the dread pirate rinjacakes (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rinja) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
khrminibang2010-12-21 03:52 pm
rinja) wrote in khrminibang2010-12-21 03:52 pm
Entry tags:
(no subject)
Pacis Quod Alcedonia (fic/art)
( After Uni and Gamma sacrificed themselves to protect the multiple timelines from the influence of Byakuran and the Mare rings, a young Irie Shouichi lives his life as normally as possible. What could go wrong? )
AUTHOR:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
tauburn/feraligatr
ARTIST:epicsoup (link to just art)
PAIRING/CHARACTERS: Irie Shouichi, with cameos from Tsuna, Gokudera, Ryohei, Spanner and Byakuran.
RATING: PG-13
He couldn't see the sky. At least, not beyond the grey clouds hanging low. He thought they were clouds, anyway, even though they looked... strange. There were fires in the distance, though how far away he couldn't tell-- or if it was actually fire. The air was a mix of smoke, gunpowder and death-- he'd emptied his stomach twice already. Buildings had crumbled down. They used to tower above him, above anyone, actually. Whatever buildings that were left standing looked deserted. Haunted, even. He couldn't recognize the place anymore. Not even sure if he would have recognized the place if it didn't look so... destroyed. He walked on, though. This one long road he started on. It stretched on forever, in front of him, behind him. There were a few intersections, but he kept moving forward. Like he had to. He hasn't seen anyone yet. Or heard anyone respond to his cries for help. Or anything. No people, no animals, no nothing. But he kept going, hoping that there would be someone down the road, someone who could tell him what was going on, where he was, where safety was.
He'd been walking for what seemed forever, but in fact, he hasn't. On his wrist was a watch, he looked at it and had told him not less than five minutes has passed. Maybe it was broken. It was digital, and there was nothing in the display that ticked down the seconds. He stopped and tapped at the face of the watch. Maybe that would get it to work? Shaking his head, he made sure the bandanna tied across his face was still secure, and then he moved on. He kept his eyes wide open, looking around for any signs of life. Anything. He was beginning to grow desperate.
And then, there it was. A crack in the smoky, gray sky, yellow light slicing through the thick clouds, illuminating the desolate scene. He made a run for it-- the sun must have heard him and pointed him to the right way. He ran, tripping and stumbling a few times, but he ran until he saw what the sun had been pointing at. What the ray of light wanted to show him: a sign of life. A single, white flower, standing straight and proud, looking like it had been waiting for him all along. He pulled the bandanna off his face and stepped forward, reaching for the flower-- to touch it, to pick it up, he wasn't sure, he just felt the need to.
All of a sudden, a loud, blaring sound from behind surprises him. Too quickly, he turned around and everything became a white blur, and then he's falling, falling--
With a loud thud, he landed on the floor of his room. His alarm clock still ringing annoyingly on his study desk, his limbs tangled in the sheets. Irie Shouichi groaned. He pushed his blankets off of him and rubbed at his eyes as he got up to a sitting position. He yawned, reaching for his glasses on the desk and kills the alarm. Six forty-five in the morning. He might as well get up and get ready. Standing up, he rubbed at the back of his head. That dream again. He wasn't sure why, but he'd been having that dream pretty frequently lately. It was very different from what Uni showed him. Visions of the Future... Maybe he was just nervous? It was finals week, and he was also a candidate for top honors and his dad was practically pressuring him to be number one (like any other dad, right?). It could just be academic jitters. Yeah, that was it. Shouichi shook his head and made his way out of his room for his morning rituals, just to get the dream out of his head. He really didn't need more stress in his life.
--
"Shou-chan, congratulations!" His mother said, gushing with pride. It was graduation day, and he passed with flying colors. More than that, his father had said: he was top of his class, and the whole batch, plus he was going to a prestigious American university on full scholarship, thanks to his credentials. What more could parents want from their only son, right? Shouichi smiled. Behind him, his sister giggled. "Only thing lacking now is a girl waiting for Shocchi under the cherry blossom tree," she sighed dreamily. Shouichi felt his eye twitch. "For him to give the second button on his-- hey! That hurt!" She puncheded Shouichi's shoulder for stepping on her toes-- and she'd worn open-toe sandals today, too! What a jerk.
He laughed nervously. "I don't think I'm ready for that yet, sis." He didn't even think he was the type! Not that he didn't have a couple of crushes here and there. And there was that cute girl in his neighborhood that he tutored in math, once, but she already had someone so he didn't think to pursue. And he really didn't think it was the right time yet. Maybe he'd find love in America, who knew? At least he and Spanner would live closer to each other.
"Oi! Shouichi! Everyone's ready to go. You coming or not?" One of his male classmates called from the other end of the courtyard. His class had planned on celebrating their graduation with their homeroom teacher that night. He gave his mother a hug ("I'm so proud of you, Shou-chan! Come home safe, okay?") then went off with his friends.
--
Three days before he departs to America, a storm broke out. Heavy rains, hard winds, thunder and lightning. The works. Shouichi had packed his bag already, and was double-checking his things when the storm came. He sighed, looking out of the window. "Wonder if I'll even get to America, at this rate," he said out loud.
Yesterday, his mother burst into tears all of a sudden at the dinner table. Of course she would-- he'd be gone for almost five years, finishing his degree in Systems Engineering, possibly more if he ever decided to take up post-graduate studies (hey, it was handy these days to have a phD to your name!). Her only son, alone in a foreign country, with no one there to take care of him. She practically asked him to find a school in Namimori instead, but his dad had reassured his mom that things will be alright, and Shouichi will come home for the holidays, right?
Shouichi sighed again. There was this awful feeling in the pit of his stomach, and he felt pretty awful in general. Like there was this nagging feeling at the back of his head that something was supposed to happen? But he couldn't really put his finger on it. To distract himself from this feeling, Shouichi began to go through his things, packed and unpacked. That was when he noticed the box under his bed. He remembered this box. Of course he did. It was... life-changing. Most everything he did was because of this box.
But it was empty-- at least of its original contents. For the life of him, he couldn't remember what was inside the box. He remembered his mother taking most of the contents, then asking him to return the box. He wasn't able to return it, but he knew there were still a few things left inside that weren't theirs... He lifted the lid to see his old music books, notebooks filled with original compositions, old EPs and LPs, and even a handful of MDs that were probably filled with indie music. So that's where they went. He'd thought he'd burned all of those when he decided he didn't want to be a musician after all. Shouichi smiled fondly as he tried to remember those days when he was determined to be a musician. A bassist, or a guitarist, he didn't mind which. He picked up one of the notebooks as thunder crackled in the sky. When he opened the notebook to a page, lightning and thunder struck again, and the power suddenly went out. It was as if something was telling him not to even think about being a musician again.
Shouichi shook his head. Why had he decided not to become a bassist? He even remembered signing up for band tryouts, but then something happened... In the darkness of his room, he tried to recall. Middle school and high school weren't that too long ago for him to forget... But what was it, though? Something, something...
But all Shouichi could think about now was a single white orchid in the middle of a crumbling city.
"Shou-chan, are you alright in there?" His mother called from outside his room. There was the faint light of a flashlight peeking from under the doorway. "Yeah, mom, I'm fine," he answered. She asked him if he needed a light, she could get a candle, but he replied with a no-- he was just about to take a nap anyway.
--
America was a strange place. It's big, and busy, and people tended to stare at you if you looked different. Shouichi stood somewhere in his new campus, luggage in tow, with a hand-drawn map of where to find the dorms. Sadly, he had gotten himself lost somehow, even with the map. He might have gotten the Saint Mark Building mixed up with the Saint Marcus Library, but he was sure he didn't. But aren't Americans supposed to be friendly? The guide had said... and the movies! And those TV series he watched with the bad dubbing (his favorite American series was 24, and he liked it much better when it was subtitled-- he even had the complete series on Region 2 DVD! Which he couldn't bring to America, sadly). Plus, he got along pretty well with Spanner.
"E-excuse me?" He stuttered as he called out to an older man he assumed to be a professor (he should be, he looked like a science professor, with his messy dark hair and his weird glasses). He was pretty sure he murdered his pronunciation and the whole English language at the same time. God, how the hell did he even get this scholarship? "Excuse me sir, could you help me look for this building?" He asked again (completely sure this time that he was beyond being understood thanks to his bad English, and these Americans will think that he's from some backwater country who just got lucky). Thankfully, though, the professor understood him somehow (it might have taken Shouichi a couple of times, repeating himself), and finally, finally he found his way to the dorms.
