Summary: Reborn was a difficult person to fall in love with, Tsuna realized. R27. infant!Reborn/Tsuna. Yaoi.
Tsuna wondered when it happened.
He couldn't possibly fathom why it happened; because really, it was an anomaly that he really didn't want to divulge in. He didn't feel like dissecting each rampant emotion and thought that flitted past his brain, he didn't feel like even thinking about it actually, but the thoughts were always there, always lingering in the recesses of his mind until they happened to randomly pop out at him and render him speechless.
He was in love with Reborn.
Sometimes Tsuna wanted to vomit at the thought of even having affections for the infant Arcobaleno, and sometimes it made him feel light and sugary and his insides would be filled with molasses instead of butterflies. Not to mention that the whole notion was wrong, wrong, wrong. Tsuna tried to reason with himself, because even though Reborn wasn't exactly an infant and happened to be years older than him in his true form, he couldn't help but feel like a complete pedo.
'Reborn's a man, Reborn's a man,' he would tell himself. 'It's okay, it's perfectly fine."
But really, it wasn't, because you see, Reborn was a rather difficult person to fall in love with.
The hitman was impossible to decipher, and Tsuna had tried, and failed, many times attempting to decode what the other was thinking. Reborn's facial expressions never gave anything away—ever. The Arcobaleno always had that same inexplicable smile on his face, the same rosy cheeks, as if he knew more than what he was letting on, and Tsuna found it absolutely frustrating!
What went on in that head of his? What was Tsuna supposed to think when Reborn's charcoal eyes glittered something ominous? That was just it: Tsuna didn't know, and he was starting to think that he would never know.
Reborn wasn't a very sympathetic person, and that was something the young Vongola boss still couldn't get a wrap on. As a tutor, Reborn rarely bestowed words of encouragement and praise towards Tsuna, replacing them with kicks to the stomach, scathing insults, and the occasional depraved game that spelled out impending death. Tsuna could understand that most hitmen were carefully detached from their emotions, a necessity considering their job, but Tsuna was never very partial to Reborn's almost blasé personality. Sure, anybody could insist that this was just Reborn's method at teaching, a method that ultimately paid off despite how cruel his practices could be. No matter how true it was Tsuna couldn't wrap his mind around such a thought process.
Would it hurt Reborn if he showed at least some emotion besides detachment and superiority? Couldn't Reborn open up enough to actually bond with his student instead of beating the shit out of him all the time? Couldn't they at least be friends instead of grueling tutor and No-Good student?
A kick to the head was all Tsuna's answer. He immediately sat up in his bed and let out a shriek, nursing his throbbing forehead while he rocked back and forth atop his mattress. With tears streaming from his eyes, he quickly jerked his head towards the hitman's direction and shot the Arcobaleno a pitiful glower.
"R-reborn! Was that completely necessary? Ow, ow, owwww," Tsuna hissed, shutting his eyes in hopes that the action would miraculously quell the pain.
It didn't. Go figure.
"You deserved it," the infant quipped, crossing his tiny legs. The hitman leaned back against Tsuna's swivel chair, clasping his hands in his lap. Tsuna wanted to march over there and smack the seemingly remote smile on Reborn's face, and maybe even knock off his hat for good measure, but of course…they were all pipe dreams. If Tsuna had really done that, Reborn would have put a bullet through his head before he even took the first step. Tsuna squeaked in fear at the thought.
With a shaky sigh, the teen swung his legs over the edge of his bed and promptly stood up, frowning as he passed Reborn by. The Arcobaleno didn't seem to pay attention to Tsuna's presence, merely stroking a finger across Leon's backside. Tsuna strode over to a small mirror perched on his drawer and leaned down in front of it, threading his fingers through the chestnut strands of his hair and brushing his bangs aside to reveal a sizeable bruise already mottled purple and blue.
"At least it wasn't a shiner this time," he mumbled to himself, drawing his hand away. The jagged ends of his bangs quickly covered the offending mark.
"What was that?" Reborn chirped. Tsuna stilled and slowly turned around, a counterfeit smile spreading across his lips.
"N-nothing, nothing!" he assured. Even he could smell his own lies. "So, uhhh, what's the occasion?"
Reborn slightly tilted his head and smiled. "Training is never an occasion, Dame-Tsuna, it's a necessity."
'It always is,' Tsuna thought dejectedly, subconsciously letting out a sigh. Reborn raised a brow at that.
"You were daydreaming," Reborn observed, raising his arm as Leon scuttled from his perch atop the hitman's hat and trailed across the infant's proffered arm.
"No I wasn't!" Tsuna protested, turning round to meet Reborn's gaze head-on.
"You were daydreaming," Reborn repeated, this time more firmly.
