Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter 1

Harry wakes up in a new world. He's not particularly surprised, nor particularly angry or sad.

He just wakes up, orientates himself and deals.

(He's never been very good at dealing well though, and the decision is made faster and with less bitterness than it should.)

He stands on the edge of the high, high desolate cliff. The wind is strong and loud, and grey clouds cover the sky.

He lifts his foot and steps in the air in front of him, almost comical had it been another situation. Then he falls; turning and fast. The drop is long with wind whirling around him and tearing at his clothes, it gives him that funny feeling in his stomach like only free falling could do. - It feels a little bit like home. –

The last thing he thinks before he hits the ground is that he's glad he chose this way to die.

.

The flames are a surprise. An unpleasant surprise.

He survives.

(He isn't sure how to feel about the changing of his hair and eyes colour; on one hand, it's like a new start for this new world, on the other, it reminds him of failure in finding a way out of the said new world.)

Sometimes he remembers.

It hurts.

He misses them.

Harry isn't sure what makes him ride the bike for the first time. Maybe it was because of Sirius, maybe because of Hagrid. Or maybe it was because of the horror stories that Harry remembers Mrs. Weasley telling them which would all inevitably end in death.

However, riding his bike gives harry a feeling of freedom and home he almost doesn't recognize anymore. He remembers flying on his trusted Firebolt in the way the wind blows through his hair, in the way his eyes squint against the harsh wind, how his body feels weightless and his mind feels invincible.

It doesn't take long before he starts doing tricks. Wheelies, slides, bunny hops, jumping. Then loops in the air, the feeling on the bike so comparable to the one on his broom, but different also. A dive of an old warehouse and often harsh landings. He doesn't know how to make it actually fly, but sometimes he spells the bike so it will stay in the sky longer - almost floating - and to make it go faster and faster. And he laughs and laughs and not quite happiness, but a feeling close courses through him.

He's found by the circus not long after that. The director, Timero, is enthusiastic and begs him to join them for a few months in exchange for shelter because with his fifteen-year-old body he looks as much as a run-away as the ones on the street.

Harry doesn't need it, doesn't really want it even, but the director talks about big shows, about stunts which would leave him in the air for far longer. He talks about fire rings and screaming crowds, and well, Harry has always a bit of an adrenaline junky, it's easy money and maybe it would give him release from the normal apathetic haze. So, he accepts.

Timero is ecstatic, and then Harry has his own trailer, and he travels with circus doing his tricks and stunts. At first, all is well even with his social skills long gone but when he one time almost brings one enthusiastic girl, who watched the show and asks for a signature afterwards, to tears because a misunderstanding, the director takes him aside. They talk and Harry gets to hear he has to do something more if he wants to stay.

He slips into his new personality with far too much ease. He becomes boisterous and loud. Makeup covering his face together with the occasional bandage to cover up something or other. A new name is chosen: Skull de Mort. (He laughs when Timero proposes it, the irony being too much.) He gets a new outfit, together with a  helmet, and his hair's and eyes' flashy colours are finally of use. All in all, he becomes flashy, attention-seeking and a brat. He thinks his old self, from a time where acceptance was still seen as something reachable, would have been horrified, but now he only can muster up small amusement for the reactions he provokes.

Timero tells him it's scary how well he plays his role, any admirers only become more enthusiastic and the rest of the circus just accepts.

.

Harry leaves the circus a year and a half later. He is experimenting with some new moves when he falls. He breaks bones, blood drips on the ground, purple flames spread and all he can hear is the scream of Jiro, a newbie aspiring to become some kind of juggler. Jiro runs off immediately and is gone before Harry can stop him. He sighs and looks forlornly to his bike.

The others come soon after, looking in disbelieve at Harry standing in the middle of the remains of his bike, surrounded by purple fire and blood looking completely unaffected. Harry is banished from the circus after that. Timero had been kind while doing it. He had wished Harry the best but made clear that he didn't want to have to do anything with him,

- 'Mafia' he whispered behind his back with a haunted face. -

and if Skull would stay silent about his stay at their circus, they wouldn't mention him either. He leaves and the last years haven't happened. They don't know each other and they never did. Harry feels something that could be hurt, but not really, because they were insignificant in the end. – They always were, they had to be - Timero doesn't exist to him anymore, he doesn't know him and never has, and he's relieved because if he did maybe it would have hurt.

.

It doesn't hurt. It doesn't.

(He repeats it to himself again and again and maybe, he thinks, it will be true someday.)

.

He leaves without a bike, the clothes on his back, his backpack and a blank look on his face. He doesn't look back.

The next time he rides a bike again is a two and a half year later. Weirdly enough, he ended up working in a garage somewhere in Japan -and man, he wasn't good at speaking Japanese at all, the vowels and consonants mashing into each other and don't even get him started on those suffixes. - and the old man who's his boss after having taken pity on him, Fujita-San, shows him two bikes which are utterly ruined. He smiles and tells him the bikes still have some useful parts, enough to make a new bike out of them with some work and a few other bought parts. He gives the old man a puzzled look, and he smiles again ''I saw you looking at the bike of that blond customer last week and this will be a lot cheaper with the income you have'' he says and Harry is left dazed.

He takes to building a new bike like he's obsessed. And maybe he is. He spends hours reading and screwing, welding and getting to know bikes inside out. The old man smiles at him and brings him tea while he works late evenings and Harry is thankful. A month later he's finished and so, so proud. He shows his bike to the old man, and he laughs loudly and tells him to show him what he's got, and Harry does. The bike feels familiar as always and the tricks and stunts leave the old man a little bit wide-eyed.

Before he knows it, he rides every day again, and then he's picked up by someone again. A manager this time with plans for big stunt shows, Harry hesitates but Fujita-San basically forces him to accept on the condition he has to keep contact. And harry leaves again, this time actually leaving a friend, and he's performing again. He's recognized by one of his old admirers as 'Skull de Mort, that guy who worked with a circus before.'. It raises eyebrows and while no one can get the name of his previous circus out of him, or even anyone else because apparently, no one can remember - magic was a beautiful thing as much as it was vile-, they do find a video of one of his shows on the internet. His new manager immediately likes the character he played and suddenly he's Skull again.

The return of his identity comes with a new purple suit.

The leather of the outfit is as much comforting as it is painful.

It's too tight but also gives the perfect mix in-between movability and protection.

It doesn't cover enough, even though it covers his whole body.

It's so hot sometimes and it makes his scars burn and ache. But it also feels comfortingly cool in the evening. Like ice put on a wound.

It's a protection against everything and everyone. A layer they will never be able to pull away. He makes sure to never take it off ever since that first day he gets it.

At least the psychical scars will never hurt as much as the mental ones.

The first-time Harry - but he's Skull now - gets involved with the mafia is because of the old man. Fujita-San has done a lot for him, tore his thick wall down with patience and kindness, and when his daughter calls Skull in panic in the hope he may have heard something because apparently, the old man has been missing for three days already, Skull asks for a short leave. His manager hammers, whines, lectures and procrastinates but Skull is nothing if not stubborn and a day later he's back in Japan looking for a trail. Two days later the daughter of the old man gets reported as missing too.

Four days later he has caught the trail. It takes him to yakuza in Japan, after that to the mafia in Russia and in the end mafia all the way in Italy. Apparently, the old man has roots there, a father – and Skull really doesn't know how the old man's father wasn't dead yet of old age. – and a son. They had both left him for the organized crime in Italy, but Fujita-San had never wanted to do anything with it. Regardless he had obviously been dragged into it anyway.

Skull finds them in an old warehouse. Fujita-san is crying; he looks like he has aged years in the last weeks and together with his daughter he lays in a puddle of blood. They are surrounded by men in black suits, two of them he recognizes as the son and father of the old man respectively. One of them is carrying a bloodied knife, and the other has a gun directed at the daughter. Skull already knows it is too late for the both of them the moment he steps in the warehouse.

He doesn't remember much of what happens afterwards. He remembers tearing into the men, He remembers screams, blood, sickening crunches and an even more sickening feeling of absolute joy.

When he gets out of his haze everything, including himself, is soaked in blood. Dripping sounds unnervingly in the open room and every movement he makes can be heard because of the liquid having spread. The bodies are dead or dying, he sees one with a metal pole through his stomach and another has suffered a headshot, a hole straight through the middle of his forehead. It's as pleasing as it is nauseating.

He's surprised when he sees that the old man is still alive, even more, when he beckons him. It's not a habitual action for people who have seen him lose control. People usually don't even want to be in the same building as him after it. He moves to the man anyway. Through tears, Fujita-San smiles at him, the same smile as the ones he gave on late nights with him tinkering on his bike, one of those warm annoying smiles that are really too good for this world, much less this.. situation. The blood which stains his teeth proofs that as much as anything.

''Thank you, Skull-kun. You've always been too kind.''

Skull begins to cry.

He crumbles right in front of this man, who has just lost everything. He falls on his knees, screams and buries his head in his hands because what this man said was laughable and dumb and stupid. Skull wasn't kind. He was selfish and broken and he had fucked up because he had been far too late to actually save anyone.

-He was always too late, too weak, too impulsive –

But the old man shushes him and comforts him, giving him a weak hug while blood floods out of a hole in his stomachs and is spilling from his lips and Skull feels his own stomach turn. ''Just remember, Skull, that even the biggest mistakes sometimes deserve forgiveness, including your own.'' He laughs softly ''I would also tell you death is a part of life, but I think you understand that already. Remember nonetheless that just because of that fact, it doesn't mean living itself isn't just as important.''

When the old man relaxes and his last breath spills out of his mouth, Skull explodes. His fire spreads leaving nothing but ash. The body in his arms crumbles and Skull feels the madness tugging once again.

He leaves the black, burnt ruins of the warehouse with tears streaming down his face, a sick feeling in his stomach and with a pain in his heart he hasn't felt in a long time. He wasn't sure why the old man's death had such an impact on him, but Skull feels like he's being torn apart and his words echo in his head.

He makes sure Fujita-san and his daughter get the most beautiful headstone he can find. Their actual funeral though is only attended by nine others in total and Harry hates how the kindest people still suffer things like loneliness.

(He doesn't realize he has murdered a full Famiglia until much, much later. No, he walks out of the mafia world with the same ease he had as when he stepped in it.)

He doesn't know exactly why he entertains the suspicious letter.

Maybe because he wasn't worried about repercussions -no longer, no longer he had to-, maybe because the paper talks a tale of years and years and the ink of sacrifices of sweat and blood even if the words were written are bland and lacking, maybe he had just been curious, maybe it had been a whim, maybe all of the above.

.

The Arcobaleno-to-be are intimidating, scary even on their first meeting. -but he can't die, should he be scared of anything? – The ones already there when he enters the room surround a wooden table in a room that was dimly lit, and look up to study him, if only for a second. A man with red Chinese clothes and a long braid, a man with a suit, a fedora and an aura that said 'test me and I'll kill you', a woman with shoulder-length blue, nearly black hair and a figure who was hidden under a black cloak so only their lower face could be seen which had two purple triangles on it, almost shaped like teeth.

Skull's not the last one to arrive as there are still three empty chairs. So, he nods and silently sits in the last chair that's still somewhat in the shadows. A few minutes later a green haired doctor joins them, clicking his tongue at the seats that are left but sitting down nonetheless.

The last appears through another door than he himself did, or the doctor for that matter. A woman, or girl, he isn't sure.

– Age doesn't seem to matter anymore when you have too much time and everyone else hasn't had enough. –

She wears a big hat and a sweet smile that smells of guilt and kindness. Skull doesn't care about that though.

She talks about power, about missions with each other, about money and rewards.

' You're the strongest, no flames can compare.'

Skull smiles. His chair scrapes on the floor when he stands up to leave. He sees the girl blink in shock, the others shift in intrigue.

''I'm sorry but I'm not interested.''

He has already opened the door when a hand clamps down on his arm. He squashes down the feeling of danger, of enemy – enemy his mind whispers as he tears through the bodies - and turns around. The girl looks up at him with pleading eyes. ''I'm sorry, but please give it a chance. It pays very well. Just one mission and after that you can -if you're still not interested, leave.'' Skull looks down at the girl with the too big eyes and too much hope for what could have been minutes, but also seconds. He sighs and agrees. The girl seems to brighten, a smile splitting her face.

(This, together with his civilian status, is how he gets the reputation of being easily defeated. Easily defeated changes into weak. Weak changes into lackey.

Altering his new status isn't needed, nor really worth the trouble. Harry plays his role like he's supposed to.)

The next mission fulfilled he stands again with the girl, Luce she's called. He smiles brightly, prattling how she was really kind and sweet, but there was nothing for him here, and in his life revolved around his stunts and his trusted motorbikes. Her offer was appreciated but really, not necessary.

Once again, he is stopped by the girl. She smiles and begs, and guilt and betrayal is still there in her eyes, but she is kind – Did that really matter though? Hadn't he been kind too? – and he agrees. And agrees and agrees until it's a routine almost. It takes him six months to accept to become an active member of whatever they were.

He wonders if he the only one that realizes this will only end in anguish and anger.

In a way, it's comfortable.

It's comfortable to not be the first one that people look to when they need help but rather the last. It's comfortable to not have that responsibility. It's comfortable to complain and make mistakes. It's comfortable to look at Reborn and Lal and Verde and Fong and Viper and not see expectations but a vague form of steadfastness and the feeling of obligations to the 'youngest' and 'weakest' from the group even if the looking down on him somewhat grates. It's comfortable to be selfish.

(He likes being Skull too much to stop.)

Sometimes he wonders what they think of him. Skull, the civilian, with only the skills of being a stuntman. Weak.

He thinks they know though, at least to a certain extent.

There's something weird with Skull and he has never been good at hiding, covering everything; with small white spots in his painted scene, never filled in with colour correctly or completely, which always made the most observant and sharp people able to tear the whole thing down.

And these people are observant and sharp.

He has a spot in his past; a spot he knows Viper notices by a lack of public information and pokes at again and again.

He has a spot in his knowledge of martial arts; Skull thinks that Fong knew this practice already when he walked in on that first day, dark eyes scanning his movement and challenging him even as the ever peaceful, benign smile lays on his lips.

He has a spot on his body; covered with scars that when small parts seen on those rare, rare times make Verde's eyes sharpen in curiosity.

He has a spot in his immediately following orders, a spot in his knowledge of battle strategy and weaponry; The first time Skull has to improvise on a mission, Colonello and Lal look at his actions and their eyes glitter.

He has a spot in his inability to get hurt; which leave Reborn's eyes ever roving and checking after missions. Reborn's all-seeing eyes are always looking and Skull has never felt more like a fake, fake puppet than in front of him.

Luce, though, is the only one that does tear at them; she scratches and pulls and twists and pushes so that the whole painting only hangs together by small threats, the colours mixing in ways they shouldn't and the white spots overtaking the rest. But it does, if barely. The painting keeps together. It has too after all.

Skull doesn't necessarily understand what his flames are. He knows they're not originated from his magic. He knows they're purple. He knows they heal him even is he for all purposes should have been dead. (He knows he hates them just a bit.) He knows how to call on them and make them burn but he doesn't know why he has them, or how, or anything besides that really. It's just like something of magic for him, really. Some things you just don't understand and that's alright.

It takes the other Arcobaleno a while to notice that though. Or to be more accurate they only notice when he overuses them. He wakes up in his bed with the others bowing over him, cursing him out for being stupid. The honest confusion on his face is probably the thing that clues them in.

A few rants later over 'skyflames' clear up a whole lot.

.

He tries again after he has utterly exhausted himself until not one spark of fire is left.

The cliff is just high as the last time and for a minute he hesitates. He thinks of the other Arcobaleno with a hint of what must have been regret or possibly guilt, maybe both. (He wonders if they would actually care when they found out he was gone.) He thinks of old Fujita-san who told him living was important. But then there's the promise of final, actual rest. It's so close, and he would be home again.

The pull is too strong and as he falls backward with his eyes staring up to the sky, his eyes catch the stormy clouds that pour rain all over his face, the light mist that always hangs around the cliff, the hints of sunrays faraway in the distance and he hopes that maybe they will forgive him.

.

It fails. His flames dance merrily, teasingly as he wakes up.

When everything finally goes to shit, it's as much expected as unexpected. Because Skull is a baby now and stuck in this form until the curse will break. -This is another opportunity; one Skull isn't sure he's willing to pass up. – The rest of the Arcobaleno are angry and confused, and it breaks apart their already not-too-close group in a spectacular explosion. It has always been easy to blame faults on others and it's no different for them.

But Skull has been surrounded by magic for the most part of his life and he already has given up his actual life long, long ago.

He slips into this new role with the same ease he slipped into Skull's.

Third time's a charm, right?

The new body is an opportunity because it pulls him tight, and strains his muscles in a way that's dangerous. His presence is too big for this body, his magic blusters through his veins with a violence that makes him nauseous and hazy.

And the body is weak. It's quaking and losing as Skull tries to live.

It doesn't have the energy to save him. His flames are barely keeping his body together too. Skull's flames and body are barely surviving anyway.

It should have worked.

But once again Harry wakes up on the ground in front of the too high cliff with only some dirt on his clothes to show for his troubles.

Chapter Text

CHP. 2

In total there are seven clear -with no blurring lines, or changing halfway, or changing when they have already finished, repeating again and again but always different- visions Luce gets with Skull being the center of them.

(It will take her some time to realize that her visions seem to actually almost avoid Skull, instead of Skull just not being that important in the whole picture, but by the time she does, it will be too late already.)

The first vision she gets when she doesn't know him yet, doesn't know how this boy is relevant. It takes place in a badly lit circus tent?, with in the center a teenager surrounded by purple flames and a ruined bike. It's only a short glimpse, only seconds really, but it's a good general first impression Luce thinks when she meets him. It told her two of the basics that almost completely make up Skull. He's got some really strong cloud flames. He's a stuntman.

The first one is her connection to him. The second one is everything his life seems to be based on. more she doesn't need to know, she thinks.

Luce watches as the Arcoboleno settle into their new routine.

Missions, rest, pretend, annoy each other at their shared base, missions, tension, pretend badly.

Not one of the others trusts one another.

Lal continuous to have a gun strapped to her leg, always. Verde analyses, dissects their forms and personalities and bodies like they're experiments even if it's just with his gaze, and Luce knows he's, just as Viper has, already a list of weaknesses for exactly every last one of them (not a long one though because the Arcobaleno are far too talented for that). Fon never fully relaxes and Reborn acts exactly the same but Luce is pretty sure that Reborn doesn't have anyone around whom he trusts enough to actually relax around.

Skull… Luce doesn't really know how to react to Skull (She's not the only one). He's loud, he's odd and honestly a bit annoying most of the time. He doesn't seem to understand the pure danger he's always in surrounded by these individuals, much less the whole system of the mafia. On the other hand, he's endearing in the way a child would be; he's still innocent with no blood on his hands, no second agenda and no suspicions for everyone and everything. In short, he's civilian.

She thinks it's pretty understandable he doesn't comprehend their world though. They can't really understand his either.

The second vision would possibly be better described as two, as the vision keeps switching between two scenes, like a malfunctioning TV, complete with the buzz and static in her ears.

