Author: The Plot Bunny Whisperer
Title: Colorire
Rating: T (Cuz, like… Reborn.)
Genre: Gen, Family
Summary: (Soulmate!AU; Gen) Everyone in the world is born colorblind, destined to only see color once they've met the eyes of their soulmate. Tsuna meets his soulmates one by one, and gains the ability to see a new color with each first meeting.
Pairing(s): None. Zip. Nada. You see Romance as a genre?
Warnings: Random swearing. Violence, maybe? Dunno. Can't write fight scenes to save my life.
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't care, don't sue.
AN: If you follow me on tumblr then you know I had part four issues. (Not that it would matter here on FFN because we're quite a ways from that.) Fortunately, I finally got over my part four issues, so here's to hoping part five goes easier!
Updates for FFN will be on the 1st and 11th and 21st of the month, unless I'm less than four chapters ahead or sick or something. My tumblr (plunniewhisperer) updates first, usually weekly, followed by AO3 within 24-48 hrs if you don't want to wait.
So, enjoy!
Colorire
Part 2. Verde
Tsuna is very good when it comes to playing oblivious. Although sometimes startled by random instances of nonsensicality, he can carry an air of "I'm doing just fine; life is peaceful and normal" as learned from the master with grace. Although he has never asked his mother how she manages her effortless ability to ignore all the strange things that seem to happen in their town (and he likely never will, so as not to ruin the illusion), he believes it has to do with her endless cheer and positivity.
Tsuna is rather more pragmatic, however. He has been ever since a strange man with a masked face and sad eyes gave him a necklace that made his mind calm for the first time years. His fears and anxieties and the constant worry that something somewhere was wrong, was missing, just… not disappeared, exactly, but relaxed. Tempered.
It was this learned (still learning, he isn't quite up to Mama's level, not yet) ability to be outwardly calm in the face of absurdity that allowed him to face Mochida yesterday, although it failed him later that same day with Reborn's announcement (but really, that was just. Mafia. Him? A mafia boss?), even if just for a few minutes. It is also this ability that allows him to remain outwardly calm now.
Still, he stares at Yamamoto Takeshi as though he has never seen him before, and he hasn't, not really. Oh, he knows who Yamamoto is; they have been in the same class for years after all. And everyone knows about the ace baseball player who is friendly with everybody and is considered the male idol of their school, looked up to even by some in the grades above them.
Tsuna has never really interacted with him before despite them being in the same class, more concerned with trying to get through school one day at a time than concern himself with matters that don't need the input of the school's pariah. Likewise, Yamamoto has never reached out to him before, swept up in his love for baseball and the team that flocked around him, drawn by his immutable cheer.
Until now, it seems.
What led to this moment is thus: Their last class of the day was P.E., and today they played baseball. Usually, Tsuna is able to get out of actually participating on days the teacher picked a sport, mostly due to the fact that the team leaders refused to pick him and the teacher, knowing that Tsuna had two left feet and was prone to accidents (of his own or others making), never pushed the issue. Yamamoto, however, was insistent and so Tsuna played.
They lost, of course, and as usual Tsuna is blamed and delegated to cleaning up the field alone by his team, who then promptly leave him with a pile of brooms in an empty field.
Surprisingly, Yamamoto stays behind, picking up one of the abandoned brooms and offering his help. Tsuna accepts gratefully and for a while they work in silence until his cleaning partner speaks up suddenly with an unusual request.
"Hey, Sawada. Mind if I ask you for some baseball advice?"
Yamamoto is looking back at him now, a bright grin on his face that doesn't reach his eyes and Tsuna thinks, sad. There is not an ounce of honest happiness in Yamamoto's smile, and that troubles Tsuna more than the strangeness of Yamamoto's request. Something, instinct, tells Tsuna that now is not the time or place to address the issue, so he turns to the question itself.
"You want my advice?" Tsuna queries, hesitant. It doesn't hurt to make sure because, really, "...about baseball?" Tsuna is flabbergasted, because why in the world would the baseball ace want dame-Tsuna's advice about the sport he excels in?
Yamamoto laughs almost sheepishly, leaning on his broom. "Ahaha, yeah. I know it's strange, but you seem like a reliable guy lately."
"I'm not really good at giving advice," Tsuna demurs, "but if you really want it, I'll try my best." Yamamoto laughs again and grins, but still it doesn't reach his eyes.
"Thanks! See, it's just. I really love baseball, you know? But it seems like no matter how much I practice, my batting average keeps going down. I just don't want to disappoint the team. What do you think I should do?"
Tsuna thinks for a moment, using the excuse of sweeping to give him time to do so. Even though he has never really talked to Yamamoto before, he has heard plenty about the baseball team, being the only major sport the school funded the most. It always seemed to Tsuna that the rest of the players placed too much of their dependency and desire to win on one person, which was rather unfair of them. Baseball is a team sport. Frankly, the rest of them could do with a bit of disappointment.
