23. Cavallone

Enzo the amazing turtle destroys the bathtub! And so, here we are, all the boys, headed to the public bath nearby. Including me.

There was mayhem, definitely. With Lambo scurrying around screaming and laughing and making a mess of the entire world and Reborn pummeling him one-sidedly so he'd cry...

Let's just say Rei-chan is exhausted.

So when I finally managed to get Lambo to stay in the hot water and sink into the pool myself, I let out a tired, tired, sigh.

"Sorry for making you take care of Lambo, Rei-san." Tsuna spoke up. He and Dino had gotten in minutes before me, and now he was looking really guilty. Well, he probably knew he wasn't gonna be much help.

I chuckled, waving him off. "No problem, no problem!" I assured him, "I'm kinda used to it, anyways."

When I was younger, Sae was just as rowdy. Sui was more calm, but her endless curiosity on how humans can't breathe underwater was very, very alarming.

"Gyahaha!" Lambo laughed, actually freaking swimming in the hot water, "Look at Lambo-san!"

I smiled at the cow child and turned back to everyone else. Reborn was being nice and calm and relaxed at the side, which made me feel relieved. No crying Lambo to soothe. Great.

But then, Lambo latched onto my right arm and decided to stay there, saying something about being tired of swimming.

Finally, I turned to Dino.

"I don't think we've been introduced." I mention, bringing a curl to my lips. "I'm Rei." I say, and because my right hand had Lambo on it, I raised my left hand for a handshake.

Dino smiled back at me. "I'm Dino!" he said, taking my hand and accepting the friendly gesture, "Nice to meet you!"

"Eh?" Tsuna spoke up suddenly, "Rei-san, what's that on your left hand?" he asked.

I raised my left hand from the handshake, looking at Tsuna inquiringly. "What?"

Tsuna approached me and pointed at the wrist, right where the white birthmark was- "Oh, it's a birthmark?" he said.

I chuckled. "Yeah, it's a birthmark." I grin. "Ain't it cool?"

"It's like a bracelet." Dino joked. "I've never seen such a complete birthmark."

"I have one on my leg, too." I say. I gestured into the water, at my right foot, and trailed the birthmark at the ankle. "They're both like bracelets."

"They're just marks." Reborn spoke up, "What's so interesting about that?"

"Well..." Dino had to chuckle awkwardly at that, "Just childish things I guess." he suggested, unable to think up of a proper reason to Reborn's rhetorical question.

I smile.

"Oh, they're actually very interesting." I speak up, catching their attentions. "Birthmarks have many scientific theories, but have you heard the myth?" I raised my left hand, "birthmarks are a sign of how you've died in your past life."

This made them freeze.

"Of course," I smirk slyly, "in the end, that's just a childish myth."

-----

"Hey, Rei," Dino asked me as we were headed back to the house, "Are you a part of Tsuna's Family?" he questioned, eyeing me weirdly.

"Well, Reborn-kun invited me." I respond. I myself sounded skeptical about the fact. "I don't think I've given an answer, but I guess I am."

"Heeh," he sounded amused now, "Are you strong?"

I shook my head. "Not at all." I say. I'm not strong. Not in the slightest. There wasn't a hesitation in my response. It was an obvious answer.

"Rei's strong point isn't in raw power." Reborn spoke from Dino's head. "Well, you'll see in time." he sounded excited.

Was Reborn planning something?

(That was an unnecessary question, wasn't it?)

-----

"Let's play a game." Reborn suggested. Tsuna, Reborn, Dino and I were gathered in Tsuna's room, and that one statement made Tsuna and Dino recoil in fear.

Because Reborn's games were never merely just games.

Internally sighing, I decided to smile. "Sure!" I sounded so cheerful, I almost thought I was excited, "What should we play?" I asked, looking at the infant.

"Wa-Wait, Rei-" Dino inched closer to me nervously, "I don't think we should-"

But Reborn's switch was on. His eyes glinted in mischief, and from his magical pockets, he pulled out--a deck of poker cards?

"Huh?" Tsuna had to say.

"Oh, those are mine!" I realize. they're the cards I usually keep around at home. I thought I left them on my desk, though. Well, whatever.

"Poker cards?" Dino questioned.

"Let's play card games," Reborn suggested. "Of course- with a catch."

We all gulped.

-----

Old Maid

Rules: If you get a pair, you throw it out of your hand. But the Joker has no pair-- so if you end up with the Joker as your last card, you lose.

I gave Dino a serene, close-eyed smile. I held out my four cards confidently, waiting patiently for him to draw.

Dino was holding on to a straight face, but the side of his lips curled nervously, his eyes running over my cards worriedly. He looked left, right, middle- which should he take?

Which should you take, indeed? Left? Right? Should he go bold for the middle? Would it give him a pair? Also, I wonder if the Joker is in my hand?