One is Skull, for once not wearing make-up or his suit, sitting in a badly lit garage which makes shadows fall over his face. There's an old foreign man sitting a few feet away from him with an old yunomi with steaming tea in it. Skull is laughing and talking, while seemingly welding some auto parts while the man is smiling indulgently.

It switches with one where Skull's sitting next to a double grave with a tired, forlorn expression. Skull obviously has been cursed already. His baby body in his lame purple motor suit would probably have been comical if Luce hadn't known what it had implied. The gravestone he's sitting next to is absolutely beautiful, even with the moss and weed that have touched the stones tarnishing it, and Skull is cleaning it up. Next to him is laying an enormous bouquet of flowers, bright in colours and completely out of place in the grey and gloomy graveyard.

Luce vaguely wonders if those are the graves of his parents.

Skull, in a lot of ways, is different than the rest of the arcobaleno.

Luce knows that already when they meet, and learns to accept it with her whole soul as they continue on together.

The first hint isn't because he's the youngest of them all, not because of the bright colours of his hair and eyes and not even because Luce had only seen a few blurry glimpses of him in her visions before.

(It isn't even that Skull isn't intimidating, because he is.

She remembers stepping into that dark room for the first time, she remembers all the eyes snapping to her. Reborn, Viper, Fon, all hidden by the shadows, Reborn's eyes glinting unnervingly as they scan her every moment, and Fon and Viper sitting there so still and unassuming that Luce's feels as if she could've walked passed them without noticing them at all. Lal who had obviously deliberately chosen for a place completely on the light, claiming it with pride with a straight back and challenging eyes. Verde sitting languidly in his chair, also completely in the light but still so confident in his own ability, looking at her like she was as interesting as mud on his boots.

But then there's Skull, sitting on his chair silently. A boy with a frown on his face. Skull is tiny next to the others. He's just bigger than her, but sitting between the other Arcobaleno, he's smaller than even Fon and Viper and still, Luce doesn't feel like he didn't fit in there with them. That should've been sign enough really.)

It's because of his flames.

His flames reek of desperation. They're not tightly controlled like the others' but they spill over everywhere, like a glass filled with too much liquid, so it keeps just spilling and spilling over the brim, trying to find something.

(Later, Luce will find out that he doesn't know how to control them, doesn't even know what they really are. He doesn't control them because he doesn't know he can. They brought an actual civilian in this mess and it's just as much on her head as checkerface's. )

To be fair, she doesn't react to them the first time, doesn't dare to, because those wild flames have simply too much potential to be really, really dangerous.

But Skull is unpredictable. He doesn't react in anyway that is ordinary.

He destabilizes her. She doesn't know what to say or how to act around him because everything could get a reaction she doesn't expect. Exactly like that first time that the to-be-Arcobaleno met and he tried to leave, (Maybe his instincts realizing the trouble, maybe because he really isn't interested at all.) and suddenly forced Luce, the boss of the Giglio Nero Familigia, to beg this boy to stay just a bit longer.

But slowly, over the months she gets too curious, and Luce - who was already in far too deep - shamefully tries. She knows she shouldn't, not with this boy, but she reaches strands of her Skyflames out anyway, so light that no one would be able to sense it but for the one who they are reaching out for, in no way enough for harmonisation (never enough for harmonisation), but enough that it should make the element calmer, warmer, better.

Skull himself doesn't immediately react to her advantages. He doesn't seem to notice it at all actually, but his flames surge, slapping hers harshly and forcing her to back off.

The first months after that incident she's scared off but somehow can't stop herself from trying it again, and again, and again. And slowly the flames begin to react differently, they become softer, less defensive, an almost desperate hope moving them closer to hers and making them curl around her and her flames.

It makes her feel vile; this boy doesn't know what she's doing, that much is obvious, and she is trying to gain something - She doesn't know what yet, but she wants it so bad that she just can't seem to stop - by using his flames. She's taking advantage of him, but on the other hand, Luce wants more, wants everything Skull's flames can give her. Skull has such strong, violent flames, all coming out of that tiny frame and Luce wants to understand this element and all the secrets they hide, to feel the powerful flames engulf her with an intensity she was only able to dream of.

The flames feel so good.

The third vision is about falling.

Skull is standing on a cliff and then suddenly he isn't anymore, and he's falling and falling and falling down, down, down.

His clothes flap around roughly from the wind and his body turns this way and that way. He falls through clouds of mist. He's falling so fast.

Luce doesn't see him reach the ground.

Luce becomes more curious about Skull and his flames as the day pass on. It isn't like he's the only one she's curious about from the Arcobaleno, but while it actually feels like she learns something about the others, Skull's hints and clues that should form a fitting puzzle seem just to keep contradicting their selves. The puzzle pieces don't fit, like the pieces of three or four different puzzles have been thrown together and she's supposed to make one larger puzzle from it.

Skull for all the weight and force of his flames, his unpredictablebehavior, is a civilian. He is a young civilian who seems like he's still trying to fit in too much and Luce, she's a mafia boss. She is able to handle him and should be able to figure him out, especially with his eyes turning soft at the sight of her and the others.

(He's so soft, so sweet, so kind, but sometimes, deep in the night when Luce is so tired that she only really thinks with instinct and intuition, Luce doesn't think she's ever met a colder person. Like all the warmth that was burning has been covered with frost and stone-cold, smooth metal.)

She tries to talk to him, not like the others but actually trying to get to know him instead of assuming to already know most of it, because Skull tells a lot, but none of it useful or clear. It's taken out of context. She's knows Skull isn't exactly what he shows them. She thinks the others realise it too, but don't yet realise the amount of information they miss.

In the end this is all she learns: he's quite the engineer, besides a simple stuntman. He knows his old bike, and even cars and other vehicle's inside out. But he's a bit of an idiot when confronted with actual quality tech outside of the vehicle range. He can handle a simple phone but the more advanced tech of the mafia often left him lifting his eyebrows in confusion. He can speak several languages, most of them European and admittedly not all fluently, but he can get around. He was born in Britain.

It's not much, but… Well, it's not much.u

The fourth one plays when she has known him for a total of five months. He technically still needs to be convinced to officially be a part of the Arcobaleno but practically he's as much a part of the Arcobaleno as the rest of them. Luce feels something like affection for him. Sure, she would be able to get over his dead, but she starts to avoid the thought of how he would react to her betrayal. It's not... a nice thought. Never was, but now it's worse. It's with the others too, but Skull is more open than them. For all his trying to be not a part of the Arcobeleno, it's easier for him to feel affection for them and for them to return it. It's simply less risky than with all the others.

It's about one of their missions, only two weeks away. Skull is in a badly lit room and is stood facing several enemies wearing the crest of the Derasmo familigia. Too many. They're having a conversation and then- then Skull gets shot in the face, right through his forehead.

(It's not the first time she has seen somebody get shot in the face, but somehow when the person getting shot is Skull, it's much more horrifying.)

Luce worries but she can't change the future. She learned that long ago. She can't help herself from avoiding Skull that week though nor asking Reborn just before the mission to look out for the small cloud; because now she's pregnant, even for only a month, suddenly no one lets her do anything anymore which includes accompanying missions. Reborn agrees after giving her an unreadable look.

Skull somehow manages to get separated from the group anyway. There's a total of one hour and 6 minutes in which they lose contact with him, and Luce spends all that time feeling nervous, terrible and resigned.

Than he turns up with a bright smile, not a hair out of place or a blood splatter to be seen, much less a bullet hole in his face.

They never manage to get out of him what exactly had happened when he got separated, only ''Why do you wanna know? I mean, it's no surprise for the amazing Skull-sama to escape some baddies! I will let you know that this is basically my daily life!'' as answer.

The others are not amused by that answer at all, somehow forgetting to actually continue the interrogation in favor of trying to make him one with the earth they're standing on.

(The Derasmo family doesn't ever bother them again. But well, with the Arcobaleno's reputation being justified in front of their eyes, it's not that weird, is it?)

Skull does not have much personal belongings in his room. The others don't either but again (and again and again. All Luce can see is differences now, never similarities.) they're different. Skull does not know nor understand the danger of the force of a colliding between even two of the individuals that now live here. He shouldn't know better than to leave his valuables somewhere else just in case.

He has only a few clothes. Several casual, comfortable clothes, including pyjamas, that Luce has never seen him in. One expensive three-piece suit, in which Luce has also not seen him, and in total three motor suits, of which Luce has seen him in only two of them. Boots and a helmet, and lastly, one small, slightly furry pouch which he seems to always carry with him around his neck, most often hidden by his motor suits. Luce thinks it's an interesting fashion statement.

Skull also does not have any photos in his room. He does have several drawings hidden in between the few rows of books lining up on the wall, sketches of a girl with messy hair, a boy covered in freckles, a man with hollow cheeks and long hair and other people. She even finds some which depict a castle or some animals like a deer or even a dragon. Not all of them are per se very good, some better than others, but they're all at least decent. Luce is pretty sure that if she saw one of the individuals on the street that she would recognize them.

The books themselves are interesting though. There aren't that much and they're not truly weird, incredibly big or difficult ones, actually they're very basic. However, they're very inconsistent in languages and topics. Luce had seen books like: learning Italian for dummy's, Motorcycle engineering, Human anatomy: the weak and strong parts of the human body, and she had even found a physics book which was called In search of the Multiverse. Luce isn't really that surprised by the first two, but the last ones are not what she expected of the boy who talks too loud and flourishes in making an idiot of himself.

And to add on that, she hadn't even been able to read half of those titles as they hadn't all been in English or Italian. No, actually she distinguished at least three other languages besides those two in those few books Skull possessed, with one of those languages even being Latin for crying out loud.

Skull just doesn't fit into a box. Doesn't let him be fitted because every time he seems to, Luce finds something that contradicts the box.

And Luce just can't seem to let it go. There's more to Skull than she sees.

Luce's next vision shows Skull bowing over a plain bit of ground.

There's someone hovering over his shoulder. He's big and small, invisible and visible, dark but light, heavy but weightless. Luce can't really see him, can't really describe him and it doesn't seem like Skull is noticing him either. It's like a dark hovering cloud that's just grinning and grinning and he loves his master so much but not yet, not yet, and he won't ever allow anyone to hurt him, and aren't mortals just so much fun, you just need to fix it, master-

What was Luce seeing again?

There is no one but Skull in the vision. He is bowing over a bit of ground, tracing the lines that are etched in it.

The lines form a weird symbol. It's a triangle, split in two by another line, and the line ends in a circle which is also drawn in the triangle, it's lines touching those of the triangle.

Luce has never seen this symbol before, but to Skull it seems to mean something. He's frowning and mumbling, obviously upset.

Luce tries to find out what the symbol stands for later, but she finds nothing. None of her colleagues know anything, nothing in the library, nothing anywhere.

It's like it doesn't exist.

It's only a few months after the talk they have with Skull about sky flames, that Skull realizes what she's doing.

It's late. They're sitting alone in the common room of the base of the Arcobaleno's both with a cup of tea. There's a low light shining from the fireplace, giving the entire room an eerie shine, but the crackling of the wood is comforting and Luce, half asleep by now, has already sunk in her old plush chair. Skull has been strangely quiet the entire evening and while normally Luce liked to try to weasel some details about Skull lose when they were alone, Skull had been so unresponsive that Luce had finally stopped trying to talk to him, unnerved by his unusual melancholy mood. However, that didn't stop her flames from playing almost subconsciously with those of Skull.

''What are you doing?'' He had asked her, his eyes glinting in the fire. The warmth and affection seem to leave them with the shine, leaving them to show a burning which would swallow you up if you weren't careful.

Luce arches her brow at him. ''What do you mean?''

''Your flames, they're like- I don't know. Touching mine or something?''

A spike of panic rises in Luce chest. ''Does it make you uncomfortable? I can stop, if you want.''

Skull's eyes sharpen in ways they shouldn't, looking right through her word play. ''It feels kind off familiar. Have you done this before?''

''Yes. I thought you didn't mind when you didn't make any comments about it. I'm sorry if it's made you uncomfortable.'' That's a lie. She wonders if he will notice, if he'll find out some day.

Skull grins. Luce can't actually say why but she has a strong feeling it's a fake one. ''But isn't that like a very serious gesture to make? That's what you told me that one time, right? Shouldn't you talk about that?''

Luce shrugs, awkward, uncertain and feeling like a kid being caught with their hands in the cookie jar, only far worse. But she wasn't a mafia boss for nothing. She makes sure none of those feelings show up in her face and tries to radiate nonchalance and confidence.

''I guess I just assumed-'' She stops herself. Somehow she knows that her answer would not go over well.

She doesn't know why this makes her hesitate.

Skull looks at her with fierce, angry (intense, intense) eyes for only a second, before it's gone; replaced with a wicked grin. It's so fast that Luce can almost convince herself that it was a trick of the light.

''If you wanted to make clear to Skull-sama that you love him, you should've just said! You needn't be shy!'' He suddenly howls loudly. ''Don't worry! You aren't my only admirer! It's nothing to be ashamed of!''

He moves of his chair, his arms coming up theatrically. ''Though to Skull-sama's heartfelt sorrow, Skull-sama can't return your feelings! You-You are not his only fan, and Skull-sama could never favour one over another!''

For a moment it's painfully silent. Luce stares with surprised eyes at a standing Skull who has his arms wide spread looking at her expectantly, like she is supposed to cheer for him now or something.

Then a tired Reborn looking slightly disheveled kicks open the door to the hallway with a loud bang. There's a small aura of anger and murder hanging around him.

Skull squeaks loudly in shock.

''Why are you being so loud. It's literally three in the morning.'' He frowns at Skull, lets his eyes flicker over her, before focusing on Skull again. ''Why are you even up, lacky.''

Skull laughs obnoxiously, puffing up. ''Luce has just confessed her feelings for me. It's nice that someone finally understand Skull-sama's charm, but Skull-sama had to make sure she didn't get the wrong idea!''

Reborn stares at Luce, looking at her like she went mad. Then he turns to Skull, staring at him much the same. Then back again at Luce. He blinks.

''Lackey. I don't appreciate anyone lying to me.'' It's as much tired as annoyed as maybe a tiny bit amused.

Skull's voice squeaks again, insulted. ''But I'm not lyin-!''

There are some firing shots, Skull screaming and luce can already hear the others in the house rousing, all probably equally annoyed by now.

''Skull!'' Someone screams a few rooms away. ''Shut the fuck up! I'm trying to fucking sleep!''

''But it's Reborn-senpai's fault!''

''What did you say?'' Reborn cuts in, still firing shots that come dangerously close.

Skull wails.

The sixth one… the less said about that the better.

At the very beginning, when she had met Skull, he had looked at her completely blank. But, even while he hadn't met her gaze with extreme caution or excitement or anything like that, something in his gaze had made Luce feel like he could see right through her. Like he knew of her and checkerfaces' plan the minute he stepped inside.

She never really figured out why he tried to back out that first time and those times after. If it had really been just him being happy where he was (And she had took that from him, she had torn it away without hesitation because some things where meant to be) or something else. But, like so many things, it had left her curious.

When the trap was set and activated, the Arcobaleno's strong adult bodies shrinking into those of babies, Luce didn't look at Fon whose ever calm broke, she didn't look at Lal and her loyal follower who pushed her away, she didn't even look at the ever suspicious Reborn who she had doomed to never trust again for possibly always because once again his hard-gained trust had been broken.

No, She was looking at Skull.

There was something oh so horrible but still so satisfying of the way that Skull was staring at her.

He didn't look surprised at all.

The last one is one of the last vision that she ever gets. It's not necessarily centered on Skull, but he manages to jump out anyway. It's… It's about her own funeral.

Luce doesn't necessarily know few people, but the attendance of her funeral isn't really much. The people that are invited need to be trusted, which makes the number of people allowed to make an appearance decline by a lot. Most of the people that come are part of her own famiglia or maybe very good allies. None of the Arcobaleno show up either, but a small glimpse of Reborn who throws one glance at the grave, scowls and stalks away, and Skull. She guesses... that that's to be expected and tries to ignore the pang of guilt and sadness in her gut. The Arcobaleno were powerful individuals but they were also cautious and lone wolfs mostly. To have broken their trust, it was not something they would forgive. Honestly, she kind of surprised at both Reborn's and Skull's appearance.

But while Reborn must have been there for maybe ten minutes, Skull is there the whole funeral and even a bit longer, sitting in a tree of all things. To be fair he's a little bit off of the actual speeches and the lowering of her basket, but he watches everyone and everything with a bitter smile and Luce somehow knows he does not miss anything that happens.

Nobody seems to notice him, not even Reborn, but Luce does. When everyone has finally left, even her weeping daughter, Skull jumps out, walking the small distance to her grave. For a second Luce is afraid he might do something to deface her gravestone in his anger for her deeds, but he only crouches before it, tracing the letters of her name. His eyes are cold, but they almost always were when directed at her after that evening. Afterwards he lets out a bitter laugh.

'' You- You're a real piece of work, you know? And I don't necessarily mean that in a positive way.''

Luce swallows.

It's silent for a while.

'' But… may you rest in peace Luce, for now you have gotten the opportunity too. Don't worry about your betrayal against me because you've been forgiven. Pain or worries should not follow one in death, you know, because death is just like a new chapter in your existence. A new great adventure, if you will.'' The skin around his eyes crinkles as he smiles. It looks a bit bittersweet.

'' An old man told me that once. I heard someone call him one of the wisest man that has ever lived one time. His advice should- Most of the things he said weren't even that bizarre, if you got past the fact he was one of those cryptic senile old man types, you know. I- I admired him a lot when I was younger.''

His voice wobbles on the last sentence and Skull clears his throat, suddenly looking more sombre than Luce thinks she has ever seen him before.

'' You- you handled in the way you thought was best though, and while the greater good has never done much for me, I've learned it's a great motivator for others. I guess you can take comfort in the fact you're at least not a part of the great evil, right? Though they would probably think themselves to be good too. People are weird like that.''

It's silent for a while, before Skull laughs again.

'' Ah, how awful… I'm jealous…''

Luce doesn't see much more after that, but she has a feeling Skull sits there for a long time.

(She never does learn what's he's jealous off.)

As she lays on her deathbed, Luce finally accepts that she never did figure out Skull, and never will either. She had learned much more than she had in years while he was talking to her grave for god's sake.

Luce thinks that maybe she went about it wrong. That Skull is maybe a little bit like water or sandin the way that the harder you grip them, the more it'll slip away. Though maybe it doesn't matter either way, as, at the end of the day, no matter how hard or gently you try to grab the sand, it slips through the cracks between your fingers anyway.

But that being said, she still learned a lot. One of those things morbidly enough being Skull's view on death. It wasn't something she had really wanted to know, nor something she thought she would actually ever know. But well, her visions showed her more things like that. It wasn't anything new.

Skull's view, or the one of the old man, or both- whatever. She'll just go with it being Skull's view of death is an interesting one, if a bit depressive. But, it's also a… freeing one?

Luce doesn't know, all she knows is when she's laying on her bed, her loved ones sitting next to her and knowing that these were her last moments, she thinks back on his words and that they make it a bit easier to go to sleep and face that unknown blackness with a smile on her face.

'A new great adventure, huh?'

Chapter Text

Skull is decidedly not happy with his cursed body. He's even unhappier with the changes it brings. It doesn't seem the same case with the others but with Skull and his magic plus this newly cursed body, well, Skull isn't sure what happened, but it sure as hell wasn't good.

