Hello! I decided since my other OC story is T-rated (when I intended to make it M-rated), I'll a new M-rated story. Ironic how this was suppose to be the T-rated one. Anyways, the beginning will focus more so on Tsuna and the Vongola to give perceptive on the setting. I also hope I don't come off as preachy as that is not my intention. (^ㅅ^) Enjoy~
Summary:
What would happen if the gentle sky of the underworld and the arbitrator of the overworld meets? Now, five years later, how will Tsuna change as the true face of the mafia stares into his soul? Will he break into the abyss or will he emerge stronger with his beacon of light? Will the irony of his life pull him backwards or forwards? 5YL. Slight AU. Perspective changes from CC to OC
"Speech/Dialogue"
'Thought'
Warnings: Slight AU, slight OOC, Change in Perspectives, Un-betaed
All credits go to their respected owners.
The world is not one thing. It isn't beautiful nor is it horrifying. It has its moments of clarity in which it collects itself, and the moments in which it falls. Life is a game and yet it isn't.
Do you understand?
The world isn't black, white, or grey. It's everything. All the shades in between, all the invisible colours not to be seen, it just isn't a single thing.
And so is my life. Some may call it heresy, some may call it torn, and some may call it offensive to their very being. But is it wrong to not decide? To try and comprehend all the facts and never choose in fear of being wrong from the opinions of others?
My religion, my race, my gender, my class, my exterior, my interior, my abilities, my flaws, my strengths, and my society all stem from what? Does the blatant differences make me indecisive or accepting of those differences?
Just who am I exactly to me and to you?
It was a bright day in Italy as the vast sky stretched across the land, surveying those under its protection. Clear and not a single cloud in sight, the civilians of the land went about their daily tasks. Workers did their jobs, the children played, the students slacked off, and the adults had riveting conversations.
Like any other normal human being, they went about their business; some doing what they wished, some forced, and some in between. All within their confines that society created, they obeyed the law of the land, made by a higher being, controlled by man.
That is except the underbelly of the world- specifically a young Japanese male full of innocence and naivety. An ironic outcome was to be expected of this sky in the underworld. Even through his toughest trials of loss, confusion, and hopelessness the young boy was still able to stay bright and kind.
Although, if white touches just a small pit of black, would it change? When the young boy sees the world full of murder, rape, trafficking, experimentation, addictions, and seduction, will he change? Will he break down? Or will he get stronger? Will he be able to overcome it like his other trials?
The young to-be Don of the Vongola family sat at his desk, readying himself for the harsh day to come. The one named Sawada Tsunayoshi held a slick ink pen in his hand, the nib silkily gliding across the papers as he signed documents.
Puberty didn't just hit Tsuna, no, it fired a fucking heat-seeking missile at him. His voice and demeanor became calmer but still held his jumpiness at stressful times. He grew up almost as tall as his male guardians (his petit structure was one trait in which he wished he didn't get from his mother) and had gotten a much toner body with years of training. Not to mention he lost his 'Dame-ness' with the help of his tutor, Reborn. No longer did he have his baby fat, but he still had some child-like innocence attached to him.
His eyes narrowed through time and the faintest of crease between his brows grew- no doubt thanks to his destructive guardians. However he still held large eyes full of kindness and forgiveness. He was a sky after all. But, even five years later since his biggest challenge, freeing his Arcobaleno friends from their curse, he has still yet to meet the true face of the mafia.
Tsuna held his pen tighter and tighter as his grip was starting to loosen and his wrists started to send painful stings to him. His eyes and hands twitched, as he signed his signature on each documents full of trade information, approvals he needed to look over, and renewals for alliances. After finally signing the last contract for the morning, he sighed in relief and put the pen back in its carrier.
He relaxed his arms and stretched, hearing satisfying pops. He took a deep breath in and let it out slowly as he leaned on his chair. He looked out the twin glass windows next to him and stared into the horizon. A wave of nostalgia swept through him as he wished he was outside, goofing off like his younger days. But atlas that wasn't possible anymore.
Responsibilities of the famiglia came before his own comfort. Sometimes he wished he could just abandon all this duties, even better, finally destroy the vile mafia as the Neo Vongola Primo. It wasn't that he wasn't appreciative of the power he held; no he was more than thankful.
He was staying at one of the central Vongola headquarters with his friends and guardians in Venice, Italy. His room and office was both modern but still held some respects for the first and second generation Vongolas' Old Italian style. His meals were perfection, although nothing could even begin to compare with his mother's cooking. Not to mention the good servants that catered to his every will (although he was still uneasy about so many people pampering him).
But the problem lied in the reason why he could afford such things. His status. Both a blessing and a curse, either way he still had an image to maintain.
To his friends he was still their kind and inviting sky even through the times. To his enemies he was a young powerhouse don who was too naïve and forgiving. And perfect to take advantage of. But the stronger famiglias fearfully knew that if the thought even reached their minds, they whole family will be hunted and executed. However despite the underworld's rumours, Tsuna still refused to kill, to bribe, and to steal. He promised to destroy the current mafia and he would do so.
Or so he thought.
"Juudaime?"
Tsuna snapped out of his daze and stared at his storm and long time friend, Gokudera Hayato, whom he finally calls by his first name.
"Hello Hayato-kun," he said smiling. The sight of his family always made him smile, no matter how much property damage they caused- or at least on the inside. "I'm glad you're alright."
"Yes Juudaime!" he replied happily, "Everything went exactly as planned! Here you go Juudaime, the mission report."
'And yet another thing I have to look over,' thought Tsuna tiredly as he took the stacks of paper off of Gokudera's hands.
He felt the weight of the papers in his hands as looked at the sheer amount of papers he held in his hands. "Hayato-kun?"
"Yes Juudaime?"
