A/N: Hey, this is cupcakexfactory here! Anyways, this is a 7227 fanfic that I'm writing for catxmelons, the OTHER person who uses this acct. Or rather, she doesn't really use it. _ So I have like 2 chapters written (they're long chapters imo) and umm...it's not that great. But I'm posting it on ffnet so I can see the story and remember to work on it! ^^ Here goes...
Chapter 1: In which No-Good Tsuna gets a brother
Today was a day like no other.
Well, it should have been just any ordinary day. As ordinary as the life of Tsuna Vongola, only son of the current head of the Vongola Inc, could get. The Vongola company was famous for its cunning (and sometimes ruthless) business skills. Started by Tsuna's distant great-great-great (you get the idea) grandfather, the business quickly expanded from a modest wine producing business to an international company that had contacts in everything. Consumer goods, technology, and even national security were all issues the Vongola boss had to deal with daily. It was perhaps the most stressful job in the world. And maybe the most rewarding also.
Vongola executives made salaries up to 9-digits. Even in their retirement, they made hefty sums of cash by just sitting around all day. All Vongola executives were on TV almost daily, and with money and fame, anything is possible.
Even though the future was looking quite bright for Tsuna Vongola, he couldn't help thinking that maybe, just maybe, he was born to the wrong family. Tsuna was the opposite of what a future Vongola boss should be like. He was abysmal in academics, athletics, and general attitude. He was neither confident or composed, rather, Tsuna was a shy, meek, stuttering, and rather short individual.
Even his name wasn't right. Tsuna was such a casual name, that the 'Vongola' that followed it seemed almost silly. He had expected a regal-sounding name, something that was memorable. Tsuna however, sounded more like an affectionate nickname for a kid. Really, he wondered at the mental state his parents were in when they decided on that atrocity of a name. (They were a tad slaphappy from one too many margaritas, but Tsuna, of course, didn't know that.)
As he walked down the neatly paved path, manicured apple trees shading the wide walkway and sitting areas, Tsuna thought this over in his mind. Maybe he was switched at birth or something, because a failure like him couldn't ever live up to the great expectation of the name Vongola. He knew his parents were too ashamed to admit it, but Tsuna was not particularly the best candidate for Vongola boss. He was the worst. By far, the worst.
Sighing, Tsuna moped around in his self pity for a while longer, before he felt a light touch on his shoulder. Jolting up with a loud Hiee!,Tsuna dropped his bag and textbooks, which crashed to the ground with a thump. Tsuna watched as the cloudless sky above him spun dizzily, and heard his heart thump like a hummingbird's wings in his eardrums, and took shallow, fast breaths before turning around and-
Oh. It was just Gokudera.
Said assaulter gave him a sheepish looking expression, before quickly blurting out, "I'm so sorry Tenth! I didn't mean to startle you!"
Tsuna winced at Gokudera's pitiful expression, before groaning and continuing down the pathway, Gokudera following eagerly like a lost puppy. Exactly like a lost puppy, actually.
"It's fine, gomen. I'm just..." At this his voice lowered and Tsuna muttered under his breath, "scared easily."
"Tenth! I picked up your books and things, I apologize for making you drop them!"
"Hayato-kun-"
"Really! If you'd like, I can hold them for you! And it's no problem if-"
"Hayato! It's fine!"
Stopping, Tsuna turned around and picked up his textbooks and school bag, tottering a bit at the weight. He started to walk again, shifting the load in his arms into a more comfortable position.
They walked to the front of the courtyard, where black limousines were parked in a line along the curb, and students were saying goodbye to their friends. Tsuna cringed and hung his head down a little, feeling the waves of hostility radiate from Gokudera. Why he had to be scary, Tsuna never knew.
Gokudera glared around, death glaring at anyone who even looked their way. Automatically, everyone stayed at least two meters away from the awful pair.
"Look...there goes No Good Vongola again, with his rabid guarddog..."
"Heh...what's Vongola worth? He can't even do anything right..."
"Hmph...what's with that scary look?"
Tsuna slumped more and more as the whispers around them gradually got louder and louder.
