Notes: I'm back from the dead. Wheeee~

(Really sorry that it's not the usual family fluff. I'll drag Fon back as soon as possible!)

Homecoming

It was quiet in the Sawada household. It was a given, considering the couple who lived there with their 5 year old son hadn't returned yet. The toddler was left in the care of two men, but even they were missing. Instead, a sandy-haired teen took care of the kid in their absence.

Reborn was the first to return. After a quick trip from Italy, he silently cursed at the Sawadas because of the extended honeymoon. Well, not that they could help it. With a hefty bounty now on their heads, it wasn't like they could just waltz back to Namimori and drag danger to their son.

They'd have to patiently wait it out then, in a secluded village in Italy where they'd set up camp with the Vongola IX's help.

Reborn rang the doorbell, and was greeted by the too familiar face of one of Iemitsu's trusted men: Basil from CEDEF. "Ah, Reborn-dono. Okaeri."

Reborn nodded as he crossed the threshold. Basil's thickly-accented Japanese needed more time to get used to, but at least the teen was trying. He'd been involved in reconnaissance for a while, so if it boiled down to baby-sitter candidates, he was the best one.

(Most of the family's enemies didn't even know Basil existed, though the opposite wasn't true. Basil was well-versed on threats and could deflect them to an extent.)

"Is Tsuna asleep?" Reborn glanced around, glad that nothing had changed much. Aside from Basil's belongings – like that book about dolphins… what was it about the boy's fixation on dolphins? Reborn fervently hoped that Tsuna didn't catch that – the house was as they'd left it.

"Yes, I tucked him in an hour ago." Basil replied as he settled in a seiza in front of the television. That position looked uncomfortable, but the teen didn't seem to mind. "I hope you don't mind the television, Reborn-dono. I have some recordings I've been meaning to watch."

Reborn shrugged. TV was fine because the audio filled the silence of the house.

Reborn almost missed Fon's presence, but he wouldn't admit that out loud. To quell the unnecessary emotions simmering in his chest, he headed to the kitchen, expertly navigating the stock to grab his favored coffee beans. The plan quickly backfired though, as he remembered an exchange he had with Fon in this very room.

"Too much caffeine is bad for your body," Fon said as he sipped on his tea.

Reborn snorted. "As if your dumplings do you a lot of good."

Fon laughed, parrying Reborn's retort with delight. "The protein helps me build my muscles. Besides…" Fon pushed a plate of freshly-steamed dumplings towards Reborn's side of the dining table. He flashed a knowing smile. "You like them, too, don't you?"

The waft of coffee distracted Reborn out of his wayward train of thought. His fixation on Fon had proven detrimental on numerous occasions. He'd even gone so far as demand for more assignments in Asia, if it meant encountering the elusive martial artist more often. Honestly, that training junky.

It was only by chance that they'd received summons independently. They were forced to paw Tsuna's care to another, and despite their best efforts, they couldn't promise to be back soon… or unscathed... but they had to try.

It was the first time that someone else would be waiting for their safe return.

Reborn pushed his weight off the chair, the legs creaking against the floor. He must've been more tired than he expected if he couldn't even move around without making a sound. That, or he was being too relaxed.

He took a mug out of the cupboard and poured himself some coffee. Honestly, the drink wasn't what he needed. It would jog his brain awake for another 8 hours when all his body wanted was the sleep it deserved.

He'd been running on adrenaline for the past weeks, going so far as neglecting rest. He wouldn't be surprised if he collapsed at any moment. Due to this deprivation, his senses were off. He didn't even pick up the tiny footsteps until Tsuna had seized him by the leg.

"Re-Reebon-oji?" The toddler was still in his sleep-addled state, but his grip was surprisingly strong.

Reborn reached down to pat the unruly mop of brown hair. "You should be in bed."

"I smelled co-co-" Tsuna stifled a small yawn with his tiny fist.

"Coffee." Reborn dragged that last syllable for Tsuna to replicate.

Tsuna unsuccessfully tried to keep his stutter away. "Co-co-ffeeee."

Reborn figured the attempt wasn't that bad. He brought the cup to Tsuna's lips. "Blow on it first." Fon would scold him for giving Tsuna coffee, even if it were just a sip. Well, what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him anyway. "Good?"

"No." Tsuna stuck his tongue out. "Bitter."

Reborn picked Tsuna up but he didn't trust his arms to carry additional weight, so he sat down instead. He placed the toddler on his knees, wincing as he felt a stab of pain in his abdomen. He was bruised, alright.

Tsuna looked up, a world of question in those warm, brown eyes. "Reebon-oji?"

"What?" Reborn tried to keep his expression even.

Despite his age, Tsuna was unexpectedly sharp. If Reborn faltered now, he would be interrogated about his injuries, not that the kid would understand the situation in its entirety. Still, Reborn would like to avoid the discussion. He wasn't fond of mincing his words after all.

Tsuna held his inquiry back and shook his head. Instead, he stared squarely at Reborn, moisture pooling at the corners of his eyes. "Welcome back, Reborn-oji."

The greeting took Reborn aback. Did Tsuna finally say his name correctly? The stiffness in his shoulders unfurled as he laughed. Yes, he was definitely home.

"… I'm glad to be back, brat."