Hey guys! Another update! I really ought to study for my Government test or finish up that silly bill for that class, but…pfft I like writing fics better. What can I say?
Anyways, I know the characters are rather OOC at first. That is my intention for the beginning as I made Tsuna into this ball of depression. :C Don't worry though; he will start acting more like the bumbling fool we all know and love! This will happen to other characters too, as you will notice with Gokudera…but they will all be IC by the time I'm through, so no worries! If it bothers you, I apologize. :C
In terms of romance, I know I'm laying you guys with a lot of 27K right now, but I honestly love this pairing so much. It's also just about the only straight pairing I support in KHR. (Except maybe Lambo/I-Pin. What do people call that pairing? LamPin?) Haha! I'm kinda into 2700, but with Enma, I think it's cuter if he and Tsuna were just super close friends. There won't be any yaoi moments until…well…the boys meet each other, which will take time.
By the way, I love writing these "Last Chapter" recaps. It's like…doing episode recaps for anime. I think it's a lot of fun, so I'm going to make them a little more…epic? Maybe that's not the word…you'll see I guess hah.
Last Chapter: Reborn plans to turn Tsuna into a mafia boss, much to the teen's discontent. The baby hitman gave no choice in the matter to his student, and struck up a deal to stay in the Sawada household for the duration of Tsuna's training. Reborn joined Tsuna and his mother, Nana, on their Sunday picnic, and met up with the Sasagawas, effectively embarrassing Tsuna. An accident with the fountain left the Sawadas soaking wet, and they went home. On the way there, however, Tsuna encountered his classmate Hayato Gokudera, Reborn's other choice of candidate for the position of the Tenth Vongola boss. Hayato is downright furious with Reborn's decision, and challenged Tsuna to a duel. At home, the brunet found out his mother had been sacrificing her purity to her slimy boss in order to keep her job, and this information nearly drove Tsuna to kill himself if not for Reborn's intervention. In the end, Tsuna returns to his room to rest for the duel that is…
Today.
Warnings: Violence
Disclaimer: KHR does not belong to me. If it did, I would have licensed it to be dubbed in English, just for the hell of it.
Chapter 3: Duel for the Tenth
It was a cloudy morning; freezing, in fact. Not a trace of the sunny weather from the previous day was left for this gloomy morning, and Tsuna thought it was a perfect reflection of his mood. He wish he could just crawl back into bed and fall into oblivion, not having to deal with life anymore. If not for Reborn, he might have.
Somehow, that thought terrified him.
Apparently, the brunet had fallen asleep for the whole night after his breakdown in the bathroom, and had missed dinner. As a result, he woke up early the next morning, a rarity for the sleepyhead. Reborn was still snoring away on the brunet's bed, and Tsuna remembered that he had just fallen asleep at the foot of his bed, scrunched up in a fetal position. He really hoped his mother had not seen him, but something told him Reborn had dealt with it: cleaned up the evidence, covered his tracks, just like a real Mafioso was capable of. However, when he reached the kitchen, his mother was awake, drinking some coffee. Coffee? His mother never drank coffee. Nana looked up in surprise to see her son up so early, but a smile spread over her face. "What a surprise! Good morning, Tsu-kun! Reborn-chan told me you weren't feeling too well last night. I hope it wasn't my food," she pouted, but there was a fear in her eyes: a fear that Tsuna had suspected something of her. Tsuna immediately held his hand up.
"N-No! Not at all! I-I'm sure it was probably the water…or something." He dropped his hands, memories of the night before crashing on him. His head hung, and he suddenly felt guilty for what he almost did. Mom was always so worried for him; what was he thinking?
"I'm glad," Nana sighed, a load disappearing from her eyes as she took another sip of her drink. She began to speak cheerfully again, "But you missed out on some delicious Italian food! Reborn-chan was so nice to order for us. I left some for you in the fridge, if you'd like it for lunch or breakfast."
Tsuna blinked in surprise, "O-Oh. That…sounds nice. Thanks. I'll pack it for lunch, I guess." He fidgeted with his pajama top, looking for a reason to talk. "U-Um…so…you drink coffee now?"
His mother laughed, raising her mug up cheerfully. "Not really! But Reborn-chan mentioned that he really loved espresso, so I went out and bought a container of it yesterday while you were asleep. I decided to give it a try for myself. I think I prefer my tea though. Would you like some? There's still some in the pot."
The teen was not even aware their household had a coffee maker. "N-No, I'm fine. I'll just drink my milk…"
With a nod, Nana finished her espresso, getting up to place the cup in the sink. She gathered her purse and slipped on her jacket. Tsuna watched her, feeling a little lost. He wanted to tell her not to go and hurt herself anymore for his sake, and felt his spirits plummet as she smiled, "I'll be home again tonight. I'm sorry. Maybe I can order some food for you and have the restaurant deliver it around 7:00?"
"T-That's…fine…" Tsuna looked down, then up again, eyes glowing warmly. "U-Um, I-I love you Mom. A-A lot. So…please take care o-of yourself. I-I really appreciate everything that y-you do for me, a-and I promise I-I will work at doing better myself!" The words came out faster than he intended, and he stuttered more than he would have liked, but the look on his Mom's face spoke volumes. It may have been the trick of the morning light, but Tsuna could have sworn he saw tears in her eyes.
"Thank you, Tsunayoshi." She leaned in, pecking her son on the cheek before hugging him. "I love you too." She let him go, waving cheerily. "See you later!" With a slight skip, Nana Sawada left the house, waving one more time before disappearing around the corner of the wall.
Tsuna stood there watching a while longer until the familiar voice of an infant cut into his thoughts. "Good. You're awake, Tsuna."
The brunet whirled around, seeing the pink-clad baby coming down the stairs. Tsuna managed a small smile, greeting, "Good morning Reborn." He rubbed a hand behind his neck, looking off to the side. "U-Um…sorry about yesterday, a-and…thank you."
Reborn only smirked, showing no acknowledgment for his apology or gratitude. "You should eat, otherwise you will not have energy to battle Hayato today."
Blink. Another blink. Then a scream.
"HIIIIIII?"
