#no one is allowed to mess with nana and tsuna

[justrandomfanficideas]

1-Katekyo Hitman Reborn

An Au where Nana is Skull's daughter, when he had gone to join the Arcobalenos was with the promise from Kawahira that Nana would be protected as she had waken as a misty sky when her mother had died when she was pretty young.

Skull had known about the mafia before he joined the Arcobalenos as it was a mafioso who tried to force him to bond with him and killed his best friend(who was also Nana's mother, Nana was born from one drunken night but she is loved by both of her parents) but he kept distance from them so he or his daughter wouldn't be used for whatever they wanted.

Kawahira had Nana move to Namimori where many ex-mafiosos and similar went to after being betrayed or didn't wish to continue being a mafioso so the amount of people with flames there would hide hers but took Skull to visit her every week even after the curse(Skull thought that Kawahira and Checker Face were two different people and that Kawahira was unfortunately someone forced to work with Checker Face so he trusted him to take care of Nana who saw Kawahira as a uncle/grandparent figure).

During the years Nana met Iemitsu, married and had Tsuna both Kawahira and Skull were unable to visit her for some happening in the mafia world and could only communicate by letters were Nana never mentioned Iemitsu's name.

It was only after Tsuna was sealed that the two were able to visit Nana and were furious when they noticed someone sealed Tsuna and seemed to have forcefully bonded with Nana's mist flames(if the bonding was by accident from Iemitsu's part is up to the writer).

The forced bond changed Nana to the oblivious person in canon and neither could accept that the girl they, technically, raised together had become that and how Tsuna would suffer because of the seal so Kawahira actived a barrier in Namimori that didn't permit anyone to enter unless he or someone in a high position in Namimori gave them permission(every mafioso who started actually living in Namimori, not like Iemitsu did, was told about a barrier existing that was left behind by some ancestor to protect those living there and that once the barrier was actived everyone even those with no flames would feel it and know someone had hurt one of them).

It didn't take long for people to realized that it had been the Sawadas the reason behind the barrier's activation as they had been the only ones who had guests recently so slowly everyone started visiting them and helping them(those with flames were instructed to help slowly break the seal in Tsuna and try to find the elements for Nana's sky flames to break the hold her 'sky' had on her while those who didn't have them were explained about the flames and helped with whatever they could like keeping Tsuna safe from how the seal made him clumsy which would end with him hurt).

By the time Reborn was called to train Tsuna the barrier was down but the people from Namimori were still protective of Nana and Tsuna like the two were of the other residents besides Skull and Kawahira had made sure that no Arcobaleno could know that Skull was in Namimori and that he is Nana's father.

Reborn and the others won't have a easy time getting what they want from Tsuna(maybe Tsuna got his full element in Namimori? It could be ocs or in place of those from Italy it could be Kyoko, Haru, Mochida, Hana, etc?).

The ships, if Iemitsu will be forgive, if Kawahira came clean to Skull and they are looking for a way to make sure there is no new generation of Arcobalenos, etc is up to the writer.

[rakubalka]

A Khr x JJK AU

Featuring Big Brother Cloud Lightning Mix Choso and Small Feral Sky Cloud Tsuna

___________________

That is for you

@khr-guilded-cage

You seem to be having a jjk x KHR interest in the moment so I might as well tell the the crossover idea I've had for a while but be prepared it's a little bit of a crack (or a lot)

_____________________

So Choso dies like in Canon (if you didn't know . This is JJK , half if not more of the cast are gonna die) . Except rather than go to the afterlife (to torment Gege Akutami in our name) he is instead transported to the KHR world more specifically before a young fresh out of coma 5 year old Tsuna that just wants warmth and hugs and just emotional support that his mom can't provide .

It goes as well as you might respect .

Meaning Tsuna crying and Choso questioning life and being panicked but having somewhat properly trained big brother instinct tries to comfort Tsuna .

It takes a while for things to calm down but it does leave both of them with a resolution . For Choso to be a big brother again , to make sure his new little brother is gonna be fine with everything he has . For Tsuna it's to protect his now big brother , because this right here is someone very important for him and he won't allow anymore important things to be taken away .

And yes the two of them harmonized . Choso is both Tsuna's Cloud and Lightning and will continue to be such for years to come but before that he is Tsuna's older brother .

And yes Choso starts to live in the Sawada house . It doesn't really matter for him if Nana cooks for him but he and Tsuna did have to learn how to cook because there have been a lot of instances of Nana forgetting to either make enough food or just forgetting to make food at all . She is treated more like a housemate rather than a parent .

While living in Namimori Choso mainly focuses on learning basic skills to exist in society like how to start a conversation or just common logic . Also Tsuna while not the Best student is actually really good at studying partially because he needs to explain some things to his brother or just the both of them trying to learn it . It's also helped Tsuna meet one of his future best friends and and boyfriend's Shoichi !

Also imagine how terrifying a parent-teacher conference is with Choso on the other side . The moment anyone says something negative about Tsuna they are getting thrown trow a wall . And I don't mean negative as in constructive criticism I mean as in Nezu situation negative aka bullying .

And the fact that people think that Kyoya is gonna give a fuck what the either of the omnivore siblings is on their tab . Unless they are breaking the rule unprovoked (which is never the case with them) he honestly doesn't give a fuck . They don't mess with his territory so he isn't gonna mess with theirs aka each other . Not to mention the older one is absolutely ready to commit murder and is not doing it only because it would set a bad role model for his younger brother . The younger brother on the other hand will murder you and even if there are somehow witnesses no one is gonna believe them , after all it will be their word against that of one of the school angels .

Needless to say it's terrifying .

And both of them continue to be such until Reborn got into town trying to be the biggest fish in it (he isn't but no one is gonna know for some time) . And Reborn being well Reborn tries to make himself anime tutor except Choso is an actual proper parent figure for his brother and doesn't allow that cursed baby lookalike anywhere near his brother and keeps him out of the house .

Reborn tries to do what he does in canon except it doesn't work because Tsuna is not gonna play to his flute . He also doesn't actually harmonize with anyone of the people Reborn picked in parts due to spite in parts due to incompatibility (this isn't canon all accepting pure sky ready to mold to fit Tsuna , this is very Cloudy Sky Tsuna that doesn't give a fuck for most of humanity other than the people he cares about) .

So things at least somewhat to canon until MafiaLand , more specifically until he met Skull and almost immediately bonded . It was somewhat enlightening for both of them . They did get to speak with no Reborn later and well Skull and Choso hit it of pretty well and seem to be getting along similarly to Tsuna and Skull .

Then the Varia arc happened and Tsuna had to use replacement for his element's because he isn't a full Sky or almost full like Xanxus . So they get a replacement Storm , Rain And Cloud . Thankfully they have them here and he even didn't need to bother his cloud. The Sun round was immediately given up however as Tsuna has no interest in his non-combatant boyfriend being dead . The lightning was the easiest ironically. They also got Hibari in as a compensation for using the city for the battle .

The Sky round was also when the future Vongola Decimo strongest and most loyal ally was made , that ally being Tsunayoshi . Tsunayoshi who proposed that since they are the only heirs to Vongola they either change the rings or just make it so Vongola no longer has rings . That was the moment a legendary cousin relationship was formed . They still beat the shit out of each other and got put into the mindscape ting and had a screaming match with all the previous bosses . It did not end pretty or fast but at least at the end both Giotto and Xanxus got what they wanted . And if someone tries to put Tsuna on the goddam Vongola seat he is gonna burn their corpse .

Then we have the future arc which is actually a parallel universe aka canon and just further solidifies that he doesn't want the seat of Vongola Boss and that he will kill Byakuya for even daring to hurt Skull .

Then the Simon arc and whatever happens happens .

And we finally (i tink) have the Arco arc . Tsuna and Choso hand the Varia and Vindice ass for even daring to go after Skull . And Tsuna and Choso beat some sense into everyone's head to fucking listen because he has a blueprints on how to build a machine capable of keeping the world alive with no sacrifices needed . The only reason this even exist is because his hyper intuition has always whispered in his ear to build something like this so his brother can live with him with no problems . It got implemented as soon as possible because he has like 4-5 clouds if not more ready to go into a rage at his command so everyone listens .

When Skull finally started looking like an adult Choso also finally understand his type . That type being an absurdly overpowered practically pacifists who love motorcycles and can probably take over if not just destroyed the planet . Also with everything happening they are more or less around the same age mentally .

And Tsuna all grown up goes on trips with his friends and family and just being free with his favorite people and being happy and healthy and he can't think of anything better .

[khreborns]

A little late since his Birthday already passed—but any relationship headcanons for Tsuna? Maybe some bonus birthday ones? 🧡

╰┈➤Apologies for the lateness. Thank you for sending this in! Happy belated birthday to the wonderful Neo-Vongola primo!!

𖥔 ˖ PAIRING  : y/n x Tsuna 𖥔 ˖ WARNING  : pre-established relationship. Gender-neutral y/n. Hopelessly Tsuna.

.𖥔 ˖  TSUNA . .ᐟ.ᐟ

Hopelessly in love ━━━ Tsuna has been in love with you long before you two even got together. He dreamt of you often, both at night and throughout the day. He'd often get scolded or smacked over the head by Reborn depending on when this happened*. Even after Tsuna and you got together, he was still so hopelessly in love. If anything it got worse...it isn't surprising to see him look as though he were floating while having the goofiest expression on his face, just because he was thinking of you, which was most times.

Hopeless with proposal━━━ it took a long time for Tsuna to get the courage to propose to you. He was so afraid that this would be the moment his amazing relationship with you would shatter. There was no way he could be happy for so long, right? When you accepted his proposal, in spite of the fact it was utterly ruined (Tsuna's entire plan got messed up, his suit was covered in mud and he had LOST the engagement ring and thus improvised using his own sky ring as a place holder for this moment. ) You felt this was the perfect proposal, it captured your beloved so perfectly and so you two shared a tearful kiss under the moonlight.

Hopeless with "family" ━━━ surprisingly the wedding planning was more difficult than expected. Tsuna was more than willing to allow you to choose whatever you liked! The venue, the flowers, the decorations...all of this you had full discretion over. He just wanted to be by your side as you picked and planned the wedding. At one point you had to talk to him about having more input, it was sweet seeing how happy he was just to be with you but wedding planning was stressful. He straightened up as soon as you brought that up. The most difficult hurdle, however, was invitations. Tsuna wanted his mom there but not his father. He was adamant that Iemitsu shouldn't be there. Of course, Reborn wasn't going to allow that: "think of how that'd look, Tsuna. You can't not have your father there. This is a crucial time for Neo Vongola's growth, we don't need the other families looking down on us further." And so Tsuna became adamant that "if he must be there, then he has to sit in the back next to the toilet!" He also wanted Reborn to be seated where the father of the groom ought to be. This once again caused another clash between the two. "You can't do that either, dame-Tsuna..." Reborn said through pursed lips. "You know how bad that'd look, right?" Still he didn't want to budge. Reborn only managed to get part of his way due to you having to step in. Why did you? Because you knew how much it hurt Tsuna but you also didn't want the increase hardship of more families judging the Neo Vongola. You reminded him, "Tsu-kun, this is only for appearance sake. We both know who your real father is." Tsuna eventually relented in allowing Iemitsu that seat but Reborn was at the same table with Reborn's place card stated: "Reborn, father figure."*

Hopeless with chores ━━━ it was a big adjustment when you two finally moved in together. Tsuna was incredibly happy, of course, and scrambled to not be a "complete loser" in front of you. He was torn between walking on cloud nine just being able to see you every day versus not wanting to look bad in your eyes. Imagine his utter shock when he managed to do that without thinking. Tsuna can be rather thoughtless and he never had to clean up after himself living with Nana, and then living with Gokudera in the college dorms...of course, when you two decided to live together, he immediately cleaned the place up until it was shining (he called it the Week of Hell) but what Tsuna forgot about was...homes need upkeep. He was utterly mortified when you finally approached him, looking displeased. "Tsu-kun...I need to talk to you about cleaning up after yourself..." He wanted to die!! You were definitely going to divorce him!! Thankfully you didn't but Tsuna never slipped up on chores again...

Hopeless with conflict━━━ you two really didn't have arguments or even disagreements. However that was more so due to have incredibly conflict avoidant Tsuna is. Trying to have a conversation about your relationship was like pulling teeth. He didn't want to have to do it, he'd rather ignore it and if you did manage to get him to sit down and "talk" he'd rather just do whatever you said. It took a long time to get Tsuna to understand that these conversations didn't mean your relationship would be destroyed. In fact, not being able to talk was what would do that. Once again Tsuna immediately tried to straighten up. This was not as smooth as a transition because he really was so avoidant...but he tried. He'd shake, sweat and clam up but he'd try to communicate better with you. It just took some...no, a long time but he'd eventually spit his words out.

Hopeful with birthdays ━━━ his birthday was the one time in the year Tsuna could always count on when he was a kid. That was a day dedicated just to him! He could get whatever he wanted and was given a lot of affection. Birthdays became even better after he made friends (that one year not included, of course.) He thinks, however, that birthdays spent with you were the most precious of all. They were never actually on his birthday after he became Neo Vongola Primo, *Reborn said he had to throw an extravagant party on the day but you always made sure to celebrate with him a day after. A day just for Tsuna, a day where he got to spend with the love of his life. It led to Oct 15th being a cherished day in his heart.

Asterisk explanations:

*I believe that once Tsuna becomes a boss officially, their relationship dynamic changes due and Reborn won't physically hit Tsuna anymore, nor will he be forthcoming about opinions. This will make Tsuna sad but Reborn is an "underling" and so keeps this line drawn for the most part. That "Dame-Tsuna" was said through gritted teeth for a reason.

*Reborn was happy inside that Tsuna felt so strongly about him but seeing the looks he got and how Iemitsu kept going "hey why are you here, Reborn?" With a laugh (this behaviour worsening the more drunk Iemitsu got) made Reborn consider kicking Tsuna in the shins.

*Tsuna will only relent on the extravagant birthday parties if Reborn is also celebrated on that day. Reborn reluctantly agrees, he is actually both embarrassed yet happy Tsuna does this for him. Not that anyone could tell.

[whiskeysmulti]

Acorns, Chestnuts, and Pinecones (A KHR Flufftober fic)

Fandom: Katekyo Hitman Reborn Ship: Kyoko Sasagawa/ Haru Miura (9586) Word Count: 1,220 Prompt: Acorns, Chestnuts, and Pinecones Event Host: @flufftober

Acorns, chestnuts and pine cones were in abundance now with the season. Haru and Kyoko were excitedly gathering them up for Nana. "There will be plenty!" The girls called out and wrapped up in their jackets with buckets ready to gather everything they could.

"Kyoko-chan, we can gather some pine nuts too and roast them for the kids as a nice snack!" Haru called.

Kyoko smiled. "Yes and we can use peanut butter and bird seed with the pine cones to make bird feeders they can hang outside!"

