Okay, first of all, my apologies for how long this has taken. It was almost done, when I took a look at the middle section and just threw out about 2000 words and started from scratch. I didn't like what I was doing, and since this chapter introduces an important OC, getting the character and their setup just right was very important. The original setup just didn't work for me, and I rewrote just about everything involving them. Hopefully it'll pay out in future chapters.
Minor warning for partial parental abandonment.
CHAPTER 4
In all honesty, not much changed after Natsu introduced himself to Tsuna. He'd already been wearing male clothing, and it wasn't as if he'd been hiding his personality from the boy. The biggest change was Tsuna getting used to the new title – he would call him Mama on the odd occasion, but those were becoming less and less as time went on. Natsu couldn't help but stand a little prouder every time Tsuna called him by Dad.
However, the reality of being a single parent was calling him once more. Lavina was alive, Mukuro was safe, and most of his 'to do' list needed research or patience, so he really needed to focus on the Sawada life for now. Namely, money.
Iemitsu's cheques were still coming through like clockwork, but Natsu had his pride, and heaven knows if he had to do any more travelling, what was left of their savings would be gone in a heartbeat. If there was any emergency, Natsu and Tsuna would be in serious trouble.
So, Natsu needed a job. When all he had was a high school diploma in Nana's name, and a need for flexible hours in order to take care of a toddler. That dropped his options considerably, but not for necessarily for the worse.
He remembered, once upon a time, before a baby hitman appeared in his life, how low his standards had been. All Sawada Tsunayoshi had expected was a job as a grocery store clerk. No expectations, no future, no pressure.
Natsu chuckled to himself as he headed towards a nearby convenience store that had been advertising for a part time position. A job that didn't involve crime, mafia or trying to lead crazy people into battling even crazier people. It was taking everything he had not to skip to the interview.
This was one of the few tiny advantages of being swung into another life. He almost couldn't wait to fulfil his place in mediocrity.
He was in such a good mood, he ended up walking a route he'd been avoiding, one that passed Takesushi. It was one thing to go to Italy and see Gokudera from a distance; another thing entirely to see Tsuyoshi and Takeshi up close. One day it would be inevitable, but he was happy to delay it as long as possible.
So when his eyes glanced over the restaurant, he should have kept going. Instead, he paused when a piece of paper pinned on the door caught his attention.
'Help Wanted.'
Almost against his will, he found himself inching towards the door. He glanced longingly in the direction of the convenience store, before turning back.
It…couldn't hurt to express interest, right?
His brain was squeaking in panic, but he found himself walking through the door regardless.
Takesushi clearly didn't change much over the decade. The tables, the counter – everything pretty much looked the same as it had the very last day Tsuna had seen it.
"Hello?"
At first, there was no answer, but when Natsu took a few more steps, he heard something fall in a backroom.
"Hello?" he repeated.
Something metal crashed, and he heard a muffled squawk.
"One moment!" a voice chimed, and he frowned in confusion.
That had definitely been a woman's voice.
His eyes widened.
Oh, wait!
The door opened, and a black haired woman with a pixie cut and a far too familiar smile strode in.
"Sorry, sorry" she greeted. "I'm Akiko Yamamoto. I'm afraid we don't open for another few hours."
Natsu could only stare. He'd always thought Yamamoto took after Tsuyoshi, but there's clearly a lot more of his mother in him than he'd thought.
The smile faded, and Akiko cocked her head.
"…Can I help you?"
That jerked Natsu back to reality, and he chuckled nervously.
"Oh, uh, sorry. I saw the paper on the front door. You're looking for staff?"
Akiko perked up. "Oh great! I only put that advert up this morning. Do you have any restaurant experience?"
At that, Natsu faltered. "Uh, not really. I got married not long after I finished school, and I've been taking care of my son since. But I'm sure I can pick it up quickly!"
The woman looked surprised. "You take care of your son?"
Natsu nods in confusion, and Akiko gives a laugh.
"Sorry, I'm just surprised. Most men would be leaving child raising to their wife. Does she work?"
Natsu paused, before deciding to answer a completely different question.
"I'm a single parent, and was given full custody when we divorced."
Akiko winced. "Ah, sorry to bring bad memories. I'm told I've got terminal foot-in-mouth disease. Please, have a seat."
