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THE HAND YOU'RE DEALT

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I do not own Katekyo Hitman REBORN, I do however own this story and the characterisation of Agatha.

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SIOFC!Gokudera, Slash/het... Kinda? I was a mind that remembered more than one life. Physically born as a boy, mentally reawakened as a woman. I am Gokudera Hayato, please call me Aya.

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CHAPTER TEN
Sports Festival

Tsuna watched unhappily as she stepped into the classroom and immediately caused his classmates to exclaim in horror, she looked surprised as they all rushed over, asking if she was alright. She seemed to have forgotten that she was currently sporting a pair of black eyes and a nasty split lip, though how someone could forget about it, Tsuna didn't know. He scowled and turned back to his comic, gripping it with uncommon ferocity. Maybe she did know about it, and just wanted the attention?

"Oh my god! Aya-chan, what happened?!" Kyoko-chan's voice.

"Who hit you?"

"Are you alright?"

"Are you okay?"

"I can't believe someone would hit a girl! That's the worst!"

"Who the hell did this to you? Are you okay?" Yamamoto-san.

"Ah, did I forget to wash off my Special Effects make up off?" he heard the girl in question lie, a quick peek up confirmed that she was gently touching her face in 'surprise'. Concern immediately turned to awe over how realistic her injuries looked while Kurokawa-san scoffed and rolled her eyes, loudly declaring that anyone with eyes could tell it was fake, she wasn't that good! Tsuna rolled his eyes, he could see Aya trying not to do the same as she quickly excused herself to the girls' bathroom to 'clean up'.

He stubbornly didn't meet her eyes when she glanced back at him as she left. He was still angry. Still hurt.

Reborn tried to explain, but he didn't want to listen. Not to him.

She just left. As soon as she woke up, she hadn't even properly healed from her concussion and she was leaving for a month, just vanishing. He had been completely beside himself with worry, with hurt, and confusion, and fear. Had he frightened her off? He knew it was his fault that she got hurt but, he wanted to help, he didn't mean to get in the way, and, she didn't have to shove him out of the way and get hit! He didn't – she didn't – why did she just leave?

She didn't even say anything to them. No letters, phonecalls, nothing. And that hurt. That hurt a lot because for a long time... he thought she didn't want to be his friend anymore.

Then Reborn came back saying that he'd found her in Tokyo, barely spitting distance away, earning money in illegal underground fight clubs. His heart had jumped into his throat, and then he felt angry. She left in order to get into more fights?! And then she came back with even more injuries! He was so happy to see her that he forgot his anger for a moment and rushed over to hug her with everyone else but then it all came rushing back and he couldn't even look at her anymore. Did their friendship really mean so little to her? That she wouldn't even think about how her disappearance would feel to them? He was so angry!

So he didn't talk to her, or look at her when she got back from the bathroom, her injuries somehow miraculously gone, smoothed away as if they had never been there. She quickly moved to her seat, casting him a glance as she did so, but he hunched his shoulders and glared at his comic, not looking up.

Until she apologised and explained herself, Tsuna wanted nothing to do with her.

000

Tsuna's anger was unexpectedly cold, Aya decided miserably as she ate alone in the classroom, male classmates swarming around her, trying to chat her up again now that she was on her own. She hadn't realised how much being Tsuna and Takeshi's friend had shielded her from the more forward of her classmates. Takeshi's look of confusion when Tsuna marched out of the classroom without a backwards glance was also uncomfortably painful even as she waved him off to go and join their Sky, he had, but she knew she would be facing questions from him in future.

"You've really managed to upset him," Reborn observed, dressed in a cosplay version of the Namimori uniform, complete with a chain around his beltloops like she used to have back when she was a teenager in the nineties as Aggie.

She huffed a tiny smile as she stared down at her white rice, "Yeah. I suppose I should have said something at least," she muttered as she set her chopsticks down.

"It isn't that you didn't say anything," Reborn corrected her, peering up thoughtfully into her face, "It's that you left in the first place." Her green eyes blinked wide in confusion and the tiny hitman twitched a smirk, "That Cloud Flame of yours is particularly well developed, isn't it?" he observed with humour. Only a Cloud would think it fine and dandy to walk away from their Sky without a backwards word or glance, secure in their own knowledge that they would always return when they were needed.