Skull's brain seems to have had some weird fucking shortcut. He can't focus. His thoughts get muddled and hazes take over for months where Skull won't remember anything. Sometimes he wakes up in another continent while he doesn't know how he got here. Sometimes he meets people who he should know but doesn't. He even forgets the other Arcobaleno's names or the fact that he's in a child's body sometimes. He's never forgotten his name at least, but as the months pass, it just keeps on getting harder and harder to remember other names and places and everything before Skull. The haunting memories of the faces following him blur and other old memories fall away. Hermione, Ron, Hedwig, Sirius, Hagrid, everyone. Even his own identity as Harry. The only thing that seems to stay are voices and sometimes faces Skull wishes he could forget. (He tries to ignore a small voice in his head which says maybe it's better this way.) And those aren't just in his head anymore, because Harry is bloody hallucinating. Like, proper, seeing dead people hallucinating. He has had more freak outs in the last few months than he has had in years. He's going mad, probably in a bit more literal sense than anyone wants.

(''Fear makes people do terrible things, Harry.'' Sirius whispers.

'' I'm not afraid. I've got nothing to be afraid of. Seeing you, all of you, it just makes me angry.'' Skull bites. Sirius looks at him with sad, sad eyes.)

Physically, his scars fade and become nearly invisible, leaving no sign of his life from before either, and his magic gets repressed, swirling forever inside him, straining and overwhelming, ready to explode but unable to.

This all causes his introduction to the actual mafia and the underground as an Arcobaleno to be rough. Though to be honest, Skull's first introductions to the underground had already happened far before the letter of checker face, and Skull was pretty sure most of the missions with the Arcobaleno weren't entirely legal. But, still, those earlier experiences were very different in just one aspect. Simply that no one cared about Skull. Skull wasn't important. But now, the introduction was very two-sided instead of one-sided.

As an official Arcobaleno he got recognized. He got searched after. He got hunted.

Of course, it takes time, but as slowly the rumor hill did their job, men and woman who know nothing of him but the status he would bring with him, try to pull him into their life. Into the life of taking a life without even blinking, a life where nothing is worth anything but the money and drugs gained by blood.

(Mad-eye Moody's eyes spin and spin. ''Constant vigilance!'' He hisses when the boss of the familigia holds her hand out. Skull barely manages to keep from flinching but his eyes flicker. Her other hand is hidden behind her back.

His hands flutter and he jumps away. ''Oh, no! Skull-sama's been having this terrible cold! I wouldn't want to be the cause of you catching one too!''

The boss blinks and her lips dip before she can stop them. She manages to school her face again quickly though, and her smile is blinding when she reassures him it's okay, she doesn't mind.

She never does get that hand-shake though.)

.

Skull is sitting in a seedy bar. He's the only one sitting alone at the bar, all surrounding him are different groups. They've been giving him curious side-glances, and the barkeep has been questioning him without many results but some made up answers about why he's literally got the body of a kid. That info had gossiped around in less than two minutes.

The mafia isn't all that present here, thankfully, though that doesn't mean there's no corruption. Right next to him a gang he recognizes as the one that murdered no less than ten of the kids not hours before. 'Clean up' they had called it. ''No one will miss a few homeless kids. It's a shame though. They've been loyal for these years, too bad they saw too much.'' The words echo in his head. Blood on their hands blinds his vision.

One of the kids had been called Luna. She had asked him for an autograph when he met her a few days ago. She had recognized him immediately as the stuntman he once was and never even asked why he was so small. She had reminded him of someone. (Her hands had shaken and she had clawed at her arms until she had fumbled out one of her pills. Her eyes had been blurry and her voice shaky when she told him that he was her idol. Skull hadn't known how to help her.)

''You've been staring at the wall for a long time now. Something on your mind?'' Skull doesn't startle at the voice, he'd been listening to the footsteps coming closer. He turns to the source. A man is standing a few feet away with brown curly hair and a light skin. He's part of the gang who murdered Luna.

''Enough.''

''Well, aren't you forthcoming?'' He grins. ''I'm Liam. Nice to meet you. Man, I must say I almost don't believe you're an actual adult. Got some proof?''

Skull gives him a look. ''What do you want?''

The man's face sticks in his playful grin at first but Skull stares at him for long enough that he cracks.

''Not a fan of jokes then, are ya? Or a painful topic, I guess.'' He pouts condescendingly, before grinning again and shrugging. He waits and then when Skull doesn't say anything prompts. ''You've been giving us some looks. I guess I just wanted to know why.''

Skull cocks his head. ''You with them?'' The other nods and he tugs his lips up. ''You seem like a rowdy bunch.''

Liam grins back, looking delighted. ''They too loud for you? I told them to keep it down, but with the others here tonight, it's almost like asking for trouble.''

''You don't get along with the other residents?''

Liam shakes his head. ''More like they don't get along with us. We stick our hands in the wrong business they say.''

''Oh?''

The brown-haired man stares at him for a moment. ''Well, you know.'' He says then. ''You interested?''

Skull grins delighted. ''Absolutely. Got a place and time for it?''

The man laughs, a loud, belly laugh. ''What can you offer us?''

''Depends on what you can offer me.'' Again, the man looks at him for just a bit too long, but the gang is the biggest around here. They aren't used to feeling cautious and it slips away faster than it should.

''Here. Believe me when I say we can offer more than enough.'' The man grins at him one more time, a greedy confident light in his eyes, and slips him a flyer of some shady nightclub. Skull scans it and his eyes land on the address.

Calle Eras, 41

28670 Valdemanco

Madrid

It's a club too far from the center of the city. ''Tonight 1 AM good? I'll make sure the bouncers know to look out for someone your size.'' He laughs again.

Skull doesn't smile. ''I will be there.''

.

The worst thing, Skull thinks, is that they succeeded. He got pulled in and pulled in deep.

.

He's sitting in the bar again, swirling around his whiskey that he probably shouldn't have gotten with this body. But a lot of things shouldn't happen with the body he has now.

He probably won't even drink it.

There's a hush going around, the shock too great to be able to think about the little subtlety they had. ''You hear about the fire at Calle Eras?''

''I don't think anyone hasn't heard.'' The man hisses back frantically.

''You think it was natural?'' Another one snorts. ''There were no fucking survivors. Not one, inside or outside the club. They were fucking hunted down, that's what I think.''

''I hear they pissed off the higher ups!'' One whispers.

''What higher ups?! They were the fucking higher ups!''

''What do we do now?'' Another asks.

''Well, if you ask me, one thing! We shutting that thing with the kids and the drugs down! It's fucking sickening.'' A few others slam down their hands and roar in agreement.

Skull wonders how long that thought will hold up. He thinks it won't be that long. It almost never does.

Skull settles in a life of traveling. He starts big. He flies from one important, famous city or country to another in less than a month, desperate to not even like he was settling down somewhere. Rio de Janeiro is beautiful and big but still densely packed, with small colourful alleys and too many kids on the streets making the best of it. Singapore is surrounded by water with high buildings and small temples everywhere. Everyone is so different and diverse with different religions and languages and origins and it's easier in the way that Skull is just one of the groups. Moscow is cold and impressive. It's also colourful but differently than Rio de Janeiro. Where Rio was colourful in all the little subtle things, in the colours of the clothes and in the warm coloured walls of the houses which are pressed together like a block-tower made by a child, which make you feel like you can get lost in this city an never be found, Moscow is colourful in big building with bright colours, it's city almost intimidating in the beauty and status it radiates. Egypt is so hot and there's sand everywhere, but the strange beauty of the sand dunes, the pyramids and the Nile which brings life to the land is irresistible and magical, in the way that it seems like you've stepped in a children's-story.

And then slowly, he begins to go slower, smaller too. He gets pulled in by the locals and more often than not he ends up staying longer than just a month. Sometimes they help him or teach him new things. He speaks a lot of languages now. Though it's in the most basic sense of knowing the language. Sometimes he helps them, teaching them, technology, languages, everything he knows or sometimes he helps them more physically, often around harvest time. He tries to do everything he can do for them really (Too often they need help with things that Skull is growing too familiar with. Mafia, gangs, the underground is growing like a fungus and it infects everything.). He likes living like this. He likes helping others.

An old man from a village in Mexico tells him 'Travelers travel, but only fools live a life of only saying goodbye.' Skull guesses he's right. He's constantly saying goodbye now, but he can't stay and he doesn't want to immediately go either. Skull isn't new to being a fool though.

He travels around in India, going from city to village. The too populated cities where there was no street not used to the villages which were so remote there wasn't even a road going to them. He continuous through Nepal and then the eastern side of China, where the people are few and moved by a simple life. Their culture is rich there and with their stories, they always manage to convince him to stay just a bit longer. He finds himself in the Balkan-states where the atmosphere is heavy but the people are kind even in their sorrow. He goes to Bulgaria and to Croatia and to Romania and Serbia and Slovenia and he just goes on and on, to small villages with sweet women and excited children and defensive but kind men. In some places where nature is bright and green, with rocky beaches and clear water, and in other places it was dry and sandy with dull green plants and it was still such a nice feeling that it took Skull's breath away.

He's been to Sweden too, he knows because someone had painted horns on his helmet there on a late night when he had asked about Vikings. (Apparently, the Swedish Vikings had traveled to the east, and even helped to found Kiev. That's what they had told him while dancing and laughing and drinking. When he had asked the boy why he had painted the horns on his helmet he had told Skull ''Horned helmets were never worn by our ancestors. That's just a story. You seem like the person who tells a lot of just-a-story-stories. You know what I mean?''

The woman beside them had laughed and said ''I know what you mean. You're literally saying he seems like he lies a lot!'' The others laughed with her. ''You know what though? Our ancestors did have horns! Drinking horns!'' The pub roared.) He can't quite remember when or how he had been to Sweden though. It's the same with Ethiopia and Ghana, and with Iraq and Oman. It's the same with a lot of places. It will probably be the same with a few of the places he still remembers now, soon too.

He had traveled before too, before he had let himself be tied down by old Fujita-san. It was nice, to be on the road again. Not be bound to anything. Not required to do anything. To be almost free again. He thinks he's going to go to Brazil again next, but maybe further inland this time. Maybe he can travel through the jungle to Paraguay. He's heard some nice things about Paraguay. Maybe somewhere else in South-America too. Or maybe he can go to New-Zealand. He's always wanted to go there too. The landscapes are supposed to be breath-taking. Well, he's got time. He can do both.

There's someone sitting next to Skull.

'' You won't forget about me too, will you? I mean I can understand that you would want to forget about your mudblood friend or the bloodtraitors, but a person like me…''

Skull still knows who he's talking about at least. That had been different the last time. He sighs.

'' You're dead, Tom.''

'' I'm sitting next to you, fool.'' The other laughs.

'' You could just leave me alone.'' He says, just like he had said last time and the times before.

'' Well, it's your own fault I'm here. You can't even keep your memories inside.'' He scoffs. ''Though you don't have to, of course, if you would just do your job.'' Tom trails of suggestively. Skull decides not to answer. Answering never led to answers and always led to more questions from his side or 'suggestions' from Tom's.

Tom, as soon as he seems to understand this, groans. ''You're just too boring, honestly.'' They stare at the graves surrounding them and Tom begins to hum, his lips twitching as he tries to stop them from curling into a devilish grin. Skull closes his eyes in annoyance. Somethings burning. Skull doesn't know where.

"Just remember, child. As a nightmare for some, for others, as a saviour, I come.'' He sings. ''My hands, cold and bleak, it's the warm hearts they seek. Forever dwelling under skies, never seen by living eyes, for man or monster, blessed or cursed, in wait I lay. Uninventable and unpreventable, and I won't allow any foul-play. -'

''Can you stop singing creepy rhymes, Tom, please.'' Skull interrupts him. Tom grins.

'' If you won't let me finish this one, do you want to hear the one about the dead rabbit? I like that one.''

'' Tom, just shut up.''

'' Well, I'm just trying to amuse you. Walking for days on a road, all alone, can't be good for anyone. Where are you even going?''

'' Yes, it's obviously bad for me. The only thing I can't quite figure out if you're the reason or if you're the sign it is.''

Tom pouts. ''Harry, you're really just too mean.'' He says before he disappears. Skull stops and looks around. There's nothing around for miles. Only a road and flat dry planes as far as the eyes can see. He adjusts his backpack and then begins walking again.

Skull tries to ignore the rhyme as it bounces around and around.

' Important' The dead faces around him say.

He's moving his lips before he can stop them.

" -So, just remember, child, don't worry that heart of mine, welcome or defied, I will come, and never leave dissatisfied, for I lay here in the dark, just waiting for you, love, to drop your guard.''

Tom's the worst.

Meeting Oodaku was as special as painful.

Having a familiar -even if they didn't call it that here- was apparently a must as Arcobaleno and while Skull had been able to avoid doing so until now, he had been tricked. At least, that was what he said.

There had been other animals before. A raven, some weird fat puffy bird, a hedgehog, an actual fly and a bloody goldfish (those two had been weird experiences), a giraffe (that had been a truly weird experience), a snake, a giant turtle, a really fat and fluffy cat, a fox, an owl (that one had been close), a dog (that one even closer) and he could go on and on. He had half a zoo come by and try to get close. But somehow, he had been able to turn them away one by one.

Oodaku though, that octopus hadn't come to him, Skull had come to the octopus. Or kinda at least.

It had been Japan, once again, and he had walked by a food stand. Oodaku had been floating around in one of those aquariums to be chosen at any moment to become someone's food. And somehow, Skull had not been able to walk past that baby octopus with the sad eyes without doing something about it. So, he had gone to the vendor, bought the octopus, and then all the other octopuses in the tank, and then after some hackling also the tank because he didn't have anything to hold them in.

Several hours later and after he had been laughed or cooed at several times because something about a baby holding an enormous tank with octopuses was apparently very cute and hilarious and not concerning at all, he arrived at the seashore.

He had emptied the tank one for one, ending up with the baby octopus whom he had noticed the first and who was the reason for all of his troubles.

Through trial and error (Namely an embarrassing incident involving ink and the suckers of one octopus), he knew now that the best way to let them out is by gently sticking his hand in the water and allowing the octopus to come to him and to cling to him, which felt weird. So, he waited till the small octopus moved to his hand and began clinging to him and moved him to the sea water and… Oodaku didn't let go. Now, there had been one of the other octopuses that had done this too, so Skull waited for a few minutes, but it still didn't move.

So, Skull tried to gently coax him off with soft words and tender touches.

(''Hey, buddy, you're safe now, come on, you can go home now, play with your friends, come on mate, you can do it. -'')

This had not helped. No, Oodaku had actually tightened his stupid tentacles.

Skull, had then, after almost a whole hour, continued with... less gentle words, soft arm-waving, poking and an annoyed aura.

(''Come on, bud, I don't want to hurt you. I can't stay here all day. My pants are drenched and I'm cold. Also, I'm hungry. Take some responsibility. Get the fuck off. Otherwise, I'll eat you. That's why you were in that tank, you know. You were going to be eaten. You could've avoided that fate, but now it's going to happen anyway. I'm sure your parents will be very disappointed in your survival skills-'')

The annoying beast had just stared at him and not moved an inch. He should've just upended the entire tank in the water.

Skull, another fifteen minutes later, snapped. Tugging on the stupid crawly thing and screaming at it. He must have looked ridiculous. Ron probably would have been proud of his mouth though. If he had been thinking a bit more rationally at that time he would have thought that he was happy he had chosen a rather remote part of the beach.

(''GET OFF, YOU BLOODY ARSE! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, YOU FUCKING FUCKTARD! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO DO THIS! I'LL BLOODY DISMEMBER YOU! I DO NOT DESERVE THIS! THIS IS FUCKING BOLLOCKS! -'')

His sudden anger had even made his flames flare and damn it all, because suddenly the stupid animal was fucking gigantic and still fucking clinging to him, only now engulfing him in his stupid tentacles instead of just clinging to his arm, and of course, because Skull was in no way strong enough to actually remove a fucking giant clinging octopus from himself, after twenty minutes trying to fight his way out of those things, he had suddenly been sobbing and blubbering on the ground. His clothes drenched and still covered in ink stains. His voice croaky and hoarse and his throat sore, hurting a bit more with every sob and with icky tentacles surrounding him in some sort of stupid hug.

(''Please, let go. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, so sorry, but I can't- You can't stay. No one stays. You don't want to end up with me. You will be happy in the sea, have your own family, come on. No one stays if they want to or not. You need to go. Fuck- please, just, just please- '')

In short, Skull had an emotional breakdown in front of the stupid animal.

He had painfully lost to an octopus of all animals.

The small clinging purple octopus had slipped through his wall with almost palpable ease after that.

And it was horrible. Because Skull couldn't afford to get so fond of something anymore. Not in this world. Not when his main purpose was to figure out how to successfully commit suicide. (and wasn't that just sad. He wonders how his old friends would react to seeing him now. He avoids thinking about how they would be disappointed.) He couldn't afford getting attached because then he would have a reason to live again, and Skull didn't want a reason anymore, he just wanted rest.

(He feels so very tired.)

He didn't want to do this anymore. Not for some stupid, useless animal. He just wanted for the world to stop spinning, for it to stop working, and to go to sleep and never wake up, and- Just, he wanted for it all to stop so, so badly. So, this small, purple, absolutely adorable little octopus became his absolute archenemy the moment that Skull gave in ever so slightly.

And, really, Skull wasn't losing. After all, you know what they say, just because you lost the battle doesn't mean you lost the war.

If only Skull would win a few battles too.

Harry is experienced with cages, with bondage, with imprisonment. He's experienced with the feeling of being unable to do anything but scream. He is experienced with the feeling of metal bars around his wrists and having no way of getting away. He knows the feeling of having to listen while not wanting to but not being able to do anything about it. He's familiar with the feeling of having to stay and obey.

He hates it, hatesithatesishatesit.

It takes some time before anyone has the guts to do it, but the first sky after Luce of whom Skull notices that he tried to manipulate Skull through his flames and afterwards tries to force him to bond with him as his element burns.

(A woman is laughing. Her curls bounce and her dress swirls around her. ''You need to mean it, little bitty baby Potter! Do you feel it? Do you enjoy it? Remember, righteous anger won't hurt them for long. Let me show you how it is done.'' She gushes. ''I'll show you how to play! I'll teach you!'')

He will never be caged again.

(He tries to ignore the fact that he's already caged, if not by the curse, then by his immortality.

It aches.)

When Luce dies, it hurts. It shouldn't.

She did betray them - even if Skull already knew she would from the second he met her-, she helped cage him, she tore at his walls until they were nothing but wonky ruins, wanting everything but never giving back enough. It shouldn't hurt.

(He goes to her funeral in the end. A tangle of contrasting emotions but with too much to just ignore it. He hasn't seen the other Arcobaleno at all the first decade after the curse. Every one of them running away in their own way, but that day he sees Reborn again.

Reborn doesn't see him.)

He shouldn't even bother to meet her daughter either. She spelled just as much trouble and pain.

(He does, she does too.)

Skull does feel a little... uncertain about everything occasionally. (He's afraid again, stupidly. He shouldn't be afraid anymore now. But Skull knows better than anyone that some things are worse than death.)

