Title: Reborn! On Ice: Part II
Song: Mariage D'amoure by Paul de Senneville
Pairings: R27
Warnings: Possible OOCness, YuriOnIce!AU, figureskating!AU, snarky!Tsuna, twin!fic, Nana, Iemitsu, and twin bashing (ahaha)
Additional Notes: Basically, same as the last notes, lol.
Prompt: Tsuna was never going to skate again, but help came from the most unexpected source.
Something tickled his nose, which slowly eased him away from his slumber.
Groaning, Tsuna turned over and pulled his covers higher over his head. The same tickling sensation, though more muted, nudged his hair before a heavy weight curled around his head. The brunet sighed, knowing the sneaky culprit. He reached out and petted Natsu's orange fur, earning a small purr in response.
"Mornin', Natsu," Tsuna mumbled. "Let me sleep, 'kay?"
Natsu was an adorable orange tabby that Tsuna found on the streets before he left Japan. Sweet but intelligent, Natsu quickly took a liking to Tsuna and even Renchan, though rarely got close with his parents or Ieyasu, which Tsuna rewarded with cuddles and kisses. Natsu did grow a lot since Tsuna left and never left his side, preferring his company to wandering in the streets. Tsuna didn't know whether to find it endearing or worrying. He was pretty sure cats weren't supposed to act like that.
Shifting, Tsuna patted the spot beside him. Natsu immediately moved from his hair to curl next to his face. Tsuna gently held the cat in his arms, carefully stroking Natsu's fur. His heart ached for Renchan, but he had to move on eventually, even if it was going to be hell. Still, he couldn't help but miss his dog.
As if sensing his owner's dilemma, Natsu licked Tsuna's chin, making the other laugh. Tsuna nuzzled the cat's neck. "It's just you and me now, Natsu," he murmured.
Suddenly, the door slammed open, making him and Natsu jump. Tsuna yelped when Bianchi stormed in his room with a crazed look in her eyes.
"B—Bianchi, what are you doing here?" he said, hugging Natsu tighter to his chest.
Natsu bared his fangs and hissed. Bianchi paid them no mind and just shoved her phone in Tsuna's face, barely missing Natsu's clawed swipe. "Tsuna, look!" she said.
Tsuna squinted before reaching for his glasses from his nightstand and putting them on. He adjusted them carefully while he read the article. His jaw dropped. "Wait, isn't that me? Why is Kyoko-chan's rink in the background? What is this?"
Bianchi smirked. "Well, Kyoko recorded your little routine and had to put it online. Look, you already reached over a million views! People love it!"
"That's not the point! Why did you upload that? It's embarrassing!"
Bianchi just rolled her eyes. "Tsuna, come on, you did phenomenally. I've never seen you skate like this before, ever." She grinned. "There's also rumors that Reborn watched it himself. Isn't that great?"
Tsuna widened his eyes. Reborn watching that? He was torn between being elated or horrified. The routine wasn't even that great, but the article gushed about how well he skated to Reborn's program and that many were hoping for a strong comeback for the next season, which would've made him happy if he weren't so miserable (the author was so obviously Kozato Makoto, Tsuna didn't even have to look twice; it was nice that the man believed in him, but Tsuna really wasn't in the mood).
"That's impossible," he muttered, stroking Natsu's fur to calm the cat down.
"Oh my God, Tsuna, lighten up! Never underestimate the power of the internet!" Bianchi perked up. "You know what you need? Another dose of Reborn-immersion!"
Tsuna and even Natsu stared at her like she grew fifteen heads. "A what of what now?" he said.
Bianchi wasn't even listening. She was already shifting through his closet and throwing clothes at his face. Grunting, Tsuna mentally smacked himself. Bianchi planned this. She was even already dressed to go out.
"Hurry up and change, Tsuna!"
Natsu leapt away to avoid getting hit by Tsuna's flying clothes, the traitor. The brunet wrinkled his note when he lifted up one of his favorite orange sweatshirts. Well, at least, Bianchi had fashion sense.
"Where are you taking me?"
Bianchi gave him a bright grin. "On the way for another Reborn-immersion!"
Tsuna groaned into his hand. "Stop saying that. It sounds creepy. Can't you give me a clear answer for once, you crazy woman?"
"What was that? You wanted to wear that cute rabbit hoodie I got you when you were fourteen? I'm pretty sure it'd still fit you. Actually, why not? You only wore it once."
Tsuna bolted from his bed and shoved the cackling woman out his door. "Get out!"
Slamming the door in Bianchi's snickering face had never felt so satisfying.