"That's what teenagers usually do, they space out—HIIIEEE!" Tsuna was instantly silenced when Leon transformed into Reborn's handy-dandy pistol, a resounding click sounding across the room. Chocolate eyes wide and quivering, the teen immediately sunk to the ground and went on his knees, bowing low repeatedly.
"Okay, okay, I get it, put the gun away!" Tsuna whimpered frantically, shrieking when Reborn pulled the trigger. The bullet nearly grazed Tsuna's knee.
"This will not be repeated," Reborn chirped, Leon transforming back into his original state. The little chameleon flicked its tongue (oh, and how Tsuna wanted to stick his tongue right back at him) and crawled its way back up the Arcobaleno's arm, eventually curling against the brim of the hitman's hat. Reborn hopped down from Tsuna's drawer, landing gracefully on the carpet, and with a twirl of his finger, he trotted towards Tsuna's door and stepped out into the hall.
"By the way, I ate your breakfast."
Tsuna groaned at the loss.
Tsuna stuck his hands into his sweater pockets, the chilly wind nipping at his fingertips. The plaid, brown scarf that was currently wrapped around his neck was tucked neat and sound beneath his sweater, warming his chest and the base of his throat.
Unsurprisingly, Tsuna had come downstairs to chaos. Lambo was busy finger-painting on the kitchen table, with leftover food no less, and I-Pin was egging him on, occasionally adding in her own tiny handprint. He had no idea where his mother was. The icing on the cake was an oblivious Haru, who was busy whistling while washing the dishes, and even now Tsuna had no idea what the heck she had been doing in his mother's apron tending to their dishes, many which were now broken. How did she even get into his house anyway? He hadn't invited her over…Deciding that he'd rather not stick around to find out who else would show up, Tsuna immediately ran back upstairs and changed into suitable clothing. Thankfully, Reborn hadn't been around, allowing him ample time to sneak out of the house before anybody could confront him.
Tsuna shrugged his shoulders, grimacing when a rather nasty blast of wind hit him full force. The sky was downcast and muggy, murky storm clouds swiveling about in the sky. He was sure his nose and cheeks were red by now; they always tend to do that when it was especially cold outside, but it was to be expected during the holiday season.
A rumble sounded from below him, and with a flushed face, he looked down at his stomach. He hadn't eaten any breakfast, he had Reborn to thank for that, and his poor tummy was practically begging for some nourishment. He could always wander over to that café around the corner and order a specialty sandwich or something, enough to sate him over until he could return to his house, which he hoped would be chaos-free by that time. Nodding his head, Tsuna took off towards his desired route and broke into a brisk walk. The faster he got there, the less chance there was at spotting someone he knew along the way, A.K.A the rest of his famiglia. Not that he didn't want to be around them, believe him, he loved every single one of his guardians, enough that he would risk his life for them, but sometimes…they could be a bit grueling. Besides, he was allowed time to himself, right?
Right?
Tsuna's eyes lit with happiness when he spotted the café marquee just a little ways ahead of him. It was a modern café, a cosmopolitan themed eatery with sleek, square couches and abstract paintings littering the coffee-hued walls. When Tsuna opened the door, he was immediately jostled by the smell of coffee, a welcoming scent that warmed him up inside.
"Welcome!"
Tsuna flushed and waved awkwardly at the cashier, never having gotten used to retail greetings. He would always think up of things to say in return, something witty to strike up casual conversation, but when the time came he would eventually choke on his words and awkwardly wave or smile. He was no good, after all.
"What would you like today?" the cashier smiled, leaning over the counter. Tsuna stuttered and bit at his lip, turning his gaze to meet the cashier.
He choked.
The cashier was…a pretty cute guy. The employee had obviously dyed his hair a very light hazel, so light that it almost looked blond and hung jagged and layered about his face. His features were sharp and smooth, brown eyes pleasant and amiable. How was Tsuna going to keep himself together while ordering his food? He wasn't very good at these things…
"Umm, uhh. I don't r-really know, um," Tsuna stuttered, his cheeks flushing pink. Way to go.
"Hah, relax, the menu's up there, take all the time you need," the cashier winked, crossing his arms. Tsuna slowly stepped up to the counter and scanned the menu hanging above, his fingers aimlessly tapping along the countertop. He mentally began listing off all the sandwich choices he could choose from, hoping it would distract him from the very handsome guy standing just a few inches away.
"I'll go with the meatball one," Tsuna blurted. He mentally groaned.
"Ah, the Italian Sub, I like that one," the cashier grinned. The employee punched in a few buttons on the touch screen cash register and Tsuna's total rang up on the small screen attached to the register. Scrounging for the money in his pockets, Tsuna wrung out the needed amount of coins and handed it over, flushing when his palm accidentally brushed against the man's fingers.
