A/N : I got the inspiration for this while re-watching the early episodes of Reborn. So I got to thinking, Tsuna just hangs out with the people that he met after meeting Reborn. Does this mean that he didn't have any friends before that? So this slightly angsty fic came about. Of course, I had to give it a happy ending. Oh, and my first gen fic! W00t!

The school bell rang, signalling the end of a half day's lesson and the start of recess. Tsuna quietly cleared his desk and took out the bento his mother had made. For most of the school, recess was a time to blow off steam and socialize with friends. For Tsuna however, recess was just another segment of time to get through to get to the next segment of the day before school ends and the cycle began again.

To Tsuna, school was just made out of segments of time in which he had to undergo before he can go home. He didn't really care one way or another, but schooling was compulsory up to the end of middle school. Tsuna didn't perform well in lessons because he couldn't understand what the teachers are explaining and was too shy to ask for further guidance, and he wasn't good in sports either because he rarely played. It wasn't that he didn't want to play, but ever since he was young he was picked on by others due to his small size and they rarely asked him to join their games.

Even up till now things are still the same. Tsuna sighed and prepared to stand up. He usually ate on the rooftop since people rarely went there during recess. That way, he can avoid the finger-pointing and whispers of "Dame-Tsuna" that usually followed him everywhere. As he stood up, his table was jostled and his bento fell off the table onto the floor.

"Sorry, Dame-Tsuna!" one of his classmates called out as he rushed to the door. A few others passed by as well and the foot of one connected with the edge of his bento and it skittered further in front.

Tsuna gritted his teeth and got ready to bend over and retrieve his bento when a hand landed on his shoulder. "Those guys…even if the pudding is on limited stock today, it doesn't mean they shouldn't watch where they're going."

Tsuna turned to face the owner of the hand on his shoulder. "Sorry Tsuna, that guy's always clumsy and being in a hurry makes it worse!" Tsuna was treated to a blinding grin as Yamamoto patted his shoulder.

"Hang on, I'll pick that up for you," Yamamoto said as he bent over to pick up the fallen bento. Tsuna could only stare in astounded silence as he watched. Yamamoto Takeshi was one of the most well-liked guys in the school. He was good in sports and was always smiling cheerfully. Before this, Yamamoto had never spoken to Tsuna before, although he sometimes smiled at Tsuna if their eyes met. Someone this popular would never associate with someone on the lowest social ranking like Tsuna. It was like oil and water.

"Here, I hope it wasn't messed up," Yamamoto held the bento out to Tsuna with a gentle smile on his face.

"A-ah, thank you very much. You didn't have to do that…," Tsuna stammered, reaching out for his bento.

"Hahaha! No problem at all! Anytime -- " Yamamoto replied before he was cut off by his friends at the door shouting his name. "Oi! Takeshi! If we don't hurry, all the food will be sold out!"

"Yeah, be right there!" Yamamoto called back to his friends before facing Tsuna again. "It's lucky you've got a lovingly prepared bento, you don't have to face the lunch hour crowd. Well, see you," Yamamoto waved as he jogged off to meet his friends.

Tsuna clutched his bento as he watched Yamamoto and his friends disappear out the door, laughing at something and slapping each other on the back. What would it be like to have close friends like that, Tsuna wondered. He had never had any friends whom he could talk and joke with. Tsuna shook his head slightly, what's the point of wishing for something that could never happen? He was then distracted by a squeal next to him.

"Eh? Kyouko, did that really happen? That's so funny!" one of the girls in the class laughed. A few of them were gathered around Sasagawa Kyouko, the school idol and (secretly) the queen of Tsuna's heart. She was kind and sweet and gentle, and like Yamamoto, was always smiling cheerfully. It was no wonder she was the school's idol.

"Come one, let's go eat," another of the girls said, picking up her bento and making her way towards the door. The rest of the group followed, passing by Tsuna's desk on their way to the exit.

As Kyouko-chan passed by, Tsuna raised his hand, intending to stop her. "Kyou -- " ko-chan. He then clenched his hand, biting his lip as Kyouko-chan passed by, chatting happily with her close friend, Kurokawa Hana. What did he think he was doing? Even if he did stop her, what was he planning to say? Or just stand there gaping like an idiot while she looked at him inquiringly?

God, he really was useless. He wasn't good in studies, bad in athletics and sucked in human relationships. He can't do anything right. It was no wonder they all call him "Dame-Tsuna". He squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fists against the tears that were threatening to spill from his eyes.

And immediately re-opened them at the impact to the side of his head.

"Eh? Where am I?" Tsuna blinked in confusion at the change in setting. He was no longer in the classroom, but staring at a bright blue sky.

"Dame-Tsuna, were you wasting your time day-dreaming?" a voice said from his left. Tsuna immediately sat up, turning to look in the direction of the voice.

"Ah, Reborn! But…how…?" Tsuna asked before trailing off in comprehension. It was a memory of the past.

"Are you done day-dreaming? We're starting without you," Reborn said as he walked off.

"Starting without me…? Ah!" Tsuna cried out when he spotted the party off in the distance. It was spring and the girls decided to have a picnic outside with all their friends. Reborn called it 'undercover training among civilians'. To each his own, Tsuna assumed.

Tsuna looked at the party situated a little away from him, wanting to burn it into his memory. Kyouko-chan, Kurokawa-san, Haru and Bianchi were passing the eating utensils out. Hibari-san was dozing under the shade of a sakura tree slightly away from the rest of the gang, HiBird on his shoulder and some of his committee members fanning him in his sleep. Chrome-chan, Ken-san and Chikusa-san were sitting together in a small group, connected to the main group by Chrome-chan and Haru. Reborn was now in Bianchi's lap, while Lambo and I-Pin were running around play-fighting with their chopsticks. Yamamoto, Onii-san and Gokudera-kun were laughing together. Well, Yamamoto was laughing at least. Gokudera-kun looked mad about something, most probably Yamamoto, and Onii-san looked to be mediating between them.

If Reborn had never shown up, Tsuna would probably still be the "Dame-Tsuna" of yesteryear. He'd never had the courage to do anything and so he had nothing. Even though a lot of weird and scary things happened since he's met Reborn, but he couldn't regret all of the good things that had happened due to meeting Reborn as well. He now had a family. A dysfunctional family, he'd grant you that, but a family nonetheless.

Tsuna looked up at the sound of his name.

"Tsuna, hurry up! I saved a seat for you!" Yamamoto called out, smiling widely as he did so.

"Oi, Jyuudaime'll be sitting next to me, not you!" Gokudera-kun shouted, scowling in Yamamoto's direction. "Jyuudaime, sit over here! I've saved you some sakura mochi!" Gokudera-kun called out with a 180 degree change in personality.

Tsuna laughed out loud, the sound mixing with the rest of the laughter already in the air. "Coming!" he called out as he dusted off his pants. Family, whether blood-related or not, was a good thing to have.

-owari-