It's sunny in Namimori, but that doesn't lessen the tension tumbling in Tsuna's stomach. Vaguely he wonders if this is how Shouichi constantly felt, but he bats the thought away, deciding to instead sit at the kitchen table in silence. Biting his lip, Tsuna breathes deeply and waits for his mother.
Sure enough, she walks in with Lambo, I-Pin, Fuuta and Bianchi trailing behind her, some five minutes later.
"Mama, I want some candy," Lambo whines at her feet, carrying a bag of vegetables.
I-Pin glares at Lambo through the bags of fruit she carried.
"Lambo had candy, no more for Lambo," she scolds.
Mama laughs, a hand held to her cheek and only her hand bag in her arms, the rest of her children carrying her groceries.
Readying himself, Tsuna takes this slight chance to interrupt them, before he completely backs out.
"Kaa-chan, can I talk to you?" Tsuna asked breathlessly.
Looking up at Tsuna through her amber orbs, Nana smiles generously.
"Hai, Tsu-kun," she agrees pausing first, before turning to Bianchi and Fuuta, "Can you two pack the groceries away while I talk to Tsu-kun?"
The duo nod with soft smiles and taking their confirmation well, Mama turns to Lambo and I-Pin.
"You two help Bianchi-chan and Fuuta-kun okay, then I will give you some juice."
Brightening at the bribe, the eight-year-olds run off into the kitchen happily dragging Bianchi and Fuuta behind them.
"Juice, juice, juice," they chant to everyone's amusement.
Growing nervous, Tsuna nods to his mother and drags her into the living room.
"Ara, Tsu-kun, what's wrong?" His mother queries softly.
Tsuna bites his lips, three years he'd been trying to tell her and today was finally the day. Settling his resolve with a gulp, Tsuna guides his mother to the living room couch. He'd spent three years purposely lying to her, he wasn't going to do that for a second longer.
"Kaa-chan, I need to tell you something," he looks into her eyes to portray the seriousness of this conversation.
Smiling contently, Nana runs her finger through her son's hair once before nodding in affirmation.
"Kaa-chan, I'm sorry- sorry for every lie I've ever told you and everything that I've done to make you worry, but I promise I will stop with the lying and the hiding. I promise," he swears locking their gazes.
His mother's eyes widen and she goes to say something, but Tsuna interrupts her because if he lets her say something before he's done, he doesn't think he can finish this.
"Dad," he starts off, breaking their gaze in shame, "he's not a construction worker, he doesn't work in the desert or the South Pole, he lied to you and so did I and I'm sorry," he rambles, because oh god he's sorry.
But how do you look someone in the eye, lie to them constantly and still say you love them. Tsuna's unsure of how his father ever lives with himself, for the shame was biting away at his stomach. The shame wracks him and he looks to the ground, wishing it could swallow him.
Reborn's going to beat him up later for this particularly pitiful show and Tsuna doesn't doubt that Reborn is watching from some secret tunnel he built in the house. However Tsuna can't dwell on the thought for long, before his mother tugs his chin up so they can look at each other face-to-face.
Tsuna gathers up his will, "We're- Dad and I- we work in," this was way too hard, his brain screams, ", we work for a dangerous family in-" His mother brushes a finger against his lips lightly, ceasing his words.
A sense of calmness envelops Tsuna, he feels his shame drip away in his mother's accepting face. It's soothing and almost harmonious.
"Tsu-kun," she whispers, her smile widening.
He doesn't say a word.
"Tsu-kun, Mama loves you more than Lambo-kun likes candy," he chuckles at the analogy, "but Tsu-kun needs to know, that some secrets are better kept a secret."
A chill over-comes Tsuna at those words and how could she- But that's- This is- His thoughts are scattered everywhere and he looks pleadingly into his mother's orbs looking for any indication he misheard what she said.
Not a trace of doubt or deceit lies in her smile, but her eyes glow in hidden knowledge and love.
Tsuna desperately seeks any words out, yet nothing but blank confusion meets his mind and his Mama sighs, kissing his forehead and whispering into his ear.
"Tsu-kun, no matter what happens in the future or what happened in the past, Mama will always love you, Mama will always love everyone you've brought into our family."
Then she leaves in a wisp of wind and what the hell just happened?
What happened? Tsuna wonders utterly stunned.
But nothing answers him, only the distant sound of his mother preparing to cook, with his siblings in the background.
Background info: Tsuna's in high school and nearly graduating, he wants to tell Nana the truth and has cleared that with Reborn. He thinks of the kids i.e I-Pin, Lambo, Fuuta as his younger siblings and Bianchi as his elder sis. There's more to the story than he knows and something else will happen. All will be revealed in due time.