Tsuna walked down the stairs after putting on his hellish contacts with Natsu trailing behind him. He grabbed an apple from the kitchen and bit a chunk of it, making a small crunch.
"Tsu-kun, aren't you going to eat breakfast with us?" Nana said from the dining table.
"No, I'm busy," Tsuna said, slipping on his boots.
"Tsuna, don't talk to your mother like that," Iemitsu said sternly. "Sit down. We need to talk."
Rolling his eyes, Tsuna turned to address his father. Natsu rubbed against his ankle comfortingly. "As I said, I'm very busy at the moment. We can talk later."
Ieyasu snorted. "Busy with what? You're jobless."
"I don't see you contributing anything, jackass."
They both jumped when Iemitsu slammed his fist on the table. Natsu hissed. "Don't use that language in my house, Sawada Tsunayoshi," Iemitsu said, glaring. Ah, fuck, the full name came out. "You're going to sit down and we're going to talk."
Bianchi, thank God, honked her horn outside, indicating him to hurry up. Tsuna just left, slamming the door behind him and ignoring his father's angry shouts. Rubbing his arms for some warmth, Tsuna dashed down the steps with Natsu jogging beside him. He looked down at the cat in exasperated fondness. "Natsu, you should stay home," he said. "It's cold outs—"
He yelped when he bumped into something hard and nearly slipped on the icy footpath if a hand hadn't grabbed him. Tsuna managed to regain his footing after a few seconds. His legs trembled and he cursed at the slippery walkway. Natsu stayed close by his feet, looking up at him with wide eyes.
"Shit," Tsuna said, looking up. "Thank…you…"
Familiar dark eyes looked back at him, making his breath hitch. His mind short-circuited for a moment as he tried to comprehend the fact that Reborn was right in front of him, dressed in a long black overcoat, gloves, and his signature fedora resting on his spiky hair.
Holy shit, was Tsuna dreaming?
Reborn raised a brow. "It'd be such a waste for me to only exist in your dreams."
Tsuna blinked. Wait, did he say that out loud? And how did Reborn speak Japanese so fluently?
"No. You're just easy to read. And I know many languages. Care to learn which ones?"
Tsuna could feel his cheeks heat up and quickly shook his head to get rid of any more unnecessary thoughts. For one, Reborn was here. Two, goddamn this snow and ice. Three, what the fuck is Reborn doing here? In Japan? In Namimori of all places? This town was practically nonexistent on the map.
"Um, what are you doing here, Reborn-san?" he said slowly.
Reborn's lips twitched into a slight smirk, making Tsuna's heartbeat race several miles a minute. Kami, he was going to drop dead for sure now.
"To book a room," Reborn said. "This is the Sawada Onsen, correct?"
Tsuna wanted to bash his head against the floor. Of course Reborn was here to book a room. What kind of question was that? Well, he was obviously heading towards Tsuna's family onsen house and…that didn't really answer what Tsuna meant to say, but he was already too tongue-tied to talk again. So instead, he flailed his arm uselessly in the air behind him, gesturing towards the large onsen house.
"Well, yes. I mean, it's labeled right there."
Tsuna winced. Okay, maybe he should've said that a tad nicer with a pinch less salt. He glanced down to see that Reborn's hand was still wrapped firmly around his arm and flushed. Kami, he was reverting into a schoolgirl with a crush. Fuck. He tapped Reborn's shoulder hesitantly and pointed at the man's large hand. "Could you, um, let me go, please?" he said.
Bianchi, the damn witch, chose that time to get out of her car and yell at him, "Tsuna, what the hell are you doing?"
Tsuna turned around to see her walking towards him before squeaking when he slipped. He hissed when he fell onto his butt and winced when pain shot up his spine.
"Fuck!" he said, glaring at a smirking Reborn. "I said to let go, not make me fall!"
"I let go and you fell on your own," Reborn said. "Don't blame me for your own clumsiness."
Bianchi looked murderous marching towards them, her eyes narrowed on Reborn's back. She grabbed him by the shoulder and forced him to turn around, but it looked like Reborn let her. Tsuna seriously doubted the man would actually go with what people wanted, and he was too late in warning Bianchi about who she was about to pummel to the ground.
Bianchi opened her mouth to spew out some choice words until she saw Reborn's face. A small, strangled squeak escaped her lips, which would've been funny if Tsuna wasn't so irritated. He slowly rose to his feet with Natsu standing by as some kind of moral support. At least he had one person on his side. He was pretty sure Bianchi went to heaven at this point. He just had to wait until she came back.
