Disclaimer: I don't own the character, but I own this plot.
Tsuna's face was unreadable as she took the information in. There was a beat of silence; nothing moved for that short while as if the world had gone silent to let her comprehend the situation. It might be her imagination, but she could actually hear her world breaking apart in that moment of stillness.
Giotto understood his sister's situation and stayed silent to let her come in term with the circumstance. He looked to the side and gestured for G to go away for now, to which the redhead complied with without any saying. He then entered the kitchen, telling Asari to let them have their moment before he barged in with his stupidity.
The Vongola boss glanced back to his sister who had been eerily silent for quite a while now and frowned in worry. "Are you okay, Tsuna?" He asked quietly, tilting his head to the side slightly to see her expression under her bang.
A small laugh followed his question. Tsuna was laughing. But the pain in her quivering voice wiped out the relief he had. His eyes widened when he finally managed to see her expression.
A droplet of glistening tear dropped from her right eye.
Tsuna was sad; she was crying.
And he as her brother couldn't do anything about it.
He took a sharp intake of breath and without realizing what he was doing, he moved from the couch opposite her to her side in a blink. He hugged her tenderly; one hand absentmindedly rubbing a soothing circle behind her as the other one patted her head in reassurance.
As if she'd just woken up from a dream, Tsuna flinched and looked up to Giotto. Her vision was blurry. Using her hand, she wiped her eyes, wondering why it was so wet and why everything was suddenly in a blur effect. Did she suddenly get near-sighted?
When she looked at her finger tips, she saw water. It took her a while to connect the dots. When she did, her eyes widened slightly, "I'm… crying?" She sounded dazed as she spoke. "I'm crying." She said more clearly while she stared at her hands.
Taking her words as cue, more tears dropped from her eyes and she suddenly felt so helpless, so weak. It was as if the burden of everything since she lost her ability to cry suddenly washed over her and she was lost in middle of the storm of emotions.
Giotto's hold on her tightened and he put his chin on her head, saying silently that he'll protect her.
The usual Tsuna would've stuck her tongue out and kick him on his shins for saying something so idiotic, but she didn't. Instead she hugged him back. Her hands were gripping his white shirt rigidly as she let out her feeling on his shoulder in silence.
Tsuna had stayed with the Vongola for the night and more surprisingly, she had slept with Giotto like they did in the past. It was like they made a truce thanks to the situation at hand.
Giotto was, of course, happy with that. But he hated how Tsuna was silent throughout everything. Even Lampo seemed to raise a brow in worry at her that morning. She didn't even resist the idea of him driving her to the college by his personal car, which was a golden-colored Lamborghini.
She was staring out of the window, as if her soul was somewhere else. He frowned as he glanced at her by the corner of his eyes, mouth turned upside down in deep concern. "Tsuna?" He called.
Tsuna glanced at him, but just for a short while before she returned to stare at whatever she was staring at. "What?" She replied blankly.
"Was… Was that that much of a shock for you?" He asked hesitantly as he turned the wheel of his car, eyes concentrating on the road before him, but his ears were wholly on her. The blurry scenery outside the car wasn't that much of an interest like when he first arrived back to his hometown, because Tsuna was the center of his world; she was his everything.
Tsuna was silent and Giotto didn't expect her to reply, but she surprisingly did after a moment of thinking.
"I... I don't know… I don't know why I feel like this." She clutched the front of her shirt, "There is an overwhelming pain in my chest and I feel… scared at the thought that I won't be able to see him. But I don't understand why." Her brows were furrowed slightly as she spoke, but her eyes remained blank and impassive, not sure what to do.
Silence enclosed them again after Tsuna finished speaking. Giotto wasn't sure what to say to console his sister, because he was afraid if he said something wrong, it might broke Tsuna with her current unstable emotions. However one thing was for sure to him; Tsuna, even though not realizing it herself, was worried about Reborn because of "something" he'd like not to mention.