She gestures towards one of the tables, and Natsu gratefully takes a chair.
Natsu hadn't been on any job interviews before, but he doubted they were normally like this. Akiko had gone over the job and duties involved, but she'd made the mistake of mentioning her own son, and Natsu hadn't been able to resist asking about Takeshi. Ten minutes later, the two of them were leaning across the table, laughing and sharing stories about the toddlers in their lives.
"-And he's covered, and I mean covered, in soy sauce" Akiko snickers. "I couldn't even tell what colour his shirt used to be, but he just looked up at me, smiled, and said, 'can I have some rice too?'"
Natsu bursts into another peal of laughter. He can almost picture a pint-sized Yamamoto doing it too.
"At least he wanted rice" he offers. "Ever since we got back from our holiday, Tsuna has been begging for pasta every day. The fresh stuff."
Akiko giggles. "Not a cook?"
Natsu holds his hands up. "If the instructions are more complicated than 'add water,' I'm doomed" he admits.
And wasn't that just a cruel twist? It really didn't seem fair to Natsu, that despite being trapped in another's body, he didn't seem to inherit any of their abilities. Oh sure, he was far more graceful and barely tripped over his own feet, which was admittedly a plus, but he couldn't help but feel he'd trade it in a heartbeat for Sawada Nana's cooking abilities. He was very slowly nursing his way through a beginners cookbook, but both he and Tsuna were getting a little tired of rice and convenience store meals.
"Oh, I'm not much better" Akiko admits. "Thankfully, I married a man who knows his way around the kitchen, and doesn't let me set foot in there. I'm just praying Takeshi takes after him in that regard."
She's still grinning like a madwoman, eyes full of amusement. "He's such a little klutz, but I love him. Can't wait till he gets the hang of all his limbs and figures out what he's going to do with all that energy."
"Um, I'm gonna go with sports" Natsu offers, and Akiko snickers.
"My husband's going to angle for baseball" she says. "He's been practicing the sword for years, and he's hoping Takeshi will follow in his footsteps. Personally, I prefer hand to hand."
Natsu blinks. "Hand to hand? You're a fighter?"
He gives her another look over, focusing more on the arms and what little of her figure he could see. Now that he was paying attention, there was clearly muscle on display. That was a little embarrassing – Reborn would have pound him in the ground for not noticing that on the first sweep.
She looked a little embarrassed, but there was a glimmer of fight in her eyes.
"I've been training in martial arts since I was a little kid" she replies. "Started with karate, but then moved into taekwondo – ever heard of it?"
Natsu nods. Although he'd never specialised in one specific art, instead choosing his own style focused more on his dying will instincts, Reborn has drilled in several martial art patterns and drills for him to work with. Akiko seemed a little surprised, and relieved.
"Wow, it's not that well known in Japan…anyway, I work part time at a small dojo in town. I wanted to help out a little more though, which is why we need the extra help. Figure once he's old enough to train, he'll be old enough to decide if he wants to be a warrior, or overcompensate with a giant metal stick."
Natsu has to bite his lip to stop the giggle wanting to come out.
Akiko has to survive until Yamamoto meets Brother. He has a feeling the boxer will accept this woman as his patron goddess.
Suddenly, another voice joins the conversation.
"First of all, Shigure Soen Ryu is a noble, traditional sword style that goes back thousands of years, whereas your foreign fisticuffs haven't even made it to a century" the voice replies. "Secondly, I have nothing to compensate for, and you know that full well wife dear."
Natsu's head jerks up. He hadn't heard the new arrival come in. Akiko however, grins and stands up, arms wrapping around the man's shoulders.
"Oh, you know I'm only funning hubbie-mine" she sing songs, while Natsu watches on.
He's missing his wrinkles, and he looks a little chubbier than Natsu remembers, but it's definitely Yamamoto Tsuyoshi.
"So, this is my husband, Tsuyoshi" Akiko explains. "He'll be the one you're working for, if he likes you."
Natsu stands and gives a short bow, hands clasped in front of him.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Sawada Natsu."
Tsuyoshi matched the bow and smiled, only for the expression to freeze on his face as he took Natsu in. His eyes are focused down at Natsu's hand.
