Tsuna steps into his office that morning and only notices the envelope after he sits down and sets his coffee mug to the side.

Tsuna is twenty-three and has two years as Vongola Decimo under his belt. If he's not in the office, things that need to be read over will end up in specific places depending on who it's from.

Other famiglias, for example people like Byakuran and Enma, are rerouted through internal Vongola channels and Tsuna gets them in a pile every morning in order of importance. The Varia will call and demand Tsuna go see them while Basil and his CEDEF will ask for a formal meeting.

Lambo will chat to Tsuna about anything important whenever they run into each other in the headquarters. Similarly, Hayato will hunt Tsuna down with his Juudaime-radar and hand it to him personally – even if Tsuna is outside. If Tsuna is in a different country then Hayato will video call instead of flying over, which is a much appreciated show of restraint.

Takeshi tends to leave it on the office chair, while Ryohei sends his in with the normal reports and it gets delivered to the 'IN' drawer of the filing cabinet beside his desk. Mukuro will hand his to Chrome and she places it neatly on the table, off to the side, almost as if she doesn't want to intrude.

This envelope is right in the middle, resting over Tsuna's keyboard and demanding attention, so it's obviously from Kyouya. Tsuna opens it first because he has learned to prioritise.

Instead of written words, someone has taken the time to cut out individual letters in different sizes and fonts to then paste them onto the paper like some C-rate movie where you can guess the criminal as soon as you see them.

Dear Decimo,

We have decided to take back something of ours, but we are kind and will give you a chance. You have a month to convince us you deserve to keep it. We look forward to the attempts.

Use your resources, borrow favours, gather an army.

You'll need it all.

Sincerely,

It's signed with a streak of rainbow colours scribbled in crayon. Tsuna raises an eyebrow and calls Kyouya from his phone.

Kyouya grunts.

"Hey, Kyouya," Tsuna says slowly. "Um, so who gave you the envelope?"

"The carnivore acting like an herbivore."

"Why is Skull threatening me?" Tsuna wonders. "You read it, right? Of course you read it."

"What did you take from those apex predators that they'd want back?" Kyouya retorts with a question instead. Then he grunts again, pleased this time. "When you fight them, call me."

Tsuna furrows his brows. "Wait, do you mean Reborn-"

Kyouya hangs up so Tsuna calls Reborn instead. No one picks up. Tsuna purses his lips and scrolls through his contacts list. He doesn't have Skull's number so he calls Lal instead.

"Decimo," Lal greets, having seen the ID.

"Good morning, Lal. Just wondering why Skull sent me a threat about Reborn being kidnapped?"

"Oh, that," Lal answers in an unconcerned tone of voice. "Yeah, Skull still gets excited when we do Mafia things. No one bothered to stop him."

"Okay, but what about my fiancée being kidnapped a month before our wedding?"

"I can't give you hints, I'm not on your side-"

"No, no, no," Tsuna cuts in. "We're not doing this. It's in a month, Lal, and we still have a few last-minute things to plan. Tell Reborn that I would love to play with him, but after."

Lal hums. "I'll be sure to do that when the rohypnol wears off."

Tsuna has to pause for a moment. "Did you…did you roofie my fiancée?"

Lal hangs up. Tsuna sighs.

Reborn wakes up in his hammock but he doesn't remember putting his hammock in a bank vault. Actually, Reborn doesn't remember anything past leaving to meet the other Arcobaleno for his bucks party and even his memories of kissing Tsuna goodbye at the Vongola are fading in and out.

Reborn sits up and immediately realises Leon and his weapons are gone as well as some of his clothes. He quickly redresses in his jacket, shoes and hat before exploring.

His hammock is pinned up in one corner, plus a clothes rack is off to the side, holding some more of his suits hanging up. Next to that is a walled off rectangle and when Reborn checks it's a small bathroom with new bottles of his favourite soaps and cologne as well as far more.

There are open shelves full of food, but no fridge so he can't threaten to drink the coolant, and no stove so no fire or gas to use. It means his kidnapper is intelligent and plans to keep him inside for a long time, which is unfortunate for him.

