Mia Tempesta
Summary: Reborn never liked being a (secondary) Sky, but he can't deny his nature forever, so one day he starts collecting his Elements. Except now there was a tiny Storm that packs quite a punch that he doesn't know what to do with. Denial leads to trouble, trouble leads to possessiveness, possessiveness leads to ... something else much more tender. Throw in Checkerface and the Arcobaleno Sky into the mix and things get quite complicated.
"What do you want, little animal?" Tsuna jumped out of his skin despite being the one to approach the napping prefect on top of Nami-chuu's rooftop with the intent to speak with the older teen. It's been a year and yet he was still terrified of Hibari-san as if nothing had changed and he hadn't spent the better part of the year training with the other boy at least once to twice a week and seeing just how terrifying the person raised by the world's strongest seven could be.
"Hibari-san, can I ask you something?" He asked timidly, twiddling with his thumbs the way he almost never did these days. Reborn had been beating 'weaknesses' and habits that can be interpreted as such out of him for practically two years now. The sixteen year old future Vongola boss couldn't believe just how much things had changed, how much he and his life had changed in the two years he'd known Reborn. He had friends now. He had two girlfriends now. He dared approach Hibari-san now. He'd never dared to do that before, even if he'd had a legitimate reason to approach the prefect.
Had Hibari-san been anyone else, he might have sarcastically said 'you already have', but Hibari-san was Hibari-san and just turned his head enough to look at the young Sky.
Tsuna took that as his cue to talk. "Ano, Reborn's birthday is next month, right? I ... I was wondering if you could help me figure out what to get him?" He winced at his own question. Not because it was silly or stupid, but just because.
This would be the first birthday of Reborn's that Tsuna and his friends would be taking part in celebrating, but the third one Reborn will celebrate since meeting Tsuna. The first year Reborn had not told anyone almost anything about himself, definitely not the date of his birth. He had simply given Tsuna a day to relax, which he had then spent with Hibari-san, as Tsuna recently learned. Last year, Reborn's birthday was revealed to be mere weeks after the Ring Conflict had ended and everyone had been tense around each other back then. All of Reborn's Guardians - except Colonello towards Ryohei-oniisan - had been suspicious of Tsuna's friends and especially Tsuna himself - because he was a Vongola - and Reborn himself hadn't been entirely sure if he could truly relax around his student, even if their days had went back to how they normally were.
Actually, Tsuna, Gokudera-kun and Yamamoto probably wouldn't have even known about Reborn's birthday if the Vindice leader - Bermuda, if Tsuna recalled correctly - hadn't popped in through one of those strange portals of his to briefly wish the hitman a happy birthday before disappearing again. Reborn hadn't been fazed by the interruption and had continued on with his emergency intervention math lesson - because the little Sky and Rain had gotten truly dismal grades on the last test - while Tsuna and his Storm and Rain were left dumbfounded. When Reborn was finally willing to speak in anything other than equations and numbers, he'd simply said he now had to go and spend the rest of the day with his family before outright leaving with barely a 'Ciao' of goodbye.
Tsuna and his friends had planned on doing something special for the man that had changed their lives so much in the course of a couple of months, but, somehow, when a year passed and everyone was supposed to have prepared a special gift to show their appreciation, Tsuna found himself stuck on absolutely nothing. He didn't know what he should get Reborn. He simply had no idea, because Reborn was content with everything he had, or so Tsuna's Hyper Intuition whispered to him any time he asked. How do you get something for a man who was content and even if he did need anything, he could get it himself just fine. As far as Tsuna knew, Reborn was practically filthy rich from all of the jobs he's taken on over the years and marrying into the Hibari Clan - or what's left of it - had only assured that he'll never want for anything. actually, being bonded to all his Guardians pretty much ensured that Reborn will never want for anything in his life, three times over, if he can't get it by himself.
Which left Tsuna scrambling for gifts.
He found it completely unfair that this was the one thing his Intuition can't help him with.