"Yes?" Reborn said.
Bianchi stammered out some unintelligible words before grabbing Tsuna and dragging him away. "I'll make sure the brat learns to never mess with you again, sir! Don't worry!"
"I hope you fall on the steps, asshole!" Tsuna yelled over his shoulder.
He yelped when Bianchi smacked his head and reached to rub the sore spot. "What the hell?"
"He says he's sorry for ever disgracing your presence!" Bianchi shouted at Reborn, who just watched them leave with a quirked brow.
She shoved Tsuna in the passenger seat and dashed over to take the wheel. For a second, neither of them spoke. Natsu hopped onto Tsuna's lap, somehow following him to Bianchi's car. Tsuna wasn't complaining though. He stroked the cat's fur to calm his own nerves.
"Please tell me that wasn't who I thought it was," Bianchi said, her voice strained.
"No, it was Colonello Altieri," Tsuna deadpanned.
Bianchi raised a trembling hand and stared at it, horrified. "I grabbed…Reborn. Oh my God, I grabbed Reborn and was about to punch him in the face."
"It would've been greatly appreciated if you actually did until you stopped functioning."
"Shut up! I thought he was some asshole who tripped you or something! Why are you so damn clumsy?"
"Excuse me? He bumped into me! Right, Natsu?"
Natsu just snuggled against Tsuna's stomach, not even bothering to offer a response. Traitor.
Bianchi rested her forehead on the steering wheel. "Oh my God. Is he still there?"
"I don't know."
A beat of silence.
"And I'm not looking."
Frowning, Bianchi jammed her keys into the ignition. Tsuna nodded solemnly as she drove out into the streets. His heart eventually returned to its normal pace when they entered a small highway. Bianchi suddenly giggled. "I touched Reborn. I actually touched him."
"Please refrain from speaking," Tsuna said slowly.
"His muscles and oh my God, his face! It's so much better in person! He's so handsome! Thank you, Lord, for blessing us with a man of perfection."
"You crazy woman, keep your eyes on the damn road!"
If Tsuna wasn't going to die from meeting Reborn face-to-face, he was definitely going to die from getting hit by a truck.
Namimori Ice Palace—of course, Bianchi would bring Tsuna here.
He sighed when she literally kicked him out of the car and stumbled to regain his footing with Natsu close by his heels. He couldn't do anything but follow Bianchi inside the suspiciously empty ice rink. Normally, the place would be filled with people, especially on the weekends. Today was Saturday.
"I booked the whole place for us," Bianchi said, dragging him to the changing rooms. "So you can skate to your heart's content!"
"When did you get that?" Tsuna said, narrowing his eyes when he noticed her carrying his duffle bag.
Bianchi rolled her eyes. "Oh please. You wouldn't have brought it if I told you we were coming here. Now go change. I'll be waiting!"
Cursing pink-haired women, sexy Italian men, and icy paths, Tsuna rested his forehead against the cool lockers and smacked it repeatedly until he finished counting to twenty. Natsu meowed quietly, nuzzling his head against Tsuna's leg. The brunet couldn't help but smile.
"I'm fine, Natsu," he said, sighing. "Just great."
After changing into his practice clothes and questioning his life, Tsuna grabbed his skates and walked out into the cool, empty rink. He slumped down next to Bianchi who was browsing through her phone.
"They're saying that Reborn can't be found anywhere," she said. "Seems like no one knows he's here yet."
"And why is he here?" Tsuna said, resting his feet on the bleacher below him.
Bianchi shrugged. "Maybe a vacation? He's been competing since forever. I'd understand if he wanted to take a break."
"But why Namimori? No one knows Namimori."
Bianchi made a face. "You're from Namimori, Tsuna. And did you also forget the fact that you're an international competitor? People know who you are. You can't run away from that."
Tsuna looked up at the ceiling. "Is it bad to say that I want to? Look, Bianchi, I told you—I'm not going to skate anymore. I'm done. I don't care anymore. I don't even know why I came here with you."
"Stop saying that, Tsuna. You don't mean that."
Tsuna scowled. "Yes, I do. Are you going deaf? I said it yesterday and I'll say it again—I'm not skating anymore."
He jumped when Bianchi suddenly stood up. Her hands clenched into fists by her sides and her eyes reminded him of storm clouds. "Fine," she said. "If that's what you really want. You know what I hate about your shitty attitude? You keep acting as if there's nothing you can do when there's a fuck ton of stuff you can do." She grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "I know you're just saying that to make others pity you, but it makes you look more pathetic than you really are."
