Dad?

"Tsuna~" Nana called to her tree year old son, he looked up from the sandbox. A smile lighting up his face like the sun.

"Mama!" Toys went flying onto the sand as he sprinted to her talking a mile a minute as she picked him up and cuddled him into her arms

"Ne, Okā-chan, who is 'Otō-san'?" Big, guileless eyes looked up at her from the face of a four year old Tsuna.

"Otō-san is someone who protects and plays with Okā-chan and Tsu-kun! But Tsu-kun's Otō-san is away right now, so Okā-chan will play with Tsu-kun instead." Nana smiled at her son despite the sharp pain in her chest at the thought of Iemitsu.

Five years old Tsuna woke to an unusual sound, at first he hoped it would stop as he snuggled into his warm cowers and the hoard of plush toys in bed. But it didn't stop and soon curiosity Tsuna got up on small feet, the floor was cold and Tsuna paused. Perhaps the sound would stop soon and he could get back to the warm comfy bed, but then the sound was heard again. Tsuna didn't like the sound, yet he still wanted to know what made it.

So the doe-eyed child padded out of his room (mom had painted the ceiling like the sky! Which made her the awesomest of moms ever) following the sound and finding the door to mama's room slightly open. Peering into the darkness Tsuna saw a figure on the bed curled up.

"Okā-chan?" Tsuna called out quietly, he didn't want to be a bother, yet he wanted to know what was going on as well. The figure startled at his soft call, uncurling after a few seconds and looking up.

"Tsu-kun? Shouldn't you be in bed?" Mama's voice was soft, but there was something grainy in it. Tsuna didn't like the grainy thing in mama's voice. Mama's voice was supposed to be nice and soothing, it was the best! Maybe she was ill? Tsuna took a couple steps towards his mother before stopping and rubbing his tired eyes.

"Tsu-kun couldn't sleep." He whispered, something telling him not to mention why he couldn't sleep. The woman nodded her head and swept a hand across her face.

"How about I stay with Tsu-kun until he falls asleep?" Tsuna looked up with big eyes at his mother as she bent to pick him up and place him on her hip.

"Okaa-chan sing?" The woman smiled as her son placed his head at the juncture between her shoulder and neck, small arms wrapping securely around her.

"Ok. Okā-chan will sing for Tsu-kun." And she did sing, about love and spring and friends and times yet to come. And so Tsuna fell asleep to the sound of his mother's voice and the faint scent of salt.

At six Tsuna went to preschool for the first time, there he hoped to find friends. However it didn't turn out that way, a kid had mocked him for being clumsy and by the end of the day he was known to the kids as Dame-Tsuna. When his Okā-chan came to pick him up he quietly asked if it was true that he was a Dame.

Shocked Nana had looked at her son and asked him why he wanted to know if he was a dame, his answer that he was clumsy got him a smile.

"I see. No Tsu-kun, you're not a Dame because you're a bit clumsy." She peered down at her cute fluffy son. "I'll tell you a secret, ok Tsu-kun? When I was your age I was clumsy to." She smiled at the big eyed expression on her adorable son. "It got better with time, but when I took up dancing I improved a lot. Perhaps Tsu-kun would like to try dancing?" The boy tucked in his chin as he looked down at his dangling feet.

"But Tsu-kun will be clumsy then to and then the others will laugh at Tsuna." He sounded downtrodden at the thought.

"Hmmm. How about Okā-chan teach Tsu-kun to dance? I promise not to laugh and it really will help, at least a bit." Trusting eyes looked up at her and then the fluffy head of brown bobbed as the child nodded.

"Ok, Okā-chan."

Seven was at once both better and worse for the kid. The nick-name "Dame-Tsuna" had stuck, but thanks to Nana's dancing lessons Tsuna wasn't likely to trip over air unless he got surprised or was tired.

Being in grade one was a bit scary, but it also separated Tsuna from the worst of the bullies. So Tsuna got a chance of making new friends and while he got to know and play with some kids he still wasn't close to anyone and Nana worried for her son. But she always greeted him with a smile and the promise of good food and warmth whenever he got home.

At Eight things got worse again, the nick-name was still there and the kids that had played with Tsuna last year was now utterly uninterested in playing with Tsuna. Rendering the kid alone during school hours, so the boy took to reading. At first only mangas and the like but then also adventure novels of brave people who went on adventures and got friends along the way.

