Angels.

Their most distinct characteristic should be a shining halo, magnificent wings and...holy togas. At least that's what the fairy tales said. They should be all-knowing, carrying cryptic words through space and time, offering a helping hand and praying at churches everyday… shouldn't they?

Sawada Tsunayoshi would like to beg to differ.

Very much.

The Angel he had had the (mis)fortune to have contact with had so far defied every of his expectation, and not in a good way either. She seemed just like another kid on the street – hyperactive, forgetful, curious. Very, very curious. Aren't Angels supposed to be smart? Tsuna lamented. Why's she asking about everything under the sun – and some aren't even under the sun!

He felt a little more than a mother duck with how Kaede followed him around the entire day, asking about every single thing she saw. And by every single thing Tsuna meant Every Single Thing. The speck of dust on the windowsill, the curtains, the metal used to make the structure of the windows, the stairs, why he always seem to trip on the last step down, Kaa-san's inherent ability to cook up delicacies, the omelet – and at least she didn't ask about the furniture.

The downside was, after seeing such a flawed Angel (are all Angels like these? The awful thought couldn't seem to make past the processing mode in his brain), a part of Tsuna still believed that Guardian Angel Kaede is hiding some copious amounts of power behind her persona. He briefly considered the idea of her curious, (and dare he say it) annoying persona to be a façade or perhaps a cover, but he just couldn't imagine the girl doing that.

(Admittedly, it just seem like she didn't have enough EQ to pull off something like that.)

So Tsuna, against the better part of his judgement (read: survival instincts), banished the thought. But he does pride himself on his self-preservation skills, so hid the thought of 'Kaede might have some really strong KABOOM power that will send me off the face of Earth in lesser time than a blink' in the back of his mind. What if she can read minds? That will be… Tsuna shivered. Disastrous.

(What if she blew him up when he refused to answer her questions any more?)

"How did chopsticks come about?"

Tsuna, still reeling from his thoughts, flinched back into existence to meet concerned pink eyes. He wondered what she did to her eyes to get that colour – or maybe Angels just have strange eye colours.

"I-I don't know," he replied, a little unsure. Will this be how he gets erased off Earth? Mentally, he sent a prayer to whoever was listening that HE DIDN'T WANT TO DIE LIKE THAT. He hasn't even got to eat the Salisbury steak Kaa-san cooked for the occasion. Occasion as in Tsu-kun Brought A Friend Home! occasion.

(Also because he hadn't gotten around to procuring his Wife yet. He wanted to know how Gon will go about defeating Neferpitou, dammnit!)

"Are you okay, Tsuna?" Kaede dipped her head down to look up at Tsuna. She blinked a few times at him. "Are you sick? Did those bull – mrrffgh!"

For all his survival instincts, Tsuna has no qualms on silencing Kaede. At all. His mother sent a curious glance over, then dismissed it as 'children playing' before returning her attention to her cooking, humming a happy tune under her breath.

Tsuna removed his hand from Kaede's mouth, who looked severely disgruntled – almost like a bristling cat. The image and comparison was amusing – so much so that he almost thought she appeared as harmless as she looked. Whoa! Hold on, Tsuna! You still don't know if she can blast you off the face of Earth yet!

"What was that for?" Kaede complained.

"Kaa-san doesn't know that I'm being bullied at school. Don't tell her anything," Tsuna said, lowering his voice.

The Angel blinked, surprised. She seemed hesitant, but nodded in agreement. "Okay. Client confidentiality. Leave it to me!" She grinned and thumped her chest with a fist.

Tsuna breathed a sigh of relief. So far, so good. He felt slightly optimistic – maybe living with Kaede wouldn't be that bad after all. As long as he can do damage control in time. Hopefully after awhile, she wouldn't need damage control at all. Tsuna felt himself easing up a little more – that sounded great!

"Tsuna, lend me your hand."

Still on the high from his optimistic rush, he held out his hand to the girl he was sharing the sofa with. Kaede grabbed hold of it, and before he could ask what she's doing, a white-hot zap rushed up his veins from his finger tips to his body, and he felt himself seize up and flinch so violently that he fell off the couch.

The screech he gave off was proportional to the pain he felt. Seriously. Believe him.

"Ah! I'm so sorry!" Kaede cried, trying to pull him up. But all Tsuna felt was disorientation – not from the pain any more (that was instantaneous, but the phantom pain felt a hundred times more bearable), but from suddenly falling off the sofa.

(That was embarrassing. But not more than announcing his Wife was a magazine, of all things.)