So there Tsuna was, shuffling to school, dreading the afternoon to come. "I really, really, REALLY don't want to fight against Gokudera-san today! He's going to kill me!" He ran a hand down his face, mindful of his healing cuts and fading bruises. At least his black eye was not swelling as much today.
"No he won't." Reborn had come out of nowhere, inducing a scream from the brunet. The cowardly sound only earned the teen a smack from his tutor. "Calm down, Dame-Tsuna. You can beat him if you're yourself."
"No I can't! I'm Dame-Tsuna!" Much as he hated the nickname, the teen felt its use here was completely justified, "I won't win!"
"I didn't say to fight as Dame-Tsuna. I said to go fight as you," Reborn corrected, toddling along on the high walls surrounding the houses on the streets. Tsuna only stared at him, dumbfounded, and walked into a pole by accident. Reborn jumped down, kicking his student. "Watch where you go."
"Reborn, can you not hit m-OW!" The infant smirked, crossing his arms. "Don't ask me for stupid requests."
/It's hardly a stupid request!/ thought the brunet./
He continued walking along, fretting about the upcoming battle. Ok, he had zero coordination, arm strength that noodles would have been ashamed of, no athletic prowess whatsoever, and no weapons to use against bombs.
Freaking, exploding, deadly bombs.
"I'm doomed," Tsuna concluded, nearly crashing into another pole when a voice stopped him in his tracks.
"HEEEEEEY. SAWADA. EXTREMELY GOOD MORNING!" Tsuna turned, recognizing the voice immediately. His heart jumped when he saw the two siblings approaching him.
"Good morning, Sawada-kun!" Kyoko's bright smile practically chased away all the gray clouds, and Tsuna felt a blush rising to his cheeks again.
"G-Good morning, Sasagawa-san…Sasagawa-san." Tsuna fumbled with the names, as he had no way to distinguish between the auburn girl giggled, "Sawada-kun, you can call me Kyoko-chan if you'd like. We're friends now, right?"
And off went Tsuna's soul. Luckily for him, Ryohei pulled him back.
"SAWADA. YOU CAN CALL ME YOUR EXTREME BROTHER THEN. ANY FRIEND OF KYOKO'S IS MY SIBLING, TO THE EXTREME!" His roaring voice grounded Tsuna again, and the teen could not tell if the blood rushing to his head was from embarrassment or shock.
"Like…Onii-san?" the brunet asked timidly, and the white-haired boxer nodded vigorously.
"Just like that!"
Kyoko started to laugh, and Tsuna thought it was just about the most beautiful sound in the world. "Sawada-kun, seems like my onii-chan has taken a liking to you! Just be careful, or else he will pull you into his boxing club again."
Embarrassed, Tsuna, rubbed his neck, mumbling something. Both siblings blinked, leaning in simultaneously. "Hm? Can you say that again, Sawada-kun?"
"U-Um…" Tsuna looked up at the siblings, stammering when he saw Kyoko closer to him, "Y-You can call me Tsu-Tsuna…" He looked down again, his cheeks flushed.
"Hmmm…I dunno. I like Sawada better," Ryohei crossed his arms in thought. Tsuna jumped, waving his hands. "It's fine! You can call me whatever you wish…"
"In that case, I'll do that," Kyoko smiled, leaning back. "Tsuna-kun!"
The brunet's face was a brilliant shade of red by now. So many thoughts were flying through his head right now, and a majority of them were attributed to just how cute Kyoko was. Or how happy he was right now. Happy? He was happy?
To the side, Reborn smirked. Tsuna seemed to sense it, turning to look at the baby. Somehow, Reborn had indirectly caused this...happiness. If he had not divulged his crush to his mother, she would not have pulled the Sasagawas over to their picnic, and he would never had had the chance to talk to Kyoko, or even meet someone like her brother. And it was Reborn who had given him these chances.
Slowly, the corners of Tsuna's mouth pulled into a smile, directed only at the baby. Reborn pretended not to notice, but the smirk on his lips was a telling sign. "If you three don't hurry, you might be late," the baby hitman commented,
walking alongside on the wall.
"THAT WOULD BE EXTREMELY BAD. LET'S GO!" Ryohei took off in a full sprint, leaving the two underclassmen in his dust. Onyx eyes lit up for a moment as they watched the boxer dash away. They were focused on the trail, and Reborn smirked. "Flames even in his dust. He would be a fine addition to Tsuna's family. But first, we will have to deal with Hayato."
Tsuna was too busy talking to Kyoko now to notice Reborn, or anything else for that matter. He was lucky enough to not run into anything or trip as he walked. At least, until he reached the school.
Something collided with his head when he was right outside of school gates, effectively crashing him into Kyoko. They fell to the ground, Tsuna managing to prop himself up over Kyoko just in time to avoid smashing her. The brunet was immediately apologizing, falling on his face as he tried to get out of the compromising position he was in with Kyoko. The two were blushing furiously, and the girl was assuring her companion that everything was alright. Eyes were staring at the couple, including a dark pair that creased angrily as they watched the scene play out. Tsuna rubbed his head, eyes landing blurrily on a small round object nearby. As his vision cleared, he was able to identify what it was. "A baseball…?"
"Haha, oh man, sorry about that!" a chipper voice sounded. The brunet looked up, eyes widening when he saw the school's baseball star jogging over. Takeshi Yamamoto.
If Kyoko was the girl-idol at school, then Takeshi was probably the male-idol. Actually, it was debatable whether he or Hayato was more popular amongst the girls. The teen was far taller than the other kids in his class, and even school-wide, his fit, towering form was unmatched. Every sports team begged him to join them, as he was easily the best athlete in school, even if his heart only belonged to baseball. Even though he was a freshman, Takeshi became captain of the baseball team on sheer passion and skill. His amber eyes drove girls nuts, as did the sweat that glittered on his short, spiky hair during practice. An amicable, easy-going and cheery personality made him an easy individual to approach. Of course, Tsuna feared getting close to anyone remotely that popular, so he had kept his distance. That, or Takeshi's teammates would insult and abuse him to the point where he would not have a chance to talk to the superstar in the first place.[1]
And here Tsuna was, in an embarrassing situation. Was that the only way he could ever meet a new person?
