A Glass Shoe
Because Tsuna deserved a night at the ball, and he would be damned if he let his stepmother have her way. (AU R27)
08
Once upon a time, the Nippon Kingdom was a peaceful land. Though relatively new, people from lands afar traveled great distances in hopes of the rumored protection and kindness offered by the young king. Together, the villagers and the king built a land on peace.
That was many years ago.
Though the Kingdom of Italia tried as hard as the may, they were not able to protect the rebuilding Vongola Kingdom. On the large combined land of the old Nippon and Estraneo, the new kingdom was but far too wide for one king to rule justly.
It was subtle, but the increase of kidnappings and spiked worry and fear in the hearts of the Vongola villagers.
They were told that young Keiko had skipped off the forest path and tumbled down the cliff in her impatient fun.
They were told that the dog Sasuke simply ran off.
They were told that elder Marco had succumb to his hallucinations and was found floating in the nearby river.
These were no accidents.
There was camaraderie amongst the villagers; they would watch out for each other, for they understood the people with power wouldn't.
So when Prince Renato journeyed to the ever-growing kingdom, the villagers celebrated. Finally. A savior.
But nothing has changed.
"Tsuna!"
As Tsuna shopped for the weekly groceries, Luce pulled him aside. Her eyes spoke of unease framed by deep wrinkles.
"Luce, I was just about to head over to your stand to help—"
"Have you heard?" she interrupted, biting her lip.
Tsuna paused, his tone questioning, "No?"
She sighed and rubbed her forehead and gestured for him to walk with her. "As you probably noticed, this town is not in the best shape… We aren't the only town in Vongola like this either. Poor, sickly, uneducated…" she sighed again. "It's easy for things to go missing, for people to go missing."
Tsuna's eyes sharpened and a silent 'oh' escaped his lips.
"I'm worried," Luce admitted. She avoided making eye contact with the young man beside her, "I am old, and with Aria traveling about, I fear I cannot protect Yuni like I used to."
"You know I will do everything in my power to protect you, right?" Tsuna's grave voice gave Luce the reassurance she wasn't sure that he could provide. Nonetheless, hearing those words from the sweet, young man she had practically raised calmed her anxious heart.
"Thank you," she replied simply.
The two continued to walk down the dirt path, reaching a stop at Luce's stand, and thus, her home behind it.
"I will be making rounds to the shelters today, would you like to join me?"
Tsuna's wide smile answered her question. Together they entered her home and begun to prep meals.
While it was a daily occurrence for Luce to visit different shelters, Tsuna was often busy with his duties at home to assist.
Moments like these taught Tsuna more than any classroom lecture could. These were people just like him who were down on their luck. Despite so, they were some of the kindest people Tsuna has ever met.
Though Luce and Tsuna never asked for anything in return, the duo was always paid full with warm smiles and adventurous stories. Tsuna thought it was selfish of him. He helped Luce whenever he could but was always rewarded far more than he thought he deserved.
"Here you are," Tsuna said kindly as he poured the hot soup into the plastic bowl. As the old man smiled with missing tooth and all, Tsuna's heart warmed.
The next person gruffly pushed his bowl towards Tsuna and looked anywhere but at his confused, brown eyes.
He was tall, much taller than Tsuna's small frame. With tousled, spiky blonde hair and wild dark brown eyes, everything about him screamed rebel. Tsuna doesn't recognize the angry red scar stretched across his nose and sharpened teeth, but he would hold judgment and treat everyone equally.
"Be kinder, Ken." The monotonous voice beside the feral looking young man broke Tsuna from his reverie.
He, like his friend before him, was extraordinarily tall and lithe with thin limbs. His hair was dark and greasy, lying flat on his forehead. Tsuna couldn't see what color his eyes were behind the cracked glasses.
"Whatever, Chikusa," the wild man seemed to growl out.
Smiling tentatively, Tsuna introduced himself. "Hello, I'm Tsuna. I believe I have not seen you around, so please enjoy this!" With what he wanted said and done, Tsuna gave each of them hefty scoops and mentally prayed to his ring that whatever higher being above would take care of them.
The blonde man merely narrowed his eyes at Tsuna, resembling Queen Uri in her anger as the quieter man beside him bowed.