Also that summer Iemitsu came home for a week. The man spent the days lazing around in his underwear and drinking, making Tsuna weary of approaching the strange man. That the man also shouted at random intervals and ordered Nana around didn't help. Tsuna thinks that was the time he decided he would help his future wife instead of making her help him, and also the first time he felt real resentment against his father.

One night at the dinner table Iemitsu had grasped Nana by the wrist over her long-armed shirt and dragged her in for a quick kiss. Tsuna had made a disgruntled face and looked away. Playing a little with his ice-water trying to relieve himself of the stifling heat of high summer

The next year got better. Tsuna and Nana went on a small trip paid from the extra pay Iemitsu got from the company. The small village they visited was nice and Tsuna was happy as his mother seemed more relaxed than usual. There was something about her smile that was just a bit more infectious and warm.

Ten was a bad year again, the bulling picked up a bit and the other kids dismissed Tsuna's presence without thought now.

If ten was bad, eleven was worse. The older kids began beating him up in the corridors, true it had begun with shoves and things missing from his locker, but had escalated quickly and by now he got beaten once in a while. His mother had been horrified and had called the principal the first time Tsuna had come home covered in forming bruises. The bullies had gotten reprimands yet hadn't stopped. The teachers did nothing and Tsuna soon learned that the beating got worse if he told anyone.

If the last two years had been bad then this year was a nightmare. The other kids had somehow gotten the news that Tsuna's father never was at home and now the other kids pitied him. Then the rumors began, that No-good-Tsuna's father was too ashamed to come home. That the man had given up on the kid years ago and so on. Once more Nana tried to do something and it helped some of the rumors, yet it wasn't enough.

Putting a smile on his face for his mother whenever he got home Tsuna looked at his dropping grades with a sigh. It was hard to do homework when anything you did got ripped apart by bullies or someone stole your books.

Then he heard what the grown-ups were saying. It was the first time Tsuna hated someone when one of his teachers implied that it was Nana's fault that Tsuna was such a looser. Apparently they thought her weak as she defended him and gave them "excuses" all the time and one of the teacher wondered aloud if she was "Soft in the head". The other teachers had laughed and still sniggering told him not to say such tings aloud.

That night Tsuna had one of his first big rows with his mother. He asked her to stop protesting and reasoning with others when they insulted him. She refused. In the end they were standing in different parts of the kitchen screaming at each-other until Tsuna finally told her he didn't want her to be insulted for his failings before running up the stairs.

An hour later she appeared in his room after knocking softly on the door. Putting a plate of his favorite desert on Tsuna's desk before agreeing to stop arguing others opinion on Tsuna when there was anyone but the two of them in the room. However she stopped him from agreeing by putting up a hand.

"I have one condition to this." Swallowing Tsuna nodded, tears in his eyes at the thought of another row. He didn't want to fight his mother like this!

"I want you to allow me to apologize for agreeing with anything anyone says when it's just the two of us. I want to hug you for five minutes for every insult, degradation and hateful word. Ok, Tsuna?" She looked into her eyes and nodded, agreeing with her.

They shared a lot of hugs that year.

Coming to Namimori Middle was like walking into a dream. True, there was still bullying going on, but anything physical was nonexistent as Hibari Kyōya would "Bite to death" anyone that tried. Finding people that didn't automatically ignore him was another plus and then there was Kyoko-Chan! She had talked to him (voluntarily!) the first day and she actually listened when he tried to speak to her.

Then Home- tutor Reborn arrived. Suddenly Tsuna's thirteenth year long life took a turn… for the better? He wasn't sure, but from that point on things changed and Tsuna slowly, slowly got friends he could trust. His smile became a little more real, his laughs weren't forced anymore, Tsuna became more confident and self-reliant. Studying was actually interesting again as he began understanding what the teachers were talking about.

Still Tsuna sometimes caught the self-loathing, pain and pride in Nana's eyes when she thought he wasn't looking and realized that there would be little time for them to spend together from then on. Then Lambo pulled out grenades for an insult from Gokudera and Tsuna had to turn away from his mother.

He was fourteen and once back in school, there had been an offer to go to school in Italy but Tsuna declined. He knew that the moment he left the others would follow in a heart-beat, and he couldn't do that to his mother. He didn't want to be like his father and while he knew that once he turned fifteen he had to leave he wanted this last year dammit!