"Did he…" Tsuna's voice broke Giotto out of his reverie and he glanced at his sister from the corner of his eyes. "Did he say anything before he left?" The brunette continued, looking at Giotto hopefully. She really didn't understand why she was so desperate to get anything about that man to bring him back, but being reasonless couldn't stop her from doing it. She just… did.
Giotto's brows furrowed slightly to recall back the hitman's words days ago. "He didn't exactly say anything. He just said that he can't work with the Vongola anymore and it's better to go back freelancing, but he didn't tell me the exact reason why he quit."
Tsuna remained quiet and flipped her mind inside out to think of the reason. Surely, there must a really good reason or reasons as to why the Hitman quit. But she couldn't remember anything wrong with the Hitman when he was still around.
Silence permeated in the car once more, leaving the two occupants in their own thoughts.
The silence permeating on the canteen table was excruciatingly deafening, and the cousins were exchanging glances awkwardly, asking telepathically about the cause of the unnerving silence. Their eyes then landed on the said cause; the brunette with gloomy cloud hovering over her head. She didn't look like she wanted to eat the food in front of her, opting to pick on it. Her eyes were blank, as if only her psyche was there while her soul was journeying somewhere.
Of course being somewhat-the-leader of them, the cousins were silent to let her have time with her thoughts. Though, some of them (especially Gokudera) looked like they were holding back tons of questions with their look that made the people passing by terrified.
After a full thirty minutes of silence, Tsuna finally looked up from her food to them. A little bit of light had entered her eyes and she blinked. "… What's with the silence?"
They bit back the retort 'we should be asking that' and instead, Yamamoto replied. "Well, we are wondering what were you thinking about…?" It sounded more of a question and he looked to his friends hesitantly, wondering if he said the right thing. A nod from Chrome calmed him down.
Tsuna blinked her eyes once again before she let out an awkward grimace, which supposed to be a smile, and answered, "Well… I think I'm not feeling that well."
Gokudera's dam finally broke and he jumped over the table to her side, knocking off all the food on it and grasped her shoulder tightly while ignoring the looks they received. "Should I call an ambulance, Tsuna-san?! Or… no, wait! I have to do some first-aid before that! I should give Tsuna-san some aspirin, but wait, what if it's not her head hurting?! Oh, then I'll just give her cold compress but wait–"
The silveret rambled as he threw the insides of his bags, which was filled with nothing but drugs, vitamins, bandages and so on, and looked for some aspirin and some more unknown drugs from the pile for her.
Tsuna sweat-dropped and stretched out her hand to calm the erratic storm. Sometimes she was worried about the silveret's behavior. Not that she could do anything about it though. And despite the extremety of it, it was his sweet point.
"I'm fine, Gokudera-kun." Her grimace had now started to look more like a smile. With just that, the atmosphere lightened up on the table; Yamamoto finally let out his cheery grin and Chrome smiled shyly, both felt relieved for their friend. There was only the three of them today; the others were busy in their own business.
With the help of Yamamoto, Tsuna managed to calm Gokudera down and they continued to eat their lunch in a more cheery atmosphere now that Tsuna was talking and not picking on her food like a sulking kid anymore. They picked up random topic and chatted lightly between each other as they ate. At times, bicker broke out between Gokudera and Yamamoto (only on Gokudera's part) but they calmed down after a while.
They had fun. But none of them realize that there was pain reflected in the brunette's eyes as they joked about randomly.
A thought occurred in Tsuna's mind as she interacted with the cousins.
She didn't know since when, but her day was much more brighter than it was ever before since she met the cousin. She was always alone. Since she was abandoned by Giotto she never reached out to other people anymore, scared of the possibility of abandonment that could happen. She closed herself and hid in the shadow of the society, remaining silent in solitude as she watched people from afar.
