noun: companionship

The bullet goes through his forehead, knocking his head back, and his body slacks against his chair. Before the dark really settles in, Tsuna wonders if this is it, if it's the last bullet Reborn will shoot him with. He wonders, because he does know who Reborn is, and doesn't care to shy away from what it means, from what it could mean one day for even him.

A fierce, bright orange spark lights the dark, bursts into ever-growing flames burning the dark away. They burn him to nothingness, but burn him to life again at the same time, and Tsuna follows their warmth, their pull, their life to rise again, pushing through his own body, his clothes tearing apart. "REBORN!" he shouts, standing, warm even as he only wears his boxer. He stands, alive, and it's everything there needs to be said between them from Reborn to him. "I will convince Reborn that I can be his home too with my Dying Will! Reborn!" he calls out, outstretching his arm in a determined gesture, his hand open wide, his palm facing the ceiling. He says nothing else.

Reborn doesn't even spare a glance to his hand, keeps his eyes in his. His face is blank, unreadable. "Do you even hear yourself? Don't insult me thinking you can make a home last for me." His voice is poised, quiet compared to Tsuna's loud, passionate one, almost unbothered. He emits such heavy pressure all the same, suffocating, wanting Tsuna to crumble under it. Tsuna doesn't falter, doesn't back down an inch. He wouldn't have even if he wasn't in Dying Will mode. "Do you even realize the implications of making me such an offer? The things you will have to do to stay true to that offer? The things you will have to overlook, to actively participate in?" Tsuna says nothing, doesn't need to when it's all questions Reborn already knows the answers of. Reborn smirks. He holsters his gun, and crosses his arms on his chest. He still has to look at his hand. "Big talk, Dame-Tsuna. You want to wash your hands off all of this, seems to truly believe you'll be able to, or are ready to do what it'll take to make it work at the very least, and what? You're willing to risk it all for the World's Greatest Hitman?"

"I don't care for the World's Greatest Hitman!" Tsuna says then, has to spell it out loud for him. Reborn knows parts of him better than anyone else, but has never bothered to look at the rest of him long enough to understand just what it means that it's these parts that makes Tsuna who he is at his core. Why would he have? He's been sent to him to shape him in one specific way, for one specific purpose, and a professional like him wouldn't have let himself be distracted by things he didn't have the need off. He's looking at them now, and Tsuna has to make him understand. "Reborn, you mean much more to me than your title. And I'll risk everything I need to keep you by my side just like with the others."

If you let me, he doesn't say, but he knows it's heard.

Reborn's smirk widens, sharper, his eyes assessing. "I am the World's Greatest Hitman, though."

"And I'll give a home to that side of you too," Tsuna says easily, doesn't have to think about it.

If you let me, he still doesn't say, but it's heard even louder.

And even if he doesn't, at the very least he hopes he won't make it harder for him to keep safe the ones who've let him. Tsuna likes to think he's earned that much, means that much.

Reborn laughs. It's as composed as everything he ever does, so it's merely chuckles tumbling from his lips as he grins, his eyes crinkled at the corners, ever so intent on him. But as composed as it is he unmistakably sounds like pure delight, his eyes lit up in glee. It's foreboding, but decidedly impressed, praising, and warm spreads in Tsuna's chest.

"So you are as selfish and greedy as every man who's ever graced this earth," he says, his words like velvet, sounding so very pleased. "Having been the one to bring your potential to light, to make sure it'd shine to its brightest, you'd become magnificent in all your monstrosity, if only you'd care even the slightest for the power handed to you on a silver splatter." Tsuna's still offering his hand, and Reborn has still to look at it, but it doesn't matter now. "How easier would it be for you to give in, isn't that right? But you won't, and this accomplishment is all yours. You've come a long way, Tsuna."

Reborn openly glows with pride, and this pride Tsuna lets himself glow under, soaks it up until he's filled to the brim with it.