Following the interesting and new pair, Tsuna's mind was occupied as he continued serving soup. Time passed by quickly and Tsuna had to leave Luce early in order to cook dinner for his stepfamily.
Tsuna hummed as he entered the richer part of town; he knew he wasn't particularly liked in this area. He was entering Cervello's territory, each move watched closer than a hawk with word traveling faster than the time between Iris and Bluebell's arguments.
"Leave and don't ever come back here, useless!"
Raising his eyes to meet the owner of the harsh voice, all Tsuna saw was a frail woman falling on to the paved road. He rushed over to help her up and looked over to the building only for the door to shut soundly into his face.
"Are you alright?"
The woman in question was quivering; she was a tiny thing with dark blue hair resting flat along her shoulders and one, anxiously spinning, blue eye.
She didn't say anything.
Unsure of what to do, he gently let go of her arms and carefully reached into his basket, hopefully letting her know he meant no harm with his slow movement.
Tsuna pulled out an apple and pulled her arm softly and placed the apple into her hand.
"Drop by the shelter, a few streets down, for a warm meal, okay?" He spoke tenderly, not wanting to scare her.
"Chrome?" A voice came from behind them.
The woman gasped and begun to shake even more, almost dropping the apple Tsuna had given.
Turning around, Tsuna thought he saw a mirror image of the woman before him. With the same dark blue hair, except his in an odd, spiky shape and one blue eye (though he did have two eyes, the other being red), the man was just as thin as his female counterpart. Yet they matched in their dirtied and torn clothing.
The dark blue woman scurried behind the tall man, and he wrapped his arms around her protectively.
"And you are?" His voice was even silkier up close. The velvet tone nearly sent shivers up Tsuna's back if he wasn't trained from not reacting to Reborn's voice.
"Tsuna, just Tsuna."
The man narrowed his eyes and his lips curled into a predatory smirk, "You look familiar, do I know you?"
Tsuna scratched his head, scrambling to remember; a pineapple style haircut would have stood out to him if he did meet the mysterious man previously. "I'm sorry, I'm just a servant at one of the households here." He bowed generously and offered another apple from his basket to the man.
"Please, take it."
Without any questions, the dark blue haired man took it and tossed it into the air before catching it swiftly.
"As I mentioned before, don't be afraid to visit the shelter for a warm meal, it's open to anyone, anytime."
Tsuna then continued his trek home, but if he were to turn around, he would have seen the calculating eyes of both people he left behind.
Upon arrival of his home, Tsuna sighed.
Time to get to work; but, he decided as he tied the apron around his waist and bandana in his hair, he would work his hardest if it meant being able to go to the ball with Reborn. Glancing at the seemingly glowering clock, he mentally prepared himself for hours of his stepfamily belittling him; there would be no time to visit Reborn tonight and potentially more nights ahead until the ball.
"Prince Renato, your brothers have arrived and we have received mail that King Timoteo arrived safely at the Italia Castle as well," Hayato reported.
The said prince winced, though unintentional, his brothers could be extremely rowdy—especially when in close proximity to each other.
"Ensure dinner is set up by the time we enter, I shall go welcome them in."
Hayato nodded and they went their separate ways.
Renato heard them before he saw them, the unmistakable growl of Xanxus, Federico's happy laughter, Massimo's protesting voice, and Enrico attempting to calm them all down.
"Renato!" Federico tackled his older brother down, and was soon followed by a doggy pile from the rest of his siblings and a reluctant Xanxus.
"Chaos," grumbled Renato. Though he rolled his eyes, he was genuinely happy to have his family here with him. Despite the circumstances of their arrival, Renato felt comforted by their presence.
"Prince Renato? Dinner is prepared." Hearing the familiar voice of his assistant, Renato pushed aside his brothers and stood tall, tilting his chin up like the stuck up royal he was.
"Welcome to Vongola Kingdom, my brothers."
Gesturing for his brothers to follow, he let their chatter fly over his head as he pondered on how he would escape them to see his Tsuna for the evening.
Dinner was a quiet affair, each of the princes lost in thought.
All the princes, excluding Renato, pondered with thoughts of their young friend who had once lived in both Italia and Vongola. Though many years have passed, Sawada Tsunayoshi had made an impact on each of the princes.