His head just isn't right anymore. He feels vulnerable and sick and oh so exposed, and all he wants is for someone to make it right again and stop this awful helplessness he feels whenever he wakes up remembering no one and nothing.

But the other Arcobaleno are gone and Skull is alone. No one can fix him, lord knows the others have already done everything to try fixing their selves. And even if they took care of the curse, Skull is not foolish enough to think that would actually fix him.

The thing is though, Skull isn't a nobody anymore. He's an Arcobaleno now. There's a lot of eyes focused on him and Skull is still ridiculously new to and inexperienced with this world. Luckily, this isn't the first new world he's stepped into completely witless, so he knows what to look out for and how to adjust, he's done so twice before, but there's always things that happen. And when Skull doesn't have a clear head…

How can he adjust if he doesn't remember the clues? if he barely can pick them up, because his magic is screaming so loudly in the back of his head that everything else gets drowned out? But still, the Arcobaleno aren't there, and Skull isn't a child. Besides, even as a child, this isn't the first time he has been alone and susceptible.

(''I can teach you. I can show you how!'' Bellatrix hushes to him. Tom's smiling somewhere behind her. He pats her shoulder and she's gone.

'' Come on, Harry, rest your eyes, join me. Together, we'll do extraordinary things. I'll break you free.''

'' You're dead, Tom.'' Harry reminds him again. He has to do that too often. He sees Tom the most.

Tom chuckles.)

He will survive. He always does. His moniker 'The-boy-who-lived' was good enough an indication of that at least.

It's the easiest thing, Skull thinks, to get swept up by the darkness of the underground. In the end, all he has to do is let loose and burn. He doesn't even need fighting tactics or elaborate plans to catch others. He just has to let himself go. Let his emotions overrun and his thoughts take the backseat. Forget the screams. Forget the deaths he will cause. Forget consequences. Skull never leaves any traces. Dead men tell no tales after all. It's the easiest thing.

(A man is behind him, with a long white beard and sparkling blue eyes. He looks familiar and his name lays right on the tip of his tongue but Harry for the life of him can't actually remember it.

The man shakes his head sadly. ''You should remember, Harry, that it's our choices that show what we truly are far more than our abilities. You must face what you are doing and the question of what's right and what is easy. Numbing the pain for a while will only make it worse when you finally feel it .''

Someone important, Sirius, Skull thinks he's called, is sitting on a rock next to him. ''Yeah, kid, we've all got light and dark inside us. You've never been a bad person. You're a good person, who bad things have happened to. Don't forget it, Harry.''

Tom scoffs, lounging on another rock, while still looking strangely dignified. ''Light and dark? Bad and good? You say that like one is better than the other. Don't be a fool. There is no good and evil, there's only power, and those too weak to seek it.'')

Over the years, as they heal, Skull will see the other Arcobaleno on and off.

(He doesn't really know. His body is acting like a malfunctioning computer, deleting some files and unable to recognize others. Maybe he has seen them yesterday. He doesn't think he did. All he knows he remembers their names, their faces... most times.)

After the first time Viper found him, eleven years after the curse had been cast on them, he meets them more often. He's pretty sure they search for him sometimes, most times individually. (Because misery does love its company, and who better than your fellow victim of the same curse.) It's almost like they're checking up on him. Sometimes they find him, sometimes they don't.

(How can you find someone if they don't know where they are themselves?)

Sometimes he will try to avoid their gaze, will skirt around them in fear of them noticing something. Sometimes they will see him anyway. Sometimes they won't.

(He probably shouldn't have bothered. If they noticed anything all those years ago, they never bothered to do anything about it anyway.)

But sometimes he allows them to see him deliberately, even searches for them a bit. He doesn't quite know why he does that though.

(''Skull.'' Fon's voice is controlled as always but Skull can hear an obviously surprised undertone. Even his eyes seem wider than usual.

Skull supposes that's natural. This isn't a normal place for someone to be. Especially not for a former civilian.

'' Skull, what are you-, how did you- '' The man pauses and takes a breath. His eyes look normal again. ''Are you doing well?''

The corners of Skull's mouth tug up almost automatically. It is a good day when you can shock Fon enough to actually let him stammer. ''Skull-sama has been doing great! As always! Life flourishes with him around!''

Fon's eyes seem to soften, but Skull is pretty sure it's a trick of the light. Fon doesn't (can't) actually feel a fondness for him.

'' Where have you been then? None of us have heard from you these last'' He pauses, frowning a bit. ''these last four years.''

Skull freezes.

Was that the last time he had seen any of them? But who and where had it been? He didn't know. He was pretty sure it had been Verde in Lisbon. God. What had he been doing these last four years for that matter? Where had he been? Had it truly been four years? How long has the curse been going on now for that matter?... What year is it?

Fon looked at him, always having more patience with him than the others. His eyes are piercing now though, searching and -not concerned, it can't be concern-.

He forces a laugh through his lips. ''Everywhere and nowhere. Skull-sama has been traveling as always! I went to visit the most amazing country on this world, Japan!''

He thinks he had at least. He tries to go at least yearly to Fujita-san's and his daughter's grave to pay his respects. Just as he tries to go to England once in a while. It may not really be his England but it's comforting and calming to hear the familiar accent and language and to see the just as familiar old buildings and landscapes, and he enjoys the often-dreary weather, even if he doesn't always remember why.

He wants to change the subject, wants to turn the conversation around to Fon, but Fon doesn't like talking about himself or really his work, which was basically all what his life contained.

Luckily, there's one thing Skull can always bring up while ignoring the small, thankful (not affectionate, never affectionate) smile on Fon's face.

'' How is Lichi?!'')

He… enjoys it, he thinks.

'' Tom, why are you here? Why won't you leave? All of you?'' He asks while looking out over the lake. It's a big one but Skull thinks he can see a few ships in the distance.

Skull's sure that if someone was here, they would've thought him crazy, with him talking to air and all, though that's kind of the point, it was only air to his touch. His eyes told him another story. Thankfully, however, this part of Austria was not too populated and Skull hadn't seen another person for the last week.

'' Well, you should blame your brain. You're the one who's making us stay here.''

'' You weren't here before.'' Skull tries to argue.

'' You should know what happens when someone agitates their magic.'' Tom tuts. He moves but his steps don't make any sound.

Skull sighs. ''You really don't know how to give someone actual answers, do you?''

Tom rolls his eyes. ''Don't you need to get started?''

'' With what?''

'' Your job.''

'' My job? You always start about that job.'' Skull stops himself. ''Can you actually tell me what my job is for once?'' Tom looks at him like he's an idiot.

'' If you don't know what your job is, how am I supposed to know? Need I remind you I'm just in your head? Though I must admit with my superior intellect I- ''

Skull cuts him off. ''But just because it's in my head, it doesn't mean you're not real, right?''

Tom looks at him for a long time, before he laughs. Harder and louder than Skull has ever heard. He laughs and laughs and Skull thinks about his words and-

'' Ah, I think I'm finally maybe going a bit mad.''

Tom grins at his words. His cheeks are flushed from the laughter and his breath is just the tiniest bit heavy. ''Don't you worry, Harry, you're just as sane as I am.'' He giggles.

As Skull's mental state slowly deteriorates, he finds himself looking up the Arcobaleno more often. They don't really seem to mind, they don't even ask questions and they're calming in a way nothing else is. A shelter from the storm of his head.

It was easier now too. He had decided to keep something of a diary, even if his manly pride took a bit of a hit and his paranoia basically cries every time he actually writes intimidate details in it. It does help a lot. He actually should probably have thought of it sooner, but Skull has never been the brains of the operation for a reason.

God, he misses… them- Them…The brains.. It's somewhere in his journal probably.

He keeps a list of names now. One of his past and one of his present, and notes any meetings with others, or other important events. And every night, he tries to read through the lists and the notes and thinks maybe it will stay in my brain this time, even if he's only been disappointed by it until now. But it is easier to talk with the others now, without feeling like he's a few miles and weeks behind them.

Mafia continuous to follow him and Skull can finally truly begin with following it back. He buys another notebook. This one for Mafia specifically. He will admit he wouldn't make a great scribe or register, but he thinks he's been doing fine. It's just a small thing, but he tries to write the mafia familigia names in it that he remembers or the new ones he learns of, and the often-small number of things he knows about them. And possibly what they know about or want from him.

It's boring, slow work, and he's probably already forgotten to write some important information in, it's a security risk and he can't always check his books before a meeting, but Skull is positive it's helping him. It gives him some structure in the familiar chaos. Structure is always good.

Skull is going to be just fine. One step at a time.

Chapter Text

When Lal meets the Arcobaleno, Skull blends into the background. It's logical. Besides people like Reborn, Viper and Fon, other people tend to seem bland. Even if Skull has a strong personality, he's, well, a nobody. In addition, after she finds out as they get to 'know' each other better, that Skull can be annoying as shit, she basically has established her thoughts on him for the first few months they knew each other.

Of course, Lal isn't an idiot. She does do a small bit of research in his background. Obviously, there are the stunts. Before that, he lived and worked in Japan for some time. And after some digging, she finds hints of him being part of a circus. It all points to the classic runaway who joined a circus. It's disappointing.

(She purses her lips and shakes her head at his enthusiastic chatter. He really has no idea where he ended up, did he? Well, no matter, fools are going to be fools. She couldn't be bothered to stop it. Better to be the less involved she can when it inevitably goes wrong. If he even holds out for that long, he'll probably be dead in a few weeks, anyway.)

Later she will think that maybe if she had actually talked with him she would have noticed there was more to his past, but fact was that none of them had tried to read in each other too much in the beginning. It had been just missions, and it was only after months and months, and injuries and problems, that they had very minimally and carefully began to reach out, even Reborn, Verde and Viper.

(Skull hadn't.)

Still, her first indication that there's something more to Skull than the classic circus runaway is after those first few months. They're (still reluctantly) sketching some kind of plan out for the next mission. It's easier to work together now, but before it had been a real struggle with prominently Verde, Reborn, Fon and Viper doing their own thing, while Lal, more used to actually work together, actually tried to work something out and Skull just hung back.

Now, they're actually having team meetings or something. It's mostly screaming or passive aggressive arguing, especially if Luce wasn't there. That day, Luce hadn't been there. Lal had been ready to step up between Fon and Reborn who had been pleasantly sipping from their drinks while shooting daggers at each other because of a difference in opinions about the getaway when Skull had softly called out her name.

In less than five minutes he laid out a simple, but good fucking plan, that somehow should appease Fon and Reborn both.

At the time, it hadn't struck out to Lal much, but it had been notable enough to remember. He had pointed out the good, clever vantage points and had constructed a coverup for the weaknesses into his plan with just enough ease. It could be luck, could be insight or a big brain, or it could be something else.

It doesn't end at that mission. Skull hangs back again for a weeks after that occasion, but Lal is looking now and then he has to improvise in a mission and in that split second, he chooses to hang back, even in face of danger, and let Lal take control. Objectively, It's the best course he can take. Emotionally, it's a really tough one. That indicates that it's something else. That isn't luck, isn't smarts, that is experience.

And so, Skull becomes more interesting, even with his annoying tendencies to scream and whine. It's curious, but Lal is hesitant to step out and question him. Though they have become closer and more amicable, they're still only colleagues at best. She doesn't have right, nor enough interest, to question him. It's still his business, just as Lal has her business. So, she lets it go. Just like she knows the others do with Skull's peculiarities, except for maybe Luce, who needles everyone about everything because she actually cares about them getting closer.

And then the curse happens.

They fight. (Skull doesn't join. He just sits to the side, seemingly frozen in shock or in some shitty daze, and stares at Luce and later he watches them scream and rage in silence and it had only made her angrier. Fucking civilians.) They split.

And then the other Arcobaleno are the last thing on her mind, but for Colonello and his stupidity. She's angry, frantic and hopeless, which makes her even angrier and angrier, swirling in a toxic storm through her body.

She loses contact with all of the other Arcobaleno for some time. She knew some of them were angry about her and Colonello's… situation. So, some for a longer time, some shorter. But eventually, every Arcobaleno came, because even with their weird circumstances, they were into this together. That is, every Arcobaleno but Skull.

All of them lose contact with Skull for over a decade. He's just gone. Though they realize that only after a few years in.

It's isn't like he tries to avoid them. Lal knows he's been in contact with contacts of them, even on accident. Skull just isn't seeking them out. Hell, he possibly even has seen them in real life and just decided to turn away or something. It's almost like he's respecting their wishes for privacy or something. Which had been nice in the first years, when she hadn't even noticed, but now calmed down, it was just frustrating.

(Skull frustrated her. He still frustrates her. Most things do though.)

But then, after they meet, prompted by Lal, Skull still doesn't start to visit.

Sometimes they stumble on each other, and sometimes Lal (aggressively) searches him out, but it's never Skull that prompts contact (Surprisingly, Fon is the first one to point this out, and as soon as he does, Lal has the ominous feeling that somewhere something went wrong).

She'll never admit this to anyone but leaves her unsure. Lal… well, she doesn't always read people right. Most times it isn't a problem; she honestly doesn't care about the emotions or motivations of most people, just their actions and what those mean for her. Yes, she is very much a pragmatic woman of action.

Skull's words were often empty and that never mattered, because Lal cared more for his actions. This only becomes a problem much later, when she has accepted that even for all of his mysteries, he will maybe not die sooner or later. Because Lal finds, when there isn't something to do or a mission to follow, Skull's actions have a horrible habit of being really awfully contradicting.

For decades Lal meets Skull once in the ten years or so. Then she meets him once every few years. There isn't really a clear line when it begins to become more often, but after what feels like a lifetime she finally comes to a point where she meets him at least once a year on average.

It was probably because of that, that it had been hard to notice at first. It had also probably been for that same reason Fon had noticed first, and Verde, Colonello and Reborn not at all. Skull was acting weird.

Lal knows it's probably because of the curse. It must have hit and left a lasting impression. For a, while admittedly pretty tough, civilian, it must have been even harder. Lal remembers that they had to explain flames to him months after they had started. Flames. She remembered her disbelief at the knowledge that Skull had been using his flames with no idea what he had been doing. How he had looked so confused at their anger and explanations and how he had looked washed-out and small on the couch where he had been laid out. The annoyance (and concern and guilt) she had felt.

She remembers his empty eyes on the day of the curse and how he had stared at them.

She remembered turning away, even with the knowledge he, of all of them, would probably be thrown in the deep end the most. Then thinking that Skull could take care of himself, that he was strong enough, that she didn't even know the guy that well.

And sure, Skull had obviously been taking care of himself. But how well? In her years of knowing Skull she had never heard him speak about family, about friends that were more than just fleeting acquittances. She wondered how lonely he had been, wondered if he and Reborn and Fon and Verde and Viper had that in common, wondered if it was worse or better than the others, wondered how much he had trusted Luce in the end and how much she had let him down, wondered if Lal herself should have reached out more to all of them, if she should have shown more care, even if it made her want to gag at the thought of it.

Point is that Skull is more skittish. He suddenly switched to calm sometimes now and then other times he is the explosion of annoyance she knows so well. Conversations become landmines where certain questions or words will make him fall quiet suddenly, and she needs to call his names several times to snap him out of it. When she asks about it, he always waves it off.

But the others (Fon) talk of similar experiences, and slowly, irritatingly concern bubbles up. Because even with their limited interactions, Arcobaleno are hers, and she is theirs and god help anyone who tries to separate them, even if it's the brat himself. And if, even worse, someone is messing with their brat, than nothing will be able to stop her in her hunt for blood.

Lal meets Skull again in India.

It's more of an accident than anything, as their meetings are fifty percent of the time. Lal has a mission there. The Barsanti familigia has been causing trouble because of a new supplier for their drug smuggling in India and she's been called up to check the situation out.

It's pure coincidence that she overhears the men talking about Skull, or to be more exact, one is trying to convince the others that there really was a ''mini-adult in a motor suit'' at the pub yesterday. Immediately she decides to put a hold on her mission to visit Skull; the mission doesn't have a time-frame after all, and none of them have seen Skull in a while.

It takes around two hours of tracking him for her to find out that he literally has just checked out of the motel he had been staying at. If she didn't know better, she would think he had been avoiding her. But she does know better and she finds him on the outer skirts of the outer skirts of the city, sitting on an old crumbling stone wall. As she walks closer, he doesn't seem to notice her approach and keeps on staring at the cross-roads in front of him.

''Deciding where you're going to go next?'' She asks.

Skull doesn't move, almost like he hasn't heard her. He murmurs hazily, and she steps closer. ''What to do? What to do? They keep screaming, but it's better not to tell, better not to tell, better to not even whisper words of farewell. They're only dreaming.''

''Skull?''

Skull startles, a full-body flinch shaking his body before wide eyes snap to her. For a second, he seems completely frozen, his mouth slack and then he exclaims, ''Lal! W-What are you doing here?''

If it hadn't been for the murmurs and the turning feeling in her stomach, she probably would have smiled. It's nice to see him startle for once too, with all the times he randomly turns up and ends up almost giving her a heart-attack, looking completely oblivious at her plight.

She shakes herself. ''Mission. Tracking some members down from the Barsanti familigia. They've been causing trouble. Though when I heard you were seen in town I decided to at least try and say hi. Almost missed you though.''

Skull laughs, his hand moving to the back of his head and ruffling his hair. ''Well, the road moves on.''

''It never seems to stop with you.'' She scolds. Honestly, him just travelling on and on, refusing to be bound by one place, was one of the only reasons she truly believed Skull to be a cloud. Actually, a theory of Colonello was that instead of his cloud traits being fairly distributed, it was all focused onto the 'ultimate freedom'.

Sometimes she just wished he would stop going everywhere and nowhere for once. Just stay with them for a while again. Just long enough to make it feel like he isn't a stranger in almost every sense of the word, even if he has sought them out more often the last years.

It's silent for a while and Skull turns back to staring at the cross-roads in front of him. Lal decides to wait Skull out. He's in a strange mood again, quiet, hazy. She hasn't seen him like that for a while.

So, she looks at him as she waits. She scans the coat of white make-up wondering about the secrets it hides. The Arcobaleno don't really talk much. Their friendship is one which requires less talking and more the knowledge that they'll have each other backs, which is okay. Lal isn't much of a people person and so Lal's friendship mostly are like that, and she can't imagine Reborn or Viper opening up anyway. The only drawback was that they sometimes stepped on a landmine in a conversation without meaning to, causing the other to shut down. Even that had been going better though after decades of knowing each other.

Before, only Skull had never that problem though, because Skull never let the conversation get personal. At least, that's what Lal thinks. Colonello often jokes it's because he didn't just go through enough to get triggered by conversations, but Lal's pretty sure he doesn't even truly believe that himself.

Now… Lal wonders.

''You said the Barsanti familigia?'' Skull interrupts her thoughts, ''You've got pretty shitty timing, Lal.'' He huffs.

Lal raises her eyebrow. ''How so? You recognize the name?''

''Yeah, nasty guys.'' He answers as he turns back to look at her. She must have stared just a bit too long or maybe the expression on her face hadn't been as neutral as she thought because a moment later he asks, ''What?''

She blinks and shakes her head. ''Oh, no, nothing, just a bit surprised you recognize the name, that's all.''

