Seeing the eccentric group of incompatible misfits being incredibly tolerant of each other and coordinating wonderfully was truly a sight to behold, Reborn thought to himself as he took his usual stance in the corner of the room. He had just returned from Taiwan after accomplishing his mission, the task in itself nothing more than just a means of familiarizing himself with his original form once more, and he hated to admit that perhaps he needed his rest more than he thought.
However, upon his arrival, that plan vanished like the consequences of Byakuran's actions in the past - or was it an obliterated future? - the moment he got into his student's office.
He knew that Tsuna had the tendency to overwork himself and he damned made sure that his Guardians wouldn't have to worry about anything else. Making it a habit to hog all the paperwork to himself and be the one to negotiate so as not to bother Gokudera with his part of monitoring the condition of the Famiglia and its alliances or disturb Hibari from his research on the box weapons and rings, locking himself in his office despite Reborn's warnings and his friends' concerned yet undeniably weak complaints, and sacrificing all his time and health for that mere purpose.
Reborn knew that but that didn't explain why his student hadn't reacted the moment he appeared in his office, why his student was hunched over his desk a little too closely to his paperwork, why he was tracing the words with his finger, and- shouldn't he have noticed Reborn already?
Reborn didn't say anything at first. He just observed for a good ten minutes or so, a faint sense of foreboding pooling at his gut at what his student's behavior possibly entailed.
He knew something was off the moment he stepped in the headquarters. Gokudera was in the building but he wasn't anywhere remotely close to Tsuna's quarters and that alone made him rethink the situation. All his other Guardians were off in different countries, Yamamoto possibly discussing Vongola's and Varia's relations with Squalo, Ryohei assisting Hibari with the expeditions of the hidden laboratories that were used by the people behind the box weapons, Lambo off to accompanying I-pin, Kyoko and Haru in order to help the medical staff since they were short on people after the invasion that happened last week, and lastly, Mukuro and Chrome tying up loose ends with those who were involved in the aforementioned invasion. It was all rather convenient how they were as far as humanly possible from the headquarters, Gokudera included, and Reborn's jaw clenched. He couldn't blame Tsuna's guardians; especially not when he was also to blame.
For not being by Tsuna's side and for not realizing sooner, Reborn was the one to blame the most.
Taking the gun that he kept on himself and aiming it at Tsuna's head, he tried to confirm his suspicions by pulling the trigger, a dark scowl twisting his indiscernible expression.
The reaction he got wasn't what he expected, though a part of him feared that might've been the case.
Tsuna raised his head and although he was looking at the right direction, he didn't quite meet Reborn's eyes. He fumbled for his gloves somewhere from his pockets with a clumsiness that Reborn hadn't seen in him for years and called Sky Flames forth, his body's stance telling everything that Reborn needed to know.
"I've only been away for a week and you already forgot how I looked like?"
Tsuna's eyes widened and his body froze in realization, flames fading like the defiance in his expression. His balled fists fell loosely at his sides as he stepped back, nearly knocking a pile of documents over, mouth parting and closing in horror. He was trying, Reborn could see, he was really trying to keep himself together.
But he was obviously failing.
"Or is that not it?" Reborn asked mockingly. There has to be a limit to just how much shit the brat - never a man in Reborn's eyes because somewhere underneath all the responsibilities and sins he shouldered, he was still the same old pathetic dame-Tsuna - kept to himself and Reborn's had enough. "Tsunayoshi."
Even after all that, the only thing that made it out of the brunet's lips, dry and chapped from the number of times he worried it over, was a pathetically weak whisper of his name.
WIthout preamble, Reborn walked forward, his footsteps muted against the carpeted floor, and punched him hard enough to knock him unconscious, his body - he's gotten lighter and skinnier the last time he saw him and that was just last week - falling forward right into his outstretched arm.
He raised his other hand to his fedora to let Leon crawl on it, the chameleon easily shapeshifting into a phone which he used to call Gokudera.
"Gather the Guardians," he said, threat and worry twisting into a dark growl, "I don't give a shit if they're three days away, get their asses here in a day or I'll fucking kill you all."
And, well, he doesn't know how Gokudera managed to but sooner than he expected, all six of them were inside Shamal's office the moment he returned after temporarily taking over Tsuna's paperwork for a couple of hours.
"How's the brat?" Reborn asked, making most of those who weren't paying attention look at him.
