A/N:

I own the OC supposed guardians. Thank you.

Anyway, go on.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Tsuna stepped out of the car, eyes straight to the opened door in front of him. He was presentable even after the long flight. The people who welcomed him felt worried though. Cause despite the presentable attire, the tired aura and lifeless eyes that pours endless tears reflect so much pain that kills them as they watched him stride towards the mansion.

Iemitsu, who was grinning like a mad dog, stopped on his tracks and stared at his dazed son as his smile wiped off from his lips. He hasn't seen him like this. Since teen, he hadn't seen Tsuna cry or gave a sad expression. So he thought of the most thinkable thing to do. The remedy of one Tsunayoshi Sawada and Nana Sawada.

Hug his son as a comfort.

"Eh? Dad? When did you came here?" The brunet asked in a surprised voice. "Oh. And I'm home."

"Hmm... Just let your father hug you a little more." Iemitsu said in a small voice.

"Oh. Sure." Tsuna replied as he hugged back. "Eh? Why is my cheeks wet?"

"Maybe it was raining?"

"But I'm not wet! And the sky is clear!"

Iemitsu smiled. "Then someone splashed some water on you while you were idling." He looked at his son when the latter didn't answer. He sweatdropped as he stared at his reconsidering child. "I was kidding."

Tsuna grinned mischievously. "I know."

The father locked his son into an one arm hug around the neck and gave a noogie. "You little cheeky-"

The whole mansion heard the Decimo's merry laugh. The ones near them watched as the two Sawadas laugh and banter with one another. The tears were wiped off, the lifeless eyes and tired aura remained though. The brunet is suffering a heartache. Maybe its reason is the absence of his friends.

The others sighed as they felt the sky flames tingle their flames, making them feel at home but not harmonizing them. Just securing them.

"Eh? Where's Franco?" Tsuna asked as he looked around.

"He went home, Decimo." Frances answered from his spot by the sides. "His wife is sick."

"Oh. Can we ready the car then? I want to visit them." Tsuna questioned.

"Sure." Frances responded positively.

"I'll get some med in the clinic!" A mafioso offered as he ran without any affirmation.

"Thanks Leo!" Tsuna tried to bid.

Leo stopped on his tracks and saluted before running again.

Iemitsu slung an arm around his son's shoulder. "You're really loved, Tsuna."

"Hmm... Yeah. And I love my famiglia too." Tsuna answered.

But the brunet's father didn't miss the mourn in his eyes despite the smile.

Tsuna sighed as he stood up from his seat. It was already nine-fifty-five in the morning. He has a meeting with the Ninth and guardians. And he honestly doesn't want to face them.

As he strode in the hallway leisurely, he strayed his eyes on the carpeted floor. It's been a week... Since he left them. He misses them already. His noisy world became quiet like it was when he didn't meet them yet. But he did the right thing.

It was the right decision.

Right?

He rubbed his hands on his face. He really needs to steel himself. He can't be wimpy again. He can never be a crybaby again or the useless Tsuna he was. He has a famiglia to protect and many people that believes in him.

He took a deep breath as he approached the door and let the air in his lungs go as he opened it. But immediately, his breath hitched. Inside the room, there are six people sitting with the Ninth generation guardians. He cussed under his breath like how Hayato, Kyouya and Takeshi do when they feel something will go wrong whenever his intuition tweaked him painfully.

He could've followed his intuition when it said he can't go.

"Ah! Tsuna!" One acknowledged.

Tsuna steeled himself like he promised to himself. He chose this. There's no turning back, so he smiled as usual. "Hey Basil. Nice seeing you here. How's CEDEF?"

"Ah! Master is doing nice. And I'm here with him." Basil replied as he stood up while Tsuna closed the door.

"Basil-"

The man pulled the chair. "It is only right for me to pull a chair for you, Tsuna. You are the Vongola Decimo."

Tsuna could only sigh before smiling at Basil and patted him in the shoulder. "Thank you. And we're friends, Basil. No need to be formal or uptight."

Basil beamed. "I know you'll say that."