''Hmm? How come? These guys are all over this place. They've got some plantations not too far from here, if you catch my meaning.''

Lal's scans him over. ''I thought you wouldn't know about them, because you try to avoid involving yourself with this stuff.''

Skull shrugs. ''Only so much I can avoid these days.'' And, oh. That slams. A bit. It wasn't her fault that Skull got involved in this mess, but honestly, she hadn't done much to keep the former-civilian out either. Nor had she tried to help him when they got cursed. Skull blinks at her unwittingly though, and Lal knows he hadn't meant to imply anything like her thoughts. Somehow that makes it even worse.

Lal hadn't reacted for too long though and Skull shrugs again. ''Ah, '' he sighs. ''It's no matter. Skull-sama was planning on leaving soon anyway. It's going to get pretty volatile in these parts, and as you said if I don't have to, I rather not deal with it.''

He stands up and stretches. ''I can stay until five o'clock maybe? With a bit of a stretch six? So, how would you feel about a luncheon?''

Lal stares at him like he's mad.

''Tea-time? They do have great tea here.'' He offers again, the British clown.

She wondered when he would finally understand you didn't just invite the world's strongest to luncheon or tea-time, for god's sake. She would have thought it would have finally sunk in after the idiot had changed one of their meetings into afternoon-tea and Reborn had almost had a breakdown, even though he denies it still because his coffee had been replaced with tea and 'sugary abominations'. (However, Lal was sure Fon had loved it. Partly because of the tea and partly because of Reborn slowly getting closer and closer to having a cerebral infarction.)

Skull grinned. ''You know what? I have something even better. I know this place with the most amazing Thai Roti. Like you wouldn't even believe!''

Lal sighs. She should have known better than to think Skull would be actually normal for once.

It's almost two hours later when they end up at the crossroads again.

Skull's Thai Roti had indeed been infuriatingly enough very amazing and the woman who had made it had doted on Skull every time she walked passed.

They had exchanged words together in an Indian language. And while Lal knows Skull knows a few languages it still looks and feels weird to see him talking, especially with his obnoxious suit and make-up looking completely out of place. She hadn't even recognized the language. As it hadn't been English for sure, and she was also pretty sure it hadn't been Hindi, and Lal didn't know enough about the other languages from the country to recognize which one it was. She decided to ask him if he had been here for long. Skull looks at her confused and blinks.

''Why?''

''You look comfortable. So, how long have you been here now?''

Skull shifts and frowns. Skulls entire go-lucky demeanor seems to disappear and replaced with a blankness Lal doesn't recognize. He scratches the back of his head.

''Oh... I, ah, forgot.'' He says sadly, then he shrugs. ''It's been a while though.''

Lal frowns at him, purses his lip. This was one of those moments again. This is what Fon had worried about, and what they almost all had recognized in Skull's unfocused behavior, and their more frequent weird encounters.

She forces herself not to fiddle. This was Luce's and Fon's expertise. Lal didn't do feeling talks.

''Skull... Are you- Are you alright?''

Skull blinks again, piping up a bit again. ''Yeah, sure! No worries. Skull-sama is amazing as always!''

Lal feels annoyance twitch her fingers and anger rush in her blood. She hates it when people do this because Lal isn't good with- with feelings. And when she tries- Just, having it being blown off feels wrong. She doesn't know how to talk and force them to open up. She can't do that.

But the Arcobaleno, for all their highs and lows, after all these years and meetings they're allies. Friends even, even though Lal doesn't really like to admit it. And they take care of the fellow Arcobaleno. That's what they've always done, even (very badly) at their very first missions because that's how a team works. So, she is going to goddamn do this.

Point is, Lal doesn't know how.

Lal isn't a people person, and just can't always read people right. In addition, Skull is confusing, even worse than others. But even she can recognize there's something there. Something hurting and festering, like the infected battle wound which had slowly taken her first general bit by bit. It might have already been there when they met for the first time and grown worse over time, and it might have come in later, but it was becoming worse and worse, and Lal doesn't like it.

To be honest, her first instinct is to force the answers out of him. She wants to throw down, force Skull to the ground and push and push until he can't hold back anymore, and then to adjust her actions accordingly… Skull wouldn't react well to it though. He would deflect and misdirect and only anger her more. That was as much his cloud-side as Skull himself.

So, she needs to resort to something else.

She probably needs to talk, or something. And emotions. Yes.

She resists a sigh. Why isn't Fon here? He would probably look at her judgingly and then begin to try to talk with Skull and completely fuck it up because he's a complete social disaster. It would be funny to look at, at least.

Better than fucking it up herself.

She swallows and tries to find words. She has no idea how to do this- Ugh. Still, she needs him to understand- ''You know you can talk to us, right?'' She forces out.

Skull blinks at her. ''Because we're...'' She swallows, tries to think of a way to say it without cringing. ''We've got each other's backs. ''

Yes, that sounded alright.

Skull looks completely bamboozled. Shit. Maybe, it isn't right?

She tries to hurriedly adjust her words, feeling unsure, and fuck that. She's Lal Mirch. ''Because we need each other in top form.''

The moment the words leave her mouth, she wishes they hadn't. It's an excuse. A weak one, which is even worse than just an excuse. Besides, it doesn't even make any sense. What the shit.

Skull's interrupts her thoughts when he clears his throat. ''Are you alright, Lal?''

Fuck it. If she beats up Skull bad enough, he will probably forget this ever happened. She will just tell someone else to talk to him. Hell, she could take the unconscious body and dump it with one of the other Arcobaleno. Fon maybe, or maybe better Viper, Fon would be too soft.

Skull seems to somehow recognize her violent thoughts, he hops of the wall and laughs nervously. ''Don't you worry about it! I've just lost some stuff, and I can't seem to get them back, but I'll get there because Skull-sama is invincible!''

He is walking backwards, but the direction is obviously to his bike and Lal has him gripped by his collar before she knows it. She shakes him. ''You fucking little brat. Tell me what's been bothering you.''

Skull whines.

She shakes him again. ''Fon is worried about you.'' She says because she is self-aware enough that she knows she would never be able to get those words if it concerned herself without actually throwing up in disgust.

''Fon is weird.'' He whines.

He isn't wrong but ''That doesn't mean his worries are invalid.'' She says, feeling strangely like a dysfunctional mother. Which- She shudders.

''Lal, I don't know what you want from me!'' He wails, and she shakes him again in response, causing his voice to wobble. ''Ho-hon-nest-ly!''

''Talk brat.'' She snarls.

''I seriously only lost some things!''

She takes a deep breath and tries to clear up her mind. It didn't sound like he was lying. She doubted it was the crux of the problem, and that he didn't leave a huge amount of information out, but she could attempt to help at least. Just. Lal can do this. She hesitates and loosens her grip. Skull gratefully lands on his toes, and she pats his chest mechanically. ''… What did you lose?''

Skull gapes.

''Wha-? How is that important?!''

''Well, how am I going to help you find it otherwise?!'' She snaps, feeling clunky and stupid and vexed.

He sputters. ''You want to help me find it?!''

''I thought that was obvious by now!'' Lal bites out exasperated. Skull blinks, shakes his head and Lal bristles defensively. ''Just tell me what you lost!''

''No!''

Now Lal gapes. ''What, why?!''

''Because you won't be able to find it anyway!''

''You stupid brat!'' She lunges at him, and at this close of a distance, Skull doesn't even have a chance. He goes down with a screech.

''You will never take Skull-sama alive!'' He screams while clawing at the earth, which doesn't even make sense.

''I am trying to help you, you dumb fuck!'' She snaps. Skull just keeps wailing.

.

Lal does not find out what Skull lost that day. She does manage to reach a higher peak in annoyance than she even thought she could.

Next morning Lal arrives at the base of familigia she's been ordered to investigate.

Years ago, the Barsanti familigia had been an 'upstanding' familigia who had been loosely associated with the Vongola. However, they had taken quite a hard fall when their boss at the time had taken a bit too much of a liking for casinos and the wildlife. Only a couple years ago, with a new boss and an ambitiousness born from bitterness, they had started slowly climbing up back to their old position again. Which would be fine, if it hadn't been for the suspicious and shady activity they have been participating in; several members of the familigia have been spotted with members of the Esposito familigia. A familigia that Vongola had decided to boycott after one too many 'incidents'.

It doesn't seem like much of that matters though, because as Lal looks over the plantations that Skull had talked about and only sees ash and smoke. She walks through the base to find bodies and blood, and she searches for remains next to still burning buildings.

There's not much to find.

That same day, the city where she had met Skull begins to move. Lal goes back to the small stand with the woman after she gave phoned a short report. The Thai Roti really was to die for. But as she sits on the sidewalk, the woman of the stand laughs and cackles. She's not the only one, people are running around in the whole city. Every now and then, a person runs by and begins to talk to the woman rapidly in the Indian language. Another few dance on the streets. There's crying as a family embraces a teenage boy who looks like he has a few tough weeks.

It becomes very clear to Lal that the Barsanti familigia hadn't been involved in smuggling drugs only.

As she stands up to head back and report her further findings, the woman laughs again, brightly which transforms her wrinkles and forces her face to one almost of someone young and free. In broken English she rattles. It isn't nearly good enough to be understandable, but Lal hears Skull's name in the rattle, so she smiles and nods.

The woman, satisfied, claps and joins the dancing on the street, her purple sari swirling and her old jewelry glittering in the sunlight.

Skull, Lal wonders as she thinks about corpses and paperwork, did he know about this?

(''Skull-sama was planning on leaving soon anyway. It's going to get pretty volatile in these parts, and as you said if I don't have to, I rather not deal with it.'')

She wonders and keeps wondering as the eradicated family causes ripples similar to ones she has seen before.

Chapter Text

Skull had been intimidated by the Arcobaleno at first, if only because they had been murderers in a way he had never been able to be.

It isn’t like that anymore, Skull thinks.

Skull has become a bad man. Full of sins and cold, clinging hands hanging off him. 

Sure, the men he killed were bad men. Involved in the dirtiest and darkest side of the underworld drowned by all the blood they had bathed in and swallowed by their greed, desperation and jealousy. But does that really make a difference? Men like that still have a family. They still have friends and a life.

However, the job needs to be done. Skull has had enough of people stabbing him in the back because he spared them, people stabbing innocents just because they can. Besides, death itself hasn’t seemed bad for a long time now though. And Skull does make sure there’s almost nobody left to mourn. 

Sometimes he wonders if the others can see it. The blood in on his hands. The names he has taken. The curses of one’s last breath lingering on him.

And if they do, he wonders if they mourn it.

He feels like someone should mourn it.

Skull travels and travels. All over the world, he meets all kinds of people, civilians, military, underground, good, bad. He meets them, talks, gets to know them and sometimes he befriends them. Afterward, he leaves and forgets about them again.

Then, he meets the Carcassa.

The Carcassa are… a special kind of disastrous.

More interestingly, they’re a split familgia. The split caused by a mutiny of half of the familgia.

The cause of the revolt is actually kind of admirable, as they are rebelling against the human trafficking the familgia is dealing in. Skull would have been impressed, is impressed… It’s just… They could have gone about it in a better way than blowing up two villages.

Honestly, their only saving grace is they mutineers’ obvious good intentions, and the fact that none of the people of the villages got hurt. They even offer to compensate for their losses.

He hunts down the mutineers after he sees the ruins of one of the villages, and after hearing their story, impulsively, stupidly, Skull decides to help them. By teaming up with them. (God forbid, He’s never made a worse mistake in his life.)

Here’s the problem, or rather problems.

First. Skull doesn’t do teamwork anymore. Hasn’t really for a long time. Even with the Arcobaleno, it wasn’t really… you know. He can’t work well in teams. Besides the fact that he doesn’t work well with people anymore, his literal (only) skillset is based on being surrounded by enemies and absolutely no allies.

Second. This familgia’s specialization is bombs. Somehow these people, while being dumb as rocks, manage to calculate the most destructive place to place a bomb, manage to tinker one with the most confusing items and substances and manage to blow houses, villages, sky high in less than half an hour.

Lastly, the real problem. Everyone from the Carcassa is stupid, as pointed out before. Skull wants to, but he can’t deny it. They’re all idiots. They can calculate the most complicated shit in seconds, but it’s just like that. It isn’t a lack of education. It isn’t even (probably) a lack of brain cells. They just don’t think. All of them. The entire familgia.

It’s all impulse, instincts and absolutely no self-preservation.

This Skull finds out when they’re on a reconnaissance, looking through one of the older bases of the familgia and one of them (Giovanni, fucking leader of the mutineers, a sky, a mischievous asshole, third son of the Don of the familigia; the only one still living, an idiot) sets a bomb, with half a minute as time limit while they’re inside the fucking base. Underground.

They had had no plans, no need for a bomb. They had had no plans other than look around a bit. They had had no way to can get out in half a minute. But the idiot still looks so smug while he takes his time to tell Skull, like a puppy waiting for praise. They make it, somehow, but only just, and Skull smells burned for the next month to prove it.

Sure, Skull would’ve survived, but Giovanni wouldn’t have. He’s so reckless.

The whole family is like that. The familgia loyal to the Don is stupid and the mutineers are particularly well-meaning to go with their stupid.

(‘’How disappointing. They could’ve been great.’’ The black-haired man sneers. ‘’If only they weren’t such dim-witted dunderheads.’’)

Skull can’t even get properly mad at Giovanni when Giovanni does something, because, in face of Skull’s irritation, he either laughs it off or, worse, he gets this sad, confused face and says ‘’I did it again, didn’t I?’’ And it just breaks Skull stupid, stone-cold heart.

It’s- It’s a problem.

Skull figures it out. They find the location where Giovanni’s dad resides at last after having blown up three other bases, and together with Giovanni, and the other mutineers, he figures it out. But by then they’re a few other villages short, Carcassa’s reputation is down the drain, and probably the only reason the Vindice aren’t on their asses yet is because the villages were already being terrorized by the Carcassa familgia before the Mutineers decide to blow them sky-high. 

Giovanni basically tackles him to the ground in a hug when he finds Skull in the middle of the black burned aftermath. His flames had set off several bombs and there are craters everywhere. Hell, Skull is standing in a crater.

He’s glad Giovanni seems too excited to ask questions.

‘’Thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much!’’ Giovanni is screeching in his hair, accent even heavier than normal. Skull’s too overwhelmed to protest the hands heaving him off the ground with ease and then he’s being twirled around by the Italian.

(It’s been a long time since he’s been hugged like this. It’s been… It’s been a long time.)

When Skull finally manages to pry himself free (He uses his teeth and feels no shame), he can’t stop his lips from twitching as he looks to the ridiculous Italian. Giovanni is tearing up from happiness, his black hair is a mess and his normal grin is so wide that Skull is almost afraid his face is going to split.

‘’Your dad?’’

Giovanni swallows, his smile dimming a bit, but nods. ‘’We did it. It’s over now.’’

‘’You did it yourself.’’ Which is true. Skull may have taken care of the henchmen, all of them, but Giovanni had taken on his own dad, the leader, and his guardians. They hadn’t been a whole set, but Skull can’t even imagine how it must feel to take on your own dad. Awful, certainly harder than just standing in the middle of a field and letting his flames consume everything around him after confirming there were no mutineers in the vicinity.

‘’And I couldn’t have done it without you.’’ Giovanni steps forward, crouches, which is insulting, Skull hates these people-, clasps his hands. ‘’I-Thank you, Skull. Truly.’’

There are tears in his eyes. Skull can see it and Crap. This is why Skull never stays for the aftermath. Dammit.

‘’I-It’s all right.’’ He pauses because that doesn’t sound quite right. ‘’You’re welcome.’’ He says when he can’t think of anything else.

Giovanni beams at him.

.

Skull doesn’t manage to leave after that. He gets pulled into a party, where he gets served juice and complimented by well-meaning dumbasses.

Oodaku is given a blow-up swimming-pool far bigger than needed, which also probably shouldn’t have been set up inside as already three drunk idiots had ended up falling in it.

Skull curses at them, coos as Oodaku slaps his squishy tentacle in Giovanni’s face and is half happy, half concerned for them that none of them have asked any questions yet.

He has never met anyone before who raises this mix of exasperated concern slash fondness in him and now there’s a whole familgia and it’s absolutely disconcerting.

Giovanni tells him, still wet and covered in ink, that they will adopt him in the familgia. He mutters something about adult figures, this brat-! Skull screams at him and whines and Giovanni laughs and the other mutineers laugh, and it makes something warm in Skull’s chest.

Oh.

Oh.

That’s not good.

.

Skull leaves the next day. Quick and hasty.

Giovanni gives him a few more hugs. Mischievous and affectionate and with a disconcerting glint in his eyes, as if he can feel Skull’s sudden distress. Maybe he can. Skull still never quite manages to completely pull back his flames, especially not when emotional.

Giovanni also tells Skull to call whenever needed. They owe him. Giovanni even manages to wrangle his phone-number out of him, to Skull’s immediate regret.

Skull just wants to leave. He just needs to go.

(But at the same time, he wants to stay. To feel warm and to laugh and to never look back again.)

Skull tells them to take care of the inhabitants of the blown-up villages and to take care of themselves. He hesitates and tells them to call when they need some helps with something.

And he leaves, like always, with nothing but his backpack and the clothes on his back. He doesn’t look back and tries to ignore that, even with their hangovers and his hasty retreat, everyone is there to wave goodbye.

.

And so, Skull travels on.

(But he remembers the Carcassa and Giovanni, and they remember him.

He can’t stop his occasional spike of happiness looking at the messy texts that Giovanni sends.

He can’t stop himself from answering either.)

He writes a list in his notebook of all the places he passes through, even though the names do the places no justice: Alaska, Tasmania, Oman, Mawali, Uzbekistan, Uruguay, Guatemala, Iceland, Estonia-

One day, when the woman at the bar asks for his name, Skull accidentally introduces himself as Harry.

He freaks out.

He leaves the village the next day and doesn’t return for a long, long time.

He crosses out the village’s name – Godric’s Hollow- in his notebook.

When Carcassa begins to mingle with the rest of the underground again after some years, the people who remember the skirmishes and trafficking from before are quick to judge. ‘Not a familigia you want to mix with.’ They say. ‘Dirty work. That’s the only thing they do. Slavery. Blew up a few villages, I heard. Besides, the Don only became boss because of an uprising. They’re nasty business.’

Words are spread around fast and far, and Carcassa doesn’t stand a chance.

However, the ones that do mix with them, realize quickly it’s not what they signed up for. The Don of the familgia is young, energetic and idealistic, and the moment you say the word ‘slavery’ you’re under too intense scrutiny. They’re nice, if you could be called that when your part of the Mafia.

If you hold out with them for longer than a month, you’ll begin to hear tales about the ‘Great Skull-Sama’. The Cloud Arcobaleno supposedly. Most of the Carcassa aren’t great story-tellers though and it’s very unclear what is true and what not, but as the Cloud Arcobaleno is infamous for his uncharacteristic non-aggressiveness and non-intervention, it’s assumed most of it is fiction.

But still, stories of their supposed interactions… Well, they spread.

.

Skull doesn’t notice it.

They’ve been talking for hours and Skull had liked the young American woman and her child. He hadn’t minded the invitation for tea, nor the curiosity of a young woman who hadn’t seen anything of the world but her little home-town.