The others had managed to get Reborn some pretty good gifts easily enough! Yamamoto had mastered Reborn's favorite kind of sushi and would be making a lot of it as a gift for his birthday. Gokudera-kun had gone well out of his way to find some place that would print some of the most difficult and beautiful mathematical equations in a color that resembled Reborn's Sun Flames the most, sparkles and just the barest hint of orange in the right light and all. Onii-san had managed to find a costume that matched Reborn's Master Pao Pao one and intended to wear it when he asked the Arcobaleno Sun for a boxing match. (He had also gotten the man a vase full of sunflowers on Hana's behest, because the costume was simply embarrassing.) Lambo, for all that he claimed he wanted to kill Reborn and that he hated him, had actually called his family back home in Italy and had asked for homemade vongola fettuccine for the hitman. The girls and his okaa-san were going to cook for the party the Arcobaleno were throwing at Hibari-san's place and the Disciplinary Committee had actually learned the Italian hymn and were going to perform it as a present. Tsuna had overheard them practicing as a choir. They were actually pretty good.
He didn't know what Dr Shamal or the Arcobaleno or even what Hibari-san will be getting his home tutor, but Dino-san had said he had gotten Reborn a really good gun set, despite stating he still didn't understand why Reborn had such a huge arsenal when Leon could become just about anything in the world. And he knew I-Pin had actually started taking photos of Fon-san, Hibari-san and Fon-sand and Hibari-san with Reborn so she could make an album for them. She threw in pictures of and with everyone else, of course, but she wanted to give Reborn the gift of her shifu and their son. Hell, even Mukuro and his gang had come up with a gift! Mukuro and Chrome were going to make a little show out of their illusions while Ken and Chikusa will try to hold a comedy act.
Even Xanxus and the Varia had a gift ready! A mission worthy of the world's greatest hitman, one that even Varia Quality would not be fit to complete successfully, a challenge that was sure to get Reborn's blood rushing.
Tsuna didn't want to question whether the Vindice will deliver a gift or not. They scared him.
Hibari-san scared him, too, perhaps even more than them because the older teen was always around. But even Hibari-san couldn't scare him as much as the possibility of disappointing Reborn with a half-assed gift.
Those steely silver-blue eyes blinked at him once before Hibari-san sat up and turned to fully face the brunet. The Disciplinary Committee Chairman seemed to consider him for a long moment before gesturing for the younger boy to sit. "Do you have any ideas? I can give you my opinion on them and if none of them are satisfactory, I can try and help figure something else out."
That was actually incredibly nice of Hibari-san! The Cloud was usually not nearly as accommodating. But, then again, that was towards outsiders. Tsuna was perplexed to realize that he and his friends no longer registered as such to the older boy. Sure, they will never be family, but it would seem that they were now ranked as family friends! That was probably more than anyone could hope for.
"Well, the problem is that I can't seem to think of anything that I could possibly afford. I mean, Reborn likes fancy clothes, right? But I don't have the money to afford the brands he wears. I actually asked him once and nearly fainted when I heard the price." He had actually seen his whole life - past, present and future, where he was still trying to work off the debt he'd made by buying his tutor a single tie for his birthday - flash before his eyes. He knew there was no way he could afford that. Not without robbing a small bank or borrowing money from Xanxus. "I'm not good at making things and I don't think any costumes I can afford would be to his liking." He'd cried silent rivers when he'd seen a perfect policeman costume, one that actually looks genuine, only to see the price was not something he could afford without asking his mom for money and he knew she would tell him to get a job rather than lend him some because she would think it would be a great life experience for him. "And I definitely can't afford weapons. And Fuuta's already getting him an Asian subterranean termite colony farm and a Tyra-something ant colony-"
"Tyrannomyrmex rex ants," Hibari-san corrects, seemingly automatically. "That's actually a pretty good gift. It's the one ant species babbo has never had a conversation with."
Tsuna couldn't help but sweatdrop at that. Somehow, he wasn't surprised in the least. "Yes, well, because Fuuta's getting him bugs, I can't do that, too, and I don't think Leon would appreciate me getting Reborn any other pets."
"He'd probably eat them," the older boy confirmed and Tsuna gave a shudder at that. What kind of chameleon just eats other pets!?
