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As reluctant as he was to leave Namimori and the comforting presence of the young Alpha Prime pair who called it home, he had responsibilities back in his home territory. Despite his personal desires, and the feeling that he was getting closer and closer to finally coming online, he had people depending on him and duties to fulfil.
He also wanted to check on Squalo and the rest of the Varia – he’d grown from awkward child to gangly teen to young Don alongside the silver-haired Sentinel, had been there on the periphery when Squalo had come online, and again when he and Xanxus had met and bonded.
It had been strangely beautiful, seeing the way Squalo’s eyes had gone wide and Xanxus’ defensive snarl had slipped into a look of soft surprise when Xanxus had been shoved into the classroom they were to share at Mafia Academy. Squalo had herded Xanxus out before many could realise what was going on, and when Dino had seen them next they had been linked in the way only a perfectly matched pair could be.
The main evidence Dino had as to Xanxus’ continuing life was that Squalo was still alive, hadn’t gone into sensory prolapse, and was still almost as sane as he had been before the rumoured coup that had been whispered about after Xanxus vanished from the public eye, so to speak, of the Flame mafia. He’d had bits and pieces of information filter in over the years, and while there hadn’t been much in the way of fresh information lately, what little he’d heard meant that Dino needed to check in with Squalo and make sure he hadn’t deteriorated too far.
He suspected that Xanxus wouldn’t be hidden away for much longer, regardless of what he did or didn’t do.
“Squalo!” Dino carolled happily as he bounded into his friend’s office, pretending not to notice how drawn the Rain-Sentinel looked. He also pretended not to hear the groans of the Varia grunts he had downed on his seemingly-reckless charge through the Varia headquarters to reach Squalo’s office.
“VOIIIIIII! What the fuck do you want, shitty horse?!” Squalo bellowed, already on his feet and half-across his desk.
“So rude to your old friend,” Dino lamented, throwing himself into one of the empty chairs within the office and sprawling dramatically. “I can’t just come and say hello?”
“No!” Squalo snapped, clearly agitated, and Dino pouted. He examined his friend subtly as he did so – his old friend did not look to be in good shape. His distance from his Guide was clearly causing him issues, no matter how well he hid it in public.
Dino shoved down the worry before it could show and let his pout morph back into a smile.
“Ah, so mean,” he said instead, and then tilted his head in apparent curiosity. “I suppose you’re too busy for a spar,” he cajoled, and didn’t even attempt to hide his amusement or smugness when Squalo immediately perked up. He also ignored Squalo’s snarl when the silver-haired Sentinel caught on to his smug amusement. Instead he flung himself off the chair, whip already in hand, as Squalo’s sword dropped out of his sleeve and the Rain-Sentinel launched himself blade-first at the blonde Don.
At least if Squalo was fighting, he wouldn’t be moping.
Bruised, a little cut up, and much tireder than he had been when he arrived at the Varia’s headquarters, Dino stumbled out of the training grounds into Romario’s waiting arms, offering no protest as his consigliere guided him towards the car they had brought. Squalo was already being seen to by Lussuria, and being scolded the entire time, and so Dino knew it was safe to leave his old friend to the rest of Xanxus’ Elements.
It was partway back to Cavallone lands that Dino let his dopey mask drop, sitting up straighter in his seat and turning towards the seemingly-empty one opposite him.
“How can I be of assistance today, Mammon?” he asked politely, and the tiny Mist became visible in the formerly-empty seat.
“Mou, you have gotten better at sensing, Don Cavallone,” the Mist Arcobaleno commented. Dino inclined his head slightly, but didn’t interrupt. Mammon’s mouth twitched slightly, as if they were suppressing a smile. “And you have become more polite.” All trace of amusement vanished in the next instant. “You have seen my nephew and his Sentinel.”
“I have,” Dino admitted easily. There was no point in attempting to lie to a Guide, or a Mist, of Mammon’s calibre, even if he was so inclined to do so. He knew better than to obfuscate, too. “They are young but strong, and I can’t wait to see how they turn the older generations on their heads.” This time Mammon’s mouth did twitch into a smile, and Dino couldn’t help but return the anticipatory smirk with a wicked grin of his own.
“You will be at their side when the time comes?” Mammon asked.
“I will be at their side unless they send me away,” Dino confirmed. A pair of Tsuna and Kyoya’s strength was rare, and Dino had no intention of missing out on seeing what kind of changes they would bring with them.
“Good.” Without waiting for any further response, Mammon vanished, and this time Dino knew they were gone entirely. He settled back in his seat more comfortably, letting his eyes slide shut as the car turned a corner and picked up speed.
Only a couple of weeks more here, keeping the older generation happy and complacent, and then he could return to the place he really wanted to be.
-
The young Don Cavallone was up to something.
Squalo knew Dino well, knew when he was hiding something and when he was playing the distraction, and even deprived of his Sky and Guide as he was, Squalo could see that Dino was doing just that.
But for who? And for what reason? It had been years since anything like this had happened, and it had been almost a decade since that kind of behaviour had been aimed at Squalo.
He didn’t like it. It was bad enough he knew Mammon was up to something, knew that the Mist Arcobaleno and their Storm-Sentinel Fon were conspiring about something, but to have his oldest friend do the same?
The potential betrayal ached almost as much as his strained bond with his Guide, but he shoved it deep and did his best to ignore it. He had information, now, that could lead to him finally freeing his Sky, his Guide, his everything – he just needed to wait a little longer to put the plans into action.
He’d worry about Mammon and Fon and Dino after he had his Sky-Guide back in his arms and life and bed, where he belonged.