"I told you, you don't need to write this much." Tsuna quickly skimmed the report stock full of detailed information.
Like he expected from his most analogical friend, he didn't miss a single thing in his report. From the detailed layout of the mansion to the meals served, Tsuna even found pages containing what kind of suit the other mafia don wore.
"I apologize!" Gokudera said guiltily. But guilt quickly turned into resolve. "I promise to revise a better version for you this instant!"
Tsuna shook his head as he thought back on how much his friend has stayed the same. He defiantly became much more mature, but not as much as his ten years later self. He still held everything he said to heart and was still a puppy, however at least he doesn't offer to end his life anymore…
"It's alright Hayato-kun. Please stop bowing. I thought we were over this phase already."
Gokudera smiled. "As expected of Juudaime, so kind!"
Tsuna gave an amused chuckle as he caught up with his friend. It was about a month since he last saw him because Gokudera had a trade mission with the biggest mafia in South Korea. They were one of the most famous exporters of technology and were one the most secretive famiglias in the world besides the Vongola.
The mission was going well and he was expected to come back within two weeks since he was deployed, but the don of the syndicate was targeted by another famiglia. Thus, Gokudera volunteered to stay behind (much to Tsuna's protest) to aid in the protection in the hopes of an alliance.
As they were talking, a familiar laugh followed by an extreme cheer rang through the halls. Gokudera scowled lightly knowing who they were as Tsuna just quietly chuckled at his friend's usual behavior.
The door to Tsuna's office flung open as two tall figures stood in front of it. One was his other long time friend, Yamamoto Takeshi. Like his younger self, he never lost his smile. But more like his ten years later self, he matured and got even more teasing towards Gokudera with his antics. But no fight ever got too serious as he knew the fine line between teasing and hurting- like a rain should.
"Yo! Hayato I heard you were back!" Yamamoto greeted happily.
Gokudera retaliated angrily. "Shut up, Yamamoto! And how many damn times did I tell you to stop calling me by my first name!?"
"Aww… A month later and you still haven't called me by my first name!" Yamamoto said laughing.
"THAT'S EXTREMELY RIGHT! REAL MEN CALL EACH OTHER WITH THEIR TRUE NAMES! WE DON'T HIDE WE GO STRAIGHT!"
Of course, you could never forget Sagasawa Ryohei, the gracious sun of the family. Although notably much quieter (and smarter), the sun never dimmed once throughout the years.
"Shut up Sagasawa! Control your fucking volume! Juudaime is tired!"
Tsuna rubbed his temples not even trying to break up the fight. 'Hayato yet your volume…'
"Maa, maa Hayato. Why don't we all get along, ne?" Yamamoto said as he swung his arms around Gokudera's shoulders. In which the other party scowled in distaste.
"You're doing this on purpose aren't you cocky bastard!?"
"OI! HAYATO! LET'S SETTLE IT WITH SOME EXTREME SPARRING!" Ryohei said, balling his fists and his eyes shimmering in the prospects of a 'friendly' spar.
Blinded by the two annoyances, Gokudera agreed, pulling his dynamites out. "Bring it on Sagasawa! Then maybe you'll shut that damn loud mouth of yours!"
Unnoticed by the three, Tsuna had already left his office knowing full well the fight was unavoidable. Honestly there was no point in trying to salvage anything. He tried countless times but there wasn't a single insistence where he was able to stop them without collateral damage. At least this way he can punish them all later and he can leave without his heart being torn to shreds like his furniture (and the entire section of the mansion). Though either way, he'll get another painful 'lesson' with Reborn for not 'controlling his family like a proper boss should.'
Tsuna roamed the hallways with no particular destination in sight. He passed by the servants giving him a respectful bow as he smiled gently back at them. He wanted to talk and catch up with his family, sure, but not without insurance.
So until then, he needed some time alone. For once, with the morning paperwork finished for now, he was free to do whatever he wanted until noon.
So Tsuna decided it was high time to go outside and embrace the beautiful and rich cultures of Italy. Why? Because he haven't even stepped a single foot out of the mansion in the time he was here and he was slowly starting to go stir-crazy.
So he took his necessities and put on his disguise. A bleached blonde dye was applied to his hair as he took fake prescription glasses with thick frames and put them on. He changed out of his slick black suit and changed into more modern clothing- although, it was still bullet-proof and had many pockets for weapons.
For once Tsuna felt like Hibari, able to pull weapons out of thin air. The clothing even had cloth fibre wiring attached to so it would get through any metal detectors and go over any signals from the enemy (courteous of Spanner and Shoichi). No precautions should be looked over as mere speculation after all.
He put his gloves in his slightly loose pants and stashed all his perishable gear into his bullet-proof backpack. He attached all his rings on the Mammon chain hung it around his neck below his white shirt.
Being able to control his flames without pills now, he didn't need Spanner's contact lenses, but Tsuna preferred to have them on. Not only did it help and reassure him, it was also a gift his friend gave him so there was no way he'll not use it. Even the crayon doodled picture Lambo gave him as a present last year was hung in his room (he awarded Lambo 60 points for effort, not skill).
After checking himself in the mirror one more time, he smiled at his handiwork. After all, one of the first things Reborn taught him after he moved to Italy was about good disguises. Of course his weren't nearly as good as Reborn's but he was able to get a passing mark from him- which is more than he'll ever get.
He silently, utilizing his hyper intuition, avoided all the cameras and security to sneak out of the Vongola mansion. If his guardians knew that he went outside without a guard to protect him, he was sure Gokudera at the very least, would cry because he wasn't competent enough. But if he were to tell them, then they would want to tag along as Tsuna is incapable of saying no (as per Fuuta's rankings). And that would lead him to paying off the entire town for the destruction that his guardians would've caused, and no one wants that situation again.
