A.N: Hey y'all! Thank you so much for stopping by. Firstly, I would like to apologize profusely for the exceedingly long wait. Life's been pretty mean to mean to me and I took the time to mope and recover.

However, you guys still stuck to my story! Thank you my lovely readers and my lovely reviewers of my last chappy Destiny Aitsuji, D C JoKeR H S and seryuTammi and of course, stellacisem. Love y'all 3 3

Disclaimer: I do not own the familiar characters.


Xanxus gritted his teeth, taking slow and deliberate deep breaths to calm down. One thing he had learned in his stay with the Sawada's for a month was the art of patience. He had seen his fair share of crazies in his life, being the leader of Varia and all, but the Sawada household took the gold medal for being pure crackpots. He knew that the whole summer class was a bad idea to begin with. He had done well, duh, but he had also witnessed a whole new level of incompetence of the chosen Vongola heir. What kind of junior high student didn't know basic trigonometry and algebra!

Xanxus huffed from his perch on the window sill and threw a tentative glance at the brat pack occupying his and the scum's shared room. His eyebrows twitched remembering his argument with Iemitsu at the first week of his stay. Nana had already fixed his own room in the house but then the bastard had insisted that he share with Tsuna for the rest of his stay. Something about monitoring mist creatures and crap! Like he cared…he should be in bed right now, dammit! Stupid summer school, stupid parent's day….Xanxus grumbled moodily while observing Tsuna's foolish gang of scums trying to teach him basic quadrants. One glance at the clock told him that sleep was gonna be a distant dream for tonight.

"You see this, Juudaime?" he looked up to see the bomber jackass pointing to a chalkboard. Where had that come from?! "It has two scales - one running across the plane called the x-axis and another at right angles to it called the y-axis." He explained in what was a perfect impression of Susumu-sensei. "A point's location on the plane is given by two numbers; the first tells where it is on the x-axis and the second which tells where it is on the y-axis. Together, they define a single, unique position on the plane" Gokudera turned expectantly towards Tsuna, "Did you get it Juudaime?" he beamed.

Xanxus looked over and almost chocked in laughter to see a trembling Tsuna at the verge of tears. That looser probably didn't even get what an axis was…Xanxus snorted. "It's easy, Tsuna" he heard the optimistic voice of the baseball freak, who had come to give a report on Squalo's recovery and thus had unfortunately joined the study session, chime in, "Just think, think and the numbers will magically pop out in your mind! Like whoosh!" he laughed. Tsuna fell face first on the table while Xanxus sweat dropped. Talk about severe brain damage…

"Sawada! Just reach within and scream out the answer with all your might and it will be definitely right!" Xanxus just stared at Tsuna's Sun. He'd say it was funny if he was honest with himself and he was barely holding on to his mirth. However, Tsuna bemoaning the disaster of tomorrow's parent's day and how he wished the ground just swallowed him whole was the last straw. Xanxus howled in laughter clutching on to his middle. This was the tenth generation Vongola! Seriously, what was the old man thinking?!

He knew he shouldn't be laughing like this. He already felt the heavy disapproval of the Storm brat and the insecurity of Tsuna in the air. And if Iemitsu got a word of this, he would be crisp bacon for tomorrow's breakfast. But heck! He was having too much fun!

And sure enough, when he opened his eyes again, he was met with a fuming Storm, weapon and all, with a frantic Tsuna trying to coax him to calm down.

"Gokudera-kun, please calm down!" Tsuna pleaded. "I am going to get laughed at tomorrow anyway…"

"Then I'll shoot all of them down" Gokudera growled. "Nobody gets to mock Juudaime. The just don't realize how grea—"

"What's your problem with signs of coordinates, brat?" Xanxus raised his brow.

He frowned when Tsuna gave him a meek 'everything' as a reply. He looked too down for his own taste. What's wrong with being laughed at by a bunch of retard kids anyway? He was mocked, bullied and humiliated almost all his life and he wasn't complaining. Xanxus sighed walking up to Tsuna, snatching his worksheets and sitting beside him.

"Listen trash and listen well because I hate to repeat myself, alright?" At Tsuna's vigorous nodding, he continued. "I'll question you and you better answer them right or I'll shoot you, got it?" he smirked at Tuna's squeak.

"The horizontal line is the x-axis and the vertical one is y-axis, alright?" Tsuna looked at him and then nodded.

"Alright, now what comes before y?"

"Umm…x?" Tsuna sweat dropped. Did Xanxus really think he was that dumb?

"Good. In the same way, the point of x-axis always comes before y, got it?" Tsuna blinked. Ooooh… He nodded his head.

"And now for the signs…" Xanxus drew a graph. "As you can see, there are four quadrants…" he carefully pointed them out in counter clockwise direction.

"Now, scum..." he looked sharply at Tsuna who froze, "What is it that you would never forget?"

"My friends and my family" Tsuna gave a weak smile. Typical… Xanxus grimaced before turning back to the graph. Now, how to work this one out to his idiotic brain?