"H-Hayato, can you l-look less...scary?" Tsuna whispered frantically, staring down at the ground.
"Why? They're talking bad about the Tenth!" Gokudera growled, perhaps louder than he should have.
Face flushing with heat, Tsuna clenched his fists and stared at his sneakers intently. "St-still..."
"Tenth! G-san is here!" Gokudera was considerably happier when the crowd thinned out, leaving them alone.
Tsuna looked up, glancing around for the car, expecting to see a relatively subdued black Mercedes-Benz. Instead, the car he saw stuck out like an eyesore. A flashy, red Ferrari at that.
G reclined in the front seat, one arm slung casually over the edge of the sports car. He saw Tsuna and Gokudera and beamed, waving them over.
Tsuna stood on the other side of the car, opposite G. "G-sama! Wh-why are you driving your car today?" Usually he picked Tsuna up in the Mercedes (which was less gaudy than the Ferrari) and drove the Ferrari for his own personal use.
G was Tsuna's butler and caretaker or sorts, he drove him around and looked after Tsuna when his parents weren't home (most of the time), and acted like a father to Tsuna. G was Italian, with a shock of messy red hair. G wasn't that old, however, only 36, 26 years older than Tsuna himself. G didn't seem to age though, looking the same as Tsuna remembered him years ago. G had been caring for Tsuna since the day of his birth. Tsuna admired and looked up to G; he was the paternal figure that would always be there for him.
G grinned as wide as the cheshire cat, "I got it newly polished today," he boasted.
Gokudera was stared at the car longingly, before turning to G with an amazed gaze. "Your car..."
Tsuna sighed. Gokudera had always loved G's Ferrari, and for some reason G encouraged it.
"If you'd like, you can ride in the car later today, Hayato-kun," G smiled at him before turning to Tsuna, "Hop in. Let's go, dinner is probably ready by now."
Tsuna nodded, and bent to open the side door. Nudging the door open with his foot, he tried to slide into the car, balancing his textbooks and bag. Tsuna fell into the seat with a clumsy thump, glancing sheepishly at G. The red haired man chuckled once, already used to Tsuna's lack of grace.
Gokudera stepped back as the car's engine fired up from a low, resting purr, and stared at the car wistfully. Returning his attention to Tsuna, he grinned somewhat painfully. "I have piano lessons today, Tenth. Maybe tomorrow I'll head over to your house."
Turning away from the car, Gokudera looked back and called, "Good bye Tenth!"
Tsuna waved back with a bright smile, before buckling his seatbelt quickly as the car shot out of its position by the curb abruptly. Turning the steering wheel adeptly, the car made a sharp u-turn and entered the street.
The red haired man drummed his fingers on the dashboard, watching Tsuna out of the corner of his eye. "So, how was school today?" he asked conversationally.
Tsuna sighed heavily. He didn't turn in any of his homework (his professors were used to it, one day that spartan home tutor from Italy would beat some knowledge into him...literally), he was picked last as always for soccer in Physical Education, and to top it off, Gokudera had to give three students a blackeye and a sprained shoulder ("They were going to pick on you, Tenth!"), and get himself and Tsuna stuck in lunch detention for a week ("You too Vongola. You're the one who told him to do it, right?" "What? N-no, I swear!"). He was positive he made three new enemies today, if that was even possible, what with the whole class despising him.
"It's..." Tsuna tried to find a suitable description of his misery. Finally, he concluded, "the same as usual."
G raised an eyebrow, snorting. "Uh huh, like I know what 'same as usual' means."
But Tsuna was pretty sure G did. The redhead always seemed to know what Tsuna was thinking, and what he was hiding. The only reason G didn't corner him about his failures in life was that the man knew it would embarrass him.
And Tsuna didn't like to voice his worries and complaints out loud, because he didn't like being the center of attention. One frustration slipped out however, "Sometimes I wish Hayato-kun would be...less violent. It always gets him into trouble, and I'm dragged along too."
G gave Tsuna a small smile, but there was no humor in his crimson eyes. "Tsuna, you realize Hayato-kun is only doing his best for you? Even though he may overreact at times, it's all for your protection. Besides, I was exactly like Hayato-kun when I was his age."
