I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn.

Chapter contains subject matter of harassment and stalking.


Summary: I-Pin helps out an unfortunate boy from a group of bullies. The last thing she expects is for her act of kindness to result in a sudden, unshakeable admirer. When she rejects Paolo's advances, the situation escalates. I-Pin knows his harassment has to stop, but her pride at being unable to handle him stops her from going to her siblings immediately.


Unwanted Attention

Books clutched to her chest, I-Pin hurried across the courtyard to get to her next class. She was about to open the glass door leading to the building when her keen hearing picked up on a chorus of snickers. The sound seeming rather malicious, I-Pin furrowed her brow and followed the noise. Rounding the corner, she spotted a pair of soccer players punching and kicking their victim.

"Hey!" she shouted. "Leave him alone!"

The bespectacled boy, who was currently being held up against the brick wall, was dropped as the two jocks turned to face her. He collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily, a trickle of blood oozing from the corner of his mouth. The dark-haired student scoffed and said, "What are you going to do about it?"

Straightening her shoulders, I-Pin approached them. She looked up into their sneering faces and promptly dropped low, swinging out her leg and bringing them both to the ground. She stood up, books still secure in her grasp, and returned, "Do I need to repeat myself?"

"Whatever," he muttered, cheeks flushing red with embarrassment. He hauled his friend to his feet and glowered at the bespectacled male still crouched on the ground. "Lucky your girlfriend was around to protect you, loser."

They stalked away and I-Pin glared after them. "Jerks. Are you okay? It's Paolo, right?"

The brunette looked up at her, green eyes intent. "You know my name?"

"You just transferred to Castelli. My friend makes it a habit of his to learn any new kid who joins our school." I-Pin extended her hand. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." Paolo accepted it and got to his feet. "Thanks. You didn't have to help."

"Of course I did. I couldn't just walk away."

"Most people do."

"Well, I'm not like most people." Flashing him a smile, she said, "You should go to the nurse's office just in case. And report those two for bullying you."

"I'll think about it. What's your name?"

"I-Pin. We better get moving before the final bell rings. Want to walk together?"

"I'd like that."

And that was how her act of kindness rapidly spun out of control, leaving her with an obsessive, unwanted admirer.

When I-Pin stepped out of her math class along with a crowd of her peers, she wasn't surprised to see Paolo waiting for her. She bit back an annoyed sigh and started the trek for her locker, Paolo immediately falling into step beside her. "So…how was class?" she asked politely.

"Fine."

"That's good."

After that short exchange, they walked in silence, which was always the case. Lambo was shutting his locker just as they arrived and he wrinkled his nose at the sight of Paolo. "She doesn't need an escort, man."

"Lambo," she said warningly, twisting the dial on her lock.

"What?"

Paolo ignored Lambo completely, watching as I-Pin switched out her books. "I can carry those for you."

"No thanks, I'm good. You can go to your next class, if you want."

"I have time."

"What she means is you can go, she doesn't need you to hover over her," drawled Lambo. "I can take over from here."

Linking arms with I-Pin, Lambo led her away, casting a brief glance to ensure that Paolo wasn't following. "He is so weird."

"You're being mean."

"No, I'm being truthful," he countered. "He's been following you to and from class for a week. What did you drug him with?"

"Nothing!" she snapped. "I just got some bullies away from him. Ever since then he hasn't left."

"If you don't want him around tell him to get lost."

"He's not really doing anything. He just wants to walk with me. He doesn't even say much. I don't think he has any friends."

"Like I said. Weird."

"Maybe a little," muttered I-Pin. "But I feel bad for him. If walking with me makes him happy then I can live with that."

"Look, if the guy wants to be friends, I'm cool with that. But he doesn't even glance at me when I'm around. He sits with us at lunch and he doesn't ever say anything."

"He's socially awkward." At the pointed look Lambo sent her, I-Pin groaned. "Okay, so it's a bit creepy. But he's not hurting anyone. Maybe he'll start to be more conversational."

"We'll see," said Lambo doubtfully.

"Don't bring this up to the others," added I-Pin. "I don't need Paolo to be traumatized."

Lambo grinned. "Guy's weird, but he probably doesn't deserve the wrath of our siblings."

The next day, as Paolo was walking her to her first afternoon class, he suddenly asked, "Do you want to go out on a date?"

