Title: Denial
Author: Soph Kyun
Rating: T (most likely will be changed to M for later chapters)
Pairing: 27R / Tsuna x Reborn
Warning: Slight OOCness (maybe?) / Male x Male / Shota!Reborn / Seme!Tsuna
Summary: After 8 years, Reborn, now thirteen, returns to the Vongola base after a 5-month mission. Feeling overwhelmed and exhausted appeared to be one of those rare cases towards the greatest hitman alive, though it couldn't be helped due to his hormonal teenage body. Tsuna, now 23 years old, outgrown from his obliviosity from years ago, soon notices the 'slight' changes within the young child's actions and attempts on giving him a helpful hand during such times.
Chapter 1: Rest
~10:30 A.M~
'Pop' 'Crack'
The young Vongola Decimo's back resounded in the unnecessarily spacious room as he arched even more deeply. He gave out a easeful sigh as he felt the tension and stiffness within his muscles slowly fade away. Allowing his attention to refocus, looking back down at the piles of paper work that laid innocently on his desk, uncaringly slipping out a small groan.
"Is this really what a boss should be doing..", Tsuna grumbled as he took hold of a pen that was once rolling away due to being dropped previously by the brunette. Looking over the printed text on the computer papers, carefully reading each word that was written out by other families from the outside world. If they were to be an alliance or not, were the choices being held within the letters and documents that were sent to the Decimo.
Before the man could decide, a knock resonated very softly against the two largely handcrafted wooden doors, that seemed to be the only entrance to the Decimo's office. Glancing back up from the paper work, he blinked at the slight disturbance. 'They don't usually come in at this hour..' the brunette thought as he recalled the previous times that a few of his guardians would enter his office. Nevertheless, he had to respond to the invitation.
"You may come in." His voice being raised to reach the other side of the doors, hearing a click as the door knob was turned at the same moment the brunette permitted entry. Once the doors slowly swung open, a familiar appearance revealed itself before the Decimo.
The chameleon that rested on the rims of an orange strapped fedora was a dead giveaway right off the bat. The fedora shaded the eyes of the familiar, a hand being raised to flick it upwards, exposing the obsidian eyes that were hidden beneath. A yet matured voice escaped the youngster's lips, greeting the brunette in an old fashion, "Chaos."
Tsuna's eyes widened a bit at the slight surprising appearance of the other, his expression of small disbelief quickly forming into a more relieved and beaming one.
" Reborn-! You're back..!," the brunette said oh so very happily, tempted to rise from his seat just to hurry over to the hitman and hug him tightly, though he knew it would just irritate the other normally. Giving a slight sheepish smile at the thought but it soon turned back into a big grin once he saw his ex tutor approach his desk with careful steps.
Sure he still harassed, embarrassed, and abused him as usual with his spartan ways, though this developing joy couldn't be helped since the youngster was like family to him. Knowing Reborn for so long and having him by his side, made the brunette be able to stand proudly amongst other enemies in the mafia world and even become the intelligent man he is now, unlike before when he was 15.
Though Tsuna's developed happiness was faltered just a bit once he took notice of the hitman's body language. His steps were too careful. His legs shook in the slightest, in an almost strained movement, as if the boy was trying to hide it himself. His whole figure tilted very little as well, from one side to the other, in a swaying motion that was almost not visible to the eye. But for Tsuna, it was quite obvious. He has known the hitman for so long, he could tell the way the hitman would react to his actions and sayings, well, for the most part.
Tsuna continued to watch the other near his desk until he has finally stopped in his tracks. Since puberty has yet to take place in the child's body, height appeared to be one of his issues for a pretty long time. Those ebony pupils looked up, still unable to look over the desk and decided to walk around the wooden obstacle that deemed to be in his way from seeing the brunette.
The man couldn't help but narrow his eyes just a bit at his ex tutor's actions. 'Even if height was an issue, Reborn would still have no problem hopping on top of the desk, especially jumping high feats in general..' he thought inwardly as he saw the hitman confront him from one side of the Decimo's rather enormous chair.
"Reborn, are you..-" Tsuna was cut off by the youngster a little abruptly, looking down from his seat. "Next." The brunette raised an eyebrow at him questioningly, watching as the words slipping from the raven's mouth are said commandingly, though if looked closer, they could be heard as pauses. Tsuna noticed how the hitman's words trailed off, as if taking his time, but it seemed that it wasn't intended on the other's part.
"Next…..mission." Reborn said a little more weakly now, his faint uneven breathing was finally revealing itself slowly after every word that came out of his mouth. Tsuna furrowed his eyebrows at that now, knowing that the other's body language is giving off tiresome messages. "No."
The young teen looked up at the other with a frustrated expression, growling a bit at his response. "Tsuna-", "I said no." Tsuna looked at him with concerned look, yet stubborn. He didn't usually act like this towards Reborn, though it was strange enough that the hitman didn't even spout out a cold comment towards him yet or commit something drastic the moment he entered his office. The usual out-of-ordinary actions were no longer done as they often would in the child's presence. That much information was more than enough to talk back, even just a bit, towards his ex tutor. His condition didn't look well at all.
"Look at yourself, do you look like you're in any good shape to call out for another mission? It's been five months! And the fact that you didn't even call me names, let alone 'Dame', proves that you're not feeling well, if anything- you're completely exhausted. Reborn, go get some rest." The hitman didn't even budge despite being lectured by his own ex student, his eyes were soon found half lidded, giving off signs of drowsiness, too tired to even start an argument until much later.