When he arrived in one of the closest towns to the Vongola mansion, he didn't feel anyone chase him. But of course, like he expected, he saw many people looking his way. He merely smiled back at them.
The townsfolk were enamored by his charms, from his innocent smile to his down-right gorgeous figure. Many stopped their daily tasks to get a glimpse of the man. There were even some whispers about how they were determined to have their bones buried in this very land. But of course being as oblivious as he was, Tsuna thought the attention he was drawing was only because he looked like a foreigner (which to their credit, he was).
In no time, a swarm of people not-so-subtly crowded around him. Tsuna felt squished and suffocated as he kept his gentleman persona. These were one of the few times where he could sympathize with his aloof Cloud guardian, Hibari. Feeling evil intent in the air, he quickly weaved his way out of the crowd hoping that no has noticed. And thankfully, no one did. He wouldn't be the student of the World's Greatest Hitman if he couldn't. Besides, Reborn would've killed him if he found out he couldn't escape some nosy civilians.
However, since Tsuna has never been through the town before, he let his hyper intuition guide him. Over five years of training later he finally learned to embrace his linage instead of constantly denying it. He didn't know where his intuition would lead him, but he could sense something pulling him into that direction. He didn't know why, but his senses sure did.
Going through the narrow streets and maze-like alleyways, he arrived at his destination. Then he surprisingly realized that he was walking for over three hours. Having not used to walking for such a long time in quite a while, his legs gave in.
'Reborn is going to kill me if he finds out that I've been slacking in my training,' he thought.
Although he had training and sparred with his guardians regularly when time allowed, nowadays his life was more diplomatically focused and he rarely had the time to go out. And besides, without Reborn he trained in speed and power not endurance.
He tried to go back, but the labyrinth that was the Venetian city prevented him. Not to mention that for some reason his hyper intuition only led him to the same exact place. He gave up trying to battle his instincts and followed it until he reached the edge of the land.
From here, he could see almost the entire city. The plane was flat, but from where he was located, it was at a higher elevation than the rest of Venice.
After his hyper intuition stopped bugging him, he went to a nearby café and got a cup of java. Being with Reborn for so long, his love of coffee definitely rubbed off on him, especially during those harsher nights with too much paperwork.
After the waitress gave him his cup, he smiled and thanked her. She immediately swooned but Tsuna didn't notice and went to get his seat in a semi-private room. This café was perfect, everyone was in their own little world and he didn't have others bothering him at his moment of peace.
He relaxed in his seat taking in his environment. The café was quite small and isolated from the rest of town but had an incredible view of the nature's sky. The theme of this café was quite odd as it was entirely monochrome, yet was painted in an elegant aura. The café's decorations were straight and to the point, having distinctive lines between each shades and shapes.
In here, he felt as if could blend into normal society without thinking of Spartan tutors, the mafia, or paperwork.
Simplicity.
He relaxed, humming in contentment on the cushioned seat as he let the warmth of the coffee circulate throughout his body. The enticing scent was enough to make him fall asleep, but of course he was in public with no one to take care of him. He closed his eyes, letting the silky wave of steam kiss his lips.
He took a small sip, surprised that the coffee was still at the perfect temperature. The taste was mostly bitter but had a subtle sweetness to it. He smiled as he graciously drank the whole cup.
It was then that Tsuna contemplated if he should invite Reborn here. On one hand, the un-cursed Hitman was his friend and ironically the closest thing he had to a father figure. On the other hand, if he was to introduce anyone of his friends about this café, he wouldn't have that quiet time he so rightfully deserved. Not to mention this café would be blown to bits from the aftermath of his guardian's fights.
He chose the latter and ordered another cup of coffee from the cashier. Receiving his second cup, he happily returned to his seat. That is until an angry man pushed who seemed to be his girlfriend and accidentally spilled his coffee all over her.
The entire section of the café took a look at the commotion but turned back to their own little world after they saw what they wanted.
Tsuna immediately rushed in and helped. Dabbing the burning liquid off her reddening skin with a paper napkin. "I apologize! I didn't mean to-"
The woman shook her head as liquid dripped off her face. "It's not your fault. Now if you'll excuse me…"
She quickly left to the café bathroom as a trail of coffee followed her. Tsuna cursed his luck and turned to the shocked assumed to-be boyfriend.
"Don't you think you need to check on your lady?" Tsuna said concerned. He was about to apologize to him until he heard the man's reply.
"Che. Like I need to check on that whore. She's better off getting pity from strangers than someone such as I."
Tsuna couldn't believe his ears. It certainly wasn't his first time hearing the word (no doubt thanks to Xanxus or Gokudera), but people in public usually watched what they said (though his guardians begged to differ). So to have someone so negatively blunt was eye-opening.
"I don't know what she did, but calling someone a… whore isn't very cordial. Especially in a public setting."
Even using the word made his mouth feel dirty. Public humiliation was defiantly Tsuna's worst nightmare and one thing that he had absolutely no tolerance or mercy for. Having experienced it himself numerous times in the past, he couldn't stand for anyone who committed it.
"Look kid. Just get out of my way. I'm leaving," he said pushing Tsuna with his shoulder.
"But-"
"Tell her to pay the bill with her filthy whore money."
With that said, the man left the café as the area turned silent. An uncomfortable annoyance bubbled up inside him as he thought of the rudeness of the man. Nevertheless, he shook off the feeling for now and walked towards the front.
Tsuna went up to the store manager and apologized for the mess on the behalf of the woman and the rude man. The store manager was defiantly not ecstatic, but he nevertheless said he'll take care of the mess. Including a new cup for him in compensation for his old one.
Tsuna thanked the man and got his cup, returning to his seat. As he took a sip, he looked in the direction of the restrooms and had gotten worried for the lady. He walked up to the women's bathroom and knocked on the door that read, 'occupied.'