After Tsuna successfully settled himself on the couch again, and his mother poked her head in the living room, seeming delighted at how much fun they were having (they weren't, damnnit!), Kaede launched into a series of apologies.

"I am so sorry, Tsuna!" Tears gathered at her eyes. "I didn't know it would be so painful! I am so sorry!" When did she get into a seiza position…?

"A-Ah..." Tsuna rubbed his head, then winced at the bump he felt. So it seems he knocked his head, too. No-good Tsuna indeed. "I-It's alright! Get up, K-Kaede..." He felt awkward. Generally because he sort-of got prove that she has some super powers indeed, and that she almost zapped him to death.

Maybe Tsuna shouldn't have prided himself on his self-preservation skills after all.

Kaede did get up after some more persuading, but her being so sorry just cancelled any lingering suspicion in Tsuna's mind. No one could be that sorry if they were intentionally trying to zap him, right?

Right.

"S-So...what was that?" He questioned hesitantly. After the girl's endless questions for the entire afternoon since she arrived at his house, he felt entitled to the rights to ask a question of his own. Without getting zapped. …Or nuclear bombed off the sofa.

Kaede still seem guilty, which Tsuna took as a good sign. "I-I was wondering what made you feel so down… You seem a little distracted just now, so I wanted to run a check-up on your statistics to make sure you weren't feeling too down, or sick." Her expression turned sheepish. "I forgot that it hurts the first few times. It gets better along the way."

Tsuna's expression must have shown something, because Kaede immediately started waving her hands in denial. "No no! I-I won't do it again…" Relief seeped through his posture and the brown-haired boy relaxed back on the sofa.

"Not unless I have to." She finished, and he shot a betrayed look at her.

She quickly whipped up an old-looking paper – parchment? - and a quill appeared magically in her hand – so she did have super powers, just not...as destructive as he thought it to be – before scribbling down some words and numbers that he couldn't bother to understand.

"Hmm… Your stats are generally fine, but your hunger levels are approaching the danger area. You're having dinner soon so that is easily remedied. Let's see…" Her eyebrows furrowed, like she saw something bad. Tsuna felt it only polite to ask –he also felt strangely exposed; just what kind of check-up would show his hunger level? - since it concerns him.

"Is something wrong?" Tsuna said.

Kaede's head snapped up, and he thought he saw a glint enter her eyes. Then he blinked and it was gone. Must be my imagination.

"No, not at all." She replied in a fairly placid tone – which seemed wrong on the girl, because for the hours he had actually known her, she had never been as calm and...still as she is now.

He had to wonder if his report spelled No-good Tsuna out in bold letters, and she decided he was too hopeless and worthless to bother qualifying a Guardian Angel. Even if the Guardian Angel itself seem a little on the flawed side.

Kaede cuffed him on the head.

"Ouch!" Tsuna decided not to send a customary glare. It seemed a little dangerous because...well, are Angels supposed to have eyes that glow?

"Everyone deserves a Guardian Angel!" Kaede protested hotly. "Don't think that way! Just because others say you are so doesn't mean you are! Who do you think you are?"

"Uh, Sawada Tsunayoshi," he replied automatically, if only to avoid another cuff to his head. But the back of his mind traitorously supplied, No-good Tsuna.

Another cuff to his head. Tsuna wondered if he would suffer brain damage.

"Wrong answer! Are all those grey matter between your ears for show?" She demanded, crossing her arms over her chest, her pink eyes alight in anger. Tsuna winced, then paused when he processed what she said.

"Uh...do you mean 'do you use your brain'?" He chanced warily. Tsuna wasn't exactly sure what 'grey matter' was, but he only had his eyes and brain between his ears, so it would serve to reason that she meant 'brain', right? Argh, all the biology is going to make my brain leak out of my ears, he thought dryly. No jest intended.

She paused, flushed red and furrowed her eyebrows. Then Kaede turned her head away and harrumphed.

So childish! Inner Tsuna shrieked.

He waited for her to say something else – anything, but the silence dragged on, so much so that he felt compelled to take a peek at her from beneath his bangs. Kaede wasn't even looking at him. In fact, she seem distraught, if how she's kicking at the carpet like there were pebbles on the floor seem.

"K-Kaede…?" She stopped her actions, and plopped down back on the sofa beside him. He flinched slightly, and she sighed.

"Sorry," the apology was slightly muffled, as she held her head in her hands. "I just...My arterial tension increased." What the hell is that? Tsuna wondered, confused.