The metal box is pretty big and a nice plush rug has been laid down which just makes Reborn more confused. He taps at the walls but doesn't find so much as a seam. The clothes rack is aluminium so even if he disassembles it, he could do more damage with his bare fists.

Reborn punches a wall and nothing happens. Then he tries again while flooding his muscles with Sun flames to push his body to past his limits.

The wall vibrates minutely this time but doesn't even dent.

There's a pause and then the metal ripples and turns clear except for the wall around the bathroom. Reborn crosses his arms and raises an eyebrow.

The other Arcobaleno -except for Yuni- are holding cards and poker chips, sitting around on wooden chairs that Reborn recognises from the dinning table in the old Arcobaleno manor. This theory is proven by the familiar view outside the window. They wave at him like Reborn is in any mood to humour these people.

"So," Reborn says pointedly.

"Yo," Colonnello drawls, voice clear thanks to illusions.

Reborn visibly needs to calm himself down.

They turn towards him on their chairs, throwing cards on the ground between them all where the pile of chips sit. Leon is splayed on top of Zamza's head, the giant centipede circling around the otherwise empty room a few times to fit inside. The other animals have also taken up seats on the centipede.

Colonnello flips around so he's straddling the chair, forearms resting on the back. "We're not just doing this for fun, I promise."

"Give me three reasons," Reborn deadpans.

"We don't have three but we do have one really good reason."

Reborn gestures around at his currently illusioned cage before crossing his arms tightly again. "I couldn't leave even if I wanted to. Please, enlighten me. Maybe if you reference what a good friend you've been in the past, I'll make your death swift out of nostalgia."

"Nostalgia?" Colonnello complains. "I've been a good friend recently."

"Have you? I can't remember. Maybe it's because you drugged me."

Colonnello holds up his hands defensively. "We just want to…confirm some things before you get married."

Reborn digs his fingers into his arms. "You could not possibly say anything I haven't already heard. Tsuna's Guardians have threatened me not to hurt him, as has Iemitsu, even Nana. Hell, the Varia got involved. I do love him -that's why we're getting married- so why does everyone think I would-"

"What?" Mammon finally blurts out, incredulous. "The Varia did what?"

Fon tilts his head, curious. "All the Guardians? Because that doesn't sound like Kyouya."

Reborn looks at them suspiciously. Are they mocking him? "Literally everyone Tsuna has met more than twice has made it very clear that I don't deserve him and they'll join forces to kill me if I do something to upset him."

Verde scoffs derisively, slumped back in his chair. "And you think we care about your Don?"

Reborn slaps the invisible wall. "You put me in a cage. Clearly you're upset with me."

"If we didn't put you in there, you would have run off already," Colonnello fires back.

"Why am I in here?"

Lal leans forward, planting her elbows on her knees. "We just feel that he needs to prove himself before he marries you."

Reborn stares her down. "Have you not met Tsuna? He could marry a literal saint and people still wouldn't think the saint is good enough."

Lal straightens up under his gaze, entirely serious. "Well we genuinely think that Tsuna isn't good enough. We let it go when you started dating because we though it was hero worship. You've been with him since he was thirteen, of course he'd develop feelings, so we let it go and hoped that you'd fall out naturally."

Reborn takes a deep breath. "I waited. I waited and I stayed away and he still had the same feelings."

"It's not about that," Lal says. "I know the love isn't just being 'familiar'. What I'm talking about is that he still leans on you-"

"I'm his fiancée," Reborn interrupts. "Of course he does. The world -the Mafia- has changed from our time; you can ask for help without being weak."

"He isn't asking," Lal insists. "He expects you to be there and be willing all the time. He treats you like an inevitability, so he doesn't care about you. He doesn't work for it, he doesn't show his love. He treats his enemies with more care than you, Reborn. He would pick anyone and everyone over you. Every single time."

Judging by the frowns and narrowed eyes of the others, they've finally come to the real issue.

Reborn sighs. "We've talked about this."

