So, I've had this idea in my head for ages and finally managed to write it. I, uh... it's supposed to be a oneshot, but I might be doing a second part to this... It's not going to become any longer than two chapters, at most, and it should be okay, even if I leave it like this... But, do tell me your opinion, if I should make that second part or not (I'm still probably going to do it, just because.)
English isn't my native language, so if you spot any mistakes, I'd be happy if you pointed them out for me!
(I apologize if the characters are OOC, it's been a while since I watched/read KHR)
Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn.
Always Your Friend
For as long as Tsuna could remember, it was like something was missing.
He was always alone. He was Dame-Tsuna, after all, and no one wanted to be friends with Dame-Tsuna. His peers hated him, the neighbors hated him, all the adults hated him, hell, his own mother hated him. At least, she didn't love him, not like a mother should. She, just like everyone else, called him by that nickname, after all. She if anyone knew just how useless he truly was, having him live in the same house and all.
He didn't remember when he had last seen his father, and maybe that was what was missing. But there was something nagging at him, telling him that that wasn't it. Something else was missing. Something, an important part of his life, something that he needed there, was missing.
He wondered what it was. He would often lay awake at night, staring up at his room's ceiling, just wondering. Counting and naming things he had and didn't have, crossing things out on a gut feeling. No, it wasn't his father that was missing, nor was it that new, super cool robot toy that everyone at school was going on about. He always pondered, but he could never come up with an answer. He could never figure out, what it was that was missing.
At one point, he had thought it was friends. It would have been logical, too, seeing as he never had any. He, too, was just a human like the rest. He needed attention. He needed to have some sort of social contacts, other than bullies and his mother. It had been a logical assumption, that he had craved for friendship so badly that it begun feeling like something was missing from his life.
But then, Reborn appeared into his life. Reborn appeared and brought mafia and Dying Will Bullets with him. As weird as it sounded, Reborn brought friends into his life. Yet… the feeling of something missing persisted. It stayed, even as he befriended Yamamoto and Gokudera. It continued, even as he became somewhat friends with the Sasagawa siblings, Haru and Hibari. It continued to eat at his insides when Lambo, I-Pin and Fuuta began to live with him, his mother, Reborn and Bianchi.
The feelings that something was missing stayed with him… but he was so used to it already, that it was like a hum in the background as he concentrated on surviving, on keeping his friends safe in the insanity that was becoming his normal life.
After the Cloud Ring Battle, where Vongola Nono, Timoteo, suddenly unsealed the true potential of his Dying Will Flame, he entertained the idea that that had been, what his life was missing. It was only for a short while, for merely seconds, that he thought so. Because, now that the seal was lifted, the background hum was still there. If anything, the feeling had grown, had become more noticeable, stronger. Almost as if something had been blocking the feeling, before, and now that the block had been lifted, the real weight of it came crashing down on him.
Perhaps that was exactly what had happened. His Flames had been sealed, after all, and was it that unbelievable that the seal had blocked more than just his Flames? After the seal was lifted, his Hyper Intuition, as Reborn called it, seemed to be even sharper, after all.
Nevertheless… Tsuna lived, feeling like something was missing, never mentioning it to anyone. He never mentioned it to his mother, not even as he was just a little child. He never said anything to Reborn, even as he began to trust him, began to see him as someone who would stand by the side, protecting him if it was needed. He never told his new friends, even when he knew they had each other's backs, that they were all (him included) ready to lay their lives in each other's hands.
He never said anything, enduring the feeling of incompleteness all on his own, remembering to always smile, despite everything, so that no one noticed just how broken it made him.
…
White hair. Violet eyes. White skin, like light had never touched it.
…
Since being hit with the Ten Year Bazooka and traveling to the future, something was nagging at Tsuna. It wasn't like the feeling of incompleteness, though it was very similar. He couldn't place it, not with everything else going on. He had to figure out what all had happened in the future, there was training and then he had to save his friends and family, his Famiglia, as well as the world, apparently. He simply didn't have the time to figure out what that nagging feeling was.