Shamal emerged from the room where he kept his supplies and shrugged, shoving his hands inside the pockets of his white coat. "The injuries he sustained from last week still haven't healed properly and it worsened from his overexertion. He doesn't look like he's had a decent meal or sleep for how days so I'm guessing it'll be a while before he wakes up. I'm surprised that it got this bad."
Reborn noticed Gokudera's shoulder trembling from the corner of his vision and he could empathize. Sure, the bomber was partly to blame for not being able to do anything against Tsuna's wishes but so were the rest of them. And they were all aware.
Yamamoto sat on one of the chairs, his sword slung over his shoulder, arms resting on his thighs and his hands tightly clasped together in a grip which was hard enough to crush someone's neck. His eyes were shadowed by his hair and it was barely audible but his breathing was ragged as if he was containing the urge to scream or cry. Ryohei, unlike Yamamoto who was completely still that you wouldn't even think he was breathing, was completely restless, pacing around the room, eager to blow off some steam. His expression was scrunched up in thought and his fists were shaking as if it was taking everything he had to not punch the living shit out of something. Despite his edginess, he was quiet and subdued, not demanding anything from Shamal or questioning why the fuck Gokudera hadn't noticed.
Lambo looked just as frustrated as Gokudera seemed and Reborn felt. He was sitting the closest to the unconscious brunet, gently gripping Tsuna's hands, his unspoken and desperate apologies loud in the silence. His eyes were red and the cuffs of his sleeves were damp, and Reborn thought that he must have cried earlier. After a while, he leaned forward and lightly rested his forehead against Tsuna's chest, frame violently shuddering as stifled sobs echoed in the room. At the sight, Chrome stepped forward and ran her fingers through Lambo's hair, not speaking, her actions speaking enough for herself. Her visible eye narrowed, eyebrows furrowed as tears gathered at the corner of her lone eye. She held herself with all the self-control she could muster, back straight and for once, not relying on her trident to vent her frustrations on. Mukuro, on the other hand, stood on the other side of the room, parallel to where Hibari had assumed the same position, arms crossed and eyes closed. Out of all the people in the room, the two's dispositions were deceitfully the most composed and calm, almost seeming as if they honestly don't give a shit and were just obligated to stay as per Reborn's orders. But even that was easy to see through, and that's exactly why Gokudera hadn't told either of them to get the fuck out of the room. The absence of bloodlust was one indication, their choice to keep quiet and not break out into a fight being the second. Mukuro's gaze was fixed on the wall, heterochromatic eyes dull and lips fighting to keep a straight line. Hibari stole a few glances on the brunet every now and then, figure stiff and more tense than usual.
Surprisingly, it was Chrome who spoke for all of them.
"Shamal-sensei, would it be alright if you look after Boss first?" she asked, tone mellow and soft but her clenched fists said anything but. Reborn almost missed it at first. Looking closely, though, he could vaguely make out the drops of blood that came from her hands. "Please scold him in our stead and make him rest. Boss needs it."
Shamal nodded somberly. Something about Chrome reminded him of Bianchi's violent tendency to shove her cooking laced with dangerous poisons into people's mouths, although Chrome was a lot more subtle about it and therefore dangerous.
It was terrifying how they all moved in silent agreement and flawless coordination at Shamal's nod. Gokudera straightened and headed out first, quickly followed by Yamamoto who patted Lambo's shoulder who stood up to follow them. Chrome nodded back stiffly, keeping her bloodied hands away from their sight and left the room with a soft murmur which was obviously directed to Tsuna. Ryohei lingered by Tsuna's side, settling for a quick ruffle of his hair before leaving the room, soon followed by Hibari and Mukuro whose bloodlust began to surface, utterly annihilating the illusion of the composed demeanors they put up in the room.
Reborn watched them for a prolonged second before going after them, amused despite himself.
"Those kids are terrifying," Shamal muttered, shaking his head in bemusement as he sat on the seat that Yamamoto previously occupied, watching as Reborn left. "But since Chrome-chan asked so nicely, why not?"
Several days later, Tsuna was left to wonder what the actual fuck his friends had done during the time that he was unconscious. For the longest time, no Famiglia dared to approach the tenth boss of Vongola, either pissing themselves or scrambling as far as humanly possible when they are granted with his presence, and Tsuna, after giving it much deserved reconsideration, told himself he'd rather not know.
(After all, anything that made Reborn laugh is enough to traumatize at least an entire nation.)
a/n: here it isss '-' if im feelin like it i might type a lil bout what happened behind closed doors xD