A few hours later and their baskets were full, the girls carried them inside with pride. As Kyoko began sorting through what could be used and what couldn't of their collection, Haru got out a few lollipops and began wrapping the tops in white cloth and took a marker to make the eyes of a small ghost, it reminded her of the little rain dolls, teru teru bozu that were often hung to wish for sunny weather. They had a lot of craft ideas for the kids, however there were other items they'd collected that they weren't sure what to do with.

"Haru-chan, what about the acorns?" Kyoko asked, uncertain what to use them for.

"Oh we can roast them after we soak them and just salt them for a snack like peanuts." Haru loved cooking and could honestly figure out a way to cook almost anything if it was edible to begin with. Kyoko had a similar gift so allowing the two girls time in the kitchen would work wonders.

The acorns and pine cones dealt with, that just left the chestnuts then. Chestnuts were a different case, they weren't as edible as the rest. However they could be used for some easy and cute handmade decorations. It was craft time. Hot glue, chestnuts, and time were often the materials necessary for most of these. Which seemed simple enough to do a candle holder or wreathe by simply gluing them together in a circle and that should have been the end of it, right?

A quick search for some tutorials showed the girls one of the cutest ideas they could have come across and started gathering brushes and white paint. They could take the chestnuts and paint animal faces on them like owls and hedgehogs or any design they wanted to.

Supplies gathered, the girls called the kids in for a day of arts and crafts as Nana had made sandwiches for their snack, they would have plenty of energy to deal with the children. Or so they thought. Children were often more energetic than adults to begin with, and teens couldn't often handle them without their own help, hence why Gokudera and Tsuna were so bad with Lambo sometimes. Craft time was a fun activity for the children however a majority of the time crafts with children often resulted in messes and a minor injury if they were using scissors sometimes. Haru and Kyoko decided to cut out the paper pieces for faces and decoration just in case the kids wanted to do some, that way they could spare them the injuries. Now all they would have to do was possibly use the hot glue gun on some of the items for them to spare the little ones from getting burnt on accident.

However, they got another idea, that would require a little more work. They could take a wreathe base and glue the pine cones, chestnuts and acorns to them to make a decoration and glue a little ring or hook to the back so the kids could hang them up anywhere they wanted them to go. Supplies all gathered and crafts planned out, the girls prepared other snacks for the kids as well, making some sandwiches and juice for them as well as fresh fruit cut up for a healthy sweet.

"Lambo-chan, I-pin-chan!" The girls called for the younger kids to join them. It was honestly a perfect evening for them, crafts with the love of your life and the two kids you had grown so attached to through the time spent together. Haru and Kyoko actually had to thank Tsuna for this, they wouldn't have these precious moments if they hadn't met him. The more Haru thought about it, they all owed a lot to Tsuna, he was technically the glue that held them all together just like the little crafts they were making with the children.

The more Haru looked at the craft pieces, the more she realized it was kind of like the Vongola. They were all different pieces that you wouldn't think at first glance could mix together so well, but some creative imagination, patience and glue and it later became a handmade masterpiece.

They were technically a handmade masterpiece as well. Each member coming from a different background. Each member with a unique ability all their own and a different position in the Mafia, Gokudera the right hand, Kyoko and herself the support, Chrome and Mukuro the Mist, they all contributed their own part to the bigger picture and made something really beautiful even when the pieces didn't seem to mix so well at first like Hibari-san and Mukuro-san or Gokudera-kun and Yamamoto-kun. The boys clashed more often than it seemed, but they somehow still worked together effectively.

"Mwahaha! I, the great Lambo-san have completed my masterpiece!" Lambo shouted proudly and showed off a crooked wreathe with more glue than anything to it. Haru smiled and patted his head, he still gave it his best.

"Great job, Lambo-kun. We have to let it dry overnight, then we'll add the ribbon tomorrow so you can hang it." Haru congratulated him, placing the wreathe on a piece of newspaper so it could cool and the glue could dry.

"I-pin-chan, how's yours coming along?" Kyoko asked and smiled as she watched I-pin proudly hold up her wreathe, she had somehow arranged the pine cones in a shape that oddly resembled her Sensei Fon, who she dearly missed. Kyoko patted her head, "I think he'll love it."

Wreathes done and chestnuts roasted, there was only one thing left to do. They could make pine cone bird feeders using the remaining pine cones, peanut butter and some bird seed. Going to gather the seeds and peanut butter to prepare the feeders, Kyoko was in shock when she heard singing coming from the bag. Haru however just smiled as she recognized the song, it was the Namimori anthem. Hibird was in the bag eating the seeds, which meant they weren't alone, they were in the company of more friends than they thought as Hibird's presence meant one thing, Hibari had stopped by to check on the kids. Glancing at the chestnuts the kids had painted Haru smiled seeing a familiar hedgehog design on one of them. She looked over the others to see similar animal faces like Uri, Garyuu, Natsu, Mukurowl, the kids had taken their time and painted the box animals on the chestnuts as a special gift for each of the guys.

"Pine nuts are ready!" Haru called for the kids to come get their snack after she salted them. Love was also in abundance this season and it was evident in every brush stroke the children put into painting and carefully roasted snacks from the girls.

[khr-guilded-cage]

Reborn had apparently told Timoteo about Haruto's powerful Sky flames, and now Nono and Iemitsu were scheming to snatch this formidable Sky for themselves. Iemitsu, ever the opportunist, was even plotting to kidnap Haruto and bring her into the Vongola fold or marry her to Basil. But Yuka, sharp and unwavering, put her foot down quickly.

She’d had enough of their manipulative schemes. The idea of them abducting and beating someone into submission for their own gain, especially dear sweet Haruto, who meant so much to her, was enough to set her off. She stormed into the meeting room, eyes cold with fury, her real Guardians trailing behind her.

“Try it,” she hissed, her tone venomous. “Try to lay a finger on Haruto and see what happens, bastardos.”

Iemitsu, taken aback by the sudden confrontation, barely had time to recover before Yuka was already glaring daggers at him. She could see the sly cunning behind his eyes, the same one he’d pulled on Tsuna.

It sickened her.

“You think you can just kidnap her like you did with to me?” Yuka continued, her voice laced with disgust. “I will burn your plans to the ground, and you’ll regret even thinking about it.”

Nono opened his mouth to speak, but Yuka didn’t give him the chance. “Don’t try to brush me off like you did Tsuna. I’m not him. Haruto isn’t a pawn to be moved around. She has a future and dreams, and I’ll be damned if I let you ruin it like you ruined my life, senile old fucker.”

Timoteo's usual calm facade cracked, but he quickly regained his composure. “You’re getting ahead of yourself. We’re merely ensuring your friends's potential and power, that it remains protected. Haruto-kun’s power—”

“—doesn’t belong to you filthy arses."

Timoteo's gaze hardened, and for a moment, Yuka could see the familiar stubbornness in his eyes. He’d spent years trying to get his way with Tsuna, pushing him around and now he was trying to manipulate her friends as well. It was the same old story, only now his heir wasn’t a powerless cowardly child anymore.

"No." Yuka's voice was sharp and filled with anger, her eyes flashing as if she were ready to murder them. "I will not allow you to force her into this worthless Vongola and Mafia, not after what you did to me."

Iemitsu faltered slightly but quickly regained his composure. "We're offering her a place in the Vongola. A life of safety and power. She'll be treated like a princess in CEDEF, so dont worry..."

"Why should such a powerful Sky join pathetic Vongola?" Yuka sneered, annoying they treated Haruto joining CEDEF as a done deal. "This worthless and pathetic Famiglia. Haruto wants to be a doctor, far better than a fucking criminal."

"Exactly, fuck off. No." Akari cut him off, his voice cold and unwavering. "Agreed with Yuka. A powerful Sky like Haruto deserves far better than this."

Chiyoko scoffed, crossing her arms. "She has a bright future ahead of her—far away from this pathetic excuse for a famiglia. She is mean for far greater things, Vongola will ruin it."

Touka added, his tone full of disdain, "Besides, the Vongola doesn't deserve someone like her. A powerful Sky. After everything they've done—killing their heirs, freezing Xanxus, abusing and killing Tsuna... and abusing Yuka, too." He was accostumed with dealing with that crazy whore Nana, those delusional people are nothing. "Vongola is a pathetic hellhole."

Nono's face twisted in frustration, but Yuka wasn't done. Her gaze never wavered from him. "You ruined enough lives already. I won't let you drag anyone else into your mess, your abusive senile bastard."

[cooliogirl101]

How would reborn get them together?

Oh, that's easy. He'd just tell Shamal that Nana wasn't actually married.

Nana looked up in the middle of washing the dishes, startled, as Shamal burst through the door, eyes wild and hair a mess. The last time Nana had seen him look this frantic...well actually, she'd never seen him look quite like this before. Not even that time he was chased by a flock of enraged geese. Magical, Flame-enhanced geese.

"Shamal, what--?" She began, more than a little alarmed.

"I have been in love with you since our second year of medical school," Shamal blurted out, coming to a stop right in front of her.

Nana dropped the pot she was holding.

"What?" She whispered. "But then, why--?"

Why did you never do anything about it? Why did you turn me down?

"Because I thought you were already taken," Shamal said fervently, answering her unfinished question. "I swear to you, Nana, that's the only reason why. Had I known, I would've--"

"You thought I was taken? By who?" She interrupted incredulously. Shamal winced and realization dawned. "Oh my god. You actually-- you thought I was married to Iemitsu?" She shook her head. "Shamal, we dated for like. Two weeks. I've never referred to him as my husband-- or even my boyfriend. How--?"

"Because I'm an idiot when it comes to you, okay? Have been since the first day I laid eyes on you and you pepper sprayed me in the face." Shamal swallowed, not quite able to meet her eyes. "I know that I-- that I should have clarified things a long time ago. God knows I had more than enough chances to ask questions, years of chances. The truth is, Nana, I didn't want to know. Didn't want to hear about some other guy getting to live the life I wanted with you. I was selfish, and I...I only wanted to know the part of you that was my friend and not someone else's wife." He closed his eyes. "As a result, I've hurt you. And for that, I am truly sorry."

There was a long pause.

"I'll accept your apology on one condition," she said finally.

"Anything," Shamal said instantly, opening his eyes again. "Name any condition you want, Nana, and I promise you I'll fulfill it."

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"You said that the reason you never acted on your feelings was because you didn't know I was single, right? That it was the only reason you never made a move," she said scowling, jabbing a finger into his chest. "Well now you know I'm single, so what are you waiting for? Make a move, dammit."

Shamal blinked. Then he threw his head back, letting out a delighted laugh.

"You really are something else, Nana Fujiwara," he said fondly, eyes crinkling up at the edges. He reached out to cup her face in both hands, leaning down to press his forehead against hers.

"I would very much like to kiss you now," he breathed out. "Is that okay?"

"More than okay," she replied, the words barely out of her mouth before Shamal leaned down to press his lips against her own.

~~

"You seem surprised, Reborn," Nana said as she began setting the table for dinner.

"I have to admit, I wasn't expecting you to forgive him so quickly," Reborn replied.

Nana shrugged.

"Well sure, I could choose to be mad at him for a while longer, but I think we've wasted enough time already, don't you think?" She grabbed another chair to put at the table. "Didn't see much point in drawing things out."

"So that's where Tsuna gets it from," Reborn muttered under his breath.

"Hmm? Sorry, I didn't quite catch that," Nana said, turning to him.

"Nothing." Reborn ducked his head, fedora obscuring his face. "I'm glad you decided to give him a chance. It was getting painful, watching him."

Nana hummed, turning to look at him.

"I assume I have you to thank then, for clueing Shamal in to the fact that Iemitsu and I aren't actually married?" She asked with a smile. "You surprised me too, you know. I didn't think you liked me much."

"I said I found you difficult." Reborn's voice was impossible to read. "An opinion that hasn't changed."

"And yet you decided to help Shamal and I get together." Her eyes softened. "Thank you, Reborn. Really."

"Don't thank me. I did you a favor, that's it-- and I fully expect you to pay me back someday."

"Sure," Nana said cheerfully, the corner of her mouth quirking up. "Just as long as it's something I don't actually mind doing. You did this all on your own, after all, it's not something I asked you to do-- which means that I get veto power on all return favors you might ask for. And don't bother arguing, you're lucky that I'm agreeing to this at all."

Reborn huffed.

"Like I said," he muttered. He waited until Nana's back was turned before allowing a slight smile to form on his face. "Difficult."

[ravensilversea]

hi, "Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better" and that lal/nana/nello wip for the wip game pls!

Ah yes, the rarepairweek ideas that never came to be for 500

Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better

Firstly, I love this title because it is an extremely accurate description to what’s going down in this fic, and it’s also a reference to Annie Get Your Gun because I’m a nerd. Secondly, it was originally sparked by last year’s Enemies to Lovers prompt, but it’s really more of a Rivals to Lovers. Thirdly, the reason(s) why it wasn’t written in time for last year’s rarepairweek is because 1) I was and continue to be a hot mess who can’t figure out this whole write everyday thing and 2) I was getting the vibe it was going to be Longer Than Anticipated.

Scrivener Notes: “Verde/Viper; ever see a scientist try to outdo an illusionist?“

Snippet:

Verde looks at them. “You have been quiet,” he says and pushes his glasses up his nose. “What is your opinion on my invention, Viper?” Viper grinds their teeth together. “Impressive, for a mere invention,” they say. The half-smile drops from Verde’s face, and they allow a slow grin of glee to stretch across their own. “But you have a long way to go before you could even dream of replacing me.” “I highly doubt that. Anything you can do, I can invent something to do the same, if not better.”

Lal/Nana/Colonello

Congratulations! It’s a Daily Double! I actually have TWO plotbunnies for this pairing.

Plotbunny 1: The first one was sparked by KHRween2021, which I ended up writing absolutely nothing for because I was both knee-deep in a semester and also preparing to move. It was for the Haunted House prompt, and honestly the point where I just resigned myself to finding new and shiny rarepair to ship every prompt event.

Scrivener Notes: Nana/Colonello/Lal going through a haunted house together? Colonello's the scaredy-cat who keeps clinging to his girlfriends' arms, Nana starts out a bit spooked, and Lal is 100% shaking in her boots but is too cool to admit it

Commentary: I just lowkey need Nana to end up being the one comforting/consoling/“Of course you weren’t scared”-ing these two badass special ops soldiers by the end of a haunted house. Mainly because I think it’s kinda funny.

Plotbunny 2: Holy cow there’s actually 250 words written here! I forgot about that! This one is a multi-chapter plotbunny idea, not sparked by rarepairweek directly.

The Details (No Actual Notes): Pre-canon, some kind of Adult Arcobaleno AU. Tsuna’s still a small child. I think I decided Iemitsu just straight up dies and no one knows to tell Nana, so she gets super disillusioned by the fact Iemitsu just starts really ghosting her (no visits, no calls, no money, etc).

Somehow Lal and/or Colonello cross paths with Nana and Tsuna. And we have a delightful little slowburn where they all end up raising Tsuna together. I don’t think I intended for it to go all the way up to the start of canon, and if I did, I don’t now. The vibes here are accidental life partner and baby acquisition.

