Disclaimer: Characters copyright to Akira Amano and Weekly Shonen Jump.
Extended Summary: Tsuna is the heir to the Vongola, Italy's most powerful mafia family. In this world of organized crime there is no room for sentimentality or mercy when you're staring down the barrel of a gun.

a/n: Hi! Moot here (: Just a little background knowledge before you start reading. Everyone's personality has been tweaked to fit the dark theme, so it's not that they're out of character, it's just they're... in another reality. Also the Arcobaleno's curse is slightly different, so they're not infants, just immortal. Anyway, this is the first time I'm publishing one of my stories online so um... enjoy! Reviews would be great to let me know how I'm doing (:

Fade Into The Blackness

yeah, I could use a dream or a genie or a wish
to go back to the place much simpler than this
- airplanes (b.o.b)

it's an accident when Tsuna meets Reborn. the man was there on a hit and Tsuna kind of wishes he could say he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. but that's not true because he goes to that abandoned lot everyday after school, it's the only place where he doesn't have to listen to all the ridicule.

it's Tsuna's fault for everything, for why his father left, so of course it's his fault the assassin fails his mission. well, almost. Reborn never fails a mission. but it's still Tsuna's fault because there wasn't supposed to be anyone in that abandoned lot. that's why it's abandoned...

it takes a bullet to both of his knees to assure the assassin his silence. he never saw who killed the liquor store owner, no he never saw the man die. his mother never asked, but the doctor did. Tsuna wasn't lying when he said he got caught up with the wrong people.

...

several weeks later the doctor tells him that he's lucky to even be able to walk so he goes to school with a bit of reluctance and a slight limp. there's a metal rod in his left leg and he positive the limp is going to be permanent. some students think it's cool that, he's not sure why, but at least he has a legitimate excuse to sit out of Phys. Ed.

the hype lasts all of 1 and a half weeks and it's back to dame Tsuna. his mother has apparently hired a tutor and it's almost endearing that she cares enough to help him even though it's all his fault. no, Tsuna isn't cynical. he's not in denial either.

and then it turns out that his tutor is the assassin from 2 months ago. he wants to say, think, hope that things can't get worse, but they always do. this is his life after all. as if to prove his point, Reborn says he's a stay-in tutor and even though Tsuna pretty sure those don't exist, he has no room to complain.

literally. Tsuna's sleeping on the couch now.

...

Tsuna finds out the next day that Reborn has absolutely no intention of raising his grades which doesn't really make any sense because he's supposed to be his tutor. but then again Reborn is an assassin, not a tutor so, really, it actually makes all the sense in the world when he finds out the real reason the man is there.

"you have a rare ability that qualifies you for the position of the Vongola's 10th generation boss." then again Tsuna pretty sure this is all just a really bad dream.

[100910] tbc