"Hey, let me help you guys up," Takeshi grinned, offering one huge, strong hand to Tsuna and the other to Kyoko. If Tsuna ever had a man crush, he decided it would be on Takeshi Yamamoto. N-Not that he, y-you know, swung that way! Kyoko owned his heart, after all.
Cautiously, Tsuna took the hand, as did Kyoko, and Takeshi easily pulled the two smaller teens to their feet. Kyoko got up much more gracefully, whereas Tsuna stumbled. He looked up at the superstar, who was laughing sheepishly again, bending down to retrieve his baseball. "Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to hit that home run so far, haha! Can't really control my power sometimes!"
"That's incredible, Yamamoto-kun!" Kyoko beamed, brushing her skirt off. "Isn't the baseball field near the back of the school?" The baseball player only rubbed his head sheepishly again in response as Tsuna gawked. Reborn watched from a distance, appraising Takeshi with approving eyes. "As will him…" he smiled, hopping off the wall and disappearing behind a telephone pole.
The warning bell rang at this point, and Takeshi laughed, "Oops, better head back and pack up. I'll see you two in class, Kyoko, Tsuna! Sorry again!" With a cool salute wave, the teen ran off, leaving Kyoko to coax a stunned Tsuna to class. Had Takeshi just call him by his first name? Just like that?
It was practically a chain reaction.
Tsuna had never had so much positive interaction with people in his life. He felt almost overwhelmed by happiness. However, he had a sneaking suspicion this was all just to balance out all the horrible trouble he was bound to have later in the day, but for now, he was going to enjoy class and the teacher received a shock to see Tsuna on time, face actually not hidden by concealer, and more surprisingly, arriving with Kyoko Sasagawa.
Kyoko's best friend, Hana Kurokawa, was gawking in disgust, but approval flashed in her eyes for a moment. Two pairs of eyes held murderous intent behind them, however. Emerald green eyes shot through Tsuna, and he flinched as he glanced at Hayato Gokudera's seat. The teen was in place, rigid and looking downright pissed off. The other that Tsuna had not been anticipating was that of Mochida's, and the brunet paled, remembering the warning given to him by the terrifying teenager just the other day.
"Let's take our seats before the bell rings, Tsuna-kun," Kyoko whispered, waving as she headed towards her desk. Tsuna nodded, wishing he was not showing his red cheeks to the class, and toddled over to his desk. He tried his best to ignore the scathing glares from the two boys behind him, but was quite unsuccessful in that endeavor. Dame-Tsuna was returning after a morning of absence, and Tsuna longed for those moments of intimate confidence he felt that morning. It was hard to believe that he could have been dead and gone by today; if he had, he would never have had a chance to experience the great moments he did. Reborn was trouble, but he had indirectly performed miracles for the hopeless brunet. Classroom time seemed to zoom by, and Tsuna was surprised that he was keeping up in math class. He nearly gave the class a heart attack when he managed to solve an algebra problem correctly in class: another miracle. The class had wondered where the pathetic, stupid boy had gone, and some thought Tsuna had been replaced by someone more competent over the weekend.
These suspicions were crushed when lunch came around, and immediately, two murderous auras were veying for blood: Tsuna's blood. Mochida reached him first, and the brunet, anticipating the older teen, had already shrunk into his seat by the time Mochida began his tirade. "Did you not remember what I told you the other day, Dame-Tsuna?"
The younger teen looked away, anywhere but the incensed dark eyes of the kendo club captain. "You seem to be too stupid to understand, it seems. So let me spell it out plain and simple for you. Stay. Away. From. Kyoko."
Tsuna mumbled something, and Mochida grabbed his lapel, delighted by the squeak the brunet had leaked. "Care to repeat that, Dame-Tsuna?"
"K-Kyoko-chan is just a friend…she said so her-"
"Oh, so you're on first name basis now?" Mochida growled, shoving the weak boy back into his chair. "Listen up, scum. I don't care what Kyoko is to you. Stay away from her."
Tsuna's mouth moved, and words spilled out. Before he knew it, Mochida had grabbed him again, shaking him furiously. "What was that?"
"Y-You can't d-decide that for us…" Tsuna stuttered, defiance swirling with fear in his caramel depths. "She's not yo-"
Us. That word made the older teen snap, and he growled, "That's it." Mochida raised a fist, and Tsuna's eyes widened. He would not dare to, in class, in front of so many witnesses…! But all the brunet saw was pure, jealous rage in those dark depths, so he closed his eyes, ready to accept the pain. It never came. He waited for a while, and it was not until he heard a familiar voice did his eyes fly open in shock.
"Maa, maa, calm down, Mochida. Tsuna isn't doing anything wrong, is he?" Takeshi had grabbed the flying fist a foot away from Tsuna's face. The athlete still had a cheerful grin, but something dangerous glinted in his eye. Mochida snarled, wrenching his arm out of Takeshi's grip, dropping the brunet in the process. Shaken up, Tsuna took a moment to catch his breath before looking up. Takeshi had been talking to Mochida, who seemed to be smiling again, although it was by no means a platonic smile.
"Alright. I'll take it. Hey, Dame-Tsuna." The brunet jumped when he saw the evil grin on Mochida's face. "We'll settle this with our fists. Or rather, our swords. Two days, after school, the gym. We're going to fight for Kyoko. Don't
be late." With that, the kendo captain stalked away, clearly pleased with himself. By now, anyone left in the classroom had been staring at the confrontation, and Tsuna knew this fight was going to spread rumors. He whimpered, covering his face. Two fights in a row? He did not even know if he will come out of the first one alive! Speaking of...
"You're pathetic. To think Reborn chose you over me. Can't even stand up to a pathetic weakling like that." Tsuna looked up as Gokudera passed by, already lighting a cigarette. "Don't be late after school. I don't want to go home late."
The silverette was about to pass by when someone grabbed his wrist. He whirled around, coming face to face to Takeshi's million-watt smile. "Let's all try and be friends here, alright? And you shouldn't smoke. It's bad for you, haha!"