She promptly went pink and looked to one side, "Second highest affinity along with Lightning," she muttered making him huff a laugh. A powerful Polarized alignment Storm, a strong secondary Polarized Lightning, and an equally strong secondary Middling Cloud flame – the tranquil calm of a Polarized Storm, the simple direct sharpness of a Polarized Lightning, and sitting in the middle of being aggressively antisocial and disgustingly needy as a Middling Cloud. On top of that she possessed a Classical Rain alignment, and a Polarized Sun alignment. If her Storm flame were Classic, he would be calling her a Hot Mess at this particular moment, as it was, she was just too direct and oblivious for her own good. He reached out and caught a strand of her hair, giving it a tug.

"You should talk to him, seriously, later on. Let him cool down a bit first," he advised her, smirking a little as she nodded, the faint weight of depression lifting from her posture. Tsuna's cold shoulder treatment affected her probably more than either of them thought it did – as was normal between a Sky and his Guardian, especially for one as forth-coming and earnest as Gokudera Aya.

"Oh, and before I forget," he shoved something under her nose, "Happy Birthday. Tsuna forgot to give it to you when you got back," the hitman informed her before he jumped off her desk and removed the thin veneer of Mist Flame that deflected her classmate's attention from their conversation.

She stared down at the small wrapped package, it was black, and had little Roswell alien heads printed on the paper. Her eyes began to sting as something twisted in her stomach.

September 9th. The day before she got back from Tokyo. She had completely forgotten that it was her birthday that day. She had been so absorbed in finding a Gym that had seedier connections that she could use, so obsessed in getting back into shape, so determined to be strong enough to protect Tsuna that... she forgot that Tsuna didn't want a protector. He wanted a friend. But... Friends protect one another. As best they can. And she wanted to protect him, because she knew what was coming, and how bad it would get, and she didn't want them to end up being just another one of the broken realities that Yuni saw, that Byakuran managed to destroy.

With trembling fingers, she peeled the sellotape from the end and carefully, probably with more care than it warranted, and slid the contents out onto her desk without damaging the wrapping paper. A slim black cardboard box stared up at her from her desk. Ignoring her classmates who were still being decidedly noisy, and nosy, around her, she opened it up and carefully pulled the slim black object out.

It was a notebook, beautiful black soft cover, with silver and pink sakura-blossoms embossed on the cover. On the first page were several notes from Tsuna, Takeshi, Ryohei, Lambo, Reborn, Bianchi, Nana, Kyoko, and even Hana, all wishing her a Happy Birthday.

He was angry that she left in the first place. How did she apologise for that when she wasn't even sorry that she did, just that she hurt him in doing so?

She spent the rest of the day chewing over that question, barely paying any attention in Nezu's maths class, and again later in Japanese Literature. How could she apologise when she wasn't sorry? Should she apologise? Part of her bridled at the thought. A small, decidedly feminist part of her. Why should she be the one to apologise when she wasn't sorry, be expected to make the peace, to swallow her pride, just to make him happy? She knew Reborn was old fashioned, and it was probably that talking. But at the same time, another small part of her, the one that felt older than her fourteen years, whispered that it wasn't that. She may not be sorry, but she was still in the wrong for leaving without a word, and she should apologise for making them worry – not for leaving, as she wasn't, but for worrying them. That it wasn't a sign of being a submissive woman. It was a sign of being a grown up. Because that's what you have to do when you're an adult. You have to apologise for things you didn't do, don't care about, aren't sorry for. You have to swallow your pride, put on your nice face, and smile at the person you hate most.

She sat on the toilet, slowly braiding her hair ready for Archery Club. Aggie had a part-time job before she went to University. She worked in a café doing teas and coffees, selling cakes, and sandwiches. There was this one woman, she complained constantly. Official complaints as well. Everyone hated her. But she, specifically, hated Aggie. Yet the stupid woman seemed to be under the impression that Aggie was 'being too friendly to her', 'liked her too much', 'inappropriately', and 'she refused to be eyed up like a scrap of meat'. Aggie put on her best customer service face whenever that bitch walked in through the door, and mentally imagined throwing scalding hot tea in her face, picking her short ugly-ass self up, and physically throwing her out of the shop. The woman never realised that the only reason Aggie smiled so much at her was because she was just baring her teeth, and the reason why her order was always made so quickly was that she could leave just as quickly. Her colleagues when they heard this reasoning found it hilarious. The next time that woman complained, Aggie's manager sat her down and explained quite flatly that everyone in the shop universally hated her, she got good customer service because they were damn good at their jobs, and that she was no longer welcome in the café. She tried to come back once or twice, but no one would serve her. Just politely remind her that she wasn't welcome and serve the next customer.