Tsuna considered this, and they drove in considerable silence for a few minutes. Until he realized... "Eh? You were, G-sama?" Somehow, he couldn't imagine the always level headed and good intentioned G in his youth...
G chuckled, amused. "It's true. I once almost got expelled from middle school for breaking someone's nose."
Tsuna stared at G, unbelieving. His mouth opened and closed again, before he finally said, "Really?"
G nodded, not at all ashamed of some of his past exploits. "The person was bullying Giotto." He paused, "I can't say Giotto didn't aggravate him though."
Tsuna remembered Giotto was one of his uncles. He came to visit every few years or so, and the last memory he had of him was a confident, regal man. Giotto was also apparently one of G's best, if not closest, friend. Curious, Tsuna tilted his head, listening to G explain.
"Giotto was a lot like you, Tsuna," G smiled, "just as charismatic, though more confident, and witty."
"What does Giotto-san do these days?" he voiced his thoughts out loud, staring out as the car wove its way through the the traffic.
"Mmm, he runs part of Vongola from Italy." G grinned wryly, before commenting casually, "You know, when we got out of college, we flipped a coin to decide who would take care of you."
"EHH?" Tsuna was speechless. Giotto and G flipped a coin? He had never known that his caretaker had only been lucky...or was it unlucky?
"I lost." He shrugged, before quickly adding, "But I don't mind."
Tsuna said nothing, quickly lost in his own thoughts. He watched as they passed by the small shops, taking in the familiar sights of Namimori. He had lived in Japan for all his life. He was born in Italy; however once the Vongola Inc. moved their headquarters to Japan, he had followed suit, only 2 years old at that time.
Namimori was a smaller town in Japan, quiet and a good place for a family. Ever since the Vongola company moved to Namimori, the town has gotten more attention. Everyone in Namimori knew of the Vongola company.
He attended a prestigious private school close to Namimori, and even in the private school (filled with rich benefactor's and businessmen's children), Vongola was famous. Not that Tsuna wanted all that attention anyways. Once his schoolmates found out the heir of the famous Vongola company was just Loser Tsuna, all the fawning turned to scorn.
Tsuna would have liked to say he talked back to them when they insulted him, but honestly he was as timid as a goldfish. Gokudera was the one who'd take so called "revenge" on the Tenth's embarrassment, and he wasn't afraid to break a few bones in the process. Gokudera was in every way a hot blooded italian.
Tsuna was only half-italian; his father Vongola was Italian to the core, with a heavy accent, and his mother was Japanese, with dark hair and eyes. Tsuna was somewhere in the middle, his hair a light shade of toffee, and eyes a dark caramel color. Tsuna was most fluent in Japanese, as he often stumbled over his words in Italian. His father disapproved greatly of this; if a future boss of the Vongola company couldn't even speak Italian properly, what would become of him?
Shaking his head lightly to rid himself of the thoughts, Tsuna noticed that they were almost home. The Ferrari headed up a curving path, that wound around a gently sloping hill. The afternoon sunlight streamed down through the trees lining the edge of the road. The car slinked up a expansive driveway, and the estate came into view. The mansion was made of weathered sand-colored stone, with 3 floors of windows lined up neatly. The door was made of dense mahogany, intricate carvings framing the door.
G killed the engine, parking the car on the drive, and slid out gracefully. Tsuna fumbled with his seatbelt clasp for a moment, before picking up his bag and textbooks. He kicked the door open with success, before tripping stepping out and almost nosediving to the concrete. Thankfully, he managed to catch himself, and sighed with relief.
G chuckled, and helped Tsuna with the load in his arms. Picking it up easily, he kept it under one arm while fishing the key out of his pocket. He ignored the large iron knocker adorning the door, unlocking the door and pushing it open. Tsuna stepped into the entranceway, footsteps resounding against the marble floor. G followed, dropping Tsuna's stuff in the study before heading to the kitchen.
"Tsu-kun~!" came the call from the kitchen.