"And it's still an issue," Skull chimes in.

"Lackey," Reborn says slowly. "When I get out, the only part of your body they'll find is a purple smear."

"That doesn't make me wrong." Skull sticks out his tongue far enough that his piercing glints in the light.

Fon clears his throat to catch their attention. "Reborn, you have to acknowledge that perhaps Tsunayoshi doesn't have you as his first priority."

"Vongola is his first priority," Reborn admits. "I know that."

Fon sighs quietly. "And you're not his second priority either. Or third, fourth, even fifth."

"You're pushing it," Reborn accuses. "All those examples that you're thinking of? Tell me what you'd do in Tsuna's situation. If you had to go after your Guardian -say Colonnello- or me, who would you pick? Colonnello. Because I'm stronger and faster and I can take care of myself better in a dangerous situation."

Fon smiles but it's soft and kind, which Reborn doesn't appreciate. "What about the times where it wasn't a Guardian? What about the times where allies, strangers or even enemies were in danger and he left you to help them?"

Reborn slumps because this is going to take a while. He walks back to sit on his hammock instead, legs hanging off. "Look, Tsuna isn't like us. He's kind and always sees the good in people, which can be frustrating at times, but that's his personality. He's selfless."

Colonnello barks out an unkind laugh. "It's not selfless to ignore your lover after you've put them in danger. Reborn, you've been badly hurt before because Tsuna has told you to not kill – which he would never insist for his Guardians. He has deliberately crippled you in a fight where people have been aiming to kill and you've gotten seriously injured, all because Tsuna thinks people will eventually see his side of things and fall in line."

"He's a little naive," Reborn accepts.

"It is far from naiveté! How fucking arrogant does someone have to be to believe people will throw down all of their values and give up just because he spouted some bullshit at them?"

"Ask Mammon," Reborn fires back. "How are the Varia going these days?"

Mammon scoffs. "The ring said no. Xanxus had no hope, so he didn't fall in line, he just took what was offered. It's only because Tsuna is his boss now, has been for years, that he's not outwardly homicidal towards the Decimo."

Reborn runs a hand through his hair and doesn't care when his hat falls off onto the hammock. "He loves me."

"Not enough," Mammon argues.

Reborn glares. "He loves me, you just don't see it properly. Tsuna knows I can handle myself so he maybe pushes too far sometimes, I can see that, but it's not just about big moments."

"Does he cook for you?" Skull asks.

"Vongola has chefs," Reborn dismisses.

"But you cook for him," Skull points out. "You brag about how much he liked your anniversary dinners or breakfasts in bed or-"

"He doesn't cook," Reborn interrupts. "Like you don't cook. Doesn't make him negligent."

"Then what does he do? Because you buy him presents, little things that you think he might like. You organise picnics and dates. You do everything, you actually put in the effort, which is why we think it's one-sided."

"He's busy with work," Reborn explains simply. "He controls a massive famiglia, he just doesn't have time."

"No time for three years?" Skull wonders.

Reborn huffs and looks away.

Verde finally straightens up and pushes his slipping glasses back into place. "You're not an idiot, Reborn. It's only been three years and he's already taking you for granted. You want romance – cliché dinner by candlelight and stargazing on a rooftop. He might love you but he's not giving you what you want."

"He would," Reborn says. "If I asked him then he would, I just haven't-"

"We've told him," Fon admits. "Repeatedly, giving him ideas and cues. Even if we didn't, with the way you court someone, it's hard not to notice what you like."

Reborn sighs and flops over fully onto his hammock. "You don't understand so it's pointless to argue."

"That's fine," Verde says easily. "We're going to show you, with irrefutable proof, that he doesn't deserve you."

Tsuna arrives at the Arcobaleno manor with a convoy of cars. He has Hayato, Takeshi and Kyouya, but also handpicked some people who might be able to convince the Arcobaleno to just set this back a few weeks.

He offers a hand and helps Yuni out of the car. She is really the first line of offence, so she knocks on the door, standing upfront.

