For once, he woke up to his alarm clock. Not to Reborn and his painful version of 'Wake Dame-Tsuna Up', or to Lambo bouncing on him, or even his mom calling him. Shrugging, he figures Reborn probably went elsewhere to do his report to Nono or to his creepy bugs or something. It's strange that the kids aren't running around the house but he's almost late so Tsuna quickly shoves down the breakfast on the table and heads to school.
(He doesn't ponder on why his mom isn't there to greet him morning or how his breakfast got there in the first place if she's not here)
He's on his own today. Yamamoto-kun and Gokudera-kun aren't waiting outside to go to school together. He didn't meet Onii-san on the way neither. Nearing the school gate, nobody calls him Dame-Tsuna. Nobody even gives him a glance, much less a second one. He doesn't see any of his friends either.
(He sees a dark stain on the ground a few feet away from the main building's entry and for some reasons, Tsuna felt his skin crawl seeing it. He jerked his eyes away and ignored it. Out of sight, out of mind.)
Yamamoto-kun is absent today. Gokudera-kun isn't here too. There's a sense of uneasiness in him but Kyoko-chan is the same as always and he can spend the day just admiring her smile. It looks slightly less bright than he remembers but Hana is right beside her. He fears Hana's sharp tongue and doesn't gather enough courage in time to ask Kyoko-chan about it. Class starts and the teachers don't call on him for questions. His classmates haven't once tried to trip him or mock him. Lunchtime was lonely but no one disturbed him. The day was weird without his friends but still good. After all, he doesn't like being bullied.
(Tsuna feels like he's forgetting something though.)
Tsuna haven't seen Hibari anywhere though. He thanks his lucky stars, whichever one is out there for him today. While he heads for the school gate, he doesn't see the boy at the hallway trying and failing to get students to stop crowding there. The boy, part of the Disciplinary Committee, carries no tonfas to 'bite' people, is wearing the DC jacket properly and does not have a confident body language like a predator or someone at the top of the food chain. No one listens when the boy softly ask them to stop, to not litter, loiter and act as proper students of his beloved, proud Namimori Middle.
(There's something wrong. He can feel it. He knows it. But...But...)
There was no one waiting for him at the school gate.
On the way home, Tsuna passed by an electronic store with TVs on display and news playing. He only listens to what it says while he walk pass. It's about a young girl's death in some other country, inciting a big triad war that caused many innocent's deaths.
(If he stayed a bit longer, he would have seen a picture of a very familiar girl with a single braid.)
Home sweet home. Nana welcomes him home. She doesn't ask why his friends aren't with him, like she used to ever since Reborn came into his life. He doesn't mind that much.
Tsuna feels a little lonely in his own room. Where's everyone? Reborn, he could excuse- it's not like he can question Reborn anyway. Yamamoto-kun? Gokudera-kun? Why didn't they wait for him in the morning to at least go to school together? Or let him know they can't make it? They typically do so with such frantic, Tsuna sometimes feels guilty that they would be so upset just being unable to walk to school and home together. That's when he notices. The house… It's… quiet. The house is never quiet unless its night, and even that is not a constant. Where are the kids? Fuuta? I-Pin? Lambo? He haven't seen them all day. They often run around the house making such a ruckus, it's rare he doesn't hear them when his friends aren't creating even more noise. He checks around the house. No one is home. Did his mom went out without telling him? That's unusual. Did she take the kids with her? He doubt he would have miss their loud cheers of excitement. Where are they?
(He doesn't like the feeling in his gut. He think...And he stops.)
Posted on tumblr a year ago. Unlikely to continue. For more details/possible endings, I've submitted on katekyo-hitman-aus under Everything is Right AU tag.