Reborn jumps on his hand, then on the floor, and Tsuna's Dying Will flickers out.

"Reborn!" he blurts out after him, relief washing over him, happiness bubbling in his chest.

"Don't get your hopes up, we still have much to talk about."

He grabs the first clothes he finds in his wardrobe and throws them square in his face without looking. Tsuna gingerly puts them on, then sits in front of him on the floor, cross-legged the way Reborn is.

Reborn is serious once more, but this time not in a hostile way. "If we're going to have this conversation, you'll have to be honest with me. You owe me that much, don't you?"

Tsuna nods. "But only if you can promise me loyalty in exchange. I've earned that much, haven't I?"

Reborn smirks. "Fair enough." He nods, but seemingly to himself, his smirk falling from his lips. "You don't want to become Vongola Decimo."

"I've never wanted to," Tsuna says, shaking his head.

Reborn huffs, rolling his eyes. "Don't I know that."

Tsuna smiles. "I won't become Vongola Decimo."

"You don't want to become Vongola Decimo," Reborn corrects him sharply, foreboding, warning him. "You may or may not plan to do something about that, but the fact you don't want to is the only wish of yours you have control on, a say on. Don't make the mistake to think otherwise."

Tsuna marks a pause, to let Reborn know he's heard him and he'll heed his advice, but still. "I will do something about that."

"You will, won't you?"

"I will."

"Lambo, Fuuta and I-Pin are all mafia." Tsuna flinches, and scolds himself to have reacted just the way Reborn wanted to. It's a low blow—no, no, it isn't. It's honest, and Tsuna does have to look at it in the face. "So is Gokudera and Mukuro. And Mukuro at the very least I'm sure won't change his ways."

"That's not the point of this at all," Tsuna says firmly, shaking his head. "I don't expect any of them to, and would never ask them to. I just want them to have a way out—want all of us to have one. I want them to have the choice."

"Let's say you give it to them, then, to all of you. It'll come with a price."

"I know."

"You'll pay it?"

"I will."

"No matter how high the price might end up being?"

Tsuna falters, misses a beat. "I don't know."

"Don't you? Or is it you won't tell me?"

"I—" Which is it? Tsuna instinctively searches Reborn's face for a nudge in the right direction, the trust he needs to take the last step he knows he has to take. Of course he doesn't find any of it, not now. He breathes in deeply, steadying himself. "Even if I already knew, I don't think I would have told you."

"Good," Reborn says, almost smiling, but he doesn't let himself. "Because I may not have laid my loyalty to Vongola per se, but fact is I've guaranteed them no reasons to doubt their trust in me. Fact is also that if I'm here at all it's because I agreed to the job they offered me. And I have my pride as a mafiosi, my pride as a hitman. And my pride means everything to me."

Tsuna looks down, wringing his fingers together. "I know."

"Dino is mafia too," Reborn says after a beat. "So is Fon. Will I-Pin have to say goodbye to her master forever? Iemitsu is mafia too."

"Stop it," Tsuna snaps, anger flaring. He catches his eye again. "Just tell me what you're trying to say."

"Nothing much," Reborn dismisses with an easy smile, as if they don't both know he's about to push the knife in deeper, "I'm just saying. You want to turn your back on the mafia, but want to cheery-pick the things you like first to take with you. It's not so righteous a decision anymore that way, is it?"

"So what are you saying?" Tsuna grits through his teeth.

"You do owe Vongola so much, Tsuna."

"So what if I do?" Tsuna shouts, leaning forwards, almost sitting on his knees. "Haven't I given enough in exchange for them? Lost enough of myself in exchange for them? Yes, I will take them with me if they let me, so what of it?"

"You'll take what they've given to you…"

"And make sure they can't take it back," Tsuna finishes solemnly, promises, threatens. He recoils, falling back on his backside, his breath caught in his throat. He widens his eyes in surprise, but he finds not in fear of what he's just said, not in horror.

Will he?

[He will. He has to.]