However, speaking ill of his team to Yamamoto could only do more harm than good, so Tsuna swallows the urge. Instead, he asks Yamamoto how often he practices.
"How often?" Yamamoto looks surprised by the question. "I get up early every day and practice for a few hours, and usually for a few hours after school and on weekends if Pop doesn't need help in the restaurant."
He ponders that for a moment, Reborn's lesson from that morning on placing the importance of making sure your body is fit above making sure it is strong ringing in his thoughts.
"Maybe that's the problem?" Tsuna is watching Yamamoto carefully so he notices when his smile becomes a little frozen and his eyes a bit cooler. "Training so hard shows dedication, and that's a great thing to have for a sport you love; but if you don't take some time to unwind and let your body relax, you could hurt yourself. Maybe the decrease in your batting average is your body's way of telling you it needs to rest." Tsuna bites his lip, watching his classmate carefully for his reaction.
"Rest, huh...?" Yamamoto, fortunately, seems to be actually thinking instead of brushing him off. His brows are furrowed as he stares at the ground, lips tilted slightly downwards.
They finish the rest of the cleaning in silence and as they're putting the brooms away Yamamoto says, "You know, my arm has been kinda sore lately. Maybe you're right. Thanks, Sawada. You should give yourself more credit; you're not bad at this advice thing."
When he smiles, Tsuna is both happy and relieved to see that this time, it reaches his eyes.
—
Reborn is at the school gates waiting for him and seemingly having a staring contest with Hibari when Tsuna arrives.
To be more precise, Reborn is standing on the wall, staring unblinkingly at the annoyed prefect, who is standing within the gates and holding his tonfa halfway threateningly, seemingly in the middle of deciding whether or not he wants to attack the apparent toddler who is intruding on his territory and breaking the rules by standing on the wall. Tsuna isn't sure whether to be concerned or amused by this, so he decides on both. (Who he should actually be concerned about is still up for debate.)
Tsuna approaches delicately, being sure to remain out of immediate striking distance.
"Hello, Reborn. Hibari-san." Hibari turns his dark, glaring eyes to him and Tsuna carefully does not roll his eyes when Reborn smirks at his apparent victory.
"Herbivore. Is this baby with you?"
"Yes, he's here for me." Tsuna very carefully doesn't take a step back as Hibari adjusts his tonfa when Reborn jumps down and lands lightly in Tsuna's hair, however tempting it is to put some distance between them. Hibari would sense his weakness like a shark scenting blood in the water or a hound scenting a hare, and the last thing Tsuna wants to do is incite Hibari to bite him to death.
"It is against the rules to stand on the walls of Namimori Middle. If he does it again, I'll bite you to death." Hibari eyes them both with dark promise before turning sharply and stalking back to the school. Tsuna lets out a breath when he's out of sight and starts home.
"You did that on purpose," he accuses the cursed infant.
"You are in a good mood today," Reborn says, blatantly ignoring him. Tsuna huffs slightly, but obliges the change in subject, digging the leftover cookies Kyoko gave him from his bag. The smell of warm chocolate assaults them as he opens the somewhat crumpled bag and lifts it for Reborn to reach into.
"I made some friends today. And Kyoko made me cookies to thank me for what I said to Mochida-senpai yesterday. I saved some for you and Mama." Reborn takes the offering with a happy hum and Tsuna packs the rest of them away carefully.
Nana greets them cheerfully when they return home and smiles brilliantly when Tsuna tells her of his making friends. She is also pleased and impressed with Kyoko's cookies after trying one for herself.
"You should invite them over!" Nana suggests, looking absolutely delighted at the idea. Tsuna hesitates, but his mother's clear happiness the hint of relief sways him.
"I'll ask," he promises.
"We're going upstairs now, Mama," Reborn says, and Nana waves them off with a remark about starting dinner.
Near the top of the stairs, Tsuna is distracted by the warmth of his pendant and is surprised to find that the pacifier is glowing when he lifts it from beneath his shirt.
"Hey, Reborn, what does it mean when-"
"Hurry up and go in, Tsuna. A Boss should not keep his guests waiting."
It is only then that Tsuna notices that he's standing in front of his door, his question forgotten by Reborn's statement. "A guest...?" Reborn ignores him, jumping off his head and shoving him through the door. "Hiiee! Reborn!"
Tsuna has to flail to keep his balance and just narrowly manages to avoid falling over. He is about to demand why Reborn pushed him when he is distracted by three things.
First is that there is a toddler wearing a lab coat in his room, seated at his worktable. Second is the glowing pacifier around the baby's neck, which answers the question he never got to finish asking Reborn. Third is startling color of his eyes and his hair and his pacifier and...
"Oh," says his guest, staring back at Tsuna in equal surprise and wonder.
"...Hi," says Tsuna, sitting down on the other side of the table gracelessly.
"Tsuna, meet Verde," says Reborn, looking smug and satisfied with himself, "the Lightning Arcobaleno."
