Scarlet Zinnias

Chapter 2: Morning Glory (Affection)

<<(At a Mansion)>>

Alba appeared at the mahogany doors of the large building.

He raised his hand to push the door open, but it suddenly swung back.

The brunet had no time to react as three weights tackled him.

"Gēgē/Tsuna-nii!"

Alba--or Tsuna--sat up as he took his mask off.

"Konbanwa, I-pin-chan, Lambo-kun, Fuuta-kun." The brunet smiled softly as he ruffled their heads. "Can you please get off for now?"

"Hai~!"

The three kids got off of Tsuna, and they immediately attached themselves to his legs when the brunet got up.

"Shouldn't you three be asleep right now?"

The one with curly, raven hair--Lambo--pouted childishly and clung tighter to the brunet's leg.

"We wanted to wait for you, Tsuna-nii!"

The other kids nodded their heads in agreement.

Tsuna sighed before walking through the doorway--much to the children's enjoyment since they were clinging to his legs.

Ignoring their giggles, he turned the corner and found the living room, where he spotted a silveret and ravenet sitting there.

"Hayato-kun, Takeshi-kun!"

The two instantly turned their heads to the brunet.

The silveret--Hayato--and the ravenet--Takeshi--saw the stern look Tsuna was giving them.

Tsuna sighed, running a hand over his face as he held his half-mask in his other hand.

"I thought I told you two to put the kids to bed before 8:00 PM--it's nearly 11:00 now!"

Hayato gave a bow of his head in Tsuna's direction.

"Apologies, Tsuna-sama."

Takeshi rubbed the nape of his neck and laughed sheepishly; he was wearing a blue undershirt with black slacks at the moment.

"Maa, gomen, Tsuna!  The kids wouldn't even sit down for a second without you here." His hazel eyes twinkled with mirth. "They were worried for you."

Tsuna sighed before chuckling.

"Mataku..." (Geez...)

The brunet plucked Lambo and I-pin off of his legs and placed them onto his shoulders as he grabbed Fuuta's hand.

"Let's go to bed, neh?"

"Hai~!"

~~

"...and the black dragon assisted the wizard into taking the Evil Spirit down."

Tsuna grinned as he used his flames to help in his story-telling.

His Night flames formed a black dragon, who was flying beside a wizard dressed in an orange cloak--he was made of Sky flames.

Tsuna made the Evil Spirit out of Cloud flames, which had red eyes--Storm flames--glowing in the dark.

The brunet made the dragon and the wizard bright against the Evil Spirit; the three kids watched in awe.

"The Evil Spirit was vanquished," Tsuna deactivated his Cloud and Storm flames. "And the black dragon and the wizard celebrated.  Fireworks were shot above the village that the two were protecting.  A large banquet was held and the wizard and dragon were accepted into the town.  The village no longer feared the dragon--just as the wizard had told them."

Tsuna smiled softly as he showed an image of the wizard leaning against the dragon as the two slept together.

"And there was a cliché, but happy, ending.  The dragon and wizard continued to protect the village from any evil that may come.  Peace has finally come for both humans and creatures alike."

Tsuna clapped his hands together, and the flame-images disappeared; he chuckled when he found the kids starting to nod off.

He tucked them in and placed a kiss on each of their foreheads; the brunet murmured a goodnight to them before leaving the room, switching the nightlight on at the corner of the room.