Chapter 1: Hi, my name is Anxiety - Part I

Please read - Author's note:

Alright- this was originally Over The Walls but newly revised and I made a lot of major editing.

This story will follow the anime's timeline, starting from the Daily Life Arc until the Future Final Battle Arc. All dem husband and wife materials belong to Amano Akira, I only own my lame-ass OC's.

Warning:

May contain some dark themes and a lot of cursing so, read at your own risk maybe?


...

..

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There it was again.

That same, hollow feeling that has always found its way to come back and haunt her no matter how hard she tries to get rid of it. It was like a metal chain clasped tightly around her whole being, suffocating her as she helplessly fall into an abyss of great despair where the word 'hope' ceased to exist. The deadly sickness seemed to love consuming its victim's every fiber and in Akihise Erika's case, she wasn't even sure if she wanted help for it or not.

When did it even all start? She couldn't really remember, it was like one day she woke up and the heavy feeling was just there, silently laughing at her misery as it tries to bring her deep down the narrowest void she has ever seen.

A pair of dark and tired eyes fluttered open as soon as the sound of an alarm went off loudly in the room.

'Where am I..?'

Was the first thing that came into Erika's mind when she saw the unfamiliar ceiling above her.

'Oh right… new town, new life...'

She groaned as she wrapped herself up in her blankets, torn between getting up to start her first day at her new school and lying down for a few more minutes. Then again, first impressions do last and she didn't want to become an embarrassment any further by being late. After all, she did move here in attempt to bury her past behind.

Flashback

"Why are you bringing this up now?"

Erika's mom asked, her somewhat concerned tone was laced with annoyance. Her parents were in the living room when she finally decided to open up the topic of going to Japan to pursue her studies, her mother almost spitting the coffee she was quietly enjoying from shock. Her dad was too focused on the television to even pay attention and just went along with everything she said.

"You guys were the ones who wanted me to go abroad right? You said so back then, I'm just considering the offer and right now, I do think it's a great idea." But her mother knew well there was something more behind that reasoning of hers,

"Are you sure this is not because of some boy? Because if it is, you're just being irrational. It's not the end of the world, you need to get over it!"

Those words struck her like lightning bolt, a sick and familiar emotion was starting to build up inside of her as she stood there seemingly frozen. After all these years, her parents still believe that her sudden change in behavior was because of her boyfriend dumping her, and maybe deep down it was true. The experience was too traumatic for Erika that it was probably a trigger to what she's feeling right now.

"I-It's not that- I'm on my way to college now anyway so wouldn't it be nice to be independent for a change?"

She tried to convince herself that it was what she truly wanted, but then again, can she really manage living on her own? She could barely even take care of herself at the moment, what more in a new and different environment, away from what she's used to.

"Please, that's all I'm asking for." Yes, that's all she needed; more time to think things through, to get away from all of this even just for awhile and maybe, to find her old self again.

"Are you listening to this?" The young woman turns to her husband, only to find him nodding to his daughter's words. Erika's mother released a long sigh, rubbing her temples to at least lessen her irritation towards her brat of a child and at the man who did nothing but glue his ass to the couch all day.

"Why stop her now? If she wants to then let her go." Erika's father finally spoke up when he felt his wife's increasing temper yet again. He did plan on sending their child to his home town when she reaches the right age, his wife agreeing to this decision a few years back so what was she going on about now? Women.

"And leave Erika all by herself?"

"She's 17, she obviously knows how to stand up on her own now."

"She doesn't even know how to cook! Do you really think she can survive there alone? You're both not thinking clearly."

"P-please stop-"

"She's old enough to think and work for herself- I could when I was at her age!"

Erika kind of regretted talking to her parents about this for it only sparked an argument between the two adults, and knowing them, it was probably going to end up real nasty. Once they fought inside the car, her father was mad as hell that the whole ride turned into something you'd see in Need for Speed. Ever since then, she was careful not to get on his bad side.

"Fine, I don't wanna ruin this evening any further."