Kaede glanced up at him from the gaps of her fingers, and caught his confused expression. "My heart rate increased and my cortisol level decreased." She said helpfully.

It was just getting more confusing for the boy.

Kaede released a sigh. "It's human terms for 'anger'." She admitted.

"So you were saying all that just to say 'you were angry'…?" Tsuna tried to tone down the incredulity he felt. And how ridiculous it was.

"Yes, I was angry."

No shit, Sherlock. Wait, who's Sherlock? Tsuna wondered. The girl retreated back to a sullen, silent state after that, and the brown-haired boy knew better than to start conversation now. After a bit of a drawn-out silence, Tsuna fidgeted idly in his seat, feeling uncomfortable. There was also another pressing concern in his mind now that all the biology gibberish had passed – how did Kaede know what he's thinking of just now? Can they really read minds?

(That's wicked, and supremely convenient...and awkward. If his previous thoughts on survival and nuclear bombing were any indication.)

"Tsuna," she suddenly said, and he tensed, watching her warily. He felt semi-ready for another cuff to his head, but Kaede's hands didn't seem ready to be leaving her face at any moment. So maybe he's safe for now.

"Yeah…?" Tsuna said.

"Do you know how Angels come about?" Now, that was an interesting topic. Tsuna rolled over a few possible answers in his mind, and decided on the least ridiculous one.

"Er…they were created?" He guessed.

Kaede's head lifted, and her lips stretched into a small amused smile. "In a way. Most of us were human once. Remember what I told you this afternoon – about Somaru's grandfather wanting to be his Guardian Angel?" Ah. Tsuna nodded in comprehension. That made sense.

"I...was a human once, too. But I died really young, so I don't know much about the world." Tsuna froze. He felt as if they were talking about a taboo topic – and they probably were – but that aside, it sounded like an intrinsically private thing. Did Kaede really trust him that much to talk to him about something like that? He felt dubious.

"Y-You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," Tsuna offered.

Kaede shook her head adamantly, her grey hair flip-flopping with the movement. "I want to." She said, determined. Then the fight seem to drain out of her, and she deflated with a grimace.

"You see, I was bullied when I was young." She mumbled softly. Tsuna felt as if he knew where that was going, if the growing sense of forebode in him was anything to heed.

"I don't remember exactly how old, but I was really prideful and didn't want to tell anyone. They didn't like me because I was a...whaddya call it nowadays? Know-it-all? So they didn't like me." She kicked her legs back-and-forth, and Tsuna didn't dare meet her eye. He felt...small. And hollow, in a sense, if he knew where this was going.

"They took it too far one day, you see. Threw me down a well," she swallowed, and Tsuna wanted to tell her to stop – if only because of the raw pain that flit through her expression as she struggled to recount the incident. Or maybe it was his survival instincts – Tsuna felt punched in the stomach, like all the air had left him.

"...It rained that day." Tsuna took a sharp inhale.

Her fists clenched and unclenched, her expression not showing any indication that she heard him gasping. "They only found me days later."

She lifted her earnest eyes to his – and Tsuna thought he could almost feel the pain she felt. It was...scary. He couldn't imagine it – in a well? Did she scream for help? Tsuna realised at the back of his mind that she probably did, and until she was hoarse, too. It was...disconcerting. How old was she?

Very young, his mind supplied.

Kaede managed a shaky smile, and Tsuna swallowed the lump in his throat.

"S-Sometimes I can't help but wonder what if I had a Guardian Angel to look over me, or maybe if I told someone what was happening… if I stood up to them, would that still have happened?" Silence stretched like an elastic band.

"I...don't want anything to happen to you, Tsuna. You're a good kid, and I didn't spend years learning all I could to take the Guardian license – just for my charge to tell me he's not worthy!" So they do need to take a test, Tsuna noted at the back of his mind. The grey-haired girl managed a more convincing smile then. "I do hope that one day you can stand up to them… Even though I'm a hypocrite for saying that." She grinned sheepishly – but the grin dropped quickly and she vanished her parchment and quill, before announcing loudly that she was hungry and Mama, what're you cooking?

Tsuna remained sitting on the sofa after she vacated the living room, feeling like his brain had gone through an intensive blender session.

And he still hasn't confirmed her mind-reading powers, damnnit!

Dinner was progressing along nicely. Although Tsuna still felt apprehensive – he had never had dinner with someone else other than his mum before! - that feeling quickly disappeared as soon as the table launched into light-hearted chatter.