Still, he retorted in persistence despite his physical state, "If you won't hand it to me...then I'll have someone who will.." with that, the hitman turned around to take his leave, though the slight staggering in his steps didn't help him at all. Tsuna knew who Reborn meant, and it was no other than Timoteo who managed to stay alive still, thus having the right to remain his position as the Ninth of Vongola.
"Rebo-..!" Tsuna's eyes widened for a moment as he watched Reborn lose his strength in holding himself up anymore, falling forward.
Before the young teen could meet face to ground, one of his arms were caught in the brunette's grasp. Tsuna pulled over the currently fragile body into his hold, both arms securely wrapped around the little one and sighed in slight relief. Knowing he had just prevented the raven from hitting the ground with great impact to his head, and looked down at him with small uneasiness.
"Reborn..hey...can you hear me?" Tsuna asked a little lowly, to see if his words could reach the ex arcobaleno. A weak whine slipped out of Reborn's mouth, eyes shut and he began to wriggle in the man's hold, fidgeting, and it seemed to Tsuna that- that was all the younger one could do in his situation in an attempt to leave Tsuna's grasp, of course it failed. 'He must have lost all his strength from the mission..but this much..? Very odd.' Tsuna thought as he looked over the hitman's body language with a calculating gaze, but in overall, he looked very worried.
"T..Ts..Tsu..na.." A small sound left the other one's mouth, hearing his name being said, Tsuna looked at Reborn more carefully, seeing how the other is putting in all his effort in trying to say his name properly. He didn't seem sick, not even pale, he was just tired..or so it looked..perhaps there's something else he's missing? The brunette couldn't spot any signs of illness other than the way Reborn was speaking his name.
Tsuna's grip on Reborn tensed, and became even more firm as he brought the other closer to him, both of their bodies pressed together just lightly.
"D..Don..Don't….t-t..touch..m-" before he could continue, Reborn let out a shaky yelp, feeling his own blood rush within him even more quickly, his heart beating much more loudly against his rib cage as he tried to look up at the brunette. Though as he did, he could feel blood flowing to his cheeks, darkening them slowly. The heat between their bodies began to overwhelm the raven haired boy even more as his breathing became heavier. 'D-Damn symptoms..a..at such a... ..!' Reborn thought angrily though in this state, he didn't look as upset due to his body reactions.
~11:00 A.M~
Tsuna now feeling even more concerned and decided if he should bring him to the nurse, saying in the process with reassurance as he looked up at the door entrance, "Don't worry, I'll bring you to the nursing roo-" he felt a slight sharp tug on his dress shirt. Looking back down, he saw half lidded onyx eyes looking back right at him. His flushed expression matched the quick uneven breaths he was taking in, his breathing was so heavy that Tsuna swore he could see a faint cloudy form of the moist exhales he was giving out.
"Reborn..?" He questioned at the tug, waiting for a understandable response from the other and finally received it.
"D-Do..n't..! D..Don't do..it.." he managed to properly say the sentence he held in his mind, once he did, he let his head rest against the other's abdomen, too tired to lift his head back up. He said once more in a weakening tone, "T..This is...so..some..thing..else...I..I'm..f-fine."
Tsuna's eyelids lowered a bit at that, still feeling tentative and concerned for the well being of the other. "You don't look fine at all to me," he replied back truthfully, looking at the small form before him.
He wasn't given any respondance to what he said afterwards, which clearly meant that the hitman would stay stubborn with his statement. Giving out a restless sigh, he unwrapped on arm from the raven, allowing it to fall just beneath the lower back and lifted the petite frame from the ground. Hearing a faint gasp from the other at the sudden action, unable to resist at all now due to lack of strength.
Tsuna carried him carefully until he sat back down on his seat, slowly removing his other hand from under and bringing it back up to rest against the Reborn's back. The said hitman being seated on Tsuna's lap, with the side of his head resting against the brunette's chest. His half lidded eyes now slowly closing a while taking comfort in the position, despite not respecting it one bit inwardly. He let out a wavering exhale as he felt his symptoms wash away at ease, despite knowing they'll come back again anyhow.
The Decimo looked over his ex tutor's frame, watching as the drowsiness takes effect on him, slowly falling into a deep slumber. He could tell that his condition has taken a positive effect once he sat down, proof being shown by the hitman's breathing becoming steady and even. The once heated face faded away instantly as if it never occurred on the child's facial features.
The corners of his lips curled upwards, forming a small smile as he watched the youngster fall asleep, raising one hand to take hold of the boy's beloved fedora and laying it onto the desk on one side. Leon still rested on the rims of it, looked up curiously before laying eyes on his partner and went back to resting once more. Pitch dark spiky hair left the confinements, and sprung back up naturally in response.
Reborn sat there, eyes closed from slumber, looking completely relaxed and at ease, with the other presence by his side. Tsuna couldn't help but glance at the small charming features that the young teen had. Curls hugging the sides of his cheeks that still had baby fat in them, making the raven appear more of a child than a teen. Slightly long lush eyelashes also gave off a little more girlier look to the boy, which surprisingly didn't look odd at all, if anything, it made him look adorable in a way.
Tsuna blinked at the thought, 'Adorable..?'. Raising eyebrow as he repeated the word in his head, the word he used to describe his own ex tutor. Before he could think any deeper to that, he felt a small shift against the other. Looking back down at Reborn, he saw him shift closer to his body for warmth, showing obvious signs of satisfaction once he nudged his head against his chest, burying his face just a bit.
Tsuna let out an amusing chuckle at that, smiling softly at the affectionate gesture and brought his hand up to allow his fingers to gently run through the black silky hairs of the hitman's. Watching him unconsciously take pleasure into it very easily in his sleep, letting out another small chuckle.
'Ah..he really...is cute this way."