The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. He made friends out of his roommates, and found out that one of them was taking a few courses with him. In the afternoon, he decided to do a little exploring, so he could get used to the campus layout to avoid getting lost again. Classes hadn't started yet, but there were students already in campus. Lots and lots of them, it seemed. He could spot only a few that were out of place like him. Awkward first year students in a place so far from home, on their own. Wasn't too hard to find, even in a sea of people like--
Huh. Strange. Shouichi could have sworn there was someone watching him by that tree. You can’t really miss someone wearing pink plaid pants, right? He rubbed his eyes and looked around. Then he shook his head, not finding anyone who looked like they might have taken interest in him (too bad, he'd hoped to meet his future American girlfriend, too). It must just be the jetlag and him being really, really tired from all of today's excitements. Of course. He arrived only yesterday, stayed in a hotel room for the night, came right to the campus first thing in the morning to register for his classes, and then gotten lost on his way to his dorms. So he decided to head back to his dorm room right then-- no use in getting himself too tired to function, after all. Tomorrow was orientation day, and he wanted to put up his best appearance and not look like he'd marathoned every single Star Trek movie without sleep.
--
He couldn't believe what he was seeing right now. There was a war, happening right in front of him. At least, he figured it was a war, judging by the damage. A whole city, leveled to the ground, dead bodies littered everywhere-- for what, though? A totalitarian government, it seemed. For every fallen building, propaganda banners were raised. On each banner, there was a face he couldn't recognize, and blurred words. His attention was then drawn to the army of thousands in white and silver marching through the desolate streets, hunting down a small group of men. Odd, those men (and woman?) wore suits but wielded weapons beyond the imagination. More or less.
Shouichi let out a breath at the sight. What good would a small group of six or seven do against an entire fleet? Their attempts at surviving were futile. They could not, would not survive. Especially because this was the White Spell they were up against. Wait, White Spell? Ah, right. That was the army's name. That was what's written on the banners.
"What are your orders?" A female voice, almost robotic in tone, suddenly asked him. Looking to his side, he saw two identical females (twins?) wearing a similar white uniform, and with masks covering their eyes. Shouichi looked back at the battlefield. "Keep pushing the Vongola to a corner. We will win this fight," he said, surprising even himself. What was he saying? Oh, right. This was part of a plan. A plan that involved... that involved what, again? He shook his head. He'll remember one way or another. Besides, this was just--
A high-pitched scream pierced through the battlefield. A quick scan of the field revealed that the lone Vongola woman had screamed. She was running away, in panicked frenzy. They were winning. The White Spell had brought out the heavy artillery, and that must be why the woman had been so scared and panicked. "Hold on," Shouichi said, brows furrowed and frowning.
There was something familiar about the woman...
"No, stop," he said, looking around for the two women that had been beside him-- they were gone now.
"Stop, that's my mother--!"
The White Spell had finished their preparations and launched missiles now.
“I said stop!!”
His mother kept running, screaming, calling out for him to save him, but there was nothing he could do.
"Mother!!" Shouichi screamed, sweat dripping from the side of his face, his hair sticking to his forehead, reaching out for the woman-- no, for air? Beside him, Spanner was laughing. He frowned, feeling the blood rush to his cheeks. "If you miss your mom so much, maybe you should have gone back to Japan instead of coming here for your first summer break," Spanner said, poking Shouichi on the shoulder. They were both on the floor of Spanner's room, and they had been reading comic books and game manuals. Somehow he must have fallen asleep and Spanner didn't bother waking him up. Shouichi scratched his head and held back a yawn, then asked, "What time is it?"
"Almost dinner," Spanner replied, not bothering to look for a clock. "You wanna eat the cup noodles we bought this morning, or do you want to eat out?"
Shouichi thought about this for a moment. Taking off his glasses to wipe the lenses with his shirt, he said, "Let's eat out."
--
It happened one late Spring afternoon. Shouichi was walking back to his dorm, coming from the grocery store. He wore his headphones and bobbed his head to the beat of the music as he walked, plastic bags in one hand, and the other shoved in his pockets. He didn't expect there to be people in his dorm room, at all. His was a single, now, having gotten tired of roommates halfway through his first year, so he applied for a single room on his second. But there they were, sitting at the table, obviously waiting for him.
"Tsuna...kun?" He blurted out stupidly. He was surprised to see them-- Sawada Tsunayoshi and Gokudera Hayato-- in America. In his dorm room, at that. And he certainly didn't expect Gokudera leafing through his Risk Analysis research notebooks. And adding to them. Wait, was he rewriting his homework?!
Tsuna stood up from his seat. "Sorry for dropping by unexpectedly," he apologized, bowing slightly. "I know we should have contacted you first, but--"
"But we had to make sure ourselves," Gokudera finished for his boss. He finally closed Shouichi's notebooks, then crossed his arms. Shouichi did not like the way Gokudera looked at him. It made his stomach lurch. "Make sure about what?" he asked, putting his groceries on the kitchen counter. Those could wait. "Oh-- would you like anything to drink?" He'd be a bad host if he didn't ask.
Tsuna opened his mouth, raising his hands to turn down the offer, but Gokudera cut him off again. "No thanks, Irie," he said. "We just came here to ask you a few questions. We'll be going after that."
That in itself was strange-- if they needed to just ask questions, why would they have traveled all the way to the U.S.? A name suddenly came to mind, and everything became just a bit clearer. "This is about--"
"So you have been in contact with him?" Gokudera slammed his fist on the table and stood up suddenly, making the chair he was sitting on fall back noisily. "Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna scolded, reaching to touch the Storm Guardian's hand. He looked back at Shouichi, apologetic. "Sorry about that. It's just that... he's been asking about you a lot, recently, so we thought..."
Shouichi shook his head. "No, I understand," he said. "After all, this is him we're talking about." They were quiet for a moment, the three of them unable to meet each other's eyes. Shouichi broke the silence. "I haven't been in contact with him," he admitted. "I've told you before, years ago, Spanner's been the only one I've contacted." He took a deep breath, his stomach not feeling very well. "And if I were to contact him, you know I would have asked you first." He did know the protocol. He was the one who suggested it, all those years ago, after all.
"Mm," Tsuna nodded. "As I suspected." He looked up at Gokudera. "See, I told you, he wouldn't--"
"It still doesn't make sense," Gokudera said. Shouichi could feel those eyes on him. Like a hawk watching a mouse. It really, really didn't make his stomach feel any better-- it was like fearing for an F on his Calculus finals after studying for it nonstop and getting perfect grades on all the other coursework. But Shouichi agreed-- it didn't make sense that the Vongola boss and his right hand man would go out of their way to ask him a question.
"He... he hasn't tried escaping, has he?" Shouichi asked-- it was a good question. But Tsuna shook his head. It was Gokudera who answered, however. "No, there aren't any reports of him trying to escape, or even showing any signs of planning an escape," he said. "He doesn't get visitors, and he's guarded twenty four-seven. Spanner even upgraded his tracking device--"
"Spanner's been to--?"
"No. He just asked for the specs of the tracking device, made it on his own, and shipped it to us." Gokudera sighed and sat back down. He looked serious. Too serious. "Maybe we should just hand him over to the Vendice." That was certainly not something Shouichi was expecting."W-wait, the Vendice? The so-called Guards of the Mafia?" He asked, looking between Tsuna and Gokudera. "You're going to hand him over to them, and keep him in their water prison? Like that Rokudo Mukuro." Okay, so he might have sounded a little too panicked and accusing there, but surely there was some other way...?
Shouichi shook his head. "Sorry," he said. He could feel Gokudera's deadly glare on him. "I didn't mean to sound like that." He took a deep breath to calm himself down. "That's alright, Irie-kun," Tsuna said. "It's understandable."
"Tenth!" Gokudera hissed, shooting the Vongola boss a scolding glare. It was returned by a look that said, "I didn't do anything wrong, did I?"
"Look," Shouichi said, taking his glasses off so he could rub at his eyes. His head was starting to hurt a bit, all this thinking and the topic they were discussing... At least their attention was to him again. "I think..." He hesitated to continue. "I think handing him over to the Vendice would be a good idea." He waited for Gokudera to say something, or maybe Tsuna. There was no reply, so he continued. "He might still be dangerous, you know? If not to other people, then maybe to himself. If Uni had given him visions of the future as well, then maybe he might do something to himself, I don't really know."
He really didn't. He wasn't sure why that person would ask for him, especially after what he did. Would have done? It was something he did, in a future that would not come to pass anymore, at least.
"I'll discuss it with the other guardians," Tsuna said a moment later. "Thank you, though. For your opinion." He smiled at Shouichi.
Another moment passed. "A-ah, sorry for coming at such a weird time for all this." Tsuna broke the silence this time. "Normally, I would have just called, but... well, we were sort of in the area and Reborn said..."
Shouichi shook his head. "No, that's fine." He forced a smile. "Since the two of you are here, why don't I show you around? The campus has--"
Gokudera interrupted him for the nth time. "Ah! That reminds me," he grabbed one of Shouichi's research notebooks and waved it around. "You've got this whole thing all wrong!"
