Fairy Tale

20. Story (Replaces Maps)

"All nice and warm," Tsuna said, tucking Giotto into bed.

"Thank you," Giotto said, drawing the covers tight to chin. "Could you… tell me a story?" he asked tentatively.

Tsuna smiled. "Of course. Why don't I tell you about the story about the Prince and the Soldier?"

Tsuna stretched out on the bed. "Once upon a time, there was a Prince locked in a house for his own safety. There was turmoil in his country and it was too dangerous for him to remain. While the Prince didn't like this, there was very little he could do."

"What kind of person was the Prince?" Giotto asked.

"Well, people said he was very kind with a large heart," Tsuna explained. "He had the nicest smile and loved his people very deeply."

"Then one day, he found an injured soldier in his yard. Taking pity, the Prince brought the Soldier into his home and tended to his wounds. The Prince was lonely you see. In his house, there was no one to keep him company. So when the Soldier woke up, the Prince offered him a place to stay."

"Did he?" Giotto asked.

Tsuna laughed. "Well the Soldier wasn't a very nice person. In fact, he was quite scary. But he didn't have much of a choice. He was too injured to leave so he had no choice but to stay."

"What happened then?"

A soft smile appeared on Tsuna's face. "They fell in love. But the Soldier had a secret. A very important one. He was not a soldier from the Prince's kingdom. In fact, he was from the other side, sent to kill the Prince."

"When the Soldier's allies came, the Soldier had to make a choice. Did he want to stay loyal to his country or stay with the Prince he had fallen in love with? Do you know what he picked?"

"The Prince?" Giotto asked hopeful.

Tsuna nodded. "Yes. But someone let it slip to the Prince that the Soldier was an enemy. Betrayed, the Prince's heart was crushed. He sent the Soldier away, not even listening to the Soldier's pleas."

"Back in the Prince's kingdom, war boiled to all time high. The kingdom called back their beloved Prince to lead them through the war. Heartbroken the Prince returned and to war the Prince marched."

"Meanwhile the Soldier decided he wasn't going to let the Prince go off to battlefield without him. It didn't matter if the Prince hated him or that he was betraying his country, he loved the Prince. He arrived to the battlefield just in time to save the Prince from a fatal attack.

"Why did you come back?" the Prince asked.

"Because I love you." the Soldier replied.

"With Soldier's help, the tide of the battle turned and the war was won. The Soldier promised to never leave the Prince's side. They went on to live happily ever after," Tsuna finished the story.

Giotto yawned. "That's good," he said drowsily.

Tsuna slipped off the bed, running a calm hand through Giotto's hair. He bent down and kissed Giotto on the forehead. "Sleep well Giotto."

"Good -yawn- night."

-Later-

Tsuna laid his head on Reborn's chest, listening to his husband's heartbeat. He purred in contentment, safe and relaxed.

"Your fairytale was severely flawed. You were well aware of my job," Reborn pointed out.

Tsuna turned his head to look up at Reborn. "Mmm," he said. "Kyoya informed me before you even landed in Japan. Imagine my surprise when I found the World's Greatest Hitman in my yard, bleeding and staining the white snow red."

Reborn grumbled. "Lucky shot by one your many bodyguards. I can't believe I was that careless. And you sent me away with some misguided notion that I would choose my job over you," he accused.

Tsuna laughed. "I didn't want you to give up everything, your country, your home, your friends and allies, just for me." It seemed so silly now, to think about it, but love made you do foolish things.

"I would have," Reborn said. "I did."

"And I'm glad you did," Tsuna said softly.

Just as Tsuna was about to slip off into dream world, he heard Reborn grumble about one last thing. "Didn't even cover all the chaos we went through falling in love and all your crazy family members who disapproved."

Tsuna huffed at those words, before falling asleep.

-Elsewhere-

Kyden cursed as he had been thrown out of another bar. What rotten luck his life was! He fished into his pocket for more money, pulling out a few yen coins. Not even enough to buy a drink.

"Takuma Kyden," someone sang his name.

Kyden turned around, scowling. There was a white haired man with purple eyes. A purple tattoo curved under one of his eyes. He smiled guilelessly at Kyden.

"What do you want?" Kyden snapped, stumbling.

"You have a son don't you Takuma-san?" the man said, smiling stretching wider.

He leaned closer to Kyden, whispering into the man's ear. "I'll pay you a hefty sum of money, enough to cover your debt with Hamaguri and more, if you bring him to me. How does that sound…?"

A wicked grin crossed Kyden's face. Finally, the brat would be put to use.

"You have yourself a deal."

Sooo a little bit more about how Tsuna and Reborn met. And duh duh duh, the plot begins to thicken~