"I thought about maybe getting some things for Leon, but that feels like I'm celebrating Leon and not Reborn, you know?" Hibari-san nodded. "Then I considered books, but I'm not sure what he would read, really. And movies don't seem to be his thing-"
"Babbo likes movies, but he usually only watches them for our movie night when we're all home," Hibari-san interrupts, propping up one elbow on his thigh and leaning on the hand of that arm in a bored, relaxed fashion. "Books would be a dangerous gift because there is a large list of topics that sets him off to the point that he'd shoot the books into nonexistence, so it's best to not try to buy him reading materials. Not even chichi or Verde can get that right. You cloud plan an activity, if you can't think of a physical gift to give. Skull's taking him skydiving at dawn. Lal and Colonello are taking him to the supposedly hardest gun range in the world. Verde has made up a new equation that he's going to challenge him to solve. Viper actually bought him a gift, but that's because that's the best way they can show that they care."
Tsuna guessed he could see that. Viper didn't strike him as the sort of person to so callously spend their money. Any money spent on a gift would show just how much the Mist cared about that person. "I don't think I know how to do anything that would interest or challenge Reborn, though."
"Then there's only one thing you can do to make babbo happy," Hibari-san said and Tsuna leaned forward unconsciously, as though afraid he will miss a single syllable to leave the Cloud's mouth. "You can get a decent grade on your next math test and frame it. That will definitely make babbo pleased."
"HIIIIEEEE!?" Exclaimed the descendant of Vongola Primo and then he flinched when the Cloud glared death at him for being so loud. "Sorry, sorry" But, Hibari-san, that's just impossible! Reborn's birthday is in three weeks! We won't have any tests in the next three weeks! And besides, even if we did, I need Reborn to help me get over thirty points on just about any test, let alone math! Especially math! How can I do better without his help?"
"One," the raven haired boy began. "There will be a test in that time span. A surprise test, to be exact."
'Then how does Hibari-san know about it!? Does he control Namimori High as well?!' Hibari-san had not, in fact, graduated with Tsuna's generation this year, despite being older than them. He stayed in his beloved Namimori Middle School while Tsuna and the others had moved on. Even Ryohei-oniisan had graduated this year and left behind his middle school boxing club to start a high school boxing club since one didn't already exist. Even Mukuro and his gang had enrolled in high school so they can get an education. Chrome helped them, and so did Hibari-san, from what Tsuna knew.
"So you can study for it without his help and then surprise him with good results. And two, I can help you."
Tsuna blinked at that, started and dumbfounded. "But, Hibari-san, you don't go to the same school as me."
Hibari-san only arched a fine black eyebrow at the younger boy. "I have been taught everything I know by both babbo and Verde. Believe me, I can step in for babbo for a while. You don't have to get a perfect score, Sawada Tsunayoshi. Just get over fifty percent correct and babbo will be immensely pleased and proud of you."
00000
And so Tsuna found himself the next day waiting outside of Nami-chuu's gates, waiting for his temporary replacement tutor to lock up so Hibari-san can lead them back to the Hibari Compound, wherever that is, for their first ever lesson. Tsuna had all of his worksheets, homework and notes with him so Hibari-san can see where they were and what they were doing in school. He felt nervous. He wasn't sure if he could actually do this, if he can get a better grade for Reborn.
The hitman himself had disappeared, said he'd be going off to Italy for some reason and might not be back for a couple of weeks. He will definitely be there for his own birthday party, but he's not sure which day he will be able to come home. This gave Tsuna the perfect opportunity to study with Hibari-san without the Sun/Sky getting suspicious.
Hibari-san didn't leave him waiting for long and all too soon they were in front of a huge gate and Sawada was left staring, open mouthed, at the prefect's home.
"Welcome home, Kyoya," Fon-san greeted from what seems to be the kitchen, popping his head out of the doorway and pausing when he caught sight of their visitor. "Welcome as well, Tsunayoshi-kun. What might bring you to our humble abode?"
'If this is 'humble', then these people are even richer than Dino-san!'
"The little animal's gift to babbo for his birthday will be a better math grade," the Cloud explained and Fon nodded understandingly while Skull also peered out of the kitchen, sipping on some strange concoction that had the same color and consistency as motor oil. Tsuna thought better than to ask because if it was motor oil, he didn't want to know.