Aya sighed as she lowered her bow, reaching up to rub her shoulder. She guessed that decided it. She would have to apologise to Tsuna. She was the adult here. And she had been the one to fuck up.

"Kya! Yamamoto-san!" several voices squealed, making the silver haired girl look over. Takeshi waved at her from the doorway as several girls quickly rushed over to see what he needed. She quirked a wry smile at him and lifted a hand in return. A quick glance at the clock showed that Baseball had ended, so Archery would be too in a few minutes.

"Yo, Aya-chan, got a sec?" he called as she unstrung her bow and began to pack it away.

"Sure. Give me a second," she returned as she packed up her target as well. Mamori-chan didn't let her do anything else, hastily ushering off towards Takeshi with a giggle and a quiet 'Good Luck'. Aya frowned a little in confusion as the other girls all started to whisper and giggle, a few scowled unhappily, one was even crying and being comforted by her friends. But Mamori wouldn't let her go and see what was wrong, just shoved her into Takeshi and slid the doors shut with a bright grin.

"What was that about?" Takeshi asked, pushing her back onto her feet.

"I have no idea," Aya admitted as she took a step away from the taller boy. "So, what's up?" she asked, looking up as she stripped her wrist guard off.

Takeshi looked down at her with an uncommonly serious expression, "Tsuna. What happened?"

Aya stared up at him, she had resolved to apologise to Tsuna, but there was also Takeshi's feelings to take into account as well. And then there was his... misunderstanding regarding what we were all caught up in as well.

"Come on. Let's talk somewhere else," she said instead, leading him away from the Archery Hall where no doubt everyone was pressed against the doors to try and hear what was going on. What did they think this was? Some kind of love confession? Hm, probably, they were Japanese Schoolgirls. They didn't seem to have cottoned on to the idea that males and females could be friends without anything brewing under the surface yet.

"Just how seriously are you taking this Mafia 'game'?" she asked as they reached the baseball field. It was completely deserted and the two found places to sit on the bench in the dug-out.

"Ahaha, pretty seriously," he admitted with a grin. A grin that faded when she spoke next.

"That's good. Because it isn't a game."

"Eh?"

"Tsuna didn't want to involve you. Hell, he himself doesn't want to be involved. Takeshi, it isn't a game. We aren't playing," she explained seriously as she stared up at the sky. It was still bright out, being that it was summer still. But the sun was starting to sink. An hour or more it would be dusk. "About four hundred years ago, Tsuna's ancestor started a vigilante group in Italy, to protect their town from corrupt government officials, crooked cops, to help people stricken with poverty, who needed protection. But the stronger his group became, the more they had to fight, the more people died as the Higher Ups didn't want to lose their power, didn't want to change their behaviour. Finally, someone important died, and then Tsuna's ancestor was betrayed. No one knows truly what happened, no one alive anyway, and all records were struck off. But Tsuna's ancestor soon came to Japan, and started a family here. But he left his Vigilante group in the hands of his cousin. That cousin... did not love peace, nor the ideals of his relative. He took the group in a new direction, a bloodier, violent one. A vigilante family turned Mafia Famiglia. The Vongola.

"Four hundred years later, the Vongola are the largest, most powerful of the Famiglias in the world. Their leader, Nono, has three children. All of them dead, murdered within the last five years. He has no other blood family. All that remains is the Founder's line that went to Japan. That line... culminating in Tsuna. He is the next in line for the Vongola. His father is currently head of the Outside Advisors, but he only rarely gets involved with the main family that Tsuna will eventually become the head of. Reborn was sent to teach him. I was sent to test him, but Tsuna reached for me. Wanted me to stay. So I did. Reborn saw talent and potential in you, and wanted you to join. So he told you it was a game, Tsuna just wanted a friend, he'd been trying to push you out of this the whole time so you wouldn't be placed into danger, so that you could focus on baseball."

"But... what does this have to do with why Tsuna's upset at you?" Takeshi interrupted, looking perturbed but unsurprised. Aya did sometimes wonder just how intelligent this boy was, or rather, just how perceptive he was. There were moments when he seemed to have Hyper Intuition on par with Tsuna's, and others when he was about as observant as a wall.

