Songs: Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes but I was thinking more of the Melanie Martinez version
Enjoy!
XXXX
None of them could stop panicking. All night, Hibari was sneaking in and out of Tsuna's room through the window, just to hear him breathe. Yamamoto and Gokudera kept calling, and even though they knew Tsuna wasn't good with calls because he couldn't talk, they would just stay on the line and listen to his breathing. Just to make sure it was there. They had never realized how much they depended on it until it was gone.
Yamamoto had come home for the second time in years crying. Tsuyoshi wasn't sure about what, but he comforted his son, confused by the mix of grief and joy. When his son kept getting up to call someone in the middle of the night, he finally asked who. But Yamamoto only shook his head and smiled sadly.
"Dad, can I bring a friend over tomorrow?" Tsuyoshi blinked. Yamamoto hadn't done that since he was little.
"Sure." Yamamoto brightened.
"Thans Dad!" He chirped, and dialed his phone. He frowned. "Gokudera must be on with him."
XXXX
Ieyoshi had been put through hell. In a single morning, he had been burned, bitten, sliced, diced, shot, bruised, and Reborn's favorite, half-drowned. Reborn had only taken care of the immediately life-threatening injuries and then packed him off to school to be beaten by Hibari, Yamamoto and Gokudera. Then Reborn had given him that fucking creepy demon's smile, and told him to come back to the training ground after school. Ieyoshi had felt like crying when he saw the way Reborn held the gun. As soon as he had arrived at school, he had been warned that Hibari had been looking for him, and immediately skipped first period, cowering in the boys' bathroom.
When people filled the hallways and he thought he could escape, he discovered t hat he was sorely mistaken when a hand settled on his shoulder.
"Ieyoshi!" He turned around, and was sent sprawling as Yamamoto's fist met his face. Everyone in the hall gasped and stopped, having never seen the happy-go-lucky baseball player ever do anything like that.
"Yamamoto-kun!" Someone exclaimed. Ieyoshi forced himself off the ground, to see Kyoko covering her mouth with her hands, a frightened look in her eyes. "Why would you hit him?!" Yamamoto smiled at Kyoko.
"Sorry Kyoko, but I'm going to fucking kill him." Everyone took a step back as Yamamoto's smile widened, bordering on insane. Ieyoshi wiped the blood off his mouth and tried to scramble back, but Yamamoto's hand shot out at lightning speed, and grabbed Ieyoshi by the front of his shirt. Ieyoshi gulped as he was lifted off the ground and clutched Yamamoto's hand as his shirt dug into his neck and he felt like he couldn't breathe. He kicked his feet, but in his rage, Yamamoto was far stronger than he was. His eyes watered from the lack of air and when they met Yamamoto's, he wanted to sob. Yamamoto….looked serious about killing him. He struggled, and Yamamoto slammed against the wall, so hard that Ieyoshi wanted to scream in pain, and he left a crater (A.N. yeah I know, unrealistic, but hey, this is Katekyo Hitman Reborn and Yamamoto is MAD.) In a flash, Yamamoto's hand was around his neck, and his right fist slammed into Ieyoshi's gut hard enough to make Ieyoshi gasp as he felt his ribs crack.
"Yamamoto! What are you doing?!" Someone shouted. Yamamoto glanced at them, still holding onto Ieyoshi.
"I'm sorry if this looks unjustified, but it's not." Everyone gasped, looking to Ieyoshi.
"Is that true, Sawada-kun?" Someone cried out. Ieyoshi didn't get an answer in, seeing as Yamamoto's fist slammed into his gut again, and he collapsed to the ground, moaning in pain. A foot caught him sharply in the chest, and he jerked back, yelling. When the next blow came, he rolled onto his feet weakly, and tried to defend himself, but for his efforts, all he got was knocked across the hallway, clutching his wrist in pain.
"Baseball herbivore, why are you causing a commotion?" Ieyoshi looked through teary eyes up at Hibari, who was standing by Yamamoto, tonfas out. Everyone looked relieved, because they thought Hibari was going to stop it. But Ieyoshi knew better and he wanted to curl up and cry. Yamamoto laughed bitterly, and pointed at Ieyoshi. Hibari's eyes narrowed at the figure on the ground. "Proceed." He said coldly. People were horrified. What had Ieyoshi done? Yamamoto grinned.
"Knew you'd understand, Hibari." And he attacked Ieyoshi again. A few people intervened when it looked like it was going to be too much for Ieyoshi, and pried Yamamoto away from him. When Yamamoto was forced back, Hibari rushed in, and attacked Ieyoshi with a ferocity on an entirely different level than what they had seen before. But no one could stop him. When he was finished, Ieyoshi was a bloody mess on the floor, crying and screaming. He picked Ieyoshi up by the front of his shirt, eyes narrowing. Instead of using his tonfas, they watched as Hibari punched Ieyoshi in the mouth, and hiss,
"If you ever dare do anything like that again, I'll beat the shit out of you." If he wasn't using his infamous catchphrase…then he was horrifically furious. Ieyoshi blinked back, stunned. Hibari dropped him and walked away, ordering, "Someone clean that mess up." Yamamoto pulled away from the students that had been holding him back. He gave a bitter smile to Ieyoshi.