Tsuna cleared his throat and knocked again. "E-Excuse me? Are you alright? Do you require anything?"
There was no reply but he could hear the sound of rushing water. He furred his brows as he leaned next to the door. He crossed his arms and waited until he heard the water stop.
He got off the wall and knocked on the door again. "Excuse me? Are you alright?"
He heard footsteps as the lady on the other side replied. "Yes, I'm quite alright." Her voice was muffled by the door and echoed.
"Do you require anything? I could go get them for you if you'd like."
"N-No thank you…"
"You got burned didn't you?"
"Well, yes but it's alright, they don't hurt anymore."
Tsuna sighed. He had expert knowledge on burns from his family. "Please stay here, I'll be back in a moment. Also if you did get burned, keep applying cold water to the area. It may not hurt now, but it'll come back as a blister or worse. I'll be back."
Tsuna got all his things and rushed out of the café using subtle flames to accelerate him. Heading towards the nearest clothing store, he purchased a large tunic and a skirt with a leather belt. Since he didn't know her exact size, these baggy, adjustable clothes were the best options. How does the great mafia don know so much? Easy. Reborn and endless cosplay rants from Haru.
Honestly, Tsuna questioned himself. He knew that he wasn't a person to leave a helpless person stranded, but to think he would go to these lengths for a complete stranger. But since his hyper intuition suggested it, he gladly followed.
He rushed back to the café, all within ten minutes and ran to the bathroom door that read, 'occupied. '
He heard the sounds of soft running water but was unsure if she was still there so he knocked. "E-Excuse me?"
The sound disappeared. "O-Oh? You're back," she said from the other side.
"Yes, do you mind if you open the door?"
"I-I can't." Tsuna can hear the embarrassment in her voice. "I'm not the most presentable right now. If you know what I 'm implying."
Tsuna guessed what she was trying to say. "If you're worried about catching a cold, I've gotten you new clothing. So please open the door."
"…I'll open up just a little but please don't peek. I'm not clothed much right now."
If this was his younger self, he definitely would've passed out by now. Instead the faintest of red dusted his cheeks. "I-I'm aware."
The door opened and through the small silver, he passed the white store bag to her as she graciously accepted.
Tsuna went back to his seat and waited until the girl came out. He nervously tapped the counter hoping that she'll be fine.
After what seemed to be about 15 minutes, the girl came out wearing the brand new clothes. When he saw her looking around, he waved his hand smiled. She walked his way and sat down across him.
"I'm sure you need medication. That was fresh coffee I spilled on you," Tsuna said, his voice laced in concern.
She shook her head and puffed her clothes for emphasis. "No it isn't your fault. I know that wearing drenched heated clothes over a burn is bad so I'm grateful for these. Thank you."
Tsuna smiled but could sense her suspicion. He ordered two cups of coffee for the both of them in an attempt to calm her nerves.
"No problem, as a friend of mine would say, that was extremely rude!" He puffed out his chest and wrinkled his forehead like Ryohei except his voice was much more pleasant to the ears.
She finally cracked a smile, but Tsuna could still see her stiff posture. "If I may, why did that man do that?"
She glanced away slightly and sighed. "Difference of opinions."
Tsuna was dumbfounded. "E-Excuse me?" He blinked several times and gave her thoughtful look. "If you'd like to talk about it, I'm more than willing to listen."
If Tsuna was completely honest, he utilized his sky flames to keep her at ease.
The girl was no doubt surprised that such a man existed. In a place where everything was so monochrome, he managed blend the colours together. And somehow she instantly released all her nerves and gave a bitter smile of trust.
She sipped her hot drink and let the steam run over her skin. "My boyf- well, ex-boyfriend asked me what I thought about nations starting to legalize homosexuality for gender equality. Please don't ask why, we both have degrees in law so political debates are our favourite subject to talk about."
"Oh, I-I see…?"
Her sadness slowly turned into a nonchalant tone with underlining hints of annoyance. "We both had our differences but I guess close-minded conservative thinking was his opinion and mine didn't agree with him. Even though like him, I don't exactly favour the prospects of gay marriage, I told him that people who do agree with the thought are completely fine. They are entitled to their own opinion like his or mine."
She let out a bitter snort. "Then he called me a heretic and accused me of being unfaithful with my friends- who are girls by the way. Then his logic turned me into a cheating lesbian to a cheating whore. He said that the only people who think like me are the ones disguising their sins. I called out his bullshit stating that people who are pro-same sex marriage are humans and have their own opinions. As well as me understanding both points of view are crucial to coming to a final verdict. I wanted to understand both sides and he wanted to separate them."
Tsuna kept a calm demeanor (thanks to years of Reborn's mafia etiquette lessons), but on the inside he was nervous and fidgeting. Never had he experienced a personality likes her's. Most of his companions never talked and would destroy anything in sight when they were ticked off. Needless to say, he associated with the most eccentric people on the planet. So meeting someone who was socially logical and willing to talk was refreshing yet quiet nerve-wrecking.
'This is a civilian. A person not associated with the mafia… It's been so long. I wonder if all normal people talk their problems out instead of trying to bash the other's brains to assert dominance.'
Tsuna nodded as she continued to talk about her way of thinking. Not only did she express all her thoughts without hesitation, she was also a walking contradiction like him. Both of them choose to balance themselves on the middle of the coin, even when one side would try and tip them over.
Not to mention, he learned of her very… blunt opinions, but also her gentle understanding for the opposing side of her arguments. She had her own thoughts and beliefs she stood up for and would refuse to stand any lower. Yet, she would take the other parties' opinions into thoughtful consideration.
From what he'd observed, she stood in the middle of the spectrum- sometimes leaning towards one side more than the other, but never completely.
