A/N:

@ethdsjordan: Oh no. Hahaha. Not officially. Just passing by. I'll be back in July, I promise. I'm just gearing up to post the stories I've been thinking and preparing about. I hope you can wait for two more months.

Anyway, go on. Hahaha..

Chapter Four

Age: Ten

"Ya-Takeshi." Tsuna corrected himself after receiving a look from the baseball star. "Can you come over here for a sec or so?"

Takeshi stood up with a questioning gaze. "Eh? What for?"

"Something to record." Tsuna muttered to himself as he arranged the rain near the post. "If I remember right, he's..." He marked the wood adjacent to Takeshi's belly button. "There. Thank you."

"Eh? What was that- Ah!"

Tsuna put a finger on his lip accompanied with a 'shh' after writing Reborn's name beside the line with it's estimated age. Takeshi blinked before tracing the starting point of the lines. It became a little height measurement with Lambo's, Ipin's and Fuuta's heights. But the most progressing one is Reborn.

Takeshi isn't really that observant. But he knew something was amiss when he sees it. Since Reborn's birthday last seven months ago, Tsuna has been quiet around the hitman. Tsuna is the same when he's with them, but when Reborn is around, his sky is silent and never speaks unless addressed. The baseball star knew something happened. It's like the brunet edging away from Reborn. But now that he did this... It doesn't make any sense.

"Tsuna." Takeshi called.

Tsuna, who was scanning their book, looked up. "Yup?"

"Why didn't you call the kid to measure him?"

"Ah. I don't want to bother Reborn. He has been really doing his best to tutor me already. I don't want to give him more headache with my childish ideas." Tsuna replied. Takeshi heard the unnoticed sadness.

"Did you do something he got mad off?"

"I kinda treated him like a baby or something? I-I... I was just trying to be helpful since his muscles are being stretch. And we both know how painful it is."

The noiret nodded. "Yeah. Without proper stretching, the body will ache when practicing."

"And since the arcobaleno's curse got broken, I figured he might be in pain for all the muscle stretching."

"No wonder he got taller."

"I think he's as tall as you."

Takeshi grinned. "Back to the topic."

Tsuna winced. "So I kind of carried him around. Maybe it irked him that I'm being too familiar with him. After all, he is a hitman. He told you that."

Takeshi remembered the bet he and Reborn had in the future. "Yeah... He did."

"I asked what he wanted for his birthday and he asked me to keep my hands to myself. I complied."

"But that doesn't mean you have to distance yourself."

"I know. I just have to cause I'm terribly impulsive when I see him wincing over body pain."

Takeshi smiled reassuringly. "Why not help him in secrets?"

Tsuna stared at him before his eyes lightened up. "You're right, Takeshi! Thank you!"

"Just know that we're here for you so ask as for help."

"Uhn!"

Takeshi smiled. It's nice to see a happy Tsuna.

Age: Thirteen

Reborn stared at the thermos that Hayato gave him. He was having a pretty bad mood about some certain contacts when Hayato came running towards him and gave him the compartment. It is not his birthday so why did Hayato gave him a gift? That was unusual.

Curiosity got bad in to him, so he opened the thermos. A strong smell of coffee drift off the container and tickled his nostrils. He tentatively took a sip and blinked when he felt himself relaxing. It was a double espresso. Stronger and aromatic.

"Hmm... Not bad." He commented, making Hayato smile. "Who made this?"

"A-Ah? Uhm..." Hayato paled. "Gomen, Reborn-san. I can't tell."

Reborn's brow rose as he took a sip. "Hmp. Fine. Go now."

"Thank you, Reborn-san!" And the bomber dashed off.

"Time to train Dame-Tsuna." He said in a sing-song voice.

On one corner...

"He said not bad, Tenth!" Hayato reported through phone.

"Thank you Hayato." The Decimo expressed.

"No problem, Tenth. Are you in your house now? I bet Reborn-san is on his way."

"Yeah. I need to get ready though. I'm really in for it since he's in a good mood. Good thing Onii-san healed my burns and I was able to purchase an espresso machine with my own savings."

"Yeah." Hayato smiled. "You're really awesome, Tenth."

"Hmm. You are too, Hayato. Got to go. He's here."

"Happy Birthday Reborn!" Everybody greeted in sync.

Reborn smirked. "Thank you."

"Come Reborn-kun! Blow your candles." Nana said as she guided the hitman to the cake with thirteen candles.

"Happy birthday to you." They sang. "Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday Reborn. Happy birthday to you!"

"Make a wish first." Nana urged with a smile.

He did and blow the fire on the candles. Then he swiftly scanned the room. "Where's Tsuna?"

"Tsu-kun?"

"Ah. Otuotu is extremely sleeping, Reborn." Ryohei informed to him with a little cheer as usual.

"Why?"

"He did all this." Nana replied with a hum as she cut the cake. "He came back this lunch to decorate, went back to school and then went home to have last minute checks."

"He didn't cook, did he?" Reborn asked skeptically as he accepts his slice of cake.

The lady shook her head with a giggle. "He helped. Then bargained with the children to be in their best behaviors."

Reborn nodded as he eat a piece of cake. "Hmm... Little sugar."

"Tsu-kun told me to give you a specific slice of cake. He said you don't like much sugar."

Reborn stared at the cake in his plate. "Not bad."

The Vongola tradition of gift giving commenced. The highest so far was Takeshi, who gave Reborn a new orange band for his hat. Nana came next with the mug she gave. Hayato was third for the new suit he acquire, from where he doesn't care (It was from Shamal). Last was Lambo with fifty-four for the small black fedora, that Reborn put on Leon's head. The cow child could've got a bigger points if he didn't forget the orange band.

"So, who haven't gave their present yet?" Reborn asked.

"Me." A small voice said.

"Tenth! You're awake!" Hayato welcomed Tsuna, who was staggering to walk to the garden with many bags in hand.

Tsuna smiled meekly. "Yeah."

"You don't look good." Mukuro point out. "Your face is flushed and sweating a lot. You're sick, Tsunayoshi."

Tsuna waved a hand dismissively. "It's nothing."

Reborn watched his student walk towards him. What Mukuro had said was true. He can even feel the heat from the child. But despite that, he appeared strong, like he doesn't have any illness in him. No wonder the brunet was dead tired and went to bed before the hitman arrived.

Reborn thought he needs to check up on the teen later.

"I heard Kaasan got you a mug. I got a sticker to put on it." Tsuna said with a small voice as he took the mug and started to put some stickers.

Reborn raised a brow. "That'll be easy to wash off."

"Ah. No. It won't. I had Shoichi to make it. He was a little thrilled to make one. A water proof with strong adhesive that'll last for centuries."

"You're going to get twelve on that."

"That's fine." Reborn blinked at him. "After the sticker, I have some imported coffee beans from Italy. I heard you love this type of beans."

The coffee lover went to one of the bags and inspected the contents.

"I got those from a trader when I helped him with what he was carrying. Asked him about it since he is a trader and a business man. So yeah."

"And free?" Reborn verified.

Tsuna nodded weakly. "Yes. Happy birthday Reborn."

Reborn watched him go inside the house and bid his friends goodbye like his birthday isn't tomorrow. When he looked at the bags again, he noticed the mug and picked it up.

'The World's Greatest Hitman and Strongest Arcobaleno'

Under the mug is G-scripted words. Reborn's grip on the mug tightened. He needs to learn that G-script from Hayato. Unknown to him, Leon put Tsuna's name on the ninety-six points spot.