Tsuna stood up after. "What? You know, I didn't ask for Ieyasu to drop a fucking bomb on me at the finals; I didn't ask for my parents to constantly remind me that I'm shit; and I didn't ask for anyone's pity. You're delusional."
"See? You're doing it again."
"Doing what?"
"You keep playing the victim and it's disgusting. Do you know how many other people are in your shoes? Plenty, and they're doing better than you. They're actually getting off their asses to make things better for themselves."
Tsuna couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Excuse me? Playing the victim? Well, good for them. If you think I'm so disgusting, then why do you keep hanging around me?"
Bianchi pursed her lips. "Because you're better than this."
"Well, I'm sorry if I couldn't be any better than I am now. Take it up with your brother then. I heard he's doing absolutely fantastic. Oh wait, you can't, 'cause he's all the way in fucking Italy and never wants to see your face again."
Sharp pain suddenly stung Tsuna's cheek. The loud slap echoed in the rink, ringing hollowly in the air. Tsuna widened his eyes as Bianchi glowered at him. "Don't ever talk about Hayato like that again," she said.
Tsuna could only gape at her back when she left the rink, the doors slamming shut behind her. For a moment, he couldn't breathe. He could hear his blood rush in his ears and his heart painfully beat against his chest. He stumbled back onto the bleacher, the loud thud echoing in the air. His hands shook while he tried to regain his bearings. He kicked the bleacher in front of him, making Natsu jump. "Fuck!"
Gripping his head, Tsuna let out a shaky breath and slowly counted to ten. "I'm a goddamn idiot. Shit."
His thoughts swirled in an upending torrent in his head, making him feel nauseous. Kami, he just wanted to choke on his own vomit to death or maybe just give Bianchi the honors of personally killing him herself. Shit, Bianchi…
Tsuna was torn between running after her or giving her space, but he knew one thing: he was a fucking asshole. His eyes burned and he rubbed them with the heel of his palms. The darkness that clouded his vision then was very much appreciated, but he knew it couldn't last forever. Natsu tentatively climbed onto his lap and licked his cheek to wipe away his tears.
"Natsu, don't," Tsuna said, blinking a couple of times to adjust to the lights above him.
Natsu meowed and nuzzled Tsuna's cheek in a gesture of comfort. Still, Tsuna just continued staring out into the empty rink, taking note of how smooth the ice was. He would've immediately went out there and skated until reality became nothing but a distant dream; now, it just looked too far away. He couldn't even bring himself to get up and move.
A distant clang made him perk up. "Bianchi?"
He blinked when he saw Reborn standing at the doorway and looking around. Soon, his eyes landed on Tsuna before he went back to inspecting the ice rink.
Tsuna frowned. "How did you get in?" he said, his quiet voice sounding louder in the empty space.
"The doors were open," Reborn said, slowly making his way down the steps. His footsteps echoed against the walls. "I suppose this will do."
Tsuna furrowed his brows. "Excuse me?"
When Reborn finally stood in front of him, Tsuna couldn't help but notice how tall he was. It was actually pretty intimidating, notwithstanding the fact that Tsuna was his major name.
"Did you warm-up yet?" Reborn said.
"I'm sorry, why are you here again?"
"To see you skate. Isn't that what you do here?"
Tsuna stared at him like he grew twenty heads. Reborn's words repeated over and over in his head before it finally settled. "Are you saying that you came all the way to Namimori to watch me skate?"
"I'm glad that you're a little bit smarter than you seem."
Tsuna could only gape at him, ignoring the insult. "Why?"
Reborn walked over to the small entrance of the rink and looked over the smooth ice. "I saw you skate to my program." He smirked at Tsuna, making him flush. "I wanted to see it for myself."
Tsuna didn't know what to think. "Are you being serious? That wasn't anything. I don't know why my friend posted it online, but it was just a fluke. You wasted your time coming here. Besides, I'm not skating anymore. I'm done." He grabbed his duffel bag and stood up with a small bow towards Reborn. "I'm sorry you came all the way out here for nothing, Reborn-san. At least I hope you enjoy your stay here. Namimori can't compare to Italy but it's nice enough."
"I was under the impression that you wanted to stay longer for the next season." Reborn's voice made Tsuna pause in his step. "Your previous season was one of the worst I've ever witnessed. Even a child could skate better than you."
Tsuna's brow twitched. "Wow, thank you for your words of wisdom."
"That was why I decided to come here and coach you," Reborn said. Tsuna whirled around so fast, his neck nearly snapped. "But I guess not."