She, a person who would rather stick to her own morals even if her own opinion decided against it and Tsuna, who was the don of a mafia famiglia, but refused to continue in their immoral ways. Both were a contradiction to their own opinions, society, and environment.
As she finished her story, she raised a brow. "By the way, why would someone like you talk to me in a place like this?"
Tsuna was confused. "Someone like me?" Was he that unappealing?
"I meant why someone with a colourful personality like yours would would come to a one-tone café like this and help a stranger."
Tsuna still didn't understand. What was so weird about helping someone who needed help? "I still don't understand…? What part of me do you think I'm flawed?"
"I don't know if you're cocky, stupid, naïve, or modest." She placed her cup back on the counter and sighed. "I'm not talking about a flaw, everyone has those. I meant that it's a natural and normal reaction for humans to avoid any forms of confrontation. It's normal human behavior. Especially in this day and age where we're so humanly disconnected. Though, I do understand why. In a place where the walls are painted in only one colour, you repainted them and create a latter. You managed to disrupt the stationary societal peace."
Tsuna flinched for a second, suddenly his Cloud guardian flashing before his eyes. He rubbed his eyelids, and smiled nervously. "I hope that's not offensive in way."
She chuckled through her nose. "No it isn't. Quite the feat actually. Meeting someone with respectable mannerisms and thought is so rare nowadays."
Tsuna nodded in content agreement as he finished his fourth cup. With all the chaos in his life, even the nicer people he's met were crazy in some way or another. Take Sagasawa Kyoko, his first crush, for example.
Understanding and gentle, she was and still is a kind and beautiful soul- a part in which he found very attractive. But like his own mother, she was extremely oblivious to a point where it actually affected her reasoning and thought process. Seriously, a normal infant does not carry firearms and admit to associating with the mafia!
"By the way, I notice you've been blinking a lot. Are your glasses prescription dated?"
Tsuna was surprised at her observational eye. "I guess you can say that. My eyesight is very poor so I need them at all times. I just didn't have enough time to get new pairs."
Tsuna felt absolutely horrible lying to his potentially new friend, but knew that his story wasn't worth her risking her life. He's already talked with her- which if anyone from the underground world ever found out, she would be in grave danger.
"Why?"
"I'm so busy nowadays. The only time I relax is during sleep and sometimes I don't even have the luxury of that. Actually, I've spent about a year here and I've never once stepped outside without prior engagements or meetings before."
"I see, so you're escaping your responsibilities." She smirked, giving a teasing eye to Tsuna.
He gave a nervous hum as he drank from his cup. "A normal human behavior right?"
The rest of the afternoon was spent as the two talked about their lives. Tsuna talked -more like complained- about his destructive family and the responsibilities he had to take, of course skillfully leaving out the part of him seating at the pinnacle of the mafia.
"-and just this morning he wrote over two hundred pages for his report."
She gave a small laugh. "So the one with the cat actually that stupid?" she replied jokingly.
Tsuna shook his head. "No, actually he's one of the smartest people I know of. But more like he very overprotective of me. Although I do appreciate it, I wish he would value other things more."
"What about the rest of your family?"
"I have a ten year old brother and he's quite annoying. Although I love him regardless, sometimes his pranks initiate the fight."
"You basically have a regular child on your hands. Children are suppose to be annoying little brats. But isn't that their charm?"
Tsuna tiredly sighed in agreement. "I agree."
"So any others?"
"Well, I do have an extremely energetic sempai; ah excuse me, which means senior." He saw her nod. "Although his voice has gotten considerably quieter than the first time I met him, my eardrums can still hear the vibrations of his shouts."
"So I'm guessing he pretty much brightens and tires anyone near him?"
He snorted. "Like the sun."
"He seems… interesting? For a lack of a better word, I'll say he's quite amusing."
"But someone who does brighten someone's day is my other friend. He's very loyal, although not in the same way as my other friend. He's always smiling, cheering anyone up, but sometimes his simplistic outlook on life makes him…"
"…logically disabled?"
Tsuna sweat dropped. "For the lack of a better term, yes. But his view on life doesn't even compare to my other sempai."
"Oh? Is he an idiot as well?"
"No, and if he ever caught you saying that, he won't hesitate to hurt the both us."
"He won't get a lady like with that attitude."
"We've all speculated that he reproduces asexually. He refuses to bow down to anyone, less tie himself down. He lives off the food chain logic, placing himself at the very top. Though understandable for his strength, it's ironic because his name means Skylark."
"Perhaps that's why he pushes these aggressive actions towards others. A herbivore can easily turn into a carnivore through time. Like how an innocent baby can grow into murder, the notion that 'change' is obsolete in untrue."
Tsuna thought about for a while. While it may be true that Hibari Kyoya has mellowed out, he definitely wasn't any less violent. So perhaps it is true that Hibari suffered a harsh past and his way of coping with the uncertainty was to become the top dog. He was sure no one, leave a few, knew of his Cloud guardian's past. So her theory was defiantly plausible.
Though, he'll never speak of this conversation outside of this café ever in the fear of being bitten to death.
She smiled as he ordered a cup of coffee. "Anyways, your family members sure are… odd."
"Honestly I haven't even got to the weirdest, well creepiest one yet."
Tsuna saw her eyes glimmer in excitement. "Do tell, do tell."
"This one is sworn enemies with the Skylark. If they even managed to get a glimpse of each other, no doubt a fight will break out. The last time they fought in one of our family reunions, a whole section of our home was destroyed."
She blinked several times. "Destroyed? What did they have? Dynamite?"
'If only you knew… Hayato-kun definitely contributed to the fight,' Tsuna thought, miserably thinking back on last year's Vongola guardian meeting.
"So who is this mysterious person who angered the little birdie so much?"