The others (except Kyōya) didn't really understand why Tsuna didn't want to leave Namimori and while they kept bringing it up they didn't really try to change his mind, not yet.

It was time. He was fifteen, the age he had agreed on with nono for when he would move from his hometown. Resentment towards the mafia clogged his chest as he thought of his mother staying alone in the house. That was the part he had hated in the storybooks: that the readers never got to know what happened to the ones left behind.

The airport was big and everyone was boarding the plane, yet Tsuna couldn't shake of the feeling of never wanting to leave. A fine-boned hand touched his shoulder softly and when he looked up his mother's eyes were shining with unshed tears.

He didn't want to leave her, but he refused to drag her into the Mafia business. The hand was joined by another and slowly, softly, fondly they drew Tsuna into a familiar hug. He thought that if he never had to leave this moment he would be content. Then her soft voice spoke in his ear,

"I love you Tsu-kun, my brave little boy. I don't know what you're intending to do, however: I do know that whatever it is you will do it well. Just remember that there will always be a place for you here if you ever need a break. Ok?" The arms around him tightened for a moment before loosening and letting go. Reluctantly Tsuna did the same. Looking up into eyes so much like his own and finding so many emotions he couldn't possibly name them all.

"Ok. Thank you Oka-chan." The soft smile he got was all the answer he needed.

"Oi! Tsuna. We need to go!" Takeshi shouted.

"I coming!" He shouted back, but he couldn't resist looking at his mother one more time.

"Go, Sawada Tsunayoshi. Your life awaits." He summoned a smile for her and nodded, walking towards the plane and disappearing together with his friends.

.

.

.

"Stay well Tsu-kun." The lone woman spoke as the plane lifted. Before she turned to walk back to an empty house.

Italy was different. Bigger than Namimori, the pace and pulse of the land higher than in his hometown. Rome was grand and Tsunayoshi found himself missing the peacefulness of home from time to time. He hadn't gotten the time to go home yet, however he had made sure to send Iemitsu home for at least a weak once in a while so far the last year the man had been sent home three times. The man had protested that he was needed but the sixteen year old had decided and stayed with his decision.

At seventeen Sawada Tsunayoshi had killed for the first time. It had been needed and the man had deserved it yet it grated on his mind. Due to his foul mood the rest of the mansion had been on its tiptoes around him. Then a package arrived the words happy birthday written in the elegant and simplistic handwriting of his mother.

Inside was a small card, handmade to look like the sky from sunrise to night complete with stars, with a small poem written within. Then Tsuna recognized it, it wasn't a poem at all, it was the lullaby Nana used to sing to him when he was little and couldn't sleep. Singing it softly to himself he felt all the pent up tension in his frame relax leaving him almost boneless in the chair.

Setting the card aside careful not to harm it Tsuna picked up the actual present. A hand-knitted sweater and a package of homemade sweets. And at the bottom a small ring case. Opening the case a small note fell out and curious Tsuna picked it up.

Hi Tsu-kun!

Bet you're wondering what this is, well a little birdie told me you were with a girl. So I figured that I'll send you my parents' engagement rings. The big one belonged to my father and the small one belonged to my mother. If you want I can send you the actual wedding rings later.

~Mother

Picking up the ring-case again Tsuna gasped at the rings. They were magnificent! The big one was shaped like flowing liquid, small waves and droplets circling each other in a way such that no edges were a viable small stones etched into the ring making it gleam softly in the light.

The smaller ring was similar, but while the big ring seemed robust like an old oak and strong like the sea during storm the smaller ring seemed delicate like a thin layer of ice on water or the first flower of spring that could be crushed by one cold night yet spoke of hope of better times to come.

They were a beautiful set and Tsuna could almost imagine the smaller one on Kyoko's hand, not big or clumsy catching on fabrics and getting tarnished with time like modern rings, but elegant and getting only more polished while shining with an inner strength from long use.

The door opened and Reborn entered the room, looking like a teenager of fifteen or sixteen today. The ex-acobaleno raised an eyebrow at the package on Tsuna's desk but didn't ask.

