noun: independence, license to do as one wants

Tsuna stands in the middle of the living room, his back to the front-yard, facing his family. His mom, Bianchi, Kyoko and Haru sit on the couch, his siblings sitting on their lap, while the others are spread in the room. Hayato and Takeshi stand at either side of the couch, Ryohei and Chrome near the wall at either side of the room, while Hibari is at the back, leaning in a corner against the wall. They all have their ring at the ready around their finger, their box weapon on the finger next to it.

Reborn isn't there, or Tsuna can't tell if he is, somewhere out of sight as he listens and watches over them, which he probably is. Mukuro isn't there either, or he can't see him at the very least, but he feels his presence, and it's enough.

They all wear the black suits fitting for the Inheritance Ceremony, fitting for the generations long tradition of Vongola readying themselves to fulfill their duty. It chills Tsuna to see it on his mom and his siblings, on Kyoko, Haru and Bianchi.

They won't come with them, but they insisted on wearing it anyway for emotional support, because they're all in this together even if they can't all be physically present.

Tsuna faces his family, solemn faces looking back at him, waiting for him to speak.

"We're going to the Inheritance Ceremony, but we're not going for the ceremony. Is everyone okay with that?" Tsuna looks at his Guardians each in turn, searching for any ounce of doubt, any ounce of reluctance. He needs them to be there to keep up the act until the last second, but he won't force them to come all the same. He finds nothing, and nods. "Even if you'll be there, you won't have to do anything. And to be honest with you, I don't want you to do anything. I can do everything by myself."

"No way," Hayato says without missing a beat, his voice quiet, but strong, firm, evidently brokering no argument.

"No way, Sawada," Ryohei echoes, much in the same tone as Hayato. "This is something we all extremely have to do with our own hands too."

Chrome shakes her head. "You couldn't do it all by yourself, Bossu."

"I'll find a way," Tsuna says, even as he knows she's right. But he has to let them know they can let themselves not want to get their hands dirty, because he'll still find a way to make it work by himself alone. He will.

"Tsuna." Takeshi walks forwards, a gentle smile on his lips, gentler eyes looking at him. He cups his face, softly brushes his hair out of the way, then plants a long, lingering kiss on his forehead. Tsuna lets himself falter, exhaling a shaky breath. He leans against Takeshi, and wraps his arms around his back only once Takeshi wraps his around his shoulders, threading his hand in his hair. He rests his head on top of his. "I'll never let you bear that burden alone again."

Tsuna swallows thickly, tightening his hold on Takeshi, and allows himself to let Takeshi be the one keeping him steady and upwards for just a moment. His relationship with all of them has changed in the future, has grown stronger where it matters, closer, but there's now a distance between him and some of them he's been trying to close ever since they've come back in their time, a strain between them they're tentatively trying to overcome.

But Takeshi and him have only grown closer to each other, their relationship growing stronger out of it, blinding trust between them like never before, even if Takeshi's the one with the most reasons to resent him. Tsuna doesn't think he deserves it, but he's incredibly grateful and relieved for it all the same, and he lets himself shake in the safety of his arms, lets himself dread what's to come.

He pulls away first, a fond smile on his lips knowing Takeshi would have held him there all day waiting for his cue. Takeshi grins, and kisses the crown of his head before stepping back.

Tsuna catches Hibari's eye, and the almost offended look on his face is all there needs to be said between them. He smiles, flicking his eyes over to his mom and siblings, to Kyoko and Haru, careful not to look too closely at them.

They don't know the details of what will take place at the ceremony, but it still worries them, terrifies them. They'd like to, maybe, surely, but even if Tsuna and the others have been keeping them in the known since the future, since he's told his mom, surely they can still spare them the worst of it.

Tsuna's terrified that if he looks into their eyes too long he'll tell them everything, or worse, will make them promises he can't know for sure he'll be able to keep, even if he has every intention to.

"Lambo-san wants to come too." Lambo's voice is almost as still as he sits on Haru's lap, as bland as his face. They catch each other's eye, and his boundless, passionate energy sparks to life again. "Lambo-san wants to come too!" He jumps down from Haru's lap, then runs to him. "Lambo-san is a Guardian too, he's strong and he can fight too!"

Tsuna kneels in front of him, and Lambo latches on his thigh. "Lambo—"

"Lambo-san can help Tsuna-nii too," he pleads, tears in his eyes. "He can help protect everyone too."

Tsuna softly puts his hand on his head. "You'll help me so much more if you stay here, Lambo."

Lambo's face falls, hurt twisting the features of his face, and Tsuna's heart clenches. "Tsuna-nii—Tsuna-nii thinks Lambo-san is useless too."

"That's not true at all," Tsuna says fiercely, scooping him up in his arms. He sits cross-legged on the floor, and holds him close against his chest, running a soothing hand up and down his back. "But you're five years old, Lambo, you're a child. There're things you can do, and things you should never have to do. Do you understand?" He marks a pause, but didn't expect Lambo to answer. "This isn't against you either, I won't bring I-Pin-chan or Fuuta either, even if I'm sure they'd like to come too." Lambo still says nothing, his face buried in his chest, sniffling. "And you staying here won't be you doing nothing. You'll actually do something so important for me, for all of us."

