A/N: Welcome welcome!

This is a little KHR/K crossover that came from an idea I had of Tsuna being the second Gold King and how that would come about. So we have some cute little Tsu-kun with a bit of angst and more info than you will ever need to know about Daikaku Kokujoji, the Second King, the Gold King!

Warning: some light angst, because I literally cannot write anything without it, cute!empathetic!Tsuna, made-up info about the Gold King. No blood or nightmares for once!

-.-.-.-

Kokujoji Daikaku, the Second King, didn't go out all that often. He was old and his time was coming in less than a decade. But he still loved how beautiful the world was, how much potential it held. He was going out today. And thankfully, he could he convinced the Usagi to send only one bodyguard, the best. His right hand, Modesuru Kunora.

He needed some time to think and plan. Sightseeing would uplift his spirit a bit while he pondered the heavy things.

He needed to think through instructions to give his Clan for after he passed. He needed to find a successor. Not to mention the regular problems of perpetually ongoing renovations, King conflicts, or running his government branch smoothly. The most pressing problem and the one that was making him the most itchy was the Green King.

Daikaku was no fool. He was a master of the political arena, the sword, and problem solving. He knew that the Green King was waiting him out, but that made it all the more important to find him. The man had tricks up his sleeves he was sure no one would like.

The stress was piling up on him. He was sure that it wasn't helping his lifespan, either. An interaction with the outside world like a normal person was sure to do him some good.

-.-.-.-

"Aw, this is the life," Daikaku breathed, leaning back in his outside chair and sipping green tea. "This is so relaxing. Now I can think."

"I'm glad, my King," Kunora intoned from beside him.

He threw a little smile at his second. "Thank you for coming out with me today. I'm sorry I'm wasting your time like this."

"Not at all, my King," Kunora waved off. "I'm glad to get away from duties."

Daikaku hummed. He looked down at his drink and drifted off in thoughts of what to do…

-.-.-.-

A little boy with adorable spiky brown hair had been hovering nervously around their area for about five minutes. Just as Kunora was probably about to do something, he hesitantly but determinedly walked straight up to the Gold King.

The boy spent a while nervously tugging on his shirt's hem and looking everywhere but the King. He cleared his throat, signalling for Kunora to leave the boy alone.

A moment later, Daikaku felt arms clench tightly around his torso, and he started. "Nani?"

"Are you okay?" The boy who was embracing him questioned, face firmly buried in the elder's shirt.

Daikaku laughed and nodded. "Of course," he answered.

The grip tightened. "Don't lie," the boy whispered. The King stilled. "Tsu-kun might be Dame-Tsuna to everyone except Mama, but Tsu-kun can recognize when someone is sad. They have the same look that Tsu-kun does right after the big kids push him around and he hurts inside. He doesn't know what he did wrong or what they want, but it happens all the time. You have the same look. Please don't lie, not even to yourself."

Daikaku was silent at the correct deductions of this child.

"Are you going to be okay?" Tsu-kun rephrased his earlier question, his eyelids clenched shut, still hugging tightly. Pointing to the Gold King's second, he asked, "Is that man the one who fixes your feelings like Mama fixes up Tsu-kun?"

Daikaku relaxed and let a tremulous smile grow on his face as he pondered what the child had told him, correctly guessing what even the King had denied to himself. Daikaku wanted to be strong all the time, wanted to act like he was in perfect control and knew what was going on and what course to take, and he didn't. He was lost but denying it to himself, thinking that if he was broken everything would crumble around him.

"Hai," the Second Kind admitted, "He is one of them." Kunora had taken care of Daikaku when he was sick, overstressed and overworked, more times than he could count. He had led Daikaku to the right path more than once, given him inspiration when all Daikaku wanted to do was curl up into a ball and block all his problems out. It used to be Adolf, but, well... not any more.

Adolf had done all those things and more. He had been Daikaku's best friend as long as he could remember, and they shared the deep bonds of soldiers and brothers that could never be replaced. They had spent countless days together, laughing and crying and researching. They shared each other's dreams, and their most defining moments had been spent in the company of the other. He… he really missed Adolf, he realized. That was a major part of what was dragging him down. He should at least call Adolf soon.

"Good," the child said fiercely, drawing back to pierce Daikaku with an orange-tinted gaze, and he returned to the conversation he had forgotten. "Spend time with your precious people, and you'll be happy again! Then think about them and what they would say, and you'll know what to do." Tsu-kun nodded, certain.

The Gold King looked at this wondrous child full of potential and empathy, and for the first time in fifty years, he cried. He initiated the hug this time, and the child hugged back just as fiercely, practically crawling into the older man's lap. The child melted into the positive contact. Daikaku almost frowned as he realized this wonderful child might not receive as much as he needed. But that was a small portion of his mind. The rest of it was crying with relief for the answer to this problem that had been unconsciously weighing him down for a long while.

"Arigato," he cried onto the child, "arigato." The smaller male had relaxed and was smiling softly, almost hesitantly, as he trusted the other with his body. He reached up and put a hand on Daikaku's wet cheeks, utterly content and happy.

"Tsu-kun!" a brown-haired woman called from the shop across the street from the cafe where they were. "Tsu-kun! Where have you wandered off to this time? Tsu-kun!"

"That's Mama," Tsu-kun whispered to the Second King, as if confiding an important secret. "I have to go now." He tried to climb down, but ended up sprawled over the King. Kunora had to reach in and seperate them.

"Be happy when I see you again!" the child called, turning to wave at them, and as Daikaku waved back, he tripped.

Daikaku laughed, and the boy's words repeated themselves in his head. Somehow, Tsu-kun had known the exact answer.

He felt lighter than he had in decades.

-.-.-.-

Translations:

Nani: What/Huh?

Hai: yes.

Arigato: thank you.

-.-.-.-

A/N:

Poor Daikaku-kun. Missing his best friend/brother and having so much to take care of. We know you can do it, Daikaku-kun! He finds a solution with help from the Hyper Intuition.

Cute Tsu-kun, caring about everyone. Deprived of touch. Awww.

The right hand? Completely made up.

So timeline-wise, in KHR this is three months or so after the sealing, so Tsuna is about six years old. We're going to pretend that the seal took time to form after it was set initially and so even though most of Tsuna's Flames are blocked off, a little bled through to guide him to the downtrodden Gold King and helped him understand.

For K, it's about a decade before Return of Kings. Eight/nine years before the first season. I think...

This could stand alone as a one-shot, but like I said at the beginning, it's part of a larger idea. Should I continue? Is this even good? What could I improve? What would you want to see if I continued?

I'm thinking Daikaku takes him in and teaches him and secretly trains Tsuna to be his successor without anyone, even Tsuna himself, the wiser. Then when the Aura transfers to Tsuna, the seal breaks too, and it's just havoc in Namimori until the Hibaris find out what's going on.

Eventually, Kyoya takes over the government side of things for Tsuna, and he can enjoy being with his Clansmen that he picks (his Guardians, of course!). At one point, he rushes over to Italy and ends up coming back with at least Mukuro and Hayato.

So? Thoughts?

~OperaEagle IcelynLacelett