A/N: Hi hi!

Welcome to the third chapter! Wow, I'm feeling very accomplished! I know I update like a snail, but to me it's actually really fast. I don't write all that much, but lately my Muse has been exploding. I had a nice vacation of a week-and-a-half where I wrote a lot, but most of it was spent emailing a good friend. Heh heh?

This chapter is so much longer. It looks like my habit of lengthening chapters is making an appearance. Not that it's a bad thing, you guys deserve this. I just couldn't stop myself. I really wanted to get into training and the Timeless Palace next chapter.

I have half of ch 4 written out. The place I have right now is a good stopping point, but it's only the length of the prologue, and half the length of this one. So I think I'll make it a bit longer...

Warning: there's a little bullying in this chapter, a flashback, and minor Iemitsu-bashing, but it's mostly just pointing out his faults and it's completely justified anyway.

Disclaimer: nope, don't own. If I did, there would be a lot more yaoi in KHR and many less shots of Miss Awashima's underwear in K.

-.-.-.-

Gilded Sky Ch 3

Mama, and a Little Bad Luck with Bullies

-.-.-.-

"She made broken look beautiful and strong look invincible. She walked with the universe on her shoulders and made it look like a pair of wings."

-Said of a mother

"Even when a mother's soul is tired, she finds strength for her family."

-Unknown

-.-.-.-

Trying to creep back into his house usually did not work for Tsuna, and now was no exception. Despite opening the door and slipping off his shoes the quietest he could, his mother immediately welcomed him home. It was late in the evening, having stayed out waaay too late to talk to Daikaku-san, and he was ashamed.

"Tadaima," he called out, a little late, wincing minutely. He picked up the two grocery bags again and carried them to the kitchen, where his mama undoubtedly was.

As soon as he came in sight, she smiled at him brightly and took the bags, setting them on the counter and catching him in a hug. Tsuna blushed as she released him and pressed a kiss to his forehead. Then she pulled away and got to work putting away the groceries.

"Where were you out so late?" she asked, concerned. Tsuna sat down.

"Oh, um," Tsuna stumbled over the words, trying his hardest not to think about the part of the conversation with Daikaku-san where his mother and her living situation had been brought up. "I found an old friend and stopped to talk with him."

"Really? That's great, Tsu-kun!" Nana grinned. "I didn't know you had any friends. That makes me happy!"

Tsuna blushed, feeling very bad for misleading her. "I'm sorry I stayed out so late, it must have been so lonely for you," he apologized softly, looking down into his lap.

But his mama just smiled and brushed it off. "Oh, it's fine," she giggled, turning to cup his face. "I know you won't stay away for long. And if you do, I just have to wait! You'll always come back to me, Tsu-kun, because you love me, and you're that kind of person."

Tsuna blushed deeply, for the nth time that day, and cursed Iemitsu in his mind.

-.-.-.-

Tsuna stared out the classroom window, thinking about the strange but wonderful turn his life had taken recently and feeling much, much anticipation.

-.-.-.-

After a few more moments, the wonderful feeling nuzzling him retreated and vanished. He was hit with loss and the cold enveloped him again. He wanted to cry or hit something. He felt so empty again. He hated this feeling, he hated it!

He had put his head between his legs to deal with it better, and when he regained some sense of the world around him, he drew it back up. He came face to face with Daikaku-san and Kunora-san staring, worried, at him. He shrieked and startled back, toppling over and hitting his head and legs against the ground.

He whined, holding his head, and his eyes had started to tear up by the time he turned to face them again, sheepish.

"Are you okay?" Kunora-san asked, the so-far-silent man blinking and looking slightly panicked.

He nodded. Though it hurt, it's not like he wasn't used to worse.

"Alright then," the other said, coughing slightly. "Um, my King, we need to make a schedule and pickup arrangements."

"Oh, yes," Daikaku-san said, helping Tsuna up and settling him in a chair. "See?" he said to Tsuna, "he's very useful."

Tsuna nodded. Daikaku-san took his seat and his face became serious again.

"Where would you like us to pick you up?"

"Why do you have to pick me up?" Tsuna queried. "It would be less hassle for you if I took a train, right?"

Daikaku-san's smile sharpened a bit. "You're getting picked up," he stated in a voice that brooked no argument.

Tsuna startled a bit, surprised and skittish. "I-I'm sorry for questioning you, I won't do it again," he babbled. "You're older than me, of course you know best-"

"Stop," Daikaku-san commanded in an icy tone. "Stop right there. Who-" Kunora-san put a hand on the King's shoulder, and he broke off and breathed deeply a couple of times.

"It is okay," Kunora-san spoke. "Please, do speak your thoughts. We want you to contribute. This is an issue we will not bend in, however. A car will get you there faster and we can keep an eye on you at all times."