"Wait!" Tsuna said, his eyes wide. "What did you say?"
Reborn raised a brow, but his lips twitched into a knowing smile. "I don't like repeating myself. But if you insist on not skating anymore, I'm not willing to coach an indisposed student."
Tsuna tried to comprehend what Reborn was saying. "Why—I mean—Why would you—Are you—Wait, you—Coaching me?"
"Yes, I came here to coach you."
Tsuna blinked a couple of times to make sure he really wasn't dreaming. He gripped his duffel bag tightly. Reborn's words still didn't make sense.
"Why?" he said, grimacing when his voice cracked. "Why would you want to coach me? Are you…retiring?"
Reborn slowly tapped a gloved finger against the railings. "Who knows? But I came here to coach you. Think of it as an indefinite break for now."
"But why? You said I was a bad skater. What the hell is in it for you anyways?"
Reborn pinned Tsuna to the spot with unnervingly sharp eyes, and Tsuna couldn't help but feel bare under his gaze. "Yes, you're bad, but you skated my program decently enough. Your coach, Kawahira, is good but not right for you. He's stiff when he chooses programs for his skaters, which keeps you from branching out. Your long program at the Grand Prix Finals was terrible but not hopeless."
Tsuna didn't know what to think or say to that. He was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that Reborn travelled all the way here just to coach him. Okay, he was seriously dreaming.
"You aren't dreaming." Reborn's voice snapped him out of his reverie. "I came here to coach you. Is your answer still no?"
"I…I can't skate."
"Can't or won't?"
Tsuna swallowed a lump in his throat. "I—Both. You said it yourself: I'm terrible. That day at the finals, I fucked up. I—I can't go back."
"Look at me."
Tsuna tensed but complied nonetheless. Reborn still looked impassive, a stark contrast to the man who skated on ice. "Yes, you performed terrible that day but you aren't going to perform like that again," Reborn said. "All you need to do is let me coach you. You'll win the gold in the next Grand Prix." He smirked. "There will be enough to last a lifetime, but you can only live for so long. Are you going to waste this opportunity I'm giving to you so nicely, Tsunayoshi?"
Tsuna clenched his hands into fists. He was already set on never going back on the ice. Not once did he ever think that he could go back again and face the audience. Bianchi…was right. Despite her harsh words, she was right. Tsuna wanted to scream, at his parents, at the people who doubted him, at everyone who kicked and beat him when he was younger.
All he wanted was for others to accept him, praise him, like him, but all he ever did was whine about it. He didn't push himself to do more than he could, always stopping before he could cross the edge—and he had one more chance to make everything right again. Still, maybe this was all a fluke, a huge elaborate set-up to make him look more like an idiot than he was at the finals. But there was still that stupid part of him that hoped this was real.
He exhaled slowly, savoring what few precious seconds he had left. "Why me?"
"You have raw talent—it's just a pity that no one hasn't fully extracted that yet."
"And how do you know that you're the right coach for me?"
Reborn smiled. "I'm here, aren't I?"
Tsuna restrained a sigh. Really, was the man always this insufferable? "Let me rephrase that then. How do I know I can trust you?"
"You don't." Reborn straightened himself. "Not unless you learn from me. So what is your answer?"
Tsuna glanced at the rink, taking in the smoothness of the pale ice. He could hear the ghost of his own skates gliding against the surface, a soft melody he couldn't find anywhere else, feel the cool air kiss his cheeks and adrenaline pump through his veins before he leapt.
So how could he ever see himself letting all that go?
Reborn seemed to understand where Tsuna's thought process was going, which was creepy but oddly reassuring, since he gestured at the rink behind him. "Warm up and get in," he said. "We have the whole day to spare."
Tsuna just nodded. He wasn't going to fuck up again.
Okay, it was official—Tsuna was starting to regret taking Reborn's offer because what the fuck was this man's training regimen?
Not even goddamn steroids could compare to Reborn's training. How the man wasn't jacked up was something Tsuna could never understand. It was also only the first day, and he was pretty convinced that he made a contract with the devil.
Tsuna placed his hands on his knees after jumping for the millionth time and nearly collapsed from the extra weight if he hadn't gripped onto the railing in time. Panting, he wiped away the sweat from his brow and almost glared at Reborn who skated towards him without much difficulty. He was tempted to just break the man's legs if he could.
"You're still forgetting to open your arms again in the air on the downward part of the jump," Reborn said as if Tsuna wasn't dying from the lack of oxygen in his lungs. "Again."