Hayato only stared, shaking the boy off. "Let me go," he growled vehemently, sliding out the door. Tsuna sighed, finally at peace, and wanted to put his head down, as was routine for lunch. He then blushed, realizing his rudeness. "S-Sorry about that. Thanks...for helping me, Yamamoto-san," he stammered, and Takeshi turned back around, smiling. "Maa maa, no problem, haha! Glad to help a fellow classmate. And Yamamoto is just fine. Yamamoto-san is my pops," the athlete started to laugh again, and Tsuna wondered how someone can ever be so happy. "Anyways, I should be the one apologizing," Yamamoto suddenly cut in, "I had strike up that deal with Mochida. Sorry I put you in such a spot." He grinned sheepishly, and Tsuna held his hands up tiredly, "I-It's alright, Yamamoto-s-" He stopped just in time to avoid adding the honorific to the end of the name. "I rather have it like this, I-I guess..."
With a sigh, Tsuna took out his lunchbox, filled with leftover pasta from the night before. Yamamoto eyed him a moment, then grabbed a chair from a nearby desk, pulled it up, and sat with his front to the back of the chair. "Haha, mind if I join you for lunch today?" the baseball player chirped, startling the brunet. W-What was he thinking, asking someone like Dame-Tsuna if he can have lunch with him? Clearly, the rest of the class must have thought the same thing, as their eyes were large as dinnerplates, and mouths were opened wide enough for flies to go in and Tsuna did not answer immediately, Yamamoto blinked, waving a hand playfully before the brunet. "Hey Tsuna?"
Shaking his head out of the daze, the brunet stammered, "Y-Yeah, that's ok, b-but are you sure it's alright?" He watched the superstar, caramel eyes searching for some sign of ill intent in those amber depths. In response, Yamamoto waved it off, laughing, "It's completely fine! I got nothing planned for today, so why not? Getting to know new people is always good."
"But don't you have...your own friends, people you would rather be with?" Yamamoto's smile faltered for a fraction of a second that Tsuna thought he may had just imagined it. "No no, I want to spend lunch with you. It's fine, I
already told you!" Somehow, the laugh did not sound as convincing this time. Cautiously, but eagerly at the same time, Tsuna agreed. Contrary to what he thought, his conversations with the baseball star was not at all awkward or
embarrassing; Yamamoto was a natural conversationalist, so even Tsuna was able to find things to talk about, or when he was too embarrassed to continue, Yamamoto would just strike up a new topic. Tsuna was happy: really happy. But this only intensified his inner loathing for what was to come; experience told
him that if this much good could happen in one morning, then everything was bound to crash and fall in the afternoon. He was never lucky enough to actually have a good day.
Of course, to settle his suspicions, gym class was directly after lunch. Much to the brunet's dismay, he
found out that the class was starting team sports again. Tsuna dreaded team sports; because of his infamous clumsiness, no one ever wanted him on their team. Even injured classmates were picked before Tsuna was. Simply put, he was always last, and the gym teacher had to choose which team to stick him on, since
they actually broke out into fights over keeping the brunet out of their team. He always watched in hurt fascination whenever that happened.
In the changing room, Tsuna always waited for everyone else to change and leave before he even bothered to think about pulling off his shirt. He would be teased for changing in a stall, so he simply waited now. Finally, the last boy left the room, and Tsuna was alone at last. Taking one last glance around the room, the
brunet pulled his navy blue vest over his head and unbuttoned his wrinkled white top, eyes meeting the familiar collection of bruises across his thin, scrawny chest. As it was winter now, his school uniform accommodated the embarrassing purple marks on his arms. It was too bad the gym clothes were short sleeved,
exposing his bruises for the whole class to see. Still, hiding his chest was better than nothing. Gingerly, the brunet fingered a bruise on his ribs, wincing. He wondered if he might have broken something.
"Haha, Tsuna, you haven't changed yet? You'll be late," came a familiar, cheery voice. The brunet jumped, slamming his head into the locker door above him. Howling in pain, he sunk to his knees, clutching his head. He heard running
feet, and felt strong hands resting on his shoulders.
"Hey, you alright there? Sorry, did I startle you?" Yamamoto asked, concern leaking from his voice.
Looking up, the brunet flushed in embarrassment, quickly groping for his fallen shirt, messily pulling it over his head. Yamamoto watched silently, the smile disappearing from his face. "You've been hurt a lot, haven't you?"
Tsuna jumped again, face red as he looked up. The brunet got to his feet, stuttering, "It's not a big deal. U-Uh..." he rubbed his head, "Do you mind...if you leave so I can finish changing? I-I'm sorry if I sound rude. I don't mean t-"
Yamamoto was already walking away, laughing with a wave, "No problem! I'll be outside. See you soon!"
And he had just accepted it like that. Tsuna was shocked. He thought the baseball star would have at least questioned him about his reasons, but he had just walked away so easily without teasing him. Quickly, he slipped on his gym shorts, pouting at his chicken legs. It could not be helped; the brunet rushed out of the locker room so he would not be late for roll call.
After warming up, the dreaded moment had come: choosing the teams of today's sport, basketball.
Tsuna shifted uncomfortably, hanging around in the back of the crowd, knowing it would not matter. His ears perked when he heard Yamamoto called as a team captain, and ironically, Mochida was the other captain. The brunet prayed that he will be on Yamamoto's team, although he figured, despite his newfound
companionship with the athlete, his lack of skill would keep him off either team. So he simply prayed Yamamoto will lose the argument for where the brunet would-
"Haha, Tsuna, come on over to my team!"
The gym went eerily quiet, and the buzzing of the old lights hanging from the gym became deafening. Every pair of eyes were glued on the teen, and said teen was sweating bullets.
"He's kidding right? Dame-Tsuna?" an incredulous boy suddenly called out.
"Yamamoto-kun! Did he bribe you or something?" a girl whined.
"Maybe he's sick or something. Yo, Yama-"
"Come on guys," Takeshi laughed, holding up his hands. "I'm totally fine. And I want Tsuna on my team. Hey, I can see you back there," he chirped.
Timidly, the brunet shuffled to the front, bashfully creeping behind Yamamoto, face blooming in red.
Mochida was scowling, and quickly growled out his choice. The team organization continued and each person joining Yamamoto's team stayed a distance away from Tsuna. Finally, the gym teacher started the game.