In an attempt to drown it, he concentrated on his friends. He concentrated on the training. The future Hibari was cruel in his training, though not unreasonable. At least, Tsuna assumed that. The man was harsh, but when was Hibari not? And even then, the man didn't expect him to do anything his future self apparently couldn't do.
Then again, ten years' worth of training for his future self, a few days for him, so maybe Hibari was a little unreasonable.
…
"… Why do you always stand in the shadows?"
…
The nagging got stronger when Irie Shoichi told them of what had truly happened. Told them of the plan. How Shoichi, Tsuna's future self and future Hibari created a plan to take down the evil mastermind behind it all, Byakuran. He told them everything, of how he had gotten involved with the mafia, of how it was his fault that Byakuran awoke his dormant power of seeing to parallel universes…
Something about his story made Tsuna's Hyper Intuition start doing little flips. Nothing that could be called professional gymnastics, but little flips. For Tsuna, it was enough of an alarm. Noting the nagging that had begun when he came to the future, he couldn't help but think. Something was off about this whole situation, but what?
…
"Mom, what does it mean to be an albino?"
"Why do you ask, Tsu-kun?"
…
"Yup~!" Byakuran's hologram grinned, his eyes closed. "You're busted, Sho-chan~!"
"Then again, I always knew you'd betray me", the hologram stated, before anyone had a chance to react to his words. "You never did quite fit into this lifestyle."
Tsuna looked at the hologram, listened to the words said by the man. Something… something wasn't right here. He just had no idea what it was.
"I knew that Vongola would contact you, that you'd take their side", Byakuran bragged. Or, the words were meant to give his statement a bragging tone, but Tsuna couldn't shake off the feeling that… this man wasn't bragging. There was something in his tone… Something, that didn't make the least bit sense, not with what he knew. "You were the natural choice."
"… The natural choice?" Shoichi gritted his teeth, glaring at the hologram. No doubt he felt very insulted, for he had managed to keep up a good act. And still, Byakuran managed to sniff him out?
"Of course", the smirk on the hologram's face was… it was victorious, smug, but also somehow nostalgic. "After all… Vongola wasn't going to do anything without an inside man, and you… you were the only one who would be considered an ally. You never did like what I did."
"What you're doing, what you've done, is wrong", Shoichi stated. He looked scared, but it was understandable. This man in front of him… he'd taken so much from him, from everyone. The fact that he was even able to say those words was a proof of his braveness.
Tsuna couldn't say that he could do the same.
Absently, he noted that something had changed. Something was missing, but not in the same sense as before. Something else was missing now… and he didn't know what it was.
His Hyper Intuition continued to nag at him.
…
"Mom said that… that you could come over, if you want!"
…
Choice was… interesting?
In a way, it was. There was a sense of familiarity to it that made Tsuna frown, his Hyper Intuition getting more professional with the gymnastic moves. Only a little, though. What caused the familiarity, he didn't know. Due to the situation he, they were in, he pushed the very thought into the back of his head. He could wonder about it later on.
Right then, he had to concentrate on winning. He could save everyone only by winning.
They lost. He lost.
He wasn't sure why he took it so personally. He wasn't the only player on the board. There was no reason for it to be his loss, but their loss. Yet, he could only think of it as his own loss. It had been him versus Byakuran, all over again, and he had lost, once more.
Such thoughts left him easily enough when Yuni appeared. Soon after, they had to run for it, and he completely forgot how he had worded a certain thought. He completely forgot about how familiar Choice seemed, to him.
He completely forgot, how Byakuran looked at him with a mix of sadness, nostalgia, hope and desperation.
…
"If we stay inside, you don't need to worry about burning your skin!"
…
It all came back in a rush, when the seal finally broke.
He hadn't had time to think about all the feelings inside him. He didn't have time to process how his Hyper Intuition really did become an Olympic-level gymnastic once he was facing Byakuran. He didn't have time for any of that, because he was fighting for his life. He was fighting to protect his friends, fighting for everyone's future. In that chaos, such nagging thoughts as "this is familiar" went to the background as more important instincts, such as "duck!", took the central stage.
And then, after a long and painful battle, it all came to an end. In a fit of rage, he incinerated Byakuran. Not even ashes were left of him.