It was strange, he mused. The entire day was strange, and Tsuna was almost afraid to wake up in the morning to find out there had been no cars with forgettable colours and barefooted Angels who who preached about his spine. Or lack thereof.

It was strangely...comfortable. And Tsuna felt that he could almost (dare he say it) get used to it...maybe, if Kaede actually stayed. Which she was going to, with how insistent she was. The entire day was enough for even a blind man to see how inept the Angel was, posing as a human. She couldn't even manage enough patience to hide herself instead of scaring her charge half to death...

(Tsuna hid an exasperated smile behind his glass of juice. It wouldn't do him good to get attached, right? She could potentially blow him up with her Angel-ly powers...which he wasn't sure existed beyond manifesting old-looking paper and a feather with ink. And maybe some unconfirmed mind-reading powers.)

((He ignored the part of the brain that told him Kaede couldn't possibly hurt him out of malicious intentions. Wasn't that...universal to Guardian Angels? Wouldn't they be out of job if they...uh, spontaneously combusted every charge that angered them?))

"So, how did you and Tsu-kun met, Kaede-chan?" Nana questioned cheerfully.

Kaede had a thoughtful expression. It took Tsuna more than a few seconds to realise that 'Kaede' and 'thoughtful' shouldn't be put together, simply for his mother's sake. And Tsuna's sake. And probably the Angel's own sake. Was there a heaven? Tsuna wondered. Then heaven's sake too, perhaps.

But he was too late by the time he finished listing all the people that would benefit from keeping Kaede's mouth zipped.

"He dropped his Wife in a drain," Tsuna wasn't even going to start on how wrong that sounded, "and saved my previous ward's life from a speeding car!" Kaede ticked off her fingers with a grin. If Tsuna wasn't so busy being mortified at her first seven words, he would have thought she'd done it simply out of spite. "Then Somaru's – that's my ex-ward – grandpa asked me for Guardianship, and I just couldn't refuse," she said this with a sigh, but brightened, "so I went on and got Guardianship of Tsuna, since he didn't have a Guardian Angel."

It must be pure, unadulterated hatred. Not simple spite. Tsuna bemoaned about his life. Maybe it would be better if this was a dream instead.

Kaede sent a jab to his ribs and a Look. At Tsuna's persistent confused look, she raised an eyebrow and rolled her eyes."I don't hate you." Tsuna coughed when he felt juice clog up his throat. SHE READ MINDS! Alarms blared in the ten-year-old's head.

Nana clapped her hands in delight. "How wonderful!" Why, did she sound so happy? Tsuna deadpanned. "But Tsu-kun, when did you get a Wife?" She asked curiously.

Tsuna choked on his rice. He wondered if it was possible to die of mortification and embarrassment, with all the things spilling out of the Angel's mouth.

"Oh, that!" Kaede said cheerfully. "He bought it at the manga store down the district. Somaru goes there often!"

Nana's lips formed an 'o'. "I didn't know you could buy Wives nowadays. Good for you, Tsu-kun!" She beamed, like she was truly happy for him. She probably was.

WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED? Tsuna shrieked in his mind. He belatedly realised this was the second time in the day he had a meltdown, echoing the same words.

Tsuna swallowed the rice.

"You can't," he tried, "it's just a magazine." Nana started looking a little sceptical at that, and Tsuna felt hope bloom in his chest.

"Inter-species marriages are really accepting everything, aren't they?" Kaede added thoughtfully, and Nana's eyes widened with comprehension. Tsuna's forehead met the dining table with a loud 'thunk'.

Hello, Dining Table-san, my name is Sawada Tsunayoshi, and I think my forehead will get very acquainted with you in the near future. Hope we get along. The brown-haired boy thought.

He liked to imagine that the Table replied. Hello, too. His mind provided helpfully as dialogue for the Table. Then again, the piece of wood probably wasn't literate enough to reply, but the sentiments were appreciated. Very appreciated, in fact.

"Thank you for the meal!" Kaede clapped her hands with a wide grin. "Mama, can I really stay here?" She asked earnestly, and Tsuna raised his head to watch the interaction, curious at the change in undertone of the Angel's voice. Nana smiled benignly.

"Of course, Kaede-chan!" Then she proceeded to fuss over Kaede's state, and asked her if she had a change of clothes, which the grey-haired girl replied with a sheepish negative. That paved the path for more fussing, and after a few minutes, the slightly bewildered girl was herded off to the bath with a promise of a shopping trip tomorrow.