"And just think; Gokudera hasn't found you yet." And then he left also, leaving a sobbing boy and a horrified hallway.
While Ieyoshi was being forced to lie down in the nurse's office, half an hour later, he found himself more furious with his brother than ever. Why did that damn twin of his have to be friends with people like that? If only he had just finished him off last night….Damn it, he would need to find some way to get rid of him. His twin was not entirely an obstacle right then; but he would be a major one in the future, and Ieyoshi needed him gone. But with those damn bodyguards of his in the way…..he needed a plan to get rid of them.
"I need them gone!" He yelled angrily, banging a hand on the wall next to him. Suddenly, the temperature in the room changed. The lights flickered. Vines began to crawl up the walls, quickly swamping the room. He scrambled back on the futon, terrified. What the hell was this?
"Kufufu, you need those three out of the way also?" An ominous voice sounded. Ieyoshi looked around desperately to find the source of the voice.
"Yes…w-who are you? What do you want with me?" He demanded.
"No one of great importance. But I believe we can help each other." And in front of Ieyoshi appeared a pair of heterochromatic eyes. "My name is Rokudo Mukuro."
XXXX
Reborn had received far more satisfaction than necessary from seeing his student on the ground, moaning and sobbing from all the abuse he had received throughout the day. First Reborn, then Yamamoto, then Hibari, then Gokudera, and now Bianchi, Lambo, and I-Pin. It was a miracle the boy was still alive. After leaving him in the watch of Bianchi, who had not only her Poison Cooking, but her gun trained on him, Reborn went back to the house to check on Tsuna. While he was walking there, he found Yamamoto heading the same way.
"Yamamoto?" He asked. Yamamoto glanced down and smiled.
"Oh, hey kid. I was just going to invite Tsuna to come have some sushi at my dad's restaurant." Reborn nodded. "How is he?"
"He's fine." Reborn assured him. "He spent most of the day sleeping though."
"Probably needs it." Yamamoto remarked absent mindedly. When they got to the door, they heard the voice of someone upstairs.
"And Haru is just so relieved that you are okay-," Yamamoto jogged up the stairs, curious to see what was going on. He found Haru in Tsuna's room, talking to Tsuna, who was sitting on his bed, in a pair of sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt that swamped him. However, what caught his attention was Hibari's jacket around his shoulders. He had noticed that Hibari hadn't been wearing it today, but thought that maybe he just left it in his office. He smiled.
"Hey Tuna. Hope I'm not interrupting." Tsuna turned and blinked. Haru glanced warily at Yamamoto, before she realized something.
"Hey, you're the one who saved Tsuna-san, desu!" Yamamoto shrugged. He didn't feel like he saved Tsuna at all. All he did was break his best friend's ribs. Even if they had let Tsuna be, when they showed the body to Lambo, he would probably have started jumping on Tsuna, crying, and Tsuna would have been fine. All Yamamoto had done was hurt him. "Haru thanks you, desu!" She exclaimed cheerfully. "What are you here for?"
"I just wanted to invite Tsuna to my dad's sushi restaurant. I figured you hadn't been there yet and you probably needed a break." He said to Tsuna. Tsuna blinked again, considering this. Haru smiled.
"Have fun, desu! Haru needs to go now anyways!" She hugged Tsuna gently, thanked Yamamoto again, and headed out.
"Do you want to come?" Yamamoto asked. "Or do you not feel up to it?" Tsuna shook his head.
No, I feel up to it. But I should probably change-, Yamamoto waved his hand dismissively.
"Don't bother. You look fine. Just put on some shoes and let's roll."
Are you sure?
"Tsuna, we're going to my dad's restaurant, not a wedding. Get your ass in gear and choose a shoe." Tsuna smiled, and slid off the bed, hunting around his room for shoes. He was about to slide off the jacket and set it on the bed, but Yamamoto stopped him. "Wear it. You might be cold." Tsuna gave him an exasperated look.
I'm not made of glass. Yamamoto shrugged. Tsuna ended up wearing Hibari's jacket. Which Yamamoto thought was kind of adorable, and if the opportunity ever arose, he knew he would ship them so hard. It sounded stupid, but it would be kind of hilarious and kind of sweet.
When they arrived at the restaurant, Yamamoto already had his plan ready. But he was shocked to see Hibari at the sushi bar, looking like he was waiting expectantly. Gokudera was sitting beside him, with a black eye, from getting beaten up by Hibari for destroying school property with his dynamite. But Ieyoshi had to be carried back home he had been so injured after Gokudera blew him up, so it was worth it. When he saw Tsuna, Gokudera brightened. Yamamoto walked in with Tsuna, and sat down. Tsuna took a seat at the bar next to him. They immediately burst in too chatter.
"Onii-san! How are you feeling?"
"You missed a day of training, Sawada Tsunayoshi."
"Ma, ma guys. Maybe you should just give him a second to breathe."
"Are you suggesting that we're bothering Onii-san?"
"Did I ask for your opinion, herbivore?"
"Edgy, aren't we?"