She was always glaring at them. She didn't understand how people could have so much free time to laugh, to cry, or even to love someone. It was just a waste of time. It was the perfect interpretation of the saying 'People don't know how sharp a blade is until they feel it'.
And she had felt it.
That's why she refused to engage with others. Only a donkey that would fall into the same hole twice.
That was how she set her mind. But everything changed after she met him.
He was arrogant, self-conceited, a jerk, a bastard, a nightmare-came-true, the list goes on and on. His actions were questionable and could be called violation to human rights (she still remembered about those girls). He was sometimes quite mischievous with his 'pranks' (if it could be called as such) and everything he did infuriated her to no end.
But…
It was thanks to him that she could have these wonderful friends.
It was thanks to him that she had someone she could depend and lean on when she couldn't support herself.
It was thanks to him that she could meet and reunite with her brother whom she despised.
It was thanks to him that she's finally free of the confinement she trapped herself in.
It was because of him that she shed tears once again after who knows how long.
And it was thanks to him… that she is finally happy.
There was suddenly a heavy lump in her throat, one she couldn't swallow down. The corner of her eyes stung; a familiar sign that soon her eyes' dam would broke and flood of emotions would pour out without end. She wouldn't want to worry her friends.
"Please excuse me for a while." Tsuna stood from her seat and went to the direction of the restroom, posture rigid.
Gokudera and Yamamoto didn't seem to realize that the brunette was gone but Chrome did. Her brows furrowed in concern. She noticed the look the brunette supported before she went. Tsuna looked like she was about to cry.
With a small excuse of going to the restroom, the eye-patched girl left the bickering duo to follow the brunette.
Cold water felt good on her face right now. She looked up to the mirror in front of her with her wet face. The tears that managed to leak out were now mixed with the cold water. Fortunately her eyes were neither red nor puffy. If it was, then she'd have to make up excuses to the cousins to cover it up.
She splashed water to her face once more and wiped it. Before she could move from her spot, the door opened Chrome appeared in the doorway.
The brunette turned to look at the pineapple-haired girl questioningly. "Why are you here, Chrome? Oh, wait, I shouldn't ask that. This is a public toilet after all." She chuckled dryly at her humorless joke.
Chrome's frown deepened and she approached the other girl. "Tsuna-san, is… did something happen?"
Tsuna blinked with a small tilt of her head. "No. Is something the matter?" She answered with curious undertone.
The violet haired girl might be shy and less experienced in society compared to her brother, but she was also an illusionist. A mist. Though she's not as great as her brother in that aspect, she knew that the brunette was lying; her eyes were glancing to the left just now.
She clutched the brunette's sleeve, her lone eye hopeful. "Tsuna-san, I-I know you have a problem so, p-please let me help you. I-I may be weaker than my brother but I-I can at least help you a little bit."
Tsuna flinched slightly and blinked a few times, not only to give a clueless impression but also to blink back the tears that threatened to flow out. She was such a cry baby. "W-what are you talking about?"
Chrome didn't say anything; she just stared at Tsuna's caramel brown eyes. And Tsuna could see it; this girl was determined to help her.
The brunette closed her eyes and heaved a deep sigh, giving up to the girl's wish. "…okay."
Chrome's lips immediately pulled up into a wide smile. Whilst still holding onto the brunette's hand, she turned to the door. "Hayato, Takeshi, you can open the door. There's no one inside."
There was a thud behind the door and once again, the door opened, showing a sheepish Yamamoto holding down an upset Gokudera. The former then let go of the latter and stood, helping Gokudera to stand too.
"See?! There's no one inside! We could've just barged in since long ago, Baseball-freak!" Gokudera fumed, fisting his fist as he growled at the annoyance.
Yamamoto laughed lightly. "Maa, Gokudera. I was just being careful. Wouldn't want us to be labeled as perverts."
Chrome smiled softly and looked back to Tsuna who looked quite troubled; she was found out. "We're here to help you, Tsuna-san."