"Now I want you to consider this as our case…" he looked up to see a very attentive Tsuna. Good. "Let x be one's outer mentality and y be the inner one, alright?" Oh God, why am I even doing this…?

"Now, I want you to tell me someone who's positive inside out…"

"Kaa-san!" Tsuna immediately chimed and Xanxus almost grinned. "Now there are the signs of your first quadrant, double positive"

"Now, tell me someone who gives you the impression of being stern on the outside but soft on the inside?" Xanxus lazily drawled.

"Hibari-san" Tsuna shivered, "Hibari-san is really stern but I guess it's because he wants everyone safe" he smiled softly. He knew Hibari had a kind heart somewhere but nevertheless he was scary.

Xanxus blinked, trying hard to remember where he had heard the name before. 'Voooi! That asshole Hibari keeps bossing me around. He is almost as worse as Ritsu-san. Oi! Why the fuck are you laughing?! Voooooooii…!' Ah…Squalo's tyrant of a keeper. Heh!

"That's you second quadrant sign, by the by" he continued, ignoring the strange look he was getting from the rest. "Well…someone who is stern inside out?"

"Umm…" Tsuna sheepishly rubbed his neck, "Reborn…" he grinned, a tint of fear on his face. "I guess that's third..."

"Yes" Xanxus stiffly nodded. He was hoping for Iemitsu, to be honest but oh well… "Now, someone who is all positive and strong on the outside but it's actually cold and dead on the inside, well?" I guess Iemitsu fits this description more…

"Xanxus…" he heard Tsuna softly whisper.

"Okay, now that's the sig—"Wait! Did he just say…? He raised his head to pointedly look at Tsuna. "What did you just say?" he gritted out becoming hyper aware of the tangible silence in the room.

"You" Tsuna repeated without missing a beat, looking directly into his eyes, his once brown eyes now a glowing hazel. "You look strong, unbreakable and almost immortal on the outside, like a God of War" Tsuna's voice echoed with a strange ring to it and Xanxus felt his eyelids grow heavy. "But deep inside, you are vulnerable, hurt and in pain" Xanxus closed his eyes as a warm palm caressed his cheek. "But you don't have to be afraid anymore…" the equally warm voice continued. "All I want is for you to open up to me…" it whispered to him.

Xanxus snapped his eyes open and slapped the hand away. He felt disoriented with the room spinning around. He gritted his teeth, trying his best to control his thundering heart. He felt a hand on his back, rubbing firm circles to calm him down.

"That's it. Deep breaths…"

Slowly but surely he felt his eyes and his senses adjust to the surroundings. Was that someone arguing? He blinked when he noticed that it had been the baseball lunatic who had been embracing him all along.

"Ah…feeling all right now?" he smiled down at him, concern evident on his face. He lifted a glass of water to Xanxus' lips which he gratefully took.

"Wh-what happened?" he croaked out, trying to sit up one his own. He looked up just in time to see Tsuna pulling Gokudera and Ryohei away from….Xanxus glared. Rokudo Mukuro.

"YA BASTARD!" he heard Gokudera growl. "How dare ya try and control Juudaime and then use his Will against the gun bastard?!"

"With my trident, of course, Kufufufu…" Mukuro helpfully supplied, humour painting his delicate face. "Besides…" he raised his trident towards them, "I already told you he has to open up or he would be susceptible to manipulation."

"But forcing someone to speak up against their will is plain wrong to the extreme!" Ryohei gritted out.

"Xanxus is not your puppet to play around with!" Tsuna practically screeched in disapproval, shocking the room's occupants. "You don't get to play with emotions like that!" he barked out.

"Juudaime…"

"Tsuna…"

Mukuro, however, had a grim face. "Fine" he announced, turning around in a cloud of mist. "But do remember this Tsunayoshi…" he threw over his shoulders. "Arianna will wait for no one" before leaving them in dreadful silence.

"Arianna…" Gokudera paled. "Did he really say Arianna?"

Tsuna blinked before realizing that he had forgotten to tell them about the encounter he had with the spectral being that tried to harm Xanxu—

Tsuna gasped, remembering the crux of the dilemma and ran towards Xanxus who was leaning against Yamamoto on the floor. Is he hurt? He looks a little pale? Tsuna panicked, kneeling in front of Xanxus and cradling his face in his palms. His skin's cold and clammy and his pupils are dilated…

"Are you alright?!" Tsuna gushed out, deftly ignoring Gokudera's terrified scream and Ryohei's cheers, "Should I call Tou-san? Do you want to lay down a little bit?"

"I-I-I'm al-alr…" Xanxus tried to stutter out through trembling teeth. Of all the people to appear vulnerable in front of, why them…Xanxus bit down on his lips, trying hard to hide his frustration. Tsuna looked at him for a moment before awkwardly letting his face go.

"Um…Sorry about that…Mukuro's just creepy like that sometimes…" Tsuna squeaked out. And when he did meet Xanxus' eyes, all he got was a blank stare. Hieeeeee….! He almost got a heart attack when Xanxus snorted and broke into peals of laughter. Eeeeeh?!