"Oh," said I-Pin in surprise. "Um, I'm flattered, but no thanks."

Paolo stopped in the middle of the hall and stared at her. "Why not?" he asked, voice tight.

"I don't like you like that," said I-Pin, managing to be polite despite the stab of irritation she felt at his demand for an explanation. "That's all."

"You're dating Lambo, aren't you?" Paolo muttered spitefully.

I-Pin laughed. "Of course not. He's my brother and my best friend. I don't have a boyfriend and I'm not interested in having one right now. I'm sorry, but my answer is no."

Paolo held her gaze for a moment, lips thinning into a hard line. "We'll see," he said at last before turning on his heel and walking away.

Goosebumps prickled along her flesh at the ominous tone behind his words and she shivered involuntarily.

I have a bad feeling about this.

The final bell trilled, triggering a stampede of students as they poured from classrooms and charged down the corridor. I-Pin and Lambo jostled their way through the crowd to get to their lockers. She spun her dial with deft fingers and jerked the metal door open, only to be awash in hundreds of rose petals. She let out a startled yelp, instinctively putting up her hands to block the avalanche of flowers. It did no good and they spread out across the tiles, creating a splash of colour in the otherwise drab décor.

Lambo gaped. "What the hell is that?"

Having a very good idea who caused this, I-Pin picked her way through the petals to the white notecard that had also fallen out of her locker. "It's from Paolo," she said, staring at the mess in dismay. "I don't know how he got into my locker."

"He was practically glued to your side for a week. He watched you enter your combination about a dozen times." Lambo kicked at some petals, sending a flurry of them flying into the air. "Who does he think he is, breaking into your locker? Why can't he ask you out like a normal person?"

"He did," sighed I-Pin. "I told him no. This afternoon, actually. He must have skipped the rest of his classes in order to pull this off."

Lambo scowled. "You told him no and he still does this? I'll punch his lights out."

"Don't," snapped I-Pin. "All you'll accomplish by doing that is getting yourself expelled. It's not worth it. I'll just get a new combination lock."

"Fine," said Lambo, though he didn't sound happy. "If he keeps bothering you, you'll let me know. Right?"

"Sure. Help me get rid of these flowers before Futa comes to see why we're taking so long."

It took about ten minutes to dispose of the bright red petals, stuffing them in the nearest trash cans. I-Pin made sure nothing valuable was left behind in her locker before snapping the combination lock shut. She and Lambo hurried towards the school's entrance and as they passed by a corner, I-Pin spotted Paolo lingering behind a display case. She gave him a hard, unimpressed glare before turning her head and continuing after Lambo.

She missed Paolo's infuriated glower staring after her.

When I-Pin got home, the first thing she did was go to the storage room. There were several metal shelves stocked with various office supplies, like printing paper, notebooks, file folders and writing utensils. There was a small cardboard box on one of the top shelves that held extra combination locks, so she carefully climbed the flat metal units in order to reach them.

She patted around the bottom, seizing hold of a corner of plastic packaging. "Hi Reborn," she spoke as she took out the object.

Though Reborn hadn't made a sound when he approached the open door, he wasn't surprised the girl's keen senses had picked up his presence. Leaning against the doorframe, he said, "You raced here pretty quickly."

"I need a new lock," she responded, lowering herself to the hardwood floor. "I wanted to grab it before I forget."

"What happened to your old one?"

"It broke."

Reborn raised an eyebrow. "It broke."

"Uh-huh."

"How exactly did it break?"

I-Pin kept her expression neutral. It was sometimes exasperating, living with people who would interrogate the smallest, most insignificant of actions. Especially when she was trying to keep something to herself.

…which she supposed was why her family members tended to ask a lot of questions, thanks to Lambo's knack for mischief and her knack for covering for him.

"It jammed," she explained, already feeling a twinge of guilt for lying. "It won't unhook. I had to get the janitor to cut it off so I could get my books."

"When did this happen?"

"Just after the final bell."

Frowning, Reborn said, "You shouldn't leave your possessions so vulnerable. Someone would have dropped off a replacement lock for you."

"I didn't want to bother anyone. It's just some school books left inside and I'm pretty sure no one is going to steal those."

Clicking his tongue, Reborn turned on his heel. "Let's go."

I-Pin immediately followed after him, walking quickly to match his long strides. "Where?"

"You want to find something shoved in your locker tomorrow because some imbecile thinks they're being funny?"