Her parents did come to a conclusion at the end- they gave her the key to an exclusive apartment, which they bought for traveling purposes, located at her father's said home town, Namimori. Her financial expenses and monthly allowances were still covered by them, well at least until she finishes her junior high and found herself a job. After all, it is still their obligation as parents and no support means facing the consequences of the law. The day eventually came where they said their awkward fare wells to each other and Erika had to fly away with a heavy heart, knowing that this decision of hers has caused her parents to fight over the matter.

Moving in was easy enough, it only took her three days to have all of her stuff brought in since she didn't have that much, the hard part was getting used to the culture and the places around here in Japan.

"At least their uniform's cute..." Erika scanned the features of the newly-ironed clothes sitting in front of her. Back in her country, wearing long sleeves was similar to being cooked alive in a pot of boiling water- the weather itself would make anyone want to soak in a bath tub full of ice. It didn't even snow back in their place, which would make her Winter here in Japan to be her first.

She took a quick shower and instantly slipped into her new uniform, combing her messy hair after in hopes of looking presentable. She grabbed her bag, saving breakfast for later seeing that she might run in late, and locked her apartment door.

"Good morning!" An old woman called out from the garden as soon as Erika stepped out of the large building. She stopped for a moment to wave at the smiling elderly,

"Good morning."

The woman, who was probably in her late 60's, is the owner of the building she's currently staying in. The huge room her parents owned has been unused for a long time and this old lady was really glad when Erika came to settle in, even if for just a short amount of time.

"First day of class?"

"Yes, I'm new here after all." The old woman gave her a light laugh,

"You're right. Well, you take care now. Be sure to ace those subjects and show them what you've got!" The encouragement from her made Erika smile sheepishly,

"Thank you."

The woman was like a grandmother to her already, especially with the way she took care of her when she first moved in, the old lady seemed to treat her like her own grandchild. Erika said her good bye before she carefully navigated her way to the school, praising the gods for the map she received from the woman.


Erika stood outside the gates of Namimori middle school, creeping up to the side as she turned to look at several students. Some were chilling out in the field while some were waiting for their friends at the gates, making her feel out of place because she looked like a lone stranger standing there in the open. She suddenly hesitated, rubbing her hands together nervously,

"Ugh, should I just go home..."

"Hey." Kusakabe Tetsuya, vice chairman of the disciplinary committee, eyed the fidgeting girl from head to toe as he marched towards her. He would be in big trouble if the chairman sees a student still outside the school grounds at this hour- the thought of being beaten to a pulp for failing to establish discipline doesn't really sound appealing to him especially in the early morning.

"Classes will start soon, go to your room." His stern voice quickly caught Erika's attention as she faced him, before she sighed in relief at the sight of a school authority.

"U-um actually, I'm new here so I don't really know where my room is..."

...

..

.

"Isn't it your responsibility to find your own room?"

Hibari Kyoya crossed his arms as he gazed at the small girl with his sharp, grey eyes. He got a notice last week about this new student and already mailed her a list of everything she needed, he even had her complete school uniform delivered straight to her place, so why is she here? He had never met the girl personally because her transfer papers were sent in by her parents, which was pretty surprising considering the fact that the school year had already started.

"I-I know, it's just that I don't know where it is exactly." Erika wanted to smack herself on the head for that stupid excuse. Of course she knows how to locate her own classroom, she was just anxious right now that she couldn't help but turn to an officer for help.

"3nd floor, first room to your left." Was the only thing Hibari said before he asked Kusakabe to escort her out. He was enjoying his peaceful morning and his vice chairman just had to ruin it by bringing in a totally clueless girl.


"Everyone quiet down! We have a new student joining us today so behave your selves!" The teacher announced, gaining everyone's attention as they started whispering among themselves,

"Again?"

"Oooh! I hope it's a guy, like Gokudera-kun~!"

"Wish it was a girl this time-"

"Pft, shut up!"

Erika has never been the type to suddenly enter in the middle of the school year, so it was a first for her to stand awkwardly outside of the classroom as she waited for the teacher to call her in. Introductions were like grade school stuff- they were already in junior high, god how she hated standing in front of lots of people as they silently scrutinize her behind her back.

"Miss Akihise? You can come inside now."

Everyone's eyes were on her as soon as she made her entrance, her body becoming all the more tensed than before. She tried to calm her nerves, refusing eye contact with anyone as she focused on the floor instead before breathing in deeply,

'Make it quick.'

