A/N: I was going to post the chapter that is two chapters from this one, but then this one and the next chapter insisted to be written and wouldn't leave me alone. *Hysterical laughter* Why me?!
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Namimori Middle School
Year 1-Early September
Chapter 9
Troublesome Situations
"Lady Yume, you're alright? Remember don't eat anything especially if its purple and–" Tsuna stares at Hayato blankly as he kept up his panicked warnings. She really doesn't feel like dealing with the world right now. It has been a very long summer and for once truly happy to return school.
It was rather fortunate her main meals are done by her mother and Bianchi doesn't dare to even add a pinch of salt to that. Her snacks in the other hand, are not as lucky. Bianchi has been trying to sabotage them without mercy. The fruits become something of a giant deformed grape or at one point been chased after. Unless the latter was some kind of hallucination. Reborn doesn't help with him urging on Bianchi, while congratulating her for lasting longer than some pipsqueak previous student of his.
Tsuna prefers not to think of the possibility of her predecessor being six feet under.
Takeshi came running, stopping before them as he vibrated in place, "The baseball team are willing to keep me in the team as reserve! Sure it isn't much, but I get to stay and practice!"
"Is the least they could do," muttered Hayato. Tsuna smiled at him until she flinched when Takeshi wrap his arms on both Hayato's and her shoulders.
"So what are you guys up to?"
"None of your business baseball idiot!" Hayato half-heartedly push him off.
Takeshi laughed, tightening his hold on them. The bickering would have continued when a small bell rang in warning behind them.
It was Sasagawa-san pedaling hard on her bicycle behind the running white haired older boy.
"EXTREME! PLEASE JOIN THE BOXING CLUB TO THE EXTREME!" He shouted beyond the top of his lungs.
"We're taking anyone regardless of experience!" Sasagawa-san shouted between breaths.
Takeshi dragged both out of the way of the two speed demons. Taking notice of the trio, Sasagawa-san presses on the brakes and half-turns her bike. While she put her foot down to keep her bike from falling over, Sasagawa-san barely chirps from slight exhaustion, "Tsunayume-chan! How... are you?"
"Good?" Tsuna stares at the slightly different girl. Sasagawa-san's bright red face was more noticeable with her bangs were pulled back from her face with sun shaped hair clips. She also now wore dark pantyhose with sneakers, probably for the fact she was on a bicycle in her skirt uniform.
Seeing the older boy already away from her, Sasagawa-san sighs with a slight smile before turning to Tsuna, "See at school! Hana already went up ahead to prepare for the upcoming event! Bye!"
Tsuna stares at the smoke left behind the speeding bike.
"Yes, Dame-Yume aim for the level up of racing bicycles~" Reborn hops out of nowhere landing on Takeshi's shoulder.
Tsuna scowls for a moment at the nickname before paling at the memory of the later lessons at the realization how she did retain some knowledge after saving Lambo and gaining some weird respect from Bianchi.
"Almost forgot its almost Sports day," Takeshi asks, carefully stretching his arms without dropping Reborn, finally letting go of them. Hayato's fingers itched for an excuse to bomb the other boy.
They crossed the school gates under the suspicious eye of one of the Namimori Disciplinary Committee member, who once again ignores Reborn.
"Sounds boring," Hayato waves his hand, "Just a showcase of school spirit and teamwork. If you ask me, it sounds superficial."
While Takeshi smiles with a slight bitterness, Tsuna catches Reborn perk up, "No! I want a normal Sports day!"
Reborn pouts, "I didn't say anything."
Tsuna narrows her eyes at him.
"You really need to try new things. You might surprise yourself."
Tsuna ignores Reborn, putting her shoes into her locker and taking out the school issued shoes to put on. Reborn puts in a last word before disappearing into some secret school passage way, "You did save that Bovino low life without me interferring."
"As if I had a choice. It was a one-time insanity on my part. Don't expect another one," Tsuna mutters, closing her locker with a slam.
Tsuna opens her notebook with notes she had taken between being bombed and chased down by rubber bullets. A colored note fluttered out of it, landing on her desk. Curious, Tsuna picks it up and groans, sliding down her seat, "Reborn threaten me to try out for the leader position."
"That sounds like fun," Takeshi turns around and chuckles at her at annoyed look, "Or maybe you can help someone else to lead!"
Hayato shouts behind her in disbelief, "What?!"
This snaps Tsuna from her despair and sits up, "Do you have anything in mind?"
