Time

"I'll call you later, Chikusa," I said as I approached the door to my apartment. I fished the keys up when I put my phone back in my pocket and set them into the keyhole. To my surprise the lock didn't click when I turned the piece of metal. The door was unlocked, and I frowned. This either meant that someone had broken into my home, or my inmate had been careless enough to think he was safe with it open for anyone to walk right in. But I felt no hostile aura, and everything seemed normal on the inside as I stepped into the hall. With a sigh I unbuttoned my cloak and kicked off my boots.

The house was unnecessarily warm again, but since I knew that the other one living here hated the cold I forgave him. Speaking of said person… "Tsu?" He wasn't in the living room, or the bedroom (which surprised me, since that's usually where he was when I came home at this hour). Maybe he was doing some work or assignment in the office?

That's probably it, and I turn around in the dimly lit corridor to hurriedly inspect the working area, but on my way I passed the doorway to the kitchen, and heard light snores. I sighed in relief and peeked in at the brunette sleeping with his head laid upon his arms by the table. A glass stood next to him, and it was still half filled with red wine. The bottle on the table told me it was an Italian wine, most likely sent by one of the many families wishing him a happy birthday a few weeks ago. The brown bangs were falling into his eyes, and I gently brushed them behind his ear as much as I could. He snorted in his sleep and I couldn't help but to chuckle at him, he did the same when he was awake.

I took the high glass off the table and sniffed the red liquid. It smelled nice, and I allowed myself a zip. It was sweet, a little too much so for my taste. But the aftertaste was much more sour and bitter, and since I decided I liked it I kept the glass as I looked around the kitchen for any kind of food being left for me, and found onigiri with tuna in the fridge. Onigiri and wine certainly is an odd combination, but I couldn't care less as I was as hungry as a wolf after a long day of work. Besides, Tsuna made these for me, and I was not about to let them or the expensive wine go to waste.

I sat down opposite of the sleeping Japanese, unwrapping the plastic cover from the sticky rise. More often than not Tsuna had prepared some kind of snack for me as I usually come home late, after he had already gone to bed. He always insists that I should wake him up when I sneak into bed with him after he has fallen asleep, but his peaceful face puts me at ease, and I can fall into slumber in minutes. The stress caused by my hectic hours of work seemed to vanish into thin air whenever Tsuna was near. He had that effect on most people, whether they were his friends, acquaintances or strangers. I like that about him, even though his naivety and clumsiness is the reason I'm going to die ten years to early.

His other guardians, minus the lonesome cloud guardian who couldn't really be bothered to worry about him, and Ryohei who is to much an idiot to know worry, felt the same way. I am sure Gokudera's lifetime has already been cut in half. The loyal right-hand man was a busybody, and he always caused more trouble than there was from the beginning thanks to his hot temper and explosive weapons. Though he had been getting better since they entered high school, he was finally starting to control his raging hormones to become a proper servant of the future mafia boss.

I looked at Tsuna's sleeping face, and saw the ring which symbolized his lineage set on the chain around his neck. I glared at it, the colourful stones mocking me.

I hate the mafia. I hate it with burning passion. Before I entered my last year in middle school I had lead an ordinary, although lonely, life. What I considered happiness back then was to have a target to practice my mastery skills of pranking on, or to get one of those expensive earrings I had been saving for months to buy. My days consisted of going to school (although I slept or daydreamed through most classes), going home and doing whatever I felt like. I played games with Chikusa and Ken whenever I had the time, and refused M.M. and other girls' invitations to dates and confessions. My life had been a completely normal one (with the exception that I was just slightly mentally disturbed, but that doesn't matter). But that changed when I by chance met Tsuna and his infant home tutor.

The Vongola tenth generation boss had been in one of his fights with his dying will, and even though I had nothing to do with it I unconsciously helped him out. I learnt how to handle naginata as a child, and I consider myself very prominent in using them, but that did not catch the arcobaleno's interest. The fact that I could without problem see through the enemies' illusions did though. I have always been blind on my deformed red right eye, but as soon as I was faced with the life threatening situation with the powerful illusionist from a European family I had been able to see clearly with it. The hitman's theory was that it had triggered the flow of mist flames in my eye, but I didn't think it was that simple. Ever since then unknown memories has been flowing into my mind. They were not my own, but I still felt like they were so painfully familiar they couldn't be anything but. The horrible visions of burning bodies, horrified screams and the memories of crushing pain had me waking up in cold sweat even now, almost ten years after I started having those agonizing dreams.

Ten years. That's how long I've known my lover and closest friend. Of course I didn't like him at first, for throwing me into this violent and blood stained world, even if he had rather had me living in blissful ignorance of his very existence. Almost immediately after my awakened illusionary powers I had been taken in as an apprentice with the mist arcobaleno Viper (or Mammon, as he wished to be called), and I was taught the basics of the art of illusionary. My talent was blatantly obvious to him though, so he soon left me on my own as he had little things he could teach me. The unknown realities of my memories gave me the ability to develop my almost magical powers in a short time, and by the age of 19 I had created a name of my own in the world of the mafia. That was four years ago, and nine since I became the tenth generation guardian of mist.

I was asked to be the guardian for the ring conflict, but I couldn't be bothered by it. Not until Tsuna came and talked to me personally.

"Please Mukuro, I need your help. I can't let Xanxus have the sky ring."