"M-my name is Akihise Erika, I'm pleased to meet everyone..."

Erika lets out a quiet sigh when she finally reached her seat. Was her introduction okay? Or maybe it was too short? Did she come off as a snob? She did seem to ignore everyone's stares because she was in a hurry to get off the spot light. Maybe they found her rude? Why was she making such a big deal out of it?

She finally snapped out of her thoughts when she noticed the students walking out of the classroom. Wow, she just spent the whole subject worrying about how her first impression went. It was lunch break already, something she should be thankful of but no, because there weren't any familiar faces around and eating alone wasn't really such a good idea to her. But then of course being the friendly goddess of Namimori Middle, Sasagawa Kyoko decided to approach the new girl.

"Hello, Akihise-san, I'm Sasagawa Kyoko! I hope you'll have fun here with us and if you ever need anything, feel free to come to me."

"Hi- oh alright, thanks I guess..." Erika's short reply contrasted Kyoko's cheerful demeanor, the beaming girl being completely oblivious at the new student's lack of enthusiasm.

"Also if you want to, you can come and have lunch with us."

Erika didn't really expect anyone to invite her to eat together on her first day, let alone by a pretty looking girl like this one; she couldn't possibly say no to that smile of hers. Kyoko probably saw how glued she was to her seat,

"Um- with your friends?"

"Yup! They're right over there,"

Erika looked at the direction she was pointing to and saw a brown haired boy, a silver head, a tall guy, and another girl with black, wavy hair. They were having quite of a conversation, Erika twitching a bit at their noisy bickering even if she was a few feet away.

'A loud bunch, I see.'

"Ah- hehe say Sasagawa-san, can you tell me where the bathroom is? I actually don't feel very well."

"Why the bathroom though? If you'd like I can take you to the clinic." Erika immediately refused the kind offer, shaking her head slightly before assuring her with a forced smile,

"No no, it's okay. I can go there by myself."


"So how did it go, Kyoko?" Sasagawa's best friend, Kurokawa Hana, asked her. Kyoko only frowned, her troubled expression showed that she was probably turned down by Akihise.

"She said she doesn't feel well, I tried to take her to the clinic but… I'm worried Hana-chan, it's her first day."

"Maybe it's anxiety? She's new here after all, she's just probably nervous or something." Hana shrugged, earning a laugh from Yamamoto Takeshi.

"Really? I think she's just too quiet. What do you think, Tsuna?"

Sawada Tsunayoshi, leader of the group, stuttered as he tried to think of a valid reason for Akihise's actions.

"A-ah, I think she was just being shy."

"Really tenth? I think she's boring." Gokudera Hayato spat out, Tsuna uncomfortably shifting at his words before taking a brief glance at Kyoko. He knew how much she wanted to make Akihise feel welcomed here in the school and he didn't want to let her all the more down,

"Gokudera-kun, don't be so mean! Anyway, let's just ask her next time, Kyoko-chan." Tsuna turned to Kyoko, her lips finally curving into a smile at his attempt to cheer her up. His cheeks immediately went pink, scratching his head in a bashful way as he lost himself at Kyoko's glory, before a murderous aura broke the bright atmosphere.

"What are you guys doing? You know well crowding is against my policy." The spine tingling voice seemed to wake Tsuna from his daydreaming, realization finally hitting the young Vongola that they were already gathering in the hallway as they talked about Akihise. Hibari Kyoya glared at the group, Tsuna letting out a squeal as he profusely apologized,

"Sorry Hibari-san! W-we're going now!"

Thankfully, the whole gang managed to run away before the prefect could even take out his tonfas.


Hibari Kyoya's favorite place is the reception room, well basically anywhere as long as it was free from those obnoxious herbivores, and that includes the roof top. It was his territory. And everyone in the school knows it was his. So what was the clueless girl doing here? Right, she was new, so he had to do what he had to do,

"You." He called but not even the slightest movement was made. She was just standing there, looking at the distance as if she was left in a daze. Patience wasn't a virtue of his, Hibari Kyoya didn't like being ignored nor did he like calling someone's attention twice. He walked towards her, tapping her on the shoulder as he neared,

"Shit!" It was a notorious fact that people were intimidated by his status so Hibari always expects a polite greeting from a Namimori student, not a curse to his face, especially when it's done by a pathetic looking herbivore like this one, peace was not even an option.