But, he could see the expression on Byakuran's face as he died, the sad yet thankful smile, his eyes… and he could hear, in the wind, his last words. "Thank you… I'm sorry."
He was the only one who heard them. He was the only one who saw the man's last expression. He was the only one.
And the seal broke.
…
"What's your name? I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi, but you can call me Tsuna! Let's be friends!"
"… Nice to meet you, Tsu-kun! I'm Gesso Byakuran, but you can call me Bya-kun! Since we're best friends!"
…
He fell to his knees, his body feeling numb. Without even realizing it, without his own will, tears appeared in his eyes, falling down his cheeks. It all came crashing down on him, all of a sudden…
The feeling was there, again. Something was missing.
But now… he knew what that something was.
…
"My mother told me I'm not allowed to play out in the sunshine. I'm an albino."
Tsuna, only 4 years old, looked at the white-haired, violet-eyed boy in confusion. The boy, sitting in the shadows under a tree, was a year older than him at best, his skin white. Tsuna had never seen anyone with such a skin color.
"… Albino…?" he tilted his head. He didn't know that word.
The other boy looked at him for a moment before sighing sadly. "It's… never mind."
…
His friends celebrated. They had won. Some cried for Yuni and Gamma, who had given away their lives to revive the Arcobaleno. But no one… no one shed tears for the one who was killed, for Byakuran.
No one but Tsuna.
He cried, not hearing his friends congratulating him, not hearing them celebrating. All he heard was ringing, as the reality of the situation slowly dawned on him. As it did, more tears pushed their way forward.
Why did this happen?!
…
"Let's play Choice!"
"Choice?" Sawada Nana looked at the two boys in the living room, blinking.
"It's a game Bya-kun created!" Tsuna beamed, proud of his friend.
"Oh?" Nana turned to the albino boy, who looked a little abashed, but was still grinning. "What kind of play is it?"
"First, we roll a die!" the boy beamed, his violet eyes closed, like so often. "That decides how many 'lives' we have!"
"The 'lives' are represented by toys!" Tsuna gestured to his toys, that the two had gathered around them on the living room floor. "Afterwards, we hide them, and the other has to find them!"
"One of the toys will be the true 'heart'", Byakuran grinned. "The one who finds that first and brings it back here is the winner!"
"That's a nice game!" Nana smiled, before blinking. "But, wouldn't it be hard to carry all those toys around?"
"Silly!" the boys giggled. Tsuna grinned at his mother. "If I find one of Bya-kun's toys, I have to bring it straight here. Then it's Bya-kun's turn to search for one of mine, and after he brings one of the toys here, I get to look again!"
"Oh!" Nana clapped her hands together, grinning brightly. "And that way, you know who gets the 'heart' first!"
"Exactly!" Byakuran giggled.
"And so that it will be fair, we both need to have at least three 'lives'!" Tsuna glanced at his friend.
"Hmm… but why 'Choice'?" Nana asked, a little confused.
"Because, if you can't find the toy during your turn, you have three choices!" Byakuran grinned. "You can give up, skip your turn or ask for a hint! So it's all about choices!"
…
It's all about choices…
Something had been nagging at him since the beginning. It wasn't Byakuran's presence, it had been something about him. Now, crying, Tsuna thought about it, thought about him, and he felt memories slot into their rightful places. Memories that had been sealed away, memories he didn't know he had had.
Memories that had a completely different Byakuran than the one he had just killed.
How had this happened?!
…
"Dame-Tsuna! Look at Dame-Tsuna!"
Tsuna flinched away. It was this again, the same old tirade.
"Hey, you!"
The bully and Tsuna turned to look at a boy with pure white hair, white skin and violet eyes. The eyes that were usually close were open and the usual smile was long gone, replaced with a frown and an angry expression. Like that… the boy looked quite scary, almost like a demon straight from hell.
All of the kids on the playground watched in something akin to horror as the albino growled. "Call my Tsu-kun that again and you'll regret it."
When the bully ran away, screaming and crying, Tsuna grinned. "Thanks, Bya-kun!"
"Anything for Tsu-kun!" Byakuran giggled and hugged his best friend.