"Ah..." Takeshi scratches the back of his neck with a nervous laugh. Before he can say anything more, their teacher called for their attention.
"Summer has now ended and exams are fast approaching. Always do your assignments especially those in the borderline or outright failing," Nezu-sensei looks pointedly at Tsuna, gaining chuckles from the rest of the class. Although the growls from her friends were new.
"Now I will leave our class rep update you for the upcoming event," the teacher nods formally at Kurokawa who walked with a stiff posture to the front of the classroom.
She glances at the paper with a slight irritation for a moment. When Kurokawa looks up, she caught hold of everyone's eyes with a firm look, silencing the class with her sharp dark eyes, "This year we would be joining with the other classes in our grade level to compete against our upperclassmen."
Whispers began, but darker glare from Kurokawa silenced them, "This would not be for a couple of weeks and another thing is that every class would be voting within their class to be one of the nominees to be the leader in our grade level. The one who cheers the loudest, to inspire everyone toward victory and all that nonsense.
This would be done by the end of the month, giving everyone time to create your pitch and get votes. For the final voting will be done in a week before the Sports' Day," with a slight nod, she finished. She walks briskly back to her seat.
"You can talk over it during your passing period or lunch hour, right now," Nezu-sensei's voice pitch raised in annoyance at the still whispering students, "Right now! We'll be going through the different functions and how to recognize them by sight!"
Without further ado, the teacher picked up a black marker and squeaked the whole board with weird symbols that had most of the class wincing.
"Parabola…no that's Sine wave…weird, I'm surprised they're teaching that now …" Hayato muttered behind her. Tsuna looks over the rest of the class and sees Sasagawa-san scribbling something that had nothing to do with was being written on the board. Tsuna shakes her head and return to see the weird artwork her teacher who hates her the most was creating.
"Now Dame-Yume," Tsuna twitched at the name her teacher called her, "Tell me what function is this?"
"Err…Sine wave?" Tsuna guessed.
"Stop making up words, Dame-Tsuna to hide your incompetence," drawls Nezu-sensei, not all surprising, yet her hands clenched under her desk tightly.
Then a chair was pushed back behind her, "That isn't a made-up word, faker!"
Nezu-sensei points his marker threatening at Hayato's direction, "Silence, you crazy delinquent or should I send you to the office?!"
"Office?! We're not in an elementary!" The teacher's face turns bright red, seconds away from exploding.
Tsuna panicked, hisses under her breath, briefly looking back, "Let it go."
"No—!" Hayato frowns at her, but glaring his full hate at their teacher.
"Please," she begged, feeling mortification as everyone stared at them.
"Haha, Nezu-sensei," Takeshi raised his hand parting through the turbulent tension, "Can you explain again that thing about the squiggly lines and up and down line crossing with the left and right line thing?"
The teacher gaps at him and covers his face, "I'm surrounded by idiots…"
This made the class cry out in outrage and the lesson was all, but forgotten.
Tsuna grips her skirt as her hands shook under her desk. It took her a long moment to grab the little calm before Tsuna turns to Takeshi and back to Hayato, "Thank you."
"O-of course, Lady Yume," loudly whispers Hayato who had a bright red face while Takeshi gives her a thumb up.
"It's what best friends do!"
She raises her hands over her desk and opens again her notebook of notes she had made over Reborn's lessons. Hopefully there will be something they went over that would refresh her memory. She tried to ignore the unsettled class and caught Kurokawa groan two seats from where she sat.
"Agh, so much noise."
Sasagawa-san only giggled, "It's nice, but I guess it is too much."
A sharp warning told Tsuna to cover her ears. Her two friends confused, did the same. A faint, which in full hearing will be otherwise, whistle silenced the class.
Everyone stared at the smiling, serene girl lowering her fingers from her mouth, "Sorry, Nezu-sensei, you were saying something about functions?"
The teacher was dazed, "Yes…now listen the difference between—"
Takeshi's arms were behind his head, laying down on the rooftop and his finished lunch by his side, "Talk about the year of changes, right?"
"What stuff are you talking about this time?" Hayato glared down at the boy. He was sitting with his legs crossed over looking up from an intense focus over his and Tsuna's food.
Takeshi on that moment took a large bite out of his bento.
Hayato scowls and return to his lunch. He mutters and stabs his lunch into his mouth, "It isn't smoking purple, that is always a good sign."
Tsuna shakes her head finally getting permission to take a bite without Hayato getting a heart attack. She then looks in askance at Takeshi.