"What…?"

Tsuna pulls him back, settling him on his crossed legs. He gently dries his tears with his sleeve, then smiles. "You'll stay safe, which means I'll be able—we will all be able to keep ourselves even more safe, and make even more sure we all come back to you. And you do know how important it is for me that you're safe, don't you? How it makes me stronger?"

"Really?"

Tsuna cups his face, making sure they look into each other's eyes. "Of course. Really."

"Okay," Lambo says, nodding. "Then I do know. Lambo-san knows everything."

Tsuna laughs, along with some of the others, and Lambo grins. "Will you stay here for me, then, Lambo? Watch over Mama and the others while we're gone?"

Lambo climbs down his legs to stand on the floor, and scrubs his face off any tear Tsuna might have missed. He stands tall, strong. "I will, so you won't have to worry, Tsuna-nii." He holds on his ring around his neck, hesitates a moment, but his decided look takes over his face again. He takes his necklace off, puts his ring in Tsuna's hand, then curls his fingers over it, squeezing them. "So you can all be stronger. The strongest."

Tsuna puts his hand on top of his, and squeezes back. "Thank you, Lambo."

Lambo grins again, bright and big. He runs back to Haru, a spring to his steps, and Tsuna stands, smiling at his back. A flicker of Mist flames, and Lambo's ring disappears from inside his hand.

"Okay," he says, taking his family in again. "Then—"

"Tsuna," his mom says, despite herself it seems, because she immediately winces, pursing his lips. She reluctantly pushes through, standing up, and comes stand in front of him. "Do come back to us, alright?" She busies her hands with adjusting his clothes, maybe hoping it'll hide their slight tremor, keeping her eyes focused on her task. "Even if it doesn't go the way you want it to, even if it goes terribly, even if you fail, just—just come back to us. Come back to me. Do you think… do you think you can make this the thing that matters the most?"

"Of course, Mom—" He reaches up to hold her shoulders, but his mom shakes her head, keeping her eyes down.

"Your dad will be there too, won't he?" Tsuna tenses, his hands falling back at his sides. His mom stills, her hands holding onto his jacket. "I know—no, that's not true," she says, shaking her head again. "I don't actually know how... distant you feel from your dad, but, Tsuna, the one thing I know with absolute certainty is that he does love you. He cares about you. And he might not make the right choice today, or the one you'd want him to make, but I know he won't go against you. So…" She looks up into his eyes then, and she's teary eyed. "Try not to end up doing anything you'll both regret, okay? Both of you, but your dad isn't here, so I have to let it up to you. Just try, okay? I'm not asking you for anything more."

"Mom," Tsuna almost pleads, squeezing her wrists tight. Her hands still shake, and he hates seeing her like this, hates when she sounds like this. "You don't have to say it like that, don't have to ask me that at all. He's still my dad after all."

His mom nods, giving him a tight smile that looks nothing like a smile. She cradles his face between her hands, gently strokes his hair, his features, her eyes roaming over his face. A ghost of a smile pulls at her lips, and it looks proud, bitter, pained. "I've missed on a lot, didn't I? Let a lot happen to you, content in my bubble full of ignorance. Even long before Reborn-san showed up on our doorstep too."

"Mom, don't—"

"It's okay. It's—" she purses her lips, then breathes in deeply, and breathes out as she softens her face from the shame, and guilt, and pain. "I know I have no right to stand here right now, asking you this, but you're—you're my baby boy." She laughs, but it sounds more like a sob. "My little Tsu-kun. And you're always going to be my baby boy no matter what, so I can't not stand here and ask you this, even if I don't get to." Her hands still at either side of his face, her eyes looking deep into his. "Come back to me, Tsuna. Even if you fail, even if the whole world is out to get you as you do. Come back to me, no matter what. Promise me." Tsuna averts his eyes, leaning into her touch. He squeezes her hands, tight, tight, tight, hoping that if he holds them strongly enough they might stop shaking. "Tsuna. Promise me."

Tsuna pulls her into a hug without a word, holding on tight.

The last thing he wants is to make promises he can't know for sure he'll be able to keep.

A/N: I'll admit I'm the first one to be filled with unreasonable rage at some of the things Nana did in canon, but I also think there's legitimate room in canon for her to redeem herself in Tsuna's eyes, and put in the work to become a mom who actually supports him in his times of need (and at all times too), and that Tsuna knows he can trust her and rely on her. And I think it's a bit of a shame she isn't given that chance often in fics.

I'm so soft and weak for Tsuna & Takeshi. They're such an underrated pairing (either platonic or romantic) but so wholesome together. I love them a lot.

Next chapter you get part two of Tsuna & Reborn talk! Are you excited for it?

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Any and all review are appreciated.

Thank you for reading!

- Hope

Answers to Guests' Comments:

Mori: oh love the way you put it. it all really comes down to nana having become blinded with her idea of a perfect, happy family, and her specifically being already content with the way things were, she missed all the obvious signs tsuna, in fact, wasn't all that happy. but yes, she's always loved him deeply nonetheless, and now she finally opened her eyes she'll try to be and do better. thank you for your comment!