Everything went to hell.
Despite the team trying their best not to pass the ball to Tsuna, somehow it always got into his hands, or rather, it hit some part of his body as he tried to catch it...or he would miss...or dodge. The other team always went after Tsuna, knowing he was easy to shove through.
The game ended abruptly when one particularly nasty pass had ricocheted off the brunet's head, causing him to collapse. When he did not get back up, the coach blew his whistle to stop the game, since his students seemed to have no qualms about trampling their clumsy classmate. Yamamoto was the first one over to his friend, supporting the dazed brunet up from the floor.
"Tsuna, are you ok?" his voice sounded inappropriately cheerful, although the voice was muffled in Tsuna's ears. He made an effort to respond, but all he really managed was a groan and turn of his head, eyes squeezed shut as pain throbbed through his head. That was twice today he was attacked in the head! He would probably be brain-dead by the time he met up with Gokudera afterschool. Just thinking that sent another wave of pain through his head.
"Huh, maybe the nurse should take a look at him," the coach gruffed, chewing on his whistle. His tone and posture suggested that he actually did not care anymore than the students in his class did for the hopeless brunet. Mochida was snickering with his buddies off to the side, the true culprits behind that head-crushing blow. Taking the suggestion seriously, Yamamoto helped Tsuna to his feet, supporting him by the shoulders. The class was watching in awe, their complaints met with deaf ears as the duo left the gym. [2]
After a slow and tedious trek and several refusals from Tsuna to get a piggyback ride, they reached the nurse's office. The woman was no longer surprised to see Tsuna showing up. She had a bed prepared in advance, in fact, when she had heard that the coach was starting basketball. How embarrassing that was for the brunet.
Yamamoto watched as the nurse came back with an ice pack, handing it to the brunet. He accepted it graciously, placing it on his pounding head. The flush on his face started to seep away, although the brunet was quite aware of a pair of amber eyes staring at him.
"Sorry Yamamoto…" Tsuna croaked, eyes still closed, "I'm pathetic at sports, and you had to help me here."
"Maa, maa, it's not a problem at all. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses," laughed the carefree teen, who was lounging coolly on one of the seats in the room. "I don't care, really, haha!"
"That's the thing. I'm no good at anything," Tsuna murmured, the cold finally relaxing him. "My grades are at the bottom of the class, and I can't play sports. You're amazing at athletics. You're one of the fastest runners, and every team in school wants you to join them. And you're a total pro at baseball."
Because his eyes were closed, the brunet failed to see the smile drop from Yamamoto's face, but he had noticed the strained happiness in the taller teen's voice, "I'm not that good. I'm not remotely close to where I want to be. No matter how hard I work at it, I can't seem to get my batting right."
"Yamamoto?" Tsuna cracked open his eyes, but the smile had already returned to Yamamoto's face, although it held traces of strain.
"Baseball is everything to me. I have to be perfect at it, no matter what. It's all I have." The serious tone was uncharacteristic for the raven-haired boy, and Tsuna found himself at a loss for words. So he allowed Yamamoto to keep talking, "Hey Tsuna? How do you put up…with everything you do? How can you just…keep going?"
Tsuna could not believe he was having this kind of conversation with Yamamoto. Was it possible this perfect, athletic alpha male had insecurities? He seemed so cheerful and perfect; how was Tsuna even hearing any of this? Yamamoto was asking for advice, or at least some kind of potential answer to his problems. He acted like Tsuna was better at coping than he was. Well, the brunet was fairly sure whatever doubt this teen had about his baseball probably had not driven him to comtemplate suicide yet. To make the brunet into a sort of role model was preposterous.
Face blooming in crimson again, the brunet looked off to the side, stuttering, "W-Well...I-I'm really not that good at coping. I mean…" He could not talk about the suicide; what would Yamamoto think? "Well…I…um…just…" Remembering back to his words to his mother this morning, he blurted out, "I guess…just put more effort into things?" His voice was feeble as he continued, "I mean, my mom has it pretty hard…" he paused, his heart clenching, "and hate to think I'm a disappointment to her…and I know I am. So I suppose I just want to try harder, and put more effort into things for her…" Again, the brunet paused, "B-But since this is about you, I suppose…make the effort…for y-yourself?" He had never given advice before; was this good enough?
Yamamoto's face lit up, and the bright grin was back. "Oh! That makes sense!" The taller teen stood up, chirping, "Thanks Tsuna! I'll just have to practice even more, right?" The brunet blinked, nodding slowly. He could not believe the school's sports star just accepted pathetic advice from him. But to see the smile on Yamamoto's face was worth it, and the brunet returned a small smile of his own. "You should get back to class. I don't want to keep you."
"Haha, well alright. Get better soon Tsuna! I'll have sensei excuse you from afternoon classes so you can rest up. That ball hit your head pretty badly. Take it easy, alright?" he waved, starting to walk out.
"Y-You too! Don't overwork yourself," Tsuna blurted out, and the baseball star replied with a laugh. The footsteps sounded further away, and silence returned to the little nurse's office. Tsuna tried to sit up, but the pain in his head was still drumming dully.
"You best stay in bed, Sawada-kun," the nurse warned, giving him a small smile. "You seem pretty beat up regardless. I'll give your teacher a note too. Yamamoto does not actually have the power to have the teachers excuse you."
Really, with his charm and likability, Yamamoto could probably have the teachers wrapped around his finger if not for his less-than average grades.
The brunet laid there, pondering his thoughts. He was glad the nurse was at his side. That good-natured smile warmed him, just as his mother's did. But now, Tsuna realized others give him that smile too: Kyoko, Ryohei, Yamamoto, and even Reborn, to an extent.
The ice was beginning to melt, so Tsuna removed the squishy bag from his head, placing it next to him. He closed his eyes again, willing the pain to go away. He had a fight after school, but at the moment, he wanted nothing more than to sleep. So the brunet let the dark oblivion claim him, easing him into a restless sleep.
A shrill bell woke the brunet up hours later, marking the end of school. He blinked blurrily, listening to the irritating ring. In his dreamy state, Tsuna tried to reach the snooze on his alarm, but unfamiliar surroundings met his
touch. Some sense came back to him, and the brunet realized he was still at school. He must have fallen asleep, and that alarm was actually the school bell, marking the end of the school day.