"Do you have a death wish?"
"HOW ABOUT I LIGHT YOU UP LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE? STOP LAUGHING BASEBALL PERVERT, I DON'T SEE WHAT'S SO FUNNY ABOUT THIS!"
"You don't have to be so loud, Gokudera."
"I have to agree with the baseball herbivore. You insistence on yelling is obnoxious."
"Who are you calling obnoxious, freak?!"
"Silence, herbivore, or I will bite you to death."
"Why can't we all just get along?"
"Your suggestion is ridiculous, baseball herbivore."
"OI! DON'T IGNORE ME, YOU CREEPS!"
"Maybe we should stop being so loud. Tsuna's banging his head against the counter repeatedly. I think we might be bothering him."
"YOU THINK, BASEBALL PERVERT?!"
"Takeshi?" Tsuyoshi asked cautiously, not sure if this behavior was normal or not. "Are these your friends?" Yamamoto grinned.
"Yup. These are my friends. They're loud and obnoxious."
"I'M NOT OBNOXIOUS!"
"Silence, herbivore, or I will bite you to death."
"And destructive."
"I AM NOT DESTRUCTIVE!"
"Herbivore…do not push me."
"Aw, Hiba-kun is offended." Hibari smacked him in the head with a tonfa, hard.
"And do not call me be that ridiculous nickname." Yamamoto rubbed his head.
"Ow, Hiba-kun. That really hurt. No wonder us and Kusakabe are your only friends."
"I do not have or need friends." Hibari said coldly, smacking Yamamoto in the head again.
"Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention that they are easily embarrassed."
"I AM NOT EASILY EMBARRASSED!"
"Do you wish to repeat that, herbivore?" Hibari said dangerously. Tsuyoshi almost wanted to laugh. Despite the threats and violent behavior from Hibari, it looked….fun.
"Who's the one on the end?" He asked curiously. Yamamoto looked to Tsuna, who was still banging his head in the counter. He slung an arm around his shoulders, and Tsuna lifted his head.
"This is Tsuna. He doesn't really talk to people he doesn't know, so don't be offended. It's only recently that he's talked at all, for the first time in years." Tsuna gave a soft smile to Tsuyoshi, and Tsuyoshi smiled back. "He's also the most easily embarrassed." Tsuna smacked himself in the forehead and Yamamoto laughed. "You know it's true." Tsuna buried his face in his hands.
"Well, no offense, but he does seem the most…level-headed out of all of you." Tsuyoshi confessed. Yamamoto grinned.
"Don't let his outward attitude fool you." Hibari nodded.
"His herbivorous exterior hides a lot."
"He's actually pretty sassy." Gokudera offered. Tsuyoshi blinked at the small boy, who lifted his head a little, smiling, and he couldn't stop the sharp intake of breath when he saw the hand-shaped bruise around his throat. Tsuna's eyes flicked to him, and he shrunk in on himself, covering his throat with his hands nervously. Yamamoto tightened his grip protectively around Tsuna's shoulders and smiled at him. Yamamoto grinned up at his dad.
"Hey, Dad, why don't you bring the special out for Tsuna? I'm sure he's hungry." Tsuna waved his hands.
I'm not hungry. He assured them. You don't have to go to any trouble. Tsuyoshi decided that he liked this boy and smiled in that Yamamoto way.
"Nonsense! I'll get you something to eat! On the house." He said, and left before Tsuna could protest anymore. Tsuna glanced at Yamamoto.
Your father seems nice.
"Thanks. So, Hibari, any particular reason why we're all here?" Hibari flicked his eyes to Gokudera, Tsuna, and back to Yamamoto.
"The baby carnivore has something he needs to tell you all." He said, and wouldn't say anymore. But Tsuna knew what he was talking about. Tsuyoshi came back, and slid a plate in front of Tsuna. Tsuna looked at it for a second, before turning to Yamamoto and narrowing his eyes. Yamamoto laughed and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Oh, come on, it's funny, Tuna!"
You're not funny.
"No, I'm hilarious." Tsuna glanced over at Hibari, and held his hand out expectantly.
Give me that tonfa. Hibari handed it to him, smirking, and Tsuna whacked Yamamoto in the head with it, before handing it back with a silent thank you.
"Go Onii-san!" Gokudera cheered. Tsuyoshi snorted as he realized what was going on.
Yamamoto had made him give tuna to Tsuna. And apparently Tsuna had something against that nickname. Yamamoto rubbed his head, wincing, but still smiling.
When they all headed up to Yamamoto's room (the restaurant was adjacent to the house), Yamamoto turned serious.
"What do you need to tell us, Tsuna?" Tsuna glanced carefully at Hibari, who was leaning against the wall by the window, looking expectant. He took a deep breath, and with help from Gokudera, managed to spill everything about the mafia in relation to his brother. It was just too much taling in two days, so he was relieved that Gokudera was there to explain everything. Truthfully, Tsuna barely said anything. When they finished, Tsuna added softly,
"I just don't want you to get hurt." The room was still for a moment, waiting for Yamamoto's response.
"Well," He started. "I guess I'll just need to get stronger to protect you and myself, right?" Yamamoto concluded.
