Chapter Text
Xanxus sometimes wonders if Timoteo actually realizes just how much power he has given his pet hitman. Not really, more than likely. Timoteo is far too used to being right. And if not, to be able to use his Sky charisma to make the situation favourable once more.
Has the man realized by now? Maybe, in some way. Not that Xanxus thinks that the shitty old man would give a flying fuck, not as long as the asshole thinks it works in his favour. Xanxus wonders how long it will take the Ninth to realize that Reborn loves his students more than he cares for an old friend.
Maybe the man will die long before it hits him in the face.
It was a good idea, in the beginning. Dino’s loyalty to Reborn is unquestionable and never hidden. Tsunayoshi’s is too. In that, Timoteo had been right. That much Timoteo had planned, Xanxus knows. The shitty old man had been counting on it even.
What the shitty old man refuses to realize is that as much as Tsunayoshi and Dino are loyal to Reborn and each other first and to Vongola second, Reborn is also loyal to them first and everything else second. A tight little group, that one. The hitman is possessive and powerful enough to back it up. And he has made sure that his students can do the same.
The old man thought himself so smart, realizing that the rumours about him being too comfortable in his own power to give the mantle away being the reason he was left with no heirs were hurting his reputation, the man thought he had a good answer. Give the mantle of the Tenth Vongola Don to a former civilian brat, unsure enough of the workings of the mafia and then stablish himself as the nice grandfatherly mentor.
Simple enough.
But Tsunayoshi already has a tutor, of a far greater cut, and although he indulges the old man, he has no real fondness for him. Whatever chance the old man had of ruling Tsunayoshi’s throne is long gone. How the old man can't see it, Xanxus doesn't know.
Xanxus is in no way ashamed to admit that it gives him far more pleasure than it should. He does, however, wish that he had handled the situation better. The Ring Battles were all well and good, no long term consequences. If there’s one thing that the Vongola Decimo is known for, it’s for making allies out of former enemies.
But Xanxus pride had been hurt, his temper still reeling from the entire Cradle Affair and the Zero Point. That Sawada had caught him on it again had felt like a failure, no matter that Mammon had been able to get him out. To be fair, it had been. Xanxus should have seen it coming. Still...
Stupid excuses, all of them, but that had been the reason Xanxus had been more than content to let things be as long as neither of them ever crossed paths.
He has his duties as the Varia Commander and by licking his wounds for so long he had neglected them. A new boss could have been a good opportunity for the Varia to fix their relationship with the main branch. At worse to simply better it but Xanxus knows he could have done so much better than just that. Which is why when Sawada approaches him during a gala, baby swordsman ever faithfully beside him, Xanxus takes one long look at him and nods instead of sending the younger man packing.
“Xanxus,” Sawada greets with his own respectful nod.
“Sawada."
It doesn’t take much for Xanxus to notice why Sawada chose his table to escape towards. "Really?"
"Works, doesn’t it?” Sawada answers, gaze briefly flickering to his sire before it moves on. “He doesn’t like you much."
"I know, it’s mutual."
The Vongola Heir snorts, "Oh? I would’ve never guessed."
They spend the rest of the night drinking in silence. It’s not awkward but it’s also nowhere near comfortable either. Sawada waits until the entire salon is mostly empty before he taps the table with two fingers, just firmly enough to get Xanxus' attention. "How bored is your Varia?"
Xanxus is nowhere near dumb enough to miss the myriad of implications of that. There’s far more calculation in Sawada’s eyes than used to be. Xanxus guesses that it’s part of the course. He sidesteps the question regardless, perfectly aware that it’s answer enough. "Why?"
Sawada hums. "Nothing much, I thought I might have something to help pass the time."
Not an olive branch, not really, but enough of an open possibility that Xanxus is willing to take it. Show the next Vongola Don that the Varia can be worked with and they just might survive the dry season the Ninth and Iemitsu have forced on them.
Xanxus takes the flash drive.