Tsuna walked over, standing in the doorway of the kitchen. G was on the phone, by the counter with furrowed eyebrows. Nana smiled brightly as she cooked, flitting around the kitchen. She nodded at the plate of freshly baked cookies on the counter, "Help yourself, Tsu-kun. Dinner will be ready in thirty minutes."
Tsuna smiled at Nana, murmuring "thank you" before taking a chocolate chip cookie from the plate. Just as he bit into the soft cookie, relishing in the taste of the chocolate and warm dough, G put the phone down on the counter with a click.
"Tsuna..." he began. "Your parents...both of them...are coming home."
Nana tittered and opened the refrigerator. "Well I'd like more time to prepare but...hmmm, I'll have to get started immediately on dinner preparations of Mr. and Mrs. Vongola."
Tsuna blinked, staring at G. His palms were suddenly damp with sweat, and he wiped it on his jacket before letting the hands fall limply to his sides. He didn't know what to say, or what to feel. He should be happy right? It had been a year - no, more than a year since he saw them. He should be overjoyed right? Right?
But...somehow, he felt bitter. His parents didn't know him at all; they would disappear from his life and reappear randomly. Every time his parents left again, he thought they shouldn't ever come back. But they always did come back to Namimori.
He wished foolishly that this time they wouldn't leave.
"I-I..." Tsuna stuttered, horrified at his inability to speak. He tried to choke down all the conflicting emotions he felt, and took a deep breath. "Oh no G..." he whispered. "What-what am I going to do? When they ge-get here. That is."
G gave Tsuna a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "It's fine Tsuna. They're still your parents. Just act as you normally do."
"But when I act normally I'm never good enou-" Tsuna shut up immediately. Of course G didn't want to hear his complaints right now. Still a bit hysterical, Tsuna shuffled slowly to the living room, collapsing on the couch.
No no no no no no...
Just when life had began to regain normalcy, his parents had to come back and turn it all upside down again. At least he felt comfortable living with G and Nana; they were kind and caring. But around his parents...he always had to live up to an expectation he'd never reach.
Oh no.
Turning on his side, Tsuna stared at the wall, feeling his eyelids grow heavy...
He was awoken by the sound of the door unlocking. Jolting up, Tsuna desperately patted down his messy hair. G gave him one last reassuring glance before the door opened.
In the doorway, stood the Vongola himself and his wife.
G was the first to speak. "Welcome back, Mr. and Mrs. Vongola."
Nana nodded quickly, "I've prepared a special dinner for this occasion, sir and mistress."
Tsuna stared. His parents looked the same as ever. His father had a blank expression, and his mother was smiling. This was interesting. Usually his father scowled at Tsuna the moment he saw him.
His mother turned to Tsuna, beaming for some reason. "Tsuna," she said, in her high soprano voice, "you have a new brother."
Tsuna's eyes widened. A...new...brother? "HIIE? When did you get a baby Mother?"
His mother laughed, the sound like chiming bells. "No, Tsuna dear, Father and I adopted."
At this, his father shifted his attention to behind him, pushing a figure out in front of him. "Your brother."
Tsuna stared. The figure looked about the same age as him, except maybe half a head taller. He had messy dark chestnut locks, with a hairstyle strikingly similar to Tsuna's. Except, Tsuna thought grudgingly, it fitted him much better. What stood out the most was perhaps his eyes. They weren't brown colored, what Tsuna expected, but a bright reddish, burnt sienna color. They held an glaring intensity that made Tsuna quiver a little. His white shirt and jeans were dirtied and wrinkled, and it looked like it hadn't been washed in days.
The boy cast his eyes around the house, before focusing on Tsuna. He was expressionless, seemingly bored of everything around him, but the eyes showed a flicker of interest.
Overall, he was... intimidating.
"Ah...um...hi..." Tsuna stumbled over his words, giving the boy a weak smile.
The boy ignored him, casting his gaze away.
"O-oh well...then..." Tsuna fidgeted. Apparently this time there was a third person to make him nervous.
His father stepped through the doorway, automatically turning towards G. "I trust all the family finances have been in order?" he said crisply, more of a statement than an actual question.