"Reborn. Welcome back. I take it the job went well?" A small smile nestled its way to Tsuna's lips and there was a hint of surprise in onyx eyes at the sight of it. The use of Japanese probably lent to it, but the hit-man didn't question the change in mood and simply shrugged his shoulders.

"As well as can be expected, is that from maman?" The Asian language fell naturally from the other's lips and Tsuna could feel the honest smile on his face widening at the familiar language.

"Yes, she wishes me happy birthday and she sent me her parents' engagement rings. I've been looking but I couldn't find any I liked, yet these are perfect. Wonder how she knew…" He trailed of.

"Probably women's' intuition or something. I need to go Tsuna, send maman my regards, will you?" The man turned and walked away casting a last glance over his shoulder. Gaze fond as it landed on the gifts from a woman who was special to them all.

Eighteen was busy and the party was in full swing when a waltz began playing. Looking to his right Tsuna spied Kyoko, his fiancé, and said goodbye to the don he was talking to. Walking up to the girl of his dreams the former klutz bowed elegantly.

"My lady, would you do me the honors of allowing me this dance?" The surprise on the girls face was evident but she accepted with a radi-ant smile.

"Huh." Shamal watched the pair waltzing around the room in style, if he was honest he was surprised. True Reborn didn't accept anything but perfection, but the Vongola don was possibly one of the best dancers on the floor for the moment and that was saying something when most of the people in the room had grown up learning the dance well enough to do it in their sleep.

"You did well on teaching him this one Reborn." The hit-man tipped his fedora to cover his eyes.

"I didn't teach it to him." Was the hit-man's response. When Shamal did a double take and turned to ask 'who did?' the man was gone. His lips twitched into a half-smile at the dark-haired man's habits before turning back to the dancers. More than one of the guests seemed impressed by the Vongola don and a smirk took the half-smile's place. Not bad indeed.

Lambo had insisted on visiting Nana and I-pin had accompanied him as the two went back to Naminori. Ninteen year old Tsuna wasn't to disgruntled by that as it meant Nana would have more company than usual. He tried to make time to visit his mother but so far it had been only two tomes the last few years. His father however was sent back more often, letting the two parents spend more time together than the years when Tsuna grew up.

Ring! Ring! Ring! Looking at the caller ID Tsuna frowned, Lambo had called not too long ago saying they had arrived safely at the airport.

"Tsuna."

"Nii-san! You need to come! I don't know what to do!" Startled by the panic in the lightning guardians voice, hyper intention telling him it was serious, Tsuna used his "boss" voice.

"Lambo. Calm down and tell me what's going on." He could almost feel the other nodding at the other end of the phone. Hayato and Chrome looked at each other, communicating with their eyes. Then chrome went to get the other guardians as Hayato hovered at Tsuna's side.

"It's …It's maman, we arrived a few minutes ago and the… the door was open. I-pin thought it was odd because maman always keeps everything tidy. And then… Sob…then the hallway was trashed and there was blood on a few of the shards as if someone used threw it on someone! And, And, and…"

"LAMBO!" Hayato and the others who had arrived stiffened as Tsuna's shout. "Where is my mother?!" There was fear in his chest at the thought of the house in Namimiri in chaos. Already theories of that could have happened to Nana were running through his head. Kidnapping? Burglary gone wrong? Assassin? 'Please God, if you exist, let her be ok.' Tsuna could hear Lambo fighting to breath and keeping the tears at bay.

"Ambulance. She's in an ambulance. On the way to the hospital. I-pin is with her." Tsuna hated the part of him that said 'thank god' at the news, as if it was relieved it wasn't anything bigger as if that made it ok, and slumped back into his chair 'when had he stood up?'

"Nii-san? She was really hurt." The eleven year old didn't sound panicked anymore, he sounded like a wreck. 'No wonder. Okā -chan was as much a mother to him as she was to me.'

"Lambo, listen to me. I need you to go through the house. Can you see if there is anything missing or if there are any clues from whoever did this?" Hayato was calling someone, clearing the schedule? And was that Kyōya booking plane tickets?

"Ok Nii-san." Lambo sounded more composed now. Good. He would need to be to find anything.

.

.

.

The plane had barely landed and opened the doors before The Vongola Decimo was of the plane, guardians not far behind. A car was already waiting for them outside the airport and more than a few laws were broken as they made their way to the hospital. Surprisingly, or not, Kyōya didn't say anything about the breaking of the peace in Naminori.