"That's a very interesting ring you have" he murmurs. Natsu blinked in surprise, eyes glancing down at the mare ring before tucking it behind his back.
"Oh, this is uh…a family heirloom" he replied.
Tsuyoshi's eyes narrow.
"Family heirloom huh? And Sawada…related to Sawada Iemitsu?"
Natsu tenses, and Akiko glances between the two of them in confusion.
"…I'm sorry, but do you two know each other?"
Tsuyoshi shakes his head.
"No. But I think I've met a few relatives."
He turns his back to Natsu and heads to his kitchen.
"Thank you for your interest. We'll be in touch."
Natsu's shoulders drop. He might not have had many interviews, but he knows a dismissal when he hears one.
Clearly, so can Akiko. She's watching her husband leave with a frown, and turns back to Natsu with a sympathetic smile.
"I swear, he's not usually like that. It's not like him to judge someone on a family member."
Natsu winces. "To be fair, Iemitsu is…often memorable in the worst of ways. I can't really judge him for it."
Akiko walks him to the door anyway.
"You never know, maybe things will work out. It's not that big a city, you could be our only applicant. You have my stamp of approval."
That gets him to smile, and Akiko grins.
"Hey, if nothing else, make sure to bring little Tsuna over for some top-grade sushi. I promise Tsuyoshi can totally deliver like no one else in town!"
"I'll try" Natsu promises, and walks outside. Once the door is shut, he runs a hand through his hair and resists the urge to pull on it.
He hadn't come in expecting a job, but all things considered, it had been going pretty well. Akiko is kind of awesome, like Takeshi with slightly (okay, a lot) more common sense. Natsu fully intends to bring Tsuna over some time, if for no other reason than to talk to her again. If he can save Lavina who was inches from death, he can figure out how to save Akiko from whatever fate had in store for her.
…But since when does Tsuyoshi know about Iemitsu and the mafia?
He still goes to the interview at the convenience store. The owner seems to like him, and it looks like he has a good shot.
For some reason that doesn't thrill him the way it did a few hours before.
Three days later, he was still waiting to hear from either job, when the phone rang. However, instead of a new manager, it was Lavina. Who had some stunning news.
"He's started divorce proceedings" she says, voice still slightly faint. "Shamal says the castle is a warzone but he won't be budged."
"Well, you're not dying anymore" Natsu replies. "Your biggest reason for saying no is gone."
"But I haven't even said yes yet!" Lavina squawks. "He just says he doesn't care. If he's got a second chance he won't waste it!"
Natsu frowned. "So…are you happy or unhappy. I can't actually tell."
"I don't know!" she wails. "He has a daughter with his wife. A woman Hayato calls mother! This is going to rip their family apart! How can I be happy when he's destroying their lives for me?"
Rather unfavourably, Natsu wonders where this concern had been when Lavina had started the relationship, but this is hardly the time to bring it up.
"Well, if he's doing it no matter what, then there's not much you can do about it" Natsu finally offers. "He's probably going to tell Hayato the truth pretty soon too, and trust me, that didn't go down well in one timeline. You have to make a choice, take this second chance and take what we both know you really want, or step back and spend the rest of your life not seeing the people you love more than anything. Because if Hayato takes after his Dad, both of them will chase you to the ends of the earth."
There's a thudding coming through the line – Natsu has the feeling Lavina is banging her head on something solid.
"Lavina?"
"Life was so much simpler when I was going to die young" she groans. "Saying no to Eduardo all those times was torture, I only got through it because I knew I wouldn't live long enough to justify it."
"Then don't say no?" Natsu offers.
"But-"
"Do you want to say no?"
"That's not-"
"Lavina" Natsu interrupts. "People are already making decisions for you. If you don't decide what you want, and what you don't, you won't have any say. You'll spend the rest of your life miserable, so, ignoring the ethics or the past relationships, what. Do. You. Want?"
It's an important question. In another life, it was one 'Tsuna' hadn't figured out until it was almost too late. People that care about you, or even just the idea of you, will always have expectations and plans. If you don't know how much you're willing to bend, and what you want out of life, you'll end up with absolutely nothing but misery, trapped in the chains of other people's needs. Lavina needs to decide if what she wants is worth the price she needs to pay – namely, accepting the proposal that they both know is coming, in exchange for becoming a stepmother and dealing with the social issues that such a union will bring her.