"Your outburst of profanity is against the school rules."

"Oh hey, it's you- look I'm so sorry, I didn't mean that! It's just- you really surprised me there, haha..."

Erika chuckled before she consciously raised her hands up in defense, she wasn't that dumb. The moment she laid her eyes on the boy, she knew right away that he was a force not to be messed with. There was this dangerous air around him, something malevolent, like a silent yet brooding storm waiting for the perfect time to unleash its rage. Erika never liked storms and she sure as hell doesn't plan on getting caught in one.

Hibari pulled out his tonfas, not even caring if the little girl could handle his blows, he wouldn't just let her walk away after that without any punishment. He believed that it was a form of disrespect, and Hibari Kyoya did not like to be disrespected, he wanted to teach her a lesson is all.

'Yeah teach her a lesson by giving her a beating, yeah that's it.'

"Wait! What are you gonna do with those? Aren't weapons strictly prohibited in the school? Are you even allowed to bring one here? Woah that's sick-"

"You talk too much."

She wasn't really good at stalling but Erika did try her best. The last thing she wanted was to get into a fight on her first day, not that she's been in one before. Also, she was clearly at a disadvantage here since the guy owned fucking tonfas while all she had was a small swiss knife, which she forgot inside her bag back in the classroom.

'Screw this.'

This is abuse! Abuse against women, for stepping outside the boundaries of his authority, against women- honestly in all her life, Erika had never met someone as violent as this guy. Well yes, she is too in a different way but she wouldn't just downright hurt someone without a good reason to. Who voted for this dude to become a committee head anyway? Probably someone insane, maybe the principal was insane. Or maybe he threatened someone for the position or something, yeah that must be it.

Besides, it was just a tiny, little curse. She did it with her friends every time, with her family even, like some sort of joke and they never pulled weapons out of thin air for being offended with her coarse language.

"Fine, hit me."

Out of hundreds of thoughts running loose in her mind, those three just had to come out of her mouth like that. For a moment there, Hibari saw something serious glint in her eyes before it was replaced with disbelief, the girl gasping at what she just said. Hibari smirked at her reaction,

"Oho, you're not afraid of getting hit?"

One can easily tell how weak this girl's body is, surprising him even more because instead of running away, she settled with taunting the most dangerous person in Namimori. It was either she was too brave or too stupid, probably the latter since she clearly had no idea who she was messing with.

"You talk too much, aren't you just going to hit me?" It was too late to take her words back so why not just push him over the edge? It wasn't like it was going to kill her, right? Hibari returned her smug smile with a scowl, did this girl just throw back at him his words awhile ago? This timid looking herbivore? He readied his fighting stance before they were interrupted by the school bell,

"Whoops saved by the bell, bye!"

Erika darted past through him when she saw a small opening and quickly headed for the door. She was fast as a rabbit that Hibari didn't have the chance to strike her, even just a little. He gripped his tonfas tightly, infuriated at the fact that his prey just got away.


"Thanks, Sasagawa-san. I'm fine now though, it was just a little headache."

Erika couldn't believe this- her lame reason earlier helped her get away from Kyoko's little yet rowdy circle of friends but not this time, the teacher for the next subject just had to be absent and now she was surrounded. Great.

"I'm glad, we were so worried about you." Oh Kyoko, Erika was starting to wonder if she was an angel sent by the heavens or what- she was too nice.

"We..?"

"Oh yes! Akihise-san, this is Kurokawa Hana-chan." Kyoko gestured at the black haired girl beside her and Erika bowed a little bit,

"Um, hello Kurokawa-san..."

"No need to be formal, just call me Hana. By the way, are you sure you're okay now?" Kurokawa peered at her to look for any signs of bad symptoms, Erika inching away a bit from her as she says reassuringly,

"I am, thank you for the concern." Erika mentally screamed at herself, like really? Heading to the bathroom because she felt kind of sick? She could've done something better than that ridiculous excuse, it sounded really wrong too. Hopefully they didn't get any funny ideas-

"Haha maybe you're pregnant?" The tallest among the boys, the one with black hair who wore a stupid goofy smile on his face said with a suggestive tone. Erika can't help but blurt out,

"Yeah, and maybe you're the father."

