Work Text:
(Fire)
Tsuna is not sure for how long he's been here. A couple of months, at least. Sometimes it feels like he's been here forever, like he could barely remember the feeling of sunlight on his skin. It’s not true, of course. Not at all. If he concentrates, gets into his own head, he remembers the sensation all too well. He can’t afford the luxury, though. Not when he’s like this, as bone-deep tired as he feels. Tsuna knows he’s lost too much blood last time, hasn’t recovered anywhere near enough to be doing this again. Not that these bastards care. If he allows himself to sink into his own head, if he allows himself a distraction, the Mist at the side of the metal table will rip through his mind like a knife through butter. They haven’t resorted to less… savoury methods yet. But they will soon enough, he knows. Tsuna needs the time to build up his mental defences.
They’ll get nothing out of him. Tsuna promised that to himself. It's a petty, small victory but it fills him with a twisted sort of joy.
One of the doctors by his side mutters something under his breath that Tsuna doesn’t bother trying to understand and reaches for the IV hooked on Tsuna’s skin. Tsuna doesn’t let himself close his eyes, does nothing but breathe deeply and braze himself for the pain. This one, however, is nothing like the ones before it. This one sears through Tsuna’s veins like lava, burning and melting everything in its path and yet it moves through his veins slowly, Tsuna can feel it as it creeps into him. For a moment, the pain is powerful enough to stun Tsuna, to freeze him in place but the next second he can’t stop himself from trashing, from letting the tears fall down. For the first time since however long they have been here, Tsuna screams.
At some point, he must have passed out. He wakes up back in the cell, feeling sore and exhausted. He can feel the new sensitive everything from the injuries where weak but precise Sun flames have healed the worst of the damage. Tsuna wakes up to Xanxus glaring murderously at him from across the room. He doesn’t sigh, if only not to set the older man off. Xanxus has a temper and absolutely no fuze. Instead, he concentrates on taking stock of himself. Of the urgency of his different hurts, of the warm sticky feeling of the coagulating blood on his back, staining the concrete wall. They lashed him, after, Tsuna thinks with dark amusement. Had to keep the ruse going, he imagines. For all that they claim they’re punishing Tsuna for Xanxus’ temper, they’d grab him regardless. Tsuna knows this, Xanxus probably knows it too.
Not that it stops him from taking advantage of the ruse.
Even if he wanted to, Tsuna can’t blame him for it. For all that Xanxus makes a wonderful job at making it seem like anger, Tsuna can see the fear underneath. Between the two of them, Xanxus is the one who has lived most of his remembered life with flames at his fingertips. Tsuna, on the other hand, has had his own sealed more than he's had them accessible to him. Tsuna can deal with this, can shield Xanxus from this much and so, he will. Tsuna leans back, wincing at the pain but ignoring that for the moment. He needs to concentrate, figure out the state of his mental defences. They didn't breach them, he's sure but some of it might need… maintenance.
(Wrong & Right)
Tsuna lets his head rest against the wall with a dull thump. This one, he thinks with a little relief, wasn’t so bad. The liquid fire thing has become a bit of a favourite, one that they’re trying to refine. But for whatever reason, it wasn’t used today. Tsuna isn’t about to ask.
He shifts, only to feel the weight of the chains on his limbs. It’s a little inappropriate, he knows, but the feel of them weighing on him is comforting. If he’s chained to the wall, he isn’t strapped to the lab table or strung up to the ceiling.
The chains on his limbs mean he’s back in the cell and the cell means both less pain and Xanxus in his line of sight. That’s another thing that Tsuna knows it’s wrong, he tries to curve it as best he can but it sneaks on him anyway.
Xanxus is no one’s but his own.
But Tsuna’s sanity is fraying at the seams. There are two things holding him together most of the time, pure spite and the knowledge that it’s Tsuna’s own danger level that keeps Xanxus as unharmed as possible and out of the lab table.
And so Tsuna knows, he knows that Xanxus belongs to no one but himself. Tsuna knows this, respects this, he just… forgets sometimes.
It’s wrong, Tsuna knows. Xanxus is Vongola, that alone earns him Tsuna’s protection. But by now, after however long they have been here, trapped with Xanxus in this damnable cell, Tsuna feels possessive in a way he knows he has no right to.