Snippet:

The day Iemitsu was due to come home again came and went. Nana tried not to worry too much about it- she hadn’t even told Tsuna about his father’s upcoming visit because Iemitsu rarely ever follows through, and it’s kinder to let it be a surprise than a disappointment. But, normally he would call her and make his excuses sometime when it was dark outside and dinner long cold or breakfast not yet made.

The days pass by like they normally do. She cooks, cleans, shops, and takes Tsuna on excursions in an attempt to find him friends. Tsuna goes to school with a bright orange backpack and a matching bento, his smile getting smaller and shakier with every passing day. He comes home and mumbles his way through telling her about his day.

Iemitsu still doesn’t call.

The air grows colder. Nana takes Tsuna to TakeSushi for his birthday where he smiles shyly up at Tsuyoshi and waves at Takeshi-kun, who’s doing his homework under the careful eye of his mother at a table in the corner. The day Iemitsu’s deposit is due in her bank account comes and goes.

[hopeswriting]

I meant to do a post about my thoughts on the Daily Life Arc now that I finished rereading it, but I can't seem to find the time and it's been a while now, and if I keep it up I'll forget what my thoughts are to begin with lol, so here's the long story short:

I know it's a long arc, as in it starts being boring and more or less unbearable past some point, because the "gag of the chapter" format only takes you so far, and not actually very far if Amano's humor doesn't work on you much, if at all. I don't think it's an arc you can reread right away/soon either, lest you feel that one flaw even faster.

And I felt it too, starting with the fourty-something chapters I felt like it was dragging on too much, though to be fair that probably had to do too with the fact I knew things much more interesting were coming after that.

Still, all that said, like, it's an enjoyable arc. Amano's humor happens to work on me, and she does it really well, and I liked reading the arc. There are some chapters where you're really asking yourself why they were written for lol, but even then you read it for the characters, and it somehow keeps you going.

And like, even though I think Amano could have seen the fact the comedy was going to turn repetitive and thus boring at some point, and try to diversify it or something, it's just how comedy/humor/gags works? Some jokes land and some doesn't, but for me at least a lot more of them worked than not.

The DLA is a good enough arc is what I'm saying.

------

On than note and on the contrary, of course it's fine if you think it's a bad arc, to each their opinion, but personally I really don't agree it's an unnecessary one.

I'm saying this because apparently it's not uncommon to advice new fans to skip the arc and directly start with the Kokuyo one? (Or so I learned on TV Tropes anyway, this might or might not be still relevent/accurate.)

Now don't get me wrong, the DLA does fail to hook the readers to the story for the reasons stated above, I agree with that, but it literally introduces the main character? And all the other characters, and gets us to know them, and establishes the dynamics between them and why they're the way they are, and, though only in a more or less superficial manner (and more than less) by design of the arc's purpose (not being deep in any way lol), it still gives us an insight into the characters and why they're the way they are. A glimpse into the core of their personality, the "stakes" of their characters, the flaws they have to overcome.

And all that in the context of their daily life, so if you skip it to go directly to the arc that challenges them, you can't appreciate fully how they rise to the challenge, how it shows their growth or reasserts their core values. You can't know how much or what it means, for example, off the top of my head, to have Yamamoto sacrifice his arm to beat Ken, when only a year ago he tried to kill himself over his broken arm. Or Hibari losing against Mukuro, thus telling us how much of a real threat he was. Or Tsuna screaming at Lancia for having hurt his friends, anger on his face, clearly despite himself, that Dame-Tsuna.

All these just wouldn't hit you the same, and it'd be such a shame? I mean I guess the ones who start with the Kokuyo arc go back to read the DLA, or you could compromise like the anime did by splitting the DLA between more serious arcs, but like I said I personally don't find the DLA that bad, so I still wouldn't advice it lol.

Even if, I suppose, it'd mean they might give up on the manga somewhere through the DLA, but like? Some mangas just don't speak to you, and that's fine, and it'd be a little of a shame from my POV as a KHR fan, but still, no big deal.

------

I'm still very impressed with how smoothly Amano went from a gag manga to a shonen one, and how she made it so the DLA still fits with the rest. I mean the sudden change in tone/stakes/etc is jarring, sure, but it's all based on stuff she introduced in the DLA, which she presumably came up with with no intention to ever make it something deeper/more meaningful.

It's easy to believe the foreshadowing, and generally speaking the worldbuilding was planned all along, which, again, probably not, and like? Super impressive.

(Though once more don't get me wrong, there are inconsistencies/plot holes in Amano's plotlines and worldbuilding, but not, like, at their seams, if I can say it like that? It's more often in the details, and it's fairly easy to fill in the blanks ourselves.)

------

Finally it was a lot of fun to rediscover the characters in a new light, and a bit of a disbelieving surprise tbh.

For context before I started my reread of the manga, all this time I was going with the time I read/watched it years ago plus the times I skimmed it, but mostly by all the fanon I was consuming. And it's not to say fanon is wrong per se, but it latched on one to three character's traits, or slapped an easy character archetype on them easy to "relate" to within, and apparently never looked back lol. And also often dialed up those traits (good or bad) in a very noticeable manner.

What I'm saying is, fanon is, in fact, wrong sometimes zldnslsz, and the characters are much more nuanced even in the DLA! (Which still leaves us at a more or less superficial level, because, you know lol, but still!)

------

To name the ones that stood out to me the most:

Nana isn't abused by Iemitsu, nor is she unhappy in her marriage despite Iemitsu being an absent husband (which is not relevent in the context of the DLA, but still, you can tell). She isn't an abusive mother to Tsuna either, and she is literally never an airhead. She literally just isn't, she actually does react very normally to the crazy Reborn brings with him, but much like Yamamoto as long as no one gets hurt (or walks it off), she just brushes it off.

And she has friends she goes listen to piano recitals with, and tries to save on money by eating rests, and gets in two-way arguments with Tsuna, and raises his allowance if he gets better grades to push him to work harder, and all around is just your average mom that really didn't read as just The Mom, if you know what I mean.

She has her flaws, definitely, she's not a great mom, namely is apparently used to call Tsuna Dame-Tsuna, but she's not just that.

She takes care of him, worries over him, and seems to be the only one who hasn't given up on him yet when the story starts. She supports him (though sometimes in a tactless to hurtful way), praises him when he does well, and trusts him to watch over the kids.

She's not that bad is what I'm saying, and 100% redeemable (that is, if you think she needs to be redeemed to begin with, which I actually do think she does, calling Tsuna Dame of all things is just a really shitty thing to do.)

(Though it's interesting to note that she doesn't do it again after what happened with Kyoko iirc, even if she might very well still talk to him in a belittling way at times. I just wish Amano would have commit fully to acknowledge it and resolve it, what with already having made it Kyoko's Dying Will Regret.)

(Edit: I had forgotten but she literally forgets his birthday while preparing someone else's birthday, so I take back that she is 100% redeemable because it's being too nice. But my point still stands.)

------

Haru is literally such a fun character, it makes me even more sad now to know what Amano did with her (nothing ansknslq 😭😂).

She's unhinged, has zero impulse control, does not reflect on the consequences of her lack of impulse control as Tsuna points it out, is ready and willing to throw hands at any given moment and is unapologetic of it, and is the one Amano actually calls an airhead.

The only problem she had with the mafia is that she thought Tsuna was forcing it on Reborn, and when she confirmed it was all true she literally didn't even blink at it, and immediately called herself the future Decimo's wife djosdkkd.

On that note she is literally mafia right from her first appearance, is more or less involved in almost all the mafia shenanigans, was right there with Tsuna & Co when they went to destroy the Tomaso's headquarters.

And like?? Amano could just have left it at that if she wasn't going to do anything else/more with it. Haru had so much potential, and not only Amano did nothing with it, she actually watered her down and took away all her distinct character's traits 😭.

------

Hibari is so much more feral and playful than his fanon cool, overpowered, quiet badass counterpart. Which I love too, don't get me wrong, but these two sides of him don't have to be exclusive!

He talks and smiles and jokes often, and shows off and casually insults you, and licks the blood away from his lips after having beaten bloody other middle schoolers who dared to defy him (I know this happens in the Kokuyo arc, but it illustrates my point the best).

Not much more to add than that, we should just acknowledge that and put it in our works more often.

------

Gokudera is a compelling character from the get go, and as far as the DLA goes, he's the most compelling character second to Tsuna. He's the only one to actually have flashbacks and a backstory. And what stood out to me the most that I don't see often in fanon, is that he's really a good friend.

Yes he has a short fuse and snaps easily and is easy to anger, but he's not always angry. And is seen having and being capable of positive exchanges outside of Tsuna (I'm thinking Yamamoto namely, who's made with Ryohei to be the one he gets angry with the most).

And yes he holds Tsuna on a pedestal and sees him through heavily tinted pink glasses, but even through that he's earnestly a good friend. And tries his best, and is hardworking and overachieving, so much so he messes up without meaning to, but he only ever has honest, straight-forward good intentions behind it all (well, maybe not always lol).

I love him a lot more now is what I'm saying.

------

And Tsuna. I'm not sure I'll be able to articulate my thoughts properly, but like... he's just your average teenager. Which of course is his whole thing, and I'm saying it in a very not judgy way whatsoever, but he's often made to be at least a little more than that, namely about his bullying.

Like, it's kind of dramatised in fics? And I'm not going to elaborate on that more because it might come out wrong and I don't want that, but it's just, like—canonically he is just bullied, simple as that. Like many other teenagers are.

And it's all in a "chill" way (for unfortunate lack of a better word, I don't mean to trivialize bullying at all, it's wrong and unfair and never deserved or okay, just so we're clear), and by the time the story starts Tsuna is used to it and has given up fighting against it, and actually finds refuge and a twisted comfort in embracing his Dame-Tsuna's monicker, because at least he's not gonna hit rock bottom deeper than that if he does.

And I'm not actually going anywhere with this, it's just? It hit me how differently canon and fanon portray his bullying.

Back on the note of him being a (below) average teenager, Tsuna is not an uwu pure cinnamon roll too good for this world.

He's literally so quick to judge and criticise, whether in his head or out loud when he knows more the person (namely Haru lol, poor girl), it was actually a bit of a shock tbh lol. He snaps easily, and is lazy, does not want to try even one bit, and is happy to run away from his responsibilities whenever he can.

And not only I'm not saying that in a judgy way this time either, but I'm actually saying it in a good way. He really felt like your average middle schooler, and it was so refreshing to see. That, plus the fact the narrative never holds it against him, let alone punishes him for it even if he's made to grow out of these traits, and it's literally part of his character arc, is kind of unique for the shonen genre (maybe, I'm not exactly a specialist of shonen mangas lol).

And I can see why you'd want to change it in fics, but personally I think it really makes his character's arc even more meaningful.

[dearcat1]

Winter Holiday

Fandom: Katekyo Hitman Reborn

Relationship: Sawada Tsunayoshi & Gokudera Hayato, Sawada Tsunayoshi & Reborn, Sawada Tsunayoshi & Xanxus.

For the record, I am kind of sorry.

Sequel to Seal and Hot&Cold.

.

They had been careful, oh so very careful, in continuing their arrangement. Nobody talked about it, there was no reason given, it was simply an unspoken agreement based on their shared uneasiness of the Ninth Generation.

Maybe they hadn’t been careful enough.

Tsuna has no idea what the Ninth knows, what Iemitsu knows, nor does he have any idea of what they think about it. All he knows is that it got him in this fucked up situation and it’s messing with his head. Tsuna resists the urge to close his eyes in exhaustion and forces himself not to tremble.

His mother keeps on talking excitedly, all three men sitting around her and pretending to listen. Or maybe that’s just Tsuna. He feels a little guilty about it underneath the sea of terrified fury and betrayal. When his mother had insisted on spending a holiday with him, Tsuna had thought nothing of it. He hadn’t expected the ambush.

He hadn’t expected his mother to play along either and maybe he should have. Maybe is foolish to think otherwise, Nana understands very little and has been told nothing at all, no matter how much Tsuna hates it. To her, she’s probably trying to mend a father-son relationship that has hit one too many bumps along the way.

It’s so much more than that, though. And Tsuna finds himself forced to endure Timoteo’s and Iemitsu’s flames bearing down on him. They keep trying to force his flames into some sort of submissive compliance, intentions disguised as something kinder, it makes Tsuna’s skin crawl.

Or maybe Tsuna is reading too much into it. Maybe they want the easy resonance that Tsuna’s and Xanxus’ flames have finally fallen into, about a year and some more months after their first night of silent companionship. Maybe that’s all it is or maybe Tsuna is right to be wary. It doesn’t matter. The feeling of their flames insistently pushing against his skin is terrifying and irritating in equal measures. Disturbing.

A shower is just one of the things he wishes for. For a second, he allows himself to wish for Reborn, who even to this day he can’t help but think of as invincible, for Xanxus, who is an expert at redirecting this two powerful men. But even now, feeling the edges of the broken seal flaring on his forehead, he can’t quite wish this on the older man and Reborn is on a mission, far out of reach.

Just one more night, he reminds himself, just one more. Endure this much and then escape, he’ll know to look out for this in the future. He won’t be caught unaware anymore.

That night, like the others, Tsuna can’t go to sleep. He stays awake, not even bothering to change into his nightclothes, and lets the wine calm his nerves. He thinks he can do it, it’s only one more night and tomorrow morning he’ll be gone as fast as politeness allows. Maybe he jinxed himself.

Flames bare down on him, far more insistent, far less subtle, than all the previous days. It leaves Tsuna gasping, skin overheated to the point his fingers start charring the glass he’s holding. But Tsuna resists the urge to let his flames out, he will not give these two men access to his will.

Instead, hoping that the phone’s flame-resistant technology will survive long enough, Tsuna reaches for his phone and calls Gokudera. Let his right-hand man stage a rescue, Tsuna is sure Reborn will forgive him this lapse in gentlemanly behaviour.

“Tenth?”

Tsuna can only gasp. The flames bearing down on him turn hotter and Tsuna half bites back a sob. It seems to he answer enough.

“I’ll let mama know there was an emergency. We’ll have extraction ready in five, boss. Less if the Varia can help.” Gokudera sounds so angry, so worried.

The warmth in his chest is half overheating from keeping his own flames so tightly constrained and half grateful bewildered love. “Thank you, Hayato.”

He loses time after that, has convoluted memories of smiling at his mother, apologizing for having to leave so suddenly, bowing at Timoteo and Iemitsu just to avoid shaking their hands. A car ride, maybe. Voices around him. Arms are surroundIng him, freezing cold against his overheated skin and Tsuna tries to flinch away. 

It hurts. 

“Stay still, Dame-Tsuna.”

Reborn, Tsuna thinks, with something close to relief, and forces himself to stop squirming. He wants to reach for him, hold Reborn against his chest. Reborn allowed that sometimes when Tsuna really needed the comfort. But Reborn is adult-sized now and kneeling in front of him and Tsuna’s arms are pinned at his sides so he rests his forehead against his tutor’s collarbone instead.