"It should take about five minutes to prepare," the cashier chirped, brushing a strand of hair away from his face.
"O-oh, cool," Tsuna replied lamely.
"Do you live around here?" the man suddenly asked, tilting his head.
"Uhm, y-yes," Tsuna whispered, absentmindedly tugging at his scarf.
"Is this your first time—?"
"Dame-Tsuna."
"Ack!" Tsuna sputtered, immediately whipping around at the sudden interruption. He looked down in dread and nearly leapt over the counter. Reborn was standing smugly in front of him, donning a ridiculous cherry red scarf, the only article of clothing different from his customary attire. "R-reborn?"
"Oh, a kid. Hey there little guy," the cashier laughed, wriggling his fingers at Reborn. He looked at Tsuna. "Is he your brother?"
"I'm his son," Reborn replied curtly, and quickly trotted off towards the plush couches lining the windows towards the back of the shop.
"Hiiiieee! N-no, no, that isn't—no!" Tsuna stammered, anchoring his gaze on the cashier with shock. The man only smiled amusedly back at him, one thin brow raised.
"Your son?" he asked, his eyes glittering. The guy leaned forward, pressing the palm of his hand underneath his chin. "That's pretty cute."
Tsuna nearly died of mortification. Tsuna's mouth popped open and closed like a gaping fish, his finger shakily pointing towards the direction where Reborn sat lounging against a long-set couch. "I'm…I'm just gonna go now…over there…bye."
With red sprinkling across his face, Tsuna nearly tripped on his way towards the back of the shop, halting directly in front of Reborn who was casually leaning against a throw pillow.
"You didn't buy me anything to eat," Reborn quipped, tilting the brim of his hat over his eyes.
Tsuna's face reddened even more. Reborn had just waltzed in here and practically humiliated him in front of a very attractive guy, and the infant had the nerve to ask about food? Tsuna felt like swiping the pillow from underneath Reborn. "I…I wouldn't even know what you would want!"
Reborn shifted his hat, charcoal eyes nearly stabbing into him. "You should know by now, Baka-Tsuna."
"I- !" Tsuna started, but his voice immediately tapered away. He stood aloft for a moment, furrowing his brow as he thought the statement over and over, practically engraving it into his brain. He didn't know, he didn't know…why didn't he know? Reborn knew practically everything concerning Tsuna, from his failing grades to his social ineptness. The hitman knew him inside out, had practically integrated with the teen's trivial lifestyle; he lived with Tsuna for crying out loud! The Arcobaleno ate with him everyday, went to sleep in his room every night, probably heard Tsuna sleep-talk and spew his deepest, darkest secrets while slumbering away, and yet…
Tsuna knew only a handful of things about Reborn. He knew that Reborn was an esteemed hitman of the Vongola, the definitive weapon in the underground Mafia world, and he also knew that he had a curse placed on him and other basic information that was pivotal, but also not hard to come by with the proper snooping. Oh yeah, and that he liked espresso. It was only face-value information, facts that Tsuna could learn from just about anyone if he only inquired hard enough.
No, what Tsuna didn't know, he would probably never learn. He didn't know Reborn's habits or personality, he didn't even know if Reborn was serious half the time. He never laughed and joked around with the hitman like he did with Gokudera or Dino, he didn't bond or spend any sort of time with his tutor besides training and playing dangerous games. Tsuna didn't know Reborn's favorite color, or what he liked to do during his free time. He didn't know if Reborn had likes or dislikes, or if he enjoyed sports just as much as Yamamoto did. Tsuna didn't know Reborn as a friend should- were they even friends anyway? As the teen thought more and more about the matter, his brain swelling with beliefs he couldn't get a handle on, he realized with growing dread that no, he didn't actually know Reborn.
Reborn must have noticed the crestfallen look contorting Tsuna's countenance, or the way the teen's shoulders seemed to sag and his eyes seemed to droop.
"What?" Reborn questioned, plucking Leon from his hat. Tsuna watched the movement, but didn't do anything to retaliate. He just stood there, staring down at the Arcobaleno with the most disillusioned expression on his face.
"N-no. No, I don't know," Tsuna breathed, and his heart might have shattered.
Slowly, so painstakingly slow, Tsuna turned around and shuffled towards the cashier counter, plucking his already made sandwich from the tray it was on. He gestured to the cashier for a bag, and the employee only gave him a concerned look before passing the bag over the counter. Wrapping his sandwich up, Tsuna turned around and exited the shop, not once looking behind him.
A/N: Not done yet. Sorry for the angst at the end. :O