I-Pin imagined Paolo arriving at school early tomorrow morning and putting more flowers in her locker or some giant stuffed animal. "Definitely not," she said feelingly. "Thanks, Reborn."

The hitman rapped his knuckles against the top of her head. "Next time, call. You never worry about being a bother when you're sneaking out at midnight or covering Lambo's ass when he gets in trouble."

Arranging her features into a look of distress, I-Pin said dramatically, "You don't understand how hard it is to try and put him on the path of the straight and narrow. It's a lot of pressure to put on one person and it's no wonder I can't withstand the weight of it all."

She ducked to avoid a strike to the back of her head, but failed to dodge the solid kick to her backside.

There were no more unwanted surprises in her locker come the next morning and it remained that way throughout the day. Paolo also stopped staking out her classes and I-Pin felt great relief, thinking that he had finally gotten the message.

Her relief didn't last long, when Futa dropped her off at the public library for her study group meeting. She started up the stone steps, but a prickling sensation on the back of her neck caused her to pause and turn around.

Across the street, sitting on a metal bench near the path leading into the park, was Paolo. I-Pin could tell he was staring at her and her heart jumped in her chest. It was impossible for Paolo to follow her all the way to the library, because she would have noticed if someone was tailing them. Which meant that Paolo had skipped his final class in order to get here before her and wait, and that he had known exactly when and where she was meeting her study group.

This creepy, way creepier than I thought it could already get.

She was tempted to storm over to him and confront him, demand he leave her alone. But there was a twinge of fear in her gut, a warning that getting too close to him alone now was far from a good idea. Swallowing, I-Pin squared her shoulders, turned her back and walked into the library.

She found her friends sitting around a circular wooden table, lounging in jade chintz chairs. Isabella, a curly brunette, furrowed her brow when I-Pin approached them. "Hey, I-Pin. You okay?"

"Yeah," she answered quickly. "Why do you ask?"

"You look like you've seen a ghost."

I-Pin managed a laugh through her nerves. "Just stressed, I guess."

"Yeah, our math test next Monday is going to be killer," groaned Abree, resting her head against the tabletop. "I am never going to learn this stuff in time."

"You will," soothed I-Pin. "We'll help."

For two hours she, Isabella and Maria helped Abree navigate through her equations. At the end of their study session, they grabbed their school bags and started for the exit, fretting about their upcoming math test.

And when she stepped out into the orange glow of dusk, walking towards the limo that was always waiting for her, she saw Paolo in the exact same place. She clenched her teeth together and focussed on the limo, keeping her emotions in check.

It was hard to freak out about a math test when there was something a little more pressing on her mind.

Ever since I-Pin realized Paolo was following her, she was now hyper-aware of her surroundings. She could glimpse him lurking from behind corners, peering through her classroom windows, lingering at the back of the crowds as she traversed through the corridors. Lambo had yet to notice and I-Pin kept silent. She knew exactly how he would react, and it would only land him in serious trouble.

She debated on how to handle this situation, especially knowing that Paolo clearly didn't listen. She was grateful to have the weekend to seriously consider her options, none of which involved her siblings. As far as she was concerned, this was her problem, one she could take care of herself.

Her momentary relief was shattered in the early hours of Saturday morning. Her phone buzzed insistently on top of her nightstand, the vibrations against the wood jerking her from slumber. In a dazed state, she seized the phone and answered it.

"Hello?" she asked groggily, sitting up against her pillows.

"Didn't you like my flowers?"

She stilled at the unexpected voice. Eyes widening, she said in disbelief, "How did you get this number?"

"I found it," answered Paolo vaguely. "Why didn't you like my flowers?"

"You need to stop this," hissed I-Pin, trying to control her thudding heart. "Stop following me. I don't like you. I especially don't like you now. Never call me again."

"You're being rude. All I want is a date and you're not giving me a chance."

"My answer is still no. I don't owe you an explanation. I don't need an explanation. Now get lost."

I-Pin hung up abruptly. Seconds later her phone was buzzing again, her caller ID showing that was an anonymous number. With trembling fingers, I-Pin yanked open her bottom drawer and dropped her phone inside. She shut the drawer firmly, silencing the quiet vibrations.

She curled her knees against her chest, frantically trying to think. How had Paolo gotten a hold of her cell number? No one outside of her family had it. She wasn't even allowed to give it to her friends. So how had he gotten it?