Slowly, he reached out and picked the card on the right.

I gave him a cattish smile.

He flinched. But his hand had already touched the card- he couldn't draw back. He retrieved the card and-- thank god, it was just a three of clubs!

"Rei, you're too misleading..." he whined, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Isn't that the point of old maid?" I chuckle.

I turned to Reborn, looking over the four cards in his hand. The Hitman had on a very, very solid poker face even I couldn't see through. Surely, he was my unlucky opponent. He had no tells.

And so, keeping a soft smile on my face, I reached out to any card. My hand led me to the card on the far left, and I picked it. I looked at it and- bingo. A five. I picked out my other five and tossed out the cards.

"Eek," went Dino.

"Hiee! Rei-san, you're already down to two cards??" Tsuna panicked.

"Of course," I smirk, "In no way am I gonna lose."

Contrary to popular belief, the punishment for this game was quite a nice one. It was almost too lenient for Reborn's standards. Basically, if you lose a game--Take off one article of clothing.

It would've been an 'okay' condition-- if Reborn didn't suddenly produce a camera out of nowhere, threatening to take pictures and spread them around the world.

I smile.

Reborn took a card from Tsuna-- and he got a match. He's down to two cards as well. Tsuna takes a card from Dino-- and there was no match.

I grin, holding out my two cards at Dino. He held onto his poker face this time, but his eyes were wandering frantically. He eventually picked a card and made a match-- now he had four cards.

I turn to Reborn. I smile, and receive a smile back. I take the center card and, upon seeing it, stuck it to the side of my deck.

Reborn takes a card from Tsuna and receives a match. He's down to one card.

Tsuna takes a card from Dino and receives a match. He's down to four cards.

I held out my two cards at Dino again, my permanent smile still on my face.

Dino takes a card on instinct. He's been going on instinct this whole time, so it was becoming a mundane routine-- until now.

Upon seeing the card, his eyes widened and he lets out a surprised yelp. He stares at me, mortified. Still stuck horrified, he looked at me like I was a monster.

"But-" he freaked out, "When-" he couldn't even form a coherent sentence, "Joker??"

My permanent smile stays on as I turned to Reborn, taking the last card from his hand. And the winner of this game is Reborn! I looked at my cards and- oh. A match.

And thus, I'm the second winner of the game!

I gave Reborn a high-five. 

-----

Poker

Rules: Basically, you draw five cards. Depending on the sets you have, you get more points. For example, doubles. A Straight. A Full House. These are all Poker Jargon so uh, I'm sorry if you don't know the rules--

"Ready?" I asked. All of us were playing a single hand of poker with no money to gamble.

At this point, Dino's jacket was off and Tsuna was shirtless. Reborn and I were completely and fully clothed. Reborn's stony face never wavered, and my permanent smile was stuck on extra securely.

"Two Doubles!" Dino called out confidently.

"I didn't get anything," Tsuna sounded like he was gonna cry any moment now.

"Three of a kind." Reborn called.

"Full House." I grinned.

-----

Blackjack

Rules: You start off with two cards.  Your goal here is to be the player with a card value closest to 21. Face Cards are worth 10, and Ace cards are worth 10, 11 or 1. You are allowed to draw more cards, but if your cards' value exceed 21, you lose.

We played a single hand of Blackjack, and Tsuna was getting desperate. He had managed to avoid fourth place for two games before this-- so Dino was currently in the same situation as him-- in boxers. Reborn and I, as usual, were still fully clothed.

For this single hand of Blackjack, I was the dealer. I brought the original deck to the center, looking at Tsuna.

"Dr-Draw," he said, almost nervously. I sent a card at him. He picked it up, not hiding his nervousness, and visibly breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at me.

I smiled mischievously at him.

"Draw," He gulps. I send another card at him. He picks it up like it's the Death God, and when he does, he slumps dejectedly on the table and said, "I'm done..."

The next was Reborn. "I'm done." he immediately says.

And so I turn to Dino. "Draw," he says. And when he picks up his first card, he sighs slightly and says, "I'm done."

I pick up a card from the deck and pick up my other two cards. The unlucky part of being a dealer-- was that I must draw at least once. I drew again-- my smile staying on as I catch Reborn's gaze. I drew again.

"I'm done." I say.

The cards were all flipped over at once.

"Blackjack," Reborn declared. And sure enough, he had an ace and a King. Well, I expected no less from this genius.

My smile curves into a smirk. "Five cards." I say. And sure enough, my five cards did not exceed 21 in value.

Reborn sighs in defeat. Now, we turn simultaneously to the other two.

"Twe-" Tsuna looked away, flipping over his cards hesitantly, "Twenty-five..."

Dino sighed as he flipped his cards-- "Twenty-Two..." he said.

The both of us had a glint in our eyes as a mutual smile graced our faces.

Dino and Tsuna bolted out the door.