Following the Sawadas departure to Vongola, the Kingdom of Italia buzzed with life as each prince had duty after duty, sparing no time to visit their favorite, small friend. King Timoteo had fallen ill at the time, and all princes were needed at home to protect the kingdom.
Iemitsu's death surprised them all. They had known that Iemitsu began work with the governing cabinet of Vongola and had assumed he and Tsuna were safe. Immediately, the four brothers who knew the Sawadas intimately traveled to Vongola to attend the funeral and visit Tsuna.
Upon arrival, they were met with Iemitsu's mourning second wife. She had spoke volumes of how heartbroken she was, for death had not only taken Iemitsu, but his son as well. She was too incoherent for the princes to understand her explanation, but they resolved to assist the family in any way they could. Every month, the princes sent a large stipend to the remaining Sawada stepfamily in honor of Tsuna and Iemitsu. The Sawadas' family would be their family.
Renato coughed to gather his family's attention, "I shall be heading up early. There is much to plan for the ball and impending wedding." Under the watchful gaze of his siblings, Renato retreated upstairs.
He paced back and forth in his room, conjuring a multitudinous amount of plans to escape his nosey brothers.
A knock on the door interrupted his train of thought.
"Prince Renato? Should I show the princes to their rooms now?"
Rubbing his chin, Renato smirked. Yes, he thought, this would work perfectly.
"Of course, and make sure to give them a whole castle tour. Take your time."
With that said, Renato quickly changed into his clothes he normally ventured out into the village with. Renato took one last glance behind him and escaped through the window once more.
Hayato, quick to his prince's instructions, began to guide the brothers through the castle.
Federico immediately noticed something was suspicious when Hayato insisted on a complete castle tour, dungeon included.
"Where's Renato?" he questioned.
Enrico nodded quickly, "We are here to visit him after all, he should join us on the tour!"
A slow smile graced Federico's face. "That's a wonderful idea brother, let us head to his room now!"
"I believe his room is upstairs?" Gestured Massimo, promptly gesturing above them.
Hayato spluttered out a plethora of excuses that all the princes waved off as they marched excitedly to their brother's room.
"P-please your highnesses, we must not interrupt Renato in his private chambers!"
Xanxus scoffed, "There is nothing private among the Italia Brothers!" He swiftly kicked the door down and a squeak from a passing maid was overshadowed by the laughter from the princes, for the room had been empty.
"Of course Renato would leave his guests the first day they arrive," Enrico exclaimed, shaking his head.
"The only question is where did he go?" asked Massimo.
The smirk on Federico's face made Hayato sweat—"And the answer is Hayato."
The answer came rather quick. Hayato did not know whom he feared more, four of the brothers combined, or Prince Renato himself.
Nonetheless, the princes donned simpler clothing and rode out to the village in hopes of spying on their devious brother.
Renato, unaware that his brothers would soon be following him, arrived at the village and waited at the local café Tsuna would meet him at. Though he knew that the two never made official plans to meet each other, Renato likened it to an understanding of sorts. On some days the two would miss each other completely, and others, spend what felt like hours together. He hoped today would be of the latter.
Yet, Renato pondered, this was too easy of an escape. His brothers would never let him out of their grasps like this. He looked warily around him, searching for signs of his siblings following him.
He stood and decided to order a cappuccino while he anticipated Tsuna's arrival. From this new angle, he glanced out the window as he waited in line.
Spiky black hair and different colored feathers peeked.
Renato froze.
There was only one person with hair as spiky as his own and decorated with feathers.
Forcing himself to relax, he turned directly to the window and feigned interest in the plant life beside it.
It was indeed pointy tufts and dead animal hair, however it was accompanied by distinctive traits from the rest of his family, Enrico, Federico, and Massimo.
Renato hoped that Tsuna didn't show up at all.
If his siblings discovered Renato was interested in someone, romantically or platonically, they would surely embarrass him in front of them.
Renato sighed as he said his order, keeping a vigilant eye on his siblings' location. Renato took his seat and lamented on the lack of seeing Tsuna, it was truly a struggle to stay away from the witty and just man.
