AU. This was supposed to be a 100 word one shot inspired by the song Lady of the Lake by Heather Dale. I made it much too long. XD Enjoy!~

Adult! R/Fem!27 (Adult Reborn/ Natsume Sawada)

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They amazed each other.

Reborn was one of the most…powerful surprising mysterious, insane people she had ever met.

He was strong, sadistic, quite the actor, territorial, protective and very, very loyal. He had a habit of showing he cared by driving you into the ground and building you back up with insane things that should have been impossible but weren't. If Natsume was honest with herself…he was…everything she needed and while he hadn't been before he had become everything she wanted.

She had been in love with him for a while, but he hadn't seen her, not then.

Natsume…had confused the hit man at first. He could admit that to himself. She had been so…timid and weak and innocent but…there had been a hint of steel in the way she woke up and faced all her problems with a smile and kind heart instead of snapping under all the pressure.

He had seen that hint of steel and he had tempered it.

He had watched as this kind, innocent, timid girl grew wings before his eyes and grew strong…and despite everything she had gone through…this girl was still kind and accepting and loving. And she was oh so very powerful. She had stood up again and again extending her hand out to those who the rest of the world had forsaken- even himself- and even more surprising was that the girl managed to earn the loyalty of those the world thought too dark to be shown anymore light.

Then the curse had lifted and Reborn's eyes had suddenly been opened to the woman that was standing in front of him with a large loving smile and the words "Congratulations Reborn. I promised I would lift your curse didn't I?" spilling from her lips and he had smiled at her and picked her right up off the floor to spin her around.

It had only been the two of them there in that room as Reborn finally, finally after so many long years had been returned to his 22 years of age, so he allowed his student- the woman he had grown so close to over the years – to see exactly how happy this made him. She had laughed as he spun her once and set her on her feet.

Reborn is sure that moment in time as he set her back onto her feet and looked down into warm cinnamon eyes and watched her face light up in joy for him is the moment that he really truly understood how beautiful his student had become. The moment that he realized standing before him was not a little girl named Dame-Natsume but Natsume Sawada the woman that was to become the Vongola Decimo.

It was amazing to look at each other and truly see what the other was and had become.

As the months passed Natsume was left wanting to know more about Reborn, wanting to know everything there was to know, every one of his ten thousand secrets and as those few months passed the first seeds of the relationship to come were planted and nurtured.

Reborn remembered standing there watching as Natsume finally took her place officially as Vongola Decimo. He remembered finding out that she had actually forced everyone to reschedule the Ceremony so Reborn could be there in his Adult Form after he had time to adjust to it, and he remembered thinking she made him a little soft when he had been extremely happy she had waited for him.

What had really stuck out in his mind though was watching her walk up the aisle towards the Ninth as she prepared to take her place as Decimo. He remembered feeling like the breath was knocked out of him and thinking "She looks like a Queen." She had been so achingly beautiful, and Reborn had seen all the men in the Mafia audience realize it.

Over the next two years Reborn watched as Natsume was approached again and again by aspiring suitors while he slipped further and further in love with her. He watched as she turned each of them away.

Eventually he hadn't been able to take it anymore because "Damn it all she was his and they weren't good enough for her!" so Reborn had cornered her outside by the lake and told her "You turn them all away." The way he said it was as if it was all fact with a silent 'Why?' tacked on.

Natsume had answered "They are not who I want. They don't want me they want power and status and a trophy wife." And she had turned to face him standing knee deep in the cool waters.

Reborn could remember being nervous for the first time since the early days of his hit man career and he had asked without a hint of that nervousness. "Natsume…What if I told you I would like a chance with you?"

She had turned the most breathtaking smile he had ever seen on him and she had answered "I would answer 'you may have your chance.'"

Reborn had only paused a few seconds as he realized she had told him 'yes' before he moved forward and slipped into the lake pulling her into his arms and pressing his lips hers completely ignoring that his suit pants were now soaked. He was gentle and sweet, but also passionate and claiming as he kissed her, and Natsume felt her legs fold under her so that Reborn's arm was the only thing holding her up and the two of them could almost swear there was no need for air as they continued that kiss.

When the need to breathe finally won them over they pulled away from each other leaving only their foreheads pressed together and Reborn swore to her "I swear to you Natsume, I will never leave you alone. We will stand together for all of time as you reign over Vongola and I will guide you and treasure you and fight for you and by your side."

And Natsume lifted a hand to his face carefully tracing the planes of his face pulling him close to press her own kiss to his lips whispering "I believe you. And I swear to you Reborn, that for as long as I am able I will stand with you. I will support you when you can no longer support yourself. I will be your light in this dark world, I will cherish you, and I will fight for you and by your side."

And they smiled.

"Finally."

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I've…never really tired anything like this before so…But hey! I tried!