--
Finally, Tsuna and Gokudera left. His stomach didn't feel any better, though, so he started boiling water for tea. While waiting, he decided to put away the groceries he had bought earlier. It wasn't much. One plastic bag contained toiletries: soap, shampoo, rolls of tissue, disinfectant, stuff he needed to keep the whole dorm clean. One by one he set them in their proper place. Bath items went in the closet by the sink in his tiny little bathroom, cleaning detergents went to the cabinet in the kitchen. He even arranged them by type, size, and color, in a peculiar sort of order in his pretty uneventful life. More or less, uneventful. Depending on the point of view. The other plastic bag had mostly food. Pre-cut meat, vegetables (he'd learned how to cook-- nothing too fancy, though), canned food, instant noodles, comfort food for when he needed to stay up late and needed the energy boost. He stopped suddenly, right in the middle of putting the bags of chips and candy in the pantry. He blinked at the pink-colored bag he was holding.
Strange, now that he thought about it. The whole day was strange. No, it wasn't just today. The past few days. The past few years. Somehow, in some way, it made sense, and yet... Shouichi wasn't exactly sure why he'd bought a bag of marshmallows that day. He never had, before.
--
The fall semester was about to end. It was about half a year since he last saw Tsuna and Gokudera. Ever since then, he couldn't stop thinking about him. About Byakuran. Somehow, he always ended up thinking about him. If he was sent to the Vindice after all. Maybe he was. He didn't know. He hasn't contacted the Vongola guardians to ask about it. He hasn't answered Spanner's emails for the past couple of months too. Even now, during his Artificial Intelligence class, all he could think about was Byakuran.
It made sense, now. His dreams. He was always there, though not easily recognizable. How had he missed it? The single white orchid in the destroyed city. Byakuran's name, if you wrote it in kanji, it meant 'white orchid'. He wasn't really interested in the language of flowers, so he wasn't quite sure what a white orchid would mean. Possibly something girly, like purity of love, or something like that. It didn't quite fit Byakuran, Shouichi thought.
To him, Byakuran was a rhythm guitar solo of a classical violin piece re-arranged for a rock group. There was an edge about it, but you could still feel the beauty of the original piece. A sense of danger and calm at the same time. It's not really classical, it's not really rock, but you enjoy it anyway. Except he wasn't sure why he felt this way toward Byakuran. They had never met, technically. Only through a dream. Only through memories of a future that would never, ever come to pass. It didn't stop Shouichi from letting his mind wander, though. The Vongola had done something in the future that affected the past... That would mean some sort of paradox. And it somehow proves the theory of the multiverse correct. Although, how do you exactly explain dying will flames scientifically? Shouichi began scribbling notes on the margins of his textbook. It had nothing to do with Calculus, and everything to do with Quantum Physics, Time Travel, and inter-dimensional time and space rifts. Theories, comic book plots, things that never really made sense unless you thought really hard about them.
Somehow, he felt he needed to solve a problem where he didn't know what the question was, to be able to understand how he felt about Byakuran. All he knew now was that it was complicated. And that was just the tip of the iceberg. All he ever received from Uni was a fleeting emotion, the sequence of events that led to Byakuran's demise, and left out the history between himself and the Millefiore boss. And it's been haunting him since then, he just never realized it.
Only now was he starting to regret not having contacted Byakuran all those years ago, when he had the chance to. Maybe things would have been different. Maybe, in a different timeline, in a different earth dimension, maybe he did contact Byakuran. For the rest of the class and the rest of the day, that was all Shouichi could think about.
--
"Mm, yes, I called in a few favors," Shouichi said over the phone. "It's only going to be a few days. I want to make the best of it." He looked out of the airplane window. It was alright to use the phone now, and they had just landed, the plane taxiing on the runway. "I'll call you again when I'm coming back. Yes, I'll take care. Thank you." He smiled, then pocketed his mobile phone. Today was bright and sunny. A pretty good summer, if you asked him. A very, very good summer.
The airplane finally stopped, engines quieting down and the flight attendant came up to him to inform him that the steps have been brought to the door of the private jet, and his belongings have been transferred to the car. Imagine that-- Shouichi had flown in a private jet. Never in his life did he even think that he would be able to fly first class, in a private jet. Not that he owned it, of course. It belonged to the Mafia. Not the bad kind, mind. Tsuna was a good boss. And he did owe him a favor.
Shouichi made his way out of the plane, finally glad to be on solid ground after hours in flight. He took a deep breath and stretched, once both feet were planted firmly on concrete. He was actually pretty scared, that Tsuna or his friends would say no to his request. After all, he was practically putting his life in danger. He was ready to defend his request-- there hasn't been an incident in the ten years that they had him, so there was no reason to be afraid anymore. He didn't have to argue, though, and he was glad for it. Tsuna made the arrangements and the very next day, Shouichi flew to a remote island, somewhere in the equator.
It was too good to be true.
The car took him to a villa a little ways from the small airport. He figured the island was pretty much as big as Okinawa, if not a little smaller. It probably only had the airport and the villa, and there weren't a lot of people. Mostly guards. Skilled ones, too. The Vongola was keeping a high profile character on the island, after all. The villa was beautiful, though. It had most everything that would guarantee rest and relaxation. Kind of like a summer home on a resort island. It was sad, now that he thought about it. To be a prisoner on an island so far away from civilization, with no other company than your jailers. If it was him, Shouichi thought he would go mad.
One of the guards told him that the person he sought was at the beach, to the back of the villa. Shouichi thanked him and made his way. There were stone steps leading down to the beach. Shouichi made his way down, then took off his shoes and carried them as he walked barefoot toward the sea. The sandy bank stretched on for a bit until it disappeared under clear blue waves. Picturesque, really. Like something you'd want to see on a postcard. Or maybe a painting. In the distance, he could see two guards, so distinct and out of place in the scenery, with their stark black suits. There was a third person on the beach, standing in the shallow waters and looking at the distant horizon.
The closer Shouichi got there, the more he thought the scene was perfect. The sun was high, still, a couple more hours away from setting. The lighting reflected on the waves, the white clothes on Byakuran... "Breathtaking," Shouichi breathed, not realizing he had said it aloud. He had stopped a few meters away from Byakuran. For a moment, all he could hear were the waves rolling in and out the beach.
"What took you so long to get here?" Then came the question. Byakuran's voice was just as he remembered it to be-- how he remembered from Uni's shared visions. It wasn't exactly deep, no, it was more... sweet and soothing. Like marshmallows in hot chocolate, Shouichi thought. Byakuran laughed, and turned around. Time seemed to slow down. "Never mind that. It's nice to see you again, Shou-chan."
--
Shouichi woke up, tears in his eyes. All he could remember from his dream was a smile. Byakuran's smile. He couldn't even remember what it was all about. Just that... there was a longing in that dream. And that smile... He sat up from his bed, wiping the tears from his eyes. Why was he crying, damnit?
His phone began beeping an alarm right then, and he jumped a little. He reached out for it, pressed a button and saw that it was a reminder. His parents were flying in that afternoon for his graduation ceremonies tomorrow. Tomorrow.
He breathed deep, then exhaled.
That's right. He was graduating college tomorrow, with honors. And his parents were flying in for the ceremonies. His sister couldn't get a few days off work, so she sent her regards.
Shouichi cheked the time. Twenty-something minutes past six in the morning. By now, he'd forgotten what his dream was about. He felt a little silly for crying, and yet he also felt that a heavy weight on him was somehow relieved. He got up from bed and made his way to the small kitchen to prepare something for breakfast. Spanner was coming over today for his graduation, too, and Shouichi thought he'd clean up a little before his friend arrived.
--
Right after graduation, a representative from an international company approached Shouichi with a job offer. His parents were thrilled, of course. Shouichi was stunned, and asked if he could think on it for a few days. One week and an afternoon at Spanner's later, Shouichi started working for Primo Engineering, Inc. Six months after that, he found out Spanner received a similar offer when he graduated, and they worked for the same company. Just in different departments. A month later, the two of them received an invitation to dinner, and when they went, it was sort of a reunion. That evening, they found out that Primo Engineering, Inc. was a company controlled by the Vongola. Sawada Tsunayoshi, as the tenth Vongola boss, had pulled a few strings. "To keep us together," he said. "We're friends after all." It felt right, somehow.
That evening was also, somehow, a memorable evening for Shouichi. Once dinner was over and the guests started to leave, Shouichi approached Tsuna. The Vongola boss was apparently expecting it, and so they talked in a private area.
"You've become quite the boss, Tsuna-kun," Shouichi said. Tsuna only laughed and shook his head. "It's really not just me... I don't think I could even do all of this if I were on my own," he said. Shouichi could still remember the sad smile Tsuna gave him right after. "You wanted to talk about Byakuran, didn't you?" He nodded.