"Well, Kyoko-san always was not quite quiet, with her popularity with even the other years, but she never voices anything she truly feels and be firm about it," he then grins at her, "But the best part is finally catching on how amazing you are."
The timing couldn't have been better since she was drinking her juice that her mother placed with her bento. She choked on it that send Hayato in a panic. So much of no heart attack.
Once she recovered and patting Hayato's arm to calm him enough not to act upon blowing up Takeshi, Tsuna smiles shakily, "Don't be silly. I'm just…"
Takeshi sits up and gains a serious air that doesn't quite disturb her nor strange, "Which leads me to apologize."
Tsuna puts down her chopsticks. When has he ever offended her? On the contrary, there was a higher chance she has done something, "For what?"
"Dame-Yume," he bluntly answered and didn't miss the way she flinched, "That is not your name and it should never be said even as a nickname."
"Really? Tell that to Reborn," Tsuna bitterly laughs and looks down at her bento, gripping her chopstick tightly.
Takeshi hums, releasing the earlier strange aura, "I wouldn't be surprised he is doing it for you."
This gained him a disturbed look from Tsuna and irritation from Hayato.
"Hear me out: I've noticed how you never responded much at the nickname other than resignation, but lately, you actually were irritated by it. I won't be surprised there would be one point you will say something against it. While it might not have everyone stop calling you that, you'll learn to respect yourself as it should have been before something or someone destroyed it."
He blinks when he was given two equally gapping looks, "Well that's just a theory. You really should tell Reborn you don't like it though. If you want I can tell him for you."
Tsuna shakes her disbelief. Her hand loosens their hold on her chopsticks, "No…you're right I should tell him…just not right now."
"Whenever you're ready, Lady Yume," agreed Hayato before shouting curses. Takeshi and Tsuna looks up and stare at Hayato throwing a purple smoking soda can over the roof.
"What?" Hayato stares at the twin sighs from Takeshi and Tsuna.
"We're in for it," Tsuna quickly puts away her lunch.
Takeshi snorts and pats Hayato's shoulder, "It takes many times for it to sink in, don't worry."
Before Hayato can yell Takeshi for touching him, a loud growl from below was heard. Suddenly on the rooftop edge, stood Hibari with his tonfas out with purple fumes looked more menacingly with the dark aura emitting from his drenched black jacket flowing like a cape behind him.
Hayato gasps, "How is my Sis' poison have no negative affect on him?!"
"Bad weed never dies?" Takeshi tilts his head, while Tsuna turns at him horrified.
"Did you just insulted Hibari-senpai, Takeshi?!"
"Don't compare me to your herbivorous' food!" This was their cue to run for their lives, almost breaking through the roof door to run through the hallways, which later they would realize made their case worsen.
Reborn snickers at the beaten forms of the trio from his little seat with cucumber slices on his eyes, "It's a shame I cannot claim responsibility over this."
Behind him was Lambo screaming gleefully around the park with the other children, who not quite the level of screaming of the cow onesie boy, but equally enjoying a game of tag. Nana Sawada was talking with Bianchi over the finer points of cooking and sewing.
When Lambo caught on the fact there were familiar people laying on the grass, groaning painfully, he pointed at them, "Gwahaha! Even Lambo knows when to retreat!"
"You dumb cow! We were…retreating," Hayato swallowed before saying the word, as if it killed something inside.
"Oh, an ice cream shop! Lambo-chan, want to help me order some for you and the others?" Tsuna's mother asks from the bench.
"Lambo likes grape!" the boy ran to her side. He looks back and made a face at Reborn, who suddenly had a bubble growing out of his nose, "You might have escaped from the Great Lambo-sama, but rest assured I would defeat you!"
It was only once he and Nana left did Reborn sits up, popping the bubble. He passes the two cucumber slices up to Leon, "It's time for you three to earn your treat!"
They eyed him in suspicion, exasperation and curiosity.
"I will make it easier and have Leon be it, but you three must run. The battlefield, I mean the playing field is the whole town. The time limit is until Mamma returns with our treats."
Tsuna looks over and see the sudden large line in front of her mother and Lambo. She turns to Reborn again.
"Ready-set-go!" The trio quickly ran out of the park into the streets of Namimori.
"You see him?" Tsuna whispers behind Hayato. The silver haired boy shook his head.
"He is the best, but his partner, I have no information," his eyes brighten up, "I heard strange stories about him. Leon is no ordinary chameleon who only changes colors, he can change also into any shape!"