The bell signaling the entry of someone into the café rang and Renato's heart jumped to his throat, feelings mixed with wanting and not wanting it to be Tsuna.
"Yo Reborn!" Instead, the friendly and jovial voice came from Tsuna's good friend Takeshi.
Renato nodded in acknowledgement, the young man always left him feeling disconcerted. Renato was sure that Takeshi knew exactly who he was, then Takeshi would do something slightly idiotic and laugh it off and Renato wouldn't be sure anymore.
The other man took the nod as a sign to sit in front of Renato, completely blocking his view of his brothers.
"Tsuna wanted to let you know he couldn't come!" Takeshi announced, leaning over to look at the pastry display. Renato tried to take a glimpse behind the broad man to find his siblings—they were nowhere to be found.
"Well, well, well, look who ditched their brothers!" came Massimo's voice.
Mentally groaning, Renato knew they would begin throwing hyperbolic accusations.
"We thought it would be some kind of pretty girl, boy were we wrong." Federico whistled.
Enrico tapped his chin in thought. "Though, you are quite handsome."
Takeshi blinked and began to grin widely, "Thank you, you have some funny brothers, Reborn!" He shook his head, "But he wasn't waiting to me, he was waiting to meet my friend. If you think I'm handsome wait 'til you meet—"
"What do you want," interjected Renato.
Xanxus chuckled wholeheartedly at his older brother's expression and finished with a snarl. "Such a shame, brother, that we traveled all this way only for you to leave us."
"I have lived with you all for over twenty years, you can miss me for one evening," Renato deadpanned.
Federico rolled his eyes. "We aren't here for you, we want to see whoever you were supposed meet up with. Who," he smiled charmingly to Takeshi, "you happen to know?"
Takeshi's guffaw was loud he paused before answering. Between the dark glare from Reborn and this stranger's charming smile, he easily feared the bite he knew would come from Reborn should he speak wrongly.
"Look at the time," Takeshi chirped, "I need to go help my dad! See everyone soon!" He gave a jaunty wave as he backed away toward the door briskly.
The brothers immediately filled the rest of the table and squeeze themselves in. The five of them were a tight fit.
"Who were you going meet," demanded Massimo. The rest of them nodded and leaned in closer to hear Renato's response.
"Who said I was meeting anyone?" came Renato's snarky response. "I came to patrol and observe. I have a duty to this land of course."
Enrico rolled his eyes and leaned onto his palm. "Did you get stood up?"
"Oh yes, he definitely got stood up," Federico nodded sagely.
Yay for world building! Yay for I still updated! I have been so busy, BUT I have written the beginning of the next chapter already! I was originally going to have a portion of the day of the ball included in this chapter, but I thought for organizational purposes, I would try to keep the ball stuff in together.
In this chapter, you were introduced to some more characters (woohoo), I am trying my best to include as many characters as I can from KHR, but I do apologize in advance for the limited role they may play.
Anywaaaays, thanks so much for all the reviews and favorites and follows! I'M SCREAMING, 129 favs, 187 follows, and 46 reviews? I can't tell y'all enough how much I love all that you do. Your constant kind words and encouragement mean the world. Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon, it has been exciting writing it hehe!
Guest Reviews
Guest: I'm actually laughing SO HARD, I'm sorry my writing is sickeningly romantic, I honestly have no excuses other than I love love, which is rather ironic as I never been in a relationship (oops). You will be seeing Dino and a bit of Varia later on, but I doubt you will see Ryohei- just hear of him :( but thank you for your feedback, maybe I can incorporate some more characters!
Shelly Marsh: Thank you, ahhh! This chapter was more playful and world building, so hopefully ya were able to catch on to all the lil golden eggs I threw around :)
Bunny: oh Goodness, if you thought that last chapter took a long time this one must have taken forever! BUT the next chapter shouldn't take as long (I hope?!). I'm sorry if this chapter was slow to ahHhhhH they both serve a purpose I promise! And omg, don't even apologize about your grammar, you are more than fine!
Kurokatana64 (technically not guest but I can't PM you!): Thank you for your support, I'm so honoed that you like my story! I tried to be subtle with the lil potential romance and more going on in the background heheh
I didn't have time to edit the chapter because I really wanted to share it (oops) so I hope it's good!