Movement behind him has the chest pressed to his back plastering itself more firmly to him and Tsuna shudders, sobs. It’s too cold against his skin. There’s breath against his nape and muttered whispers he can barely make out. A litany of apologies against his skin and Tsuna blinks, lets his fingers tangle on the fabric they’re resting on. “Xanxus?”

“Tsunayoshi,” the assassin sounds so tired that Tsuna is immediately concerned, “I need you to work with me.”

“Ok,” he whispers, “ok.” His throat is raspy and his head is hurting but he can do this, he can.

“Alright, come on.” Xanxus shifts, tangles his hands with Tsuna’s and Tsuna resists the urge to pull away at the cold. “Pull your flames out, slowly. Come on, with me.”

But Tsuna remembers flames bearing down on him, insistent and painful, and he shakes, lurches forward in a barely aborted attempt to escape and then sobs. “No, no, no, no, no, no, no, Xanxus, no, don’t make me.”

A hand on his nape gets him to stop babbling, keeps him quiet. His tutor looks grim and Xanxus exhales wetly behind him. Tsuna is pretty sure he’s not the only one crying anymore. He can’t even remember when he started to cry, to begin with. He lets out a sob that rattles his entire frame but stops fighting Xanxus as the man coaches his flames out. Tsuna helplessly buries his head a little more firmly against Reborn.

[rinastray]

To Readjust

Series: Katekyo Hitman Reborn

Characters: Verde, Sawada Nana, Fon, Sawada Tsunayoshi

Relationship: Sawada Nana & Verde

Vday Mini-Event: Day One - Impossible

Summary:  Fon hints at an intriguing possibility.

People just didn’t call him. Not out of the blue, and certainly none of the ones involved in that day. It wasn’t like they had any particular reason too. So when the phone that was mostly used to order equipment and supplies rang, he just looked at it for a long moment before picking it up.

“Nihao, Verde.”

-=-=-=-=-

Fon’s request had been… strange, to say the least. Come out to a small town in Japan. There’s something there that you might be interested in researching.

He’d even agreed to paying travel costs, so all Verde was loosing was maybe a week of time on his projects.

The house Fon’s directions led him to was quaint in its own way, and with Keiman draped over his shoulder in approximation of a plush the scientist reached out an rapped on the door. And the woman who opened the door was slender and bore the characteristics common to the Japanese, though there was something about her eyes and the curve of her jaw that hinted at foreign ancestry.

She smiled when she saw him and smoothed the apron over her skirt as she crouched closer to Verde’s height. Surprisingly though, instead of coming of as condescending the movement seemed to be accommodating. “Are you Fon-san’s acquaintance?” she asked, brown eyes bright and… was that a hint of orange in them? Fon had found a Sky, an active Sky, in this quiet little town? That alone was almost worth the hassle of getting there.

“I am.” He nodded briefly to the alligator on his shoulder. “This is Keiman. And you are?”

A thin frown crossed to woman’s mouth for a moment. “Fon-san didn’t give you my name?”

“He didn’t tell me much of anything when he bade me to come,” Verde groused.

“Well that won’t do.” The woman smiled, welcoming and warm. “I’m Narumi Nanami, but just Nana’s fine. Fon-san’s upstairs with Tsu-kun, so please come in and make yourself at home while I call for him.” Nana stepped back into the house with Verde on her heels and called up to the second floor.

Verde stepped out of his shoes as Keiman wriggled off his shoulder, dropping to the floor and scurrying off after a flash of white that had appeared down the hall. Nana followed sedately after them with a giggle. Then a sharp screech sounded from the top of the stairs along with an aborted thud and a startling flash of crimson dropped down the stairwell to the landing.

There was still a shrill noise coming from a brown haired child as they clutched at the shirt of the one who had caught them, and Verde felt himself freeze as he took in the person’s figure. Fon, an adult Fon somehow restored to his previous self though still wearing that cursed pacifier, took note of the stare and smiled one of those damnably serene smiles that he was so fond of.

“It’s alright, Tsuna,” the taller - damn him! - man said, setting his armful down and ruffling the child’s, a boy, fluffy mess of hair. “See? No hurts; just a scare.” Tsuna nodded with a hiccup as he rubbed at his eyes.

“Tank you,” the boy mumbled.

“Why don’t you go help your Mama?”

“Kays!” the boy chirped, tears forgotten as he went off down the hall.

Verde finally found his voice as the child disappeared around the corner. “How?”

“I’m not entirely certain, though I think it might have to do with Harmonizing,” Fon said, even as something shifted in the air and suddenly the martial artist was a child again. “Nana seems to get lightheaded if I try holding it too long.”

“Less a cure and more a reprieve, then,” Verde said, the implications turning over in his mind. “And if limited by your Sky’s…” He trailed off. Someone who wasn’t one of the Arcobaleno had managed to bond with the world’s strongest Storm. Verde had thought that they were too far out of the league of anyone else’s abilities for that to happen.

“I knew this would interest you.” Fon’s voice held a hint of smugness, though his face was as mild as ever, and Verde gave him a very flat look.

-=-=-=-=-

Verde ended up staying, transferring his lab to a suitable location provided by Fon’s little sister Meihua - none of them had known he had siblings, though honestly none of them had ever been very open with the others, despite Luce’s machinations attempts - and tried to lose himself entirely to the faint hint of maybe, hopefully finding away out of this curse.

Tried being the operative word though, as Nana had taken it upon herself to make sure that he ate and slept regularly. She’d even tempted Keiman into helping (the traitor). Losing that much time for research to such plebeian things as sleep grated Verde to no end but Fon’s Sky had put her foot down and had even made a rational - and sensible, as much as he hated admitting - argument.

So two or three times a day she dropped by, sometimes by herself, sometimes with her son in tow. Those times were the worst, as Tsuna always turned those wide brown eyes on him (the boy was as much a Sky as his mother, Verde was certain of that) and talked him into bathing with him. Sometimes though she’d just show up and talk, rambling on about the strain of being separated from one’s Guardian, or about the man who had fathered Tsuna.

Then one day, a few months after Fon had trusted him with knowledge of his Sky, Nana stopped by, morose and pale, and said she wouldn’t be by for a week for some reason or other, but that she had made sure to ask Meihua to keep him fed.

-=-=-=-=-

The next time Nana showed up there were dark circles beneath her eyes. Verde didn’t even notice her come in, and it wasn’t until Keiman tugged at his lab coat incessantly that the Arcobaleno even realized she was there, curled into a tight ball on the bed that had been put there for his use, face pressed against the pillow and fingers white from the force of her grip.

-=-=-=-=-

Then one day Verde did notice when she came in, because as soon as the door had closed she slid down and buried her face in her hands with a sob. Brokenly she ranted about having Guardians that couldn’t stay, because there’d be suspicions if they just disappeared from where others thought they should be. She just wanted them there with her! Was that too much to hope for?! Keiman shuffled forward and rested his head on her lap and Nana snuffled as she pet his snout.

The feel of her flames was thick and choking in the air, tangible in her frustration, her desire for her Guardians, but for as heavy as it was it simply washed over Verde and didn’t push.

“Get some rest.” For a moment Verde didn’t realize that he’d spoken until Nana lifted her head and stared blankly at him. Gah, that sounded like he cared about her well being. “Getting precise results is difficult if agitated flames keep throwing the readings off.”

Nana let out a watery laugh at his words and rubbed at her eyes with a sleeve, a vivid parallel to Verde’s first meeting with the woman’s son. “Thank you for worrying,” she said, shakily getting to her feet and making her way towards the bed. “Don’t forget that you need rest too, Verde-san.”

-=-=-=-=-

Blinking slowly into wakefulness, Verde lay still in the dark for a long moment before pressing a hand to his face and sitting upright as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. His other hand gripped the edge as he fought off vertigo, feet pressed flat to the floor. This was one of the reasons he hated sleeping. Fighting through headaches and ringing was one thing, he could still work on his projects, but sleeping always left the world spinning when he woke and he couldn’t think straight through it.

Which is why it took him a few minutes to realize that a few things were off.

Usually he had to hop down from the bed to the floor, but he could feel the solidness of the ground beneath the soles of his feet from where he sat, and something… something warm seemed to hum under his skin. Not his Lightning, though that was oddly content when usually it was sparking in annoyance just as he was after waking, but… It almost reminded him of Luce, before the tragedy of that day.

That thought made him still even as his hand slid back across the bed, brushing against Nana’s arm.

He couldn't have Bonded.

But the truth thrummed quietly in his chest and on a whim Verde pulled away from the sensation, only to have his whole world disorient, again, when he popped into a tiny body. He’d have probably fallen off the edge if Nana hadn’t caught him, the faint glow of amber bright in the dark. “Verde-san?”

She sat upright and pulled the scientist on to her lap. For once Verde let her, felt the warmth of her and her Flames, and allowed them to settle again within his own.

“Oh.” Nana’s hold tightened ever so slightly, and something damp fell on his hair. Her voice hitched as she whispered a strained, “Thank you,” into the dark.

[foreverfamilyforevervongola]

12, tsuna loses his memory after a fight. All guardians and allies feel hurt when they hear that he forgot them...

After five days of Tsuna lying in the infirmary, unconscious, Shamal was relieved when he heard the man emit a soft groan from the cot. Slinging his hands into the pocket of his lab coat, he remarked, “It’s about time, Tsuna.”

The brunette slowly sat up, eyes half-lidded. When his blurred surroundings came into focus, his eyes locked on the lone figure in the room and he froze. Confusion and fear consumed his expression and he asked in panic, “Who’re you? Where am I?”

Shamal froze. For a brief second, he entertained the idea that maybe Tsuna was messing with him, but knew that wasn’t the case. Tsuna wouldn’t make such jokes. “You had an accident,” he spoke slowly, not quite certain he wanted delve into the details just yet.

“An accident?” Tsuna gingerly touched his aching head, where he could feel thick bandages wrapped over the wound. “What kind of accident?”

“You got into a fight and hit your head,” replied Shamal. It was the simplified version of what truly happened, but he needed to get a grasp of just how much Tsuna remembered. “What do you remember last?”

Perplexed, Tsuna thought for a moment. “I…I don’t know,” he answered, voice trembling with fear. “I don’t think I remember anything.”

“Okay, it’s okay,” soothed Shamal. His attention was diverted when he heard footsteps coming down the corridor. Cursing silently, Shamal ordered, “Lie down for a minute. I’ll be right back.”

He strode out of the infirmary and stepped smoothly in Gokudera’s path, preventing him entry. The silver-haired man immediately bristled. “What the hell--?”

Shamal placed his hand over Gokudera’s mouth, cutting off his loud exclamation. Gokudera felt a surge of anger, but it didn’t last long when he caught Shamal’s intent, serious eyes. His protest died on his tongue and, satisfied that Gokudera would be quiet, Shamal lowered his hand.

“He has amnesia.”

Gokudera’s eyes widened with worry and disbelief. “What?”

“He didn’t remember who I was, and didn’t know where he was. The last thing he needs right now is to be overwhelmed. Tell the others what’s going on, and call his father.”

Gokudera stood still for a moment, struggling to contain his surge of emotions and comprehend what Shamal was telling him. “So…you’re saying he won’t remember me.”

“I think now is not the time to test it,” said Shamal, voice light. “We’ll see how he feels in a couple days. But for now, he needs familiarity.”

“Will he remember Iemitsu-san?”

“I hope so. If he doesn’t, well…”

He didn’t finish his sentence and Gokudera didn’t want him to. Though it hurt him to do so, he spun on his heel and walked away from the infirmary. It was less then ten minutes later when Iemitsu arrived, and both he and Shamal felt great relief when Tsuna said, “Dad! What are you doing here?”

“I heard you woke up,” replied Iemitsu, gently running his fingers through Tsuna’s hair. “I came to bring you home.”

Regarding his father, Tsuna’s brow furrowed. “Why are you wearing a tuxedo? You never wear tuxedos.”

Exchanging a quick glance with Shamal, Iemitsu said, “I had a business meeting.”

“For construction?”

Pausing, Iemitsu studied Tsuna and asked carefully, “Tsuna, where do you think we are right now?”

“Namimori, of course.” When his father only looked at him, Tsuna asked nervously, “Aren’t we?”

“We’re actually in Italy,” said Iemitsu.

Tsuna’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head. “What the heck am I doing in Italy? What are you doing in Italy? Where’s Mom?”

His hysteria increased with each question and Iemitsu took him by the shoulders, squeezing firmly. “Relax, Tsuna. You’re okay. Mom is in Japan, but she’ll be on her way. You’re in Italy because of your job. I’m in Italy because of mine.”

“You have a construction job in Italy?” asked Tsuna in confusion.

“Something like that.”

“What do I do? I don’t remember my job.” Tsuna buried his face in his hands with a distressed groan. “Nothing makes sense.”

“Why don’t we just take it easy for now?” suggested Iemitsu. “Shamal-sensei will check you over and then you can come with me.”

Tsuna gave a miserable nod. Iemitsu left the infirmary and strode for the living room, where everyone else had already gathered. Ryohei sprang off the couch and demanded, “How is he?”

“Severely out of it,” said Iemitsu grimly. “He thought he was back in Japan. The ambush took away at least a decade. What happened to the attackers?”

“We took care of them while he was unconscious,” said Hibari. He stood tensely near the window, his expression hard.

“Did he remember you?” asked Yamamoto seriously.

“He did. He remembers his mother, as well. But so far that seems to be it.”

Face crumpling, Lambo said, “He doesn’t remember us?”

Hesitating for a brief moment, Iemitsu said slowly, “I don’t believe so. He doesn’t know what his job is. And if he doesn’t know that…”

Lambo’s breath hitched in his throat and tears welled in his eyes. But he did not cry, and said, “What do we do?”

Chrome reached over to link hands with the teenager. “We wait. We be patient. That’s all we can do.”

No one wanted to ask just how long it would take. They all dreaded what the answer might be.

…

Shamal gave Tsuna medicine for the pain, which made him groggy enough to not notice that his father was escorting him not from a hospital, but rather a massive mansion. He settled his son at his home, which he passed off as a place he was staying while he was on his job in Italy.

Nana arrived two days later, engulfed Tsuna in a hug, and he relaxed at the familiar warmth. But while his parents made him comfortable, Tsuna was distraught when he realized that the memories he retained were from a decade ago.

His own emotions were so strong that he did not feel the concern of his family through his bonds. He also wasn’t aware that his anxiety, fear and confusion were being shared with them. Most of them guarded their own emotions to prevent the intensity from overwhelming them. Some, like Gokudera and Hibari, allowed themselves to experience the full force of Tsuna’s pain.

Kyoko, Yamamoto and Ryohei were the first ones to pay Tsuna a visit. Shamal figured since Tsuna’s clearest memories came from his early middle school days, he would at least recognize them. His hunch was correct, though Tsuna was bewildered as to why they had come all the way to Italy to visit him. As far as he knew, they still lived in Japan.

“We became close friends in middle school,” explained Yamamoto.