"We... didn't end up sending him to the Vendice. I didn't think it was something you really would have liked. Hibari-san agreed, too, actually." Shouichi didn't reply. He watched Tsuna, honestly amazed. "We did transfer him, though. After a while." The Mafia boss walked up to him, looking all serious and said, "A few days ago, he asked about you again. Ever since the move to Switzerland, he stopped asking about you. I didn't think much about it, but... I think you should go see him."
"That's what I wanted to ask you," Shouichi said, softly. "I've been meaning to, really. I just... couldn't find the right time to ask, or the right words to say."
"It's not too late to see him, Irie-kun," Tsuna said, giving him a smile. Reassuring, this time. "I can have Yamamoto-kun arrange the trip, although... I don't think he would be allowed outside his holding area."
"That's alright with me," Shouichi said. Switzerland, then. Somewhere to the north. He had expected someplace warm, somehow. Somewhere in the equator, like a tropical island in the middle of the Pacific.
"You can leave tonight, if you want...?"
The offer was too... sudden for Shouichi. His heart began to race, his stomach lurched. Something wasn't right. "No, I think I'd like to plan this--"
Tsuna shook his head. "Irie-kun, I think it would be best if you left as soon as possible," he said. There was something in Tsuna's eyes that moved him. A sadness, maybe. Why, though? Shouichi couldn't understand. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Shouichi accepted. He didn't ask any more questions, but he did note the relief in Tsuna's eyes when he said yes.
--
The flight to Zurich was about 14 hours at best, and it was pretty much uneventful. Shouichi had called Spanner and asked him to take care of things. He explained as briefly as he could, about where he was going and why. Spanner had understood. He even asked why he hadn't done so years ago. Shouichi couldn't answer.
He wasn't able to fall asleep on the plane. Maybe it was his nerves, or something else, but there was just something about the flight that didn't sit well with him. It might have just been the chicken rice they served. He's heard a lot of horror stories about in-flight meals, but he could not recall this happening before. Then again, he's never had chicken for an in-flight meal, as far as he could recall. The music he'd brought with him on his MD player didn't help, either.
When the plane landed in Zurich, finally, he couldn't get himself to get up from his seat for a good five minutes. He felt nervous. Scared. It wasn't until one of the flight attendants told him that he was pretty much the last passenger on the plane did he get off. After picking up his otherwise small luggage, one of the Vongola Guardians greeted him outside the airport.
"He's going to be extremely happy to see you," the Sun Guardian, Sasagawa Ryohei, said as they drove south from Zurich in the black SUV that would take them to Vongola's secret 'prison'. He was told that Byakuran was under a sort of house arrest, and that he had been provided for by the Vongola since they took him prison. Shouichi felt relieved to know he was taken care of. The car ride, as well, was pretty uneventful.
The house they kept him in was huge. It was hidden in the mountains, probably under a sort of illusionary barrier, and it looked very sturdy. A little eerie on the outside, but inside was different. At least it was warm indoors.
It was like a mansion inside. Grand french stairs led the way up to the second floor where you could look over to the marble floor with the Vongola insignia on the first level. There was a chandelier hanging from the high ceiling, suggesting that there was more than two floors. And the wall hangings were also very impressive. A large painting of the Third Vongola Boss was mounted at the top of the stairs.
"He's upstairs, third floor. The only room there," Ryohei said, leading Shouichi to the second floor. The stairs to the third floor was at the end of a long hallway. "I'm not going in with you, but I advise you not to hold back," Shouichi was told.
"What do you mean?" He asked Ryohei, looking very puzzled. The Sun Guardian didn't quite know how exactly to answer. "You'll see," he said. "Just don't do anything that you'd regret later. And be extremely honest to yourself, okay?" Ryohei stopped at the foot of the stairwell and watched Shouichi climb the stairs by himself.
Shouichi didn't quite understand why the Vongola kept rushing him, at first. Only after he closed the door to Byakuran's room behind him did he understand.
Byakuran stood in front of a frosty window, looking out into the Alps. His back was to Shouichi. It felt as if time had stopped for the two of them. He wished it did. For a moment, he saw Byakuran, standing in ankle-deep waters on the beach, eyes closed and smiling, enjoying the sea breeze. He would have been making sandcastles, or collecting shells, maybe. Or perhaps playing with hermit crabs.
But no. They were in the Alps, in a practically invisible and impregnable fortress, designed to keep him in. The view from the window wasn't much, but it was still beautiful. Far from warm, but there was something calming about snowy mountain tops. From where he stood, Shouichi saw Byakuran misting up the glass window with his breath. With one slender finger, he began writing a name in carefully practiced strokes: Shouichi's name.
"What took you so long, Shou-chan?"
There was no mistaking it. That was Byakuran's voice. It was much quieter than he expected, but it was the same smooth and sweet voice that he remembered. He did not mind the familiar nickname he used. It sounded right to him, even though they weren't exactly properly acquainted. Did the memories of a young dead future-girl (who, in hindsight, wasn't probably dead in this timeline) count? Shouichi was pretty sure it did.
Byakuran remained where he stood, not making a move. He was waiting for an answer as he watched the mist fade from the glass.
"I-- I'm sorry," Shouichi said, a little awkwardly. "Byakuran-san." He felt his heart beating hard and fast that he brought a hand up over his chest in an attempt to calm himself down. He took a few steps closer to the other man, but stopped mid-step when Byakuran turned around to face him. Nearly ten years later, they finally saw each other, face to face. Byakuran was smiling, and there was no mark under his left eye. He was beautiful, thought Shouichi, but there was something about the way he looked that troubled him. He looked healthy, but Shouichi felt that if he didn't hold on to him, Byakuran would disappear.
"I thought I'd never see you," Byakuran said, breaking the silence between them. His smile was sincere, and it calmed Shouichi down a little. It made him smile, too. "I was beginning to think that you wouldn't come. I'm glad you did." Byakuran was the one who closed the distance between them. His fingers felt cold on Shouichi's cheek when he touched them, but he still leaned into that hand. "I'm sorry. I should have come sooner," Shouichi said, his voice quiet. "I'm here now, though. I'm here now." Byakuran nodded, pressing their foreheads together. His breath was warm, and he smelled like candy. Marshmallows.
"Shou-chan, I don't have that much time left."
The moment Byakuran said it, Shouichi felt a pang in his heart, as if it twisted in pain. He knew what was coming, though. He knew. Swallowing that lump in his throat, he said, "I know. I should have come earlier. I could have stopped this--"
Byakuran shook his head. "It's alright. I'm okay with it now. Shou-chan's a genius, but I don't think you could have stopped this. I'm not allowed to live in the future."
"But it's all my fault!" Shouichi took a step back, releasing himself from Byakuran's hold. He tried his best not to burst into tears, and he fought hard against the sob that wanted to cut through. "If I hadn't dropped that bazooka shell, I wouldn't have triggered your abilities! None of this would have happened! You... We could have lived in the future." Together.
Byakuran was silent, taken aback by Shouichi's response. His slanted eyes were wide with surprise as he studied Shouichi. Then, his features softened as he reached out to take Shouichi's eyeglasses off, his thumb caressing the corner of Shouichi's eye where a tear threatened to fall. "I don't regret anything," Byakuran said. "The future we made together, and the future we could have had, I have them both, now."
Shouichi couldn't stop the tears then. How could Byakuran keep so positive? He heard Byakuran laugh faintly. "This way, I was able to see Shou-chan's different faces." The blush on his cheeks that he was sure had been there since he came in felt more intense now, and Shouichi couldn't help but smile as he cried silently. "That's just silly, Byakuran-san," Shouichi managed to say. He felt lame for saying that. He'd calmed down, now, though. Taking his eyeglasses from Byakuran, Shouichi wore them again and looked up at the older man and smiled.
--
Shouichi was back in Japan a few months later. He filed for a transfer to his home country at work, and it had been approved just recently. The past few months had been... they were pretty alright, Shouichi admitted. He worked hard enough that he could afford a well-off place for himself. He lived alone, and he didn't really expect to have a living companion for the next thirty or sixty years. In fact, he didn't expect himself to marry. His mother was distraught when she learned of this, but they eventually accepted the fact. They were quite happy when they learned that his sister's husband-to-be would be glad to take on their family name instead. Their wedding was going to be held in a few months.
Every morning, he would make himself a small breakfast. Toast and jam during the working days, and a bigger meal with rice and fish during his days off. After breakfast, he would fix himself up and go to work. During weekends, he would sit in his living room, listening to music while he read the newspaper, or work on leftovers from his job. Sometimes, he would sit out in the balcony with his earphones on and just relax. He had a small garden, there. It didn't have much of a variety, but it was something he put a lot of effort in. It was mostly green, with the exception of the single white orchid, right in the middle. Shouichi would keep his plants company during his free time. And it wasn't so strange to talk to plants-- it helped them grow a little healthier after all.
Some evenings, he would catch himself drawn to the orchid, and he would smile fondly, even if his heart would become heavy. If Shouichi closed his eyes, sometimes he would feel cold fingers in his palm and a lingering kiss that was barely there, and a soft voice that could drown the music blaring in his ears.
