Title: The Father Who Never Was
Note: T - Family/Drama - Tsuna, Basil, Iemitsu, Reborn - Complete
Summary: Basil was raised in the mafia, so he knew it was more often dark than not. But Tsuna was about to show him that things can always become worse. Iemitsu-bashing galore. Some family fluff at the end.
Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn of any of its characters or plot.
"Decimo, may I enquire as to why I found papers of my master's exile on his otherwise emptied desk?"
A young Italian man with long dirty blond hair that fell over his expressive blue eyes stood before an elegant desk made of ebony and Carpathian elm woods. The curtains that framed the windows behind the desk were made of hand-spun silk, glimmering in the late afternoon sunlight. One would expect the rest of the room to possess other various furniture worth just as much, but the only thing worth glancing at was the imposing high-end chair in front of the windows, seating a man exuding power, authority, and oddly an underlying man was slightly hunched over with his elbows on the desk and hands loosely clasped together in front of his chin. Matured amber eyes peered over his fingers at the Italian, showing that he was contemplating on what to say. The blond merely gazed back, knowing it was his place to remain silent and respectful.
After a moment, the man at the desk slowly closed his eyes and breathed a heavy sigh. Standing up, he ran his hands over the front of his black vest and straightened the cuffs of his white dress shirt. When he looked back up, his lips lifted into a relaxing smile and he said, "Come take a walk with me, Basil."
The Italian, Basil, blinked a few times in surprise before nodding slowly. "As you wish, Decimo." And he gave a low bow as he looked forward to a leisure walk with his boss. It was difficult to remember that with Sawada-dono's official inheritance of the Vongola, the Famiglia was no longer as uptight and cold as it was in the past.
Indeed, as the two left the office and strolled casually down the halls, Basil could see the eyes of the mansion's maids and butlers light up at the sight of their master, though the younger man always loathed to be called as such. Occasionally, the man would even attempt to persuade Basil to call him Tsuna rather than Decimo or Sawada-dono. The blond man would have none of it since he was insistent on acknowledging the difference in their statuses.
Tsuna would just roll his eyes internally and leave it for another day.
When the two young men reached the gardens behind the building, they slowed to a stop in front of a marble fountain and sat on a stone bench feet away from it. They quietly observed the chirping yellow canaries that flittered about everywhere, random words peeping out every so often. No one was able to figure out how Kyoya did it, but the frightening man always knew when any of his birds were injured or missing. Tsuna secretly thought to himself that it was similar to the overprotective traits of a father, except Kyoya was well aware that the little puffballs could easily take care of themselves.
The young boss frowned at the reminder of fathers. It brought him back to the question that Basil had posed earlier in the office. Days ago, Tsuna came across some cleverly hidden documents that revealed an unpleasant secret. Unexpectedly, he felt a deep pain from the realizations.
"Decimo, is something the matter with thee?"
Gazing into the Italian's worried eyes, Tsuna bitterly smiled and replied, "No need to keep calling me that, Basil. Just call me Tsuna, at least for now."
"There is no way I can address thou as such! Despite being friends, the standing between us is foremost merely that of-"
"Brothers?"
Sapphire eyes widened in shock. "W-what art thou saying?"
Tsuna turned away from his friend's pleading look. He knew Basil wanted him to deny the implications of what he said, but in the Mafia, avoiding the truth could get a loved one killed. The brunet's eyebrows furrowed and he locked his gaze on the ground before him. The world fell away as he recalled memories from days earlier.
"Iemitsu Sawada is entranced by his wife for two reasons. She is unwaveringly loyal to him, no matter what he does and where he goes. And she is unsuspecting. He can uphold his duty to the Famiglia with the reassurance that he will find acceptance when he goes back home. It makes for the kind of life any mafioso would want."
The sky darkened when gray clouds blocked the sun and the canaries flew away, taking their harmonious songs with them. Silence reigned the garden.
"Or so we thought."