The answer comes from behind them in the form of Hayato being shot down by a sniper. Everyone hits the ground, darting into positions where they think the fire can't reach them but a glint from a hole in the rooftop also chimes in.

"Retreat!" Tsuna calls out, dragging Yuni back with him.

Tsuna grabs Hayato, a bullet hole in his stomach bleeding profusely, and half carries him into the car. Several other people are shot down -the gunfire deliberate, not a bullet wasted- but none as vicious as the Storm, and everyone makes it back into the bulletproof vehicles. The gunfire stops, waiting.

Tsuna is fucking enraged.

Do the Arcobaleno think this is funny? That hurting people like this is a joke? Tsuna rips off his jacket and uses it to put pressure on the wound, Hayato slumped into the seat and pale faced.

Tsuna glances out of the window to see Kyouya kick in the front door. A blur of red throws the Cloud back out and the car rocks when Kyouya slams into the side. Hayato cries out in pain when the wound is jolted harshly.

Tsuna grits his teeth. He leaves Hayato for a moment and opens the door just enough to drag in a wheezing Kyouya, definitely broken ribs, and slam the door shut again despite Kyouya's hissed protest.

"Drive," Tsuna snaps at Takeshi, who is wrapping his tie around a hole in his leg.

"Pathetic," Verde observes as the cars flee.

Reborn is lying in his hammock, watching through camera feeds that Verde projected onto the wall. "Did you have to be that harsh?"

"He has to earn it," Skull says, sneaking some popcorn from the box in Mammon's hands.

Reborn purses his lips. Tsuna's definition of Mafia is…a bit more delicate, but this really isn't the worst thing Tsuna has faced so he leaves it. "Can I have some popcorn?"

Mammon glances over their shoulder at him. "We'd have to knock you out to get more food in there."

Reborn frowns. "If I promise not to run will you let me out?"

"No," Lal says as she steps into the room with a rifle by her side. "Because you're not a child nor an idiot. Your promises are worth nothing." She vaults over Zamza's body blocking the doorway and takes a seat again. "Well, let's see how long it takes the Decimo to get serious."

The Arcobaleno do let Reborn out before the first day is even over, but he stays handcuffed to Fon and no one lets him go near a gun. They spend most of their time all hanging out in Reborn's cage regardless.

Tsuna tries again with just himself and gets sent away by Mammon's illusion of Reborn. Verde has planted several bugs in the Vongola surveillance and Mammon laughs every time as they rewatch Mukuro explain to Tsuna that the Mist can feel Mammon's flames lingering on the Decimo. Hyper Intuition means nothing if Mammon can perfectly mimic Reborn down to the breathing pattern.

Tsuna takes Mukuro, Fran and even borrows Julie from Enma to try and sneak in. Verde deals with that by activating a barrier of Lightning and keeping it up through his robots for a good five hours until they give up.

Tsuna leaves it for a few days and then brings just the people who are close to the Arcoableno. To prove that they're serious, Lal shoots Basil in the arm and then goes on to fire at everyone except for Yuni and Tsuna, Colonnello backing her up.

Tsuna tries with just Yuni next and the Arcobaleno are starting to get annoyed. It's been a week and the Decimo still isn't taking this seriously. They shoot him in the chest – nonfatal of course.

Reborn is in his cage, walls opaque, so he doesn't see it. They don't tell him. They also don't let him see the next one.

Tsuna comes with the full force of Vongola late in week two. The Arcobaleno start killing people because Tsuna just isn't trying hard enough. He needs to know that they aren't friends, that they won't play his childish game of dress up. This is the Mafia, not a playground.

The Decimo calls a retreat, horrified that supposed allies would do this. Tsuna tries to negotiate a truce next which is hilarious to all of the Arcobaleno since even Reborn chuckles. They reject it. They're not attacking Tsuna, he's the one attacking them. If they agree then they lose Reborn and gain nothing.

"Okay," Reborn says after listening to the recording of the call. "That…was good, I'll admit, but I think you've made your point. I'll go back and make sure he understands what I want out of our marriage."