Tsuna glanced at the girl's face and then to the two male at the door; they supported the same determined face to help her.
With a sigh and a small smile, Tsuna told them the problem.
The man sprawled himself on the bench park, his fedora tipped forward so it hid his face from the late afternoon sun. He was tired after the meeting with the Arcobaleno.
That day; when he went with the Arcobaleno in the Vongola's party into an abandoned and secluded warehouse near the hill, Luce had told him that the Man-in-The-Iron-Hat had contacted them a few days earlier.
"It's coming." Luce said as she opened her sapphire-colored eyes. "The fated day. The day when our fate intertwined together." She intertwined her hands and brought it up to her face as if praying.
All of the Arcobaleno who sat on the circle table looked at her. Their faces were stoic, not betraying any emotion. They were not sure what will happen on this "fated" day.
The Man-in-The-Iron-Hat was the one who assembled them together and the one to give them missions. And on this fated day, that man said, he would give them their last mission before they were officially disbanded as the contract stated.
They were ready for whatever will happen. But the Man-in-The-Iron-Hat did warn them before hand that after this fated day, something big will happen and they won't be and are not allowed to contact anyone from outside of Mafia. He didn't understand why he said that but it wasn't wise to just brush off a warning, especially if it came from someone like that man. He knew from the man's aura alone that he was not someone to mess with, and that says a lot.
They have been together for quite sometimes and it was long enough for them to know that their boss, Luce, had the power to see the future. Hearing her saying that means that the Man-in-The-Iron-Hat was serious about something happening on the fated day. Some of them were suspicious that that man intended to kill them on that day, but Luce had said long ago that it wasn't death that awaited them, just… something.
They are willing to do this not because they are suicidal or something, it was because they were bound by a contract. The Man-in-The-Iron-Hat did write it in the contract that it wasn't his responsibility if they were to die while doing the missions and they also have to keep up their part of the deal. They were Mafia after all. They also have their ethic code.
After their boss finished speaking, they left to their own separate ways, preparing for whatever awaited them.
The man sighed as he stopped thinking about that night.
As precaution, he had resigned from the Vongola before hand. He wasn't sure what will happen later, but it was better to prepare for the worst. If he did die on this so-called fated day, then quitting from the Vongola would be the best course of act. It would at least keep his name clean. For him, it's better dying without anyone knowing, because if not, it will feel like he was admitting his weakness.
His ego got ahead of him but that what makes him, well…him.
If he was asked if there was something he regretted in this whole thing, it would be that he won't be able to see that brunette anymore.
A small smile etched on his lips. The image of her pouting face appeared in his mind.
Suddenly a chuckle erupted from his mouth; he couldn't hold it back like he usually did.
Maybe it was because he did nothing but tease her in the past, but he couldn't picture her well unless when she's pouting. His chuckle calmed down slightly and his mood shifted quickly from amused to grim.
After all the time he spent with her, not even once had he seen her smile sincerely. But he did see her once in a girly fashion, in that dress, not in her baggy jacket and worn-out jeans.
It's ironic that that was the last time he'd see her. Since he didn't believe in reincarnation, he believe that he won't be seeing her anymore.
Throb
He ignored the restricted pain in his chest and closed his eyes, pushing the thought of the brunette to the back of his mind. It's no use regretting it now. As a Hitman, it wasn't his style to regret.
The park was empty, and he was tired, both psyche and mind. It wouldn't hurt to rest up for a bit. Besides if anyone wanted to hurt him, his reflexes would be good enough to protect him.
Not long, his breath evened out and he fell into a dreamless sleep.
Chrome blinked. "…doesn't that mean you love him?"
Tsuna stopped playing with the rim of her jacket and stared blankly at the girl in front of her. Yamamoto also had that 'isn't-it-obvious?' look on his face while Gokudera looked torn between disconcerted and happy. He was disconcerted for Giotto's mind, not because he was disappointed of Tsuna, mind you.