“We did?” said Tsuna with a puzzled frown. “But we barely knew each other.” When Yamamoto flinched slightly, Tsuna immediately felt bad for being so blunt. “I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have said that.”

“It’s okay,” soothed Kyoko, reaching out grasping Tsuna’s hand with a smile. “We understand.”

“We’ll do whatever we can to help you remember,” promised Ryohei.

“And if we start to overwhelm you, you can let us know,” added Yamamoto.

Touched by their concern, Tsuna smiled. “Thank you. I’m glad we became friends. I always admired you guys.”

“We admire you,” returned Ryohei. More than you know, he added silently.

…

It was almost torturous, the distance they had to keep between themselves and Tsuna. But the brunette had very nearly freaked out when his father informed him, in very basic terms, that he was the head of a business. It clearly was not the time to inform him he was the Don of the most powerful Mafia Famiglia in history.

Gokudera visited Tsuna next, under the introduction that he was Tsuna’s right-hand man in the business they ran. Tsuna was polite, kind and formal when interacting with Gokudera, and it hurt. It hurt to hear Tsuna revert to ‘Gokudera-kun’, to not be able to be as affectionate as he wanted to be. But he was determined to help Tsuna through this, and even if Tsuna never remembered him or the others, they would rebuild their relationship from the ground up.

Chrome, Haru, and Mukuro were Tsuna’s next visitors, introduced as his co-workers. Mukuro did not miss the way Tsuna recoiled at his blood-red eye, the way he eyed him uncertainly. He never wavered in politeness, but Mukuro felt the ache in his gut. Chrome squeezed his hand, but her eye reflected his sadness. Haru was cheery enough for them both, and Tsuna immediately felt comfortable in her presence.

“Are you siblings?” he eventually asked, staring at Mukuro and Chrome curiously.

Exchanging glances with her male counterpart, Chrome answered, “Yes.”

Tsuna swirled the contents of his tea, a wistful expression on his face. “That’s nice. I sort of always wanted siblings.”

You do have them, Mukuro wanted to say, but refrained, even though it was difficult. 

Lambo, I-Pin and Futa were a bit harder to explain, given the circumstances. Iemitsu told Tsuna they were family friends, and when the trio came to visit, loaded down with homework, Tsuna offered to help to the best of his ability. They longed to hug him, but knew it might unsettle the brunette.

Hibari refused to visit Tsuna, at least face-to-face. He knew his presence would only disorient him. As far as Tsuna recalled, Hibari was the strict tyrant that ruled over Namimori with an iron fist. He wouldn’t be able to comprehend why he was in Italy, and it might do more harm than good. So Hibari resorted to watching from a distance, to lingering in the shadows whenever Nana took Tsuna out shopping, or for a walk through town.

The amount of people visiting him astounded Tsuna. He’d never thought he’d know this many people in his life, or at least not to the extent they’d feel inclined to visit him so frequently. As much as he was grateful with their company, with their patience, he couldn’t help but feel empty. The forgotten chunk of his life loomed over him, haunting him, and he couldn’t begin to imagine what he was missing.

But it was more than his lost memory. He didn’t quite feel like himself, like he wasn’t whole. He couldn’t quite put a finger on it, but something meaningful and powerful was gone from his life. He could sort of feel a shadow of it whenever Yamamoto, Gokudera or the others came to see him. Amnesia or not, he was quickly beginning to see that they were important to him. Emotions could not be forgotten so quickly, even if he didn’t understand what they should be or just how strong they were meant to be.

Reborn was the last one to visit Tsuna. He arrived home from a mission, only to discover Decimo had amnesia and his Guardians were trying to keep this fact hidden from the Mafia world. And when they locked eyes, Tsuna froze, staring at the obsidian gaze that was as comforting as it was terrifying.

It was a few days later when his memories returned in a flood, and after a lot of hugging and tears, Tsuna turned to Reborn and remarked fondly, “I guess years of your trauma is just something that can’t be completely forgotten.”

It was the highest compliment Reborn had ever received.

[mafiabosstsuna]

Can i a request tsuna/hibari/yamamoto/xanus/giotto fall for a girl who is mute and they found out that she is a mermaid, who one safe their lives? I am so devasted that you guys will go...

((There is a limit on asks so we will be booting out one of our boys from the prompt; this time it’s Yamamoto - Admin Nana))

Tsuna: 

There was no storm and yet the ocean moved as if one was approaching. A dreadful raging sea with waves rising as high as mountains, and if you listened you could hear the whispers in the lofty, foaming crests of the ocean. Something was calling, groaning and shrieking. Yet the skies looked clear, with dark blues and soft clouds you could not describe.

So why did the sea wail as if in pain? Why did it move so angrily?

You could see what they could not, even as everyone else called to hurry back to the safety of the cabin you looked out to the ocean. You heard the danger, the pleads of the ocean, and yet that did not change the fact your face was ashen and that your lips were trembling; hearing everything that their mortal ears could not hear.

A warm hand clasped your clammy one, causing you to jump and sharply turn to stare into glowing orange eyes. “Come on,” He said, securely keeping you close to him, making sure the waters were behind him and you in front, believing greatly that you feared the water. But that was to be expected, for the waters held a secret you could never tell.

A secret that stole your voice, your peace even, and left an empty throat and pain piercing your feet like glass in flesh. For out there was home, out there was the price you had paid to stay with Tsuna, and even now it raged that one of its own had left the seas, had left for a human man who could never know the truth; whispering that out on the lands was danger everywhere, to return and become one with the sea again.

The skies became darker and the storm became real as time moved on, everyone safely in the hard walls of the cabin, some flummoxed by the sudden weather change, and others taking the opportunity to bring out games and plenty of blankets. The hours passed in laughter, ignoring the howling of the winds, the loud claps of the ocean dragging as closely as it could on the sandbank. When everyone slept you did not, your eyes kept on the door, listening, waiting.

Then you stood, carefully twisting out of the warm familiar arms of Tsuna who slept on, moving over sleeping bodies and snoring companions. The door clicked softly behind you and the sand moved through your toes as you made your way back down towards the ocean, the storm calming slightly, cooing, beckoning, before wailing when you stopped just meters away.

It could not reach you here. But it was not the ocean who you were worried about at this moment. It was the unknown man who spoke up, “Did you know… a mermaid has no soul?”

The ocean hissed and seemed to still as you turned your head just the slightest to see the figure sitting on a high rock.

“They have no soul and thus cannot love, and cannot feel pain.” His figure rose like a shadow, dressed in heavy black that tried to blend with the darkness, but you could see his outline as you could easily hear the ocean and its words. You frowned at the man and turned your head back towards the waters, uncaring of the fact you had seen a weapon underneath his sleeves, had heard the clacking of metal underneath his clothes and seen the wary smile on his face.

“They do not go to any sort of heavenly place, though it is said they can obtain a soul through another means.” He continued accusingly, “… would you cut out his heart to have one of your own?”

If you could, you would tell him he was an idiot.

Mermaids may not shed tears, may not feel perfect humanly sorrow, but they could care greatly. And you care for Tsuna so much more than this man could ever fathom, more than that moment when you had first seen him fall into the depths of the ocean, his very being calling to you like a faraway song.

He had fallen, you remembered, the deep reds so similar to the own inside your flesh washing away into the waters when he fell, yet it was not his own. He was not hurt but he had been drowning, and you had saved him when there was no need to.

How many had drowned in the waters, how many had ignored it? He would have been another and yet the colour of his eyes drew you in, the warmth of his body heating the waters around him like fire calling to you so much stronger than the embrace of the ocean itself… you had to save him.

And when he looked at you through the darkness of the waters, squinting as he struggled to stay awake, he would only see the glow of your eyes, not the pointed ears or the scales littering oddly on your flesh. He would not see the gills at your ribs nor feel the webs on your hands. He was falling to sleep and you pulled him back onto the boat carefully, hiding away from the shouting human people on the boat searching for him.

You had no reason to go back to that same waters he had been on with his companions, had no reason to break through the surface of the water and become disappointed when there was no sign of him, but you did.

You had no reason to go to that sea witch, allowing her to cut out your voice even as she warned you of the other mermaid that had once given much to be on the same surface. Yet you did, and you feared in the deepest crevices of your heart as you swam towards land, coughing, choking on the waters that had once been like air… that you would end up like that mermaid, that mermaid who resided now as sea foam, who had cared so much for a human man that had thought her nothing more than a dumb child slave, and died so he may live.

Perhaps Tsuna had not recognized you either as the one to keep him from drowning, and perhaps you had been aided by a different human, a human who saw from different eyes and whose blood was mixed heavily with the moon. But you were not like that other mermaid, and for that, you could have cried with relief. For Tsuna cared for you in a way only a human could, and you cared deeply the only way a mermaid could.

Maybe it is love, you thought. It could be and just that thought – that what you felt for him was just as sure as the thing they all called love – made you warm inside.

Cold metal pressed against your head, and you glanced at the man with a frown.

He was glaring at you.

So… he was aiming to kill you then.

The waters had been shrieking for ages now, whispering of a human man that did not like the sea and the mermaids within, whose eyes were wild with darkness and deceit, who could and would not see the truth.

Your eyes narrowed further, eyeing the man shrewdly.

Did he care so little of the one standing before him now, shaking from the cold of the night, you who stood before him, ready to cry if you could; did not even care of the tightness in your shoulders from fear.

What monster would fear death as you?

��Make this easy for the both of us.” He whispered, not noticing the way your eyes darted just a little to the left and back again.

“Yes, make this very easy for the both of us.”

The unknown man jerked in surprise at the new voice, spinning around only to end up slumping heavily to the ground with a choked scream. The bullet had pierced into his lungs, but Tsuna didn’t particularly care, even less as he stomped his foot onto the trembling hand with the gun. His smile was unkind… and slowly, as if an afterthought, you turned away just as the trigger was pulled.

Hibari:

Human people could not live under the water. One can only ever visit as a dead man. But while Kyoya could not die, the other man could. With that thought you burst forward, darting as a fish would through water, fast and furious, toppling him and yourself over the bridge towards the deep dark waters below.

The man fought against your strength, struggling to escape. He could not and realized as you turned his face sharply to you, staring into the glowing eyes of an angry creature, that he had made a mistake in dismissing the mute next to Kyoya.

Your face contorted in a silent shriek, and the man paled, his scream being fervently swallowed up by the waters you dragged him towards.

Water rose high from the impact, and you felt the strong knife of the water sinking into your skin, contorting your human body back into a mermaid.

It burned like nothing else but you did not let up your hold on the unknown assailant, not even when he turned his gun and tried to fire, only for it to explode between the both of you. Your skin tearing, and your voice, which had once been lost above on land, was returned to fill the waters with the bubbling sound of pain.

Your fingers clawed at the man’s flesh in response, jerking the trembling man closer with a hiss.

Blood seeped from your wounds, yet the man was no better. In fact, he was drowning, having tried to breathe in when the gun exploded, tearing at his arm and chest heavily. His eyes wildly looked back at you, and you could see it there, the realization that he would die here prominent in the glassy depths.

I will die here, those eyes seemed to say.

And he would, you thought, stubbornly holding onto the man until his thrashing suddenly stopped, his limbs sluggishly moving with the current.

You pulled his head back and stared into dead eyes. He sank downwards when you released him, his body disappearing into the darkness.

Your tail thrashed and you darted upwards, past the mess of red floating about the water, and broke through the surface.

You breathed deeply, and glanced around, careful to keep your hair close to you like a curtain, hiding away the soft scales on your shoulders and cheekbones, and the ever more prominent points of your ears.

You were right underneath the bridge, and you could hear panicked movements above. In fact, you could hear Kyoya snarling, demanding to be able to go down until – you winced, watching as a screaming human was flung into the waters instead.

You quickly went back under, searching for a much safer place to crawl back onto land and dry off. It would be a while, after all, until the spell reassembled itself and turned the tail back into human flesh.

Further behind the crowd screamed, but you did not look back, slowly dragging your body up onto a quiet, rocky bank outside of view from others.

Your tail was heavier on land without the aid of water, and your arms strained to keep you crawling away from the waters trying to urge you back in.

With a heavy puff of air, you dropped unceremoniously to the ground, gingerly turning and eyeing the flesh that had been torn from the explosion of the gun. It looked sort of interesting, wrapping around the front and just barely grazing your gills; flesh peeling away to reveal dark pink muscle underneath.

You lightly dragged a nail at the edges of the flayed skin and flinched, the pain sharp and expected, but luckily no longer bleeding as heavily as it had underneath the water.

You sighed.

Now how would you explain to Kyoya that you had drowned the man that had tried to kill him? He didn’t even know this wasn’t the first man to have been killed by you. In fact, if not counting the ones you had dragged down into the waters during storms, this was the third time you had killed a man while on land, and two of them was to save him from misguided humans who didn’t take kindly to Kyoya.

You sighed, wondering what it was about the man that brought disaster like clownfish to anemones.

A surprised hitch of breath caused you to turn sharply with a hiss to the intruder, ready to attack only to find it was Kyoya who had climbed over the rocks. He was staring at you in surprise, eyeing the long glossy scales of your tail with disbelief.

“What…”

You smiled sheepishly, curling away from him, moving inch by inch towards the edge and closer to the waters.

When he blinked, you quickly dragged your body into the water, only making it halfway in before Kyoya slammed his entire body straight against your back, pinning you with surprising strength that you had not expected.

“You,” He hissed, yanking at your hair and bending you back enough to glare into your eyes, “have some explaining to do.”

Xanxus:

You laughed silently and danced with the thought of death in your heart. Of men who thought you so simple, but even though you couldn’t speak that did not mean you could not hear, could not see, could not fight.

It was not the first time, after all, that you had killed a man, and it would not be the last.

Many times you had dragged drowning men further down into the ocean, watching as their faces purpled, struggling to not breathe in the salty water.

Men who had not expected that trying to drown you, even, would lead to your skin shifting away from the human form bestowed upon you, turning webbed hands upon them so sharply that the claws of your fingernails sunk deeply into their flesh like hooks.

You remembered very clearly the most significant death when another had tried to take away your prey.

Though Xanxus was no longer prey to you, he had been in the beginning.

A human person whose body warmed the air around him, and whose eyes burned deeper than any of the flowers below the ocean floors. He had been yours to try and drag down into the depths of the water, so close that you could hear the soft rumbling of his chest as he slept.

Then some upstart had moved in upon Xanxus, and you had violently broken the flooring, pulling the other human into the deep waters before she could scream; savouring the fear on her face as you sneered at her, breaking her and tearing her apart until almost nothing even remotely human of her was left.

The blood had risen and swarmed the deck.

You remembered that very well.

Xanxus had looked down with sleepy red eyes, grumbled and then turned on his heel back towards land. He hadn’t screamed as other humans would when seeing another human die so suddenly, blood gushing and overcoming the blue of the waters; hadn’t even paled like others who only could imagine what gruesome end had become of the human caught by your hands.

It was no real surprise when curiosity led you straight to the sea witch, stumbling then after onto land and making your way shakily into the human world without a voice and feet burning.

When you had seen him again… Xanxus had not disappointed.

