the wind's hymn | paused

Chapter 14

"Puberty?" Tsuna echoes in incomprehension, lifting his head to Reborn who stands next to him on his desk, the midday sun shining through the leaves and branches outside his window. "W-why are we talking a-about that? How is that related to Mercier-kun?" he stammers, cheeks reddening.

"Stop stuttering No-Good Tsuna," Reborn cocks his Glock. "His behaviour has everything to do with it. Normally, he would explain instead of snapping at you."

"Wait--" Tsuna's jaw slacks, "that was him snapping? He was more stern and angry on the hiking trip."

Reborn lowers his Glock, adjusting his fedora. "That's when he's irritated."

"W-what? But--no? That--that's confusing," the brunet blinks, hands pausing in mid-air and eyebrows furrowing.

"Describe Alec with one word," Reborn says solemnly, eyes piercing as he inspects Tsuna's expression.

"One word? Uh," his gaze flicks around his hands, licking his dry lips. "Just one word?"

Wind, Reborn would answer if he was the one being questioned; because he was one of the people who knew.

Tsuna swallows thickly, gaze shifting away from Reborn's face.

"There's nothing I think of," the brunet admits. "He's confusing in a way that isn't. He's not an... enigma but... it's like he's... Most of him is grey, some white and black but it... changes?"

"How does that change manifest?" the hitman speaks, imitating Alec's style from memories when they were directed at either himself or his fellow Arcobaleno. "Use what he's taught you."

Tsuna purses his lips, rubbing his index finger with his other thumb.

"Think about everything, use everything, and analyse it." his lilting voice echoes in his head.

"--rty an-- --tions," he mutters under his breath, jaw tensing and meets Reborn's beady black eyes. "He's going through mood swings? Isn't it worse with his grief? Why does he keep saying he was overreacting?"

Why didn't he realise sooner? He was so stupid.

"I told you--" Reborn's lip twitch into a faint smile, "--he's an idiot. The biggest idiot anyone will ever meet."

Tsuna thunks his head against his desk, sighing. "It's like he's a mix of everything."

—•—

"Why did you choose Ghost?" Colonello asks, drawing all eyes towards the scruffy blond. His blue eyes gleam under the dim light of the secluded alley, rain clinging his matted hair to his cheeks.

Reborn watches the man's jaw tense, lips parting and closing in hesitation.

"I never thought much about it actually." He swings his legs on the desk, leaning back on his creaking chair. Blood still clings to his soles, a small dot staining Alec's white socks and a splatter on his black jacket over his right shoulder. "Because everything I am is because of him. I'm his echo. His ghost walking in life after his. But now I do think about it, it's quite fitting, wouldn't you say?"

"You said you were your own person," Lal asks, studying his distant expression.

"I choose who I want to be when I want to be. In between, I'm a ghost."

"Wind," Mammon mutters under their breath, their frog Fantasma bulging their throat on their head. "You were Wind in your past life. It's ghost in the present. This is why your flame is the only one of it's kind."

"...Yeah," Alec shifts his gaze away from the Mist Arcobaleno to the clouded window. "Lyse said the same thing when she became my Sky."

"How old were you then?" Skull asks, "When she became your Sky?"

"I don't remember exactly," Alec exhales softly, looking at the civilian stuntman. "I think I was going through puberty again. Sixteen? Maybe eighteen. It's hazy."

"What was that like?" he follows with another question, "y'know, because you said you'll help us."

"It like Reborn. Chaos."

"Heh," Skull snorts, "Did you hear that?--"

"Shut up, lackey," Reborn kicks Skull's helmet, sending him flying towards the wall.

"Play nice," Alec reprimands, curling his thumb and a gust of wind carries the Cloud Arcobaleno back onto the table. "At least while I'm here."

Reborn shifts his gaze to Skull, eyes gleaming.

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