The first thing Tsuna notices when he wakes up is that his headache has now reduced to a dull ache.
The second thing he notices is the body flying towards him.
"Tenth!" a voice wails, clinging to Tsuna and getting snot and tears all over him. Tsuna tries to cover up his grimace.
"G-Gokudera-kun, you're crushing me," Tsuna wheezes, ignoring the scent of burned skin and the flash of raging fire threatening to overcome him.
Gokudera rockets backwards, apologizing profusely. The spiky-haired boy sweatdrops.
"You really had us worried, Tsuna!" Yamamoto says lightly, although his eyes are darker with concern.
"Yes, Dame-Tsuna," a voice next to him says, and Tsuna tries not to shiver in fear. "Does this kind of thing happen often?"
The boy scratches his cheek nervously. "Um...not recently," he mumbles, eyeing his tutor as if the baby hitman would lash out at any moment for not telling him every detail of his medical history.
"Oh?" Reborn hums, expression unreadable.
"Well," a new voice says, and Tsuna turns to the source as he walks through the door. "It seems your medication is a little weak."
"Who are you?" Tsuna asks, staring at the scowling man.
"That's Dr. Shamal, one of the best doctors in the world," Reborn answers. Tsuna notices Gokudera discreetly glaring at the man but he decides to ignore it for the moment.
"I can't believe I had to treat a guy," Shamal moans, shivering. "I feel sick even thinking about it."
"I'm sorry for not being a girl?" Tsuna says, the sentence coming out questioningly.
Shamal ignores him. "Here's his new medication," the doctors says, handing a bottle of orange pills to Reborn. "Have him take one before bed every night."
He hesitates for a moment, gaze flickering to Tsuna. A feeling of unease forms in Tsuna, but before he can understand the meaning of his look, the man is already walking out of his bedroom.
"Now that my job is done, I'm going to go check out some cute girls!" he announces.
"I'll walk you out," Reborn says. He looks back at Tsuna before he exits the room. "Stay here."
Tsuna almost wants to protest at the order, but he knows that will only bring him pain, so he sighs in resignation and flops back down on to his pillow.
/
"So? What did you find out?" Reborn asks the moment they are out of the room.
Shamal frowns, pulling out Sawada's file and flipping to a certain page. "There's something different about his mind," Shamal answers.
Reborn's attention sharpens. "Different? How?"
"It's not life-threatening, like a tumor," Shamal assures, understanding the meaning behind Reborn's question. "Any normal doctor would just figure it's nothing, but some parts of Vongola's brain are a little more...well, the only way I can put it is advanced."
"Advanced?" Reborn questions.
The doctor brings a hand to his chin. "I've never seen anything like it, so I can't really compare it to anything accurately, but there is an increased usage of the Parietal lobe and the Occipital lobe compared to a normal brain."*
"And? What does that mean for Tsuna?"
Sighing, Shamal rubs his forehead. "Honestly? I have no idea. So far the only symptoms he seems to be showing are his migraines and this passing out business, but as far as I can tell that's the worst it will get. I'll contact you if I find out any more information."
/
"Tsunayoshi Sawada."
Tsuna freezes, slowly looking up at the second most terrifying thing in the world. (The first is Reborn.)
"You have been absent for three days. For skipping school, I will bite you to death."
The color from Tsuna's face drains and he is terrified to see the rest of the students fleeing into the building at the infamous words.
"H-Hibari-san, I can explain," he stutters nervously, taking a step backwards.
"Oh?" The Disciplinary President says, raising an eyebrow.
"I-I was sick!" Tsuna hastens to explain.
"Is that so?" Dark eyes gaze at his shaking form. "Then, where is your doctor's note?"
Tsuna blanches. "A-ah! My doctor's note, yeah..." He started patting his pockets. "Where did I put that thing?"
Hibari is looking at him. Tsuna can feel his Evil Look of Doom.
"Oh, there it is!" Tsuna says suddenly, and then drops his bag and runs like the hounds of hell are on his heels.
It's not his best plan, but to his credit it takes a second for Hibari to realize that someone actually ran away from him.
Tsuna darts around the corner of the school, running faster than he ever has in his life, including the time Reborn set tigers loose on him. He can hear the clang of Hibari's tonfas hitting each other and a streak of terror flies through him. His speed increases, and as he is running he sees a tree. Tsuna can admit that he has done many stupid things in his life, but his next decision tops all of that.
Idiotically, Tsuna climbs the tree.
He does not understand why he made the assumption that Hibari cannot get him while he is in a tree, but he did and now he is clinging to this tree while the Devil Himself stares up at him.
Once he sees that there is no escape, Tsuna decides to give Hibari his will.
That is, the will to where his things will go after his death.