Yamamoto? Yamamoto smiled, deeply and genuinely.
"I would never abandon you." Tsuna let out a breath of relief.
When everyone had left, and Yamamoto was at the restaurant, helping his father clean up, his dad asked,
"Does Tsuna get abused at home?" Yamamoto's head shot up, and Tsuyoshi gave a sad smile. "People don't just stop talking."
"Yes." Yamamoto admitted quietly. Tsuyoshi closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them again.
"Is he okay, today, at least?" He asked softly.
"Yes, and I don't know how. He's constantly abused, physically, verbally, and emotionally. He's just so…strong. And brave." Yamamoto said, his knuckles whitening around the broom. He lifted his head, and looked his father in the eyes evenly. "Teach me Shigure Souen Ryu." His father, shocked, glanced at Yamamoto, unnerved by the resolve in his eyes.
"You'll have to give up baseball. You can't learn the sword and play baseball at the same time." Truthfully, Tsuyoshi wasn't sure he wanted to teach his son Shigure Souen Ryu. That was why he mentioned the baseball thing. He knew his son loved that sport more than anything; he couldn't give it up.
"Okay." Tsuyoshi blinked, hard.
"Okay?" He repeated. Yamamoto nodded.
"Yeah. I said okay. I'll give up baseball." He shrugged and went back to sweeping. Tsuyoshi went over and touched his son's shoulder.
"Are you sure about this? You love baseball!" Yamamoto flicked his eyes up at his father, and Tsuyoshi shivered at the way they hardened.
"There are things more important than baseball, Dad." They stood in silence for a moment, before Tsuyoshi smiled. His son was ready to learn the way of the sword.
"Good."
XXXX
This is irritating. Tsuna realized, as he walked up to the house, that was swamped with men in suits. Gokudera was walking with him, and finding a way to glare at every single one of them. The men lined the streets, all the way up into the house. They let him and Gokudera pass, but Tsuna was wondering what the hell was going on. When they came in through the door, Nana was gushing at the bottom of the staircase. Tsuna raised an eyebrow skillfully.
"Oh, Tsu-kun! Iey-kun has such a handsome friend waiting to see him!" Tsuna glanced up the stairs curiously, and Gokudera suggested,
"Why don't we go see what's going on, Onii-san?" Tsuna nodded, and they climbed the staircase. Tsuna weaved his way around the men towards his brother's room, with Gokudera threatening to blow anyone up who he believed got too close to Tsuna. When they slipped into the room, he saw a man sitting in a chair, with shaggy blond hair. He was tattooed in a few places, and generally seemed to have a good-natured air about him. Tsuna blinked when the blonde man's eyes fell on him.
"You must be Sawada Ieyoshi. I'm Dino Chivarone, or Chivarone Dino, I suppose you would say here. I'm one of Reborn's former students, and the boss of the Cavallone Famiglia. We're an ally of Vongola." Dino said, smiling. Reborn came flying out of nowhere and hit Dino in the head. Dino cringed, and Tsuna grinned. He had thought Ieyoshi might grow out of that particular reaction, but apparently he wouldn't.
"Useless Dino, this is Sawada Tsunayoshi, Ieyoshi's twin." Dino blinked.
"There are two of them?" Tsuna could see and understand the flicker of emotions that were passing over his eyes.
Twins mean equal rights to the position of boss.
Twins mean a fight.
Twins mean taking sides.
Which one will I choose?
Should I be talking to him at all?
Which one is the better choice?
"Stupid Dino, Ieyoshi was chosen and Tsuna has no interest in the position of boss." Reborn said, smacking the previously cool-looking blonde man in the head again. Dino smiled sheepishly.
"Sorry. But I had no idea that there were twins. Iemitsu must have kept it quiet for this ery reason." Tsuna stiffened at the sound of his father's name, and Gokudera touched his shoulder. "So you're the brother of the Vongola boss, eh? Well, if you get bored in Vongola, when your brother takes over, you should come and work with Chivarone. We have a close relationship with Vongola, and would love to have you." Dino said, smiling, waiting for Tsuna to say something. Reborn hit Dino in the head again.
"Tsuna rarely talks, especially not to people he doesn't know. Or doesn't like. We're not really sure which." Tsuna rolled his eyes.
You could, you know, ask me.
"I prefer to put you into awkward situations."
Is Hell hot or cold? Reborn snorted.
"Don't get cheeky with me." Dino blinked again, confused.
"What?" He said, sounding flabbergasted. Gokudera translated.
"Onii-san said Reborn could have always asked him, and responded by asking if Hell was hot or cold." Dino clearly understood the methods of the demon tutor all too well, and burst out laughing. Reborn glared at him. Dino slung an arm around Tsuna's shoulders, pulling him towards him. Tsuna would have squeaked.
"You know, I think we could be very good friends."
"OI! GET YOUR HANDS OF ONII-SAN! IT'S BAD ENOUGH WHEN THE BASEBALL FREAK DOES IT, NOT YOU TOO!" Gokudera flicked out his dynamite threateningly, and Dino grinned, but let Tsuna go.
