Chapter VI: Semper reformanda (Vongola Estate / Venice, Italy / Present Day)
Tsuna woke screaming and panting, hands clenching in the sheets of a strange bed in a strange room he couldn't recognize. His whole body shook as he fought his own mind for control long enough to figure out where he was. It took a few long, deep breaths before he recognized his guest suite in Venice. That started a small chain reaction of realizations that slowly allowed him to calm down, his breathing slowed and the shaking eventually stopped.
It was helpful, actually, that the rooms were so different from what he was used to at home. The shift in location forced him to think faster, identify threats and focus his mind. He had to admit as well that the fireplace and sitting area, the enormous attached bathroom and the gorgeous windows weren't bad either. He could do without the bed he practically had to climb into, but he was sure he could get used to that as well.
Glancing over at the clock, he shook his head ruefully. He'd only managed to sleep through until two in the morning and here he was, wide awake. It usually wasn't this bad, but he decided that the strange environment and the lack of Reborn in his room with him had contributed to the terror of the nightmares. He rarely slept anywhere near well anymore without Reborn nearby. Not out of fear, but for lack of some sort of subconscious comfort he took from the other's presence.
Knowing that sleep wouldn't come again anytime soon for him, Tsuna struggled his way out of the huge bed and scrounged for comfortable clothes instead. Pulling on jeans and a t-shirt, he ran a hand through his hair and wandered out into the hallway in search of the kitchen. Dinner had been ages ago in teenager time and if he couldn't sleep, at least he could indulge in his second favorite pastime and eat something.
He made two stops along the way, the first at Lambo's room. Slipping into the smaller room near his own, Tsuna checked on the boy, making sure he was warm enough. The truth was, it was more to reassure himself than Lambo, but it was a routine for nights like this. Check on the most vulnerable of his Family and remind himself of what he held so dear, and remember that he would do anything to protect them. Tucking Lambo in a bit more snugly, Tsuna headed for his next stop.
Futa was asleep as well, although he'd fallen asleep while reading. Chuckling softly, Tsuna settled the boy fully into his bed and tucked him in, running a gentle hand over Futa's forehead and through his hair. Middle school was doing wonders for Futa and he was growing in so many different ways now. It was something that brought a lot of pleasure to the Sawada household overall.
"Tsuna-niiā¦" Futa muttered in his sleep, snuggling more deeply into the bed.
"Sweet dreams, Futa," Tsuna murmured to him, switching off the lamp by the bed. "We'll have a lot of fun tomorrow, to make up for today."
Slipping out again, he continued his trek to the kitchens. It was odd, seeing armed guards here and there in the hallways as he walked. A stark reminder, he supposed, of the risks of the position he was being groomed for. After all, out of five prospective heirs, only he and Xanxus were still alive. Shaking his head, he finally found himself victorious as he located the kitchen.
Tsuna was waist-deep in the enormous refrigerator when he heard the door to the kitchen swing open behind him. Debating between leaving his back to someone who might actually kill him and finishing the rummaging which was almost complete, he chose food over safety and finally emerged triumphant with leftover chicken and cheese. Turning around to carry it over to the table in the center of the room, he blinked in surprise at the newcomer sitting at one of the chairs there.
"For fuck's sake, you shrimp. You're gonna get your ass kicked and then raped and dumped in some field, some day. Are you that ready to die just as you grow out of the girly stage of your life?" Boots landed with a thump on the table as the occupant of the chair threw his feet up onto it.
Tsuna blinked slowly at Xanxus and then groaned. "Why am I always the bitch in conversations like this? Do I really have a body that screams 'hey pedophiles, rape me'? Really?"
Xanxus blinked right back at him and then snorted. "Screams it, begs for it, gets down on its knees and asks for it. Maybe they should start giving you testosterone injections. You should at least learn how to cover your own ass."
"Why does every conversation I have late at night these days begin and end with my ass?" Tsuna flopped into another chair and shoved the chicken and cheese to the middle of the table so that he could bang his forehead against the marble surface. The laughing coming from Xanxus' side of the table didn't help any.