Tsuna knew he should be questioning that, but to him all it meant was protection from bullies. So he thought about it, before remembering a good place. "There's a park by my house," he recommended. "Someone could take me from there." Then he realized something. "Wait, where would we be going?!" He wasn't really worried about kidnapping, despite common sense. There was that feeling of trust, and, after all, he was his mother's son. But he was still Tsuna, so he fretted and panicked.

Daikaku-san laughed. "Just my headquarters, the place where I work. It's called the Timeless Palace."

Tsuna frowned a bit, worried about the distance. "That's all the way over in Tokyo, though, right?"

Kunora-san nodded. "All will be well," he said calmly, sipping his tea. Daikaku-san just beamed at Tsuna.

"Like I mentioned earlier, it would be after school Fridays and all through Saturday and Sunday. We'd return you home on Sunday evening."

Honestly, that sounded wonderful, though the idea scared Tsuna. How could he leave his mother alone that long? She got lonely and she'd always wanted a large family. He voiced these thoughts.

The older men shared a look, like they knew about the situation with Tsuna's father. "Can she invite people over, or can she stay with someone?" Daikaku-san asked.

Tsuna thought. He knew what people whispered about his mama, -throw-away trophy-wife, can't even see what's in front of her, airhead, didn't raise her son properly, can't take care of him- and he was most assuredly not going to leave his mama with any of those people who gossiped about her. They'd be more likely to give her a cup of tea, spit on her, and force her to serve them than be welcoming. She'd accept it all with a radiant smile, because she was gentle and loving like that, and they knew it-they'd abuse her for it. He was just about to refuse when he remembered some people that didn't - namely, the Sasagawas. And he'd never heard of whatever family Yamamoto had. Wait, what if Yamamoto was an orphan or adopted? What if he lived under a bridge and no one knew?! Oh no! How could he have left Yamamoto to suffer in silence without trying to help? He was a horrible per-

"Don't over think it," Daikaku-san interjected, letting out a slight snort and looking very amused. Tsuna snapped out of his thoughts, picked up on these things, and glared at the older man, still panicked a bit. "What is your gut saying?"

"The Sasagawas," Tsuna mumbled, feeling a little betrayed by his "gut."

Daikaku-san's eyes glinted knowingly. "Well, there you go," he said with a smile.

Tsuna made a small 'hmph' noise. "I don't even have a personal relationship with them! It would be so awkward! The closest thing I have is a crush on Kyoko-chan! So I can't do much more than stutter when she talks to me, and I get so shy, I just don't know what to do around her!" Suddenly, his face lit up with realization and colored red. "WAIT, you weren't supposed to hear that! No, um, forget I said anything!" He buried his head in his hands and tried to block out the mental image of Daikaku-san's smirking face.

"Don't worry, it's only natural," Daikaku-san snickered.

Tsuna's head buried further and he made an embarrassed and hopeless noise. They're never going to forget about this, he thought.

"Don't make me do it," he pleaded eventually, sipping a cup of tea and avoiding their gazes.

"Everyone must face and conquer their fears eventually," Daikaku-san prodded, milder. "Isn't your mother more important?"

Tsuna looked away. "We've gotten way off topic," he pointed out.

"Well, make sure your mother has somewhere comfortable before you go. If all else fails, you could bring her with us."

Tsuna winced. "No, I'll be just fine. We'll work it out. Is that it?"

"Not quite yet," Daikaku-san stated. "What lessons would you like to have?"

Tsuna stared, a bit dumbfounded. "Lessons?" he repeated, not quite catching on.

"I did mention then earlier," Daikaku-san admonished gently.

"Oh," Tsuna's face blushed a little. "What would I have to take them for?"

Both of the older men raised an eyebrow. "Your performance in school, perhaps?" questioned Kunora-san.

"How-how do you know about that?!" Tsuna squeaked, blushing scarlet again.

"We guessed," Daikaku-san answered bluntly. "And that is another thing we'll teach you: not to get so flustered. How to react."

Suddenly, an idea lit up on Tsuna's face. "Could you-do you think you could-teach me some ways to get rid of bullies, or stop them coming after me? Or even-or even-ways to get back at the people who gossip about my mother?"

"Yes, we can," Daikaku-san said with a gentle smile, a little sad around the edges. "We'll teach you how to do those things without being obvious, but very effectively, with words."

"You can do that?" Tsuna asked, in awe.

Daikaku-san chuckled and confirmed it. Tsuna took a deep breath and said yes.

"So what lessons would you like to have?" Daikaku-san restated his earlier query.

"Do I have to?" he mumbled, looking into his tea. "I'd, I dunno, rather not. I'm not very good at classes."