The brunette didn't know how to react to that. Her? Loving Reborn? It had a… strange ring to it, somehow (to her anyway).
Chrome tilted her head. The brunette had been silent for a while now, but it was really obvious that she loved him. Was she that dense?
Tsuna put her hand on her head, as if she's having a real bad headache. "I'm… I'm going home for now. Thanks for listening to my problem."
The cousins didn't do anything to stop the brunette from going and saw her off. For the first time, Gokudera was being considerate to let her alone with her problem.
After she left, the trio exchanged glances.
"She didn't believe, did she?" Chrome asked the other two.
The boys looked at each other before shaking their head as no. Chrome sighed.
'Do I really love Reborn?' That question kept repeating in her head like a broken recorder. It confused her. But somehow in the back of her mind, a voice was convincing her that that was true.
But… she just really couldn't believe it! How… How could she be in love with Reborn? She thought she hated him all this time? Since when had she become so inconsistent?!
Tsuna messed her hair. "Ngahh… This became much more complicated than I first thought…"
She let out a small sigh. The hitman is starting to get on his nerve. "I guess I'll go calm my mind in the park." She murmured softly to herself.
She was in daze in her walk; her mind concentrating to look for the answer to that one question, though she never could. She was in denial, she realized, but… it was simply IMPOSSIBLE!
How could she lov– oh, she have said that already. Well okay, most of the part was her being stubborn. But still, she couldn't just accept it that easily!
'Wait, to know that I love him or not, let me try to imagine myself loving him…'
Tsuna closed her eyes, brows furrowed in concentration. 'Love him…Love him…'
"Tsuna…" The image of Reborn, without the fedora, with slightly sweaty body was hugging her tenderly. They were somehow naked. The raven-haired man looked deep into her eyes and neared his lips and–
"Woah, woah! What the hell was I thinking about?!" Tsuna flailed her hands above her head, dismissing the imaginary scene with a flaming-red face. She then clamped her hands on her face to hide her blush from the World, "Since when had I become a pervert…?"
Tsuna was so caught up in her thinking that before she realized it, she was already at the park. She wandered in the park silently. She felt better thinking while walking than when she was sitting. It eased her mind up a bit so it was a little bit easier to think. But she still couldn't find the answer to her question. She heaved a sigh.
Suddenly, her senses poked her, telling her to look up, and she did. Her eyes widened slightly seeing a man in black sprawled on a bench; a man with familiar Armani black suit, spiky black hair and orange-rimmed black fedora.
Tsuna face-palmed exasperatedly. 'I must be really out of it right now. My eyes are deceiving me.' She rubbed her eyes and looked at the man once more. He was still there.
Tsuna's eyes widened in realization. Her feet suddenly moved on its own, running toward the man. Her eyes were blurring again, but she didn't care. She didn't know what was happening, everything just happened. She stretched out her hands and when she was close enough, she wrapped her hands around his neck.
Reborn was startled. He jolted awake at the sudden attack, his fedora falling to the side, and his hand reflexively went to his gun, but before he pulled it out, Tsuna whimpered into his chest. "Reborn…"
Reborn blinked and looked down to see his attacker; confusion roamed his hazy-mind, still dulled with sleep. After he finally comprehended the voice, his mind cleared up in an instant. "Tsuna…?"
Tsuna didn't answer; she just tightened her hold on him, afraid that if her hold slackened, he'd disappear once more. She wept on his chest silently. But relief no doubt washed over her being, so intensely that she shivered in happiness.
"W-Why did you just suddenly disappear like that, idiot?!" She exclaimed angrily while not looking up at him.
The Hitman didn't reply. He just stared at her silently, and for the first time, he was not sure what to do.
Tsuna didn't mind and continued to ramble. "Y-You make me worried! You didn't come back after you left an-and you just suddenly quit from the Vongola! It's like you are withdrawing yourself from my life! What's wrong with you?!" This time she looked up to yell, tears were flowing down from her eyes.