"Hibari-san, please give my comics to Yamamoto-san, and my fish plate to Gokudera-san, and my extra candies to Lambo, and my stuffed bear to my mother, and Bianchi can have my pots and pans. Don't give anything to Reborn, though; he'll probably make fun of my dead body when he sees it so he doesn't deserve my things." Tsuna is aware that he is ranting, but at least Hibari is not hacking at his body.
"Herbivore, shut up." Tsuna's mouth automatically closes. "I am going to bite you to death. You have three seconds to run."
Maybe Hibari is feeling merciful today. Tsuna isn't going to wait around for him to change his mind, though, so once again he is dashing as far away from the prefect he can get within three seconds.
It's not very far.
Tsuna shrieks and narrowly dodges having his head taken off. There's a moment of awkward silence as Hibari stares in disbelief at the place where his tonfa missed Tsuna's head.
Hibari's eyes narrow.
Tsuna jumps back as Hibari swings his arm down, and then ducks as once again the metal weapon is aimed for his head.
"Wao," Hibari says, a clear sign that he is interested.
Tsuna belatedly realizes that he has doomed himself.
/
When Tsuna is finally struck down by Hibari, he is utterly exhausted.
"Omnivore."
"Hiiieeee!" Tsuna responds.
"From now on, you will fight me before school. Do not be late."
Tsuna despairs.
/
"If Tsuna really is going to be a mafia boss, then fight me!"
"...Huh?"
The girl from before is standing in front of him, garnished in some kind of battle outfit.
"I will only accept Reborn being with you if you win!" Haru declares.
"Pass," Tsuna instantly declines. "You can have him."
"A mafia boss never turns down a challenge," Reborn chirps, stomping on Tsuna's foot. Tsuna mouths profanity in pain.
Tsuna is about to tell Reborn where he can shove that ideal when Haru goes and falls into the river.
'If you're gonna challenge me then at least wait until we're actually fighting to lose!'
"The armor is too heavy!" Haru gasps, struggling to stay above the water.
Tsuna feels bad for her, really he does, but going in there would require physical contact, and he is so not up to that nonsense today.
Unfortunately Reborn has different plans because Tsuna finds himself pushed into the river, right next to Haru.
He grimaces as he reaches Haru, thankful for the clothing separately their skin from touching. He shivers from the icy water, trying to drag Haru to shore, but too weak to pull both of them along. Haru clings to Tsuna in desperation.
There's the sound of a gun clicking, and Tsuna turns to see Reborn pointing a Leon-transformed gun.
His vision blurs. "Save Haru with my Dying Will." Tsuna doesn't even recognize the next few minutes occurring and he finds that he is on the ground with Haru, cold and wet. A breeze passing by causes Tsuna to realize that he is in his underwear.
"Reborn. What did you do."
"I shot you with the Dying Will bullet," there's a gleam in Reborn's eye that he really doesn't like. "When it hits you, you die, and then you come back to fulfill your last regret."
Why is he even surprised.
"E-excuse me!" Tsuna looks up to see a blushing Haru. "Thank you for saving me, Tsuna-kun! I believe that you're going to be a boss now!"
Tsuna groans. This couldn't get any worse.
"So, I've decided that I'll become your wife no matter what!"
He was so wrong, so terribly wrong. At this point he thinks he's done something to piss off Fate.
/
The date is October thirteenth.
"Sorry, Tenth, I have to go do something right now!"
"I have to go clean up, sorry Tsuna!"
"Haru's really busy! I'll see you later, Tsuna!"
"You'll never find me, gyahahaha!"
Bianchi didn't even bother coming up with an excuse, she just flat out ignored him.
"Everyone is acting really strange lately," Tsuna says, brows furrowed in thought as he treks home.
Could it be that they were hiding something from him?
"Oh well," Tsuna shrugs, unconcerned. It wasn't his business anyway.
"Everyone's preparing for a birthday party," Reborn says, popping out from a bush.
"A birthday party?" Tsuna asks.
Was it someone's birthday soon? Tsuna realizes that he hasn't really discussed birthdays with anyone, and he feels a bit guilty for not knowing.
"I only forgot to tell you," Reborn continues. "It's today."
"I see. Um," Tsuna hesitates.
"What is it?"
"Whose birthday is it?" Tsuna scratches the back of his neck in embarrassment.
Reborn blinks. "It's mine."
Ah, so that's why everyone was so frantic in getting ready.
/
"Happy Birthday, Reborn!"
Streamers flew through the air with handfuls of confetti. Tsuna huffs and brushes the colorful specs off of his clothes.
"Thank you everyone. Today I will be turning one year old," Reborn held up his index finger.
'No matter how you look at it, that's a lie!'
At this point Tsuna doesn't even care anymore.