Tsuna sat and looked at Nono who was smiling, clearly pleased with the interaction between him and Basil. "So I presume they're the ones you picked, Nono."

"Hmm..." Nono nodded.

"They were the ones who was qualified to be your guardians, Tsunayoshi." Coyote informed.

Tsuna looked at Ganauche and Visconti who gave him an apologizing gaze. Even Croquant gave an apologizing nod. 'Of course. They knew what happened anyway.'

"Introduce yourselves." Brabanters Schnitten, the Ninth's rain, said to the others.

"I'm Echizen Miyamura. An actor. I have mist flames." A man with black shaggy hair introduced.

"Osamo Hitori, an ex-soldier. Cloud." A bald man with fit body goaded with his eyes averted elsewhere.

A man with pink hair laughed. "Come on, Osamo. No need to be grumpy. Hi! I'm Yeok Lee, I'm a social worker, a sun flame user."

"Shut up, Yeok." A man with so many tattoos chided.

"Haruko." Echizen sighed. "Just let Yeok do his thing."

Haruko huffed. "I'm Haruko Satomi. Storm."

"Theodore Smith, painter, lightning." A man with long brown hair introduced.

"I'm Basil, a member of CEDEF, a rain." Basil, a blond man, introduced himself.

"Tsunayoshi Sawada." Tsuna said slowly with a hidden grimace despite the smile plastered on his lips. "Sky guardian, the future Vongola Decimo."

Ganauche winced while Visconti puffed a frustrated breath and Croquant closed his eyes. Tsuna knew they tried to find someone else, but Ninth's orders are absolute. So he technically understands. The only problem is he knew them. These people they took. They were those who rejected him. They were the ones who made him an abandoned sky.

Tsuna sighed for the nth time before standing up. Nono stared at him in surprise, but he only smiled. He really adores his grandpa. He knew the latter just wants to do what he thinks is best for him. He can't blame him for anything since he has done the same thing.

"I..." Tsuna put a hand on his right wrist. They started to itch under the bandage. "Know them, Nono."

"Know?" Nie asked, a little confused.

"Yes. We were schoolmates in Namimori, Japan." Tsuna looked at the elements he willingly let go. "So there's no need for us to... Bond in a way."

Coyote looked at his other fellow Ninth generation guardians, and saw the conflicted looks on three of them. "Are you sure, Tsunayoshi?"

Tsuna almost stepped back at the question, but he responded still. "Yes, Sir Coyote."

"I-I think you should take care of that, Tsunayoshi." Nie considers as well when he saw the brunet fidgeting.

"I'll accompany you." Basil offered.

Tsuna nodded solemnly. "Thanks Basil."

Nono looked at the youths in front of him as the door closed behind Basil. They seem to care less about the new information given to the ninth generation. He watched as Schnitten ushered the remaining youngsters out of the room and instructed them to look around and don't get into trouble.

"I told you it wasn't a good idea to pick them." Ganauche voiced out.

"We don't have a choice. We couldn't find people who have pure flames." Visconti responded as he crossed his arms.

"What are you two talking about?" Coyote questioned.

Croquant sighed. "Remember what happened five years ago? When Tsunayoshi went here for his birthday celebration?"

"He was unbalanced." Nono recalled.

"Those people we took as his guardians were those who abandoned him." Ganauche explained further. "They left him when they were halfway harmonized."

The remaining ones, who didn't know the whole story, stared at him in surprise and horror.

"Why didn't you say so?" Schnitten asked incredulously.

Visconti raised an eyebrow at their way. "Just when did you give Tsunayoshi some consideration except now? If Nie didn't know his condition, Tsuna would've broke down right in front of us."

Coyote, Nie and Schnitten clammed up.

"Does he do self harm?" Nono asked.

Nie's lip twitched. "No. But he does cut his arm shallowly just to feel pain. According to Hayato, he does it when he feels so overwhelmed with negative emotions and when he can't feel pain."

"Hayato..." Nono uttered softly. "Hayato Gokudera, I presume?"

"Yes." Croquant affirmed. "It was a waste that Tsunayoshi didn't proposed them as his guardians."

