As always, I hope you can look past obvious mistakes and all, I really tried my best. xD

Of Hopes And Broken Promises

Reborn was four when he first noticed the numbers on his wrist. Any other kid at his age would have shrugged at the sight, thinking of it as something that was always there, accepting it as a part of themselves, because they weren't aware that these small numbers could change their whole life.

But Reborn wasn't like any other kid. He was quick witted, extraordinary observant, and extremely smart. A genius his mother would praise him as, but even at his young age he didn't care for such trivial matters as his reputation, his name being thrown everywhere with high regards or jealousy of why their kids weren't as smart as Reborn. (That wasn't his real name, and he threw that one away a long time ago.)

So before he went up to his mother to ask he went to the library, because he hated asking others at that age already, yet he found nothing. Absolutely nothing. The librarian would tilt her head stupidly (in his opinion) in confusion as if she didn't understand what the four year old wanted and if he was quite alright in his head.

So he confirmed already that this phenomenon of steadily changing numbers wasn't something publicly known, and he would have to refrain from asking the normal folk.

So he went up to his slightly crazed mother with much reluctance and forced himself to swallow his pride with a grimace. It felt like vomit on his tongue as the words went out.

He, of course, observed her body language to the very inch and prided himself for noticing the slight tensing of her shoulders and the widening of her eyes, before she shut off again. His mother may have been as crazy as she was, but she was also a great actress and no one who knew her would speak an ill word of the beautiful woman. Reborn, of course, knew better and learned soon of her little, or not so little, insane phases where she would get that mad look in her eyes, as if she wanted to hurt or kill something or someone.

"Where did you hear that from?" The icy tone sent chills down his spine, but he refused to show weakness in front of this mad woman, for if he showed the slightest sign fear she would take brutally advantage of it and devastate his mind completely, while wearing that happy sadistic smile on her face and licking her lips as if she could taste his fear, and she found it exquisite. Even if he was her son.

"I heard two men whisper about it, and you know I don't like not knowing something." He couldn't say that he heard two people talk normally about it as if it was a normal occurrence, as he understood that it was something to be kept in the dark. His instinct screamed at him not to reveal his own mark, that his mother would destroy every left piece of sanity he had in him once she found out, that she would take something from him that could maybe even ensure his true happiness and he would be damned to let that cursed witch take also that away from him.

"Aha." She didn't believe him, didn't believe one word, but taking the fact that she didn't pull his right arm to see the mark he either guessed she wouldn't be able to see it, or it could appear anywhere on his body, maybe even both, and he allowed himself to relax in his mind.

"Just that you know, if I start to tell you the tale of those marks, you will have to swear Omerta as you get involved to the secrets of the Mafia." Taking by the glint of her eyes he could tell that she didn't feel sorry for him at all and actually enjoyed that little fact. That her sweet innocent little baby would get dragged into the world of blood, murder, and sins. He snorted on the inside of his mind at that thought. Yeah, he wasn't as innocent as he wished to be thanks to his psychotic mother and it didn't wonder him one bit that she was involved in such shady matters as the mafia.

"Yeah, yeah. Get to the point." She sneered at his sheer disrespect, but refrained the urge to lash her hand out on him. The urge keeps getting stronger and stronger, and she isn't even sure why she still holds back. (Maybe, because there's actually a small, tiny part within her that actually cares for her son, his son, and wants to prepare him for the mafia world, since there's no way out once involved.)

"Those numbers aren't just normal numbers that track the time, nor mathematical equations. Well, maybe they're a little of both." She mused, lost in her own thoughts.

"They are fairly known in the mafia world since people with powerful resolves are able to see them, people with connections as well. They are bound to a factor named 'Flames of the Sky'. I'm not quite sure what those are or what they have anything to do with it, but that's the whole reason why normal people can't see them."

Reborn grew more and more impatient and wanted her to finally get to the point, but he couldn't abstain his curiosity as it spiked from more unfamiliar words he wanted to know about.

'Flames of the Sky? Interesting, truly interesting.'

Reborn blinked at the sneer that sullied the elegant features of his mother into an ugly grimace of- jealousy?