"So, let me get this straight, that makes him quadrant number four, eh?" Xanxus grinned lazily at him, humour dancing in his tired eyes. Gokudera snorted, Yamamoto started to laugh heartily while Ryohei pumped his fist in the air and Tsuna let a lazy grin on his own bloom across his face.


It had been way past midnight when the gang hit the bed with Gokudera and Yamamoto sharing Xanxus' room and Ryohei setting out after a call fron his sister. Tsuna yawned, stretching himself before pulling the blankets around him. It was decidedly cold for a summer night and as much as he tried Tsuna was too nervous of the day's activities to sleep blissfully. Not to mention that he was still a little mad at Mukuro. Xanxus on the other hand…

Tsuna peered through the dark to see Xanxus practically sprawled out on the bed, his t-shirt almost completely on his face and his shorts giving him the barest of modesty; a hand thrown over his eyes and the other one clutching the blanket in a vice-grip. Tsuna frowned, slowly slipping from under the blankets. That wasn't a sign of a peaceful sleep and Xanxus had been mostly nightmare free for the month.

"Mama…" Xanxus sighed happily and rolled to his side, his back to Tsuna.

"Eh?' Tsuna blinked, perplexed. That was new… He usually called for his brothers, his father and sometimes the Varia but never his mother. Tsuna squeaked and froze in mid step when Xanxus abruptly sat up on his bed. Easy there, Tsuna…

He started to tremble in fear when Xanxus slowly turned blazing scarlet eyes towards him. And just like that, Xanxus gave him a serene smile all the while extending his arms towards him. "Welcome back, Mama…" he smiled, slowly slipping out of bed and starting a slow pace towards him. However, instead of embracing Tsuna or climbing into his bed as how it usually happened, he walked past him and towards the door.

"I made dinner. I hope you like it…" Tsuna stared, mouth agape as Xanxus opened and held the door as if letting someone out. Okaay…now I'm definitely calling the others!

He followed Xanxus to the corridor trying discretely to wake Gokudera and Yamamoto with loud knocks to the door all the while keeping an eye on Xanxus.

"Tsu-kun, what are you doing up so late?" Tsuna blinked, turning around to see his perplexed mother a few feet away. Oh no…

"Kaa-san!" Tsuna stuttered. How on earth was he going to explain this to his mom?!

"Did you need something, Tsu-kun?" She smiled at him, oblivious to the turmoil in Tsuna's head. "Did you and Dan-kun come out to get some fresh air?"

Eeeeeh?! Tsuna whipped around when he heard the partition to the balcony open. Hiiiiieeeeeee…! Tsuna started to vigorously knock the door, not noticing it open and Yamamoto giving him an odd look. "Um…Tsuna? Is it morning already?"

Before he could give him a valid reply, Gokudera pushed Yamamoto away and clutched to Tsuna's shoulders. "Juudaime! What's wrong?! Are you hurt? Did someone creep inside the house?!" he wailed, shaking Tsuna desperately.

"Ara? Why is Xanxus leaning over the rails?" Yamamoto questioned, walking towards the rails. "Is someone out there? Perhaps, Squalo!" he chirped and laughed offhandedly.

"Yamamoto-kun…" Tsuna sweat dropped, "Xanxus is sleep walking so be caref —"Tsuna stopped and scrutinized his eyes. He also noticed Yamamoto stop midway.

"Juudaime, do you see what I see?" Gokudera cautiously whispered, shielding Nana behind him. Tsuna had prayed for it to be a trick of his eyes for there, hovering in thin air beside the rails and holding on to Xanxus' arms was the same spectre, its eyes glowing a strange ebony. Tsuna wasted no time to rush past a stunned Yamamoto just as Xanxus cried a blood-curding 'MAMA!' and leapt over the rails, with his arms reaching out.

He heard his mother's terrified scream and a pair of footsteps hurrying towards him. But he had eyes only for Xanxus who hapazardly hung with Tsuna clumsily gripping on to him. "Someone, help!" Tsuna screamed, clutching desperately to Xanxus' ankle. He's slipping, he's slipping…!

"Tsuna!" he felt Yamamoto kneel beside him and lean over to try and reach Xanxus. "I'm almost there, Tsuna!" And that's when he felt a sharp jab in his mind, almost like someone pierced a needle through his forehead. "Let him go, Tsunayoshi" he heard a cold whisper in his ears. Tsuna flinched violently and the momentary loss of concentration had him losing his grip on Xanxus, who descended headfirst towards the pavement. This is not happening!

"XANXUS!" Tsuna screamed and threw himself over the rails, pushing his arms forward to accelerate his fall. He barely reached Xanxus mid-air when he belatedly realized that he had left the pill in his cupboard. Tsuna screeched in terror clutching onto Xanxus shielding him from the fall. He was really gonna die this time.


Tsu-kun! How could you be so reckless?! O0O

Stay tuned!