"Am I to assume you will be helping him?"
"The Storm herbivore does not know how to explain complicated concepts in small words that simpler herbivores can understand." Tsuna sweatdropped at the veiled yet still direct insult but couldn't complain. Hibari-san was way nicer about it than Reborn ever would have been and it's the truth, anyway. "We'll be in the second work room."
"Okay. I'll tell the others not to make too much noise and I'll bring over some snacks later. Good luck, Tsunayoshi-kun." With that, Fon-san disappeared back in the kitchen and Skull saluted the poor brunet before going back to his motor-oil-like drink.
Tsuna gathered his courage and followed after the prefect.
The entire house, as well as what else he'd seen of the compound, was made in the traditional Japanese style, so the work room surprised him because it had a normal table and chairs, very western in comparison to the rest of the residence. Hibari-san saw his surprise and briefly explained that the room had been renovated after the Arcobaleno moved in and repurposed. They chose this style because the westerns had not been accustomed to kneeling for so long, especially not while needing to concentrate on their work. The reason Hibari-san cited for choosing this room was because it was the most similar to a classroom. Apparently, it helps if you study and then take a test in a similar environment or position. Tsuna almost never uses his work desk in his room because he usually has his friends over even when Reborn's tutoring him, so they all kind of sit around his low table and listen to him.
He hoped this trick will help.
Two hours later, Tsuna's surprised that he's still alive and, most importantly, that he actually feels like he may have learned something. Don't get him wrong, Reborn's marvelous at making sure that his pupils don't forget his lessons because their lives might depend on it - mostly because the hitman himself would make them explode if they get the answers wrong after he showed them how to do it - but all that pressure and stress don't work too well with Tsuna. It makes him panic and then, when he's finally taking a test, he spends half the time looking over his shoulder in fear that Reborn will blow him up if he gets a part of the problem wrong.
He's improved since Reborn started tutoring him, yes, but not nearly enough. He gets barely passing grades but that's it.
Hibari-san is surprisingly patient, doesn't snap at him, doesn't even glare when he gets things wrong. Instead, he shows him how to do it correctly and makes him do the whole problem again before giving him a similar one so he can apply what he's learned. They take their time to go through the worksheet and while it's really late by the time they finish, Tsuna's pretty sure he can do the problems if he's called on in class tomorrow.
Hibari-san walks him home since it's so late and Tsuna can't help but compare Hibari-san's surprisingly ... gentle approach compared to Reborn's spartan tutoring methods that he's half expected, given Hibari-san was raised by the hitman.
The Cloud seems unfairly amused. "Sawada Tsunayoshi, do you honestly think babbo treated me like you and Bucking Horse when he was teaching me?"
"Well, I guess he would be gentler towards his own son ..."
"You misunderstand," the prefect corrects. "Babbo didn't treat me differently to you two because I am his son. He treated me differently because he never had a need to use brutal methods to make me learn. I wanted to learn. I wanted to train. I wanted to fight. And I was good at it. He never needed special efforts to make me learn, to make me understand, to make me want to study. You see, Bucking Horse was babbo's first time dealing with a ... normal child, I guess. Babbo had as much to learn through trial and error as Cavallone did."
"What do you mean?" The young Vongola asked, tilting his head to the side, curious.
"Babbo's first experience with a child of any age besides himself was with chichi," the Disciplinary Committee Chairman revealed. "Fon had been seventeen at the time. A year later, I was brought into their lives by a chain of unfortunate circumstances. Neither Fon nor I are ordinary children, Sawada Tsunayoshi. We were raised by a different set of rules. Reborn only had us as referencing points and Bucking Horse, at age seventeen, was weaker than me at age ten. Babbo had to figure out a way to get him to learn, to train, to accept his inevitable future as a mafia boss. His 'spartan methods' were the only ones that worked. When you proved to be of a similar personality and disposition as Dino, he decided to use the same methods, perhaps a bit adjusted to you. I didn't need such methods. They were developed after my time under his tutoring hand. Besides, even if he'd tried using such methods on me, all he'd get for that is to sleep on the couch. Chichi is overprotective."