"You still don't get it," Fon muses. "He's not good for you."

"He tried," Reborn points out. "You drove him off but he tried. People got injured, of course he doesn't want to try again. He's stressed from wedding planning and being a boss, plus this on top of everything."

"He's not right for you," Colonnello insists, tilting over to bump shoulders with the hitman. "You're going to marry someone who won't fight to keep his husband safe."

"I don't need to be protected anyway" Reborn dismisses. "And this is a joke, everyone knows that, it's not like I'm actually being tortured or anything."

"You shouldn't need to be tortured for him to want you back," Lal states. "If Colonnello was taken from me, I'd hunt down anyone involved and rip out their fucking spines. Love is supposed to be selfish and ugly and biased. That bullshit Tsuna gives you isn't love, it's an owner's affection for a pet."

"Maybe he's just a better person than you."

"Maybe you don't want him to be," Mammon retorts sharply. "Maybe you want someone who will throw down everything when you call – who will only focus on you."

The handcuff chain rattles when Fon grabs Reborn's hand. "Tsuna isn't the only choice," Fon says softly. "This isn't your one chance for love. Because Reborn, if someone took you, we would find you again or die trying."

Reborn looks away.

Tsuna hasn't tried again, which is...it hurts. Reborn is upset but he understands. The wedding is in less than a week now and Tsuna is probably thinking that they'll let Reborn go or Reborn will convince them to stop.

He isn't having any luck with that, as his broken ribs prove. He almost made it - certainly gave as good as he got. Didn't expect the trees to be fake though, so when Fon threw him into one, he just tried to flip off.

Reborn sits on the slanted rooftop, body still aching from being electrocuted, and watches the sunset. It's an illusion because he made a run for it and they're keeping him in the box again. It feels real regardless and he appreciates the effort Mammon is putting into it without asking for payment.

"Why do you so desperately need a husband?" Verde asks, legs hanging over the edge further down from Reborn.

"I don't need one," Reborn answers easily. "If Tsuna hadn't come along I would have stayed single my entire life and not cared."

"Then what's so bad about not marrying him? Push it back, see if he can change."

Reborn sighs as the last lingering rays of the sun disappear but the warmth stays inside him. "I've tried. I actually have, but this is Tsuna and that's fine."

"Is it?" Skull wonders, head resting on Reborn's lap, peering up with wide purple eyes.

Reborn lazily slaps Skull's face. "I thought so." He sighs, heavier this time. "Maybe it's Stockholm Syndrome. I'm starting to believe you." He slaps Skull's face again.

"Stop," the Cloud whines, grabbing Reborn's wrist.

Reborn slaps him with the other hand.

"Tsuna," Reborn greets when the other side picks up the call, two days before the wedding. "We should meet."

"Was it fun? Killing people for a joke?" Tsuna says flatly.

Reborn pauses for a long moment. "People died?"

"Twenty-four," Tsuna states. "Twenty-four because you and your friends wanted to act out this stupid-" Tsuna cuts himself off.

Reborn hears a quiet hiccup. "I didn't know," he swears. "I honestly didn't know, I'm so sorry, Tsuna."

"Are you?" Tsuna snaps back, sounding choked up. "Are you sorry they're dead or because you hurt me?"

"Both," Reborn lies. "I didn't get a choice, Tsuna-"

"You could have told them to stop!" Tsuna cries. "You could have ended this before anyone got hurt but you wanted to play along-"

"They drugged me," Reborn insists. "I was locked up every time you came for me."

"And you couldn't get out? I'm supposed to believe that?"

"I…" Reborn blinks. "Tsuna I'm good but I'm not all mighty. Verde had specially made this material for me and Fon, he's perfected it over decades. I couldn't stop them. Let's just talk, I want to see you."

"I don't want to see you," Tsuna retorts. After a shaky breath he sounds calmer. "I cancelled the wedding. Maybe just…stay away for now. I'll – we can just…just stay away for now."

