Alt. title for this chapter "The Natsu Disaster"

WARNINGS: UNBETAED, OOC, LANGUAGE, UNEXPECTED SHIFT IN THE MOOD IN THE LAST COUPLE OF SCENES.

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR.

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Their father's antics disturbingly resembled Ieyasu's.

The moment the mother and her three sons came into the man's view, he immediately launched towards them and started cooing about how lovely and adorable his family was.

Ieyasu refused to budge from his perch on his mother's hip and glared with distrust at the man who called him cute. He was handsome, not cute,thankyouverymuch.

At seeing that glare, Iemitsu deflated faster than Ieyasu in front of Tsuna's puppy dog eyes and wailed just as dramatically.

Tsuna moved towards Iemitsu and shyly tugged at his pants. Once he gained Iemitsu's attention, he raised his arms towards him.

Iemitsu immediately brightened and scooped Tsuna up, crying, "TUNA!"

At the same time, Ieyasu saw what happened and let out a scandalized gasp, "TUNA!"

A chuckle attracted Natsu's attention towards the old man watching the scene fondly. The old man must have noticed Natsu staring because he crouched down and stretched out a hand in greeting, Natsu took the hand and shook it as firmly as he could, "You must be Natsuyoshi. It's nice to meet you, my name is Timoteo but please call me 'nonno'." The man's, Timoteo's, eyes twinkled with mirth as if indulging in a private joke.

Natsu absently responded, "It's nice to meet you, too, nonno."

He pondered the man's words. 'Nonno' was Italian for 'grandfather'. Were they related?

The sound of footsteps approaching them made the two look to the side to see Tsuna coming in their direction and curiously eyeing Timoteo. Behind him, Natsu could see Iemitsu hugging a cheerful Nana and a protesting Ieyasu.

Introductions were made between Tsuna and Timoteo, which was all Tsuna needed to start chattering with Timoteo a mile a minute about anything and everything. From the last picture he colored to the game he played with Lambo last night. Natsu was interrupted from listening and admiring Tsuna's ability for finding so many things to talk about by Iemitsu sweeping him up to a bone-crushing hug. It was a wonder that he didn't break a rib.

"Ara, it's time to go home."

Ieyasu looked like someone had killed his puppy.

" No! Not the car!"

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On the way back, nonno sat in the back with Tsuna seated in his lap and still chattering. Ieyasu's shrieking made both Iemitsu and nonno cover up reflexive flinches at the loud noise. Natsu took the initiative to sit by himself, his mother beaming at him as she secured him. It was such a small thing but it still made him proud of himself. He wasn't forced into the car.

Hah! Take that, Ieyasu!

Natsu's smugness soon evaporated as Ieyasu's shrieks continued and his moodiness from the trip over to the airport returned.

He glared at Ieyasu; that was it. He plotted his revenge.

At the moment of their return, Natsu planned to temporarily hide away Tsuna's favorite lion plushie and blame it on Ieyasu. Natsu'd like to see Ieyasu get out of THAT mess. He let out a chuckle as his mood was uplifted, but it soon plummeted back again as Ieyasu's shrieks penetrated through his smugness (again).

Ieyasu…

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Once they reached their house, Natsu immediately proceeded with his plan. It was a satisfying success.

Tsuna had went to their room to bring his favorite lion plushie so that he could show it to their father and their guest, but Tsuna hadn't found it and returned crying about his lion 'Natsu'.

(Ieyasu had glared, "Why does Natsu get to be the namesake of Tuna's favorite plushie but I don't? ")

It didn't take long before accusations went flying.

"Ieyasu never liked Natsu." Natsu nodded sagely.

Iemitsu gasped, scandalized, "Ieyasu! Natsu is your brother!"

He was ignored as Ieyasu heatedly replied, "What?! Who said that?! I love Natsu! It's Tuna's favorite plushie, after all!"

"Oh." Iemitsu muttered as he realised what Natsu meant. He was still ignored, however.

"No!" Tsuna cried, "Nii-chan is right! Ie-nii didn't like Natsu!"

In the face of Tsuna's tear-stained cheeks, puffy eyes, running nose and hiccups, Ieyasu was stricken and he went to curl up in his Corner of Woe.

Natsu patted Tsuna on the back, "We'll go and search for Natsu together, alright?" Natsu inwardly apologized to Tsuna and promised to give him his own share the next time their mother baked. Just because he was completely unrepentant about giving Ieyasu such a low blow didn't mean that he was completely heartless and wouldn't feel guilty about hiding away Natsu. Taking advantage of Tsuna's teary visage was a double-edged sword, Natsu noted, and if he was any more paranoid, he'd have thought that Tsuna knew that it was Natsu who was responsible and was purposefully guilt tripping him.

Unfortunately for Natsu, he wasn't paranoid enough; therefore, he didn't notice Tsuna giving a sideways glance to one of the corners where Chrome would slip into existence moments after the two would pass the place, with Tsuna's lion plushie cradled in her arms.

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Guilt was a horrible feeling, the detached part of Natsu's mind noted as Natsu stared blankly underneath Tsuna's bed where he was sure he put the plushie. There was no plushie in sight. Natsu raised his head and stared at the crying Tsuna who was frantically searching.

Natsu wanted to rip his heart out just to get rid of the crushing feeling of guilt building inside his chest.

It was just. His. Luck. And he never seemed to learn. Never.

Memories better left forgotten from his past life about how every single time he plotted revenge it backfired spectacularly and hurt those around him more than it hurt him and left a soul-crushing feeling of guilt, resurfaced. Even when that revenge was about things as small as plushies and pettiness.

He viciously suppressed a memory of the terrible scar on his Lightning's face and how it came to be. Which unfortunately led him to suppress the connected memory of his Storm's death, his own subsequent vow of revenge and how THAT sequence of events ended.

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Two hours.

That was how long the two spent searching before Chrome came to them and offered the missing plushie to Tsuna with a quiet, "I found it under your bed, boss."

Natsu was horribly relieved. And still horribly guilty.

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End chapter 4

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Salam,

I.W.P-chan