"I was born into the Mafia. I wasn't supposed to be connected to it at all, in the beginning. But my father had a change of heart after Shamal revealed some private things I told him," she hissed darkly. Clean slate or not, she still HATED him. "I was thrown out and bounced from Famiglia to Famiglia. Tsuna was the first person to accept me wholesale without pity. Shifu, my Master, he accepted me but the pity... polite that man may be, tactful he is not. I swore I would protect Tsuna because right now, he can't protect himself. When we got into that fight with Hibari... afterwards I realised that I hadn't been taking that seriously enough. What if that had been someone else? What if it had been the person that murdered Nono's sons, trying to make sure the Vongola don't get an heir? What if it was someone from a rival Famiglia? An assassin? I'd been so busy treating this like a game, worrying about how riceballs tasted, when I should have been training. So I left. I needed to get my edge back. Tsuna's upset because I left. And, I am sorry that I hurt him, but I'm not sorry that I left. I'm stronger now. Not strong enough for what's coming, but, at least there's a fighting chance now."

A large tan hand reached over and covered her pale one.

"You don't have to do this alone, y'know," he pointed out, giving her hand a squeeze, "We can protect Tsuna together."

She patted his hand and pushed it back, "Right now, Takeshi, no, we can't. You don't know how to fight, and Tsuna doesn't want you to. He wants you to stay innocent, happy. To be the friend he can go to when he wants to forget this exists. And he needs that."

Takeshi shook his head and jumped to his feet, "I'll learn how to fight then!" he exclaimed, "How can I be happy when I know that you're hurting so much, when Tsuna's in so much danger? What kind of friend would that make me? Baseball isn't as important as my friends!" he snapped, glaring at her.

"And your life?" she asked coolly, taking the wind out of his sails. "What then?" she asked as she got to her feet.

"What – do you – mean?" he asked hesitantly.

She closed her eyes and turned away from him, there was a rustle of fabric and Takeshi's eyes practically bugged out as she lifted her shirt – revealing a long jagged scar below and between her shoulderblades on the right side, it dragged through her flesh to the small of her back in a sunken in line with two neat rows of little scarred dots where there had once been stitches to hold it shut.

"This kind of life can get you stabbed in the back, Takeshi. Often times literally," she warned him darkly as her shirt dropped once again, hiding the horrific evidence of her violent past. "Are you ready for that? Are you ready to look over your shoulder every minute, every day, for the rest of your life, to trust in people you probably shouldn't, but have to because there's no other choice? To hide your name, your past, everything, in order to protect your father, to never see him again because anyone who sees you in there may put two and two together?"

A hand landed on her shoulder, she started a little and looked back, Takeshi flashed her a thumbs up, grinning wholeheartedly.

"Yup."

000

Tsuna was even more furious when he found out that she told Takeshi the truth about the Mafia, but that... was something she wasn't willing to accept his anger on. She wasn't sure who was more shocked when she turned right around and gave Tsuna a telling off about keeping it secret, Reborn, herself, Tsuna, or Takeshi. Even Bianchi was shocked, though she looked approving.

"Just being our friend puts him in danger!" she flared, "he deserved to know why! What Reborn was dragging him into, he deserved to know and make the choice about his life himself!"

Tsuna, shamefaced, apologised to Takeshi, and then to Aya. In turn, Aya apologised to him as well. The three sitting down and having a long talk about what went down, laying it all out on the table, and talking it over. Apologies were made, understandings reached, and everything went back to normal.

Just in time for the Athletics Festival.

"What is the Athletics Festival?" Aya asked quietly as they sat in Team A's meeting room.

Tsuna hummed, "In Namimori, it's a pretty big event. The whole school's mood changes," he grinned a little, "Even I can get excited a bit. The school gets divided into A, B, and C Teams over all the year groups and classes. Hiee, it can get really heated!" he fluttered, waving his arms a bit as emphasis as he recalled competitions in previous years with a little distress, "Especially at the climax, the boy's compete in something called 'Pole Knocking'. The Team Leaders climb to the top of this pole, and have to hold on tightly while their team carries them to the other team and tries to protect them. The only rule is that the winner is decided when the leader of the opposite team is knocked down. It's the main event, Onii-san says that's the place for guys to show their best in the year," he explained, grimacing and flinching when Ryohei's voice roared out over the classroom.

"ULTIMATE WILL TO WIN!" the future Sun Guardian bellowed, "THIS WILL BE THE SLOGAN OF TEAM A FOR THE ATHLETIC FEST TOMORROW! UNLESS WE WIN, EVERYTHING IS MEANINGLESS!"