Tsuna gritted his teeth. Not once did he complain during their training because he had some pride to acknowledge the fact that he willingly took Reborn's offer. Taking a few more seconds to forget the fact that his legs were reduced to jelly, Tsuna forced himself to skate around the ice again, entering laps to gather some speed.
Reborn stood to the side, wearing a black sweater instead of his coat and scarf with his fedora placed on the railings. Natsu was curled up on one of the bleachers, sleeping. Reborn watched Tsuna move with keen eyes in an otherwise lax position. "Your jumps are weak because of your core," he said as Tsuna skated past him the third time. "We'll have to work on that starting tomorrow. Move faster."
Tsuna clenched his jaw. His legs crossed over each other while he skated backwards. He paused then to raise his right leg in front of him; the wind whistled around him when he jumped and rotated in the air. One, two—shit. He stumbled and skidded across the ice, wincing when his back hit the walls of the rink. Dull pain quaked through his body, but he ignored it.
Shaking his head, he stood up but nearly slipped if a pair of strong arms hadn't steadied him. Tsuna blushed when he up righted himself against a lean torso and mumbled his thanks. He could feel Reborn's chest vibrate when the man chuckled under his breath.
"Watch me."
Tsuna almost shuddered when Reborn moved away, carrying his warmth with him. He forgot that soon when Reborn skated with blinding speed, almost becoming a blur. His breath hitched when Reborn leaped into the air, executing a perfect triple axel, before landing on the ice smoothly. He made it look so effortless…
"What is the difference?" Reborn said, skating towards him.
Tsuna braced himself against the railing. "You actually got three and a half rotations in."
Reborn's lips twitched into an amused smile. "Anything else more useful?"
Tsuna huffed. He ran the image of Reborn jumping again in his head, comparing it to his own jumps. It was much better to see in-person and he still couldn't believe that Reborn was actually coaching him, but he digressed.
"Your core," he said. "You held it in along with your spine and waist."
"You have a brain," Reborn said, leaning against the walls and ignoring the way Tsuna rolled his eyes. "What else?"
Tsuna pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "You took off from the forward outside edge of your left foot. Was I doing the opposite again?" He sighed. "It's such a pain to pull off." He yelped when Reborn knocked him over the head with his fist, almost stumbling to the ground again. He glared at the smirking man. "What the hell was that for?"
"Gravity pulls the human body at a force of 9.81 meters per second," Reborn said. "A jump is also contributed by other forces: velocity across the ice and centrifugal force created by the jump's spin rotation. The practicalities behind jumping include correct body positions, the distribution of weight, rhythm and timing, so on and so forth. The triple Axel is difficult because it's the only jump with a forward takeoff. Are you listening, Tsuna?"
How Tsuna got his name reduced from Tsunayoshi to Tsuna was also a mystery. It was almost intimate. Reborn crossed his arms over his chest. "Pay attention," he said. "Did you get anything I said?"
Tsuna blinked. "Um, yeah. Totally. Gravity, velocity, cen—centri—centrigal force—"
"Centrifugal force," Reborn said.
"Yeah, that."
"I'm going to quiz you on this later."
Tsuna gaped at him. "Wait, what? This isn't school!"
Reborn smirked almost cruelly. "Oh, yes, it is. Welcome to Reborn's School of Figure Skating for Idiots. Congratulations on your admittance. Didn't we go over this already?"
"No!"
Reborn didn't seem fazed. "Since the triple Axel depends on a forward takeoff, you'll have to spin more rapidly in order to complete all the rotations. Your body isn't aligned properly in the air and you're not taking off correctly either. Your ankle, knee, and hip have to work together to push you up. You're only relying on your ankle."
Sighing, Tsuna rubbed his eyes. "Okay."
Reborn glanced at his watch and skated towards the exit. "Keep that in mind for tomorrow."
Thanking every god that existed, Tsuna followed him outside the rink. He collapsed on the bleacher and laid there for a while. His body felt awfully heavy and his sweaty clothes felt disgusting on his skin. A nice, hot bath would do the trick. Tsuna pursed his lips when he remembered the events from earlier in the day. His father would definitely skin him alive when he got back and Bianchi…
His cheek still ached from the slap she gave him hours ago.
Tsuna sighed again before forcing himself to sit up, petting Natsu who appeared by his side. Reborn had already removed his skates and slipped on his coat. Tsuna's fingers shook while he tried untying his laces. He cursed when he could barely get the double knot loose until a pair of large hands swooped down to untie them for him. Tsuna blinked when he realized Reborn was unfastening the laces. He could only stare as long, strong fingers quickly loosened the knots. He didn't understand how Reborn could make untying laces look so elegant.