"..."

"..."

"..."

The silence was deafening that Erika wanted to disappear right there and then for making a snarky comeback like that. Her bad habit of making rude comments was starting to show again and sometimes she feels like her mouth needs an imaginary filter. Just as Erika started to dread about her social life, the guy suddenly laughed out loud,

"Hahaha that was a good one! I'm just kidding, Yamamoto Takeshi by the way," Erika cracked a smile as the grinning boy brings his hand forward, okay maybe he wasn't that bad,

"Tenth, are you okay?" The silver head beside Yamamoto asked the brown haired dude, the one covering his mouth trying to stifle his laughter,

"S-she really got you there Yamamoto-kun." Tsuna clears his throat after a few seconds and introduces himself,

"My name's Sawada Tsunayoshi... and this is Gokudera-kun."

Sawada was adorable, Erika noted as she carefully studied them, but the Gokudera guy? Not so much, especially with that intense glare he was giving her, it was like she's done something wrong she wasn't aware of. But yeah, he could pass up as good looking, same with Tsunayoshi and Yamamoto, except Yamamoto was kind of a dummy. Then again, girls' tastes these days ranged from sweet and giant dorks to hot headed bad boys.

"By the way, Akihise-san! We're going to the mall later, do you want to come?"

Kyoko had this tiny glimmer of hope in her eyes, which instantly turned into disappointment when Erika looked away with her head cast down,

"I'm really sorry, I'll have to pass… I have to get home early today. But I promise, next time, okay?"

It was just probably his mind playing tricks on him but Sawada could somehow feel the uneasiness behind Akihise Erika's words, then again he was No Good Tsuna after all, he never trusted his intuition.

Even though it was right most of the time.


"Oh, Erika-chan! I thought you'd be a little late, welcome back!" The old woman greeted as she continued to water the plants outside.

"Um yes, I-"

"So, how did your first day go? Were they kind to you? Did you meet a lot of good people? Oh I'm so sorry, I almost forgot! I can't wait for you to meet my grandson!"

'Terrible. Kinda. Not really. Wait what?'

"Tora, come here for a sec! I want you to meet our lovely guest!" The woman was like a teenager, giggling from excitement as she threw in a lot of questions at her. Her mother never had the time to ask her how her days went by, so it was really nice to have someone who liked to check on her every now and then. It felt… heartwarming, if that's the right term to describe it.

"W-wait, my hair's stuck on something!" Erika heard a short cry from the bushes, a head suddenly popping out from below when she tried to examine them. A man, an attractive one at that, emerged with his clothes completely dirtied and he had a pair of gardening scissors on hand,

"Yo!" His midnight black hair along with those few white streaks looked like a perfect combination, Erika thought to herself as she watched his cerulean eyes seemingly disappear as he grinned at her while his other hand waited for hers,

"This is Tora, my grandson. He helped me bring your stuff in your room during the first week."

"Oh, thank you." Erika finally shakes the hand he had offered, chuckling a little bit at the sight of his messy state. He loomed over her, probably a 5'5 from the looks of it yet all she could feel from him is the nostalgia of being a little kid, even though he looked a lot like your typical delinquent.

"You still have some leaves on your hair you know." Tora softly touches the part where she had pointed before he broke into a fit of light laughs, saying a quick 'thank you' at her kind gesture. Erika could feel her face warm at his adorable smile, averting her eyes from the guy as she abruptly says,

"Thanks again for uh- everything. Nice to meet you."

Tora, sensing her shy demeanor, casually places his hand on top of her head as he tried to ease the growing awkwardness between them,

"No prob, just don't be shy if you need any help alright? See you later then, I hope you enjoy your stay here, Akihise."

"Sure hope I do."


Ever since Reborn came into the picture, Sawada Tsunayoshi has never been more wary about the new people he encountered every day. He almost got killed when he first met Gokudera, same with Lambo and the others, and he didn't want to be caught off guard again. It was like the heavens suddenly thought it was a great idea to fuck up a poor kid's life by sending in a baby hitman from Italy but realized that one wasn't enough, so why not bring in a dozen more mafioso's to ensue bigger chaos?