Reborn's face is knowing. "Will you pay the price, no matter how high it ends up being?"

Tsuna settles himself back on the floor, his hands on his lap, looking down. He says nothing.

[He has to. It's the only way they'll really get away from the mafia. The only way them getting away from the mafia will mean anything at all, will be worth trying.]

"I see. Thank you for your honesty."

"What about you?" Tsuna hurries to say before the moment passes, snapping his head up. "What about us, Reborn? Where… are we now?"

Reborn stands, the smirk Tsuna's gotten used to since he came in his life on his lips, and for a moment he lets himself believe they've just finished one of his hellish tutoring session. "Fact is also that you're my student, and it comes with implied guarantees I've agreed to give to you. My job is to mentor your growth, but it has never been my place to do the work for you. I'll see the path you decide to take to the end, Tsuna. Right now, it's the only thing I can give you with absolute certainty."

"Will you?" Tsuna can't help but ask. He promised Reborn his honesty, but Reborn only promised his loyalty in exchange.

"Don't you dare think you can insult my work ethics, Dame-Tsuna."

Tsuna laughs, some tension seeping away from his body. "But will you, Reborn? What if the path I'll take will make you want to do more than seeing it?"

"Then we'll both have to take it in stride, won't we? If the student deems himself ready to act on his own, then it's the teacher's right to treat him as an equal, isn't it?"

Tsuna doesn't like the sound of that much, but it is. He nods. "Fair enough."

Reborn raises his eyebrow. "Will it be? Don't flatter yourself in such an unbelievable way."

Tsuna laughs again, more lighthearted than before, more genuine. Reborn tips his fedora to shadow his eyes, smirking. He walks forwards, is about to walk past him, but then pauses, putting his hand on his thigh.

Tsuna's laughter dies in his throat, his stomach twisting in apprehension.

"Should you fail," Reborn starts, "whatever it'll mean, I hope you know they will not let you die. They'll put you on that throne, and… Tsuna, it doesn't have to be as bad as it will be then."

Tsuna shakes his head, even as Reborn resolutely looks forwards, his eyes still shadowed by his fedora. "Whatever the way I'll end up on that throne, it will be bad for me. For all of us. And at the very least I have to try to not let it happen."

"I see," Reborn says, nodding once, but he needs a moment then before he removes his hand. He reaches for the letter in his jacket Tsuna had almost forgotten. "Then you want to read this."

A/N: Friendly reminder this is what happens right after chapter 13! All chapters 14 to 18 take place after this one.

Here's part 2 of chapter 13! What do you think? Writing it I was a bit afraid I wouldn't manage to get it on the same level as part 1, that it'll end up underwhelming compared to it, especially after I left it on that end note lol, but you know what? I'm super happy and satisfied with it. Which has a lot to do with Soukoku_luv, who gave me the idea of making the bullet Reborn shoots at Tsuna a Dying Will bullet! I originally planned to go with something else, but this allowed me to go for what I was going for in an even better way, so thank you for that.

I'll say too that canon!Reborn? Tbh if he were in the same position as this Reborn, I wholeheartedly believe he'd drop Tsuna like a hot potato without a second thought and would never look back lol. But in this verse Tsuna & Reborn have genuine care for each other outside their student & tutor relationship, enough of it that it was worth for Tsuna to take a shot asking Reborn to consider remaining on his side. So he did.

Only one last chapter to go guys! ! ! And I'm so nervous if I'm being honest, because I really think it'll be hit or miss. Like, either you'll think it's just the natural conclusion of the story, or you're currently expecting something else entirely, and will feel like the last chapter came out of nowhere. I mean, I personally am super happy with it, and super excited to give it to you despite the nervousness, but, well, you know. (I'M SO NERVOUS.)

On that note, what do you think will happen in the last chapter? I'm like, so curious about any speculations you might have, however vague or whatnot, please guys, I'm dying to know zdsffsdfds.

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

Thank you for reading!

- Hope