The Arcobaleno

Chapter 24 - The Choices We Make

The girl stared down at the greeneries in front of her, swaying in the wind, hands unconsciously fidgeting with the ends of her uniform skirt as she did.

"I haven't thought about that." Anastasia murmured softly, a frown on her face.

Reborn stared back at the sad form of his Meister, before he sighed, settling more comfortably on the bench as he reached out to drag the girl onto his frame. The teen went willingly, shifting slightly so that she could comfortably rest her head on the hitman's shoulder, body curled slightly to the older man's. 

"You could stay here you know." The hitman began, raising the hand curled around her shoulder to run it through the dark hair spread out on his shoulder. "We're still your Miods and we can easily come and go, it would be fine even if you decided to stay here for half a century."

"Yeah, I guess." The girl mumbled out, pushing her head into the hitman's hand, non-verbally encouraging the other's ministrations. 

"We'll be okay on our own, if that's what your worrying about." Reborn reassured, shifting slightly so that he could look at her properly. "We've spent years living together without you and so far the house hasn't burned down yet nor has anyone died. I think that would speak for itself."

Anastasia raised her head, grey eyes staring into black, before she let out a small defeated sigh.

"It's not just the fact that I'm worried about what you guys would do if I'm there to watch over you guys. It's more of the fact that despite having spent nearly all my life in the Millefiore manor, I've never felt more at home than when I was at Aza's —my— manor." 

The girl shifted so that she was once more staring out towards the setting orange sun. "Initially it felt really weird. From the moment I stepped into the manor, I've never really felt out of place. I knew where everything was and I've never really went through the phase where I had to adjust myself to living in a new place. More than anything it just felt like coming home."

Reborn stared down at the girl who was settled against his side, his black eyes filled with a variety of unspoken emotions he held for the girl in his arms. 

After losing Aza, none of them had been the same but Reborn had been hit the hardest, the hitman had been a shell of his former self. Days following the confirmation of Azazel's passing, the man had immediately threw himself back into work and he went straight towards the darkest of the workload. When Aza saw over their missions, she would often veto out the more gruesome missions, both for her sake and their sake but with Aza gone, well everything went to hell. As Reborn continued to complete task after grim task, his reputation only grew. What initially started out as a clean but intimidating notoriety, turned into one filled with danger. Whispers began to circulate within the community of how the World's Greatest Hitman had became a demon in human form; how the man showed no mercy to anyone and was ruthless with his kills. Eventually, centuries passed and the hitman mellowed out (with copious of interventions from the rest of the team), but the man he was once known as remained buried beneath layers of grief. 

That was of course, until he had crossed paths with a wounded Anastasia in the ShadowVales.

"I'm not going to tell you what decision you should make." Reborn stated softly despite the stern tone his voice bellied, his hand carding soothingly through ebony strands. "Because that's something you should fully decide on your own, but whatever choice you make, I can promise that we will be right there with you. Even if you decide to spend your time here with your family, we will be waiting for you on the other side."

Anastasia glanced upwards, her grey eyes gleaming with adoration, something that was easily reflected in the depths of Reborn's own gaze. Closing her eyes, the girl leaned forward; an action that the hitman copied allowing their foreheads to gently press together in the middle. Reborn lets out a low hum, while a soft smile spreads on Anastasia's face, the two of them stayed in their comfortable silence for a moment.