sleep wake hope and then
Author: OperaEagle IcelynLacelett / loosecloudymist OperaEagleAce on ao3
Pairing: Skull/Daniela (Vongola Ottavo)
Prompt: Kidnapping (Cloud Day)
Warnings: no archive warnings apply
Tags: “kidnapping” (voluntary), bamf!like, everyone, asexual Skull, Cloud courting, AU, Flame headcanons, oneshot, OCs, A Lot Happens over 6k words okay, it wasn’t supposed to be that long but it grew when I didn’t notice, settings include my favorite -the annual Vongola mafia ball, Negotiations, I’m so sorry, the author regrets nothing
“Daniela uses her crossbow the vast majority of the time, but that’s no reason to be Stupid - she’s there because she needs more ammo. Skull is there because he’s not so good with guns and is trying to annoy the seller into giving him a bit of practice and tips.
Before she swings open the door, Daniela pauses. There’s a strong Cloud inside, and as she brushes her Flames over his, hers curl up in contentment and want. Daniela restrains from shivering (barely) and opens the door.”
They meet at a gun shop, and things kind of spiral from there. Featuring: bamf!Daniela, bamf!Skull, yolo, Bad Life Choices, kisses, be careful trying to court a Cloud, smitten!Daniela, screw mafia stereotypes, and voluntary kidnapping.
Daniela uses her crossbow the vast majority of the time, but that’s no reason to be Stupid. She learns and regularly practices other weapons too, though that’s never publicized because the element of surprise is wonderful. Skull is there because he’s not so good with guns and is trying to annoy the seller into giving him a bit of practice and tips.
Before she swings open the door, Daniela pauses. There’s a strong Cloud inside, and as she brushes her Flames over his, hers curl up in contentment and want. Daniela restrains from shivering (barely) and opens the door.
The Cloud is decked out in purple. He is also obviously not the average Cloud. Probably Polarized.
She observes for a while and figures out what he wants out of the owner. Smiling a bit, she steps over to the counter and lays a hand on the Cloud, who spins around and squeaks. Daniela chuckles.
She looks up to the owner and requests, “Can I get some ammo and a pistol?”
“Certainly,” he nods, turning around and dropping the Cloud like a hot potato.
She turns to the Cloud as he explodes on her. “EXCUSE you! You just undid all my hard work! I was about to provoke a free lesson from the guy!”
“Not how you’re supposed to react, being a Cloud and all,” Daniela notes idly, distantly pleasant expression on her face. She is enjoying this immensely on the inside.
“Screw that noise,” the Cloud replies, waving it away. “Restrictions suck and so do mafia stereotypes, Miss Sky. Kindly leave my Flames alone. I’m sure you have Elements lining up to become yours, but I’m not one of them.” Ah, there the Cloud standoffishness is.
Those soothing Flames crackle and begin to billow around him as he flashes teeth at her and storms out the door. (Too bad, she was planning to pay for a lesson for him if he’d stayed.) He just Challenged her and then left directly after. She can't stay away - he’s initiated a Challenge, and no way she’ll let a highly compatible, spirited Element like him get away.
Her amused, interested eyes track him as far as the glass window will allow.
“Here you are, Donna,” the owner returns with her items. “Thank you for driving that irritating Cloud away. I wonder what was wrong with him.”
“It’s nothing,” Daniela murmurs, paying. There’s a subtle double meaning that the owner either doesn’t understand or call her out for, not that she makes a habit of doing things that she can be called out for. There’s nothing wrong with defying the standard mold for Element types, but most people, sadly, don’t see it that way. It was just a shame the Cloud mistook her for one of the prejudiced idiots running rampant these days (not that her first comment helped).
They meet at a gun shop, but it’s not the last time.
The next time is at a Vongola Winter Ball. Daniela is delighted when she recognizes the signature, because this is a place with many places to hide but not many avenues of permanent escape. Plus it’s in her Territory.
Enduring pleasantries and the occasional bad-willed enemy, a cheerful, smart, quick Vongola Donna breezes her way across the ballroom. She stops to dance twice.
In the middle of her second dance, things align just so, to where she twirls and their eyes meet in a flash. As she goes by, they widen and then narrow. Is that a bit of grudge? she wonders, amused.
She’s perfectly aware of when he tries to slip away, but then the head of the Carcassa, a Rain with a weak Sky secondary, stops him. At this point she finishes the dance and starts to head over to her future Element. Her Sun keeps track of her from a distance and relays the information subtly to her Rain, who is much closer but distracted with entertaining other Rain Guardians from other Families.