Daikaku-san's gaze turned stern. "You need something to do while you're there. Meditating and centering yourself is good, but being idle is not. You will have some required classes with me, besides tutoring you and catching you up on anything you don't understand in school, which seems to be a lot. So in the beginning, we'll mostly be focusing on that. But you'll have required self-defense even then. Other classes will begin later. Here are the required ones.

"History, geography, philosophy, arguments, weapons, swordplay, etiquette, reading, and meditation. Others might be added on."

Tsuna stared, his eye twitching. He could not speak. S-so many classes! I'll fail them all! I can't disappoint Daikaku-san like that!

Daikaku-san must have seen something on his face, because he smiled gently again. "It will be fine," he reassured Tsuna. "Just do your best. It doesn't matter how many times you fail as long as you do your best and pick it up eventually. That's all I ask of you. Can you still accept?"

Tsuna was astounded. No one had ever just asked him to do his best-they always expected more than he could give. Maybe, just maybe, he could make this work. When Daikaku-san inevitably grew tired of him, maybe he could beg to stay. There was a small chance that it would work. And at least… someone would have believed in him for a while.

He could barely bring himself to nod, but he did. (His soul wept for joy.)

-.-.-.-

When the bell for lunch rang, he took a deep breath and gathered up courage for what he was about to do. He spotted Kyoko-chan and Hana-san conversing out of the corner of his eyes and slowly stood up. He had to catch them before they left, no matter what, no matter how scared he was! This was for Mama!

Before he knew it, he was awkwardly hovering in front of Kyoko-chan. And the girls were doing that what-the-heck-do-you-want stare that he saw so much.

"Kyoko-chan, um, hieeeee!" He exclaimed after seeing Hana-san aim an ice-cold glare at him. "I was, um, wondering, if I could, maybe-"

"Get to the point, monkey," Hana-san demanded, done already.

"Could we talk about this, uh, in a more empty room?" Tsuna squeaked. This was so embarrassing. He couldn't do it. Kyoko-chan must already think he was so weird! He should just leave right now, before Kyoko-chan started calling him Dame-Tsuna too! But no, he couldn't, he could never leave Mama alone like that…

Kyoko-chan's gaze felt heavy. And he was pretty sure there was pity in her eyes.

"Yes, let's do that," she agreed, managing to inform her best friend while looking at Tsuna. They trailed out of the room, past the prying eyes of all the former eavesdroppers.

In the empty classroom, Kyoko-chan asked, "Tsuna-kun, what did you want to tell me?"

"Oh, it's, um, more of a question," Tsuna stammered, blushing and looking away. "So I'm going away this weekend on a trip, and my mother would be lonely without anyone else in the house. And I wouldn't ask just anyone, because a lot of people say mean things about her. So would you, or a member of your family…"

Kyoko-chan's face had lost the pity and seemed a bit relieved. She was seriously considering Tsuna's request. Still, that didn't mean she'd actually help him out.

"Don't be ridiculous, monkey," Hana-san drawled. "She doesn't have time for-"

"Be nicer, Hana," Kyoko-chan reprimanded her absentmindedly. "Mkay. I think I have an answer! Is it okay if she comes over to our house?"

Tsuna nodded empathetically. "Yes," he said, so relieved he barely caught himself from swaying. "As many people as possible. She loves people."

"Are you sure she's his mother?" Hana-san muttered to Kyoko-chan.

Kyoko-chan didn't respond, just smiled at him, and Tsuna blushed.

Hana-san shot him a glare. After Kyoko-chan left the classroom, she wheeled to face him with a dark, scary expression. "If you ever think about confessing to Kyoko, I will gut you," she threatened. "At least you haven't done it yet. Too spineless." She snorted.

"Do you understand?"

"H-Hai," he nodded frantically. She nodded back at him sharply, spun on her heel, and disappeared.

"Phew, now that's done," Tsuna whimpered and fell on a desk in relief. "I have somewhere for Mama to stay! Yes! Now I just have to explain to Mama what's going on…"

-.-.-.-

"Tutoring?" Nana said, wide-eyed, staring at her son. "Wow, I didn't know you wanted to put that much effort into anything! It's a great idea! The next time you want something like that, just tell me! I'll be so happy to arrange it for you! !"

Tsuna could tell. The background that lit up behind her whenever his Mama smiled was particularly aggressive at the moment.

-.-.-.-

It was Friday and the first time he was going over to the Timeless Palace. He could barely wait! He could get out of the dreary house without fear and go somewhere! Daikaku-san would become disappointed in him but at least he wouldn't hit or demand money from Tsuna.

Daikaku-san had said five thirty at the park. He needed to hurry to make it! School got out around four thirty and he had to deal with the bullies and get to the park before then!

Right before the bell rang, he jammed his stuff in his bag and got ready to sprint.

"-the homework is coming back to you now, two pages. Don't leave without it!"