"Let me worry about Tsuna's ass, Xanxus." Tsuna and Xanxus both blinked in surprise as Reborn appeared on a nearby counter. "You worry about your own. He's not the only one around here who's girlishly slim."
"The hell?!" Tsuna grumbled and ignored Xanxus, who flung a kitchen utensil lazily at Reborn, deciding instead to attack his late night snack. "Both of you stop thinking about my ass. I feel so dirty now." He dedicated himself with true devotion to his food. Fear was one thing, starvation was another. He was a growing boy, after all. If Xanxus wanted to hurt him, he'd have locked him in the fridge or something equally nasty.
"Your girlish figure is nothing to be ashamed of, Tsuna," Reborn stated, reappearing far too close to Tsuna's food for his comfort. "I'm sure potential suitors everywhere will admire it." Tsuna grumbled and lashed out with his fork with instincts that were years in the making, defending his snack against theft by his tutor.
"What are you, a pimp now?" Tsuna replied, hugging his plate to his chest protectively, arm wrapped snugly around the ceramic. "You need a different suit for that, maybe something in a pinstripe."
Xanxus snorted across the table and stood, moving to rummage through one of the cupboards. He emerged victorious with a dark bottle that had been hidden behind a number of other things. "You're both too damned noisy. Shut the hell up."
"Locked out of the liquor cabinets again, Xanxus?" Reborn asked, dodging the pan Xanxus flung at him ruthlessly.
Tsuna wasn't so lucky, however, having refocused on his food, and he took the pan to the side of his head with a resounding gong. Stunned for a moment, he fell, face first into his plate, snorting chicken and cheese before wheezing and coughing. Pleased with this result, Xanxus headed for the door, laughing.
"There isn't a liquor cabinet I can't get into. My lazy ass grunts forgot to restock and that bitch Squalo ran off before I could make him fetch for me." With that, Xanxus was gone.
"The only reason I can handle that asshole right now," Tsuna grumbled, wiping his face off with a napkin, "is that he's a lot less of an asshole in the future. Not that it's a great improvement, but at least there's less talk about my ass, I think."
"What?" Reborn blinked at Tsuna as if he'd lost his mind. Tsuna straightened in shock, his eyes wide for a moment. He hadn't meant to say that out loud. He could almost see the little cogs whirring in Reborn's head.
"At least I can hope so, anyway," Tsuna said, covering his slip as best he could. "I mean, he's better now than he used to be, right?"
"Well, that's true." Reborn successfully snagged the rest of Tsuna's food, leaving the plate empty in a flash. "Why aren't you in bed, no-good Tsuna? It's late."
"Me? What about you, Reborn? Where have you been? It's weird waking up without you in the same room." Tsuna glared at his empty plate and sighed, swiping a banana from the bowl of fruit on the table to compensate for his loss.
"Can't sleep without me, Tsuna?" Reborn teased, smirking slightly. "Should we take a bath together like men, to reassure you?"
"I worry when you're gone too much. It usually means a whole world of pain for me later on." Tsuna had lists of examples to back up that statement. "But honestly I thought maybe Bianchi had stolen you away for the night. I had horrifying visions of you smothering in her possessive bosom."
"I had some things to follow up on," Reborn replied, wiping his face with Tsuna's napkin. "I'm done now."
"I see." Tsuna shrugged and cleaned up their mess. "Let's get some sleep, then." He offered his shoulder to Reborn, relaxing somewhat as the familiar weight settled in. Carrying Reborn back to what was apparently their room now, Tsuna paused when Reborn hopped off his shoulder and promptly claimed half the enormous bed for himself.
"Reborn," he started slowly, turning away to strip down to his boxers, "maybe it's a little bit true. It's hard to sleep without you there." Turning back, he shook his head in amusement. The only answer to his confession was Reborn, dead asleep, hogging all the pillows. "Except when you do things like that."
Giving in, he curled back up in the bed and prayed that he'd sleep through the rest of the night peacefully.
*Title translates to "always in need of being reformed".