G inclined his head politely. "Yes, sir."
His father smiled, turning to hang his coat on the rack. "Now that we're back, I have to sort through some business affairs in my office. G, update me on what's been going on in the Japan branch." He quickly walked away, G following behind.
The Vongola always had business as his priority above anything else. Everything else was left to Tsuna's mother to decide. Tsuna never saw or talked with his father a lot when he was home, and he never once contacted Tsuna when he was gone.
Tsuna's mother smiled adoringly at the retreating figure of the boss, and placed an affectionate hand on the boy standing next to her. She looked at him with pity in her eyes. "Oh you poor thing," she crooned, "come, let's show you your new room, and then we'll have Nana draw you a bath and you can eat dinner." Her high heels clicked on the ground as she held the boy tightly by the shoulder, steering him to the staircase.
Tsuna watched, smiling ruefully as he saw the irritation that briefly clouded the boy's face. His mother could be overbearing and condescending at times. Still, he felt maybe a little jealous. She had never showered him with that much attention before.
Everyone seemed to be busy. His father and G were in the office, talking business, his mother was busy fawning over the boy (his brother?), and...
Tsuna felt a warm hug envelop him. He smelled chocolate and flour. Pulling away after a few seconds, Tsuna smiled at Nana. She always could make him feel better with one of her hugs.
"There, there Tsuna...don't be upset. Getting a brother is a very exciting thing!" She grinned, eyes softening. "You're too small. There are still cookies in the kitchen."
Tsuna nodded, letting himself be pulled by Nana. Once they got to the kitchen, he nibbled on a cookie, watching as Nana made the finishing touches to dessert. He helped her set the table in the large dining room that was reserved for special occasions.
The boy (brother, he reminded himself) eventually came downstairs, along with his mother. Tsuna noticed the boy had taken a shower, and was now wearing something that belonged to him, which was a bit too small for the taller boy. Tsuna's expression fell a little, but Nana was too busy to notice.
They sat at the dining table, and a few minutes later his father and G came down. His father took his place at the head of the table, and G stood with Nana to the side. The dinner was delicious (everything Nana cooked was good), but Tsuna didn't want to be there. It was awkward. His mother asked the boy question after question, and the boy didn't say anything at all, rather stared at something else with a bored look in his eyes. His father said nothing as well, and the entire time his calculating gaze was on Tsuna. Tsuna knew his father was examining him as the heir.
After dinner, Tsuna was summoned to the Vongola's office. He squirmed nervously as his father, sitting relaxedly in his leather and mahogany chair, read the newspaper. Tsuna stood stiffly, arms at his sides and fingers curling and uncurling.
Finally his father set the paper down neatly, looking at Tsuna over his reading glasses. "Well. You haven't changed at all," he spoke, deep bass voice resounding. The grandfather clock in the corner ticked loudly, and Tsuna felt his heatbeat quicken in anxiety. Talking to his father always made him light headed.
"I-uhh, I..." He didn't know how to answer.
"You are unfit to be the Vongola boss. G has told me of your failing grades in school, and your lack of dedication. That is disappointing. You haven't changed at all," his father repeated.
"Um, uh, I-I'm sorry...F-father..." Tsuna stuttered, mortified. Each sentence his father said was a separate stab.
"You should be." His father put down his glasses on the newspaper, leaning forward and fully looking at Tsuna. "Your mother and I adopted a boy your age because we felt it would be beneficial to you. He was living on the streets when we found him, and had no family, no relatives, nothing. That boy is your brother now, and I expect you to act your best. Hopefully this will teach you some responsibility." He gave Tsuna a stern look, and picked up the newspaper again. Tsuna interpreted this action as a dismissal, and quickly left the study.
Dragging his bag to his room, Tsuna fell onto his desk chair. He took out his schoolwork, and tried to make some sense out of the obscure text in his textbook. Glaring at the assignments, Tsuna groaned in frustration. He didn't know any of this.