~fin~
( After Uni and Gamma sacrificed themselves to protect the multiple timelines from the influence of Byakuran and the Mare rings, a young Irie Shouichi lives his life as normally as possible. What could go wrong? )
AUTHOR:
tauburn/feraligatr ARTIST:
epicsoup (link to just art)PAIRING/CHARACTERS: Irie Shouichi, with cameos from Tsuna, Gokudera, Ryohei, Spanner and Byakuran.
RATING: PG-13
He couldn't see the sky. At least, not beyond the grey clouds hanging low. He thought they were clouds, anyway, even though they looked... strange. There were fires in the distance, though how far away he couldn't tell-- or if it was actually fire. The air was a mix of smoke, gunpowder and death-- he'd emptied his stomach twice already. Buildings had crumbled down. They used to tower above him, above anyone, actually. Whatever buildings that were left standing looked deserted. Haunted, even. He couldn't recognize the place anymore. Not even sure if he would have recognized the place if it didn't look so... destroyed. He walked on, though. This one long road he started on. It stretched on forever, in front of him, behind him. There were a few intersections, but he kept moving forward. Like he had to. He hasn't seen anyone yet. Or heard anyone respond to his cries for help. Or anything. No people, no animals, no nothing. But he kept going, hoping that there would be someone down the road, someone who could tell him what was going on, where he was, where safety was.
He'd been walking for what seemed forever, but in fact, he hasn't. On his wrist was a watch, he looked at it and had told him not less than five minutes has passed. Maybe it was broken. It was digital, and there was nothing in the display that ticked down the seconds. He stopped and tapped at the face of the watch. Maybe that would get it to work? Shaking his head, he made sure the bandanna tied across his face was still secure, and then he moved on. He kept his eyes wide open, looking around for any signs of life. Anything. He was beginning to grow desperate.
And then, there it was. A crack in the smoky, gray sky, yellow light slicing through the thick clouds, illuminating the desolate scene. He made a run for it-- the sun must have heard him and pointed him to the right way. He ran, tripping and stumbling a few times, but he ran until he saw what the sun had been pointing at. What the ray of light wanted to show him: a sign of life. A single, white flower, standing straight and proud, looking like it had been waiting for him all along. He pulled the bandanna off his face and stepped forward, reaching for the flower-- to touch it, to pick it up, he wasn't sure, he just felt the need to.
All of a sudden, a loud, blaring sound from behind surprises him. Too quickly, he turned around and everything became a white blur, and then he's falling, falling--
With a loud thud, he landed on the floor of his room. His alarm clock still ringing annoyingly on his study desk, his limbs tangled in the sheets. Irie Shouichi groaned. He pushed his blankets off of him and rubbed at his eyes as he got up to a sitting position. He yawned, reaching for his glasses on the desk and kills the alarm. Six forty-five in the morning. He might as well get up and get ready. Standing up, he rubbed at the back of his head. That dream again. He wasn't sure why, but he'd been having that dream pretty frequently lately. It was very different from what Uni showed him. Visions of the Future... Maybe he was just nervous? It was finals week, and he was also a candidate for top honors and his dad was practically pressuring him to be number one (like any other dad, right?). It could just be academic jitters. Yeah, that was it. Shouichi shook his head and made his way out of his room for his morning rituals, just to get the dream out of his head. He really didn't need more stress in his life.
--
"Shou-chan, congratulations!" His mother said, gushing with pride. It was graduation day, and he passed with flying colors. More than that, his father had said: he was top of his class, and the whole batch, plus he was going to a prestigious American university on full scholarship, thanks to his credentials. What more could parents want from their only son, right? Shouichi smiled. Behind him, his sister giggled. "Only thing lacking now is a girl waiting for Shocchi under the cherry blossom tree," she sighed dreamily. Shouichi felt his eye twitch. "For him to give the second button on his-- hey! That hurt!" She puncheded Shouichi's shoulder for stepping on her toes-- and she'd worn open-toe sandals today, too! What a jerk.
He laughed nervously. "I don't think I'm ready for that yet, sis." He didn't even think he was the type! Not that he didn't have a couple of crushes here and there. And there was that cute girl in his neighborhood that he tutored in math, once, but she already had someone so he didn't think to pursue. And he really didn't think it was the right time yet. Maybe he'd find love in America, who knew? At least he and Spanner would live closer to each other.
"Oi! Shouichi! Everyone's ready to go. You coming or not?" One of his male classmates called from the other end of the courtyard. His class had planned on celebrating their graduation with their homeroom teacher that night. He gave his mother a hug ("I'm so proud of you, Shou-chan! Come home safe, okay?") then went off with his friends.
--
Three days before he departs to America, a storm broke out. Heavy rains, hard winds, thunder and lightning. The works. Shouichi had packed his bag already, and was double-checking his things when the storm came. He sighed, looking out of the window. "Wonder if I'll even get to America, at this rate," he said out loud.
Yesterday, his mother burst into tears all of a sudden at the dinner table. Of course she would-- he'd be gone for almost five years, finishing his degree in Systems Engineering, possibly more if he ever decided to take up post-graduate studies (hey, it was handy these days to have a phD to your name!). Her only son, alone in a foreign country, with no one there to take care of him. She practically asked him to find a school in Namimori instead, but his dad had reassured his mom that things will be alright, and Shouichi will come home for the holidays, right?
Shouichi sighed again. There was this awful feeling in the pit of his stomach, and he felt pretty awful in general. Like there was this nagging feeling at the back of his head that something was supposed to happen? But he couldn't really put his finger on it. To distract himself from this feeling, Shouichi began to go through his things, packed and unpacked. That was when he noticed the box under his bed. He remembered this box. Of course he did. It was... life-changing. Most everything he did was because of this box.
But it was empty-- at least of its original contents. For the life of him, he couldn't remember what was inside the box. He remembered his mother taking most of the contents, then asking him to return the box. He wasn't able to return it, but he knew there were still a few things left inside that weren't theirs... He lifted the lid to see his old music books, notebooks filled with original compositions, old EPs and LPs, and even a handful of MDs that were probably filled with indie music. So that's where they went. He'd thought he'd burned all of those when he decided he didn't want to be a musician after all. Shouichi smiled fondly as he tried to remember those days when he was determined to be a musician. A bassist, or a guitarist, he didn't mind which. He picked up one of the notebooks as thunder crackled in the sky. When he opened the notebook to a page, lightning and thunder struck again, and the power suddenly went out. It was as if something was telling him not to even think about being a musician again.
Shouichi shook his head. Why had he decided not to become a bassist? He even remembered signing up for band tryouts, but then something happened... In the darkness of his room, he tried to recall. Middle school and high school weren't that too long ago for him to forget... But what was it, though? Something, something...
But all Shouichi could think about now was a single white orchid in the middle of a crumbling city.
"Shou-chan, are you alright in there?" His mother called from outside his room. There was the faint light of a flashlight peeking from under the doorway. "Yeah, mom, I'm fine," he answered. She asked him if he needed a light, she could get a candle, but he replied with a no-- he was just about to take a nap anyway.
--
America was a strange place. It's big, and busy, and people tended to stare at you if you looked different. Shouichi stood somewhere in his new campus, luggage in tow, with a hand-drawn map of where to find the dorms. Sadly, he had gotten himself lost somehow, even with the map. He might have gotten the Saint Mark Building mixed up with the Saint Marcus Library, but he was sure he didn't. But aren't Americans supposed to be friendly? The guide had said... and the movies! And those TV series he watched with the bad dubbing (his favorite American series was 24, and he liked it much better when it was subtitled-- he even had the complete series on Region 2 DVD! Which he couldn't bring to America, sadly). Plus, he got along pretty well with Spanner.
"E-excuse me?" He stuttered as he called out to an older man he assumed to be a professor (he should be, he looked like a science professor, with his messy dark hair and his weird glasses). He was pretty sure he murdered his pronunciation and the whole English language at the same time. God, how the hell did he even get this scholarship? "Excuse me sir, could you help me look for this building?" He asked again (completely sure this time that he was beyond being understood thanks to his bad English, and these Americans will think that he's from some backwater country who just got lucky). Thankfully, though, the professor understood him somehow (it might have taken Shouichi a couple of times, repeating himself), and finally, finally he found his way to the dorms.