"Gokudera Hayato. Aren't you a part of Ieyoshi's Family?" Dino inquired. Gokudera stiffened.
"Nope. Not even if that bastard paid me." Dino arched an eyebrow and glanced to Reborn.
"But word is that Ieyoshi's Family consists of Gokudera Hayato, Yamamoto Takeshi, and Lambo Bovino-,"
"About that." Reborn said, lowering his voice. "They aren't. And they never would. Don't bring it up around him. We're having a problem finding Famiglia members." Dino nodded seriously.
"I understand." He turned to Tsuna, and brightened. "So, how cool is it having a mafia boss for a brothe-," He dropped off when he felt the atmosphere in the room change. Gokudera had slowly begun to take out dynamite and Reborn's hand had wrapped around his Leon gun. "Reborn?" He asked curiously. Reborn glanced back at Tsuna, and suddenly began to look very much like a chastised child, as he put his gun away. Dino watched as Tsuna gently touched Gokudera's shoulder, and the famous, temperamental, not-to-be-tamed Smokin' Bomb Hayato put away his dynamite without a word of protest. And when Tsuna looked up, Dino knew why. He felt like he was in the presence of someone powerful, or at least someone he didn't want to disappoint or misbehave in front of. The kid had a boss aura. Dino couldn't wait to meet Ieyoshi. A voice broke through the silence.
"TSUNA-NII! IS THIS GUY BOTHERING YOU ABOUT THE MEANIE?!" A child yelled, as he ran screaming into the room, and wrapped his arms around Tsuna's legs. It was Lambo, the Bovino child. Tsuna smiled, and lifted Lambo off the floor. Lambo glared at Dino. "You weren't bothering my Tsuna-nii, were you?" Dino smiled and held up his hands.
"Nope." Lambo narrowed his eyes.
"Good." He twisted in Tsuna's arms. "Can Lambo have some grape candy?" Dino watched as Tsuna gave the small child a piece.
"LAMBO! YOU NO BOTHER GEGE WHILE HE'S IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING! I-PIN PUNISH YOU FOR T HIS!" A little Chinese girl came in, and Dino watched with interest as she used the Gyoza Fist to send him flying against the wall.
"THAT HURT, TAIL-HEAD!" Lambo cried out.
"SHUT IT, BROCCOLI MONSTER!" Both Reborn and Tsuna had the wayward thought that the foul-mouthed people who frequented this house should not be the people I-Pin should be learning Japanese from. Lambo cried, and started to pull grenades from his hair, and throw them around the room. Gokudera burst into action.
"OI! STUPID COW! DON'T START THROWING GRENADES AROUND! YOU COULD HURT SOMEONE!" He angrily pulled out some dynamite, and Tsuna wanted to bang his head against the wall.
"SHUT IT AHODERA!"
"I-PIN TAKE COVER! GEGE CAN HIDE WITH I-PIN!"
"THE GREAT LAMBO-SAMA SHALL DEFEAT THE TAIL-HEADED CHING CHONG!" Tsuna almost choked at Lambo's use of language (A.N. according to Wikipedia, ching chong is supposed to be a rude term for someone of Asian descent. No offense to any readers of Asian descent. It just seemed appropriate here). Where had he learned that?
Before the room could explode, Reborn shot some of the grenades out the window, and Gokudera batted them away, while Tsuna separated I-Pin and Lambo, silently scolding both of them. It was then that Tsuna realized that there were men outside. Dino sprang into action, flicking out a whip and jumping out the window. Using his whip, he flung them all far away, exploding a safe distance away from the men. The men looked at their boss with affection.
"That's our boss for you!"
"Always keeps us on our toes!" Dino smiled sheepishly.
"Sorry guys!" They're a fun family, I'm sure. Tsuna thought. When Dino was finally back up stairs, they heard the loud yell from downstairs,
"REBORN! WHAT THE HELL ARE ALL THESE GUYS DOING HERE?" Tsuna knew that Gokudera and Ieyoshi would immediately get into a fight, and Ieyoshi might go as far as to attack I-Pin and Lambo. Who, ironically enough, could probably defeat him. But Tsuna still thought it best to avoid conflict. He grabbed Gokudera's wrist, snatched up the children, and made a run to his own room before his brother could get up the stairs. He heard Reborn inform Dino in the other room,
"Don't mention anything about Tsuna, Gokudera, I-Pin or Lambo to Ieyoshi. He won't take it well."
"Since when have you been one to consider your students' feelings?" Dino asked with a snort.
"I don't give a damn about his feelings. I'm doing this for a different reason." Before Dino could ask, Ieyoshi burst in, and Dino knew better than to defy his tutor.
"Who the hell are you and what the hell are you doing in my room?" Ieyoshi demanded.
"I'm a mafia boss, kid. Reborn was right. You have no aura, no authority, you command no respect, and you sound like a little brat." Dino observed.
"DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ME?"
"Then take this-," Tsuna heard the sharp intake of breath from his brother, and then silence.