Somehow, he felt he forgot something. The silver glint of afternoon sun against the metal bars of the bed jogged his memory, however.
"HIIII! GOKUDERA-SAN!" the brunet sat up too quickly, and fell off the bed. Shaking himself clear, he stumbled to his feet, rushing out of the room, ignoring the nurse's calls. He nearly crashed into the students in the hall, and clumsily side-stepping them with apologies flying off his tongue. Even in his rush, Tsuna noticed the absence of the bullies with slight relief. Had they really decided to leave him alone from now on? Nevermind, he had to get to the back of the school before it was too late! Maybe Gokudera was not even there, since he did see Yamamoto take the brunet to the nurse's office. Maybe he had already gone home, postponing the fight for anoth-
"Took you long enough, runt."
Of course, as he turned the corner, there the delinquent was waiting, smoking his trademark cigarette, silver hair hanging limply in front of his piercing green eyes. Tsuna gulped, coming to a standstill. Because of his sprinting, the
headache had returned, and the boy tried his hardest not to show any weakness.
"Oh good, Tsuna is here now," came Reborn's voice. Tsuna glanced around, trying to find the little baby, finally spotting him sitting at the base of a tree. The hitman was cross legged, lounging against the trunk in his stylish suit. "Ciaossu. I assume both sides are ready to fight?" a small smile played on his tiny lips.
"Let's get this shit over with," Gokudera growled, taking another drag from his tobacco before biting down, his mouth pulled into a sneer. Tsuna took a step back, already intimidated. Who was he kidding? Gokudera always intimidated him, but having a confrontation with the delinquent only made the silverette more terrifying. All the brunet could manage was a robotic head nod.
"Then you may begin," Reborn chirped, firing a blank from his green gun. Almost immediately, Gokudera had snatched up dynamite between his fingers, holding them up expertly. With a quick swipe of his arms, the sticks lit up, crackling menacingly as the strings were consumed by the sparks.
/Did he just light them with his cigarette?/ Tsuna gaped, and in his loss of concentration, he failed to notice that Gokudera had already thrown the bombs at him. He saw them a moment too late, barely dodging as eight bombs went off simultaneously. The sound was tremendous, shaking the air with the released pressure and heat. Tsuna flew off to the side, his back slamming into the school wall. He gasped, keeling over onto his knees. Those bombs were real: the heat, the pressure, the force, the pain. At this rate, Tsuna was-
Another set of bombs were flying over, and Tsuna dived off to the side, narrowly dodging the following explosion. He gaped at the clearing smoke as a section of the wall had been damaged. The poor flora that was growing along the side was decimated, replaced by blackened stems and ashes. /He's going to kill me!/ the brunet realized.
Gokudera was not impressed. The runt was everything he expected, and worse; he was cowardly, weak, spineless, the most pathetic piece of scum he had ever encountered. The ridiculous sounds the brunet made burned the silverette's ears, and his quivering, battered form was disgusting to behold. The bomber withdrew twice as much dynamite as before, snarling, "Quit dodging, runt! You're unfit to be the Vongola boss: I'll you to pieces and get you out of the freaking way. You aren't even fit enough to be my subordinate." Without respite, the next
onslaught of explosives was tossed at the brunet, who was still recovering from the last dodge. At the same moment, a familiar voice sounded off to the side.
"Oh hey, Tsuna! Haha, so you're alright now?"
The brunet whipped around in horror, seeing a grinning Yamamoto shouldering his baseball bat at the corner. He must have been on his way to practice. Tsuna realized that the bombs were a danger to Yamamoto too. Eyes hardening, the brunet gasped, "Yamamoto, get back!"
Without a thought, the brunet rushed towards his friend, grabbing onto two of sticks of dynamite closer to Yamamoto, the brunet clutched at the burning end and screamed in pain when the flares burned his palms. In the process, however, Tsuna managed to deactivate the dynamite, and in a desperate move, he shoved Yamamoto back, and not a moment too soon. The two missed the explosion just in time, dust whipping furiously around them.
"Woah, what's going on back there?" Yamamoto gaped, unable to see anything through the thick dust. The superstar rubbed his eyes, trying to get any of the dirt that got in them. Panicking, Tsuna blurted out, "C-Construction! They're fixing something back there. You should get out of here!" He pushed at the baseball player, trying to force him to turn around, noticing grimly that his blood was getting onto Yamamoto's white by the dust, Yamamoto obliged.
"Haha, wow really? I didn't hear anything about that," Yamamoto laughed, walking forward. "Alright, guess I'll take another route to the baseball diamond. See you tomorrow then Tsuna!" With that, the teen ran off, leaving a surprised and relieved Tsuna behind. Yamamoto had fallen for his lie so easily! However, his relief came too soon.
He heard a bitter chuckle through the cloud of dust, and Gokudera sneered, "Tch. Pathetic."
Tsuna saw the dynamite surround him in the corner of his eye, and only moved a step before they exploded. The momentum caused him to fly towards a tree, and the brunet desperately splayed his hands in front of him to brace for the impact. His right hand hit the trunk just the wrong way, and a painful and awkward twist sent shivers of pain jutting up the brunet's arm. He cried out, the rest of his body crumbling at the base of the tree.
Panting, Tsuna got to his knees, cradling his throbbing wrist. Dizzily, he sat up against the tree trunk and gazed up at Gokudera, who looked absolutely livid that Tsuna had dodged yet again. Reborn was watching, calculating onyx eyes staring at the dueling pair.
Gokudera scowled. Just before one of his assaults, he swore he had seen the runt rush out to save that baseball idiot from his class. He felt a nagging annoyance in his gut, and shoved it off. Hayato gritted his teeth. Only weaklings protected others; that was something he had been forcing himself to accept. Fed up, the bomber whipped his hands into his shirt again, but Tsuna was already heading towards him.
With his good hand, the brunet grabbed onto one of Gokudera's wrists, gasping, "S-Stop this! You're g-going to hurt others and destroy m-more school property!" Trembling caramel eyes pleaded with hard emeralds that had narrowed in irritation. Gokudera withdrew a hand packed full of bombs.