The door opened and G came in. He grimaced at the sight of Tsuna banging his head onto the desk, and picked up the papers scattered over the tabletop. G set the assignments down again and began to explain how to do them. G was a good teacher for Tsuna, because he was methodical and patient. By the end of homework, Tsuna felt he knew half of the material. Kind of, anyways.
Yawning, Tsuna stuffed his homework back in his bag. He smiled tiredly at G. "Thanks G-sama, you really helped me."
G smiled and patted Tsuna on the shoulder, "Good night kid; get some sleep. You look worn out."
Tsuna hesitated. Something was bothering him in the back of his mind... "Eto, G-sama? I have a question."
G gestured for him to go on.
Tsuna chewed on his bottom lip, wondering how to best phrase the question. "Er, well, when I talked to Father, he said I was getting a brother because it would, um, maybe make me... less of a failure. But I feel like that's not all of it...G-sama, why do you think Father and Mother decided to adopt a brother? Is it really just because of me?"
G looked at Tsuna, contemplating. Finally he spoke, picking his words carefully, "I think...that they adopted another kid partly for your sake. That part is true, Tsuna. However, as you know, with Mr. Vongola, there is always a business aspect to every decision he makes. Your father wants the Vongola company to improve its reputation and credibility. So...with this adopted child, Mr. Vongola wants people to believe the company supports humanity as well."
Tsuna thought this over. He felt...somewhat betrayed. Was this just another business scheme? Did his father really think about his sake?
G sighed at Tsuna's perturbed expression. He looked at him seriously. "Go to bed, Tsuna. You have school tommorrow."
Tsuna nodded. G left the room, the door closing quietly. Tsuna changed into his nightclothes, with was a simple oversized white dress shirt (he thought it was the most comfortable to sleep in) and crawled into bed. Turning off the lights, Tsuna turned onto his side and stared through the darkness at the door. The curtains were pulled back, so moonlight streamed through the window, dimly illuminating the room.
Tsuna tried closing his eyes and counting sheep. Somehow, his thoughts wondered back to what his father said earlier.
He was living on the streets when we found him, and had no family, no relatives, nothing.
No family...wouldn't that be lonely? At least Tsuna had Nana and G, who would always be there for him. But to have no one to rely on...that was horrible. Maybe that was the reason why the boy looked so expressionless. Maybe...
Opening his eyes, Tsuna glanced at the door. He thought he heard very faint footsteps in the corridor outside. After a few moments of silence, the muffled taps got louder and louder.
Tsuna didn't realize he was holding his breath in suspense until he couldn't get any oxygen to his lungs. Letting out the carbon dioxide, Tsuna watched intently as the door knob slowly turned, and the door opened.
"HIIEEE!"
Tsuna shrieked at the sight of the shadowed figure, before his eyes adjusted and he saw the boy standing in the doorway. It was his-his brother (it felt odd to think about). His brother looked disgruntled. Tsuna thought in the back of his mind that his burnt orange eyes almost glowed in the dark, and felt just a tad bitter that his eyes were that pretty. He looked at Tsuna for a second, and turned to leave.
"Wa-wait! Are you lost?" Tsuna asked, sitting up.
"I'm not." The reply was soft but low.
"Uh, uh..." Tsuna suddenly remembered. "Oh, what's your name?"
"Tsunayoshi. Sawada."
Tsunayoshi...it was an elegant name. Tsuna was startled by the similarity in their names, and wondered what were the odds.
"O-oh. I'm Tsuna..."
Tsunayoshi turned and walked out, closing the door behind him. Tsuna waited and listened, and in the hallway outside he thought he heard the distinct noise of a door creaking open. It was shut again. He listened as this pattern continued down the hall until there was nothing but silence left.
Laying down again, Tsuna wondered if Tsunayoshi was glad to be out of the streets. And then he thought it was lonelier here than there, and put his face to the pillow and closed his eyes.
A/N: Lotsa pointless things in this chapter. . Any criticism, flames, whatever, are directed towards the review button. If you actually liked the chapter (O_O), just know currently I'm working/sorta on hiatus on FOUR stories, so don't expect it to be updated soon ^^; I'd like some feedback though, because this is my first time writing 7227...errrr shounen-ai in general actually.