The pianist knows it too. But she's doing something Natsu can appreciate – ranting to someone just to get it out in the open. Things often seem clearer once they're out of your head. It's something he's done more than his fair share of.
Finally, he hears a deep sigh on the other end of the phone.
"I want to marry him. I want my son."
Natsu grins. "Then I guess you know what you have to do."
There's a rather morbid chuckle.
"I guess I do, huh? I hope you know you're getting an invitation. Maybe Tsuna and Hayato can finally meet."
His mind visualises the number in his bank account and he winces at the thought of yet another set of plane tickets.
"Yeah, I think I'll just send flowers."
"Natsu!"
He ignores the chiding tone and quickly tries to change the subject.
"How is Shamal anyway? Why is he keeping you updated?"
"Well, even with this shiny trinket on my finger, I am still, technically very sick. He's giving me check-ups to make sure my flames aren't going to suddenly stop functioning. It's a lot harder than you'd think to keep them constantly flowing. Plus, we're 'part of the very exclusive secret-mare-Natsu-club' as Shamal puts it."
Of course he does.
"Well, so long as he's being professional about it" Natsu mutters.
Two days later, he's gotten an offer of employment from the store, but he can't quite bring himself to accept it. Instead he's choosing to distract himself by going shopping with Tsuna – and the boy has taken to stopping in front of restaurant windows, gazing at the fake food displays and giving him pleading looks.
"Can we have hamburger steak tonight Dad? Please? You used to make really good hamburger steak."
Natsu winces. He'd tried to make that very steak the day before. The attempt had almost resulted in a trip from the fire department and a charcoal morsel that not even Bianchi would have touched.
"Mm…not tonight Tsuna. I think we still have some fried eggs…"
The groan is loud enough that even strangers turn to stare at him.
"I sick of friend eggs" he wails. "Can't we have hamburger steak?"
"How about sushi?"
Both turn, and Natsu smiles.
"Akiko, how are you?"
The woman grins, and Natsu glances down.
Oh, there he is…
"…Y-you must be Takeshi."
Wow, Takeshi looks like himself in miniature. Even his face has almost no puppy fat, and he's grinning like his mother at Tsuna, who looks a little surprised.
"Takeshi, this is Natsu and Tsuna Sawada" Akiko tells him, and the boy nods.
"Hello!" Takeshi chimes. Tsuna swallows and bows.
"Hello" he replies. "I'm Tsuna."
Akiko makes a cooing sound. "Oh, he looks just like you" she sighs. "You're going to be a heartbreaker when you grow up."
Natsu has to clap a hand on his mouth to hide the sarcastic scoff that wants to burst out. Parents are not supposed to openly mock their children's future chances no matter how ridiculous such comments are.
Thankfully, Akiko doesn't notice, too busy complimenting Tsuna (who is currently clinging to Natsu's leg and trying to bury his face into his knee) and he's schooled his expression before the woman turns her attention back to him.
"I'm glad I managed to run into you" Akiko admits. "It saves me the phone call – are you still interested in the job?"
Natsu blinks in shock.
"Hiei?"
The woman grins.
Akiko's smile was so sugary sweet it could have given the nearby buildings cavities.
"Seems there was a bit of a filing error and all of the other applicant's contact details just, disappeared" she says. "Tragic really. As it is you're the only one we still have on file and we really need someone tonight."
Natsu's eyes widened.
"But…but your husband really didn't like me…"
The smile twisted into something sharp and deadly.
"Oh, come on Natsu. Every single one of them was a schoolkid or utterly uninterested in talking to a 'working mother' when I met them. If Tsuyoshi isn't going to tell me his problem with you, he can just suck it up and let me be happy with the one person that'll let me gush about Takeshi to my heart's content in between shifts. So, are you interested?"
Natsu doesn't even realise he's nodded his head before Akiko grins. Patting his shoulder before heading off with Takeshi in tow.
"Great! See you at seven Natsu!"
The man stands frozen as the two vanish into the crowd, only coming back to reality when Tsuna tugs on his trousers.
"Dad? Dad, can we have sushi?"