"Really? That is one talented chameleon," Takeshi whistles.
"If you see a strange green something or with yellow eyes it's totally Leon," Tsuna informs them. Her eyes narrow in suspicion as she thought back of the strange things Reborn conjures up that was green, the first day they met, even this afternoon at the sudden appearance of a flying green slipper with yellow dots on the side hitting the back of the head of president of the Namimori DC that led them finish the rest of the school day without fear of being sent off to the hospital.
Hopefully Hibari-sempai wouldn't connect that incident to them.
"Oh. Wish I knew that before now," Takeshi casually commented staring up.
Tsuna follows the taller, dark haired boy's line of vision in confusion. Above them was a circling green plane and once it realizes it was been looked at, it dove straight down at them.
"Shi—!" Hayato began, but was grabbed by Tsuna who was grabbed by Takeshi from her wrist, into the crowd of shoppers.
Afraid to look up, the trio quickly went inside to the nearest store that happen to be a restaurant. They ignored the weird looks from them as they rushed to the other exit door into another street.
Hayato tugged the other two to the nearest mailbox and crunched down. Tsuna eyes the skies suspiciously, while Takeshi hums quietly to himself, looking around on the ground.
Hayato fingers something in his pants' pocket hearing for any strange noises, "For once my sister would be good to have to find a good hiding spot."
"Are you playing hide and seek?" a soft voice asked. The three Namimori students turn to stare a younger boy with light brown hair with brown eyes. He smiles, fiddling with his long green and white stripped scarf, "Can I play too?"
"I don't know…" Tsuna doesn't want to be responsible of the boy in case something goes south. She looks around for his parents or even guardians.
"I know a place that is ranked number 1 in best hiding place!" he pulls her arm while the others followed close behind.
"Nice, although I am surprised we all fit inside," Takeshi winced at the last word when Hayato reached over and slap the back of his head. The trio and the little boy were squished together inside of a doghouse.
"Quiet!" he hissed, "Do you want Leon to find us? Especially since we are practically next door to Lady Yume's house."
"Oh, so that's where you live!" the loud whisper chirps. Tsuna groans as she felt this is the beginning of something big.
"Quiet you little brat!"
"Now Hayato, that is no way talking to someone younger," Takeshi shifts a little and turns to little boy, "I don't think we introduced ourselves, I'm Takeshi, he's Hayato and she is Tsunayume."
"Nice to meet both of you Nii-san, Nii-san, and Nee-chan. My name is Fuuta de la Stella and wish to stay with you Tsuna-nee," the little boy nods in slight bow, or as much as he could inside the doghouse.
While Tsuna gaps at the boy, Hayato half choked and groans on her right side. Before she can comment on any of this, a growl caught their attention.
"Ah, the little doggie is back," Takeshi commented as if pointing out the sky was blue.
Tsuna while holding Fuuta in her arms, ran out of the doghouse to tall wall separating her from her house. There was rushed whispers and hisses behind her, but Tsuna turns to the only possible exit only to see the little chihuahua stood blocking the open gate.
A rushing wind whipped around Tsuna and stares at the two older boys jumping over the wall.
"Come on, Lady Yume!" Hayato sat on the wall with Takeshi balancing himself until he too sat carefully. She would had kept standing there gapping if the little dog barked and ran toward her. Panicked, Tsuna lifts Fuuta with some effort to Hayato and takes Takeshi's hand to get a boost to climb over the wall. Unfortunately, the little dog snapped at her feet, leading her to panic and pushed Takeshi and herself off the wall.
Fortunately, by then Hayato already dropped Fuuta on her side of the wall and tried to catch her. Problem was that Takeshi was part of the deal and almost flatten the silver haired boy.
"Oh my! Are you alright?"
Tsuna hissed when she moved her arm. She must have scrapped it against the wall and that isn't even including the fading bruises from Hibari. Hayato groans and mutters something incoherent.
"Thanks for breaking our fall Hayato!" Takeshi stood up and pulled both Tsuna and Hayato, unfortunately too fast for the latter. Tsuna grabs his shirt as Hayato almost fall forward from the dizziness.
"Hmm, I guess you guys do earn your prize," Reborn speaks up from behind them. Turning around they see Nana carrying a couple of bags, Lambo was jumping and running around in circles around her. Bianchi was holding Reborn and a green umbrella.