…
"… Tsuna?" Dino was the first to realize something was truly wrong. He looked at him in worry, but he couldn't say anything. Not through the onslaught of memories, of emotions. The horror and guilt were the strongest feelings, the realization that he just killed his best friend, oh god eating at him like nothing had ever had.
He could only barely keep the sob from escaping, his hand flying to his mouth to muffle it. That is what alerted most people to his crying, to his mourning. Not that they understood what it was that he was mourning. How could they understand, when none of them knew what they were? What they used to be? How could any of them understand?!
He killed Byakuran. He killed his best friend, the one thing he had been missing for most of his life!
…
"Tsu-kun… I'm sorry."
"Eh? Bya-kun? What's wrong?"
"This… This is the last time we'll see each other."
"What do you mean?"
"… It's for the best. I'm too unstable to be safe."
"… Bya-kun?"
"… I'm sorry. Goodbye."
…
The rest of their time in the future was hazy for him. They stayed for maybe a day more, before they went back to their own time. Yet, Tsuna couldn't really make much of it. He spent that time, wallowing in guilt, wondering what had happened.
Why had Byakuran turned out like he had? The Byakuran he remembered was, while a little weird, kind and protective. He didn't become angry easily, unless you hurt someone close to him. The Byakuran he had killed… he had seemed like a completely different person.
Why had his future self come up with this whole plan? It made no sense. Why would he come up with a plan to kill his best friend? Unless… his memories weren't back? That would explain…
But, what did Byakuran mean with his last words? He said he was sorry… but he also thanked him. Why? It made absolutely no sense. The apology did, because yes, Byakuran was at fault for all of this as well. If he hadn't gone all evil megalomaniac, Tsuna wouldn't have needed to fight him. But… why was he thankful? For him killing him?
It made no sense. Tsuna wasn't sure what to think about it all, about anything, anymore.
…
"An albino person has really light skin and hair! Remember that cute cat you saw the other day? Someone who is albino has hair like its fur!"
"… Why can't they play in the sunlight?"
"Can't play in the sunlight?"
"… There's a boy in the playground, and he never leaves the shadow of the trees. He said he's albino, and that his mother said he can't play in the sunlight."
"Oh! Well, Tsu-kun, remember when you got sunburn? How it hurt?"
"… Uh-huh."
"An albino person's skin is even lighter than yours. That means they get sunburn much easier, and it really hurts them."
"… Then, if he played inside, it would be okay?"
"Of course! You know what, how about you invite him over? He can come over anytime, and then you can play inside without needing to fear sunburn!"
"… Okay!"
…
Their return to their time was… not bad, but not good, either. The rest easily caught up with their routines. The rest continued to live, like their little time travel hadn't actually happened, or that it had only been a dream. By all rights, it was. The Arcobaleno had done something to ensure that it couldn't happen, couldn't become their future.
But Tsuna… he was another matter entirely. He was… depressed, to say the least.
That, of course, didn't go unnoticed by others.
"Juudaime?" Gokudera asked quietly a few days after their return, during a break. "Is… Is everything okay?"
He should have said something. He should have mentioned something a long ago. He should have told them about the feeling of something missing the moment he became friends with them. But he hadn't told them, and he wasn't about to tell them now. He had been able to hide it all for this long… he would be able to hide it from now on, too.
After all… he was the one who killed Byakuran, he was guilty of killing his best friend, and he deserved this punishment for his sins.
Tsuna just smiled, just like he always did. "Yeah!"
…
Demon. That's what they called him.
"Why is Dame-Tsuna hanging out with that Demon?"
Kids their age were unforgiving. If you didn't fit into the group, whether it was because of abilities or looks… You could only expect them to do their absolutely worst.
At the very least, they had each other to lean on. They didn't need others.
…
Tsuna's depressed state lasted for a few days after they came back. He kept up with the routine on those few days, but he was just so tired, so unenthusiastic about everything for those few days. He went to school and slept through classes, disappeared for most breaks and just generally avoided everyone. Whenever he was talked to, asked about it, he just smiled and claimed to be okay. But his mask wasn't as good as he thought, and it never would be good enough to fool Reborn.