He was an interesting sort of human.

And so, he lived, your heart strangely widening open with care for him. With things, you hadn’t ever felt before.

Thus, when that first scent of ash hit your nose you reacted, quickly turning away from the merriment of dancing and music galore to gaze out upon the starry sky and the deep lake.

Close, you thought, so very close.

The scent of something burning and then –

You threw a chair in the way of the bullet, startling Xanxus who had just moved into view.

Screams and panic soon enveloped the crowd, but red eyes simply narrowed and Xanxus snarled, realizing someone had tried to attack him during a neutral ball.

You tore through the crowd, barely hearing his shout and soon after cursing; instead, following the scent of ash and fading fire, stumbling down a small bank towards where the scent was strongest.

There in the darkness was an unassuming man whose feverish eyes spun to you, turning the gun sharply and firing again. The bullet stretched through the flesh of your calf even as your body shot straight at him, tackling him into the dark waters.

“Dammit!” The man cursed, jerking away from the claws of webbed hands trying to drag him into the waters; watching as what was human flesh began to spring up with scales, round ears becoming pointed, and smooth trembling legs melding together into a thick scaly tail that thrashed against the water violently.

An angry mermaid was trying to drown him, baring its teeth at him.

“Fuck…!” With straining forearms, he kicked you further out into the lake, causing you to yelp and sink immediately.

Piercing the surface of the waters had been given no second thought, only that you wanted that man drowned and to be eaten by the fish below. But the man was no longer to be found, and if you strained your ears, you could hear him having run off from the area, further into the darkness of the forest like a loud stumbling baby deer.

Tail kicking angrily, you let loose a piercing shriek of rage that your prey had escaped onto land.

Not yet.

Your nails dug into the dirt, pulling yourself out of the water with a determined hiss. He wouldn’t be getting away, not yet. Not. Yet. The thought ran through your head like a deranged prayer, forcing your arms to strain in taking your full weight through the dirt and onto the patchy grass.

It would be a while until your human legs returned, but it didn’t mean you couldn’t try and follow the bumbling human’s trail… He was making it so easy with the broken branches and the stampeded grass.

You were certain you had even cut him too since you could smell the blood in the air.

A sudden gunshot and what seemed to be the light of a fire pierced through the darkness, stopping you cold on the spot. You eyed the distance, sniffing the air experimentally before making an odd click of your tongue.

Xanxus had killed him, you realized, and from the closeness of the sound and light, he wasn’t far away. You carefully turned around, not wanting him to find you in this state. Who knew what he would do, humans, after all, were such fickle things.

A leather boot smacked against flesh, and you startled, pinned by the familiar scent of gunpowder, and wood, and burning bonfire that was uniquely Xanxus.

Xanxus watched you struggle, but he did not let up. Only demanding a single thing, “Where do you think you’re going?”

Giotto:

“I know what you want.” The sea-witch had said, “It is very stupid of you, but you shall have your way, and it will bring you to sorrow.”

You had not known what the witch had meant then, not even when your tongue could no longer be used to speak or when your feet sent sharp pain through your legs (of knives and glass in your flesh) whenever you walked. None of that had mattered as long as you could be next to the man your heart longed for.

And certainly, it had brought you to him, never able to speak a word of the wonders of the ocean below nor the reasons why you had been upon that beach as naked as a newborn human babe.

But it had not deterred you.

You just did not realize that having human legs could come with more than just the physical prop and pains. It had been like a spell, twisting straight down the muscle and flesh of your legs until you were in front of the assault, taking the brunt of the hit instead of Giotto.

The pain of wooden spears cutting into your flesh, the storm that had broken the ship and thrown Giotto overboard, mild in comparison to what you felt now.

In fact, that memory of pushing through the pain, of keeping your trembling arms around the unconscious man as you swam towards safety, felt more like a fond memory.

Yet the hurt of the bullet was strangely being overlapped by a much greater pain, of hot burning white fire being poured onto your legs. So intense was it that you did not hear the enraged scream, did not hear the struggle of bodies, nor heard or even saw Giotto killing the other man, eyes wild with anger as his hands burned with the fire of the likes you had never seen before.

Instead, your eyes were trained on your legs, watching as they once more became the familiar tail the ocean had gifted to you at birth. It seemed that the human imitation of legs hadn’t lasted long, the spell ceasing the moment the metal ball had lodged itself into your side, disrupting the magic placed upon you.

Well… this was not what you had expected.

You were almost certain that nothing could cause the sea witches spells to falter even the slightest. Perhaps humans held more resistance against magic than you had expected.

“A… a mermaid?”

You turned your gaze to Giotto, blinking blearily through the pain that made you tremble and left you ashen in the face.

A tiny whine made its way out of your throat, and you wondered if it was too late to try and drag yourself two miles towards the ocean if you weren’t certain (from the glimmer in his eyes) that Giotto wouldn’t try and tie you up into a net before you could escape.

[ciaossu-imagines]

For the 6/7, a coffee shop au for vongola 10 gen?

Of course, anon dear! Thank you for your request and I hope you’ll enjoy the headcanons!

Reborn owns the coffee shop and is a rather demanding boss. He loves coffee and is the customer most baristas hate and it shows in his demands for his employees - nothing less than excellence. He drives his employees to be the best they can possibly be, even if he’s coming off as a complete monster as a boss. However, while he stresses his employees out and some of them dislike him most of the time, not only is he an almost impossibly amazing businessman but he does treat his employees generously, paying better than normal wages, buying lunches for his staff once every week, backing them up when customers are horrible to them, and making sure they’re taken care of, often playing benefactor to them, though anonymously. He’ll deny anything if asked but he’s put employees through college, helped an employee out of an abusive relationship, and will accept workers that most other jobs wouldn’t. He doesn’t fire anyone either - he will keep riding his employees but he gives them unlimited chances to improve and get up to his standards.

Somehow Reborn is a family friend that Tsuna knows nothing about but his absentee father sent Nana a letter saying that Reborn was opening a new franchise in Namimori and that he’d been nice enough to offer Tsuna a job. Nana thought this was a great idea since she’d been after Tsuna to find something to do with his after school time (and sometimes school time since he often skipped classes) other than sit around or play video games. Poor Tsuna wanted none of it but he found himself unable to say no, especially when Reborn made a personal house visit to recruit him. Somehow, he’s ended up as the acting manager of the franchise, though he doesn’t quite know how that happened or why, especially since he keeps saying he doesn’t want to work there. He’s always stressed out from having to manage the crazy staff, deal with the shop’s often eccentric clientele, learn all the ropes to running the business plus deal with learning how to make all the drinks - he was horrible at it to start with but slowly improves, especially after undergoing several of Reborn’s spartan coffee bootcamps. He hasn’t quit....well, he thinks he’s tried, once or twice, but Reborn seems to ignore him and Tsuna just keeps showing up for work for some reason. Tsuna has very little idea that he’s being groomed to take over the company some day, though Reborn’s casually mentioned it a couple dozen times.

Gokudera had applied for manager as soon as he heard a franchise was opening in Namimori. He was not too happy to learn that somebody else had gotten the job and resented working under Tsuna. He wasn’t shy about showing it either, bullying Tsuna and making snide comments about how he was working out as a manager. However, Gokudera’s naturally bad attitude towards people came back to bite him in the ass when he was snarky to the wrong customer and they became both irate and physical. While Gokudera was strong, the other man was stronger and he would’ve beaten Gokudera to a pulp if Tsuna hadn’t shown up and, in a rare moment of bravery, demanded that the customer leave, even as they were screaming at him to fire Gokudera. Not only did Gokudera not get fired but Tsuna made sure that he walked Gokudera home that evening, even though the other boy scared him, just to make sure the customer hadn’t hung around to do anything bad to Gokudera once he left work. Gokudera was touched and found a new respect for Tsuna, almost idolizing him. His entire attitude changed and he became Tsuna’s self-proclaimed right hand man in the store. He puts in a ridiculous amount of hours and dedicates himself to bettering the store and making it all it can be. He’s horrible with the customers but is a genius with all the budgeting, accounting, ordering, and paperwork that would normally fall to Tsuna and now rarely works the counter, instead staying mostly behind the scenes. When he does work counter though, horrible as he is with customers, everyone admits he makes the best coffee. However, he’s no longer allowed to make lattes and cappuccinos - it’s not that they taste bad but Reborn demands art on the foamed milk and Gokudera’s artistic sense is somewhat lacking.

Yamamoto got a part time job at the coffee shop to pay back a favour that Reborn and Tsuna did in sending staff to help out his father’s sushi shop when his father fell ill for two weeks. Thanks to their help, YamaSushi not only didn’t lose any business but experienced a swell in popularity and Yamamoto wanted to be as much a help to them as they were to him. Though his shifts are fit around his many baseball practices and games (which several of the staff go to watch, especially Reborn, who also funds his school’s team when they need new uniforms and equipment), Yamamoto is one of the best employees and one of the ones who have been there the longest. Customers absolutely love him and the crowds are sure to be large when he’s working a shift, both from his excellent service and his good looks drawing his fan club from his high school. He always collects good tips but keeps little of them, always making sure to tip out anyone who helped him out or using some of his tips to help anyone who’s short on change for their order. He’s passable at making most of the coffee drinks but his specialty is the tea orders - he’s even worked with the shop’s tea supplier, Fon, to make a few blends that are exclusive to the shop and they are big hits with most of the clientele.

Nobody’s quite sure how Ryohei got the job. Rumour is he just showed up and yelled, demanding a job, and was hired. It’s honestly not that far-fetched to believe either. Like Yamamoto, he’s only part-time. He wants to become a boxer and Reborn is his sponsor, helping him find his boxing coach Colonello and funding his attempts to break into the big times of the sport. It’s through Reborn that he found out about the coffee shop hiring and it just became a thing that he worked there. There’s no actual paperwork saying he works there and Tsuna’s not sure how he’s getting paid since they don’t have him on file but Ryohei works there and somehow manages to collect wages. He’s too active and loud to do well behind the counter so he’s often tasked with standing outside and attracting crowds, handing out flyers or samples - tasks where his booming voice, high energy, and boldness come in useful, really.

Kyoya Hibari is feared and respected all through Namimori. Everyone knows that anything that happens in Namimori is closely monitored by him and the Disciplinary Committee. He helps ensure that the coffee shop is well protected from any thugs or misfortunes...for a small fee, of course. Hibari’s the opposite of Ryohei - Tsuna has paperwork saying Hibari works there and he’s on payroll, collecting a biweekly paycheck, but nobody has ever seen Hibari work there. It’s rare enough that he even comes into the shop but when he does, it’s always late and his order is always on the house. 

Lambo’s family owns the steakhouse next door and he’s always coming into the shop. He’s in there every day it’s open and even sometimes when it’s not. He just pops up out of the blue. He’s become almost a mascot, really. He loves to play around like he’s the boss of the shop and is a little bit of a nightmare for the employees as he comes behind the counter and plays around in the shop, bossing people around or causing trouble. Gokudera always argues with him, despite Lambo only being a little kid, and threatens to ban him from the shop but, to tell the truth, everyone would miss Lambo’s daily visits if they ever stopped.

Mukuro is a foster kid who works in a rival coffee shop just down the road. He delights in coming to the Vongola coffee shop on his way home from work or on his days off and being a nuisance, trying to cause mischief or trouble or, in some of his nastier moments, outright trying to sabotage their coffee shop to help business at the coffee shop he works at with his friends Chikusa and Ken, who cause trouble for the shop to varying degrees sometimes as well. Tsuna can’t bring himself to ever kick Mukuro out though since he thinks Mukuro isn’t a bad guy really and besides, it would hurt his newest employee if he did that.

And who is this newest employee? Why, it’s Mukuro’s foster sister Chrome. She wanted to get more independent and had decided to get a job. When Mukuro laughed at the idea of helping her get a job at his work, she applied at the Vongola coffee shop and was hired. She’s a bit of a mess as an employee, since she’s so shy that taking orders from customers freaks her out and she thinks that every drink is made better with chocolate but Tsuna can’t think about firing her - despite her troublesome family, she’s a model employee in other ways, always showing up on time, always quiet, always willing to pick up extra hours and she does try.

[jsmlwriter]

KHR - “Hit”

Fandom: Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

Characters: Sawada Tsunayoshi & Reborn

Setting: Namimori; a little over a year after The Curse of the Rainbow Arc

It happened on the second day of high school, while Tsuna was on his way to meet Hayato and Takeshi in front of the school entrance.  

The morning had started out like routine.  He’d been able to evade the majority of Reborn’s torture-like wake up methods and unfortunately stepped on his own foot, crashing down the stairs.  

While running his usual twenty laps around the block, Tsuna got a feeling of discomfort in his chest.  Something like this had only happened once before, the day everyone had been sent to the future.  But this feeling was a little different.  Towards the end of his run, the feeling grew to a sharp pang so poignant that Tsuna stopped mid-run.  

He recalled Reborn’s earlier lesson about knowing when he was being watched.  The teen cast his senses around to locate any possible hostile presences.  Finding nothing, he continued home but the discomfort remained unsatisfied.

Once Tsuna’s house was in sight, the feeling faded away but Tsuna decided to be extra cautious throughout the day.  After a quick shower, Tsuna met the rest of his family downstairs for breakfast.

“Ne, Reborn,” he began.  “earlier, there was...well, is there anything going on?  Or something I should know about?”  He kept his tone light, not wanting to cause the kids or his mom any unnecessary worry.  For that matter, he wasn’t sure he should be worried himself.  The feeling was near non-existent now.  

The seven-year-old hitman frowned and shot him a puzzled look.  “Did something happen, Tsuna?”

Tsuna sighed and shook his head.  “I-it’s nothing.  Maybe there’s a surprise exam today.”  Maybe there’d been an accident and someone got injured?  I hope my friends are all okay, he thought.

Reborn’s gaze lingered on Tsuna but he didn’t comment any further.  They all enjoyed a lovely breakfast cooked by Nana and the eager assistant, I-Pin.  Tsuna hurried through his, not wanting to be late to class.  

He hastily stood up. “Thank you for the meal,” he said, running upstairs to grab his school bag. Before heading out the door for the day, he paused and looked at his tutor, who was just finishing his own meal.

Reborn sighed and looked at his student.  “Go along, I’ll join up with you soon.”

Tsuna nodded and shut the door behind him.  Walking to school by himself before he met up with his friends seemed to be the only time in the day when his life wasn’t a chaotic mess and Tsuna basked in every second of it.  The brunet soaked in the fresh morning air and welcoming sun rays.  

The majority of the walk to school was quiet and peaceful.  

And then it wasn’t.

One last small breeze rolled over his body and the air stilled.  

Suddenly, the feeling was back, twice as intense as before.  Reaching into his back pocket, Tsuna pulled out his mittens and slipped them on.  He focused his senses once again but could not pinpoint any causes of disturbance.  His confusion heightened.  Was it his Hyper Intuition acting up, trying to warn him of something? There seemed to be absolutely no reason for his panic other than the strange feeling that was bothering him this morning.   