Basil abruptly shot off the bench to stand before Tsuna. He grabbed the brunet's shoulders in desperation, an uncharacteristic action for him. But the entire foundation of Basil's existence was crumbling away, because the man who raised him had never sincerely supported him in the first place.
"Please, tell me what thou is trying to say is not true."
Drops of water fell from the sky and continued to do so, soaking the two men through their once clean and fancy clothing.
"The elements cannot take on the task of the sky that embraces them."
Basil the Rain, fell to his knees before his brother, the Sky.
…
Dear Tsu-kun,
How are you doing in Italy? I hope you're able to easily manage that big company that you inherited without many problems. Though I'm sure your friends are there to keep your health in check. They were always such nice boys and girls when you still lived in Namimori.
As for myself, I've been doing wonderfully. It's so kind of you to make sure someone is here to keep me company when you are too busy to visit. Speaking of which, Basil-kun and I are getting to know one another when he helps with the cooking and other chores around the house. He's like the helpful son you would have been if you weren't so clumsy!
But Tsu-kun, this Sunday is going to be June 15. What will you be planning?
Just know that as your Mama, I will support you no matter what. I'm getting old in my age and the family that has surrounded you is enough love and warmth for me as well.
Please, take care of yourself too. And I will be here whenever you need me.
Love,
Mama
As soon as Tsuna finished rereading the letter from his mother for the sixth time, he felt his heart constrict and the hurt flash through his eyes. His mother didn't deserve to go through such pain, but it would be her decision on what to do with the information she was given from Basil.
Tsuna was interrupted from his thoughts when the double doors to his office were thrown open and were slammed against the walls. A tall, well-built man with a twisted scowl across his face came striding toward the young boss.
"What is the meaning of this!" yelled the man, spit flying everywhere in his rage. "I come back from a month-long mission and find my personal office ransacked through and all my belongings packed up in boxes, only to discover that Vongola Decimo had ordered for my removal from CEDEF."
The brunet remained silent and seated, knowing the angered man had more to say. For a few weeks now, Tsuna had dreaded when this time would come. But he knew this confrontation would determine what happened to his family; his blood family.
"Since when did the Family boss have the jurisdiction to fire the external advisor, who exists for the purpose of making decisions not influenced by the inner circle?" The sarcastic emphasis was expected and Tsuna gave a prepared response. He was ready for this long ago.
"It wasn't by my sole decision, Iemitsu. It was actually by request of many members of CEDEF and after some thinking I finally agreed that it was about time they had a new leader."
"And since when did the Mafia of all things become a democracy?!"
Tsuna's nonchalant demeanor suddenly morphed into one of rigid steel, as if an abrupt snowstorm appeared out of nowhere. Through the windows behind him, the winds could be seen blowing fiercely against the trees but it was eerily silent in the office.
"Since we discovered a certain man chose Famiglia before family."
A few seconds passed before Iemitsu could find a decent retort.
"What are you talking about, boy? Famiglia is family. I do everything for the benefit of Vongola."
"Yes. I can tell, by the way you tossed away your love for your eldest born because he was unsatisfactory and you ran off to another woman who could provide you with a better one."
"What could you possibly mean? You're my only son!"
"And I wish I wasn't," Tsuna muttered bitterly. His bangs fell in front of his eyes and he grit his teeth. "Why?"
Before Iemitsu could question what he meant, Tsuna continued.
"Why would you completely disregard Basil as your son, just because he doesn't possess the Sky Flames that would make him eligible as a candidate for Vongola boss? Does that mean the only reason I was born was to be a last resort if Grandfather Timoteo's sons were killed?"
For a moment, Iemitsu's eyes were stricken with guilt but his son didn't see it. It was gone by the time he finally looked up. Tsuna's hope that his father would see the consequences of his mistakes were washed away. It seemed their relationship could not be mended, no matter how desperately he wished it to.
