For the King I Love

23. chapter - Dome of Atrox

Characters:
Tsuna - White Rabbit
Hibari - King of Hearts
Kusakabe - Knight of Hearts
Gokudera - Tweedle Dee
Yamamoto - Tweedle Dum
Shamal - caterpillar Absolem
Hana, Kyoko - chefs in the Red palace
Haru - gardener
Reborn - Cheshire Cat
Dino - Alice
Mukuro - Mad Hatter
Chrome - Mice Mallymkun
Ken and Chikusa - Hares
Varia - the Royal guards of Hearts
Vindice - the Others
Six Funeral Wreaths - the White Royal guards
Yuni - White queen
Byakuran - White knight
Checker face - Time
Ryohei - Captain of the palace guards
Bianchi, I-pin - chefs in the White palace
Lambo - gardener

〜 〜 〜

"Reborn! Finally you showed yourself!" Tsuna frowned at the catlike infant lying on his bed. He tried to look for him after the lunch but he only got himself lost but luckily one servant showed him way to his room.

"What is it, dame-Tsuna?" Reborn smiled and disappeared only to appear on Tsuna's shoulder.

"Well I was looking for you because if the King found you he would have been quite angry cause you're not supposed to be here!" the brunette glanced at his shoulder and felt fluffy tail brush against his cheek.

"Shouldn't you be on your way to the main hall? You'll be late." Reborn smirked instead and watched stressed Rabbit preparing his stuff and leaving his room. "You know the way?"

"Yeah, I asked the servant before how to get there." Tsuna explained and for a while none of them said anything. "...actually I wanted to thank you, Reborn." the brunette mumbled.

"Thank me? For what?"

"For earlier. I really thought you're gonna tell Bianchi and Ryohei about...well... you know what, so I was surprised when you didn't, though I don't get why did you even bring it up."

"I had no intention of telling them." Reborn said with unexpected serious voice. "But it was fun watching you being nervous." he grinned sadistically.

"You're really mean, Reborn." Tsuna sighed.

"By the way, Tsuna, tell me one thing - why do you want to get stronger?"

"Huh? Why? I think you already know. I want to get stronger for my King and myself."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to be this weak forever!" He was sure that Reborn knows but it seems that even this know-it-all cat doesn't know some things

"You won't be here forever anyway!" the cat pointed out and Tsuna flinched. "Just spit it out already! You know it's meaningless to get stronger now when you don't have much time left so why even trying? For the King? Why? Just confess and save yourself from such hardships, no?"

Another sigh escaped Tsuna's lips. What he said was true, all of it. He could just say what he feels and leave in peace but somehow that didn't feel right. "You're right, Reborn, but you know what the King told me when he found out that Alice is coming? He told me he wants someone strong by his side... He wasn't interested in Alice once a bit until Dino-san proved how strong he is. That's why I decided to get stronger because I felt that Dino-san showed he deserve the place by King's side so I wanted to deserve it too..."

"But your situation has changed so why?"

"Nothing has changed. I just found out about the future, that's all. It's true that at first I was really desperate and I felt like nothing matters anymore but thanks to Yuni I changed my point of view. After that I understood that I shouldn't give up just yet and try to do my best to prove the King that I'm worthy of the place by his side."