It's also the reason why Tsuna was rather suspicious of Akihise, the last time they had a transfer student he almost got blown off to bits by dynamites. He remembered back when Gokudera wanted to test his abilities as the next heir to the Vongola family, shouting at him for how greatly unqualified he was,

"Tenth! Good morning!" And yet now here he was, following him around like a lost puppy. Tsuna wasn't really complaining at the sudden change of his attitude, at least he stopped looking at him like he wants to murder the life out of him, unlike what he does to others, especially to Yamamoto. Ah yes, Yamamoto, the one who thinks all of this is just a silly game,

"Morning, Tsuna!" Everyday has been quite eventful for Tsuna ever since Reborn showed up, speaking of which,

"Ciaossu!"

"Reborn! What are you doing here?!"

"Just passing by to see if that cow managed to get his task done." Tsuna's eyes widened when he saw his tutor's playful look- he immediately knew who he was referring to,

"What? Lambo's here?!"

"Sawada-san." Akihise cuts his screams as she handed him a piece of paper,

"Your quiz results from yesterday, they gave it to me by mistake." She pointed out when he gave her a confused look, Erika taking a brief glance at the paper filled with red marks.

'3/20'

Tsuna, suddenly feeling uncomfortable at her eyeing his failure, immediately stuffs the paper in his bag as he scratched his head. He really didn't need another person to know how much of a 'no good' he is not only in class but basically in life as well, but she'll probably find out sooner or later with the continuous teasing in their room. He was starting to think that maybe they didn't really give his paper to her by accident and actually did it on purpose. Erika only smiled at him gently when she noticed his forlorn expression,

"You know Tsuna-san, I used to get 2 out of 10 in my exams, good thing ice cream always helps when you're having a rough day- I'm speaking from experience here. I mean- who doesn't love ice cream, right?"

Was she… actually trying to cheer him up? Tsuna felt grateful at the thought, not everyone would go out of their way to make him feel better and if anything, most of them only make it worse by laughing at him.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of."

Erika finished her rather, in her opinion, lame attempt to lift the boy's spirits up, before her attention finally shifts at the little baby standing on top of Tsuna's desk, her eyes suddenly squinting in suspicion. It was rare to see a tiny kid in a middle school at this time of the day, a kid wearing a suit nonetheless,

'Weird.'

"New classmate?" Reborn asked when the girl turns to him,

"Yes, and you are..?" Erika wasn't really fond of children, especially those loud and whiny brats who think they could have anything in the world if they asked for it- children were a pain in the ass. Of course she wouldn't openly admit that in front of an adult, they may think she's incapable of taking care of one, or worse, accuse her of possible child abuse. She did almost try to hit a younger boy once for being a spoiled little shit, damn kids these days and their lack of manners. If she could, she'd give the parents a piece of her mind for unable to teach their kids basic respect,

"I'm Tsuna's home tutor and the greatest hitman, Reborn." Erika wondered as she tilted her head to the side, why does it sound like a title for an action packed show with some weak ass protagonist in it-

"Wait, hitman?"

"The best in the world." Reborn stated with a straight and completely unreadable face, Erika snorting quietly at the child's wild imagination before snickering at him,

"Right, and I'm the Queen of England, Akihise Erika,"

Tsuna could feel his heart jump out of his chest, did she just mock Reborn? The world's most powerful hitman?! Then again, who would have guessed that a 5 year old baby really is one of the strongest assassins ever, surely he didn't. And what did he get? A bullet to the head on their first meeting,

"Anyways, it's a pleasure Mr. Hitman. See you guys later." Erika said before she hurriedly walked away, off to somewhere to spend her lunch break alone,

"How dare that woman insult Reborn?!"

"Ahaha, she's really funny!"

"Gokudera-kun calm down!"

"No, Tenth! I need to teach her a lesson!"

"Hiie! Yamamoto, stop him!"

The trio quickly went back to their boisterous affairs as usual, too preoccupied with each other to notice the interesting gleam Reborn had in his eyes that followed the exiting girl- the friendly mask she had on her face earlier was now replaced with a blank yet deadly one.