Tsuna collected his homework and jammed them in the bag faster than earlier as the bell rang. He bolted out of his seat, just in time for his bag to split down the middle. He wanted to cry. His only hope had been being rushed out in the crowd.

"Well, well," Satofu Hijura jeered at him.

Well, it looks like it's Hijura's gang's turn today, Tsuna thought and braced himself. Why did it have to be one of the groups that liked to actually hit me? I've had such bad luck with bullies this week...

"Look who's useless?" Satofu spoke to his three cronies behind him. "It's Dame-Tsuna, no one else could fail as badly as he can!"

I know that, Tsuna thought. Don't you ever get tired of saying it over and over?

The cronies mhmmed in agreement. "Dame, Dame," one taunted, shoving Tsuna with his foot. Tsuna, already on the floor and still trying to pick up his things, fell over. "Weak, useless, and pitiful! His mother must be so ashamed of him."

A second continued. "So disappointed at how he turned out," he whispered over to his buddies, as if confiding a secret. "The only man in his house, but not manly at all. He could pass for a girl!"

"Oh, that's right," Satofu turned to Tsuna. "I'd almost forgotten about that. You have a deadbeat, absent father, right? Well, you had to get it from somewhere. I bet he took one look at you and knew that you'd be even worse than him and left immediately."

Now that stung. They didn't usually go this far, into his parents. His mother did not deserve to be treated like that! She was kind and accepting and no one else could see that! His father he didn't really mind them insulting, except the comment about abandonment. He couldn't, he just couldn't…! The man had to come back, at least for Nana. So she would stop crying. So she would be all happy again and stop denying and burying the parts of her life that made her sad in order to cope.

(And, deep down, he was afraid; afraid that he was not good enough, would never be good enough. No one wanted him, and no one would ever want him, it was just a matter of time. Everyone abandoned him because he wasn't good enough, he was no good. But he had no idea how to change it, no idea how to be better…! Other people always instinctively just got it, but he never had, nothing clicked, and no one could stand him enough to teach him! [He really was no good…])

"He can't even argue!" the third crony crowed. "He knows we're right!"

Tsuna didn't comment, but that didn't fool any of them, the bullies or himself. He did agree.

"Haha!" They laughed with the bubbly excitement of being cruel and right at the same time. They landed weak, but painful all the same, hits that would leave bruises later on him. He curled up to protect his head until they got bored and went away.

"I guess that's enough," Satofu called finally, drawing back. "It's just getting boring now, and Dame-Tsuna looks like he's about to puke his guts out."

Tsuna coughed. He was of that opinion too. It wasn't as bad as it sometimes was, but he'd be sore and have these bruises for at least a week, if they had a chance to heal at all.

"Heh heh," Satofu's minions laughed creepily and followed Satofu out of the room.

Tsuna lay there for a while, like he always did, letting static fill his thoughts, until his mom's beaming face appeared in his mind's eye and he found the motivation to move.

He sighed and his eyes caught the clock as he moved to sit up. 5:17, it read. There was something tickling at the back of his mind, something he should do…?

Oh! Oh shoot! Tsuna had a sudden realization and scrambled up. I'm gonna be so late! I won't even get there! I'm going to be bemoaning this chance all my life…

At least it was still during club hours, and Hibari-san shouldn't be too angry with him. There had been a couple times where bullies had accosted him inside the school, but mostly they worked outside of it for fear of Hibari-san. Today had been a rotten day so far. It could turn around, but Tsuna wasn't holding out hope for that. He was convinced it would get worse. And he wouldn't even see his mama before he left. Grumbling over all of life's negative points, he hurried as fast as he could without falling to his destination.

-.-.-.-

"The hardest times often lead to the greatest moments in your life. Keep the faith. It will all be worth it in the end."

-Unknown

-.-.-.-

Translations:

Tadaima: I'm home

Hai: it's in the first chapter, you lazy bum. It means yes.

-.-.-.-

A/N: So you know how I said there wouldn't be so much angst in this story?

...Yeah, that's subjective to my angst-muse. It hasn't been satisfied for a while. Anyway, half the characters are going to come from the dark Mafia, which is not a happy place, so expect more.

On the other hand, this story has so much more fluff than Sonder. It's a bit like ASSS, but not quite that dark. Mhm.

I like the idea of Skull being the one to teach Tsuna about vehicles and getaway cars! I'll add that in. Along with acting, maybe.

Yeah, so a chapter full of Tsuna. Next one will introduce some of his teachers and we'll see the Gold King and his second again! Yay!

...I'm still stuck on Sonder...

It turns out I spelled the title wrong. It's gilded. Which does read better.

Anyone else want to adopt a prompt? Please? I'll love you forever... I'll even write you a little one-shot if you want!

~OperaEagle IcelynLacelett