Surprised, but furious, the silverette hissed, "Let go of me, lowly runt!" Tsuna refused, gripping tightly with his left hand as his life depended on it, although it most certainly did in this situation. Stubbornly, Gokudera took out another ridiculous amount of bombs with his struggling hand, lighting all the bombs he held viciously. A strong kick to the stomach made the brunet let go, and Tsuna stumbled back, falling on to his back. At that moment, a bang resounded through the air, and blood flew.
Unfortunately, the struggle had caused the bomber to drop the lit sticks. He watched in horror as the sticks scattered all across the yard, Tsuna unmoving on the ground.
/I had just made a new friend today, and he was nearly hurt because of this dangerous fight…/
Gokudera's eyes widened; he had not anticipated dropping his own explosives. The fuses were nearly at their end, and the smoker could not possibly diffuse them all in time.
/People could get hurt. Property destroyed. I already am hurting. Part of the school is already blown up./
The silverette began to run, but everywhere he turned, the crackling flames of his bombs just reflected back into his eyes.
/I would regret not preventing these bombs from exploding. I would regret getting hurt. I would regret letting others get hurt. I would regret letting Gokudera get hurt when I could have stopped him./
Bracing himself for the inevitable pain, Gokudera stopped, rather than risk getting blown off in some direction and crashing into a hard obstacle. At least the brunet would be blown up. He would have rid the Vongola of a pesky runt; the silverette closed his eyes with grim satisfaction, waiting.
But the explosions never came.
A faint sound of ripping clothing was the only thing he heard, and he turned around, eyes widening at the sight before him.
Scattered all about the ground were his dynamite, diffused. The string ends were all blackened stubs, nearly at the explosive's main body. In the midst of the mess, the brunet stood, but he looked nothing like how he usually did; a burning flame engulfed his forehead, flickering wildly. His face was absolutely ferocious, caramel eyes on fire, and he was only wearing his striped boxers. The silverette gawked, trying to take in the scene. Realization dawned on him. The brunet…had saved him? Not only that, but he had done so by diffusing the mass of bombs on the ground. Even the bomber had to admit he was greatly impressed. Instead of running away, which seemed like the better option, Tsuna had chosen to save him. Him, the person who, just moments ago, had attempted to blow him to pieces.
Hayato Gokudera's pride was shattered. Attacking someone who had just saved his life was wrong even by his standards, so his will to fight had died. Tsuna suddenly ran up to him, yelling, "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? YOU COULD HAVE HURT SOMEONE. OR YOURSELF." Taken aback, Gokudera could only blink at the fury eminating from the brunet, more surprised by his words than his appearance.
Scowling, Gokudera shoved his hands into his pockets, looking away. He wanted to say nothing to the brunet, and did not want to admit that he was defeated. His eyes did flicker to the flame on the Tsuna's forehead, and he felt a sort of awe. A person who boasted flames like those was definitely powerful. But where had this runt been hiding his power all this time? Why did he never show it when he was being tormented? Suspicious emeralds flickered to the hitman baby, who innocently held his gun. Onyx eyes twinkled, a smirk quirking at the corner of the infant's lips. A silent understanding was exchanged.
Reborn suddenly chirped up, "Good job Tsuna. It seems like Gokudera has lost. You won this one."
Blinking, the brunet seemed to calm down, the flame dissipating into the air before he collapsed. "Thank god…I thought I was going to die…" Tsuna breathed out, dropping his head between his knees, taking in deep breaths. All the pain in his body was suddenly multiplied; his twisted wrist, burnt and bloody palms, throbbing head, and various bruises on his torso protested against any movement, including breathing.
Staring down at the collapsed figure, the silverette practically wanted to vomit. "I admit defeat…Tsunayoshi Sawada," Gokudera grated, "As the rules say, I must become your subordinate now. I swear…" he gritted his teeth, "my loyalty to you." The situation was so twisted; Tsuna looked more like the defeated one, and if not for Hayato's irritating code of honor, the brunet would have been a goner by now.
"HIIIIII?" the brunet squealed, head snapping up, taken aback. "W-What? I didn't know about a rule like that…" He looked to Reborn, who was still smirking.
Hayato sighed. Seriously, why did he have to be stuck with a hopeless idiot? "Well. There is. So get the hell over it." Tsuna flinched, looking down again. "But…I don't even want to be boss…" he murmured.
The silverette was sick of this brunet. He turned to leave, but Reborn called out, "Wait a moment Hayato. This is the future boss of the Vongola. You're his subordinate now. Do you really think he can go home by himself now?" The baby hitman was smirking, knowing full well he was pushing Gokudera to his limits. "Don't family members take care of each other?"
In retaliation, the bomber hissed, "If he defeated me, he should damn well be able to get home by himself." However, even by looking at the brunet, Hayato knew that there was no way the brunet would make it home in his condition; in fact, he should be in a hospital. Snarling, he bent down, picking up the discarded clothes and tossed them at the brunet. "Put some clothes on. I'll take you home." When Tsuna failed to move, Gokudera slung the torn shirt over his torso, grabbing his shoes and pants in the other hand.
Going home turned out to be an extremely awkward experience. Gokudera was nowhere as gentle or kind as Yamamoto had been in helping Tsuna, only dragging the boy by his armpits to his house. Tsuna eventually tried to squirm free, but the bomber's glare was so terrifying that he only squeaked and hung on, feet dragging. Either way,he was at a loss; in addition, his clothes were shredded again, and even Tsuna knew Reborn had shot him with the Dying Will bullet again. The looks the duo received were no better either.
Once at the door, Tsuna suddenly realized a dilemma. "Oh no!" he whined, "I-I left my bag at school! M-My keys are in there..." He gazed fearfully up at the silverette.
The aura that the bomber seemed to emit was close to murderous. Squeaking, Tsuna tried the knob, surprised that it opened. After wiping off the blood hastily, he stumbled into the house, noticing the lights were on. Strange, was his mother already home?
Gokudera hung back at the door, arms crossed. Tsuna gulped, "U-Um…you're welcome to come in." He gestured timidly to the inside, face looking down.