Strangely enough the Delivery Man completely ignores Takeshi. He puts away his clipboard, and turns to Tsuna, "Tell Gokudera he has the morning shift off, but still needs to come in tomorrow for the night shift. We're having a couple deliveries around the schools for the upcoming event!"
"Sure, Delivery-san," She nods, still confused why he was at her house. Hayato was groaning, trying not to lean too much on her shoulder.
"Welcome back! Reborn told me you went for a training run," Nana Sawada grins. Then she lifts her bags, "Guess what? We were the ice cream parlor's 100th customer, so we get a free ice cream party voucher. So, I decided to do it today! Delivery-kun was kind enough to help me bring in everything and set it up!"
"Wow, an ice cream party…I never had been one with friends before," Fuuta spoke up, next to Tsuna. She turns to him in surprise, making him shy, "That is if you let me stay. I don't have nowhere to stay and I've been on my own so long. Would you let me stay?"
Tsuna couldn't look away from those large, too old for someone still young eyes. She turns to her mom. By the looks of her mom's clutching her chest with grief-stricken look, Tsuna sighs, "I wouldn't mind and I bet Mom wouldn't either."
"Oh Bianchi, can you set up another room for—" Nana began excited only to trail off to look back at them.
"Fuuta," Tsuna and the younger boy spoke up. They turn to each other in surprised. Fuuta beams and Tsuna gives him a shaky smile.
"For Fuuta, I'll get your bowl ready, Bianchi," The older woman beams at the pink haired young woman.
"Of course and thank you, Mamma," Bianchi walks off, taking Reborn with her, now without the umbrella.
"Thank goodness for small mercies," Hayato mutters, still leaning on Tsuna's shoulder. The young girl agrees.
OBLIVIOUS ^ v ^ HAPPY FOR A FULL HOME ^ v ^ OBLIVIOUS
How long has it been since she had a small party when so many people simply enjoying themselves without care of manners or being polite for manner's sake regardless how much the someone feels about the other.
Nana shakes her head, not bothering to think of lost chances. Instead focus on the happy times of today and tomorrow. She gains another child, and Tsuna's friends are closer than ever, breaking last year's week's record by months now. Delivery-kun, whose name changed once the man was old enough to live on his own, came to help happily, not worrying about deliveries. It was a shame he couldn't stay longer. All around her backyard, Tsu-chan's friends and even her tutor, slept in a last-minute sleep over. She remembers the call the dark-haired boy made to his father. She really needs to get in touch with him so they can exchange recipes and the like.
Hayato snores loudly with a leg stretched over Bianchi's stomach, who the latter had a hand briefly touch her younger brother's arm and the other as if reaching for Reborn. Takeshi was curled up in his sleeping bag with Lambo sprawled over his sleeping bag between him and Hayato. Reborn was sleeping on a swinging small hammock next to her daughter and Leon curled up on her ankle.
A soft whine broke her thoughts. It was Fuuta fidgeting in his sleep in her daughter's grasp. Half-asleep, Tsuna pats his head until he calms.
"I wish Koe-nii was here," Nana sighs from her spot close to the center of the back yard. It has been many years since she has seen her brother, who left her in an orphanage in a different country after their parents passed away. She might have suppressed a lot of her memories, but she is aware he only did it to protect her from something.
"What was he like?" Nana looks down from staring at the sky to her daughter's curious eyes. She must have fully woken her. Her little girl always was too sharp, more so than her father.
"He was so protective, possibly an older sibling thing," she smiles when he daughter caught on and blushed. Nana giggles before smiling with a tinge of melancholy, "He believed family first above all else, no if or buts about it."
And Nana would follow that code, especially as their family grows day by day and her daughter brightens up at each person willing to stay with them. She has Reborn to thank for. Maybe she would cook something special for him. She really must start getting when is everyone's birthdays to prepare a banquet as thanks. A soft whisper of breath tickled her arm. Tsu-chan was fast asleep again. Nana pulled a blanket up to cover both her child and their newest member to the family.
Once she turns off the backyard lights, Nana took her spot next her daughter and growing family. That night was the first of no shadowed dreams of distant screams and loneliness with a hint of guilt.
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A/N: *whistles* It has been long since I updated this story, huh? I had to keep in mind what kind of personality these characters since they are slightly different from my other stories. Ahh, updating different stories semi-simultaneously…Upcoming next, rivals that for once Tsuna isn't part of…not directly anyways and a past acquaintance would come for their target for greatness.
Until next time, LaniAhava out!