Nonetheless, he broke into a sprint towards the school, hoping to reach his friends as soon as possible.

Tsuna continued on his way for another two minutes when the feeling sharpened into a painful jab.  His head was ringing wrong, Wrong, WRONG!  He burst into Hyper Dying Will Mode, preparing for the attack.  A slight tug.  Right, his Intuition whispered.  Tsuna leapt backwards, missing a miniscule needle by half an inch, no doubt dipped in poison, that flew past his face.  and spread his hands to shoot flames at his attacker-

-...?

There was nobody to target.  Tsuna quickly turned around.  Still no one.  Down!  He dove forward, feeling rather than seeing or hearing something fly over his head, just barely grazing the top of his hair.  Tsuna rolled out of the dive and immediately got into a defensive position.  There was still no sign of his attacker or attackers’ location(s).  His senses were buzzing crazily.

These guys, they really wanted to kill him.  

It wasn’t his first assassination attempt but he’d never gone against someone as serious as this before.  Then there was someone behind him.  The presence was so instantaneous, even Tsuna’s hyper reflexes had no time to react.  

The masked attacker swung his blade up, aiming for the sweet spot between the teen’s lungs.  Before he reached his target, his hand’s momentum was promptly knocked off course by a sharp beam of light, which ripped through his wrist, nearly decapitating his entire hand from his arm.  

The attacker growled as the shock of his interrupted attack vanished and pain spread through his whole limb.  

Undeterred, he whipped around, kicking his leg up to smash down on his target when his foot was stopped mid-air.  A scowling child with inhuman strength, adorned in a black fedora and dark suit was blocking his foot with one hand.  The grip tightened, crushing his bones.

“Ciaous,” the child greeted, meeting his gaze with a deadly glint in his own.  “Nobody’s allowed to target this dame-student except me.”

-o-

Like always, Reborn left a few minutes after Tsuna rushed out the front door, secretly trailing behind his now semi-dame student (not that he’d ever admit that to anyone, especially said student).

Tsuna’s comment at breakfast immediately put him on edge.  

To date, there had been three assassination attempts on his student.  The first attempt, made by Valensa and Toras, was a joke at best.  Reborn hadn’t worried about them, so much as the fact that Tsuna was already a marked target.  The second two, Tsuna didn’t know about.  Reborn took care of the hitmen before they posed any serious threat to his student.  He could have turned them into a lesson but a legitimate assassination danger was a one of those topics that could become tricky to control.  And it was one of his three lessons he was the most reluctant to teach, especially to a kid like Tsuna, who’d been raised as a sheltered civilian.  

As he trailed behind the teen, a subtle feeling of dread settled in his stomach.  Fate decided that today was the day he’d pay for delaying the Hitman lesson.  These guys were good.  The neighboring civilians had even been taken care of, to ensure no accidental witnesses.  It was only through hundreds of years of accumulated skill and experience that he was able to approximate the sources of aggression.  

They hid their positions of attack and their killing intent aura incredibly well.  Despite his earlier teachings to Tsuna, of locating masked presences, the home tutor knew that his student wouldn’t be skilled enough to successfully track these hunters.  

Reborn dashed forward to catch up to the future Neo Vongola Primo.  He supposed it was only a matter of time before attempts, like the one that would no doubt occur in a few minutes, would happen.  Tsuna was in immediate need of a lesson change as of yesterday.  

As he ran, he constructed a mental folder, identifying the group of assassins and calculating the character information of each individual.  Number of members...two, no.  Three!  That third member needed to be taken out immediately.  Reborn saw Tsuna’s sprinting come to a halt and his student entered Hyper Dying Will Mode.  Excellent, he thought.  The hitman tutor dashed off of his original course.  Tsuna’s dying will would buy Reborn a few extra seconds to reach that hidden third member and-

Good day, Mr. Sniper-san. Reborn silently appeared behind the gunman’s prostrate body.  His two small hands wrapped around the assassin’s head, one covering the mouth and the other firmly planted among the roots of the hair.  His hands rapidly pulled the head sideways and back at a difficult angle, with a hard Crack! and the sniper fell limp.

Reborn swiftly disabled the sniper gun.  Seeing a knife in the sniper’s back pocket, Reborn snatched it up and tucked it into his sleeve.  Not wanting to waste even half a second, he took off after Tsuna.  Reborn arrived just in time to see one of the assassins appear behind his student.  He charged his pistol with sun flames and shot the man’s hand off course.  Reborn tossed his  gun to his left hand, blocked the follow up kick with his right and quickly profiled the attacker.

Male.  Age: mid 30’s.  Hair, eyes, and facial structure noted.  Large stature.  Ethnicity appeared to be Greek.  Greek?  Really?  Attire, weaponry and current fighting style suggested primary close-range combatant.  The child hitman also noted that these guys were not the type to give anything away concerning their employer.  Interrogation would be useless.

Reborn tipped the brim of his fedora up and met the assassin’s dead eyes.  Unbeknownst to Tsuna, Reborn’s aura was pouring with dark killer intent that only seasoned hunters would be able to pick up.

“Ciaous, nobody’s allowed to target this dame-student except me.”

Reborn used his grip on the assassin’s leg to throw his balance off and the man stumbled back.  With a flick of the wrist, the knife Reborn had snatched from the sniper, flew out and embedded deep into his victim’s throat.  Minimum blood splatter.  Good, that’d allow for a quicker clean up after this mess.

There was absolutely no outer indication of where or when the next attack would happen.  Even Reborn’s gut instinct had difficulty picking up this next guy’s moves.  

Reflexively, on the faintest whim, Reborn leapt up.  His hand shot out and caught a poisoned needle midair, two inches from Tsuna’s forehead.  Reborn was already using the needle’s positioning and velocity to calculate the second assassin’s location while both the attacker and high school student were still processing that the hit attempt had been expertly intercepted.  

Reborn’s fingers thrust the needle towards the ground.  When his small feet landed, he pushed off, having already established the second man’s hiding spot.  Of course, by the time Reborn reached his destination, the assassin had already vanished.  Tsuna’s home tutor promptly turned around, readied his pistol and took aim.  Following the same whim, he took a shot.  The bullet zoomed past behind Tsuna and landed in the second hitman’s shoulder, right as the attacker suddenly appeared at the boy’s side.

The man didn’t have time to recover.  Reborn was now in front of him, breaking his fingers, which held two more poisoned needles.  The assassin cried out in pain-laced fury.  Recognizing the world’s number one hitman, his skin paled.  Their mission had failed and he knew it.

“You’re good,” the hitman smirked.  “But I’m Reborn.”  He cocked his pistol and shoved the muzzle into the assassin’s gut, right above his small intestines.  He pulled the trigger.  “Chaous Burst: Irradiare.”  A dozen rays of blinding light ruptured through the second assassin, whose yelp pierced Namimori’s still air for a few seconds and then were abruptly cut off.  Life faded from the assassin’s eyes and he crumpled to the ground with a soft thud.  Blood collected into a pool beneath him.

“Tch,” Reborn scoffed.  Unlike the first two, this one would be a pain to clean up.  And the moron’s blood had gone and ruined his suit too.  It was a good thing Reborn was growing and in need of a new size anyway.

Tsuna’s heart was no doubt pounding with adrenaline and still trying to process what just happened.  The entire attack had not even lasted three minutes.

Reborn still vividly recalled a similar incident, with Dino.  Recalled the panic, horror and fear in the young boy’s eyes when he saw his mentor standing in that blood soaked room, among a scattered pile of bodies.  It was bound to happen...the very real awareness that he was a ruthless killer… it was only a matter of time.  Hitmen weren’t supposed to care about their missions.  It caused too many problems.  But becoming a teacher and investing so much time and effort into these young boys made it so hard not to.  It took a little over a month for Dino to stop looking at him like that, and for things to go back to how they were.  It was finally when Dino stepped up as boss, was placed in difficult situations, that full understanding and empathy demolished any left over wariness.

And now history was repeating itself.

For a minute, it was just them: the home tutor and his student.  Namimori was still waking up and just beginning it’s day.

“R-Reborn...y-you-”

Reborn’s gaze snapped up to meet his student’s face.  Tsuna was no longer in Hyper Dying Will mode, probably hadn’t been since he took care of the second man.  The child hitman could see the teen was in danger of going into shock.  Seeing Dino’s reaction prepped Reborn to face the young sky boss but...Tsuna’s felt so much worse.

-o-

“Are you alright?”

Tsuna blinked at the unexpected inquiry.  His head started to clear.

The question seemed needless.  Both Tsuna and Reborn could see he hadn’t been injured in any way during the whole fiasco.  Miraculously, no blood had gotten on him or his uniform either.

“A-ah, I’m alright.”  That was a lie.  Tsuna knew it.  The hitman knew it.

Regardless, Reborn nodded and thought for a bit.  “I’m going to clean up this mess.  If you’re able, you should still go to school.  Your guardians are waiting for you and I don’t sense any other attacks happening today.”

“O-oh, okay.”  Tsuna gripped the straps of his school bag tightly.  A small splatter of blood had hit Reborn’s cheek and was slowly trailing down his face.  Tsuna’s stomach clenched and he forced himself to turn away, heading for school again.  He managed to take a few steps and then stopped.  

He took out his phone and dialed Hayato.  

“Erm, good morning, Juudaime.”

“Hayato,” greeted Tsuna.  “Something’s come up and I won’t be arriving to school this morning.  I’m okay and I’ll explain after school.  Ano, I hope Kyoya-sempai doesn’t bite me to death later.  I just wanted you to know so you all didn’t worry.”

“Tsuna!  Is everyone alright?  Did something happen?  Where are you, I’ll be right there!”

“No! No! Reborn...ah, Reborn’s taken care of the problem.  I will see you later and explain.  Please don’t worry and go to class with everyone else.  If you come, Takeshi will insist on following and Onii-san and Kyoko-chan will want to be informed, and then Chrome, Shoichi-kun and Spanner-san will want to investigate...and then Hibari-san will arrive to bite us all to death for skipping...it’s better if you stay there.  Reborn’s with me.  I’ll, I’ll probably arrive later this afternoon anyway.”

“Juudaime-”

“Please, Hayato.”

“...fine,” Gokudera-kun relented.

“Thank you,” said Tsuna.  “I’ll see you later.”

“Be safe, Tsuna.”

Tsuna hung up and turned back to Reborn.  His home tutor frowned.  “You’re skipping school.”

The teen walked up to his hitman and knelt so he was at eye level with the (not really) kid.  Hesitating for just a second, he used a thumb to wipe away the blood that was still slowly trailing down the seven-year old’s face.  

“Tsuna, what are you doing?”  Reborn had an odd look in his dark eyes.  His voice was laced with a hard tone but he let Tsuna do…(whatever he was doing?)...anyway.

“After this, I won’t be able to concentrate in class,” explained Tsuna, ignoring the previous question.  He didn’t like seeing red on his family.  “And if it’s not too much trouble, could I...could I help you clean up?  I’m sure the...the b-bodies will be less hassle if the two of us worked together.  So…” Tsuna trailed off, unsure he’d made the right call.

Incredulity briefly flashed across Reborn’s features as he read his student.  Tsuna was wary, horrified and frightened but those feelings seemed to be directed more so at the current situation than at him.  This kid, he really was an all-encompassing sky.

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

Tsuna thought for a minute.  He wasn’t injured so why was he-?  Oh.  He hadn’t meant physically.

Tsuna fidgeted.  “I just...may I stay?  I don’t want to…” leave.  I can’t brush this off.  I don’t like leaving you here to deal with this while I attend school like nothing happened.  Despite my training, I was helpless.  Without you stepping in, I would’ve died.  Please help me deal with this.

He didn’t finish his sentence.  No, he wasn’t alright.  Reborn read his mind anyway and sighed.  

“I suppose this can be your lesson today.  A boss should be aware of everything that happens before and after a hit.”  Leon glowed and transformed into a large bag.  “Get the first man and put him in the Leon-bag, fast.  I’ll be right back.”  

Tsuna took the bag and hurried over to the first attacker.  He crouched down to pick the man up, who was probably nearly three times Tsuna’s own weight.  Thankfully, almost three years of Reborn-driven spartan training gave him the strength to heave the large assassin into the Leon-bag, with only some struggle.  

Reborn returned, hauling a third man on his back and carrying a sniper gun.  Tsuna blanched.  A sniper?  Hiiee!  He hadn’t sensed him at all.  He obviously had more training to go through or he wouldn’t make it through a single day as Decimo (or Neo Primo, or don Vongola, whatever they called it nowadays!).

He created a wide opening so that Reborn could easily toss the sniper into the bag as well.  The third body, well, when Tsuna approached it, he choked back a gag.  It was a huge mess of mangled body, blood, guts and other bodily fluids he didn’t even know existed.  

Apparently the Leon-bag was bigger on the inside because after a while, they managed to shove all three carcasses into the sack and close it.  Tsuna didn’t really question much these things anymore.

Reborn and Tsuna briefly discussed where they’d take the bodies.  Ultimately, they decided on Tsuna entering Hyper Dying Will mode to carry the large sack while following Reborn out of Namimori, into the woods.  Reborn called Dr. Shamal and asked him to take care of the blood stains and any other evidence while they were out.

With Reborn calmly directing Tsuna through each step, the whole process went by rather smoothly, in Tsuna’s opinion.  The hitman led Tsuna to a small clearing in the middle of the woods.  They dug a small pit (Tsuna didn’t ask where in the world Reborn even got the shovels from) and dumped the bodies in a pile.  

Reborn pulled out a container and sprinkled the liquid it held over the three men.  The bodies started sizzling and disintegrating.  Soon, the teen could see that the substance was eating away through the flesh, leaving behind dry ash.  He sweatdropped.  (Hiiieee!?  Reborn was carrying something dangerous like THAT around in his pocket all this time?  Scary!!)

“Why didn’t we use that stuff before coming all the way out here?” Tsuna asked.

“It’ll take time to work through everything, dame-Tsuna, and someone would have stumbled across the scene,” answered Reborn.

Oh.  And that was that.

The tutor was right, Tsuna estimated it took over twenty minutes until they were left with a pile of disintegrated and charred...something...and ash.  Tsuna and Reborn set to work filling the pit back up.  They worked quickly, neither willing to start up conversation.  When all was done and finished, Tsuna stood there, looking at the ground where he had just helped bury three people.  How was this his life?

“Do you think they had families?”

Reborn patted the once again even ground with his foot.  “Maybe.”

The entire morning’s events now fully processed, overwhelm pouring through his mind.  He’d been targeted for assassination.  Someone had wanted him dead.  He wouldn’t be at school, returning home to his siblings or Kaa-chan, seeing his friends again, if it Reborn hadn’t rescued him-

Tsuna’s legs gave out underneath him.  “I-I was helpless,” he bit out.  “Even with the Intuition and my flames, I couldn’t do anything.  I was useless, dame.”

“Well all things considered, you managed to dodge the poisoned blades, so that performance of yours still resulted in survival.”  

Tsuna’s facial features scrunched up in brief confusion.  Reborn was attempting to make him feel better about this? His tutor, as always, remained unreadable.  