The memory of his pleading eyes were still clear in my memory, and I couldn't help but to smile every time I saw it in front of me. He had the very same expression the day he entered the same high school as me, as my junior. It was only then we started to develop an actual relation. He came to visit me in my 2nd year classroom, we had lunch together, walked home side by side and even met up on our days off. I remember one day especially, when the rain was pouring heavily and we had both been held back by a committee meeting for the school festival, and both of us had forgotten our umbrellas. We ran like our life depended on it, but both our homes were at least half an hours walk away from the educational facility, and Tsuna lost his breath quickly (he had yet to develop any impressive stamina like in his dying will mode) and we hid in a covered alleyway to catch our breath. Both of us was like soaked cats, with clothes sticking to us like second skin. He had complained grumpily on how it felt uncomfortable, and was trying his best to squeeze the water out of his cardigan. Since I lived closer to where we were I invited him to my home, and we ran there to get changed and warmed up. He had borrowed my shirt and pants, and he looked adorable (still does) in my overly large shirt and pants.

Back then, if it hadn't been for my rampaging testosterone I would probably never have forced a kiss on him, as well as my (slightly twisted) love confession.

"If you don't give in to me I'll lock you up on my room, to never let you see the light of day, your precious friends or family. I'll rape you until you can't be satisfied by any other and your body will be yearning unconditionally for my touch."

Fortunately Tsuna had seen past he harsh words and seen the true meaning behind them. He had accepted my embrace, and I made love to him for the first time. Although it had been awkward and neither of us knew what we were supposed to do we were in incomparable bliss. After that our relationship didn't become official to the rest of the tenth family until Tsuna's graduation two years later, but everyone with a brain had already had a hunch about it, due to our sudden disappearances and lingering glances. Those years had been the best in my whole life so far. Though, when I graduated high school I was brutally thrown into the underground world as a spawn for he Vongola family.

But that's not why I despise the mafia. I hate it because it's the sole reason as to why Tsuna wore agonized expressions. He had been forced into the role of the successor, it robbed him of the freedom to live his own life. Innocent little Tsuna, who was a coward, weak and academically incompetent. Sweet Tsuna, who hate violence, corruption and want nothing but for those important to him to live in peace. He doesn't cry for his own sake, so I'll make sure he has no other reason to cry at all. I'll exterminate any and all who dare come close to the family with harmful intentions, only for Tsuna's sake. I'll rule the world one day to eliminate the mafia, and make sure Tsuna earn his freedom. Tsuna's happiness is my happiness. I'm not such a good person I'd do this for anyone without anything as compensation.

I'm selfish.

I tie Tsuna to me, physically and mentally to satisfy the hole in my heart an empty and hard childhood left in me. I make sure he won't be able to live without me, so that no one else can take my place in his heart. I love him, and I make him love me back. He probably see me as some kind of saint who loves him unconditionally. I do, as long as he repays me with the same kind of undying affection. And I have no doubt in that he will.

I don't consider us two different existences. Simply one which has split into two, and therefore we are bound to be together, in this life and the next.

"Uhg…" my train of thought was cut off when Tsuna frowned in his sleep, and panted a few panicked mumbles. I feel my expression become hard as I set down the now empty glass and lean forward. I brush my fingers across the soft, but ruffled, brown locks gently. I feel him twitch beneath my fingers, probably tortured by a nightmare. I never wake him up when he is troubled in his sleep, it's important to let the mind sort out the frightening visions in peace, even if it leaves one in despair afterwards. Nightmares are there for a reason, that's what I have learned over the years of astonishing little amounts of peaceful slumber.

But I don't have to have a bad conscience for not waking him as he wakes with a start after a few minutes, gasping and jumping in his seat. He was breathing a bit heavier than usual and his hand flew to his chest where his heart was probably racing. After a few confused seconds his brown eyes cleared somewhat and he turned to me with a sleep-induced expression. When he realize I am sitting in front of him he immediately perks up, smiling gently at me, taking the hand which was still laid next to him. "Welcome home, Mukuro," he says with relief and squeeze my fingers.

"I'm home, Tsu," I smile back, even if it probably looks more like a smirk. "Did you have a nightmare?"

He shook his head, "it wasn't, because I knew it wasn't true." The smile widened reassuringly, and I decided to accept the explanation.

"Have you been home all day?" I asked as I massaged the hand holding mine, to warm it.

"Yes. Gokudera-kun, Yamamoto and onii-san came by before, and I got some work from Italy," that last remark had me frowning. When Tsuna graduated from school he had struck a deal with the current head of the Vongola family, that he would be free from the responsibilities as a boss and live the life he wanted until he turned 25. That of course didn't mean he could just ignore the family fully, and many dangerous enemies were after him, even though he had no intention to harm them. That is the work I received from the old ninth generation boss, to guard the successor and eliminate any enemies before they even had the chance to raise their fists at us. Of course I couldn't possibly stop all threats, and I cursed myself every time I let a rat slip through my net. But I'll make sure those foolish souls burn in hell. I'll hunt their reincarnations and send them into the burning abyss again and again. No one is allowed to hurt Tsuna. No one but me. But I would never, because Tsuna is part of me, and I am selfish.

He must have seen my aggravated expression, "it was just a little paperwork the ninth thought I was more suited to deal with, since I'm stationed here in Japan. Don't worry."

I'm not worried, is what I wanted to tell him, but the words got stuck in my mouth. My throat tightened along with my grip I had on his hand.

Three years. We still have three years. We still have time.

Time to change your future.

The end

This one-shot has been stuck in my head for a few days. I really wanted to try out to make an alternative background story for Mukuro where he was not hating the mafia from early childhood. It was a challenge to try and make him in character though. I don't think I succeeded. I'd like to hear your opinion about this alternative timeline as well. If there's anyone who wants more of this universe I'll make it, but if you don't like it, I don't either. Remember, if you won't say anything, I'll just assume you like it and maybe make other AU's like this (with other pairings too). Fear my power as a writer everyone…

I don't know if it should be considered 6927 even, since it's so Mukuro-centric. Sorry…