If someone asked him what his hobby was, he would say internet-surfing. Tsunayoshi Sawada relished in the feeling of staying behind the screen, yet having everything at his fingertips – as if he was a God. It felt amazing to have someone listen to his every command, even if it wasn't a living, breathing being.

He was addicted to the touch of cool metal beneath his finger, the artificial light blinking in his eyes, the music being blasted through the headphones.

It was his lover, his friend, and his only companion.

He had gotten his laptop almost… four years ago. He had saved up enough of his allowances to afford a state of art Dell computer. He needed it to survive.

Tsuna was known as a failure. A complete idiot. He didn't seem to excel at anything. He barely passed his exams, got hit by balls during P.E, and even drowned in his first swimming lesson. He never had any hobby.

People assumed he was like that from birth. Tsuna himself thought that. But that wasn't true. He was a bright child. His birth had brought joy to the newly-wed couple of Iemitsu and Nana Sawada, and they cherished him like a precious toy.

But soon Iemitsu went back to Italy, where he worked, leaving his wife and baby boy at the meek town of Namimori in Japan. He rarely called, and came once in two or three years. During his brief stay he didn't act much father-like. Tsuna didn't recognize him as father, either. Possibly because the distance really erased the parental bonds between the two?

Nana Sawada wasn't a woman who'd pay heed to such things. She believed children needed food, a warm place to stay and education to grow up to be 'as successful as her husband'. She shopped with her girlfriends, cooked lavish meals, and held fun parties while her shy boy disappeared behind the walls further and further with each passing day.

The first day Tsuna was bullied, he came back home crying, wanting to hop into his mother's arms more than anything. He clutched his bruised arms, and called out his mother's name. Again and again. But the woman had gone shopping an hour ago. After she'd returned, Tsuna had already showered and slept in his room. It was rather unfortunate she didn't notice his pale face.

Negligence and abuse was hurting the little child inside and out. He was slipping before he knew it, away from studies, away from toys, away from parks and away from friends. He was barely six when he decided to conceal himself behind the four walls of his room, and it was the beginning.

He began cutting himself when he was around twelve. It was a way to cope with the pain. To show that he had at least control over his body – he could hurt himself. He was battling crippling depression and anorexia. It never occurred to Nana that while other boys were outgrowing their clothes rapidly, her child was needing a size smaller. She never noticed the uneaten meals.

Around thirteen Tsuna had decided to commit suicide by jumping down from a high-rise building. He had read about it in newspapers – it was painless and flashy. Maybe it could reach his dad too. Maybe. Perhaps they'd get time in the jail as well.

The thought brought smile to his face. As the boy strode briskly towards the high-rise skyscraper, excuse at the ready, something caught his eye. It was an electronics store. Minimalist and modern, the out front was as neon, monochromatic and at the time flashy as it could be. The glass panels allowed a peek inside the impressive display of computers, laptops, notebooks, gaming consoles and other entertainment devices. Tsuna screeched to a halt. He couldn't fathom the reason then, but later attributed it to God.

If He existed, that is.

Tsuna had gone inside the store. Ignoring the disapproving faces of other customers at his appearance, he had picked out a sleek orange and black Dell laptop, with 8 GB ram, 1 terabyte of storage and fashioned with latest additions and asked the price.

It was very high.

However, the laptop seemed to call out to him. Just holding it made him feel nervous and fluttery, not in a bad way. The feeling of smooth, cold metal was comforting. He had put it back down, mentally saying, "I'll get you back, I promise," before walking out and returning to his home.

Since he didn't do anything, his monthly allowances had piled up. Bullies always thought Dame-Tsuna was poor, so they never actually bothered him with money. For the next six months, he had saved up and pick-pocketed some from his mother and bought his metal 'lover' back home.

Tsuna was hooked. It didn't judge him. It didn't berate him. It was just there. Always. Ready for his orders. He was learning so much! It didn't take him much time to pick up computer skills. Tsuna was learning to code in various languages at lightning speed. Slowly he completely immersed himself in that world.

It was at least two years after which he finally got the courage to register at a chatroom called Cardinal. It was a premium service, with a whooping three thousand yen monthly fee. But it offered anonymity, and a chance to talk with other nerds, scientists, geeks and very successful men around the world. It had group and singular chat options, and of course it had a random chat option.

Tsuna had made good friends there. Friends who were, no doubt, fooled by his on-screen personality, and friends who wouldn't bat an eyelash to leave if they knew who he was in reality.

It was rather depressing.

So today he went for a random exploration. He tapped the random chat button and patiently waited. The loading icon span for a few moments before stopping. A ping! Sound was heard and Tsuna connected with a stranger.

His name read, simply – Solare – Tsuna struggled to pronounce it. So-ra-ra-e?

No profile picture. Then he took a quick glance at the person's profile to find it locked. Not even any mention of gender, age or location. Just a message tab and a button to send a friend request. Most people in Cardinal used the heavy security system to safely contact with others. It wasn't very uncommon.

Realizing he was stalling, Tsuna hastily typed out the most generic greeting ever.

Hello!

Almost instantly, the person replied.

Chaos.

A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks for all reviews, favorites and follows. I hope you liked this chapter. Please review.