"A TURTLE. YOU HAD A FUCKING TURTLE BITE ME." Gokudera smothered his laughter in his hands while Tsuna grinned. Before Ieyoshi could say anything, Dino explained,
"Before Reborn came to train me, I was useless. I was always tripping over my own feet, I had no idea how to run a mafia Family,I was suddenly thrust into the position because there was no one else left for the job, and my Family had already been experiencing a financial crisis. In fact, my nickname used to be Useless Dino. What I'm trying to say is that if there was hope for me, there is hope for you too. And the look on your face was hilarious when I had Enzo bite you. Besides, this isn't just any turtle. It has special qualities. I got him from Reborn when I asked for Leon."
"Leon's my partner." There was dead silence for a moment.
"So you're telling me that they'd let someone as fucking pathetic as you be a mafia boss." There was another dead silence, as Dino was clearly stunned that Ieyoshi would act like that. "What are you looking at, Turtle Freak?"
"You certainly have a prickly personality." Dino said cheerfully. "But Reborn and I can work with that."
XXXX
Later, when Reborn had insisted that "Useless Dino should stay the night", and Dino's subordinates were sent away, they all sat down to dinner, Gokudera practically guarding Tsuna, Bianchi stabbing her food with a fork repeatedly and staring at Ieyoshi, Lambo and I-Pin having contests to see if they could throw food down Ieyoshi's shirt, Nana chattering obliviously, Reborn grinning in the corner, Ieyoshi twitching with barely contained rage, Tsuna trying to act like none of this was happening, and Dino was eating, surprisingly dropping a large amount of food, which Tsuna attributed to lack of use of chopsticks. He was probably too polite to ask for a fork, though Bianchi was having fun stabbing her food with it. When the awkward dinner was over, and Tsuna began to help his mother clean up, Dino stood up.
"I'll help too."
"Nonsense, Dino-kun!" Nana gushed. "You're a guest! You don't have to help. Tsu-kun and I can handle it." Dino shook his head.
"I absolutely insist." So he was polite after all. However, when Dino took a step, he tripped, and landed flat on his face. Everyone peered over the table, curious. He picked himself up off the floor. "Ow. Must have stepped on my shoe lace." Tsuna helped him up, and when Dino picked up his plate, Tsuna already saw it slipping from Dino's grasp.
While Tsuna had been terribly clumsy as a child, he had managed to grow out of it to an extent. He didn't trip over flat surfaces too often, and in the past, the only reason for his clumsiness was that he was too tired from being beaten by Ieyoshi to keep his balance. Now that he had begun training with Hibari, balance came naturally, and he dropped things less often. But in his entire life, even when he was at that terrible point where he broke everything he touched and fell so often he was covered in bruises constantly, he had never once dropped a plate or messed up anything when it came to dinner and mealtimes. That was his one skill. So when the plate fell, he tilted to the side and caught it before it hit the ground, lifting it back up. Dino smiled sheepishly.
How about I take care of this? Dino sighed.
"That might be a good idea. Sorry I can't help, but I don't want to break anything." Tsuna nodded and helped his mother clear the table. When they headed upstairs, with Gokudera firmly in between Tsuna and Ieyoshi, suddenly, at the top of the stairs, Dino tripped, and grabbed Tsuna as he went down, tumbling down the stairs and taking Tsuna with him.
"IDIOT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH ONII-SAN!" Tsuna crashed into Dino at the foot of the stairs. Dino smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as Tsuna climbed to his feet.
"Sorry."
"What the hell is wrong with him?" Ieyoshi demanded, sounding irritated. Reborn hopped into Tsuna's hair.
"Useless Dino is so devoted to his subordinates, that when they aren't around, his usefulness decreases by 50%." Dino winced.
"I'm not that bad, Reborn." Gokudera and Ieyoshi shouted at the same time,
"YES YOU ARE." Tsuna helped Dino up again.
"Thanks Tsuna." Tsuna nodded.
"Try not to screw anything up anything else, Useless Dino." Reborn commanded.
XXXX
A couple of hours later, they were running into the bathroom, watching a rampaging turtle climbing out of the bathtub.
"Oops. I forgot he grows in water."
"THEN WHY DID YOU PUT HIM IN THE BATHTUB!" Gokudera roared. Dino sighed and pulled out his whip.
"Stay back, Tsuna, Ieyoshi, Gokudera. If I can't at least take care of my turtle, then what kind of boss am I?"
"A terrible one." Ieyoshi stated from the back.
"Silence, Ieyoshi-baka." Dino started to use his whip to hopefully tie Enzo's legs together and pull him away, but because he was useless, his whip smacked back and hit Ieyoshi so hard that Ieyoshi was knocked unconscious. Tsuna sweatdropped, and Dino twisted, grimacing.
"Sorry." He still can't function without his subordinates! The turtle took a big bite out of the bathtub and started to climb out and towards them, growing in size. Tsuna wasn't as worried as he could be, but getting bit by that thing could break an arm or leg. Besides, a rampaging turtle around the house WASN'T GOOD. What if it attacked Lambo or I-Pin? I-Pin couldn't use Gyoza Fist on it, and Lambo's grenades wouldn't get through the shell. They could be seriously hurt. Dino tried to use his whip again, but just smacked himself in the face. Tsuna sighed, and grabbed Dino by the front of his shirt, slapping him, hard. Dino looked stunned, a big red mark on his cheek.
"GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER AND TAKE CARE OF THE DAMN TURTLE." Tsuna ordered, more panicked than ever by the thought of the kids getting hurt. He liked Dino. He really did. Tsuna thought he was a wonderful mafia boss, a kind person, and anyone would be lucky to have him as a friend. But it was about time he pulled himself together. Dino's eyes widened, and he shivered for a second, before pulling away.
"Got it!" He exclaimed, and his eyes narrowed as his whip finally turned into the weapon it was meant to be. He tied up the turtle in a second, and pulled it out of the water. Tsuna let out a sigh of relief and Gokudera clapped Tsuna on the shoulder.
"Good job, Onii-san." Reborn hopped onto Tsuna's head.
"Very nice use of authority." Tsuna shook his head.
Later, when they were in Ieyoshi's room, Ieyoshi still unconscious on the bed and Dino removing the moisture from Enzo with a hairdryer, Dino looked up at Tsuna, grinning.
"That was incredible, Tsuna. Reborn and my men are the only ones who have been able to get me to pull together. It's a good trait for a boss." Dino glanced back at Ieyoshi, a disappointed look in his eyes. He turned back to Tsuna. "I would love if you were to come work with Chivarone some time, when your brother is boss." Tsuna shrugged, and Dino reached out, patting his head, declaring him, "Little brother." Tsuna smiled.
"DON'T GET SO FRIENDLY WITH ONII-SAN!"
XXXX
"Reborn?" Reborn was walking up and down the hallway, pacing and on the phone.
"Yes, hello. I hate to ask you for a favor, but my student needs your guidance. He is volatile, violent, emotional, and a real jackass."
"Sounds like a problem."
"I've been trying to take care of this myself, and at first, I thought I could, but it has turned out to be a deeper problem than what I can handle or what I care to. I feel it would work out for the best if you were to talk to him. It would have a positive effect on him. Besides, I'm sure you would get along well with his brother."
"I would love to help someone in need. When should I be there?"
"As soon as you can. Thank you. I wouldn't be calling unless I needed it."
"Of course, Reborn. I will see you soon. What is your student's name?" Reborn wished he could say Tsuna. But he couldn't.
"Sawada Ieyoshi."
"Thank you. Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
XXXX
Fon rang the doorbell, but no one answered at first. He rang again, and soon enough the door opened, showing him a face he never thought he would see. His student, I-Pin. She was wearing a pair of glasses, and when she saw him, her face broke out into a wide smile.
"Master! You here!" Fon smiled. She seemed a lot happier than when he last saw her.
"Yes. I'm here to see Reborn and Sawada Ieyoshi."
"Reborn and Mean Brother are out. But I-Pin wants you to meet Gege!" Fon blinked. Gege? Big brother?
"I would love to." He said, curious as to who this "big brother" could be. I-Pin grabbed his wrist and started to tug him inside. Fon smiled to himself. She was a lot more confident than when he last saw her, if she was brave enough to drag him around.
"WHO'S THAT, TAIL-HEAD?" A small cow-like child appeared from nowhere, hanging from the ceiling and yelling derogatory things at I-Pin. Instead of getting all shy like Fon expected, she fought back.
"QUIET, BROCCOLI MONSTER! WHERE IS GEGE?"
"Tsuna-nii is outside." The "Broccoli Monster" informed I-Pin. Fon recognized him as Lambo Bovino. Tsuna-nii? Must be the other brother, Sawada Tsunayoshi. Fon truly wanted to meet the boy now. I-Pin towed Fon away.
"THANKS BROCCOLI MONSTER!" I-Pin went to the glass backdoor, where Fon could see a petite boy sitting on the steps. He had gravity-defying, soft looking hair, and Fon could already guess he was kind. He gave off a kind aura. I-Pin opened the backdoor, and a soft, melodic voice reached Fon's ears.
"I'm gonna fight 'em off
A seven nation army couldn't hold me back
They're gonna rip it off
Taking their time right behind my back
And I'm talkin' to myself at night
Because I can't forget
Back and forth through my mind
Behind a cigarette"
Fon went quiet as he listened to the beautiful voice. I-Pin had also frozen in places, not willing to disturb him. Lichi, Fon's little white monkey, snuck out of his shirt and sat on Fon's head, listening intently.
"And the message comin' from my eyes says leave it alone..."
"Don't wanna hear about it
Every single one's got a story to tell
Everyone knows about it
From the Queen of England to the hounds of hell
And if I catch it comin' back my way
I'm gonna serve it to you
And that ain't what you want to hear
But that's what I'll do"
"And the feeling coming from my bones says find a home..."
"I'm going to Wichita
Far from this opera forevermore
I'm gonna work the straw
Make the sweat drip out of every pore
And I'm bleeding, and I'm bleeding, and I'm bleeding
Right before the lord
All the words are gonna bleed from me
And I will think no more"
"And the stains comin' from my blood tell me "Go back home"..."