The woman was young (too young) and sweet (suspiciously nervous). Her kid was three years old, loud and happy. (The small hands reminded him of something. Someone. Blue hair and a bright, bright laugh- who-). He hadn’t asked about the father, but the woman had talked about a woman – (‘’Lucy. She’s been so helpful! I don’ know what I would’ve done without her, honestly. And Tommy here adores her too, don’t you Tommy?’’ The boy giggles.) – with a dark blush.

Skull had liked them and this little farm in the middle of the plains.

(The woman and the kid couldn’t see him, but there was a red-headed man talking to him ‘’Oi, oi, mate, are you sure this is a good idea?’’

Annoying.

‘’Because he’s got Tommy’s name?’’ Skull mocks.

He should’ve listened to him, should’ve been more cautious. Maybe then Skull would’ve noticed the sour after-taste in his mouth, his movement becoming more sluggish and the slowly burning pain in his stomach.

‘’Mate? Mate, are you all right? Oi! Harry!’’)

The poison burns more than the betrayal of a person barely known. It burns his mouth and his lungs and his abdomen. Everything becomes scorching hot, and then ice is crawling up inside his veins. His chest caves in, shakes and his throat closes up violently. His limbs spam and his stomach flips and churns and consumes itself.

(Skull hates poison.)

The table the tea-set was set upon breaks. The woman squeaks. She grabs the kid and steps away. Skull can hear the men coming out on the porch of the quaint little house and he can blearily see her turning to them.

His flames escape him like a pulse. Sudden and for only a second. Then again and again. His arms burn. The woman is speaking quickly, desperately. Begging probably.

Skull falls on the ground. His body stretches, flickers angrily. Acid burns through his nerves and vitriol spreads on his skin.

‘’Seems like them stories aren’ tha’ far off the mark about them flames at least.’’ A voice says. Skull frowns.

A pair of feet move in front of him, and a man appears in his eye-sight as he crouches.

‘’Th’ Cloud Arcobaleno.’’ The man sighs wonderingly. ‘’Do ya feel tha’ men? Those flames are the real deal.’’

There are fingers on his cheeks. Skull would’ve flinched away if he wasn’t seizing. They burn. Skull’s flames do flare though. Brighter and dangerously hot. The man pulls his fingers away in a flash. They’re already blistering but he laughs delighted.

‘’Feisty.’’ He murmurs.

Skull grits his teeth. Chokes something out which vaguely resembles ‘’Clouds always are, didn’t you know?’’

The man grins. ‘’Ah, but you aren’, suppose’ly.’’ Skull’s flames flare again, and Skull can’t help but think he will enjoy it when he wakes up tomorrow to the ashes of these men, still able to hear their screams echo through the empty fields.

It’s the wail of the kid that snaps him back to the present. The woman is on the ground bleeding, the kid is standing only a few feet away, held by a rough hand which spans his entire upper arm.

Skull sees it happen before it does. One second, the kid is crying, snot and tears mixing and then a heavy hand backhands him across the face. The woman screams.

Innocents. Manipulated, threatened. Skull clenches his teeth. Fucking bastards. He tries to grapple for purchase, but the moment he gets an arm underneath him, it spasm and he falls onto the ground again.

Skull’s flames don’t pull back the whole way anymore. There’s a line burning down his shoulders, reaching his hand and ruffling his hairs.

‘’Wha- What do you want?’’ Skull asks the man, gasping for air between the words. He’s still looking at Skull like he’s an insect under a looking-glass and Skull hates it.

‘’You.’’ The man shrugs.

Skull’s stomach protests and he chokes. Fluid dribbles from his mouth, hot and disgusting with a foreboding metallic taste. ‘’Let them go.’’ He manages to choke out.

The man blinks for only a second, before he grins again, even wider than before. ‘’Let them go? Nah, man. Lauren’s been eyeing ‘er all day. And, well, the kid can fetch somethin’ pretty. Nice and blond, ya know. They pay extra for the blond.’’ The man says happily. ‘’I’m sure ya understand. I mean, you deal with Carcassa, right?’’

Skull doesn’t even stop the puke forcing its way up through his throat. He hopes some of it ends up on the man’s expensive leather shoes.

His flames flare, badly and the man starts, scrambles away cursing. The pleasure Skull gets out of his shock is quickly doused though.

His flames are getting out of control. There are innocent’s in the vicinity.

Skull’s body seizes and flares. He tries to suck the flames back in, pull them tighter but they flow out of his bounds like sand, gritty but smooth.

The men begin to panic now, slowly. Skull can hear the raised voices, the instructions thrown around, can hear the stomping on the ground and porch. The woman and child are left alone, and Skull can see the woman scramble to the boy and engulf in her arms. She’s crying.

Skulls sight blurs again. Heat crawls up and steams seems to come from his body. There’s a sudden ringing in his ears that won’t leave. The world shudders and it takes Skull a minute to realize it’s just his own shaking.

It hurts, it hurts, it hurts it hurts ithurtsithurtsithurts

Another flare, bright purple blinding him even through his eyelids.

Screaming.

‘’The fuck is happening?! Isn’ he supposed to be weakened by now?!’’

Skull forces his eyes to open and connect with those of the woman. She’s watching him with big, frightened eyes and it feels like time stills. He shakes his head, hoping it’s discernible even with his seizing muscles. Then he bobs his head towards the corn fields.

The woman hesitates for only a second but then she scrabbles. In a second, she’s up and running, child on her back. The men below, but they don’t follow. A few shots are fired, but it’s too late. The woman has already disappeared between the high stalks.

Skull grits his teeth. Just a bit longer. Just long enough for them to get out of the premises.

Another flare. Skull tightens his hold even more, the fire blisters his skin and then heals it over again in a blink of an eye. He curls in a ball with immense effort when his stomach lurches again, coughing the bubbling blood and pain and vomit. His vision whitens and blackens, speckles turning into great black holes.

He arches when his muscles spasm again and his flames burst through, swirling and wild and angry. The first man is down in seconds. The screaming of the second is swallowed in the next four.

It’s too early. It’s too early. He has to-

Another spasm and flare. Skull’s vision blackens further. He feels himself scream.

It burns, burns, burnsburnsburnsburns

.

Skull wakes up around in the blackened clearing.

He looks and walks and calls and searches.

He knows though. The woman and her child – ‘’He’s my Lil’ Tommy!’’- didn’t make it.

Skull hadn’t held out long enough.           

Skull is sitting on the river bank in the dark. Small lights drift slowly down the water. Lanterns, shaped like flowers Skull notices when he looks more closely. Their lights reflect on the murky swirling water and Skull hears loud whispers combined with cold caresses.

He can hear the sound of talking, screaming, laughing, almost completely muted by distance and the howling of the wind through the trees.

He doesn’t know where he is.

There’s a man sitting down next to him, and Skull doesn’t know who he is.

(The sounds in the distance have muted, and the dark shadows of twilight have been replaced by those of the moon.)

‘’Hello Skull.’’ The man greets. He has long, dark hair in a braid. A pale skin. Asian.

Should Skull know him? He should probably check his-

It doesn’t matter. Skull turns back to the flower lanterns. They were important. The whispers… Which whispers?

‘’Skull?’’ Skull blinks. Once. Twice. Shakes his head. There’s a kid (baby?) sitting next to him. He has long, dark hair in a braid. A pale skin. Asian.

‘’Oh! Hi!’’ He exclaims surprised, ‘’Sorry, didn’t see you there.’’ He scratches the back of his hair sheepishly. The kid blinks, looking surprised.

‘’Are you alright, Skull?’’

Skull blinks again, frowns. ‘’Of course? Why wouldn’t I be?’’

He looks around. He’s sitting- Oh gross. Mud is spread all over his legs, covering most of his suit. He sneaks a look at the other next to him. Miraculously clean white fabric of soft pants. That’s- That is just plain unfair.

It must be late though. The moon was already visible in the sky. ‘’Ah, what were we doing again?’’

The kid gives him a strange look. ‘’You were watching the lanterns of the festival when I arrived. They have long passed through. I met you at the festival itself, actually. I called out. You didn’t notice me, however.’’

‘’Oh, okay, then! That’s nice. Guess, it’s time to go then! You know, my toes are literal ice. Don’t know why you would spend an entire evening just sitting here in the cold.’’ He shakes his head at the kid and heaves himself up off the ground. ‘’Let’s go!’’

The kid looks exasperated but indulges him. He stands up too, gracefully and loose. The moonlight reflects strangely on the intricate detail of his red clothing, made worse by the contrast of the dark water behind him (Blood, Blood splattered on him-) He looks dangerous, but he doesn’t feel the same.

‘’By the way, -’’ Skull asks because it never hurts to be careful even if it’s just a kid (He had been a kid too-) ‘’Who are you again?’’

The kid looks at him for a second. Dark eyes swallowing him down, he’s falling down, down down- He sighs. ‘’Very funny, Skull.’’

He turns around and begins walking back to the sounds- the festival. Or what still remains. But Skull keeps standing still and silent. The kid notices after a few waddling steps. He turns around again, shadows beginning to swamp him.

‘’Skull?’’

.

The kid takes him to a hotel. Skull is too confused to even attempt to run. ‘Your friend’ forces him to eat and drink. He shoves him into the shower, and when Skull comes out, Oodaku is swimming in a bowl next to one of the beds.

‘’Who are you?’’ Skull asks again. The other gives him a look which should’ve looked blank to him, but Skull recognizes the small pull on his eyebrows and lips, he sees the beginning of panic reflected in his eyes.

‘’I’m Fon.’’ The kid replies.

Skull doesn’t know why, but he doesn’t like the obvious discomfort of the kid. So, when Fon pushes him under the sheets ten minutes later, he obediently goes.

He doesn’t remember when he falls asleep.

Skull wakes up to Fon and a happy Oodaku curiously pawing at Lichi.

Wait.

‘’Fon! What are you doing here?!’’ He exclaims. Skull’s laying in a bed with soft sheets. The unfamiliar space looks impersonal but clean enough for Skull to know it’s probably a hotel room.

‘’Skull. You’re awake.’’ Skull turns back to Fon with a frown at the tone. He gives him a quick once over. Fon looks stressed?

‘’Are you alright, Fon?’’ Is this the point in their friendship? Acquaintanceship? Forced-in-the-same-crappy-boat-ship-by-harmonization-and-a-curse? - where Skull has to prove himself? ‘’Are you in trouble?!’’ Skull asks frazzled. ‘’Skull-sama will save you, don’t worry!’’

Fon frowns. ‘’No?’’

Skull gives a relieved sigh. ‘’Oh, okay then... Well, what’s it then?’’

Fon is still frowning at him, and Skull resists the urge to fiddle, suddenly aware of the heavy air around the other. ‘’Do you remember yesterday, Skull?’’ He asks.

Skull pipes up. ‘’Yesterday? Yeah, of course I remember yesterday. With the- With the thingy, you know.’’ He says. What happened yesterday again? He was pretty sure it was something good. Happy. He remembers laughter? Lights? Dancing? ‘’Skull-sama had a lot of fun!’’

Fon frowns deepens, more than Skull has ever seen before. It wrinkles his brow and the corners of his mouth firm.

‘’I think we need to talk.’’

.

The strangely light-hearted feeling Skull had woken up with, disappears quickly, swallowed down as his organs twist in knots behind his abdomen. He tries to laugh it off first, but as Fon’s questions become sharper and more pointed, he realizes that his unease must be visible even as he tries to hide it.

‘’’I don’t remember.’’ He says, first with a laugh, then more irritably, telling Fon to let it go. Fon doesn’t and with every time he has to repeat the words, they become harsher and shakier.

But Fon just pushes and pushes. (It’s unlike Fon. Skull doesn’t understand, why won’t he just-)

The rising panic spikes suddenly when Fon asks him to repeat what he had told him yesterday and Skull comes up with a pure blank. Not just yesterday, but the day before is suddenly gone too, and the one before that, and before- It feels like he’s breathing sludge, and he inhales heavier to make up for it. Nausea wells up. A magnet is pulling his heart and his stomach to the middle of his chest, tighter and tighter. His vision blurs for a second.

He wants to stop. He tries to tell Fon, tries to walk away, lash out, to push him away both physically and with words but Fon grabs his wrist serenely and easily forces him to sit down on his bed again.

‘’What is going on, Skull? Why didn’t you recognize me yesterday?’’ He asks calmly.

Skull can barely hear the words. It's like they're spoken from miles away, drowned by the cackling of a phantom woman in his ears. He shakes his head.

‘’Skull. Answer me.’’ The man sounds calm but not. (Frustrated, urgent, but not dangerous, never dangerous anymore) ‘’I need to know what’s going on.’’

Again, Skull shakes his head. The man moves forward. Small hands that don’t compute, grab his shoulder. ‘’Come on, Skull, what did you- ‘’ It's so hot. He wants to tear off his suit to just get a bit of air. He tries to step away, but there's something restraining his shoulders. He tries to fight the hands of, but they’re stronger than him and only become tighter, tighter. -He can’t get away, he can’t away. He never can. He can’t-

His eyes water in panic. No. He refuses to cry, even if his eyes are wet and his chest feels like it’s caving. ‘’I-I don’t know.’’ He begs breathlessly, voice cracking. ‘’I don’t know!’’ Let me go, let me go, he thinks, but the other doesn’t.

‘’You need to tell us, Skull. We can’t help you like-’’ The man stops abruptly, eyes narrowing in on the tears trickling down Skull’s cheeks with a scary focus. Skull hates them, hates this, hates the weak feeling, the hopeless, confused, shocked (horrified), blank expression on the man’s face. He shoves harshly at the hands on his shoulder again, and this time they let him go with no resistance at all.

He scrambles away from the other quickly while wiping his tears away angrily, not stopping until he hits the windowpane. His breath shudders in his chest and he clutches his arms around him like a shield. His eyes flicker around. The door is behind the man, but the window is behind him. Involuntarily, his elbow lashes out and the clattering sound of broken glass reaches Skull's ears before he realizes what has happened.

''Skull!''

He can't really bring himself to focus on the glass, or on the voice. All that matters is the cool, fresh air breaking through. He shudders a deep breath, and then another. He slumps further against the window frame. 

''Skull!'' Fon calls again, and he moves to come closer. Freezing when Skull presses himself harder against the frame. ''Okay, okay, Skull. If I promise you I'll stay here, will you stop hurting yourself?''

Hurting? Skull blinks at him, then down at himself. Oh. There's blood swelling from his fingers clutched around the broken glass still left on the frame. He looks up at Fon again and then slowly, painstakingly lets go of the frame. He would be able to make a get-away he reassures himself. He feels himself relax marginally. The shudders shaking him slowly lessening. He frowns, trying to force them to stop entirely. It fails. He clenches his fingers in frustration, blood swelling until he manages to relax them again.

‘’I- I’m sorry.’’ A voice says awkwardly. Skull whips his head up, eyes focusing on the man in front of him. Fon. Skull had forgotten about him for a second. ‘’I didn’t mean- ‘’

Skull has never heard Fon stutter before. Not like that. He shakes his head, tries to hide his inability to breathe and laughs shakily. ‘’It’s alright. Sorry, for overreacting.’’

Fon frowns, but only says ‘’I was overstepping, even though I knew something was wrong. It is my fault. I’m truly sorry.’’ He looks almost guilty.

A sob wells up involuntarily, choking his airway and he swallows it away painfully.

He doesn’t know what to do now, what to say. He notices tears are spilling down his cheek again. He wipes them away again, harshly, probably leaving red, burning streaks.

‘’Hey,’’ Fon protests, stepping forward again but stopping immediately when Skull flinches away. He looks Skull in the eye carefully for a few seconds, before taking another slow cautious step forward.

Skull suppresses his flinch surprisingly well.

Bit by bit, Fon comes closer and closer, until he’s suddenly standing right in front of a frozen Skull.

‘’Hey,’’ He says again, more softly. Gently, deliberately he raises his hands then. One slowly pushes Skull’s own tense hands down and Skull blinks in surprise when another callused hand lands on his cheek, and softly wipes away his tears. ‘’Stop that. It’s okay.’’

It feels like the world has come to a stop when Skull looks into Fon’s eyes with complete disbelieve. There’s confusion there, uncertainty, but also the complete confidence of someone who was assured it would be alright because they would make it alright. It was the sort of confidence Skull had never been able to have, no matter how he tried.

Skull hiccups, a keen slipping past his lips, and he crumbles. He sags against the hand, and his knees buckle. Fon sinks down with him though, propping him up. Sobs tear and scrape their way up through Skull throat at the soft gesture. ‘’I can’t remember, Fon.’’ he confesses, in an almost haze. ‘’I can’t remember.’’

It becomes less clear after that. Skull knows he cries. Gross, ugly, wet, embarrassing sobbing in every way. He babbles, mostly nonsense, but probably enough for Fon to get some feel of what’s going on. Enough about the curse and his memories. Fon talks too. Softly, almost whispering. It’s comforting. As is the hand on his back, the shoulder supporting his head. Oodaku appears in his lap sometime in the episode. That’s nice too.

Skull falls asleep again somewhere along the line.

(The last thing he remembers is the soft blanket being laid out on his shoulders and the concerned, guilty eyes staring down at him.)

.

Their next conversation starts like this: ‘’Lal was right to be worried. I’m glad I found you.’’

Skull has just woken up, he's feeling barely lucid and his hands bandaged. This wakes him up real fast though. And as if Skull wasn’t mortified enough already by his complete breakdown, this statement is quickly followed by: ‘’So, what did you take? Was it on purpose?’’

Skull’s brain shuts down for just a second. ‘’What?’’

Fon sighs, sad and tired. ‘’There’s no shame in addiction, Skull. I only wished I had known earlier. We should have warned you more, kept a better look on you.’’

‘’You think I’m an addict?’’ Skull asks in sheer disbelief, ignoring the rest of his words.

 Fon blinks like Skull’s the dumb one. He says ‘’You didn’t recognize me yesterday. You were out of it and acting strangely. And you did have a breakdown only a few hours ago. Though admittedly, I did not find anything on you or your possessions.’’

Skull gapes.

Ignoring Fon’s casual invasion of his privacy dammit- This is a really great excuse.

Like, Skull couldn’t have thought of a better one.

He is about to open his mouth to agree and Fon blinks back at him. Not really looking unsure but looking unsure. Skull has become too capable at reading brick walls like Fon. ‘’Have I drawn a wrong conclusion?’’

And Skull hesitates. Fon is looking strangely… fragile.

Skull can’t say that Fon fiddles, or bites his lip, or avoids his eyes. None of the Arcobaleno are that obvious. But Skull can see the twitch in Fon fingers, the barely-there wrinkles on his brow.

Fon probably deserves better than an excuse. Even if it’s a great one.

Skull sighs mentally.

No. Bad Skull. He shouldn’t do this. Opening up to others forms bonds and connections, and he wants to avoid both of those. It would only hurt them to get close (It would hurt him).

(Life was weird if all you want to do is die and bonds were a bother.)

But this was Fon. Oblivious, quick, deadly, intelligent Fon, who was condescending without meaning to, ever well-meaning and more dangerous than Skull could ever hope to be. Fon who suffered, but never asked, who tried but never demanded. Kind, patient Fon who checked up on him so often and always brought him new teas to try out.