“But you’re right.  You were completely pathetic.  Starting tomorrow morning, you’re going to run five laps around Namimori in preparation for the next lesson I’ve got for you.  As for tonight, Gokudera and Yamamoto are going to catch you up on all of the school work you’re missing right now.”

Reborn kept his true thoughts to himself.  Truth be told, Tsuna had been far outclassed, and that was partly on Reborn’s shoulders.  Going against the Varia, Millefiore and Vindice provided the future boss with a fighting experience that didn’t fully cover defending from ambush assassinations like this one.  They were different styles.  “Pathetic” was kind of harsh but Reborn would never admit that and Tsuna needed this push.

Previously, Tsuna’s strength and drive was only drawn from his desire to protect his friends and family.  Now, a new flame was born; Reborn could see it in his student’s eyes.  Tsuna wanted to get stronger, for himself.  He wanted to live another day to see his family again.  This was something the hitman tutor felt secretly eager to work with.  Maybe this next dreaded lesson wouldn’t be so bad to teach after all.

“Ne,” Tsuna murmured.  “Thank you for saving me, Reborn.”

“Hmph, it’s my job as your tutor to ensure you make it to your next lesson, dame-Tsuna.”

Tsuna smiled, in spite of himself.  “Still, it was...it was terrifying to be in that situation, where it was them or me.  I feel a little safer knowing you’re around.”

The (not really) seven-year-old tipped the brim of his fedora down, subtly masking his surprise.  He lifted his leg and kicked Tsuna in the back, smashing him to the ground.

“Hiiee-tata!  Rebooooorn, what was that for!?”

“Don’t be sappy, dame-Tsuna.  This Target chapter has had enough ellipses and chick flick moments to last through an entire arc.  We’re not in a romance.  The readers are going suffer from my out-of-character-ness.”

“Ellipses...?  Hiiii, what romance?  Out-of-?  WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?”

“You’ve gotten soft.  A boss keeps his true emotions and thoughts in check.”

“I-w-bos-what?”

Reborn didn’t deem that response worthy of further explanation and he turned around, heading back to town.  His student, confusedly trailing right behind him.

[khr-guilded-cage]

They thought they could manipulate her, that her bloodline and connection to Ieyasu would be enough to pull her into the fold. But Yuka wasn’t Tsuna. She wasn’t someone who could be swayed by sentimental gestures or the promises of "family" or a civvie easy to make bow if scare them enought

In the eyes of the Vongola, she was a valuable possession—one they thought they could claim easily. She wasn’t a lamb to be led to slaughter; she had been raised in a world of survival, and she was more than willing to make the Vongola fight for her, not the contrary.

As a Uchiha and a shinobi, she had learned from the bloodshed and the power plays of their world that if you don’t stand your ground, you end up as little more than a tool for someone else's rise. She wouldn’t fall into line for their whims, and she definitely wouldn’t fight their battles without gaining something more than empty words and demands in return.

Vongola’s attempt to claim her, to bend her to their will, was nothing more than a joke. And the longer they pressed, the more she saw them for what they truly were: desperate, entitled, and blindly caught in their delusions of control. Yuka was nobody's pawn. She had nothing to prove, nothing owned to them and she would make sure that the Vongola understood it.

Their thoughts on Yuka’s existence were driven by desperation and a twisted sense of entitlement. From the moment they learned about her, they saw her not as a person, but as a commodity, a resource —an asset that could restore their broken family and stabilize the Famiglia after Tsuna’s death. Her bloodline, tied to Tsuna, was an untapped well of power they were determined to claim. But unlike Tsuna, whose loyalty and kindness had allowed them to control him with ease, Yuka was different. She was untamed, untrusting, and refused to be molded into the image they so desperately wanted.

Timoteo, ever the manipulator, initially saw her as a means to consolidate his power, thinking that if she could only be properly guided, she could take up the mantle of leadership and tame his wild son, Xanxus. His view of her was clouded with the same naïve hope that he had for Tsuna—that she would be the next "Sky," gentle and unifying, a shining beacon for the Vongola’s future. But Yuka’s rejection of their family ideals shattered his delusion. Instead of embracing the warmth of their family, she rejected it, and his attempts to force her into Tsuna’s role only drove her further away.

Gokudera Hayato called her a selfish bitch once, Yuka agreed.

Iemitsu, with his fractured ideas of family, was even more deluded. He clung to the hope that Yuka could replace the hole sweet and soft Tsuna left behind, and worse, he tried to use Nana as a bridge to force this familial bond. But his view of her was warped—he wanted to mold her into the “perfect niece,” hoping that with Nana's mothering, they could recreate the “happy family” that was lost with Tsuna’s death. Yet, his manipulations were transparent, and Yuka saw through them. She hated being treated like an object to be possessed or controlled, which was exactly how the Vongola treated her.

Nana saw her darling Iemitsu's unhealthy interest on Yuka, his attempts to claim to be her uncle and her lack of a living mother and saw a chance to fix her broken marriage and family. The woman was mentally unstable and its pitiful how she looked physically now.

Their obsession with possessing her, molding her into the new heir, and making her part of their “family” was not born out of genuine care, but rather out of fear and desperation. They needed her, not as a person, but as a tool—someone to restore their image and power. But they underestimated her strength, her autonomy, and her disdain for them. The Vongola, now realizing the mess they’d made, found themselves trapped in a web of their own making, with Yuka the final thread they couldn't weave into their control.

"Just because you found me, don't men you can keep me, Vongola."

Yuka refused to be used to continue the bloodline and secure the future of the Famiglia as Nono wanted

.......

Timoteo’s voice cut through the tense air like a blade. “I can’t let you do that.” His tone, though measured, betrayed an edge of desperation as he regarded Yuka from across the grand hall. The guardians and high-ranking mafiosi seated at the table shifted uneasily, their eyes darting between their boss and the fiery young heir standing defiantly before them.

Yuka’s smirk was slow and deliberate, her red eyes gleaming with amusement. “You can’t, senile old man?” She tilted her head, the light catching the intricate designs of her armor-like dress. “And who are you to order me so? Last I checked, I don’t answer to you—or anyone here.”

A murmur spread across the room. Timoteo’s expression darkened, the gentle façade he often wore cracking just slightly. “You carry the blood of this family,” he said, his voice low but firm. “Your actions reflect on us all. There are traditions—expectations—that must be upheld. We need you, Vongola needs its heir.”

Yuka laughed, a sharp, cutting sound that silenced the room. “Need me? Still not giving me a reason why should I care? Spare me the lecture, Nono,” she said, the title dripping with sarcasm.

The tension in the room was suffocating, and the silence that followed her words was deafening.

“Exactly,” Yuka continued, her voice like venom. “You don’t care about me. You care about what I can do for you. For your legacy. But here’s the thing…” She leaned forward, her smirk widening. “I don’t care about any of you. And I’m certainly not going to play by your rules.”

“You’re playing a dangerous game, girl,” Iemitsu finally said, his voice barely above a whisper but carrying a weight that demanded attention.

“And yet,” Yuka said, her tone mocking, “it’s my game, isn’t it?” She straightened, brushing off the invisible dust from her clothes. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have no intention of wasting my evening with relics who think they can leash me and steal my freedom.”

[silversaucekai]

Phoenix

Warnings: Baby suffering, blood, a little bit of body horror

Summary: An AU/A what-if fic. When Tsunayoshi Sawada was born, he was near death. Luckily for him, he is saved… at the cost of receiving something considered either a blessing or a curse.

Time taken: 2 hours 12 minutes

Characters: Tsuna, Nana, Iemitsu, Nono, Reborn

A/N: This is a self-indulgent fic! I hope to continue this, but I hope I don’t go too far! ^-^’

Chapter 1: Sealed Wings

A small hand held onto his mother’s finger, so lightly, becoming looser and looser.

‘He doesn’t have much longer to live.’ The doctor had said.

Her eyes had long ran out of tears as she gently smoothed the feather-like hair from her baby son’s sweating forehead.

‘We can give him drugs to ease his suffering but it is up to you to…’

Nana didn’t allow herself to remember what the doctor had said, and she did after that. Months of carrying her child, of watching his growth so carefully… only to find he had a terribly weak heart, a ‘faulty’ system, and a much-too-hot internal temperature. She felt like a failure of a mother. Iemitsu was here, and so was Nono, but they had left her alone with her dear Tsuna. They couldn’t understand her feelings, and they had their own despair to deal with.

There was incense burning, peppermint and cinnamon, meant to calm both her and the baby even as he wore a breathing mask, and was hooked up to so many things… Perhaps later her family would come together and comfort one another, but everyone needed some time alone to grieve. Nana listened to the breathing machine, the slow beeps, and as Tsuna’s grip tightened slightly on her finger before loosening again she felt her eyes shut. She was lying on the bed, Tsuna’s close by. She was still tired from childbirth, and from crying so much. It wasn’t long before she drifted off.

She was woken up by the sound of wailing, and looked at something squirming in the bed besides her. Tsuna, with flushed cheeks and kicking feet and a baby’s vice grip still on her finger was crying. He was still hot to the touch, but his renewed strength filled with her such hope that Nana felt tears dripping down her face once more. Was this a dream? She heard a gasp and saw a nurse covering her surprised and delighted expression with a clipboard.

“Doctor! Doctor please come-!” The nurse cried, rushing out of the room. Soon, the nurses and doctors were quickly examining Tsuna, and found him as a perfectly healthy baby boy, if only a few degrees warmer than usual. It was a miracle!

In their joy, no one noticed all the incense missing.

---------

Tsuna was found with two odd symmetrical lumps on his back, ones that made him roll onto his belly often due to how uncomfortable they were to lay on. When the doctor examined it, he declared it to be two extra fuzzy arms that seemed like wings. A deformity, and he had to free the ends so that the tips of them did not hurt his muscles.

Tsuna did not seem to be in pain after that, and Nana was reluctant to hurt him further when he seemed so peaceful, especially when it was so expensive and it was so dangerous to operate so close to the spine. Nono and the doctor argued that he could never live a normal life with them, but Iemitsu found them endearing.

When the doctors found that Tsuna had a extra set of muscles on his chest for moving said ‘deformed arms’, the deformity seemed more like an... adaptation than anything, and the doctors gave in and began offering money of all things so that they could keep track of Tsuna’s development, in secret of course. Nono was likewise convinced, his intuition singing at the thought of the second arms, or, wings, being an adaptation. Taking away Tsuna’s wings would take away his potential to become something… greater.

“I know it would be for the best but I don’t want my son to be a… a lab rat…” Iemitsu said, serious for once.

“I understand…” Nana said, cradling a sleepy Tsuna, “... But the wings must be kept a secret. What should we do...?”

“Well…” Iemitsu gave her a strained smile, “I have a few ideas…”

---------

As he grew up, Tsuna began to show odd habits. He loved minty flavors, which was normal enough… but after an incident at the mall with him drinking ten perfume bottles and eating incense like it was pocky and being fine afterwards, it was something that the doctors had to examine. The scented items not only made Tsuna’s wings warmer, but gave him more energy than a full-course meal without the side effects of sleepiness. Although odd, they did give it to him as a treat.

He started expressing an interest in music when he first heard it, and after some shaky tries and broken instruments, he finally tried to sing. His singing brought everyone who heard it into a daze, and delayed traffic in the hospital as everyone stopped where they stood. Things and even a few people fell. After that, Tsuna wasn’t allowed to sing in the hospital anymore.

Tsuna practically lived at ‘the Hospital’. He slept there so much that he considered it his home! He found it kind of boring sometimes, he ‘wasn’t allowed to touch this’ and was ordered about all the time and sometimes even hurt a little. When he began to grow brown patterned feathers on his wings that matched his hair they started taking so many pictures that he started to hate cameras. But he got to stretch his wings there and flap them around! Even at his mom’s house he wasn’t allowed to untie his wings, and they always got so sore.

He was never really alone, always having a strange person following him. A ‘body guard’. He learned in school that ‘body guards’ followed important people. Was he important?

“Yes, Tsuna, you’re very important, especially to me.” Nana had told him lovingly.

“Okay! You’re important to me, too!” He had said happily with flushed cheeks. Nana had practically smothered him in hugs with happy cooing then, and he laughed and hugged her back and fluttered his wings to tickle her arms to make her giggle back. Nana and the doctors were the only ones that he was allowed to show his wings.

He was always forced to hide his wings under his shirt, and wore a cape or shawl that reached his knees out in public. The other children were a little jealous of his cape and cautious and curious about his mysterious reasons but stayed away from actually hitting him because ‘the strange man following him looked scary’. So, they indirectly hurt him. Messing up his things, calling him names, making it acceptable to pick on him. Tsuna quickly hated school, and he avoided making friends there. When someone actually tried to tug off his cape, he was told that he didn’t have to go anymore. He was taught in the hospital or at home, instead. He liked that arrangement more, and excelled much more in his studies with support from both Nana and the friendly doctors and scientists.

But, not having anyone his age to talk to was a really lonely. He often snuck out of his room to talk to the other children there. He couldn’t see them more than that, because they either left the hospital or got too sick and had to be taken somewhere. Unsatisfied companionship only made his loneliness grow.

It wasn’t a bad life, but when he looked out the window towards the sky an ache in his chest grew more and more.

---------

When Reborn infiltrated the hospital and hopped from the vents on the floor, he was met with the sight of an sleepy scruffy angel dressed in comfortable white clothes.

“Oh, baby, are you lost?” Tsuna asked, folding in his wings to appear smaller and crawling out of bed to kneel besides him. He rubbed his eye with one hand, his arms covered in bandages.

“I’m not a baby. I’m a hitman. My name’s Reborn. From today onwards I’m going to be your tutor.” Reborn said bluntly, ignoring the wings on his new charge. He had seen odder things.

“Oh, that’s really cute!” Tsuna smiled, “Where’s your parents, littl-” Reborn kicked him, sending him rolling into the wall with a scream. Nana opened the door to see a twitching confused Tsuna and a small baby.

“Really, Tsuna, you must be more careful!” Nana huffed.

“N-no! M-mom, that baby just-”

“Ciaossu. I’m the new home tutor, Reborn.” Reborn flicked his hat up to look up at Nana with his eyes and a polite smile.

“Oh, you’re here! Welcome! Would you like some tea? I brought Tsuna some food, but it’s enough to share!”

“Certaintly, mama.” Reborn said with a polite bow. Nana beamed.

Why are they getting along so well? Tsuna thought with a dull look, his feathers fluffing up in agitation as he sat up.

“Every decent hitman knows how to charm the ladies.” Reborn said matter-of-factly, accepting a steamed pork bun from Nana with a polite ‘thank you’.

“Did you just read my mind?”

“I’m a mind-reader.” Reborn smirked and bit into his bun with a ‘hamph’. Nana gave Tsuna his own bun with a smile, and Tsuna took it and bit into it numbly, only for Reborn to steal it and declare that he needed to fight to eat.

Tsuna had a feeling that his easygoing life wasn’t going to be the same.