Aya grimaced as the boys roared back with enthusiasm. She couldn't really get along with Team-Spirit events like this. People pissed her off too much at the best of times. Individuals were okay, but groups? Anything more than a handful was a mob, and mobs were only as smart as their dumbest member.

"The Poke Knocking competition is the key to win this year, once again. It's been a tradition that the Team's Representative is the leader of the Pole Knocking, which means I should be doing it. BUT I WILL RESIGN!" Ryohei roared, "RATHER THAN BEING THE LEADER, I WANT TO BATTLE AS A SOLDIER!"

"Boxing freak," Aya muttered under her breath. Why did boys have to go looking for fights so much?

"But there is nothing to worry about, I've prepared someone else who is better than me to be the leader!" She had a bad feeling about this, he wasn't talking about Tsuna was he?

"SAWADA TSUNA FROM CLASS 1-A!"

"You have got to be kidding me," Aya deadpanned, "No offence Tsuna, you just don't have the training yet," she explained to him, despite knowing that he didn't want to be in the tournament anyway.

"THOSE WHO AGREE, RAISE YOUR HAND! WE WILL DECIDE BY THE MAJORITY OF THE HANDS RAISED!"

A few mutters when up about how people didn't want to lose, Tsuna was just a first grader so they didn't think it would be possible, not to mention he wasn't part of any clubs, while the other leaders had the likes of the Sumo club, and the Karate club, as their Pole Knocking Representatives.

"RAISE YOU HANDS!" the Third Year ordered.

Takeshi grabbed her hand and hoisted it into the air with a laugh, "We'll support you Tsuna!" he exclaimed loudly, immediately getting all the girls to agree.

"Ha-wha – wait – Takeshi – " Aya spluttered as she ended up getting the majority of the guys to agree just with her raised arm alone. Really? They were – really? Someone kill her, this was embarrassing.

"IT'S DECIDED THEN! THE LEADER OF THE POLE KNOCKING IS SAWADA TSUNA!"

000

"Training? Sure, I'll help!" Takeshi grinned brightly as Ryohei roared in agreement.

"Paooon!" Reborn cooed from his perch, wrapped around a post wearing that ridiculous elephant hat and Thai Boxing shorts. HOW none of them realised who it was, she hadn't the faintest idea. Thus far, only she and Tsuna seemed to have realised that the 'Muay Thai Elder, Master Paopao' was in fact Reborn. Not even her sister could tell the difference between Reborn's costumes and the real deal. Mist Flame maybe?

"Why not," she muttered as she trailed after the boys, Ryohei gesturing enthusiastically, well, as much as he could as he carried the long pole-platform.

Eventually they met up with Tsuna who was receiving encouragement from Kyoko-chan. Though it looked like her words were anything but encouraging, she fancied she could see his soul escaping along with his will to fight the inevitable. He was going to be the Leader of the Pole Knocking – Reborn would make sure of it.

The group moved to the river so that if there were any accidents, they could swing Tsuna into the river where he wouldn't get hurt (the clothes didn't matter so much since Aya had taken to reminding Tsuna to pack an extra uniform in case of Reborn-prompted hijinx). They left their things to one side and Reborn hopped off to one side while Ryohei slammed the pole onto the ground, twisting it into the dirt a bit to make a supporting divet. He then turned and grinned at them.

"Okay, climb, Sawada!" he commanded, making the smaller boy yelp.

"U-um, I... can't even climb a tree..." he informed the Third Year self-depreciatingly.

"Well, let's start from there," Takeshi suggested with a grin. Everyone had to start somewhere, learning to climb the pole and then staying on it would have to be their training for the day – they were going to have to make sure the other members of Team A were aware that if a confrontation kicked off on the pole, they were likely to lose.

"DON'T BE SO EASY ON YOURSELF!" the white haired boy shouted, "IT'S ALL ABOUT THE SPIRIT! CLIMB UP WITH YOUR SPIRIT, SAWADA!" he roared.

Aya felt her upper-lip curl, "Spirit won't mean much when he doesn't even know how best to keep his grip on the damn thing," she pointed out.

The white haired boy blinked at her, as if only just realising she was there, "This is Mens' Training, you should stand back so you don't get hurt," he told her dismissively before immediately turning back to Tsuna.

She felt like she had just been slapped.

Not even as Aggie had anyone just dismissed her like that.