The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. He made friends out of his roommates, and found out that one of them was taking a few courses with him. In the afternoon, he decided to do a little exploring, so he could get used to the campus layout to avoid getting lost again. Classes hadn't started yet, but there were students already in campus. Lots and lots of them, it seemed. He could spot only a few that were out of place like him. Awkward first year students in a place so far from home, on their own. Wasn't too hard to find, even in a sea of people like--
Huh. Strange. Shouichi could have sworn there was someone watching him by that tree. You can’t really miss someone wearing pink plaid pants, right? He rubbed his eyes and looked around. Then he shook his head, not finding anyone who looked like they might have taken interest in him (too bad, he'd hoped to meet his future American girlfriend, too). It must just be the jetlag and him being really, really tired from all of today's excitements. Of course. He arrived only yesterday, stayed in a hotel room for the night, came right to the campus first thing in the morning to register for his classes, and then gotten lost on his way to his dorms. So he decided to head back to his dorm room right then-- no use in getting himself too tired to function, after all. Tomorrow was orientation day, and he wanted to put up his best appearance and not look like he'd marathoned every single Star Trek movie without sleep.
--
He couldn't believe what he was seeing right now. There was a war, happening right in front of him. At least, he figured it was a war, judging by the damage. A whole city, leveled to the ground, dead bodies littered everywhere-- for what, though? A totalitarian government, it seemed. For every fallen building, propaganda banners were raised. On each banner, there was a face he couldn't recognize, and blurred words. His attention was then drawn to the army of thousands in white and silver marching through the desolate streets, hunting down a small group of men. Odd, those men (and woman?) wore suits but wielded weapons beyond the imagination. More or less.
Shouichi let out a breath at the sight. What good would a small group of six or seven do against an entire fleet? Their attempts at surviving were futile. They could not, would not survive. Especially because this was the White Spell they were up against. Wait, White Spell? Ah, right. That was the army's name. That was what's written on the banners.
"What are your orders?" A female voice, almost robotic in tone, suddenly asked him. Looking to his side, he saw two identical females (twins?) wearing a similar white uniform, and with masks covering their eyes. Shouichi looked back at the battlefield. "Keep pushing the Vongola to a corner. We will win this fight," he said, surprising even himself. What was he saying? Oh, right. This was part of a plan. A plan that involved... that involved what, again? He shook his head. He'll remember one way or another. Besides, this was just--
A high-pitched scream pierced through the battlefield. A quick scan of the field revealed that the lone Vongola woman had screamed. She was running away, in panicked frenzy. They were winning. The White Spell had brought out the heavy artillery, and that must be why the woman had been so scared and panicked. "Hold on," Shouichi said, brows furrowed and frowning.
There was something familiar about the woman...
"No, stop," he said, looking around for the two women that had been beside him-- they were gone now.
"Stop, that's my mother--!"
The White Spell had finished their preparations and launched missiles now.
“I said stop!!”
His mother kept running, screaming, calling out for him to save him, but there was nothing he could do.
"Mother!!" Shouichi screamed, sweat dripping from the side of his face, his hair sticking to his forehead, reaching out for the woman-- no, for air? Beside him, Spanner was laughing. He frowned, feeling the blood rush to his cheeks. "If you miss your mom so much, maybe you should have gone back to Japan instead of coming here for your first summer break," Spanner said, poking Shouichi on the shoulder. They were both on the floor of Spanner's room, and they had been reading comic books and game manuals. Somehow he must have fallen asleep and Spanner didn't bother waking him up. Shouichi scratched his head and held back a yawn, then asked, "What time is it?"
"Almost dinner," Spanner replied, not bothering to look for a clock. "You wanna eat the cup noodles we bought this morning, or do you want to eat out?"
Shouichi thought about this for a moment. Taking off his glasses to wipe the lenses with his shirt, he said, "Let's eat out."
--
It happened one late Spring afternoon. Shouichi was walking back to his dorm, coming from the grocery store. He wore his headphones and bobbed his head to the beat of the music as he walked, plastic bags in one hand, and the other shoved in his pockets. He didn't expect there to be people in his dorm room, at all. His was a single, now, having gotten tired of roommates halfway through his first year, so he applied for a single room on his second. But there they were, sitting at the table, obviously waiting for him.
"Tsuna...kun?" He blurted out stupidly. He was surprised to see them-- Sawada Tsunayoshi and Gokudera Hayato-- in America. In his dorm room, at that. And he certainly didn't expect Gokudera leafing through his Risk Analysis research notebooks. And adding to them. Wait, was he rewriting his homework?!
Tsuna stood up from his seat. "Sorry for dropping by unexpectedly," he apologized, bowing slightly. "I know we should have contacted you first, but--"
"But we had to make sure ourselves," Gokudera finished for his boss. He finally closed Shouichi's notebooks, then crossed his arms. Shouichi did not like the way Gokudera looked at him. It made his stomach lurch. "Make sure about what?" he asked, putting his groceries on the kitchen counter. Those could wait. "Oh-- would you like anything to drink?" He'd be a bad host if he didn't ask.
Tsuna opened his mouth, raising his hands to turn down the offer, but Gokudera cut him off again. "No thanks, Irie," he said. "We just came here to ask you a few questions. We'll be going after that."
That in itself was strange-- if they needed to just ask questions, why would they have traveled all the way to the U.S.? A name suddenly came to mind, and everything became just a bit clearer. "This is about--"
"So you have been in contact with him?" Gokudera slammed his fist on the table and stood up suddenly, making the chair he was sitting on fall back noisily. "Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna scolded, reaching to touch the Storm Guardian's hand. He looked back at Shouichi, apologetic. "Sorry about that. It's just that... he's been asking about you a lot, recently, so we thought..."
Shouichi shook his head. "No, I understand," he said. "After all, this is him we're talking about." They were quiet for a moment, the three of them unable to meet each other's eyes. Shouichi broke the silence. "I haven't been in contact with him," he admitted. "I've told you before, years ago, Spanner's been the only one I've contacted." He took a deep breath, his stomach not feeling very well. "And if I were to contact him, you know I would have asked you first." He did know the protocol. He was the one who suggested it, all those years ago, after all.
"Mm," Tsuna nodded. "As I suspected." He looked up at Gokudera. "See, I told you, he wouldn't--"
"It still doesn't make sense," Gokudera said. Shouichi could feel those eyes on him. Like a hawk watching a mouse. It really, really didn't make his stomach feel any better-- it was like fearing for an F on his Calculus finals after studying for it nonstop and getting perfect grades on all the other coursework. But Shouichi agreed-- it didn't make sense that the Vongola boss and his right hand man would go out of their way to ask him a question.
"He... he hasn't tried escaping, has he?" Shouichi asked-- it was a good question. But Tsuna shook his head. It was Gokudera who answered, however. "No, there aren't any reports of him trying to escape, or even showing any signs of planning an escape," he said. "He doesn't get visitors, and he's guarded twenty four-seven. Spanner even upgraded his tracking device--"
"Spanner's been to--?"
"No. He just asked for the specs of the tracking device, made it on his own, and shipped it to us." Gokudera sighed and sat back down. He looked serious. Too serious. "Maybe we should just hand him over to the Vendice." That was certainly not something Shouichi was expecting."W-wait, the Vendice? The so-called Guards of the Mafia?" He asked, looking between Tsuna and Gokudera. "You're going to hand him over to them, and keep him in their water prison? Like that Rokudo Mukuro." Okay, so he might have sounded a little too panicked and accusing there, but surely there was some other way...?
Shouichi shook his head. "Sorry," he said. He could feel Gokudera's deadly glare on him. "I didn't mean to sound like that." He took a deep breath to calm himself down. "That's alright, Irie-kun," Tsuna said. "It's understandable."
"Tenth!" Gokudera hissed, shooting the Vongola boss a scolding glare. It was returned by a look that said, "I didn't do anything wrong, did I?"
"Look," Shouichi said, taking his glasses off so he could rub at his eyes. His head was starting to hurt a bit, all this thinking and the topic they were discussing... At least their attention was to him again. "I think..." He hesitated to continue. "I think handing him over to the Vendice would be a good idea." He waited for Gokudera to say something, or maybe Tsuna. There was no reply, so he continued. "He might still be dangerous, you know? If not to other people, then maybe to himself. If Uni had given him visions of the future as well, then maybe he might do something to himself, I don't really know."
He really didn't. He wasn't sure why that person would ask for him, especially after what he did. Would have done? It was something he did, in a future that would not come to pass anymore, at least.
"I'll discuss it with the other guardians," Tsuna said a moment later. "Thank you, though. For your opinion." He smiled at Shouichi.
Another moment passed. "A-ah, sorry for coming at such a weird time for all this." Tsuna broke the silence this time. "Normally, I would have just called, but... well, we were sort of in the area and Reborn said..."
Shouichi shook his head. "No, that's fine." He forced a smile. "Since the two of you are here, why don't I show you around? The campus has--"
Gokudera interrupted him for the nth time. "Ah! That reminds me," he grabbed one of Shouichi's research notebooks and waved it around. "You've got this whole thing all wrong!"