"Hiei…"
Tsuna isn't exactly elated at being made to go to bed earlier than normal, but Natsu doesn't have the time to arrange someone to keep an eye on him for an hour, and honestly the boy will crash soon enough with the lights off. He has the contact numbers for the restaurant if something goes wrong, but even Tsuna couldn't get into too much trouble at age 3.
(The utter hopelessness, helplessness and 'Dame-ness' didn't really take root until the school years. Until then, Natsu can almost relax. Almost).
As expected, Tsuyoshi doesn't look happy at Natsu's arrival, but he's focused in the kitchen, preparing sushi for the small number of customers he has, and his dark mood is overshadowed by the glee coming from his wife.
"Natsu!" she cheers, coming over with a happy bow and pulling him over to the back.
"So, tonight's mostly orientation" she promises. "And I'll be here for tonight if anything goes wrong. There's no need to take orders, just clearing and prepping tables, then some kitchen hand duties. No cooking, I promise."
He gives a nervous smile, and gratefully accepts the apron she offers.
"I'll do my best Akiko."
What follows is some of the busiest hours Natsu can remember that didn't involve mafia, explosions and the fate of the world as he knows it. The work isn't hard, but it's constant, forcing him to think several steps ahead to keep on top of the plates and orders. He keeps expecting Dame-Tsuna to crop up at some point, resulting in him crashing to the ground and smashing every dish in the place, but it never happens. By the time the restaurant is closed and Akiko is giving him a thumbs up, he's almost completely relaxed.
Then Akiko vanishes upstairs, and Natsu is left to clear the last table alone. He doesn't even notice Tsuyoshi leaving over the counter to watch him until he hears four terrifying words.
"I know those rings."
Natsu freezes in place, hand still reaching for a glass.
"When I was younger, before I met Akiko, I brushed against a lot of the bigger names in this part of Japan" Tsuyoshi continues. "Every now and then, a foreigner would show up. Usually Italian, and with a big rock on their finger. Sometimes for business, other times to scout for new talent. Iemitsu and I butted heads a few times. When I started trying to go legitimate, he put a lot of effort into convincing me otherwise. Even hinted at going after Akiko on occasion, and he learned very quickly that I don't tolerate that. She might be trained, but she's no killer - not even a criminal. The only thing she is, is far too good for me. I don't even pretend otherwise."
Natsu swallows, and continues to clear the dirty table. Tsuyoshi continues to watch him, eyes digging into the back of his head. Once the table is cleared, Natsu takes it back to the kitchen, while the other man follows at a deceptively slow pace.
Once the tray was empty, he braced his shoulders and faced his employer.
"I'm not Mafia" he begins. "But I know how dangerous they can be. And how persistent. I promise, I swear, I have no interest in bringing you or your family into that world. I'm doing everything I can to avoid it myself."
The swordsman just keeps staring, eyes boring into his for a viciously long time. Finally…
"Know this" Tsuyoshi warns. "I've worked long and hard to put my past behind me. So, if you do anything that threatens the safety of my family, I will destroy you and everything you care about. That includes your kid, if it comes down to it."
The killing intent that follows that last sentence is almost thick enough to cut glass, and it's all Natsu can do to gulp and nod in reply. Satisfied, Tsuyoshi leaves him alone, and Natsu finds himself washing dishes in silence before he's free to go, and leans against the restaurant's outside wall in relief.
He doesn't understand. Tsuyoshi had never necessarily known the whole story, but he must have known at least what his son was up to in the other life. Where was this anger and protection then?
And why does Natsu get the feeling he's not going to like the answer to that question?
Just in case anyone asks, I chose Taekwondo even though it didn't really become popular in Japan until the year 2000 because I've studied it, and should I need to explain anything about the style in future, I wont have to do ludicrous amounts of studying to get things right. Plus Akiko is a quirky woman who likes being a little bit different.
My updating schedule is honestly going to be all over the place for the next few months. New Zealand was awesome, but I'm hitting a very busy time again (heading to the UK next week so I can visit family, friend and attend a convention, then it's off to start a working holiday in Canada), and I can't promise steady updates until June at the earliest. I INTEND to update before then, but I can't give good dates. Thanks for bearing with me.