Reborn opened his mouth to reply, but he really didn't know what to say. Should he explain about the Arcobaleno? That would be too complicated. Besides, he didn't want to involve her into his problem. So he wisely closed his mouth once again.
His heart was beating painfully seeing those tears shed by the girl. But a small part of him was happy that she was worried about him, only a small part of his mind.
He gently wiped the tears from her eyes with his thumbs, eyes only staring into her beautiful caramel eyes. Tsuna did the same. She was seeking answer in those black orbs. She wanted assurance. She wanted to stop these annoying feelings and these tears. She wanted… something.
The sun set in their silence and the park's lamps lit up the darkness in the park. They stared at each other for like forever and none of them wanted it to stop.
"I'm sorry…" It was a mere whisper coming from Reborn lips.
Tsuna perked up, blinking a few times to clear her eyes from tears. "W-What is it?"
Reborn's face was blank as he stared at her. "I can't meet you anymore after this." He said more firmly.
"W-What?" Tsuna gasped. "Why?!"
Reborn picked up his fedora and shadowed his eyes. "I just can't. I have new mission to do and one of the requirements is to cut off my relation with outsider."
Tsuna's grip slackened slightly. "Out…sider? Is it because I'm not in the Mafia? Is that it?"
Reborn didn't answer.
The brunette gritted her teeth. She let go of Reborn and grabbed his collar. "Y-You bastard! You just suddenly breeze your way into my life without thinking about how will I feel, changing everything, make me meet my brother and all, and now that I'm starting to accept you as part of my life, a part of myself, you want to just simply cut me off your life and disappear?! You're always toying with my feelings! I don't understand you!" She yelled and yelled. Her grips loosened slightly and she fell to her knees, sobbing into her hands. "I don't understand… I hate you. But why am I this sad…? I hate you. I hate you, bastard. From the very start you were just playing with me. I'm such an idiot to believe you..." She muttered, her voice trembling in anger.
It was very faint, but if one looked closely, Reborn's hands were trembling. He wanted to deny everything the brunette said, embrace her and give her the assurance that he won't leave. But he couldn't. This was the chance to say goodbye to her properly. But look at what happen; he made her cry.
Softly, he dropped on one knee in front of her. He took her hands into his. "Let go of my hands!" Tsuna exclaimed, but the Hitman paid no heed to her words. He cupped her face with his hands, staring at her face, trying to memorize every little details of her face and carve it to his memory.
"Can you smile for me?" He whispered and Tsuna stopped crying for a second. She looked at the man strangely, but she noticed it. It was concealed almost perfectly but it showed for a second there; the pain flashing in the man's eyes.
There was that lump in her throat again. She was being selfish. The thought that Reborn didn't want this hadn't crossed her mind. Reborn was also suffering and she was rubbing salt to his open wounds.
"What…?" Tsuna asked confusedly.
Reborn smiled; a real and sincere smile. "C'mon, smile for me."
Tsuna felt the pain in her heart multiplied. There was no way she could smile under this circumstance, however, this is… this is Reborn's last askance of her. More tears flowed out of her eyes and it's possible that she might not be able to cry after this ever again, but she couldn't careless about it.
With her trembling lips, Tsuna shut her eyes tightly and stretched her mouth as wide as it could, showing her teeth. It was not exactly a smile, but they said the thought are the one that counts.
Reborn chuckled deeply and his voice reverberated in the silent night air. "I'm sorry...and thank you."
He tilted the brunette's face upward slightly and locked his lips onto hers.
Wow, that was... intense. I think it got a little mellow-dramatic there. But I hope it was good. And they finally kissed 8D Took them long enough. Sorry for the late update and thanks for the review X) I managed to go through another battle with my writer block and came out as the winner thanks to your wonderful reviews!
Review please