--
Finally, Tsuna and Gokudera left. His stomach didn't feel any better, though, so he started boiling water for tea. While waiting, he decided to put away the groceries he had bought earlier. It wasn't much. One plastic bag contained toiletries: soap, shampoo, rolls of tissue, disinfectant, stuff he needed to keep the whole dorm clean. One by one he set them in their proper place. Bath items went in the closet by the sink in his tiny little bathroom, cleaning detergents went to the cabinet in the kitchen. He even arranged them by type, size, and color, in a peculiar sort of order in his pretty uneventful life. More or less, uneventful. Depending on the point of view. The other plastic bag had mostly food. Pre-cut meat, vegetables (he'd learned how to cook-- nothing too fancy, though), canned food, instant noodles, comfort food for when he needed to stay up late and needed the energy boost. He stopped suddenly, right in the middle of putting the bags of chips and candy in the pantry. He blinked at the pink-colored bag he was holding.
Strange, now that he thought about it. The whole day was strange. No, it wasn't just today. The past few days. The past few years. Somehow, in some way, it made sense, and yet... Shouichi wasn't exactly sure why he'd bought a bag of marshmallows that day. He never had, before.
--
The fall semester was about to end. It was about half a year since he last saw Tsuna and Gokudera. Ever since then, he couldn't stop thinking about him. About Byakuran. Somehow, he always ended up thinking about him. If he was sent to the Vindice after all. Maybe he was. He didn't know. He hasn't contacted the Vongola guardians to ask about it. He hasn't answered Spanner's emails for the past couple of months too. Even now, during his Artificial Intelligence class, all he could think about was Byakuran.
It made sense, now. His dreams. He was always there, though not easily recognizable. How had he missed it? The single white orchid in the destroyed city. Byakuran's name, if you wrote it in kanji, it meant 'white orchid'. He wasn't really interested in the language of flowers, so he wasn't quite sure what a white orchid would mean. Possibly something girly, like purity of love, or something like that. It didn't quite fit Byakuran, Shouichi thought.
To him, Byakuran was a rhythm guitar solo of a classical violin piece re-arranged for a rock group. There was an edge about it, but you could still feel the beauty of the original piece. A sense of danger and calm at the same time. It's not really classical, it's not really rock, but you enjoy it anyway. Except he wasn't sure why he felt this way toward Byakuran. They had never met, technically. Only through a dream. Only through memories of a future that would never, ever come to pass. It didn't stop Shouichi from letting his mind wander, though. The Vongola had done something in the future that affected the past... That would mean some sort of paradox. And it somehow proves the theory of the multiverse correct. Although, how do you exactly explain dying will flames scientifically? Shouichi began scribbling notes on the margins of his textbook. It had nothing to do with Calculus, and everything to do with Quantum Physics, Time Travel, and inter-dimensional time and space rifts. Theories, comic book plots, things that never really made sense unless you thought really hard about them.
Somehow, he felt he needed to solve a problem where he didn't know what the question was, to be able to understand how he felt about Byakuran. All he knew now was that it was complicated. And that was just the tip of the iceberg. All he ever received from Uni was a fleeting emotion, the sequence of events that led to Byakuran's demise, and left out the history between himself and the Millefiore boss. And it's been haunting him since then, he just never realized it.
Only now was he starting to regret not having contacted Byakuran all those years ago, when he had the chance to. Maybe things would have been different. Maybe, in a different timeline, in a different earth dimension, maybe he did contact Byakuran. For the rest of the class and the rest of the day, that was all Shouichi could think about.
--
"Mm, yes, I called in a few favors," Shouichi said over the phone. "It's only going to be a few days. I want to make the best of it." He looked out of the airplane window. It was alright to use the phone now, and they had just landed, the plane taxiing on the runway. "I'll call you again when I'm coming back. Yes, I'll take care. Thank you." He smiled, then pocketed his mobile phone. Today was bright and sunny. A pretty good summer, if you asked him. A very, very good summer.
The airplane finally stopped, engines quieting down and the flight attendant came up to him to inform him that the steps have been brought to the door of the private jet, and his belongings have been transferred to the car. Imagine that-- Shouichi had flown in a private jet. Never in his life did he even think that he would be able to fly first class, in a private jet. Not that he owned it, of course. It belonged to the Mafia. Not the bad kind, mind. Tsuna was a good boss. And he did owe him a favor.
Shouichi made his way out of the plane, finally glad to be on solid ground after hours in flight. He took a deep breath and stretched, once both feet were planted firmly on concrete. He was actually pretty scared, that Tsuna or his friends would say no to his request. After all, he was practically putting his life in danger. He was ready to defend his request-- there hasn't been an incident in the ten years that they had him, so there was no reason to be afraid anymore. He didn't have to argue, though, and he was glad for it. Tsuna made the arrangements and the very next day, Shouichi flew to a remote island, somewhere in the equator.
It was too good to be true.
The car took him to a villa a little ways from the small airport. He figured the island was pretty much as big as Okinawa, if not a little smaller. It probably only had the airport and the villa, and there weren't a lot of people. Mostly guards. Skilled ones, too. The Vongola was keeping a high profile character on the island, after all. The villa was beautiful, though. It had most everything that would guarantee rest and relaxation. Kind of like a summer home on a resort island. It was sad, now that he thought about it. To be a prisoner on an island so far away from civilization, with no other company than your jailers. If it was him, Shouichi thought he would go mad.
One of the guards told him that the person he sought was at the beach, to the back of the villa. Shouichi thanked him and made his way. There were stone steps leading down to the beach. Shouichi made his way down, then took off his shoes and carried them as he walked barefoot toward the sea. The sandy bank stretched on for a bit until it disappeared under clear blue waves. Picturesque, really. Like something you'd want to see on a postcard. Or maybe a painting. In the distance, he could see two guards, so distinct and out of place in the scenery, with their stark black suits. There was a third person on the beach, standing in the shallow waters and looking at the distant horizon.
The closer Shouichi got there, the more he thought the scene was perfect. The sun was high, still, a couple more hours away from setting. The lighting reflected on the waves, the white clothes on Byakuran... "Breathtaking," Shouichi breathed, not realizing he had said it aloud. He had stopped a few meters away from Byakuran. For a moment, all he could hear were the waves rolling in and out the beach.
"What took you so long to get here?" Then came the question. Byakuran's voice was just as he remembered it to be-- how he remembered from Uni's shared visions. It wasn't exactly deep, no, it was more... sweet and soothing. Like marshmallows in hot chocolate, Shouichi thought. Byakuran laughed, and turned around. Time seemed to slow down. "Never mind that. It's nice to see you again, Shou-chan."
--
Shouichi woke up, tears in his eyes. All he could remember from his dream was a smile. Byakuran's smile. He couldn't even remember what it was all about. Just that... there was a longing in that dream. And that smile... He sat up from his bed, wiping the tears from his eyes. Why was he crying, damnit?
His phone began beeping an alarm right then, and he jumped a little. He reached out for it, pressed a button and saw that it was a reminder. His parents were flying in that afternoon for his graduation ceremonies tomorrow. Tomorrow.
He breathed deep, then exhaled.
That's right. He was graduating college tomorrow, with honors. And his parents were flying in for the ceremonies. His sister couldn't get a few days off work, so she sent her regards.
Shouichi cheked the time. Twenty-something minutes past six in the morning. By now, he'd forgotten what his dream was about. He felt a little silly for crying, and yet he also felt that a heavy weight on him was somehow relieved. He got up from bed and made his way to the small kitchen to prepare something for breakfast. Spanner was coming over today for his graduation, too, and Shouichi thought he'd clean up a little before his friend arrived.
--
Right after graduation, a representative from an international company approached Shouichi with a job offer. His parents were thrilled, of course. Shouichi was stunned, and asked if he could think on it for a few days. One week and an afternoon at Spanner's later, Shouichi started working for Primo Engineering, Inc. Six months after that, he found out Spanner received a similar offer when he graduated, and they worked for the same company. Just in different departments. A month later, the two of them received an invitation to dinner, and when they went, it was sort of a reunion. That evening, they found out that Primo Engineering, Inc. was a company controlled by the Vongola. Sawada Tsunayoshi, as the tenth Vongola boss, had pulled a few strings. "To keep us together," he said. "We're friends after all." It felt right, somehow.
That evening was also, somehow, a memorable evening for Shouichi. Once dinner was over and the guests started to leave, Shouichi approached Tsuna. The Vongola boss was apparently expecting it, and so they talked in a private area.
"You've become quite the boss, Tsuna-kun," Shouichi said. Tsuna only laughed and shook his head. "It's really not just me... I don't think I could even do all of this if I were on my own," he said. Shouichi could still remember the sad smile Tsuna gave him right after. "You wanted to talk about Byakuran, didn't you?" He nodded.
"We... didn't end up sending him to the Vendice. I didn't think it was something you really would have liked. Hibari-san agreed, too, actually." Shouichi didn't reply. He watched Tsuna, honestly amazed. "We did transfer him, though. After a while." The Mafia boss walked up to him, looking all serious and said, "A few days ago, he asked about you again. Ever since the move to Switzerland, he stopped asking about you. I didn't think much about it, but... I think you should go see him."