"Okay, they track the time, but not what you'd expect for. It counts the days, months, years until it reaches zero, and the moment those numbers reach their end, there will be a beautiful symbol engraved on the place those numbers were and they hold the name of the most precious treasure you'll ever have in your life."

The young kid stilled in wonder. The most precious treasure he'll ever have? Does she mean money? Or an object of invaluable meaning to him?

"Stop that continuously thinking of yours boy, I hear the gears rattling till here and it disgusts me."

"..."

"Your soulmate. Few have the bless of knowing the second they meet their destined one and have it engraved on their body. Many people think that it is something that you can control, they refuse to believe that there's someone chosen out there for them, and that they can't decide who they want as their lifelong partner, disillusioning themselves into thinking that they have control over their lives, while in fact, they are nothing but a chess figure in this cruel game of Lady Fate. Once you meet your soulmate everything will just fall into its place and the world around you will light up like anything you've ever seen before. I've heard countless stories of those blessed souls, yet many also refused their soulmates in fear of depending on 'strangers'." The sneer engraved itself into her face as the ugly green monster of envy rose its head, but Reborn was too shocked to judge his mother.

"They will never experience true happiness due their cowardliness, running away from the one and only person who'd accept them for who they are and love them despite all their mistakes."

The four year old was completely speechless at the event unfolding in front of him. He witnessed the first time his mother showed him open and genuine feelings without having to hide is behind her mask of elegance and it didn't surprise him that those feelings were storms of regret and grief, clashing against each other, yet bonding into the very core of the madness he saw in her, and he understood.

She found her soulmate, she rejected him out of fear of the unknown, and she got insane in the sheer amount of sadness that engulfed her after that fateful encounter.

And he swore himself to never and up like his mother, to give his soulmate a chance and prayed that his soulmate would give him a chance as well, because with every second, his personal timer dwindled.

OOoooOO

In the end he grew older, the timer came closer to its end, and his mother died. She threw herself in front of him when a gun was pointed at him, the mafia catching up on the two of them. She couldn't allow Reborn to see his father before her, she said shortly before the light left her eyes. She wouldn't be able to look her soulmate in the eyes without shame, if their only proof of love died before her.

The memory of uncovering his mothers story was still deeply carved in his mind, even if he was four year old at that time, and he would never forget the sacrifice she made. (Even if it wasn't much of a sacrifice to her, she wanted to die for a long time anyway, she wanted to see her loved one again.)

Yet he was involved in the mafia already, so he fought his way to the top to survive. He became the world's strongest hitman and would wonder, what poor soul was fated with an evil self as him.

But then 'The Fated Day' happened and Reborn noted with a not so shocking amount of despair, that his timer stopped, the numbers stopped working completely as if they were frozen by Time himself and he wanted to scream, shout, wail in the utter unfairness of it all, but he was used to it, so he simply pulled his fedora down in silence and grieved with his very soul.

'15:32:52' He was so close.

OOoooOO

With every passing day Reborn lost more and more of his will to life. Everyday he would check up on his wrist like a drug addict on his heroin, only to find the stash empty every time he looked. Years passed, he was still the world's best, because he didn't allow himself to be anything else, his pride didn't allow it, but he wondered more than not what it was worth it if he didn't have anything truly to live for. His sadistic tendencies he picked up from his mother would resurface stronger than before with every kill and he felt his being surrounded by pure, thick, vile blackness.

Until the ninth boss of Chiavarone requested for his help, and where Reborn could only first sigh in annoyance at his clumsy student, he couldn't help the growing fondness of the Sky bearer and blamed his flame attributes for it. Although his sadistic glee never ceased, he could at least come in terms with the fact that he felt a little lighter.

OOoooOO

Words of his tutorship spoke around and Vongola Nono himself requested help for a quite troublesome case.

He was to teach a kid who was unfamiliar to the mafia world. A good for nothing kid, who had absolutely no talents whatsoever, and tripped on air. He could feel an irritating sting stir up within, because he knew that it didn't have to be this way.

If Nono wouldn't have messed with the young boys flames, who knows what kind of talents would have shone through, but the uselessness was very much engraved into the boys daily life and it would take years to clear out all the thorns that are in the way of making the kid succeed.