Could Skull really lie to him? (Yes. Yes. He could. He can. He did.)

Skull thinks about these last years. He thinks about the non-stop running, the whispers in his ears hunting him and his notebook full of his writing, wrinkled by frantic browsing after long hazes.

Skull feels tired.

Who was he kidding. He already knew what he was going to do. (Stupid, stupid, weak Skull)

‘’I may have been having some troubles with my memory since the curse.’’

Skull doesn’t tell him everything. He doesn’t tell him about his magic burning him from inside out, not about the hallucinations, the whispers, but he does tell him about the black-outs, about the people he should know but doesn’t, about waking up somewhere and missing a few days to months.

It’s… It’s. Skull doesn’t know how to feel about it.

Fon is, understandably, confused in the beginning, but he doesn’t interrupt but for requests of small clarifications. He waits until Skull is done with his story, and then he sits still and falls into his thoughts. Skull leaves him to it. He finds an electric water kettle on the table, including a tea set and some tea leaves. It isn’t his favourite, but he quickly prepares some.

Fon is still quiet when Skull pushes the tea in his hands.

Skull startles when Fon finally says something. ‘’I don’t really understand. If this started since… the curse, why did you not tell us sooner?’’

Well that’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it? At least, Fon believes him. Or is giving him the benefit of doubt.

Skull shrugs awkwardly. ‘’When it happened.. Well, we weren’t exactly on talking terms. We all had our own thing going on, so I just didn’t want to add on that, or something? And it wasn’t this bad at the beginning anyway. Besides, if someone would’ve wanted to help, there’s not really much to do about it. Not as if you didn’t try to break the curse anyway.’’

Fon frowns. ‘’But after, when it got- ‘’ He pauses, searching for the right word, ‘’better between us, you could’ve talked about it. We could’ve helped.’’

Skull doesn’t really know how to answer that, so he doesn’t.

Fon keeps looking at him though, so he shrugs. ‘’I guess it’s been getting better lately. I’ve- ‘’ Skull stands up, looking around before his eyes zero in on the small bag pack he takes everywhere with him. He grabs it and digs around, before triumphantly holding up one of his notebooks. ‘’I’ve got these now.’’

Fon blinks at him, looking confused. So, at least he had the manners to not browse through his books.

‘’Eh, they’re these notebooks I write notes in, to jog up my memories if they uh get lost.’’ He can’t stop his fingers from twitching, but he quickly clenches them around the cover to prevent a further shaking. ‘’I read them every day. Well, not wholly but the important parts. I’ve got a lot of names that aren’t really that relevant, and uh, important events and familgia’s and a landmark map, with dates and stuff. But it’s nice to have an inventory, you know?’’

Fon doesn’t have anything to say to that.

.

Fon stays a whole week with him. It’s weird.

They’re never with each other for that long anymore.

He asks a lot of questions that Skull doesn’t necessarily have the answer to, or wants to answer for that matter.

(‘’But why are you the only one of the Arcobaleno with this problem?’’

Skull shrugs. ‘’Maybe I’m not?’’

Fon gives him a look.)

.

(‘’More than half of the familgia’s in here are gone.’’ Fon says slowly.

Skull blinks. ‘’Oi, that’s not the notebook I gave you, Fon!’’

Fon blinks at him blankly, looking innocent as a puppy.

Skull huffs. ‘’Well, honestly. That’s one of the books I don’t use that often. I just need something to keep a watch on it. I don’t want to stumble in a situation and not remember about them.’’

Fon frowns. ‘’I don’t believe I understand what you mean.’’

‘’Ah, probably better that way.’’ He shrugs.)

.

When Fon finally has to leave to do his ‘job’ again, he seems reluctant.  Skull can’t imagine why. It isn’t like they spend this much time with each other often. Besides, Skull knows he can be a bit much. Fon should be ecstatic to get some freedom again.

Skull looks at him pleadingly. ‘’You won’t tell them, right? You can’t!’’

Fon blinks at him, surprised. ‘’Why wouldn’t I?’’ He asks.

Skull bites his lip. Fon probably wouldn’t let him get away with not telling them anything. So, ‘’It’s mine to tell? And- And just for now. Just-Just give me some time please?’’ He begs.

Fon frowns, obviously displeased, but Skull fiddles nervously and Fon sighs. ‘’Okay, but soon. When Reborn gets some time free from his new student. I will not wait for longer. I was not the only one wishing to know about the thing bothering you for many years, Skull.’’

Skull feels a bit skeptic about that, but a win is a win, so Skull nods frantically. Reborn has taken on this student only very recently, so with some luck, Skull’s got a few years. He’s kind of surprised Fon has given him this long, but well, all the Arcobaleno had a bit crooked feeling of time by now.

A few years. He can do that.

Skull shudders. 

Chapter Text

Fon does not stay away for long.

In fact, only three weeks later he’s standing in front of Skull’s ever-moving doorstep again. Skull has moved on again from-… China, he thinks - to a motel in Kazakhstan and was planning to cross through Russia to Ukraine soon.

Skull’s really just happy he recognises him right away this time. He does not want to think about Fon’s disappointed, sad eyes if he managed to flap out ‘Who are you?’ to him for a second time.

Skull forces himself to focus on the baby standing in front of him, blinks and says ‘’Can Skull-sama help you?’’

He sounds confused even to his own ears. And kind of rude.

Oops.

Fon just blinks back at him, looking equally bewildered at the reception. So, Skull elaborates. ‘’You’re here again?’’

Fon keeps staring at him. ‘’Yes? It seemed prominent to have someone checking on you with your… predicament.’’

‘’You saw me three weeks ago.’’

And when Fon doesn’t seem to understand, Skull exclaims ‘’For a week. I know Skull-sama’s presence is a pure delight, but-! ‘’ He trails off, not sure how to word his problem with this and thus waves his arms at the other frustratedly. The other who’s looking more and more amused.

No one ever understood Skull’s woes.

(Skull ignores the maybe guilty, sad glint in the other’s eyes. He can’t deal with that right now. Maybe ever.)

Fon then proceeds to tell Skull he can stay for only four days but he’ll be gone for only two weeks next job, as it’s located a lot closer.

Skull still doesn’t quite understand.

It’s only after Fon has casually forced his way into his room and has conjured steaming teacups from somewhere while settling on his couch that Skull manages to say ‘’You know I’ve been living like this for many years- decades! And I’ve been managing just fine!’’

Fon takes a sip from his tea and moves his sleeve subtly in front of his mouth. Oh, Skull knows that look. This smug, condescending bastard.

‘’Skull-sama does not need a babysitter!’’ He screams indignantly.

Fon nods solemnly. ‘’Of course not, Skull. Do you want to try the tea? I brought a new one. It’s a new blend I’ve been trying. It’s originated from Japan.’’

Skull gives him a suspicious look at the not so subtle subject change.

‘’My family recommended to me.’’

Skull blinks. ‘’Wha- Family?! You’ve got a family?! You never told me!’’

Fon gives him a blank but somehow judgy look. ‘’Of course, I have a family.’’

Skull sputters.

It’s only later when the sun has already gone down and they’re both lying in bed that Skull grumbles as he realises Fon’s dirty trick of redirection.

.

Fon’s creepy stalking continuous.

(It’s kind of nice.)

Skull’s been running himself ragged every time Fon leaves on a mission in an attempt to hide as well and as far away as he can, but Fon manages to find him often anyway.

It’s weirdly fun, like hide-and-seek to the extreme.

Sadly, Skull loses almost every time. He supposes he could try harder at being more subtle. But well, subtle has never been among one of his talents really, as Harry or Skull.

Besides, Fon seems to enjoy it better this way.

‘’I think it’s only fair you cook. You’ve been freeloading of my motel-rooms enough.’’

Fon gives him a look.

‘’And you cook well enough that you use a food-stand as cover.’’

The black-haired man takes a sip from his tea.

‘’And- and- ‘’ Skull sputters, looking for more arguments, ‘’Skull-sama could poison your meal, so it’s only smart of you!’’

Fon actually snorts. Skull gapes, not sure if he’s more flabbergasted because of the snort from Fon or offended. ‘’I-I could totally poison you.’’ He indignantly decides on.

The man gives him another look.

‘’I could!’’

Skull ends up cooking.

.

Honestly, Skull hadn’t meant to do it. It was an accident, truly. He really did trip. That didn’t mean that he didn’t burst into laughter when it happened though.

Fon’s face!

Even Lichi seems to be amused.

Of course, the absolutely drenched Fon is less so. ‘’Skull.’’ He says warningly.

Skull does not stop laughing. Can’t, really.

He gets a cutting look and then Fon is moving. Drops of water splashing everywhere. Skull gives a loud squeal and then he’s moving too, trying to avoid the water. Running away, Oodaku’s small aquarium forgotten on the floor, together with Oodaku smugly splashing about.

‘’No-! I’m sorry! It was an accident- ‘’ He wheezes out through his laughter, ‘’I didn’t mean to, mate! I’m sorryyy.’’

They end up running circles around the couch for longer than was probably acceptable for two adult men. Fon tackles him finally though and ends up squashing him under his drenched clothing.

Skull still can’t stop laughing between his whining though, even when water starts dripping through to his.

.

‘’Lichi! No! Those are my nuts! Get your own!’’

Lichi keeps nibbling out of his bag. ‘’That’s Skull-sama’s breakfast, you bastard! Fon, get your beast of me!’’

Fon is smiling softly at them. Like a psycho.

‘’Fon- goddammit. Oodaku would never do this.’’ Skull grumbles, completely ignoring the actuality of what Oodaku would or would’ve not done and any similar situation that may or may not have happened before involving fish.

Oodaku preens.

Lichi chitters at him and reaches out a handful of nuts.

Oodaku accepts the nuts without hesitation.

‘’AH! TRAITOR! Wait, no! Those aren’t good for you! FON! Your mongrel is corrupting mine! My breakfast! Yes- I called you a mongrel! It’s what you deserve! Oh god, can octopuses eat nuts? Fon?! No- Oodaku!’’

.

‘’Please, please, please, please!’’ Skull begs. ‘’You’ve got such nice nails, dude! Just for this one time!’’

Fon gives him a long-suffering look. Skull isn’t deterred.

‘’ It doesn’t have to last long anyway! Besides, you can easily remove it if you really dislike it.’’

Fon still doesn’t answer and his nails are still out of reach. So, Skull continuous trying ‘’I’m just saying dude that you need to live a little! You’ve never stepped out of your norm even a little. Doesn’t that get boring?’’

Fon blinks at him, seemingly surprised at the sudden shift of his tone. Skull is pretty sure that if Fon did normal things like shrugging his shoulders, he would’ve. Instead, Fon just stares at him for a little longer, his trademark gentle smile plastered on.

Ugh, it’s still so unnerving though.

‘’I have no need for such fashion, Skull.’’ He finally says.

‘’But don’t you want to? I mean at least to just try, only once! I mean Skull-sama was like you once! Always wore the same ol’ boring things- First because I didn’t really have a choice- but after I just didn’t know better. Can you believe I didn’t have a lick of purple in my closet?’’ He grins at the other ironically, but then he continues on a more serious note. ‘’It’s fun though, you know. It’s all you- no one else’s. Free in your choice and all that.’’

A lesson learned too late by Skull if he’s honest with himself. Even though Skull’s outfit had started as a costume and the paint of his face and nails had started as a mask, it had become a part of him now. He never thought it possible, but he enjoyed putting on the make-up in the morning as it was oddly calming. He enjoyed the bright colours. He enjoyed the freedom to wear completely ridiculous things and that no one was able to stop him. It was all his. All his choice.

Fon eyes him a little closer. ‘’Your parents didn’t allow you to wear nail-polish?’’

Skull laughs. ‘’My parents died when I was young. Not sure what they would’ve thought about it. But my dear aunt wouldn’t have in a million years. She would’ve probably dropped dead in a faint if she even saw me now. Though I probably wouldn’t have willingly worn it at that age anyway.’’

‘’Oh.’’ Fon says awkwardly, ‘’I’m sorry.’’

Skull shrugs. ‘’Don’t worry about it, mate. It was a long time ago. I’ve made peace with it.’’

Fon ruffles his sleeves. Slowly, very slowly a hand appears. ‘’One hand. And you remove it afterwards.’’

Skull’s face twists in a full-blown grin. ‘’You’re going to love it. I promise! Skull-sama is going to give you the prettiest nails of the city!’’

Skull does both hands and Fon keeps it on for a duration of a full two weeks.

He doesn’t allow him to do it again, though.

.

Skull laughs at the other man. ‘’Took you long enough, dude!’’

Fon doesn’t loosen up. ‘’The establishment where you slept in previously was burned down.’’

‘’Huh?’’ Skull blinks at him. He must mean the place he stayed at in Lyon. A mostly abandoned apartment building where the owner hadn’t minded his shady appearance and him hiring the room for just a week. ‘’It did?’’

Fon doesn’t look amused. Skull doesn’t need him to.

‘’That’s so weird! Well, I guess the people there weren’t the most conventional.’’ He shrugs. ‘’Lucky me for avoiding it!’’

.

When Skull tells Giovanni about Fon over the phone, the answer is mixed. On one hand, he seems kind of excited for Skull, on the other hand, he is kind off disapproving. ‘’Took them long enough to finally begin to bond properly.’’ He grumbles to Skull’s confusion.

‘’What?’’ He asks, but he gets ignored.

It confuses Skull so much that he tells Fon about the remark. Fon stares at him for a long time, before saying slowly, a bit condescendingly ‘’Skull, we are Arcobaleno.’’. Which, as usual, cleared up exactly nothing.

Not that Skull would get any answers out of him if Fon’s not-really-but-kind-off-wrinkled-nose is any indication.

Though, maybe it was because of the topic. Skull very vaguely remembers Colonnello complaining about Viper starting a bond with another Italian dude. He had been really irritated at it too, almost mad. Skull hadn’t bothered to ask. Mostly, he found peace in his ignorance.

However, Fon’s disgust could also be from the fact that Skull was texting Giovanni again. Fon does not really seem to like Giovanni. Not dislike exactly, Skull thinks. But. Yeah.

Skull isn’t really sure what the problem is. At first, Fon had been interested when he saw Skull texting, about why, who, what. Then after a few weeks, Fon would get this subtle wrinkle in his nose every time Skull’s phone pinged more than three times in a row.

It had gotten even worse when Fon found out that Giovanni was a member of the Carcassa.

(‘’The Carcassa? Your new… friend is part of a familigia?’’ Fon asks.

‘’Wha-? Oh, yes, why?’’

Fon stares at him again as if he would be able to find the answer to all his question somewhere behind Skull’s eyes. It would be easier if he’d just asked. Skull would probably answer. He’s had quite enough of people finding their answers and his memories through his eyes.

‘’The Carcassa do not have a favourable reputation.’’ He says finally instead.

Skull shrugs. ‘’People like to talk and say a lot of shite. Giovanni is a good bloke.’’

Fon gives him a disapproving stare but as far as Skull is concerned that’s the end of it.)

Skull had expected Fon to be amused at Giovanni. Maybe in the condescending way of a child looking at an ant running around his feet, but amused nonetheless.

… Skull shouldn’t be so bothered by this. Fon feels indifferent about Giovanni. Yes, that’s it. Fon feels indifferent about a lot of things. He always looks kinda indifferent at least.

Maybe Skull just wasn’t an interesting story-teller. No. That’s false. Skull is the best storyteller. Obviously, it went wrong somewhere else.

Meh. Whatever. It will be fine.

.

Fon does make operating and helping the people Skull meets harder, but that’s mostly because Skull doesn’t really want him to notice it, honestly.

There’s only so much of a burned down trail to leave before it becomes suspicious. Skull’s sure Fon’s already kind off suspicious anyway.

It means he inevitably meets less with the locals. Which is guilt-inducing and distancing but relieving at the same time.

It doesn’t stop people from recognizing him from earlier visits though.

‘’Skull-sama!’’ For once the title doesn’t come from Skull’s own mouth. It’s actually a young woman. ‘’Skull-sama, you came back again!’’

Skull grins through introductions and Fon’s questioning gaze.

The good thing is that people rarely like to talk about the tragedies that happened to them. The bad thing is that they always feel the need to thank him more than once.

It always becomes harder to ignore Fon’s gaze after such gratitude.

.

Fon doesn’t care much for silly things like personal boundaries or modesty. It’s one of the first things Skull learns as Fon continuous to ambush him. It’s little things, like him casually nudging or carrying Skull away or him casually saying that they can share the only bed. It isn’t weird because they’re both babies and there’s more than enough space to share. It is weird because Skull has never been much of a casual toucher, especially without his now standard motor suit on. It’s weird because the touch is invasive even if it’s not and so there with only a thin layer of cotton.

Skull isn’t sure if it’s a good or a bad weird.

He knows which one he’s leaning towards, however.

.

Skull does not forget Fon again.

One of the first things Skull begins to notice after a few months is that it’s... easier now. To keep the days in line and remember some people. When Fon is there, he is always right there. He’s just so present that there’s literally no time or way to forget him, and Fon talks surprisingly much about the other Arcobaleno. So, it’s harder to forget them too.

(It’s amazing and Skull loves it, but the clarity comes with the prize of Fon’s constant presence. And Fon’s constant presence comes with the prize of occasional spikes of gooey affection he’s trying to avoid.

It’s hard to decide if it’s worse.

When the warm feelings become too bad, Skull suddenly becomes a lot better at their game of hide-and-seek, hoping the extra time away will make it better, easier. But Fon always finds him again eventually and when Skull opens his door up to a smug blank-faced Fon, the relieved spike of happiness is always there.

… He’s really hopeless.)

Giovanni’s texts and calls had helped him too of course, but not to this extent. Not this daily almost coherence of his thoughts. Giovanni’s probably what keeps him straight in the periods that Fon is gone though, even if Skull does not really want to admit that.

Additionally, Fon starts every day with sitting Skull down with a cup of tea and interrogating him what he remembers and not. Always looking too proud on the day where Skull manages to remember somewhat more, and never looking disappointed on days like these, when Skull can’t even remember that Reborn took on a student without being told.

Skull can’t even find it in himself to mind it.

(He’s going to get hurt. Skull always manages to get himself hurt.)

It continues like this for some time. Until finally, Fon has to go on a long mission again, one taking actual months. He gives Skull guilty puppy-eyes for days, which less pity-inducing and more shiver-inducing because Fon’s puppy-eyes aren’t puppy-like at all.

The tall man is honestly just intently staring at him all the time without any expression. It’s creepy, very uncomfortable and Skull is entirely not sure how to deal with it.

He’s been forcing himself to feel grateful for the extra alone time, to separate himself somewhat again, but Fon hadn’t acted like this the first few times he had left for a longer time. Fon hadn’t acted like this… ever.

So, instead of feeling relieved or whatever like he’s supposed to, Skull is quietly freaking out, really.

He’s already tried to tell Fon several times that he’ll be alright like always and Fon would accept his words with nod and smile and then continue his annoying fussy behaviour without any hesitation, completely ignoring Skull’s awkward attempt to avoid it.

Finally, Skull has enough and just kicks Fon out of his hotel room early.

When his mission finally finishes months later, Fon hastens to find Skull. He finds the cloud in the middle of nowhere in Kenya a whole month later. Looking downcast, hopelessly lost, confused, and his skin burned red from his days outside, Skull looks like the picture of misery.