"Tsuna, I can explain, just meet with me-"

Reborn sucks in a sharp inhale when Tsuna hangs up and quickly calls back. It goes to voicemail. Reborn makes his way to he Vongola but Tsuna's Guardians meet him outside with Simon and CEDEF backing them up.

"I need to see him," Reborn says. "I didn't know what was happening."

Hayato grits his teeth. "You said you wouldn't hurt him."

"I can explain-"

"He doesn't want to hear you," Takeshi cuts in, seriously like he so rarely is. "You should leave."

Reborn shakes his head. "If I leave it'll fester. I don't want him to be sad."

"A little late for that," Enma says and his forehead lights up in flames.

Reborn is forced back since he doesn't want to kill them but they're clearly aiming to maim at the least. He backs off but they follow him, right into the Arcobaleno waiting for Reborn a few streets away. They scatter but Kyouya remains.

"Not now," Fon says. "Definitely later, you've gotten stronger even as we fought. I'd like a proper spar."

Kyouya nods easily but his expression says he'll hold Fon to that promise. Kyouya heads off and Reborn slumps against the wall.

"Give it time," Colonnello says.

Reborn glares.

The blond holds up his hands defensively. "I won't patronise you; I wanted this. But you were going to break it off anyway, so I don't understand why it makes a difference who does it-"

"I wanted to postpone the wedding," Reborn snaps. "I didn't want him to hate me. He said people died!"

"You don't care," Mammon retorts. "This is the Mafia. No one cares apart from delusional idiots like them." They gesture in the direction that Tsuna's allies fled. "Even then, most of them are pretending just to keep Tsuna happy – like you are. Why debase yourself like that?"

Reborn pushes away from the wall and starts walking. They follow but Reborn whips around.

"Alone," he grits out. "You've done enough."

They stay back as he leaves this time.

Reborn tries again and again to contact Tsuna. He knows most of it gets blocked by others so he slips into their – into Tsuna's bedroom one night.

Tsuna lets him explain what happened and still shakes his head.

"I can't rely on you," Tsuna says quietly, looking up at Reborn with sad eyes. "I trusted you to be there."

"I couldn't," Reborn pleads. "I did try."

Tsuna steps back and goes to his bedside drawer. He pulls out a ring box and moves back to Reborn, pushing it into the hitman's hand and then curling Reborn's numb fingers over it.

"Don't," Reborn breathes. "They said – they said you wouldn't fight for me. That they didn't believe I was your first priority."

Tsuna looks so sad. "People died."

"Am I…not more important than strangers?" Reborn asks.

Tsuna closes his eyes and steps back, the ring box still in Reborn's lax grip. "I'm their boss and I had a duty to them. They weren't strangers, they were mine to protect, and now they're dead because of me."

Tsuna opens his eyes and Reborn is entranced by the orange flickers he sees. "They're dead because you were my first priority and I wanted to get you back. I realised that I couldn't be so selfish."

"It's…not selfish to put your lover first."

Tsuna sighs. "You should go."

Reborn doesn't move for a long moment but Tsuna won't change his mind right now and pushing it might have the opposite effect. Reborn walks to the window and swings a leg out but pauses one last time.

Tsuna smiles, shaky. "Despite all of this, Reborn, we are still friends."

Tsuna calls a month later, asking if Reborn is ready to come back. Mammon tells Reborn that a rising vigilante group is infiltrating famiglias and INTRPOL has already arrested several big names thanks to information passed on by the group.

Reborn tells Tsuna that maybe he needs some more time.

Tsuna calls again a few weeks later and when Reborn goes back, Tsuna hands him a file on moles already uprooted, then asks him to find any others. Reborn is done in a month but he hasn't seen Tsuna since the first day. Takeshi and Ryohei escort him to the outer gate and wait there until he leaves.

Reborn curls up back in his cage and the other Arcobaleno slowly trickle in, bringing espresso and food. They watch the sunset for real this time and toast with mismatched drinks to being free.

Reborn doesn't ever go back.

.

.

A/N I don't know, guys. I don't know why I wrote this.