Halfway on the plane Reborn checked his wrist again, more of a routine now than the hope of changing numbers, and expected the very same outcome he had very much carved into his mind. Only to freeze in shock at the new arrangements, the actual change that was happening. He didn't know why, or what made it suddenly start again, but the numbers really dwindled, with every second he got actually closer to meeting his soulmate and Reborn felt an exhilarating rush of euphoria course through him. His legs felt numb in excitement in he couldn't sit still for more than a minute in his shock. For the first time in years, hope shined in his eyes.

'09:24:47'

OOoooOO

Only three hours left until he got to meet his soulmate. And after the rush calmed to a reasonable buzzing, worry crept its way through into his mind. What if his mate didn't want an infant? Was that person even aware? Would he be given a chance, or would he even maybe end up like his mother?

Reborn wasn't known for having insecurities so he pushed those nuisances aside, to think rational.

He'd change his soulmates mind about having an infant as a partner if he had to, he'd make them aware, he would make them give Reborn a chance, even with force if he had to (But not with violence, he'd never dare to hurt his mate), and he would never end up like his mother, because he knew better, he wouldn't let himself fall into that deep pit of madness.

He arrived in front of the Sawada residence and noted without much of a surprise that he had only 15 seconds left until he met them, or in this case him, if his suspicions were true. They always were.

He sat on the tree and waited, to observe his student before actually introducing himself. He wanted to see the boy in his daily life without any unusual interruptions (him) and sat somewhat patiently as his timer finally reached zero, the front door opened and running out was a 14 year old boy with messy brown hair, big innocent eyes filled with panic, and a toast between his cute pink lips.

"Hieeee! I'm late, Hibari-san is going to bite me to death!"

Reborns world shifted at the sight, his heart thumping faster than before and he could feel his cheeks flush up a little bit as life will entered his eyes. He, who was daily surrounded by the most beautiful women and men, was struck by lightning in form of the most gorgeously stunning teenager he ever saw, and he forced himself to calm down from his rush.

He felt a burn on his wrist, and with a silent hiss, he looked to see the messy, yet honest handwriting in a bright, pure orange.

'Sawada Tsunayoshi'

For the first time he was really aware of the power these bond hold and he feared the deity that controlled those with a flick of the wrist. He wasn't able to understand how his mother was able to reject such a feeling, but at the same time, he did, he understood. If Reborn wasn't aware of this phenomenon either, he would've opted with retreating as well, at least until he got in control of the sudden havoc his feeling were at the moment. Such feelings were dangerous and could end two lives while only having to take one, and he understood why soulmates were a tight lipped thing, even in the mafia world.

If you had control over one soulmate, you had control of the other one as well. Simply as that.

Reborn opted of running. He didn't want to involve someone as fascinating as his future student into his dark, bloody life, but he saw no other choice anyway since the boy was already involved the moment they found out his blood heritage.

And he hated it, but loved it at the same time. He hated having to watch his destined one get beat up, ridicule himself and actually be the one causing him his wounds and scars due the harsh training, but he knew also of the boys potential, he saw the bright and pure flames that called out to him, and he knew if he didn't beat up his student to strengthen him, then someone else would and those wouldn't waste a second thought on killing him.

Yet he also loved it, he loved the trusting bond his student and him built, loved to see as the silly puppy crush on the blonde shrunk and would focus on him, even if the boy himself wasn't really aware of it first. He could read the boy since day one like an open book, and found himself more than pleased when he saw the boys reaction on seeing him for the first time. He could still hear the heartbeat picking up a notch to a dangerous speed when they first made eye contact, and his very being hummed in satisfaction.

Mukoro appeared, and Reborn had to keep every muscle manually in place not to twitch at every hit his student endured, until Leon finally, finally spit out the weapon and if he couldn't interfere physically, then at least he could speak him words of encouragement.

The Varia came and Reborn was able to control himself much better around Colonello, but every fiber in his body still screamed at his to not let his second half get hurt. Tsuna won, obviously, yet he didn't want to imagine the future battles his student would have to go through, so he simply pulled his fedora to hide his face again and prayed in silence.