"Please let those words never leave your lips again. I worry for your health."
She chuckled as Tsuna went on. "Anyways, he's someone who doesn't hesitate to use underhanded means to obtain his goal. But he came from a place where love was non-existent. He definitely has gotten better though."
"So he's a loner?"
"No, that would be the Skylark. He has his own group of friends who I'm sure he genuinely cares about. Heck, even one of my other friends has her hair in a pineapple haircut just like him."
"P-Pineapple?" Her shoulders shook as she held her sides. "How can you take anyone seriously looking like that? Oh my lord, next thing you're going to say he's psychopathic one."
"Well… hopefully not. He has said on numerous occasions that he'll take over my body-" Tsuna stopped talking as he realized he was talking a bit too much. He looked up at her as she had a surprised look and a faint blush on her face.
After a long silence, she spoke carefully. "Well, I'm not one to judge others but… If he's forcing you to do anything painful, kick him in his baby maker."
Tsuna realized what she was implying and was overcome by a furious blush. "W-Wait! I meant-"
"-Make sure you use your knees, it covers more ground," she said seriously.
"P-Please! T-That's not what I meant! It's nothing like that!" Tsuna stuttered as if his fourteen year old self came flying back.
"And if still continues-"
"THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT!" Tsuna yelled standing up, startling the whole café. He apologized and quickly ducked his head back in.
She laughed at his fighting blush, in which lost to. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I knew what you meant."
"W-Why do you do this…" Tsuna replied with his ears red.
She smiled and replied, "It's what I do. So tell me about this friend of yours."
Tsuna couldn't look her in the eye, but continued. "He has a generous heart, egotistical, but a generous heart. And I trust him and his friends as much as anyone else in my family."
"So the he's the outcome of his environment right?"
Tsuna nodded. So far, she managed to understand his point of view but not come off as rude or insensitive. Although except for that misunderstanding with Mukuro, (though it was his fault to begin with). She also held a great deal of understanding of psychology and judgment.
He had to admit, with her observational skills and logic; she can easily make a great Mafioso.
'Let's hope Reborn never finds her,' he thought, 'that's right I haven't talked about Reborn yet. I hope he isn't listening because I'm dead if he finds out. Wait, I sneaked out… I'm dead either way.'
Tsuna felt a cold chill pass by him as he looked behind him. When he sensed nothing there, he faced back to his conversation. "I also used to have a home-tutor, now my most trusted advisor."
"Let me guess? He's a sadistic Spartan?"
"H-How did you know?" Tsuna wondered briefly for a moment if this person had mind reading powers, or Hitman intuition like Reborn. Then pushed the thought aside remembering he wasn't in the mafia right now. He was outside.
"Guessed as much. From your track record, you seem to attract the weirdest people on the planet."
Tsuna sighed in exhaustion. "All very true. I think aside from one of my very best friends, everyone has their own little quirks." A small smile stretched on his lips. "I love them all and I would do anything for them. Sometimes we get on each other's nerves, but I can't even begin to imagine a world without them."
'Good, you're someone who deserves all those people in your life,' she thought.
"By the way everyone except for that girl you mentioned last was a boy."
Tsuna looked up at her, coffee in hand. "Yes? Where are you going with this?"
"Well…"
"Yes?"
"…Your mom must have been really trying for that girl."
Tsuna spilled his drink as he coughed rapidly. He got a napkin and wiped his mouth. "W-What are you talking about?"
"Well, you do have an incredible amount of brothers and a younger sister at the end."
"W-We're aren't related by blood. None of us are." Tsuna felt his stutter come back.
"Oh shit. Sorry."
"N-No, it's okay but why did you assume…?"
"You called them your family."
"I also called them my friends."
"I assumed you were both."
"So tell me about yourself," Tsuna said, desperately trying to change the subject, "I've talked so much about me, now tell me about you. Only if you're willing of course!"
She chuckled at his cute and polite behavior and talked about, in her words, her 'mundane life.' She was a university graduate who had a master's degree in international criminal law. He also learned that she was interning at a nearby law office in the hopes of one day becoming a lawyer of justice.
"A lawyer of justice?" Tsuna said as he snickered quietly. It sounded like something he would say when he was five years old and wanted to become a giant robot. "That's so cheesy."
She stuck her tongue out and gave a heartfelt scowl, "Call me what you want, but there isn't enough people who would stick up to their moral beliefs. Most of them stick true with their greedy desires."
Tsuna agreed, being a mafia boss, he had to meet other famiglias as well and almost all of them greedy and power-hungry. Using whatever they could, even resorting to using innocent children, to obtain their selfish agendas. Ironic how they wished for an alliance when that sort of mindset was the exactly the kind of mafia he wished to destroy.
"I completely agree. But, really? A lawyer of justice? You sound like you came from a cheesy 1980s superhero film," Tsuna teased.
"Oh fuck you," she said sarcastically, "besides I did not get that from a superhero film. That would be retarded. I got it off a Nintendo ds game."
Tsuna choked on his coffee and bit the inside of his cheeks, trying to contain his laughter. When he saw her glare at him, which looked as scary as a corgi puppy, he couldn't hold it in anymore and busted out laughing.
She pouted. "Oh, piss off you cinnamon roll! It was a great game! That was my childhood right there!"
They both laughed as Tsuna ordered a round of coffee for them to enjoy. They started to talk about their lives, past, and relationships as their time was spent rather peacefully- full of sarcastic remarks and laughter. The evening quickly shifted to night as the café owner escorted them out of the premises.
Both of them stared the moon hung in the night sky as some clouds drifted on it. From there, they could see the land. The water reflecting the sky as the lights of the city glistened against the clear canals.