Lambo and I-pin was waiting for them in the hospital yet Tsuna barely spared them a look as he went to the reception.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi. Here to see Sawada Nana." He stared at the woman who had straightened at his name, odd expression as if she was expecting a fight.

"I'm sorry but I can't let you visit her right now." Tsuna raised an ominous eyebrow but the woman didn't heed the warning.

"No. Your wife may be out of surgery, but she has been placed on restricted access." Tsuna bristled at the well suppressed in the woman's voice and posture. Only his intuition let him notice it, but why would the woman look at him lite that?

"She's my mother." The woman blinked.

"Oh." Her posture softened slightly. "Sorry but I still can't let you through."

"Listen. I just flew in from Italy only knowing my mother is in the hospital and that it wasn't looking good. You will let me see her, now, or …" he didn't get further as a hand landed on his shoulder.

"Dame-Tsuna. Calm down." The words might as well have been steel from the quality of the voice. "Now miss, mind telling us why you can't let her son see her?" The receptionist glanced back at Tsuna who stood shoulder to shoulder with Reborn.

"Because she's in a very bad state and the restrictions of access allows only people with medical education to enter the room." The dark-haired man hummed.

"I see. One of our friends is a doctor, would it be possible for him to check on her for us?"

"Yes. If he can provide sufficient evidence of his education, that is." Reborn nodded.

"Ryohei, come here. I need you to show this woman your doctor's license." To his credit the boxer only blinked before providing the requested items. The rest of the group spread out in the waiting room, Reborn steering Tsuna to a char and pushing him into it. Ryohei was ushered into one of the corridors and Tsuna felt every fiber of his being screaming at him to follow. But he didn't. It wouldn't help if he caused a scene here, now. Later he could scream, later he could destroy anything in his way, later he could kill whoever sent his mother to the hospital. But not now.

Now all he could do was wait and hope. Thankfully his guardians realized Tsuna wasn't up to talking and spoke around him as they waited for Ryohei to return.

"How come you're here Reborn-san?" Chrome asked.

"I was on a job in china when I got the news." Chrome nodded as if it explained everything, and perhaps it did, before turning to Mukuro and whispering something. Two hours later a gray and grim -fazed Ryohei returned, collapsing in a seat.

"She'll live." Was the first thing he told them. "It's barely, but she'll live." The man buried his face in his hands. "It's horrible. There are so many wounds, small ones, big ones, she had a concussion but that's taken care of now – thank god! – And bruises. All over her, shoulders, arms, legs, stomach, back…not all of them new either." The man looked up at Tsuna, meeting his eyes. "They think it's a case of domesticated violence." A hart beat of silence. "I agree." He looked away from Tsuna's gaze, not looking anyone in the eyes.

"I understand why they won't let anyone see her yet, not until she wakes up. She was about to slip into a coma for a while there but she's strong. She didn't, so she'll recover fully. The question is only when she'll wake up." He took a deep breath.

"But it can't be, right?" there was a begging quality in the boxers voice. "It can't be dome… that persons fault, right? Right?" Everyone looked back to Tsuna, who was looking away.

"I… I don't want it to be, but… but I remember Okā-chan wearing longs sleeves during summer once."1 Tsuna could feel the others stare at him. "I didn't think anything of it but it's not exactly normal, is it? I remember it because I thought it was odd." Mukuro spoke then to everyone's shock, usually he wasn't one for reassurance.

"We'll think of that later. We'll know when she wakes. How long will it take?" The last was directed to Ryōhei.

"I don't know, it can be minutes or it can be days, I really don't know." And so they settled in to wait again.

.

.

.

"Sir?" It was dark outside now and most of the group was asleep in their chairs. "Which one of you were waiting to see Sawada Nana?"

AN: So, this is a bad take on what could have been going on.

No, I have not really read the actual story. I check things at the wiki if I can or make it up myself if I can't, so the story won't be accurate.

On that note I don't believe that Iemitsu is abusive, just neglecting and estranged from his family (by his own actions and choices), but if he was this is what I'd imagine it to be like.

It's old though, so I don't remember where I was going with it or anything, so it's half finished. Anyone that would like to expand on it is welcome to do so.

Bye~

DominaNocte 2017-12-16

1. See the part where Tsuna is eight for further reference.