You had to include your cell number in your school records.

Outside of the Vongola, Castelli Secondary was the only place that had her number on file, along with her address. Tsuna made it very clear that this information be kept under lock and key, and the school board assured him that it wouldn't be accessed without express permission or under dire emergency. All of her information was in the school's computer system, along with every other student.

Somehow, Paolo had managed to hack into the mainframe over the past few days and get the information he needed. I-Pin rested her forehead against her hand, biting down on her bottom lip.

"This is crazy," she whispered to herself. "Now what?"

She didn't get much time to try and figure that out, for she heard footsteps falling in her direction. She glanced up just as her bedroom door eased open. Yamamoto stood in the doorframe, obscured slightly by the shadows.

"Hey," he said softly. "Are you okay?"

"Uh…" I-Pin silently cursed herself. She had been caught off guard by Paolo's call and let her emotions get away from her. "I uh…had a nightmare," she answered, knowing she needed a reason for her sudden anxiety.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really," muttered I-Pin. "Sorry for waking you."

"Don't apologize," chided Yamamoto lightly. "Do you want to sleep with me?"

"Yes please," she said sincerely, yearning for a comfort to ease the knots forming in her gut. She accepted Yamamoto's outstretched hand and followed him down the corridor, eyes falling half-shut when he tenderly ran his thumb across her cheek.

"You know, talking about it might make you feel better."

"I don't remember much of it," said I-Pin, staring at the floor.

"I hate those ones," said Yamamoto sympathetically.

They reached his bedroom and I-Pin tucked herself beneath the covers. When Yamamoto wrapped her up in his secure embrace, she instantly fell asleep.

Throughout the weekend, I-Pin's phone continuously buzzed, dozens of text message notifications flooding her screen. The time she should have been spending studying was spent erasing the messages, sending them flying to her trash can icon. She was forced to admit to herself that this was a situation she never had control of in the first place, and now she was struggling with what to do next.

Clearly talking to Paolo was useless. He was blinded by a single-minded goal; getting her to agree to go out with him. She refused to cave to his pressure, to his harassment. She knew the smart thing to do was to confess to her siblings what was going on. They would have Paolo taken care of in seconds flat. He definitely deserved it, I-Pin was no longer disputing that. But she was an assassin. A highly-trained one. Fong had taught everything she needed to take care of any adversary that dared to step into her path.

Time to start being aggressive, she thought with a scowl.

She shoved her phone into her drawer, vexation seizing her veins. She glared at her textbook, trying to make out the equations but her mind would not focus. She was lost in her cloudy thoughts, of mental threats towards Paolo and imagined scenarios of how she would show him that she was not to be messed with.

A hand landed on her shoulder and she jumped, swinging her elbow back instinctively. Gokudera nimbly stepped out of the way and his eyebrow shot upwards. I-Pin flushed in embarrassment. "Sorry! I didn't hear you come in."

"What's wrong?" he demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Why do you think something's wrong?" asked I-Pin evasively.

"I don't know," said Gokudera sarcastically. "The bags under your eyes are normal. The anxiety that's practically strangling you definitely wasn't a tip off. The way you're staring murderously at your textbook is pretty weird. Don't play dumb with me." He studied her closely. "What's wrong?"

I-Pin let out a huff of breath. "Stress. I'm stressed."

Gokudera glanced over her shoulder, regarding her textbook as he lightly smoothed his fingers through her raven hair. "Math? That's your best subject."

"I know. But I have a big test tomorrow."

"Are there any formulas you're struggling with?"

"No. I'm just having trouble focussing."

"You need to relax. You're second-guessing yourself. When have you ever had trouble with math?"

"Hardly ever," admitted I-Pin.

"Remember that. You'll be fine. Want me to help you with your studying?"

"Please," she said gratefully.

Gokudera sat down on the edge of her bed and let her talk through the equations and the steps to get to the answer. She felt her phone buzzing in her pocket, but with her brother helping her with her homework it made it easier to ignore it.

I-Pin walked down the hallway, her steps quick but not so much so that she displayed her true speed. As she was passing the door leading to the stairwell, it slammed open and an arm shot out, wrapping around her wrist and dragging her inside. I-Pin dropped her books in surprise and she shot out a leg, nailing her captor in the side.