"That's what I wanted to ask you," Shouichi said, softly. "I've been meaning to, really. I just... couldn't find the right time to ask, or the right words to say."
"It's not too late to see him, Irie-kun," Tsuna said, giving him a smile. Reassuring, this time. "I can have Yamamoto-kun arrange the trip, although... I don't think he would be allowed outside his holding area."
"That's alright with me," Shouichi said. Switzerland, then. Somewhere to the north. He had expected someplace warm, somehow. Somewhere in the equator, like a tropical island in the middle of the Pacific.
"You can leave tonight, if you want...?"
The offer was too... sudden for Shouichi. His heart began to race, his stomach lurched. Something wasn't right. "No, I think I'd like to plan this--"
Tsuna shook his head. "Irie-kun, I think it would be best if you left as soon as possible," he said. There was something in Tsuna's eyes that moved him. A sadness, maybe. Why, though? Shouichi couldn't understand. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Shouichi accepted. He didn't ask any more questions, but he did note the relief in Tsuna's eyes when he said yes.
--
The flight to Zurich was about 14 hours at best, and it was pretty much uneventful. Shouichi had called Spanner and asked him to take care of things. He explained as briefly as he could, about where he was going and why. Spanner had understood. He even asked why he hadn't done so years ago. Shouichi couldn't answer.
He wasn't able to fall asleep on the plane. Maybe it was his nerves, or something else, but there was just something about the flight that didn't sit well with him. It might have just been the chicken rice they served. He's heard a lot of horror stories about in-flight meals, but he could not recall this happening before. Then again, he's never had chicken for an in-flight meal, as far as he could recall. The music he'd brought with him on his MD player didn't help, either.
When the plane landed in Zurich, finally, he couldn't get himself to get up from his seat for a good five minutes. He felt nervous. Scared. It wasn't until one of the flight attendants told him that he was pretty much the last passenger on the plane did he get off. After picking up his otherwise small luggage, one of the Vongola Guardians greeted him outside the airport.
"He's going to be extremely happy to see you," the Sun Guardian, Sasagawa Ryohei, said as they drove south from Zurich in the black SUV that would take them to Vongola's secret 'prison'. He was told that Byakuran was under a sort of house arrest, and that he had been provided for by the Vongola since they took him prison. Shouichi felt relieved to know he was taken care of. The car ride, as well, was pretty uneventful.
The house they kept him in was huge. It was hidden in the mountains, probably under a sort of illusionary barrier, and it looked very sturdy. A little eerie on the outside, but inside was different. At least it was warm indoors.
It was like a mansion inside. Grand french stairs led the way up to the second floor where you could look over to the marble floor with the Vongola insignia on the first level. There was a chandelier hanging from the high ceiling, suggesting that there was more than two floors. And the wall hangings were also very impressive. A large painting of the Third Vongola Boss was mounted at the top of the stairs.
"He's upstairs, third floor. The only room there," Ryohei said, leading Shouichi to the second floor. The stairs to the third floor was at the end of a long hallway. "I'm not going in with you, but I advise you not to hold back," Shouichi was told.
"What do you mean?" He asked Ryohei, looking very puzzled. The Sun Guardian didn't quite know how exactly to answer. "You'll see," he said. "Just don't do anything that you'd regret later. And be extremely honest to yourself, okay?" Ryohei stopped at the foot of the stairwell and watched Shouichi climb the stairs by himself.
Shouichi didn't quite understand why the Vongola kept rushing him, at first. Only after he closed the door to Byakuran's room behind him did he understand.
Byakuran stood in front of a frosty window, looking out into the Alps. His back was to Shouichi. It felt as if time had stopped for the two of them. He wished it did. For a moment, he saw Byakuran, standing in ankle-deep waters on the beach, eyes closed and smiling, enjoying the sea breeze. He would have been making sandcastles, or collecting shells, maybe. Or perhaps playing with hermit crabs.
But no. They were in the Alps, in a practically invisible and impregnable fortress, designed to keep him in. The view from the window wasn't much, but it was still beautiful. Far from warm, but there was something calming about snowy mountain tops. From where he stood, Shouichi saw Byakuran misting up the glass window with his breath. With one slender finger, he began writing a name in carefully practiced strokes: Shouichi's name.
"What took you so long, Shou-chan?"
There was no mistaking it. That was Byakuran's voice. It was much quieter than he expected, but it was the same smooth and sweet voice that he remembered. He did not mind the familiar nickname he used. It sounded right to him, even though they weren't exactly properly acquainted. Did the memories of a young dead future-girl (who, in hindsight, wasn't probably dead in this timeline) count? Shouichi was pretty sure it did.
Byakuran remained where he stood, not making a move. He was waiting for an answer as he watched the mist fade from the glass.
"I-- I'm sorry," Shouichi said, a little awkwardly. "Byakuran-san." He felt his heart beating hard and fast that he brought a hand up over his chest in an attempt to calm himself down. He took a few steps closer to the other man, but stopped mid-step when Byakuran turned around to face him. Nearly ten years later, they finally saw each other, face to face. Byakuran was smiling, and there was no mark under his left eye. He was beautiful, thought Shouichi, but there was something about the way he looked that troubled him. He looked healthy, but Shouichi felt that if he didn't hold on to him, Byakuran would disappear.
"I thought I'd never see you," Byakuran said, breaking the silence between them. His smile was sincere, and it calmed Shouichi down a little. It made him smile, too. "I was beginning to think that you wouldn't come. I'm glad you did." Byakuran was the one who closed the distance between them. His fingers felt cold on Shouichi's cheek when he touched them, but he still leaned into that hand. "I'm sorry. I should have come sooner," Shouichi said, his voice quiet. "I'm here now, though. I'm here now." Byakuran nodded, pressing their foreheads together. His breath was warm, and he smelled like candy. Marshmallows.
"Shou-chan, I don't have that much time left."
The moment Byakuran said it, Shouichi felt a pang in his heart, as if it twisted in pain. He knew what was coming, though. He knew. Swallowing that lump in his throat, he said, "I know. I should have come earlier. I could have stopped this--"
Byakuran shook his head. "It's alright. I'm okay with it now. Shou-chan's a genius, but I don't think you could have stopped this. I'm not allowed to live in the future."
"But it's all my fault!" Shouichi took a step back, releasing himself from Byakuran's hold. He tried his best not to burst into tears, and he fought hard against the sob that wanted to cut through. "If I hadn't dropped that bazooka shell, I wouldn't have triggered your abilities! None of this would have happened! You... We could have lived in the future." Together.
Byakuran was silent, taken aback by Shouichi's response. His slanted eyes were wide with surprise as he studied Shouichi. Then, his features softened as he reached out to take Shouichi's eyeglasses off, his thumb caressing the corner of Shouichi's eye where a tear threatened to fall. "I don't regret anything," Byakuran said. "The future we made together, and the future we could have had, I have them both, now."
Shouichi couldn't stop the tears then. How could Byakuran keep so positive? He heard Byakuran laugh faintly. "This way, I was able to see Shou-chan's different faces." The blush on his cheeks that he was sure had been there since he came in felt more intense now, and Shouichi couldn't help but smile as he cried silently. "That's just silly, Byakuran-san," Shouichi managed to say. He felt lame for saying that. He'd calmed down, now, though. Taking his eyeglasses from Byakuran, Shouichi wore them again and looked up at the older man and smiled.
--
Shouichi was back in Japan a few months later. He filed for a transfer to his home country at work, and it had been approved just recently. The past few months had been... they were pretty alright, Shouichi admitted. He worked hard enough that he could afford a well-off place for himself. He lived alone, and he didn't really expect to have a living companion for the next thirty or sixty years. In fact, he didn't expect himself to marry. His mother was distraught when she learned of this, but they eventually accepted the fact. They were quite happy when they learned that his sister's husband-to-be would be glad to take on their family name instead. Their wedding was going to be held in a few months.
Every morning, he would make himself a small breakfast. Toast and jam during the working days, and a bigger meal with rice and fish during his days off. After breakfast, he would fix himself up and go to work. During weekends, he would sit in his living room, listening to music while he read the newspaper, or work on leftovers from his job. Sometimes, he would sit out in the balcony with his earphones on and just relax. He had a small garden, there. It didn't have much of a variety, but it was something he put a lot of effort in. It was mostly green, with the exception of the single white orchid, right in the middle. Shouichi would keep his plants company during his free time. And it wasn't so strange to talk to plants-- it helped them grow a little healthier after all.
Some evenings, he would catch himself drawn to the orchid, and he would smile fondly, even if his heart would become heavy. If Shouichi closed his eyes, sometimes he would feel cold fingers in his palm and a lingering kiss that was barely there, and a soft voice that could drown the music blaring in his ears.
~fin~