"I guess all of that makes a lot of sense. Hibari-san is way different from me and Dino-san," Tsuna conceded with a nod of understanding. "But I have to ask you something, Hibari-san. I hope you won't mind. You seem really smart, even without the whole 'being raised by Reborn' thing. Why don't you go to high school and instead stay at Namimori Middle School?"
"Because I chose to," Kyoya replied with what might have been a shrug. "And because I don't need high school. Didn't I say earlier? I've been home schooled by babbo and Verde. Viper and even Shamal also had a hand in my upbringing and my education, so there's really nothing high school can teach me. If I wanted to, I could take the exam and enter Tokyo University tomorrow, but that would limit me. I have better things to do than hunt for pieces of paper that give me credibility in some field. If I want to learn something, I have the Arcobaleno or their acquaintances to teach me."
'And there's no one that can make Hibari-san do anything, so he doesn't have to,' Tsuna thought half enviously, even though he knew he shouldn't envy a person who's life was changed to what it is today by a tragedy. Tsuna didn't know the story, but bits and pieces of it were mentioned or implied in conversation that Tsuna knew Hibari-san's parents were murdered and that the Hibari Compound had once been bustling with life. It was not empty now only because Fon-san was bonded to Reborn and the others through their Flames, so they were family.
"And what is it that you do these days, Hibari-san? Reborn often worries about you."
Hibari-san didn't say anything until they were on Tsuna's street and the noise from his house could be heard. Tsuna had stopped expecting an answer by then, so he's startled to hear the prefect talk. "I help from the shadows to protect the Trinisette. Babbo, chichi and the others think I don't know that much about it and they don't want me to, but I have connections they don't. An inside man, so to speak."
"Someone who can help despite the Cervello not talking?" Tsuna had overheard snippets of Reborn's conversation with the other Arcobaleno or the hitman's own mutterings about both of the captured Cervello dying from all the 'questioning' both the Arcobaleno and the Vindice had done with little to no information being revealed. They'd even managed to capture a few more Cervello, but the results were the same. All they knew was that the Cervello had given over the Mare Rings - and not all of them, just some - to the Gesso famiglia because they had believed that they would bring back the old order of Arcobaleno and Pacifiers, whatever that meant. Reborn had actually shot the last Cervello they had been interrogating when the pink haired woman had said how that's how things should be, because monsters like those chosen to be Arcobaleno should not be allowed to roam the world uncontrolled.
Tsuna didn't understand the whole deal with the pacifiers, but that Bermuda guy had a strange glass-like pacifier and he'd seen some of the other Vindice carrying around similar stone ones. It gave him a bad feeling, so he knew that whatever 'order' the Cervello were talking about couldn't be good.
Hibari-san only nodded, though it could have been both a confirmation to his question and a farewell, because he turned into the next street just before Tsuna's house and walked off now that the younger was within safe distance of his home. Tsuna just sighed and entered his house, was greeted warmly by his mother and dinner and went to sleep. Hibari-san had insisted proper rest was key to remembering properly the things he'd learned.
00000
Things continue like that right up until the test, mere days before Reborn's birthday. Tsuna had begged Yamamoto and Gokudera-kun to keep quiet about the test and the two had agreed, though they did not know why. Tsuna got the test back the day of Reborn's party and couldn't help but stare. Then he ran off to the closest store to find a good picture frame, his heart beating like crazy. He made sure to wrap the gift up all nice and pretty and he beamed at Reborn later as the hitman opened it curiously, since it was the only picture frame he received. He was probably expecting a photo.
The silence in which it took Reborn to register what it was he was seeing was almost unbearable to Tsuna but, to his surprise, Hibari-san nodded to him, either approvingly or as a reassurance, whatever, the gesture definitely comforted the brunet.
And then a big, proud, happy grin spread over Reborn's face and it was like sunshine reaching him from behind the mountain tops.
Tsuna beamed at the hair ruffle he got and the laughter that spilled from Reborn's lips.
He guessed a 74 in math meant a lot to his tutor.