"Oh, um, thank you," Tsuna said.
Reborn raised a brow. "I don't understand how you can be this clumsy."
Tsuna flushed. "I'm just tired, asshole. Cut me some slack." He stood up and grabbed his duffel bag. "I'm going to change."
He slipped off his skates as soon as he entered the changing rooms and tossed them aside. Rubbing his face, Tsuna let out a choked laugh. Natsu rubbed his leg comfortingly and sat down patiently while he quickly changed. After throwing on his hoodie and jeans, Tsuna washed his face with some cold water in the bathroom. He stared at the mirror for a few minutes, noting his flushed cheeks and disheveled hair.
He looked alive.
It was already evening when the two left. After Tsuna locked the doors and texted Kyoko his thanks, he let Natsu jump into his arms and grunted from the cat's weight. He really did grow.
Walking was painful. Every muscle ached and Tsuna was seriously wondering if Reborn was the devil or not. Most likely since he was a slave-driver and an inhuman athlete. Tsuna didn't protest much when Reborn guided him to his car—he was probably going to collapse if he took the bus—and it was a really nice car: a sleek, black Maserati that smelled like espresso and Reborn's musky cologne.
Tsuna mentally shook his head. Sure, he was a huge fan but Reborn was his coach now, which was still unbelievable, no matter how many times Tsuna thought about it. Actually, Reborn wasn't even a coach himself, but he taught well. Well, that was pretty much guaranteed considering how long Reborn competed.
"Who was that woman?"
Tsuna tensed when Reborn spoke. He glanced out the window to see that they were probably breaking every traffic rule in Japan. He turned away before he got any more nauseous. "Bianchi," he said. "She was my ballet teacher."
"She wasn't there."
Tsuna grimaced. "Yeah. We…had a disagreement."
"Fix it," Reborn said. "You'll need her for your training."
Tsuna sighed. "I don't know if she wants to talk to me anymore. I said some pretty shitty things."
Reborn raised a brow. "Did I say wallow in self-pity? I said to fix it."
Tsuna rolled his eyes. "Wow, you must be the light of all the parties."
Reborn smirked. "Of course I am."
"Glad to know."
"I meant it when I said fix whatever misgivings you have with her. We only have a year or so until the next Grand Prix."
"You're really set on the gold, huh?"
"You will get the gold. I'll make sure of it."
Tsuna shivered from the implications of that statement. Kami, he could see the future torture and brutal training already. "I don't know. Can you? Can I really do that?"
"I never fail and I don't intend to."
Tsuna stroked Natsu's fur absent-mindedly, taking small comfort in the cat's presence. "Yes, that's you, but me…What if I screw up again? I can't afford that."
"Then don't. I'll make sure you don't mess up again."
"That's a lot of faith you have in me."
Reborn smirked. "Currently, I have no faith in you. You're only slightly above the average skater and not even by much. I only have faith in myself."
Tsuna deadpanned. "Gee, thanks. That really lifts my spirits."
"My job is to have you get that gold in the Grand Prix and I intend to succeed with full marks."
Even though Reborn's words were callous, they were still somewhat comforting and Tsuna couldn't help but really hope that it'd come true.
"Thank you, Reborn-san," he said quietly.
"You can only afford to say that after you win the gold."
Tsuna smiled. "Still, thank you for giving me another chance."
The rest of the ride was driven in complete but comfortable silence.
When they arrived at the Sawada Onsen, Tsuna couldn't help but hold Natsu tighter to his chest. He opened the door and was greeted with the sight of his parents actually waiting for him at the entrance.
Whatever his father was going to say to him quickly died in his throat when he noticed Reborn behind him. Tsuna wasn't lying if he said that he was disgusted when Iemitsu immediately gave Reborn a bright grin.
"Ah, Reborn-san, welcome back!" he said, ushering the man inside. "How was your drive? Namimori isn't the biggest town around but it has some nice places."
Reborn just offered him a slight nod as he shrugged off his coat, which Nana quickly helped him with. "Tsuna will be showing me around tomorrow. Do you happen to serve espresso, Sawada-san?"
Nana smiled sweetly. "Please call me Nana, Reborn-san. And yes, we have espresso. Would you like me to deliver it to your room?"
Iemitsu looked back and forth between Reborn and Tsuna, trying to understand this sudden development. Tsuna just toed off his shoes at the entranceway and tried to sneak away when Nana said, "Tsu-kun, where are you going?"