That afternoon, they came home, like usually. With a tired greeting, Tsuna retired to his room, while Reborn hopped onto the kitchen table, tilting his head as he watched Nana humming as she bustled around. She seemed… unusually happy, considering that she, too, had noticed her son's depression.
A glance towards Bianchi, Fuuta, I-Pin and Lambo showed them shrugging their shoulders and shaking their heads. They, too, had no idea why she was suddenly so happy.
Meanwhile, Tsuna found a letter on his pillow. Blinking a few times, his reactions sluggish, he took it and opened it, wondering who would have left such a thing there.
When he began reading, though, his eyes widened, his hazy mind coming to focus.
A last game of Choice. Game start.
I've changed the rules a little. I rolled a die, and I got number 1.
The area is all of Namimori. Here's the hint:
My heart lies where you laid me to rest
"My heart lies where you laid me to rest…?" Tsuna mumbled the words, staring at them. He knew who the letter was from, there was no doubt about it. Now… he just had to find him. Although he had no right, not anymore… he wanted to see him. He wanted to see him, and he wanted answers.
"My heart lies where you laid me to rest…" Tsuna frowned. That was… Where he laid him to rest…
His eyes suddenly widened, remembering a small detail he had ignored.
Everyone turned to look at the stairs as Tsuna stumbled down, obviously in a hurry. He threw a hoodie on, before he started putting on his shoes.
"Ara!" Nana looked at him, beaming. "Did you figure out the riddle?"
Tsuna, who had just reached for his keys, froze. It took him a few seconds to answer, but he did, smiling. "Yeah, I did. I… I'll be going now."
"Make sure to invite him over!" Nana reminded. "I'm making extra for dinner, and I expect it all will be eaten!"
Reborn, Bianchi, Fuuta, I-Pin and Lambo looked between them in confusion.
Tsuna laughed, though the sound was wet as tears began streaming down his face, his hand reaching for the doorknob. "Yeah, I'll definitely invite him over! I'm off, then!"
"Have a safe trip!" Nana waved to him as he threw the door open and ran out. He ran and ran, soon disappearing behind a corner, out of their sight.
Just as Reborn was about to go and follow, Nana stopped him. "And where do you think you're going, young man?"
Let it be noted that Reborn had never been treated like this. "After Tsuna, of course."
Nana shook her head as she closed the door and walked back into the kitchen. "No, you won't."
"Mama…?" Bianchi blinked.
"This is something Tsu-kun has to do on his own", Nana smiled a little sadly as she went back to cooking. "It is not our place to interfere with what will happen between those two."
"Those two?" Fuuta blinked, looking up at her.
Nana smiled down at him, nodding. "Between Tsu-kun and his best friend!"
"Best friend?" Reborn frowned, tilting his fedora. "I didn't know he had one."
"It was a long ago", Nana hummed as she looked at the ceiling, tapping her finger on her chin thoughtfully. "They were seven or eight, maybe. It was a little weird, Tsu-kun went out to the park to see him, like always. But then, Bya-kun came here, carrying Tsu-kun. I don't know what happened, but Tsu-kun was unconscious and by the time I got him up to his bed, Bya-kun was gone. I heard they moved away the next day, and Tsu-kun never mentioned Bya-kun again, so I just forgot all about it…"
"Bya-kun?" Bianchi asked.
Nana smiled, nodding. "Yes! Byakuran, Gesso Byakuran!"
Reborn was quite okay with admitting that that surprised him.
…
Tsuna stopped at the side of the clearing, leaning his hands against his knees as he panted. He had run all the way there from his house, and it wasn't a short distance. It was a long distance. He was surprised he had managed to run all the way, especially without tripping even once. Reborn's training wasn't for nothing, in the end. "The flowers… the flowers in the coffin."
He raised his head to look at the white-haired and violet-eyed boy, sitting where, in the future, Tsuna woke up in a coffin. "They were white orchids."
Byakuran looked at him from where he saw on the ground, looking guilty. "… I'm sorry."
Tsuna, still panting a little, grimaced and looked down at the ground. "Why are you sorry? I was the one who…!"
He couldn't end that sentence. He couldn't say, couldn't admit, that he had killed the other.