Sometimes, even though he hates it, he’s grateful that Xanxus won’t even look at him unless it’s to scream at him.
This time, the Wrath doesn’t scream but he doesn’t turn to look at Tsuna either. “Done being heroic, trash?” There’s resentment there, not at all hidden.
“I’m not playing hero, Xanxus,” the sigh escapes him without his permission. “You’re just more experienced. I need you to get out of here.” Not a lie, just not the whole truth either.
There’s no way Tsuna will leave this cell without Xanxus, not even if he chose to ignore his own morals. Not with the sharp rejection that just the idea gives, the rejection that sounds suspiciously like ‘mine’ that Tsuna has been trying very hard to ignore.
He knows it’s stupid and untrue, but there’s a part of Tsuna that insists that as long as he can keep Xanxus safe, then Tsuna hasn’t failed.
(Anger)
Tsuna thinks he liked it better when Xanxus was angry, even if it was anger that disguised fear. He liked Xanxus better that way, loud and demanding. These hissed words… Tsuna can’t hear them. Not over the ringing in his ears.
“Wha?” He knows the world is slurred but he can’t be bothered to try again.
“I’m going next time, Sawada.” And if Tsuna didn’t know better, he’d say it’s worried.
Still, Tsuna snorts. “No.”
Xanxus growls at him, suddenly loud and furious once more and Tsuna relaxes, shifting to remind himself of the chains and watching the Wrath rant with half-lidded eyes. He can’t… He can’t tell what Xanxus is saying but it’s still better than the hissing.
The Wrath lunges forward, intent on shaking him and Tsuna narrows his eyes, gaze locked on the fresh blood on the man’s wrist. “Sit still!” Sky flames flare, spluttering and erratic around him for a second before they cut off but it’s enough to send his message.
Enough, at least, that Xanxus is still and wide-eyed, frozen in place. Tsuna can feel the shackles injecting more of the drug in his system and he groans, letting his head fall against the wall with a dull thump. But the Sky flames had been enough to clear his head for a second, just a couple of moments of lucidity.
“I’ve gotten this far without them hurting you,” Tsuna tries to explain. Desperate, for some reason, for Xanxus to understand. “Please don’t hurt yourself.”
Perhaps Xanxus does understand or perhaps he’s too surprised by Tsuna snapping at him but when the jailers come to get him, Xanxus doesn’t make a move, doesn’t say a word. But for the first time that Tsuna can remember, he doesn’t look away either.
It’s a change Tsuna doesn’t have the time or energy to think about.
(Nausea)
The world is moving, Tsuna thinks bemusedly. It's moving and on fire, burning hot and high in the sky. But that's fine, he thinks. Maybe? It should be fine? Tsuna can't tell but he can't seem to concentrate, can't quite figure out what's happening around him, doesn't have the energy to even try.
But that's alright too. Xanxus, at least, isn't panicking. That's about all Tsuna can be bothered to care about.
"Shit," Xanxus curses, dropping Tsuna somewhat carefully to the floor.
Tsuna grunts at the impact, ignores the bullets flying around him to curl in on himself. He whines a little, breath quickening. Where's Xanxus, he wonders, worried. Where is he? This is not the lab, not the room with the rope.
A hand hauls him up, none too gently. "Fuck, Tsunayoshi. Flame!" Tsuna blinks slowly, grabbing a hold of the man with some relief. There he is, Xanxus. The hand shakes him, "Tsuna!"
Right. What? What? But Xanxus just points him somewhere, holding Tsuna's hands up in front of them. Ah, Tsuna thinks: Ok.
With a deep breath, Tsuna ignites .
His flames are erratic but just as deadly and hot as they've always been. The room catches on fire and Tsuna keeps going, ignores the screams and the smell of cooked flesh. He doesn't stop until Xanxus lets go of his hands and pulls him along.
Xanxus picks Tsuna up, throwing him across his shoulders as he begins to run. Tsuna hums, grabbing a hold of Xanxus shirt, as he feels more of the drug clouding his mind again. He tries to breathe through the disorientation and goes boneless.