With a grunt the vice-like grip faltered and Paolo stumbled back. I-Pin let out a sharp breath, keeping her stance defensive. "What the hell is your problem?" she demanded.

"My problem?" snapped Paolo, rubbing his side gingerly. "You're the one being a stuck-up snob. It's not going to kill you to go out on a date with me. What, think you're too good for me?"

"It's not a matter of whether or not I'm too good for who, which I am, by the way. It's a matter of that you're a creep who doesn't know about boundaries or acceptable behaviour. You're the one who's head is so far up your ass you actually think harassing me is going to end with me going out with you."

"You should be flattered that I'm giving you this much attention," hissed Paolo. "Most guys would have dismissed you as a puttana. You're certainly acting like one. Show me that nice side of yours, the one that led to us meeting."

He grabbed her again, fingers coiling around her wrist. I-Pin twisted her body, her other arm reaching out to take a fistful of his school shirt. She flipped him, swinging him over her body and slamming him to the ground. There was a solid thunk as his head cracked off of the metal railing. He let out a choked gasp, a mix of surprise and pain. Blood began to pool on the tiles, trickling down the right side of his face from the cut that had opened from impact.

"I've been pretty easy on you," growled I-Pin. "Don't talk me. Don't come near me. Don't even look at me. This is your last warning. You better be smart enough to follow it."

She spun on her heel and stormed back into the hallway, which was just as empty as the stairwell. Glancing at her watch, I-Pin realized that she was late for her math test, having not heard the bell during her confrontation with Paolo. She rushed off towards her class, rubbing at her bruised wrist, unable to dispel the sinking feeling in her gut.

She was not necessarily surprised when the texts did not cease. They increased in frequency and got more explicit and threatening, calling her a slew of vile names along with gruesome scenarios of what he would do to her if he ever got her alone.

This she found a tiny bit amusing, in an odd way, since Paolo stopped following her when she was alone and stuck to tailing her in public crowds, like the hallways at school. But she knew this had gone on long enough, and she was quite a fool for not putting a stop to Paolo's harassment sooner.

She was struggling on how she would reveal to her siblings that she had been stalked for close to three weeks. She knew they would take care of the situation, but she also knew they would be far from pleased that she kept it from them and lied.

As she thought she spun the dial on her combination lock. She opened the metal door—and was promptly greeted by a decapitated rabbit hanging from one of the hooks.

Through her shock she managed to slam the metal door shut, but not before Lambo glimpsed what was inside. Jaw falling open, he said loudly, "What the hell was that?"

"A really disgusting threat," said I-Pin, uneased. Paolo was going much farther than she anticipated and she would not stand for it any longer. "So…you remember Paolo?"

"The guy you helped out and he followed you for a few days?" When I-Pin nodded, his eyes darkened. "Wait a minute. He hasn't left you alone since?"

"No. After I rejected the flowers, it's been escalating."

"You haven't said anything?! Did he hurt you? Did he try anything? I'll kill him."

I-Pin grabbed hold of his arm before he could storm off. "I know. I should have said something as soon as it started. But I was so sure I could handle him myself. I even cracked his head open. But I didn't anticipate him having zero common sense and being a total psychopath."

"Then we'll kill him together."

"I really want to show him who he messed with. And I will. By telling our siblings."

Lambo faltered, knowing that their siblings would be able to instill a fear in Paolo that he could not. "…fine. But why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I knew you'd go after his head and I didn't want you to get in trouble. Tsuna-nii wouldn't want us to deal with Paolo ourselves."

"Hypocrite," chided Lambo. "That's what you've been doing."

"I know, I know. I was being stubborn and prideful for no good reason. I'm going to call home right now and finally finish this."

"I'll come with you." Seeing I-Pin about to protest, he scoffed. "I know you can take care of yourself. That doesn't mean I'm going to leave you alone when you're in trouble."

Smiling gratefully at him, I-Pin said, "Thanks, Lambo."

They made their way through the hall and went out the front doors. I-Pin sat down on the stone steps and pulled out her cellphone. She rolled her eyes at the text messages that showed up on her screen and Lambo glowered at them over her shoulder.

"Are you sure I can't at least electrocute him? He's a creepy maniac. How did he get your phone number?"

"I think he hacked into the school's database. It's the only way he would have gotten it." I-Pin dialled the number for home and took a steadying breath.

"What's wrong?"