"… Because…" Byakuran bit his lip. "… None of this would have happened, if not for me."
Tsuna looked at him, really looked at him. The other boy, the same age as him despite looking older, truly looked like he had lived for far longer than 14 years. Hell, he looked like he had lived for far longer than 24 years. "… Bya-kun…?"
"It's not your fault", Byakuran said, immediately. "It was never Tsu-kun's fault. It was mine. Always my fault."
"Bya-kun, what are you saying?" Tsuna asked, rushing to get closer. Something was wrong. Though the background hum had disappeared, now that his best friend was there, his Hyper Intuition was still being the professional gymnastic it had learned to be in the future. Falling down to his knees beside Byakuran, he reached out to touch him. "Bya-kun?"
"I'm sorry", Byakuran said. "It's… it's my fault."
"It wasn't!" Tsuna shook his head. "You didn't…!"
"I was unstable!" Byakuran suddenly exclaimed. It was said in a rush, like it was the only way he could say the words.
Tsuna froze. "… Unstable? What do you mean?"
"I… When we were eight… Yuni's mother, Aria, she… she came to me", Byakuran stated. Tsuna's eyes widened, but he didn't say anything as he listened to Byakuran tell his story. "… She had seen… something more horrifying, in our future. Because Mare Rings were not… they were sealed, when you traveled back here."
"… Yeah…" Tsuna remembered that being mentioned. But what did that have to do with anything?
"Mare Rings, they… they caused insanity, in their unsealed form", Byakuran admitted with a small laugh. The noise was wet, though, and Tsuna realized his friend was crying. Realizing this, though, meant he also suddenly became aware that he was crying, too. "That, added with the ability to see to parallel worlds…"
Byakuran didn't continue. He didn't need to. Tsuna could understand. The ability would have only added to the insanity the rings brought with them. Of course power like that didn't come without consequences.
"But what you saw… that was the best-case scenario", Byakuran's next words made him freeze.
"… What?" Tsuna asked, suddenly breathless.
Byakuran gulped, the noise audible. "… What Aria saw… it was even more horrible. She told me… she told me, what I did in that future, and I… I refused it."
"You… refused?" Tsuna was confused.
"I refused", Byakuran nodded, bringing his hand up to wipe away some of the tears. New ones took their places, though. "And… And I changed the future."
"You… changed the… future?" Tsuna's mind was trying to come up with an explanation, going a mile in a minute. Just how had…?
"It all came down to it… That you and I were friends", Byakuran was now using his long black sleeve to wipe his eyes from the tears. "We knew each other… and horrible things happened. So I… made it so that we didn't. Know each other."
Tsuna remembered. How that day, in the playground, they had met, just like always. They had met up, and… Byakuran had apologized, said it was the last time they'd see each other, that he was too unstable to be safe. He had said all that… and then raised a hand to his forehead, doing something, and Tsuna remembered losing consciousness. He remembered that all, now, and aware of the existence of Flames as he was… he knew just what Byakuran did to him. "You… with Flames… tampered with my memory?"
Byakuran looked at him, his violet eyes shining with the tears he hadn't yet shed. Tsuna knew he wasn't much better, crying like there was no tomorrow. "… Yeah, I did. I'm so sorry."
Tsuna threw his arms around his best friend.
"It was the only way!" Byakuran wailed as he, too, wrapped his arms around the other, holding onto him tightly. "I couldn't… What Aria saw, I couldn't… that couldn't happen!"
Tsuna cried, too afraid to ask just what had happened in that future, if what had happened was the best-case scenario.
They just cried and wailed there, holding each other like it was their last day on Earth. They cried for the sweet days of innocence that they had left behind so long ago, for the sake of the world, for the sake of their future, for the sake of each other.
It took quite a while, but they eventually calmed down. They still sniffled and let out the occasional sobs, and they didn't let go of each other, but they weren't loudly wailing anymore.
"… Originally, Tsu-kun remembered when he was 15 years old", it was apparently time to return to Byakuran's story. Tsuna tightened his hold a little, just a little scared of where this would be going. He didn't say anything, though, and just listened. "We met again, when we were 17 years old, or you were going to be, in a few weeks."