"Now let's start the Vongolian Birthday Party. Whoever gets the most points for their gift wins, but the person with the lowest score dies."
'What kind of party is that?!'
Good thing Tsuna had stopped to make his gift earlier.
Yamamoto gets a high score for bringing the sushi, Bianchi's new technique sets her at ninety, Haru's homemade outfits puts her above Yamamoto with an eighty-five, Gokudera gets the same eighty as Yamamoto with his magic tricks, and poor Lambo has only one point with his stick-thing.
"It's your turn, Tsuna," Reborn says cheerfully. "Remember, if you forfeit with no present, you get zero points and you'll die."
Tsuna grumpily pulls out a hastily wrapped gift. "Who do you think I am? Of course I got you a gift." Tsuna doesn't notice the surprise that briefly flashes across Reborn's features. Reborn unwraps the paper, staring at the present.
"A bracelet?" Reborn asks, carefully holding up the gift and examining the black beads and sun ornament.
"I made it." Tsuna's face heats up slightly. "When I was younger I used to make these when I was bored. The ornaments are kinda hard to do, but they're really sturdy so the sun won't break."
"Why a sun?" Reborn questions curiously.
"The sun reminds me of you, I guess," Tsuna shrugs. He had picked out the colors based on Reborn's numbers. He supposes it's a little messed up, but Tsuna thinks that black and yellow suit the hitman.
Reborn's eyes are shadowed. "...One hundred points."
"Eh?"
"As expected of the Tenth!" Gokudera praises.
"Congrats, Tsuna!" Yamamoto laughs, clapping him on the back and lurching him forward.
"Congratulations, Dame-Tsuna, you won the birthday party game," Reborn says, jumping onto Tsuna's shoulder. Tsuna leans away slightly so Reborn won't touch his skin.
"Speaking of birthdays, I think I'm forgetting someone's," Nana ponders, tapping her chin.
"Is it someone we know?" Haru asks absently, focused on the cake on her plate.
"I think so..." Nana frowns. "Tsu-kun, do you know?"
Tsuna blinks owlishly. "Another birthday?" What was today again? "It's October thirteenth, isn't it? I don't know anyone else's birthday that's in October."
"October..." Nana's eyes widen, guilt flooding her features. "Ah! That's right, Tsu-kun's birthday is tomorrow!"
Everyone except for Reborn stares at Nana in shock. "Huh? Is it really?" Tsuna frowns thoughtfully.
"You didn't know?!" Half the room yells. Tsuna winces.
"Well, I've never really celebrated birthdays that much, so..." Nana is twisting her hands in distraught while even Reborn stares at Tsuna. "They've never really seemed that important, and I guess I just started forgetting about them. By the time I realize I've gotten another year older, my birthday's already over."
Tsuna laughs sheepishly.
"Tenth!" Gokudera has tears flowing down his cheeks. "How tragic! You're so noble, Tenth! I'll never forget your birthday again!"
"We'll definitely have a birthday party for you tomorrow, Tsuna!" Yamamoto says determinedly. Tsuna inches away from the dedicated look in the baseball player's eyes.
"I'll cook a feast!" Bianchi announces.
"It's okay, you really don't have to," Tsuna insists, dread slowly filling him. Now that he thought about it, he really didn't want these people planning a party for him.
"I'll get the best present for Tsuna!" Lambo declares, causing a fight to break out.
"No way, the only one who knows the Tenth enough to get him a great present is me!"
"Ara, even though you didn't even know him enough to know when his birthday is?" Haru says slyly. Gokudera crumples to the ground, begging for Tsuna's forgiveness.
"Haha, but you didn't know Tsuna's birthday either," Yamamoto's smile is cold.
"Please stop," Tsuna says helplessly. His plea is promptly ignored.
"Hahi! Haru is Tsuna's future wife! I'm going to win!"
"..."
"NO WAY AM I LETTING YOU MARRY THE TENTH!"
"Hahaha, what are you talking about? Tsuna's gonna marry me, right?"
"HUH?! YOU'RE EVEN WORSE THAN HER, BASEBALL FREAK!"
"LAMBO-SAMA WANTS TO MARRY TSUNA-NII!"
This is actually his life. He has to live like this, with these people.
It's a depressing thought.
"As the greatest hitman in the world who knew it was Tsuna's birthday, I will be getting the best gift for Tsuna," Reborn suddenly says, interrupting the marriage fight.
"Et tu, Reborn?" Tsuna mumbles, burying his head in his arms.
*the Parietal lobe is the part of the brain that recognizes sensations/body positions/objects, time, etc. while the Occipital lobe processes visual information (color, shape, distance, etc.) Please note that I'm a fifteen year old who only has google for help so I made up the whole medical part lol
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