Tsuna's voice was laced with concern, for it was rare for I-Pin to call home in the middle of a school day. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, I-Pin said softly, "I have a serious problem."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Are you safe?"

"Yes."

"Chrome will leave immediately to pick you up. Can you tell me what's wrong over the phone?"

"I would prefer to tell you in person."

"Okay. Are you alone?"

"No, Lambo's with me."

"Good."

Tsuna had her stay on the line with him until Chrome arrived, making idle chatter. She could hear the worry even as he tried to be casual and appreciated his efforts in keeping her at ease. When Chrome's light purple car pulled up to the curb, I-Pin told Tsuna she would see him soon and hung up.

Chrome swung open her door and hurried over to I-Pin, wrapping her up in a tight embrace. "Are you okay?" she asked anxiously, pulling back and studying the girl for any injuries.

"I'm fine," I-Pin assured.

"Let's go home and you can tell us what's wrong. We'll do everything in our power to make your problem go away." Chrome squeezed I-Pin's hands and the teen felt a strong warmth flare through her, a lump growing in her throat at the unconditional support she was receiving.

"I know."

"Can I come home too?" asked Lambo hopefully.

Chrome glanced at him, eyebrow raised. "Are you also facing a problem?"

"Yeah. Complete boredom and the attempt to brainwash me into being a respectable member of society."

"I'm afraid that doesn't qualify," said Chrome in amusement, reaching out to pinch Lambo's cheek. "But good try. We'll see you after school."

Lambo made a face. "Worth a try. See you later, I-Pin." He hugged her and whispered, "I'll just give him one shock. To make you feel better."

"Don't make it obvious," she returned. "You're amazing."

"I know. You're not bad yourself."

Lambo shuffled back inside the school and I-Pin buckled herself into Chrome's car, muscles relaxing with relief, knowing that Paolo would soon be swiftly dealt with.

When I-Pin stepped into the living room with Chrome, it was to see her siblings already gathered, waiting for her. Tsuna immediately stood up and went to her, grasping her hands with his. Searching her face, he said quietly, "Tell us what's wrong."

"There's no easy way to say this," said I-Pin carefully. "But a while ago, I helped out this guy, Paolo. He asked me out. I said no. And he's been stalking me ever since."

There was a beat of shocked silence as the others processed this, and I-Pin would have been overwhelmed by the murderous aura that followed if she hadn't braced herself for it. Hibari was on his feet and he demanded, "Does he go to your school?"

"Yes."

As Hibari moved to stalk from the room, Gokudera snagged him the wrist. "I want to go hunt down the figlio di puttana too, but I want to hear the whole story first so I know the appropriate amount of pain to inflict upon him and times that by a hundred."

Hibari paused, glowering down at Gokudera for a moment. He then pulled his hand free and turned, locking eyes on I-Pin. "You've kept this a secret."

"You said he's been stalking you for a while," spoke Mukuro. "How long would that be exactly?"

"Three weeks," said I-Pin hesitantly.

"Three weeks?" said Yamamoto incredulously.

"Why haven't you said anything?" exclaimed Chrome.

"Pride, I guess," said I-Pin, unable to keep from feeling embarrassed. "I really thought I could handle Paolo on my own. I'm an assassin, for crying out loud."

Tsuna curled his fingers into her hair, a soothing motion. "You are," he agreed. "But you are also fifteen. You need to focus on school and friends and just being a teenager. You never have to deal with your problems alone, especially ones that put you in danger."

"You could have killed him with ease," added Ryohei. "But you didn't want to, did you?"

"Well, I was tempted," said I-Pin wryly. "But it was mostly public where he followed me and I didn't want to cause a scene. I think killing a fellow student is a good cause for expulsion."

"I'd like to see them try," muttered Gokudera.

"You're a capable woman I-Pin," said Tsuna firmly. "You never have to doubt that. But asking for help for situations you can't handle is not something to be embarrassed of. We're always here for you. You know that?"

"Of course. I'm sorry for not saying anything sooner."

"I know." Tsuna tickled I-Pin's chin fondly. "Now tell us the whole story."

So I-Pin did, starting from the fateful moment where she saved Paolo from bullies and leading up to that afternoon, where she found a dead rabbit in her locker. Her siblings sat still throughout the explanation, muscles tense and their anger increasing for the harassment I-Pin had gone through.

"Phone," ordered Gokudera immediately after I-Pin had finished speaking.