The light from each building merged together as time felt slower, magical even. Tsuna, having this experience for the first time felt his heart bubble in excitement. He wasn't confined in a room full of paper and the smell of ink, he wasn't in a car transporting him to his next appointment wondering what kind of façade he should put on, and he wasn't stressing over his responsibilities as the boss of the world's biggest and greatest criminal syndicate.
No, his time out was magical. Unlike most of the world, the streets of Venice were merged with the sea, giving people a chance to talk and enjoy themselves. The time almost moved slower as if the whole city was under a spell.
He couldn't hide his smile as thinking back, today was an amazing day. Not only did he find some peace and quiet, he found a great isolated café with delicious a coffee blend, and managed to talk to a normal person.
Although strange in her own right, she was definitely someone with a good heart and strong soul. Tsuna felt what he hadn't in years, the connection of a genuine friendship. Don't get him wrong, he loved his family to death, but with everyone busy for his coronation of the official title of the Decimo of the Vongola Famiglia coming up soon, no could spare time to just chat and relax anymore.
Not that he resented his linage or felt lonely (paperwork gave him glorious company) but he just felt as if the world of the mafia was engulfing his family much too soon. He still wanted those silly days of scheming and relaxing. He wanted those much calmer days where he just went outside and talked with his friends.
He suddenly felt a jolt in his chest as his heart strings pulled. He was just so glad. So glad that in his life, he was able to at least spend a bit more time with them. But he was also worried for the future. His insecurities rose as millions of negatively nervous thoughts ran through his head. What if he couldn't lead the Vongola to Primo's original vision? What if his family started to drift away?
He snapped out of his thoughts as a warm soft hand melted his frozen shoulders. He turned to look and she gave him a look of concern.
"Hey, you alright?" she asked with gentleness laced in her voice, "What happened?"
Tsuna shook the negative thoughts away and gave a small smile. "It's… It's nothing. I just have to battle with my insecurities."
A welcoming silence spoke in their conversations as bora chiara weaved through them. The silence was replaced by the chirping of the nocturnal critters in these parts as Tsuna soaked it all in.
He turned towards her and bowed slightly. "Thank you for today."
She was left confused as she tilted her head. "What for? If anything it should be me thanking you." She puffed her clothes, emphasizing her point.
Tsuna smiled a genuine smile. "No, it's just that I have been busy lately. And I guess I was lacking… human interaction. Well, at least some good company."
"Is this because of your family? Goodness, they really need to give you a break. At least you managed to sneak out today," she said coyly smiling, "If you have asexual Skylark constantly wanting to show dominance, an egotistical pineapple after your body with his rag-tag gang of misfits, the sun who is much too bright all day, an overly protective kitty, an idiotic dog, a whiny brat, a Spartan tutor, and all the others you have to deal with every day, I think you deserve a break in my opinion."
Tsuna let out a string of laughs as she managed to summarize his family in a single sentence. He would usually get infuriated by anyone insulting his family, but since he felt no underlining negative intentions towards his family coming from her, he smiled and nodded.
"Are you feeling okay?" Tsuna asked.
"Hm? Why wouldn't I be?"
"The…conflict from earlier. Aren't you angry?" Tsuna said, treading carefully, "he was being very rude. I apologize if this is a touchy subject."
She rolled her eyes, flicking Tsuna on the head. "You focus much too long on the past."
Tsuna deadpanned, holding his forehead. "It's been less than a day."
She hummed as the night's air passed by the both of them. "I'd rather not focus on something I'll probably forget or forgive later. If that's what he believes, then let him. Don't get me wrong, if I see him again I'll tear his trachea out for calling me such things. But, think about it. Why would you spend the precious time you have on someone so insignificant?"
He didn't have time to respond as she looked at her phone checking the time as she exclaimed, "It's already this late!? Sorry, but I need to return to my home and in fact, you should too. I know this is your window of freedom from your existential crisis, but you wouldn't want to work with a bad night's rest, now would you?"
She jokingly slapped Tsuna's arm lightly and turning her heels. "I truly do hope to God our paths will cross again. Arrivederci." With that said, she left, disappearing into the illuminated lights of the city.
Tsuna smiled at her retreating form as he would ingrain this meeting forever in his heart. "So do I."
Who knows when he'll be free again and meet someone so understanding of his struggles?
He savoured the moment until reality hit him hard with a Leon mallet. Oh wait, that was Reborn. An angry Reborn.
Tsuna went wide-eyed and fear ran through him. Even after all these years, he still couldn't sense Reborn if he wasn't paying much attention.
Tsuna gulped his nerves down as he shakily gave his Consigliere a nervous smile pleading for mercy. "H-Hello R-Reborn."
His greeting only infuriated the Hitman more as the ex-cursed Mafioso in a ten year old body started to fume. Tsuna saw the devil in Reborn's eyes promising pain and only pain. Of course, like the sophisticated man Reborn was, he hid it in a sadistic smile- promising more pain and even more pain.
Reborn held the Leon mallet as it morphed into a pistol. "Why. Didn't. You. Check. Your. Damn. Phone. Dame-Tsuna."
Reborn cocked the gun into his forehead. 'Hearing' his demand (never questions, Reborn does not question he demands) Tsuna checked the phone that he previously set to silent. Turning the phone on, it read:
2,700 Missed calls
10,027 Unread messages
And fifty-nine percent of them were from Gokudera alone.
Tsuna knew he fucked up, but he truly, honest to God, didn't notice. Time was passing by so quickly during the time he spent with her that he didn't have enough awareness to keep track of it. He didn't make excuses. He knew it was his fault and was willing to accept his punishment (not that he could ever escape the wrath of his tutor anyway).
On the other side, Reborn was, not surprisingly, absolutely furious. Not only did his idiotic student leave the premises without permission or any sort of notification, he left without anyone to guard him. What would've happened if he was ambushed!?