Iemitsu spoke up. "Regardless of what my initial intentions were, I came to love and adore the both of you. Is that something you cannot understand?" he said in a clipped tone.
"Then I'm guessing you won't mind that Mom knows about everything now?"
The older man's eyes widened. He slowly began to shake with rage and disbelief again until he exploded. Quickly striding towards the desk, he slammed his hands down. Papers flew every which way and pens rolled onto the carpeted floor.
"Do you realize what you've done? Nana shouldn't know about the maf-"
"Relax. She was never told anything about our world. Basil is currently in Japan with her. He only told her the truth about our little family, how you were married to Basil's mother but became disappointed with him as your son. So you left for Japan where you remembered a particular woman who would probably be willing to marry you after enough time passed. One of the main reasons why you remained married to my mother was because I was a suitable son. I had what you were looking for.
"You have no idea how that sort of truth affected your wife and your children. Basil and I are leaving it to Mom to decide if she'll still accept you despite your faults. Go to her before you screw something else up."
"Still, how could you possibly kick me out from the Vongola? I've done the Family proud years before you were even out of your diapers." Neither mentioned Iemitsu's lack of denial at what his son claimed earlier.
Tsuna merely turned away and straightened up some documents that still remained on the desk. It signaled to Iemitsu that their conversation was coming to an end. Picking up a pen, the young man softly said, "Long ago, I told Primo I would rather destroy the Vongola than inherit its bloody history and its sins. I do not need a man who puts Vongola's reputation and status before the well-being and trust of his own family. You are dismissed."
The older man trembled at the turn of events, but obeyed nonetheless. He realized what happened next depended on his wife and he began a list of preparations he needed to make so he could leave as soon as possible. He bowed stiffly and left the office, closing both doors with a nearly inaudible click.
Off to the side and behind the despairing brunet, a wall panel slid open to reveal a child wearing a suit and fedora. He slowly walked up beside his boss and put a tiny hand on his head of soft brown locks.
Tsuna gave a small smile at his tutor and jokingly said, "Who needs a father when I've got you?"
He stopped laughing when he was sharply rapped on the back of his head, causing his face to smack the once orderly desk.
"Idiot. My job was to mold you into a worthy man who can take charge of difficult situations. It had nothing to do with becoming a father figure."
Grabbing a coffee mug with a bow wrapped around it from a drawer in his desk, Tsuna replied, "But what you did for me, it's usually what fathers do, isn't it?" He handed the mug to Reborn who didn't hesitate to take it in his smaller hands. "So, Happy Father's Day."
One look at the words that encircled the mug and an evil smirk rose on the hitman's lips. "You've been getting pretty cheeky ever since you took over, Decimo. I think it's time to knock you down a few pegs."
As sharp gunshots and muffled crashes echoed throughout the mansion from a particular room, a little ceramic mug sat innocently on a desk that probably wouldn't cost a penny because of its battered state. The mug beheld the words "world's most Dependable And Demonic hitman."
The capitalized words created the acronym "D.A.D."
A/N: It could have been better, I know. There are most likely grammar and spelling mistakes in random places since I only proof-read it once.
Whatever. I was inspired by my hatred for neglectful fathers. Don't get me wrong, I have a wonderful father who always tries his best for me and my siblings. I just don't like Iemitsu. He annoyed me when he beat Tsuna into the ground, acting like he could teach a lesson to his son who he didn't have the right to call as such.
If you are a father and you think your relationship isn't the best with your kid, take a moment to decide if you're really satisfied with that. Just remember that everyone should have parents they can look to for comfort and support. It's all we really ask for, under the desire for video games or a nice car. Those are just material things, but parental love can't be found just anywhere. It has to make itself known.
03/31/15: I realized this quite a while ago, but I remembered about it again after almost a year. It's so amusing to me that I decided to share with the rest of you. I wrote this story for Father's Day of 2014, which happened to be on June 15. And guess who's birthday is on June 15?
That's right, Iemitsu. What a great way he spent his birthday, eh?