"We talked about a lot of things then", Byakuran remembered. "We exchanged phone numbers, too, and stayed in contact."
"When we were 20 years old… Tsu-kun realized I was sick", Byakuran murmured. Tsuna tensed up. "That I was insane. Gesso was still small, then, and Sho-chan didn't even know about… about my power, about anything, really. But Tsu-kun was always my best friend, and Tsu-kun realized he had to do something, or everyone would be in danger."
Tsuna hugged Byakuran tighter. "… What did I do?"
"… Tsu-kun found doctors. The best of them", Byakuran's chuckle sounded both humorous and sad, mostly because the tears had yet to dry and were causing it to come out as nearly a sob. "And it would have worked, if it wasn't my powers and Mare Ring causing it. The doctors couldn't do a thing for me. I knew that, they knew that, even Tsu-kun knew that. But Tsu-kun didn't give up."
And Tsuna knew why. He could never give up on Byakuran, no matter what.
"It… by then, I was already gone. Too far gone", Byakuran admitted. "I knew that I was going to… that bad things would happen… that it would lead to that. I knew that, and… I told Tsu-kun. When I was feeling a little saner. Tsu-kun didn't want to believe, but he knew it was true. And I… I gave him a gun."
Tsuna tensed up again, tightening his hold on his best friend as he shed more tears.
"I even made sure he had it pointed at my heart, so that it would be over with one shot", Byakuran's tears were silent, but still there. "… Tsu-kun couldn't pull the trigger."
Of course he couldn't. That much should have been obvious to the both of them. Especially if Tsuna remembered, he couldn't do that. Byakuran should have known that when he gave him the gun, but… he had been insane. He hadn't been sane when that happened, he had been saner.
"And then… we went our separate ways", Byakuran sniffled. "We met, once, after Sho-chan joined Gesso. When we did… I was feeling saner, again. We planned."
Tsuna's eyes widened. "… Planned?"
"… Sho-chan thought it was between you, him and Hibari", Byakuran admitted, quietly. "… But…"
"It wasn't", Tsuna suddenly realized. "It was between us."
Byakuran nodded but didn't say anything. Tsuna was glad, for he was trying to piece it all together. These new pieces of information caused a lot of other things to make sense. The look of desperation the future Byakuran had looked at him with. The way future Byakuran had known Shoichi would betray him but hadn't done a thing to prevent it from happening. It… it even explained that man's last words. "Bya-kun, you planned your own death!"
Byakuran flinched. "… We planned my death."
"And you had me do it!" Tsuna was crying all over again. "Did you not realize how much it hurt? I killed you, and then the next second I remembered, and there's always been something missing from my life and then I realized it was you, and I had killed you, and…!"
"I wouldn't let anyone else kill me, what with being insane and all, but if you remembered before you killed me, you wouldn't do it", Byakuran tried to explain, holding him tighter. Yet, the hug never became unbearable. It never became uncomfortable, no matter how tightly they were holding each other. "It… It was the only choice… and I didn't want to… but we had to."
And Tsuna hated himself for complaining, because he understood. It still hurt, yes, but he knew that Byakuran was telling the truth. Him complaining hurt the other just as much as the event itself had hurt him. He couldn't complain. He couldn't make Byakuran feel any guiltier than he already felt, for all of this.
They had had no other choices. To save the world, to save their future, they had to make the hard decision.
"… We planned… and then…" Tsuna swallowed. "… Then we put it into action."
Byakuran nodded, silent tears trailing down his cheeks. "Sho-chan and Hibari were brought into it. You put the plan into action, and had that bullet shot at you."
"… I just know that I insisted on the flowers", Tsuna felt bad, actually. That must have been horrible for his Guardians, for his friends and family, even if it might have been amusing to see their expressions when they realized he was being put to a coffin full of white orchids.
Byakuran laughed, and it sounded more humorous, so it was a win, either way. Maybe a coffin filled with white orchids wasn't such a bad idea, for when he died. At least he'd always have his best friend with him. "I would have wanted to see your family's faces!"
It wasn't even funny. It was quite morbid, actually. Yet, they were Mafiosi, crime was going to be their everyday life, whether they wanted it or not. Morbid sense of humor was probably going to be the only thing that kept them sane.