Sure, he trusted Tsuna to defend himself (he was the one who taught him to fight) but he was still naïve to the world. Despite what Tsuna thinks, Reborn knew that he hasn't even gotten a glimpse of the real mafia yet.
But despite his cool Hitman exterior, and anger towards his student's lack of awareness, he was relieved. To be honest, he felt would rather die a thousand times over than admit to it however.
He would never admit to it, but he worried for his student. The Hitman didn't like anything outside of his calculations if it meant risking the life of his students. Even through his training, he believed that Tsuna would make it. But like the time with Bermuda, sometimes some risks weren't worth it.
Sure, the mafia life requires the unknown to keep things interesting, but he wasn't heartless. Despite all his words, he still had a heart to hold on to. But that doesn't mean he'll let Tsuna go scoff free. No, he'll give him hell equal to his the uneasiness he felt when he discovered Tsuna disappeared and later sneaked off.
Reborn silently contemplated his which punishment he should use. "You selfishly escaped your duties as a boss of a famiglia, turned off your goddamn phone, left without notifying any of your guardians, pranced around town in an awful disguise without a guard, and most importantly, worried your own fucking family."
Tsuna nodded his head guiltily looking down at the concrete. "I-I'm sorry, Reborn…" he whispered.
Reborn had a vault full of punishments just eagerly waiting for Tsuna. Reborn huffed out in annoyance and dragged Tsuna by the collar across the floor. Even with his un-cursed, growing child body, dragging his student was no problem. For now, his punishment would have to wait. First they needed to back to base and Tsuna had a long overdue date with paperwork waiting for him.
Eventually, Reborn allowed Tsuna to walk by himself (with a Leon rope tied tightly around Tsuna's body) so they could get to the Vongola base faster.
Tsuna felt the Leon rope getting tighter and tighter around his arms as if Leon was both reprimanding and worrying for him at the same time. He breathed out an apology to Leon as his mind wondered to the new acquaintance, and hopefully future friend, he met today.
Renata Micaela Ammisceo walked the streets of Venice to reach her home. She wasn't the friendliest of women nor was she the most ladylike. Her philosophical talk would usually bore others and annoy them. Not that she cared very much. She respected that other's enjoyment doesn't stem from the same psychology, ideology, and logic like hers.
Although, respect can cross the line into rude and narrow-minded at times. Take her ex-boyfriend for example. They had been in a relationship for three years, starting the first two as friends. They met in university when she found his ideology similar yet comparable to hers.
At first her conversations with him were interesting. Both challenging other's ideology as well as agreeing to it. Since their morals were so similar, they rarely had eruptive fights. But since his opinions were different, it kept their debates lively and interesting.
But the relationship had to end because of yet again, the difference of mindsets. Renata merely followed on the beliefs she lived for. Others will have opinions like you, and you have an opinion like them. She hated narrow-minded fools who didn't give a chance to the opposing side before presenting their final verdict.
Was it such a difficult concept to understand that she rather not choose a single side? Or was that, in society's eyes, only indecisive? Even from a young age she knew that she couldn't please everyone.
Humans are selfish, yet seek pleasure from whatever gives them the excitement. Humans also naturally gravitate to love of whatever form the person desires, as it is subjective. But since their beliefs differ, one party will always take the fall. With the world so focused on words of equality and love, ironically rarely anyone shows it.
She could count the number of rational people on one hand including the one she met this very day. He was a man with spiky bleach-blonde hair- although probably dyed from her observations. He wore in a casual style that fit his maturity very well. He also seemed to be in his late teens or at the most his early twenties, though she doubts he's older than twenty.
He also looked Japanese or at least Eastern-Asian from her observations. His rather small structure (compared to other males) also contributed to her thoughts.
His thick glasses were obviously fake as the thickness of the frames contradicted with the single vision lenses that were attached to it. If he was truly someone who had bad eyesight and needed glasses all the time, then his glasses would have an aspheric design.
Why? Considering his enormous financial spending today, the monstrous amount of coffee he bought with her gift of new clothes, Renata knew that he was from a distinguished or wealthy family. And for something as important as eye wear, why wouldn't they buy the best?
And judging from his personality, he wasn't one of those people who would spend money unwisely. No, he held an air of stride, power, kindness, and both confidence and insecurity. For someone so young, it was great to see a boy, such as him, to have the knowledge of true acceptance.
Although he's lied about himself, she knew that his other words were genuine. So Renata figured that he was hiding his identity for a practical or sound reason. His words held no lies or anger after all. Well perhaps except for the times where he complained about how his family was much too destructive.
It was quite enjoyable talking to him. She lost a friend, but she made a new one. Like she said to him, she moved on from her ex-lover but she was still saddened by the loss of a friend- especially someone who she was friends with for three years.
But he was able to make her feel genuinely okay. For once she was genuinely glad to go to that monochrome café- which she only ever went so she could be away from people and the noisy mumblings of the world.
Unknowingly, both Tsuna and Renata were thinking about each other from different sides on the land. The sky met the space it desperately wished for, as the space bonded to the now vast sky.
Fate had connected them and in their respective places, they stopped walking when they realized one thing:
"I didn't even get his/her name!"
Translations:
Bora chiara- Katababatic wind that resides mostly in the northern to north-eastern hemispheres. In light meteorological conditions, clear skies for example, it is called Bora chiara in Italian.
Famiglia- Family in Italian. Used also in mafia terms to describe a group or a large organized gang; syndicate.
Venetian- A person who hails from Venice, Italy.
I apologize if some parts of the story feel a bit choppy. When I was writing this, my internet shut off and my save file got deleted. And when I rebooted it, I saw 80% of my edits were gone (my heart is still torn by that). Anyways, please leave a review!