Tsuna watched those happenings with a fond smile. He did very love his Kaa-san, after all. As lazy and no good he was, he wasn't blind to how much she tried very hard to bring him up, with the absence of a father. He could barely remember hazy words and blond hair very early in the past – and he was partially grateful for it. Wouldn't it hurt more if he remembered more of what he can't have? And that in part made him admire his mother greatly – she stood strong, even when the husband she so clearly adored had went and become a star.

The boy snapped out of his musings when Nana bustled over to clear the plates, and asked if he could spare some of his smaller-sized clothes for the girl. He nodded absent-mindedly.

He hadn't seen his Kaa-san so happy in awhile. Perhaps it was good that Kaede was here, then. Tsuna felt a flush creep up his cheek.

But the embarrassment that came with it drives a hard bargain.

"So, Tsu-kun, you saved a boy from a speeding car? Were you hurt?" Tsuna shook his head numbly. Nana's expression turned from one of worry to happiness.

"How valiant! My son is growing up so quickly!" Nana squealed with delight, and Tsuna's forehead met the Dining Table for a quick reunion.

Kaede looked up as the Sawada matriarch entered after the polite knock on the door. She carried with her a few extra towels and garments, probably volunteered by Tsuna.

"Sorry, Kaede-chan, we only have boys clothing in the house with your size," Nana apologised. "These are a few shirts and shorts you can wear – it's yours now, if you don't mind them! Tsu-kun can't fit into these any more," she giggled, then shook her head fondly. "Growing boys."

Kaede beamed. "It's no problem, Mama! Thank you for the clothes! I am so sorry to impose on you..." She sobered, and stared down at the clothes she received over in her hands.

In contrary to what other Angels thought, Kaede wasn't stupid. She just felt that some (okay, most) rules of theirs were too restrictive, and prevented a much better working relationship with...well, humans, who they are supposed to protect. It was a strange cycle – and, Kaede never cared much for such things. She barely even bothered to pore over books related to the Guardian Tests, instead searching for subjects more interesting (like, say, science). It was with those scattered knowledge acquired that she managed to secure a pass...a good few decades spent in the library before she could, though.

"...Mama." Kaede started, and the cheerful woman made a questioning noise at the girl who seemed unsure all of a sudden, staring down at her feet.

"I...wasn't joking. About being a Guardian Angel, I mean." She said, her eyes still staring down at the floor. The floor was clean. Very clean.

A moment of silence took over the room, and Kaede resisted the urge to fidget. She hated such...itchy silence.

"I know," Nana replied softly, and the grey-haired girl's head snapped up in surprise to meet warm brown eyes. "I know, Kaede-chan. That there are such beings as you, who protect the kind folks in town, and bring my Tsu-kun home safely. Thank you."

At that moment, the young Angel saw it. The regal young man standing haughtily behind Nana, his wings curled protectively around the woman. He shared the same brown eyes as the woman he was protecting - the only thing that seemed to link them as...family? Relatives? Kaede didn't know. The man sniffed regally and turned away when his eyes met hers.

"I suppose I owe you thanks as well," he said grouchily, "for making Nana happy." His tone turned untoward when a sneer came upon his face. "Keep doing it and I might overlook you overstepping your boundaries."

Kaede didn't really care - she was always overstepping boundaries. What's another one? She thought idly, her mind still largely focused on Nana's words.

The brown-haired woman didn't seem to notice the Angel behind her at all, instead stepping forward to coo over Kaede and wipe her face with tissues.

Wait? Wipe my face?

Kaede blinked, and realised there were tears running down her cheeks. She felt the sudden urge to sniff. Why did human bodies have to sniff? It was so annoying. It gets in the way too much. The girl sniffed, and felt more hot tears run down her cheeks.

Nobody ever thanked me.

She wiped at her eyes hurriedly. "I-I am so sorry, M-Mama-" her voice cut off with appropriate astonishment, when the brown-haired woman enveloped the young girl in a warm hug.

"No apologies needed," she chirped happily, and hugged tighter. "Mama needs more children to spoil!" She giggled, and Kaede joined in with her own laughter.

If her laughter sounded more like sobs, nobody mentioned anything.

A/N: Thank you for the followers and favs from the previous chapter. :) I thought it through, and felt this idea too precious to give up at the moment, so...thanks for reading the second chapter! How was it? I personally enjoyed all the biology references. Guilty pleasure psssh.

Please review and tell me your thoughts! :) I'm really curious OTL.

Dolce.