She took a deep breath, and slowly let it out again, "Never. The. Less. Tsuna doesn't know how to climb, perhaps you should focus on that first," she reiterated shortly, reigning in her temper with some difficulty. She just had to keep reminding herself that the Japanese had some very strict views on gender roles and that Ryohei was as much a product of his upbringing as he was of his culture. Manly Men Doing Manly Things. No girls allowed. Girls were soft and sweet and to be protected. They couldn't carry heavy objects, they 'kyaa'd when they fell over, and they took care of house and home, cooking delicious meals, and doing all the cleaning. Typical Japanese household represented in popular manga and TV dramas. And with a younger sister like Kyoko, who while a little quirky was almost as picture perfect a Yamato Nadeshiko as Sawada Nana... those beliefs were probably even more ingrained.

Or so she told herself as Ryohei waved her off again, this time without even looking, "Sawada is a Man! You wouldn't get it! NOW CLIMB SAWADA! WITH YOUR SPIRIT!"

She was going to kill him. With a rock or something. Or her bare hands. Hands were good. She could do more damage with them.

"I agree with Sasagawa. Climb, Tsuna," the hitman ordered, gun glinting in the afternoon light.

One bang, a bullet, and Tsuna had hopped his way to the top of the pole.

"Oah! I knew he had talent!" Ryohei declared.

"Good job, Tsuna!" Takeshi called up happily as the two of them braced the pole.

"Eek! I can't – I can't get down!" Tsuna squealed.

Aya chuckled, "The point is to stay up there!" she called.

"Agreed. Now for part two," Reborn declared, causing the three teenagers to blink down at him, he smiled, "It really is convenient that you left the strongest of your number on the sidelines. Aya-chan, attack them, it's your job to try and drag Tsuna down from the top of that pole. And their job to stop you," the hitman announced.

Ryohei spluttered and Takeshi's eyes went wide with more than a little trepidation.

"MASTER PAOPAO, A TRUE MAN WOULD NEVER RAISE HIS FIST TO A GIRL!" Ryohei bellowed furiously, disappointment in his tone.

"A true man would respect the resolve and strength of his opponent regardless of their gender," Reborn retorted as he nodded towards the only girl present, and the fact that she had shed her white school-shirt, reveal the black tank-top she wore under it – and the biceps that were significantly more muscular than either boy had been expecting. Ryohei spluttered in shock, eyes popping out of his skull as the silver haired girl tugged a band off of her wrist and drew her long hair back into a ponytail. "Aya-chan is trained extensively in Chinese Martial Arts by one of the world's last true Masters, she is the physically strongest member of the Archery Club, and she's been undergoing extensive hellish training in Tokyo's underground Fight Clubs for the past month, you shouldn't underestimate her, Sasagawa-san. Or she'll eat you alive," the hitman warned, humour colouring his tone as she settled into a familiar stance. He liked strong men and women, if he hadn't been trapped in this form, he could quite easily see himself attempting to seduce the young woman – getting a Polarized Storm all hot and bothered, breaking that precious calm, was always amusing. Almost as fun as ruffling the feathers of Classic Clouds – Hibari Kyouya would have been a fun one to fluster as well.

"Prepare yourselves," she stated.

"TRUE MEN NEVER RAISE THEIR FISTS TO WOMEN!" Ryohei bellowed and resolutely turned away from her.

The punch she slammed into the side of his head mowed him to the side, throwing him down to the ground several paces away, and crossed his eyes. His ear rang with the force of it and the world went swimming as light flashed and dimmed as he struggled to sit up. Her foot lodged into his side and punted him even further away.

The sound of Tsuna hitting the water was the only thing that stopped her single-minded dismantling of Sasagawa Ryohei's ignorance.

Tsuna sniffled later as she walked him home, the girl complaining bitterly about the other boy's sexism and how it would cause difficulties at the Athletics meet. "Oniisan shouldn't have a problem with that," Tsuna admitted damply.

"Really? It's supposed to be a free for all, what happens when he comes face to face with a girl in there? He just going to let her get past him?" Aya demanded, disgusted with his behaviour.

"Eh? Did no one tell you?" Tsuna blurted, surprised.

"Pole Knocking is Boys Only."

000

Goddamnit, I wanted to get Hibari into this chapter, but it just didn't happen. I also kind of wanted to throw some Ryohei subplot in there, but bunnies and characters refused. XP oh well. I got something down in there.