The song had been soft and gentle, but with some sharp edges and places where it picked up a little. The three of them (yes, you include Lichi if you value your life because he's just that damn cute.) just stood there for a moment, before Lichi started applauding. Tsuna' head whipped around so fast that Fon could swear he heard a crack. For a moment, Fon saw exactly the perfect traits in a boss; the boy had a quiet sort of dignity and pride, and his eyes commanded respect, without meaning to. But then he blushed madly when he saw them, and covered his face with his hands. I-Pin ran over to him, and hugged him.
"Don't be embarrassed, Gege! You sing good!" Tsuna turned and lifted I-Pin up, setting her on his lap. She smiled up at him, and he hugged her, still blushing. Fon walked forward, and Lichi jumped off of him, and onto Tsuna's shoulder. Fon hurried forward to remove his pet, surprised by his behavior, but watched as Tsuna stroked the little monkey's head. Fon smiled, and went to stand in front of Tsuna.
"Hello. My name is Fon. I'm a friend of Reborn's. I'm actually here to help train your brother, but it would be a privilege to get to know you." Fon said, all smiles and calm. Tsuna blinked, and tilted his head towards Lichi, who was slumped against his neck, curling up on his shoulder.
And who is this?
"That is Lichi. He is my partner, much like Leon is Reborn's partner." Tsuna nodded, and smiled back. Fon waited for him to say something, but quickly became confused when he didn't. I-Pin explained.
"Gege don't talk a lot." Fon glanced at Tsuna. Even if the boy couldn't talk, he imagined that when he did, it meant something. Tsuna nodded, and I-Pin glanced up at him. She took off her glasses, and leaned up to put them on his face. "These are Gege's. Gege lets me use them." She said. Fon nodded, and she slid them on his face. When they were on, Fon watched as her eyes lit up and became hearts. Oh….we've got a problem here. The Pinzu Time Bomb started on her forehead, and she jumped off his lap and sprinted off before she could blow up by them. Tsuna blinked, and looked to Fon, his glasses slightly crooked on the bridge of his nose. Fon laughed a little, and hopped over to stand on Tsuna's other shoulder.
"I'm sure we will be great friends, Tsunayoshi-san." Fon couldn't ignore the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, stemming from his prediction that Ieyoshi would not be as good as Tsuna.
XXXX
"I don't like him." Fon informed Reborn when they were discussing Ieyoshi later that night. That had been a complete understatement. Fon had hidden his presence, as to see what Ieyoshi's character was. As cheesy as it sounded, it was true. Character is who you are when no one is watching. And what he saw didn't make him…angry, per se, but deeply disappointed. The boy had repeatedly put down the sweet twin, Tsuna, verbally, and then physically attacked him. Just a slap across the face while Reborn had not been around, but from the way Ieyoshi acted, Fon was sure that Ieyoshi had done far worse to his brother. Tsuna hadn't cringed or shied away, which Fon respected him for, but he didn't deserve such treatment. Furthermore, Ieyoshi had verbally attacked both children, attacked Lambo physically, and then treated his own mother with such condescension it disgusted Fon. Then, Ieyoshi had refused to participate in any chores, and stolen his brother's food. Despite not eating anything, after dinner, Tsuna started to clean up the table without even being asked.
The twins were truly opposites. Fon didn't mean to be theatric, but one was an angel and one was a devil.
Reborn sighed, and took off his hat, running his hands through his hair.
"I know…but I need you to try to get through to him. Vongola needs it. His family needs it. And I need it, before I kill the brat." Fon nodded.
"I'll see what I can do. On the other hand, I like Tsunayoshi-san very much." Reborn smiled crookedly.
"It's difficult not to."
"I heard him singing earlier." Reborn's eyes brightened mischeviously.
"Oh did you?" Fon could tell this meant something.
"What does that mean?" Reborn smiled.
"Tsuna's Hyper Intuition is extremely good, to the point where he can almost predict the future. He subconsciously felt like someone important was coming, and that's why he sang. And the words of the songs…he doesn't always realize why he chooses each song, because he doesn't realize what he subconsciously understands, but I think he already knows why I asked you here, beyond Ieyoshi. Think on the words later. They will mean the world to you."
"And the reason beyond Ieyoshi is?"
"I'd like you to train Tsuna in some basic martial arts. Not much, but if you choose to take him as a student and further his training, by all means, go ahead. But just enough for him to defend himself, should the time come. But you'll have to work out times with the one who is training him now." Fon's eyebrows knit together curiously. He had nothing against teaching the boy to defend himself. But who was training him?
"And his trainer is?"
"Hibari Kyoya." Fon would have choked. If he was less civilized.
"As in my nephew, the uncatchable, temperamental, hostile, unsociable Hibari Kyoya?" Fon wanted to know. Reborn grinned.
"Yup. He's one of Tsuna's closest friends. I'm still not sure how Tsuna managed that, but Hibari cares very much about him, even if he denies it. Training is going pretty well, but Hibari is beating most of the lessons into him and it lacks a certain…finesse. I would like you to assist Hibari with Tsuna's training." Fon rubbed his temple. His nephew did not like him, probably because Fon was a better fighter than he was.
"When shall I begin?"
"Tomorrow."
