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It took them days to be able to figure out a way for Hayato to see his sister without his trauma response kicking in, but his online status and the support of his Sky’s Harmony, along with Bianchi now being in a Harmony herself, eased the way for the Mist working that Shamal had woven into existence around the pair. Now, while Hayato still could not look directly at Bianchi without pain and nausea, he could at least stand to be in her vicinity and look in her general direction.
It made her apology that much easier to take, especially since her Flames were now caught up in Don Cavallone’s Harmony and so were more contained and controlled than they had been throughout the rest of Hayato’s life so far, and so they weren’t brushing up against him abrasively like they had done every other time he’d been in his sister’s immediate proximity.
“It doesn’t excuse the harm I’ve done you,” Bianchi murmured finally, after they sat beside each other in an awkward silence for what felt like far longer than it actually was, “but I never intended to cause you pain. You’re my little brother and I love you, and I wish I was able to take back the damage I’ve done you in the past.” She sighed. “I know that I can’t, but I still wish I could.” She shook her head abruptly. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I hurt you, and I won’t ask for your forgiveness. But I do want you to know that I’m genuinely sorry.”
Hayato took a moment to consider his sister’s words, weighing up her sincerity both in the resonation of her Flames and her emotional landscape. Being online gave him such a breadth to his understanding of the people around him, even shielding as he was, and when he dared allow the slightest lessening of his shields, he was able to get a much, much better read on his sister’s emotional state than he had prior.
She loved him, deep and familial and honest, and the sorrow and guilt she felt was almost equal to – even if it was shallower than – the love that was pouring out of her.
“I don’t forgive you, but I accept your apology,” he said finally, re-raising his shields and wincing faintly at the hint of hurt he caught from her, even followed quickly by acceptance as it was. “That you’re apologising means a lot, even if I can’t quite forgive you yet.”
The addition of the ‘yet’ had a smile blossoming on Bianchi’s face, and Hayato gave her a hesitant smile back, managing to look at her ear even if he still couldn’t make himself look her full in the face.
“That’s absolutely fine, little brother,” Bianchi murmured, cautiously nudging her shoulder against his with a tentatively light pressure. Hayato nudged back just as lightly. “I’ll be there when you’re ready.”
Hayato just nodded, not feeling the need to voice his acknowledgement, and sat peacefully beside his older sister for the first time in years.
As she climbed the stairs and through the door of the private jet that would take her back to Sicily, a thought occurred to Bianchi, and she turned towards her Sky. He raised an eyebrow at her, already settled into one of the luxurious seats inside the plane, and she hesitated a moment longer before she voiced the thought.
“Reborn is here to train Tsuna because Xanxus is incapacitated, right?” she asked as she settled into her own seat, and her Sky tilted his head slightly to the side.
“Correct. What are you thinking?”
“Incapacitated means still a viable heir. Why is Reborn training Tsuna if there’s still a viable heir? Transplanting an established Sky and their Harmony is hard enough, let alone a Sentinel-Guide pair.”
“And you have come up against the same question all of us have had,” Dino said with a sigh. He offered a faint smile to Bianchi when she began tapping her foot impatiently. “Vongola Nono listens to his CEDEF leader too much and doesn’t evaluate the situation for himself. We – Reborn, Tsuna, and I – think that Nono wants a patsy who’s too scared and too ignorant to go against his wishes. Xanxus is far, far too headstrong for Timoteo to ‘guide’, and Iemitsu’s poorly checked information is far more to the old man’s liking.”
“I see.” Bianchi sat quietly for a moment, thinking, as the jet began its taxi along the runway. She didn’t speak again until they were at cruising altitude. “What can I do to help?”
Her Sky smiled, the expression almost feral, and Bianchi matched it with a wide grin of her own as he leaned towards her slightly.
“First, my dear Storm, tell me what you are willing to do, and I will tell you what you can do.”