The future was by far one of the absolute worst battles he came across, and hearing about their future selves dying left a terrifying amount of emptiness within Reborn, he failed his other half who only was able to enter his early 20's and carried such a huge burden, that he saw no other choice than having to go against his very own morals and have innocent teenagers fight their fight, and Reborn had to stop himself every time to not fall into despair at those thoughts.

He would never forget the fury in those once pure eyes when Yuni, a little child, had to sacrifice herself for the 'greater good'. He cursed Fate out in that moment, yet he was relived that she didn't have to face her fear alone.

They returned and he could see that Tsuna grew at least five years older mentally since that incident and a part of Reborn died in that moment.

Conflicts still happened, the Simon famiglia appeared and everything went into chaos, Daemon's betrayal was uncovered and Reborn noted with pride as Tsuna, once again, befriended with his ex-enemy and fought side to side with them.

"Revenge that forces Reborn and all the other Arcobaleno to die is wrong! I won't permit it!"

Reborn's heart fluttered and he couldn't quite hide the surprise on his face.

"What will you do, Tsuna?"

The resolve in his eyes surfaced, and he caught a sliver of the legendary leader he'll form his student to.

"I...Isn't it obvious? I won't let you win the war! I'll find another way!" Reborn's heart never fluttered as hard as it did in this moment and despite the danger in front of him, his resolve hardened like never before.

"I'm going to follow Tsuna, negogations are over."

But he saw their strength and his own resolve shrunk more and more when he remembered their mercilessly display of power, and fear crawled up on him at the thought of losing Tsuna.

"Give me back my boss watch."

"I decided to withdraw from the Representative War of Arcobaleno."

His heart thumped more and more in pain as the words left his mouth, and he could feel Tsuna's disbelieving gaze without having to look at him.

His student fought back, something his past self would've never thought of doing, and the hopes within him flickered uselessly. He couldn't let himself fail his student, his soulmate.

Tsuna did become stronger, very much so, but it wasn't enough.

"My mission is to make you into a perfect Vongola Tenth, it makes no sense if you die." Wrong, by now he cared little about Vongola, he just didn't want his student to die, he didn't want his mate to leave him alone in this cold and lonely world, he was too attached already, too depended on Tsuna.

Yet Tsuna fought with his every resolve, and Reborn couldn't help but reach out to the pull of his flames. He waited so long, too long for it to be healthy and he knew that good for nothing student of his noticed the change, noticed the bond forming between them, the warm and lulling melody of their souls uniting. He couldn't him get too distracted from the battles though and kicked him without mercy, filled his mind with other thoughts before of what was going to happen between the two of them from now on, and they won. They actually really won.

Blood was shed, tears were cried, but they made it. Reborn had finally the chance to reveal himself to his student, let their bond flow through them and connect, and for the first time in years, he expressed his true feelings through their bond.

"I already knew, you know. I first noticed the timer on my hipbone when I was five, but I didn't think much of it. When I noticed the numbers changing I'd ask my teachers and my mom, but they would only laugh at me, so I figured it was something that had to be kept a secret. I didn't speak a word of it, and waited until the timer reached zero. I mean, of course I was scared of what would happen to me and if I were to die that day or something, but it wasn't like I had a choice or anything, so I waited. That's when I first saw you, and I felt the change, I felt the bond too when I defied you the first time, Reborn, when you reached out to me for the first time. Sometimes, I can feel the small burn of your name even now."

Relief wasn't the only feeling he felt that day, surprise, that his student was able to hide it, anger, that he actually didn't speak up a word (Although he hid it himself.), so he did what he thought would be the most fitting and kicked his students head.

"That's for making a fool out of me, Dame-Tsuna. I'll teach you what happens when you keep secrets from your soulmate."

"Hiee! That's unfair, Reborn! You kept it a secret yourself, didn't you?!"

He smirked, "I'm an exception, you should know that by now. So, prepare yourself."

"Hieeeee!"

Despite their banter, happiness and delight, were rushing through their bond and a little bit of sadistic glee from Reborn as well, yet they knew they couldn't live without each other already, since day one.

OOoooOO

The End

This actually didn't end as I wanted it to, I had a much sadder version in mind without a happy end (That's why the title is named that way), but halfway through the story and I felt bad for Reborn. xD

I'll probably add another chapter with the alternative ending I originally wanted to do, so I'll try my best. :D