So, they laughed.
…
"By the way, Mama invited you over for dinner. Refusal is not possible."
"Aah, I kind of expected that. Not like I have elsewhere to stay, yet."
"Wait, what?! You're going to freeload in my house?!"
"Think of it as a sleepover!"
…
Everyone was anxiously waiting in the kitchen, sitting around the table, for the door to open. They had all eaten, already, and only two servings were left. Two servings that Nana had forbidden the rest from eating. They were, after all, for Tsuna and his best friend.
Reborn still had a hard time thinking of Byakuran as Tsuna's best friend. Why had the chaos in the future happened, if that was how things were? And Tsuna hadn't shown any sign of recognition towards the man.
The door opened and a few people jumped on their seats, surprised. They glanced towards the doorway to the kitchen, Tsuna's voice calling out from the front door. "We're home, Mama!"
"Welcome home!" Nana beamed, standing up. She walked to the doorway… and froze. "Bya-kun? Tsu-kun? Is everything okay?"
Reborn frowned, reaching for Leon.
There was a pause from the boys, before they spoke, a small amount of laughter in their voices. "Yeah, we're fine."
Nana seemed unsure but herded them into the kitchen and to the dining table. And, seeing the duo, Reborn realized why Nana was worried.
The tear tracks and red, puffed eyes could be seen from a mile away.
Both boys seemed happy, though, smiling and laughing. Though Byakuran grimaced upon seeing the four kids and Bianchi stare at him, one glance at Tsuna, who gave them a look, had him calming down, somewhat. Taking note of that, Reborn gave Tsuna a look. The boy rolled his eyes but nodded.
… He expected an explanation after they were done eating and they went upstairs. They would, and he didn't care if Byakuran had other places to be.
"Mama, Bya-kun's being ridiculous again", Tsuna started a conversation mid-way through his dinner. Byakuran gasped and looked at him, like he had just been betrayed.
Nana giggled. "How so?"
"When he dies, he wants his coffin filled with tunas", Tsuna gave Byakuran a look. "Tunas."
"And that is bad, how?!" Byakuran made an affronted sound. "You want your coffin filled with white orchids!"
Reborn watched in mild curiosity as this argument somehow turned into stealing each other's food, all the while Nana giggled at their antics. At the end of the food fight, Reborn was almost willing to say that he had raised Tsuna well. He was definitely better than his best friend.
…
"Today, we have a new student joining us", their homeroom teacher said the next morning. "It was on short notice, so please be nice to him."
Tsuna noticed Gokudera scowl, Yamamoto look interested and Kyoko smile, glancing towards him. He grinned, excited. The rest of his classmates were murmuring, excited, albeit a little confused.
The door opened, and Gesso Byakuran walked inside with his trademark smirk and closed eyes.
Gokudera, Yamamoto and Kyoko were immediately on alert. The one who shrieked, though, was one of Tsuna's longtime bullies.
Byakuran ignored him and wrote his name on the board. Then, he turned around, still smirking. "Morning~! I'm Gesso Byakuran, but you can all call me Byakuran~!"
"Oh, and for those who still remember", Byakuran opened his eyes, turning to look at the boy who shrieked, in particular. "My threat still stands."
A few of their classmates shrunk under his gaze.
One hand rose. "What threat?"
"Call my best friend 'Dame-Tsuna'", Byakuran looked at all of his new classmates, except Gokudera, Yamamoto, Kyoko and Tsuna, with a threatening look. "And I will make you regret it."
A shiver ran down all of their classmates' spines. Byakuran just laughed and, without being told, went and grabbed a seat from beside Tsuna, who grinned at him. He grinned back, before turning to the frozen teacher. "Eh, sensei~? Aren't you going to start the lesson?"
"R-Right", the man cleared his throat before beginning.
…
After that, no one bullied Tsuna again. Or Byakuran, for that matter.
So, I hope you liked that! It wasn't originally meant to be this long, but, well, things happened.
I have no idea why Tsuna's HI became a professional gymnastic. I really don't know.
Either way, if you feel like it, leave a review! Have a nice day!