When Skull sees him, he hesitates just too long before greeting him by his name. Fon smile twitches.

.

‘’You’re quite knowledgeable about astronomy,’’ Fon remarks a while later, while they’re staring up the sky. There’re thousands of stars twinkling above, lightning the sky. Fon hadn’t seen this sight in a while. The sky seemed to become obstructed when you got close to cities, hiding away most of the stars by dirty air and an obnoxious amount of lights. Here, however, deep in Africa, far from even the most remote villages, the stars still shone brightly in a way Fon sometimes forgot.

Skull blinks at him surprise. ‘’huh?’’

Fon shifts in the grass, moving in a position where he can look at Skull better. He pokes at glowing coals of their previous campfire. ‘’I was just surprised. You indicated you knew where you were by the genealogy of stars. It is quite the old practise, especially for westerners. Unless it’s an interest or you study it, of course.’’ He explains, giving Skull a sharp look, hidden under sugary lashes and a gentle smile.

‘’Skull-sama is not!’’ Skull sputters, answering Fon’s very first remark. ‘’I just knew where we were because of the constellations.’’

‘’Yes...’’ Fon trails off, looking a bit confused, leaving questions hanging in the air.

Skull blinks before getting it, laughing sheepishly. ‘’Well, I went to this old-fashioned private school. It was taught there. It can be quite useful when travelling.’’

Fon blinks in surprise. ‘’Really?’’

‘’Hmmm,’’ Skull nods enthusiastically. ‘’I also know all about astrology and all that stuff. Ah, if you believe in it, of course.’’

‘’Ah.’’

‘’Do you not know about constellations?’’ Skull asks, unable to squash his curiosity.

‘’I know a bit.’’ Fon hums. ‘’So, it’s not an interest then?’’ He asks, sounding a bit disappointed.

‘’Well, I’m not sure about an interest... But I like them, the stars, I mean.’’ He turns his head back to look up again, leaning on his arms. Softly, feeling home-sick, he continuous, ‘’They’re still the same, no matter where you are. Even here, they aren’t any different. It’s kind of incredible, actually.’’

It takes Fon a while to react to that, probably trying to piece the answer together. ‘’Ah, you mean it’s familiar?’’

‘’Hmm,’’ Skull nods. ‘’Like a piece of home.’’

Fon finally moves his eyes back to the sky again, but not before he gives Skull a long searching look Skull ignores.

Skull stares up at the ceiling.

He can’t sleep.

He shoots a glance to his right, where Fon is laying on the second bed of the room.

It’s always weird to see Fon sleep. Mostly because Fon always had this subtle control in his gait with his movements just a bit too measured and careful. In Fon’s sleep, he’s… loose. Nothing flops around but his limbs are lax and his movements are less graceful and rougher. Unplanned. Unrestrained.

It’s not as weird as seeing Reborn truly sleep though, because where an awake Fon normally seemed more languid, like a snake ready to strike without anyone noticing it, Reborn was more like a- a... bird of prey or a panther or something, always looking ready to attack.

To not even speak of the open eyes that occur sometimes. He shivers.

A sheepish smile tugs at his lips at the thought. Skull really still feels uncomfortable when he thinks of Reborn sleeping in his adult form, even after all those years. He thinks all of them do, if even a bit. Reborn probably knows and revels in it, the bastard.

Then he blinks and scowls.

See, this is the reason he can’t sleep.

It’s… It’s getting too much again, the warm feeling in his chest.

He thinks about leaving. Just for a bit… but then he would leave Fon here alone, without even saying goodbye.

He throws another look at the bed beside him and sighs. Skull does not sleep that night.

(Skull forgets sometimes that he doesn’t want to be here.

Fon makes him forget. Oodaku makes him forget.

Hell, even Lichi makes him forget sometimes

When it’s evening and they’re just sitting, drinking tea and everything is calm and nice. When they’re having breakfast and Fon hustles Skull in reading his notes again while Lichi and Oodaku are juggling their food around. When it’s midday and Fon is working out in the middle of their hired room while Skull tries to look unimpressed and is messaging Giovanni on his phone.

Sometimes Skull is even glad his attempts until now have failed. Just so that he at least had the opportunity to experience this. Something… Something like home.

For them, this, those few extra years… Well, they’re worth it.

Aren’t they?)

Fon needs to leave again. He says it’s to meet with a student. I-pin. And he needs to train her for several months.

Somehow this ends in Skull getting kidnapped by him and brought to one of Verde’s lairs. Fon uses his previous excursion in Africa as an excuse.

(‘’I’m sorry Skull. However, you were lost for two weeks.’’ Fon says, smiling gently as he drags the struggling Skull behind him by his foot.

‘’I knew what direction to go to when it became evening! Besides, Skull-sama wasn’t even going somewhere! How can you be lost if it doesn’t matter where you are!’’

Fon doesn’t dignify that with an answer.

When the struggling continues however, he says tensely ‘’I couldn’t find you for a month.’’

You did not immediately recognize me, he doesn’t say.

Skull falls still.

‘’You found me. You would again.’’ He says finally, but it doesn’t sound as sure as it should.)

Verde doesn’t question Fon carrying a struggling Skull inside his current hide-out. He just nods at them and tells Skull he’s cooking as a compensation for the time he stays. Skull is left grumbling in his new room for the next month at least.

.

It doesn’t even take a day before Verde grabs him and pulls him deeper into his lair, towards his even creepier lab, proceeding to gently push him in a chair and hooking some machine on, ignoring Skull’s obvious reluctance.

‘’Verde, come on dude! Can we just not do this for once!’’ Skull tries to protest, even though he knows it to be futile.

Verde ignores him and moves to some computer screen off to the side. ‘’Okay, in three, two, one- ‘’ He flicks the lever. Immediately there’s a flash, electricity flying and less than ten seconds later there’s the insulting sound of the machine shutting off.

They both blink, and then Verde whirls to look at Skull. ‘’What did you do.’’

Skull gapes. ‘’Skull-sama didn’t do anything! I was just sitting here, like you told me to, for you to electrocute me, which isn’t something we discussed by the way!’’

Verde scoffs.

‘’Oh my god!’’ Skull complains, not even bothering to lecture Verde on consent-issues because he knows it’ll be ignored anyway. It’s really better for everyone that Verde mostly works machines. ‘’It’s like this doesn’t always happen you try this. I told you electronics and Skull-sama aren’t a great combination!’’

Verde grunts annoyed. ‘’Not always. Besides, you use a phone.’’ He says petulantly as if that detracts from the fact that he has forced Skull to ruin dozens of his own machines. ‘’And no other cloud-flame that I know off ruins electronics.’’

Skull whines.

At the end of his stay, there’s an insultingly big pile of fried machines heaped in the corner of the lair. When Fon asks, Skull carefully does not answer.

The next time Fon leaves, Skull tells him he’ll visit Giovanni and the Carcassa before he can attempt to drag Skull somewhere again. Fon does his version of wrinkling his nose, but Skull does not care because Skull is going to avoid another Verde-scenario even if it kills him.

Skull is sure Verde and his machines appreciate his efforts too.

They agree to meet up a month later.

Skull does not make it.

(‘’Why aren’t you here?’’ Fon’s voice comes calmly through the speaker of Skull’s telephone. Skull gives a panicky look to the screaming children in the school bus they had accidentally stolen. With the children in it. And a concerning number of explosives.

‘’Oh! Uh... Was that today?’’ He squeaks. ‘’I- uh. I forgot! I’m not going to make it on time... Sorry!’’

‘’What’s that noise in the background?’’

‘’Nothing! Nothing!’’

Giovanni screams from somewhere behind him. ‘’You’ll all get ice-cream, okay?! Just calm down and get out!’’

Skull almost sighs in relief as the screaming quiets down a bit.

Then, ‘’Momma says you shouldn’t accept sweets from strangers!’’ A boy screams loudly while pointing an accusing finger at Giovanni. ‘’Pervert! Creep!’’

Aaand they’re screaming again.

‘’What?’’ Fon’s voice crackles out of Skull’s phone. He startles before he covers his phone with his hand, whisper-yelling at Giovanni. ‘’Tell them that we’ll get them home. Just says we’re going on a surprise excursion and the teachers couldn’t make it or something! Make something up!’’

Giovanni proceeds to follow his instructions. Skull brings his phone back to his ear before remembering, and covering his phone again- ‘’Also, who makes a mistake like this?! It’s a school-bus. It looks like a school-bus. How can you even mistake this for one of your own vehicles!’’ He continuous before Giovanni has the chance to answer. ‘’Also don’t blow up the base of the Barbolani Familigia. It’s in the middle of the city! Besides, the wine they stole from you is inside. It would be a loss.’’

Some random Carcassa underlings whine disappointed as if not exploding things is the worst that could happen to them, even if it’s an accidentally stolen and weaponized school-bus before Fabiano slaps them on the back of their heads.

Skull almost sighs in relief at his interference. Fabiano, Giovanni’s right-hand and impulse control for basically the whole familigia. So, if anything, you could always rely on Fabiano at least, who seemed one of the most sensible of the Carcassa out there.  

Then Fabiano proceeds to stare awkwardly at Giovanni and the screaming children, obviously at loss.

‘’W-Well, Fon, Skull-sama’s really gotta hang. I’m really sorry but I’ll be there tomorrow!’’

Skull hangs up before Fon can respond.

‘’Well, if that’s true, ‘’A kid answers Giovanni suspiciously, ‘’What is the name of our teacher, huh?!’’

Skull resist the temptation of banging his head against the wall, ignoring his ringing phone.

Why was it always him?)

Fon says he’s not allowed to visit Carcassa anymore and Skull just sticks out his tongue. They both know that Fon can’t really stop him.

‘’The children all got home safely and more than satisfied,’’ Skull mutters pettily and Fon actually makes some pained noise Skull has never heard from him before.

Fon has been leaving a lot lately.

It’s because of his student I-pin. He needed to have a close eye on her, with her young age. He’d invited Skull to come with him, but Skull had refused.

It’s not that he doesn’t like her, because he does. She’s cute if a bit shy. However, he decided it better to just- keep some distance from Fon. Overall.

So, he tells himself, he doesn’t really mind. Shouldn’t really mind.

He chose this himself.

He gives his latest sleeping-place a look. It’s a room for one. He shakes his head.

Turns around and heaves his bag around his shoulder.

And on the road goes.

Eventually, nearly a decade after Giovanni’s coup, Skull gets a call from Giovanni.

Now, this isn’t a new occurrence, nor is Giovanni beginning to whine about random creeps asking to join up again, done with the assholes threatening for deals he won’t deliver, about how his familigia had been working for years to get some respect in the market and people just weren’t listening.

‘’You know what?!’’ Giovanni says suddenly, interrupting the haze Skull had entered in as he listened to another rant. ‘’I’m done! Enough is enough!’’

Skull blinks. ‘’What?’’

‘’Fabiano!’’ Giovanni calls, and Skull hears some paper rustling. Fabiano was probably reading some random international newspaper again. ‘’Buy a boat!’’

‘’What?’’ Skull asks again

‘’We’re going to attack Mafia-land!’’

.

It takes Skull seven hours to find them. The men are already loading in a new boat. It’s dark coloured with a bright slogan on it in a language Skull only vaguely recognizes.

He sighs.

He had tried to warn Giovanni this is the wrong way to go about it, and it will sooner get the Carcassa ridicule than respect, but Giovanni tells him he’d rather have ridicule than creeps propositioning him. And… Skull can relate to that.

Giovanni isn’t the sort to change his mind after he’s made his decision, anyway.

Fabiano had the right idea. He hadn’t even tried.

The black-haired man does make sure to tell Giovanni that Skull probably won’t be actually joining into the fight seriously, which Skull is thankful for, but Giovanni waves it away just like his earlier protest.

Well. It’s not like Skull’s got a lot to lose. Maybe he can practise his hand to hand combat.

He sighs.

‘’Let’s do this.’’

Oodaku cheers.

.

Colonnello is not amused.

Even less when after about a year, it happens again. And again. And again.

It’s kind of hilarious.

Fon is mostly just disappointed when Skull tells him on the phone.

That’s weirdly funny too.

.

‘’When did you even become friends with the Carcassa?!’’

The voice is sudden, exasperated and loud, easily hearable over the dramatic screaming coming from below.

Andy, Mateo and Carlo were causing havoc down on the streets. The Carcassa members were relatively new on the field and Skull had kindly offered to look after them. It was always a mix of funny and pitiable to see them struggle their first few times.

Colonello’s visit to his hiding place in the tree wasn’t a surprise though since he had been doing that every time Skull decided to join the Carcassa again in their, now, almost yearly failed invasion of mafia-land.

Every single time.

‘’And I mean why? They’re dum- ‘’ Colonnello pauses at the face Skull pulls in his direction, but then proceeds to ignore it in a way every Arcobaleno seems to excel in. Skull rolls his eyes.

‘’-exactly the sort of people a lackey like you would choose to hang out with.’’ Colonnello finally ends the statement with an annoyed grimace. ‘’But even you have got to set some standards, you know- ‘’

It’s fun. Sure, Colonnello is mean sometimes, but easier to let his guard down around people like Skull. He wasn’t necessarily not as smart and observant as the others, but easier to fool nonetheless. In return, it’s easy for Skull to let his guard down a bit more with him, as he doesn’t notice any anomalies, or writes them off easily enough.

Of course, it has its disadvantages too.

Because, funny, happy Colonnello who is often loud, doesn’t seem to be loud enough this time.

‘’Oh, but this just isn’t proper.’’ Her voice, like saccharine venom, mocks. ‘’You’ve honestly surrounded yourself with barbarians. Not that it surprises me, honestly. You have never been right in the head. I told them so then, and I will tell them now. I’ve known from the beginning and it’s just a matter of time before the rest will realize how utterly stupid they’ve been.’’

It’s been a while since he’s actually had a hallucination while there were people he knew around, so Skull has to blink a few times and check if Colonnello really hadn’t heard the voice, no matter how unlikely.

His lips twitch. The pink dressed teacher, even as hallucination, looked completely ridiculous sitting there with her equally pink tea-set, balancing on a branch. But withstanding that, this toad-faced woman is the most annoying hallucination he’s ever had without contest. Skull honestly always has to refrain from cringing every time he accidentally turns and takes in the pink travesty

‘’They should know better than to associate themselves with you.’’ She tuts. ‘’After all, you never did learn from the lessons I gave you so generously. You should have been thankful for my help back then, just as you should be now. Do you remember, Mr Potter? I think you should write down a few lines more. ‘One mustn’t tell lies’, maybe fifty or so?’’

Skull clenches his hand and immediately forces himself to relax it again. She hums. He just wants to punch her in the face, so badly.

‘’It seems you do remember.’’ She smiles. ‘’Well, there’s one lesson I know you did pick up though, even if it’s unintentional on my part. What they don’t know, doesn’t hurt them, isn’t that right, Mr Potter?’’

Skull flinches.

Colonnello obliviously keeps on ranting about Giovanni’s antics, head turned to the streets below.

‘’Oh. That’s not a good face. If you’re not careful to hide, you’re going to lose the game, Mr Potter. But that would serve for a good punishment, wouldn’t it? Naughty children need to punished. And I think you know, deep down… you deserve to be punished. Don’t you, Mr Potter?’’ Skull could just see the condescending twist of the woman’s lips. There was a click which Skull recognized as the sound her cup made when she took it from its small plate to take a sip.

‘’Do go on.’’ She says to Colonnello. And Colonnello was a long-range fighter- he was never one to recognize micro-body language or expressions the way Reborn, Viper, or even Fon could, so Colonnello does.

It shouldn’t make his blood boil and his stomach drop, but it does.

(Umbridge was always very good at spotting the weak spots. And she uses that skill graciously, digging her claws and twisting the hurts viciously. Skull thinks he hates her the most.)

Time passes.

.

Skull wanders.

He hasn’t seen Fon for several months now. He has avoided prying but the Triad’s are on edge for some reason. Between that and I-pin Fon has his hands full. They keep in contact. Fon tries to call in once in a while, checks up on him and that’s nice.

Skull kind off misses him.

He blinks at the road-sign in front of him.

Hmm, south or north. Some colder weather would do him good probably.

Hmmm, mountains. Skull is going to travel some mountain ranges, that would do him really good.

.

‘’I’m going undercover. I… don’t know when I will be finished. I’ll most likely be unable to call or take any calls.’’

‘’Oh.’’

‘’I’m sorry.’’

‘’No- No! Skull-sama doesn’t mind! It’s fine!’’

.

He wanders.

.

He slips.

His phone falls out of his pockets and it slips right down a chasm, several painful clatters marking its way down.

Fuck.

.

He loses a few weeks.

He’s- not lost, but also not really not lost.

He doesn’t really know where to go to get to civilization the fastest is the short summary of his problem.

And well the long way, well, it’s a very long way.

There are just mountains everywhere. The high peaks and scenery are breathtaking. It’s beautiful and Skull still loves it as much as he hates it right now.

.

He’s got his notebooks.

So, the first time he thinks he forgets something, someone- them, he sits down in the middle of the path to hysterically begin to leave through them until he can recite the pages on Fon. Then Giovanni, and on.

.

He should’ve probably packed a map. Fon was always going on about maps, anyway.

He decides to go to the highest point of the highest mountain he can see.

Maybe it would give him some oversight.

Otherwise, he could just continue north until he stumbles onto something.

.

(Skull wonders why he’s freaking out so much.

He’s been alone for a long while before.)

.

He’s got their phone numbers written down.

He just needs actual civilization and a phone.

Giovanni is probably worried.

Fon is probably long past worried.

.

When Reborn gives a proud smirk at his latest student that week, finally having finished the training of the Cavallone heir, Skull does not notice.

Fon does not either.

They’re both preoccupied.

.

Skull is a mess when he finally finds the town.

Well, mentally at least.

An elderly couple takes him in and let him borrow their phone. It’s old and static covers their entire conversation but Giovanni just cries a lot and curses him out, so it doesn’t really matter.

Fon doesn’t pick up.

(Fuck, fuck, fuck- Is he angry? Idiot, of course, he’s angry! Didn’t you promise to call at least once a week! How many weeks has it been? Fuck!)

He tries again a few times, but in the end, he has to give up. Maybe tomorrow.

He tries to ignore how it weirdly hurts, how disappointing it is. Tries to tell himself that not hearing Fon’s voice isn’t a big deal at all after only a few weeks.

Who’s he kidding though?

Fuck.

.

He finds the symbol on the ground the next morning. It’s as much a curse as it’s a happy coincidence.

It’s the first thing ever he sees from home. Truly home.

Carved into the light rock of the mountain range he could finally navigate the mark of the Hallows of Death barely stands out. But Skull had noticed it nonetheless.

How long has it been? Skull thinks and it must have been decades already.

What does it mean? Was- Could it be connected with his inability to die? Harry had thought about it a few times but almost always thrown the thought out again. Out of fear more than anything, but if it’s a clue if he can understand- …

He looks back at the small town, thinks about phoning Fon, but this- It could wait. Fon wouldn’t mind. He would understand. Besides, it isn’t like he owes Fon anything.

He just wants to look around a bit. Just for a little while.

It’ll be fine.