago? You still have it? It’s gotten all rusty.”
“I like it, it’s still functional, so I don’t mind if it’s a bit old and dirty.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“That will be all, then,” the Vongola boss struck out his now almost permanently gloved hand. “I’m counting on you for the rest.”
Irie Shoichi grasped the offered limb and nervously smiled. He ought to be intimidated by this person, by all means. The Vongola was after all a powerful mafia family and he was gambling with his life. Literally speaking. It was all he could do not to falter in his recount of the situation with Byakuran. A life as a double-spy was tough.
The old tuna fish staple seemed to find his predicament funny. It stood on the desk which bore various secret, incriminating and life-threatening data. The trinket was out of place, just like him - and perhaps this man too - in this dark, backstabbing world.
“I will do my best. Or rather, my past self will, in my place,” he hesitated before continuing. “Please take care of yourself.”
A chuckle worked its way out of the Jyuudaime’s throat.
“See you later, Shoichi.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A few days after, the Sky fell.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Lambo.”
“What?”
“You have to get out of here, it’s not healthy.”
“…”
“Lambo-kun…”
“Do you think… that he might have known beforehand?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Tsuna-nii…”
“I don’t know, Lambo-kun, I don’t know.”
“I-pin, why do you think he always kept that old staple on his work desk?”
“Isn’t it because of Kyoko-neechan?”
“He hung the lucky charm she gave him around his neck. All the other gifts are at home, along with rulers, pens and normal staples he’s received through the years, far more adequate for this office then this staple. All except this one. What’s so special about this thing? What is this doing here?”
Lambo reached out and opened the rusty old accessory. The blue paint had started to fall off long ago, and the edges are crooked from the constant use. There was even some dust accumulated on the surfaces of the tuna fish.
It was empty.
*END*