Tossing a glare at the brunet, the bomber growled, "Whatever." He stepped into the house, flinging off his shoes. He watched as the brunet toddled timidly to one of the rooms, peering in. Tsuna's eyes lit up in surprised, and he gaped, "Mom? Why are you home? W-Wait, what's wrong?"
Nana was staring off into space, eyes slightly red. She jumped when she heard her son, wiping her eyes hastily. "Oh, Tsu-kun! You're home!" she smiled, but the sadness that consumed it was evident. She pored over Tsuna's appearance, gasping, "Tsu-kun, what ha-"
"Answer me first! What's wrong? Something went wrong right?" Disregarding his shocking condition, Tsuna interruped Nana.
The mother flinched, and she went back to her staring. Finally, she sighed, "I…lost my job today. The one at the law firm."
Tsuna felt like a ton of bricks had been dropped on him.
"Wh-What? Why?" he demanded. He hated what his mother had to go through for that job, but to suddenly lose it like that was horrible. She had worked so hard, and sacrificed so much! And now- "What happened?"
"My boss…apparently he was arrested," Nana laughed softly, wiping her eyes again. "It's funny. I really hated that job. Can't say I liked that man very much either. Yet I'm upset. Why is that?" she smiled at her son, lips wavering. And he saw it: all the pain and disappointment, all the guilt that she had lost an important job, no matter how much she despised it.
Tsuna felt his blood run cold, and he mumbled, "Excuse me a moment…" Leaving his mother to compose herself, he turned back to the hall, where Gokudera and Reborn were still at the door. The silverette tried to look bored, but the curiosity in his eyes was telling.
Almost immediately, Tsuna was frantically blurting, "Reborn! Mom's lost her job because her terrible boss was fired. Do you know why?"
"Who knows?" the hitman replied casually, tipping up his fedora, "I don't keep track of fodder like him."
"B-But…!" Tsuna's lips trembled, and he pleaded, "Wait, can't you help her? L-Like help her get a new job, o-or…!"
"That's not what the mafia is for, Tsuna," Reborn's eyes glinted dangerously. The brunet seemed to ignore it, continuing, "But Mom! She's tried so hard, and now-"
"Dame-Tsuna, Mama is hard-working. Why can't she find herself a new job? She's capable."
Frozen, the brunet pondered those words for a moment. Gokudera seemed to be waiting for an answer himself. His lips set, and Tsuna looked at Reborn with a spark of detemination in his caramel depths. "Because I love her, a-and I never want her to be stuck with another scumbag again." He fell to his knees, caramel meeting onyx. "Please Reborn! For my Mom!"
Gokudera could only watch in shock. He did not know the circumstances behind the woman's life, but Tsuna clearly loved his mother very much, and was practically groveling at Reborn's feet just to help her. A smirk pulled up on the hitman's face, and the doorbell rang. No one moved. Nana did not emerge from the kitchen, and her son was still staring blankly at Reborn. The baby said, "Dame-Tsuna, what are you doing? Answer the door." Blinking, Tsuna obliged, completely forgetting that he was half naked in his distressed daze.
"Is this the Sawada residence?" A foreign man was at the door, dressed up in a fancy suit, dark shades over his eyes. Eyebrows shot up at the brunet's appearance. Tsuna's eyes widened, but he managed to stammer a response.
"Y-Yes…?"
"Very well then," the man cleared his throat, pulling out an envelope. "I am the manager of the Vongola restaurant here in Namimori. I have come to offer a job position to a Nana Sawada-san in this household. May I please come in?"
Tsuna gawked, looking between the man and Reborn. The baby was still smirking, "Dame-Tsuna, you should offer hospitality to your guests."
Shaking his head, the brunet gasped, "R-Right. Pl-Please come in!" Still shaken up, Tsuna led the man to the kitchen, where a sudden flurry of conversation began between the three occupants. Reborn and Gokudera hung back at the door, and the silverette was silent, face thoughtful.
"Reborn, you had planned this all out from the very beginning, didn't you?" the bomber asked. Smiling, the hitman chuckled, "Who knows? But I do hope you see what kind of person Tsuna is now. I did not make a wrong choice, as you can see." His tone was smug, well reflected in his face.
Mouth dropping open slightly, Gokudera only chuckled, eyes closed. So Reborn had planned for the outcome of the duel, even anticipating the bomber's visit to the Sawada residence. He would not be surprised if the hitman had been the cause of the arrest as well. Memories of his beautiful mother floated into his mind, and a warmth seemed to spread through his body. He was unable to save her, and deemed himself weak as a result. No matter how he tried to deny his weakness, it was always present, and he had taken this anger out on the brunet. Finally, Hayato Gokudera opened his eyes, emeralds glinting brightly. "Tsunayoshi Sawada…no," he smiled, a spark of admiration twinkling in an emerald sea, "Jyuudaime…he is a man worth following."
Dear god, can a person fall in love with writing a fic? Because I think I just did, haha. I had so much fun writing this that I lost track of my words REALLY quickly. It is a bit longer than last chapter though. I know I've got this funky habit of calling characters by their first names until Tsuna starts calling them by last names. I don't know why I do that actually LOL. I try to go back to change it all, but once I try to, I'm like, "...I like them like this..." I'll drop first names once in a while, just to switch up the variety.
I had intended this to be a more Gokudera-centered chapter, but I ended up making it about Yamamoto for most of it...which is a pity since next chapter is mostly about Yamamoto as well. :/ I apologize for that. I'll definitely have some Gokudera hurt/comfort later. And I already decided on the pairing for him. You had just a tiny taste of it earlier haha. It's so tiny though, so I suppose it's nearly irrelevant.
[1] Think it's safe to say that Yamamoto is one of my favorite characters. Heh. I can't decide if I like him or Tsuna better.
[2] Lol I'm sorry. I think I'm getting too 8027 for my own good. I'm not actually supportive of that pairing, but Yamamoto is so hopelessly helpful and adorable…haha.
Please review so I know what I'm doing right or wrong! It keeps me motivated to write. I mean, I'm really tired right now, but because you guys seem to love it so much, I couldn't help but write more for you guys. So please review! Much appreciated!
Peace out,
~Alexie