She obeyed, fishing out her cell phone from her pocket and handed to him. Gokudera read the recent texts displayed on the screen, face flushing red with rage at the violent threats. "How nice of him to give us ideas for his punishment." Turning to I-Pin, he asked, "Besides him grabbing you in the stairwell, he didn't try to hurt you?"

"He didn't," promised I-Pin. "He stopped trying to be alone with me after I split his head open."

"You weren't really stressed about your math test, were you?" asked Gokudera.

"And you didn't really have a nightmare," said Yamamoto knowingly.

I-Pin rubbed the back of her neck guiltily. "No. I'm sorry I lied."

"I'll get back to that in a second. Hayato, bring her phone to Verde," ordered Tsuna. "Get her number changed and see if he can fix the severe lack of security in the school's firewalls."

"On it, Juudaime." As much as Gokudera wanted to go and hurt Paolo, he knew it was important to get I-Pin's number changed as soon as possible. "Someone cut off Paolo's ear," he added, recalling that as one of the threats that had been sent to I-Pin.

He left the room and Tsuna glanced at Yamamoto and Mukuro. "We are going to see if we can teach Paolo a lesson that'll actually stick with him."

Hibari's eyes narrowed. "You are not hunting the prey without me."

Tsuna smiled slightly. "I think you'll have more fun hunting him after us. Just imagine his face when he realizes we're not yet done with him. But you can come with us if you want, and speak with I-Pin later."

I-Pin's shoulders slumped, knowing exactly what Tsuna meant by that. Darn.

Hibari nodded, the idea of him biting Paolo to death alone appeasing him. He also thought I-Pin had been through enough in the past three weeks and he would not keep her waiting in dread. "Fine. But I get to cut off the ear."

"There's two of them," said Mukuro with a smirk. "Maybe there'll be one left for you to remove."

Sneering at Mukuro, Hibari then crooked his fingers at I-Pin. The girl managed not to make a face, shuffling towards him. Chrome whispered a sympathetic "Good luck," and Ryohei ruffled her hair affectionately as she passed by.

As they walked down the corridor towards her room, Hibari placed a frim grip on the back of her neck. "You know his pursuit of you is not your fault."

"Oh, totally," assured I-Pin. "He thought he was entitled to me because I was nice to him and got angry when I rejected him without an explanation."

"Good." Feeling her underlying nervousness, he lightly squeezed. "This isn't the first time you've been in this position."

"I know. But it's not exactly pleasant." Glancing up at him, she offered innocently, "How about we just pretend I got punished and go our separate ways here?"

"I don't think so small animal," said Hibari, mildly amused. "You lied and knowingly kept us in the dark about the dangerous situation you were in. You know the consequence."

"You think I'd be smarter about remembering it."

"You'd think," agreed Hibari. "Just wait until you tell Reborn that you lied to him about breaking your lock."

I-Pin grimaced. "Great. Something to look forward to."

Despite knowing that her backside was about to catch it, I-Pin felt lighter than she had in three weeks. She knew her siblings would always be there for her and there was nothing that she needed to handle by herself. She was an assassin, sure, but she was also a teenager. There were some things she wouldn't be able to handle and that was fine. She had her family to watch out for her.

And anyone who dared to harm her would pay the price.

The stitches Paolo needed to receive from I-Pin body-slamming him into the floor was not enough to deter him from obsessively attempting to claim her as his girlfriend. But when the three strange men broke into his house in the middle of the night, one with amber orbs and one with a red eye, he was struck with fear.

"I feel this is far too generous, considering the warnings I-Pin has already given you," drawled Tsuna. "But she didn't want to kill you even though she could have snapped your neck in a second. You're not smart enough heed her warnings. But maybe you will be to heed ours. You ever come near I-Pin, or any other girl who rejects your advances, again, and we'll kill you."

"Who are you?" demanded Paolo. "How did you get in here? Help! Help!"

"Bleat all you want," chuckled Yamamoto. "No one is going to hear you."

"I call the left ear," said Mukuro with a savage grin.

Half an hour later, when his parents found him shivering in a pool of blood, they were horrified. Paolo was numb when he was rushed to the hospital and he refused to speak as to what happened to him.

And just in case the severed ear, shattered jaw and swollen eye weren't enough to shock Paolo into drastically changing his unacceptable behaviour, Hibari returning and taking his other ear drove the point home.