Mumbling a curse under his breath, Tsuna turned to face his mother. "My room. I was about to go take a bath."
"Oh, go wash yourself and come back when you're finished, alright?"
The "Your father and I need to have a talk with you" didn't even have to be said out loud for her message to get across. Tsuna just left as fast as he could. When he passed Bianchi's room, he stopped to stare at the door and mull over whether he should knock or not before turning away. He cursed at himself for being such a coward as he walked into his bedroom.
Dumping his duffel bag onto the floor, he quickly set out to take a nice, hot bath in the private onsen. He groaned when the hot water eased the tension in his muscles. Soaking himself more, Tsuna washed the sweat off his skin and got out to massage his hair with some shampoo. His fingers trembled a bit from the effort, but he managed anyways.
After debating on whether or not he'd stay longer, Tsuna finally returned to his room to change into some T-shirt and shorts. Natsu greeted him with a meow and followed him downstairs where Nana and Iemitsu were talking with Reborn like they were a bunch of old friends. Ieyasu was still nowhere to be seen.
Tsuna still couldn't believe that Reborn was here.
The said man was the first to notice his presence and gestured him to sit down. Tsuna huffed but obeyed, finally drawing his parents' attention.
Nana smiled at him. "Tsu-kun, my, that was fast. I'll get dinner for you and Reborn-kun. What were you doing this late at night?"
Tsuna just made himself comfortable on his floor cushion. Natsu curled next to him, swishing his tail lazily and ignoring Iemitsu's disapproving stare. "I was just busy," he said.
"Bianchi left," Iemitsu said. "Did something happen?"
"I'd rather not talk about it."
Tsuna nodded in thanks when Nana set his bowl of rice in front of him. Reborn smiled at her charmingly, making her blush when he thanked her as well.
"How did you get acquainted with Reborn?" Iemitsu said. "Did you bother him?"
Nana chuckled behind her hand. "Oh, you know how much Tsu-kun admires Reborn-kun, dear. Why, he still has those posters up in his room."
Tsuna choked on his rice. "O—Okaa-san!"
He paled even more when Reborn gave him an amused smirk. "Oh? Posters?"
"I—I collected them when I was nine, okay? It's nothing."
"He still has them up in his room," Nana said. "It's quite endearing. All he ever talked about was you when he was younger. Why, you were the one who inspired him to skate!" She sighed. "It's disheartening to know that Tsu-kun won't be doing that anymore. He insists on it quite stubbornly, too."
Tsuna gripped his chopsticks tightly in his hand. He felt like crawling into a hole and die. Iemitsu poured himself a glass of water.
"I think it's good for him," he said. "Nothing good ever came out of his career. I tried telling him to do something else for a change but he's always insisting that skating was his calling."
Tsuna placed his chopsticks down on the table and stood up. Nana looked up at him, confused.
"Tsu-kun, where are you going?" she said "Aren't you hungry?"
"No," Tsuna said. "I'll be in my room."
He stopped short when Reborn spoke up, "He will win the gold in the next Grand Prix."
Tsuna swiveled on this feet, his eyes wide. Reborn calmly sipped his cup and set it down on the table, taking all the time in the world. When their eyes met, Tsuna's breath hitched.
Iemitsu raised a brow. "Well, that's nice of you to say but Tsuna told us that he quit." He laughed. "No point in trying to win something you're not going to compete in."
"He didn't quit," Reborn said, never taking his eyes off of Tsuna. "In fact, he changed his mind this afternoon."
Nana tilted her head. "I still don't understand, Reborn-kun."
"What I mean to say, Sawada-san, is that starting today, I will be Tsuna's coach—and he will win the gold in the next Grand Prix."
A/N In light of the Winter Olympics, I decided to make this a three-shot, haha.
And also, kudos to the Japan team for skating to the "Yuri on Ice" OST. Many fans' dreams came true that day, ahahaha. (Also, I miss Kim Yuna… what a phenomenal skater.)
So, here is the result of some brain-storming and last-second research. I hope you enjoyed it! (Plus, I was working on this instead of actual school work so please excuse any spelling or grammar mistakes, haha. It's four in the morning here… I'll get back to them when I get my dose of coffee, hehe)
I'll return to your prompts after I complete this one-shot so no worries about not seeing them! I'll get through them all and more. I'm still taking prompts so drop one here if you'd like to see it written!
Thank you for reading! I hope to see you again in the next chapter! Leave a thought or two if you can.
Have a lovely day~
Little Miss Bunny
Revised: 5/23/2018