The others stared.

"They were harmonized." Ganauche elaborated again. "The last one who got harmonized with him was the powerful sun who helped him. Not only to Tsunayoshi, but to all of them."

"If I have to rate, those friends of Tsunayoshi are much stronger than those we took. Far more respectable and noble like. And believe it or not, if you make them seat in a couch, you'll see the resemblance of the first generation in them." Visconti extolled.

Schnitten and Nono looked at each other.

"And with them, they could settle Tsunayoshi's worries and insecurities at bay." Croquant added on. "If they were here, Tsunayoshi will never cut himself. He promised them to never do it, not unless necessary."

"Well, this news to him needs some cut." Ganauche pitched before standing up. "I'll check on him. Won't want to have a dead Decimo. Surely, the whole Vongola family will kill those new guardians if they do not like their personalities."

They watched the lightning went out of the room.

"I'll..." Nono kneaded his temples in resignation. "Let's just wait. My intuition is telling me that things will turn out okay. Just make Tsuna a little comfortable. Especially you, Coyote."

"Nono-"

"It's not bad to expect that high. But Tsunayoshi has been doing his best and done all of the things we could've done all by himself."

"I know." The storm assent. "I'll look for ways to make him comfortable until he's okay again."

Nono smiled before exhaling as he felt the static like flame of Tsuna. He just hope his grandson get his happiness he really deserves.

"Sempai-"

"We're home!" Ryohei shouted as he opened the door, a hand gripping the scruff of Takeshi's shirt.

"What happened?" Takeshi questioned as they stared at the thrashed apartment.

"Ah! Octopus head!" Ryohei yelled and stomped towards the disoriented silveret who was sleeping on the carpet. "Wake up you octopus! We need to go to Tsuna!"

"Eh?" Three voices blurted.

Ryohei nodded. "Where is Kyouya? We can't go without him!"

"What's the use? Tenth doesn't want us." Hayato grumbled.

"Idiot! Do you really think Tsuna will leave us with that kind of thinking? If he really did, he will tell us straight to our faces instead of sneaking out in the middle of the night!"

Lambo, who went out of his room, gulped. "S-So Tsuna-nii didn't leave us because he hates us?"

"No! Think about it, he was really happy when we celebrated his birthday. And he's a future boss! He'll think of complicated things just to keep us safe!" Ryohei further explained.

"Are you telling the truth?" They all looked at the door where Kyouya was, while Mukuro materialized beside Chrome.

"You know, we haven't inspected Tsunayoshi's room." Mukuro pointed out. "He might've left something for us."

Hayato scrabbled up and ran towards his boss's room. They followed and saw the pianist sitting on the bed with a letter in hand. He opened the folded paper and skimmed the content.

"I'm sorry." Hayato read out loud, eyes skimming the contents of the letter. "I left early because I couldn't say good bye. I know you'll be angry if I tell you that I'm going to go to Italy because of the inheritance ceremony that will happen in three weeks after my birthday. I'm also coming back to see my guardians hand picked by Nono. I sincerely apologize for leaving you all behind without saying even a small farewell. But I'm very thankful to spend my remaining time being unbounded with you guys.

"Hayato, please take care of them. Don't make Lambo cry, or make Takeshi fake smiles. The latter might try batting or throwing balls, and he'll injure his arm. Don't let Kyouya and Mukuro fight. Always let Chrome eat plenty of food. And try not to argue with Onii-san even though I know it's your way of getting close to each other. And take care of yourself. Don't get sick and always smile.

"I hope we meet again. And we'll still be friends even though I did the most unforgivable thing in the world. Keeping you safe isn't the best reason but I hope you'll understand someday. PS. Call Hana when you have problems dealing with them. She's really good at knocking sense in people."

"Good grief. He left us behind yet he still considered our well being. How selfish can you get, Tsunayoshi?" Mukuro spat, glaring at a spot.

Hayato covered his eyes with a hand while the letter dangled on the other.

"Nii-san..." Lambo stated as he hugged Tsuna's blanket. "Is probably heartless right now."

"Why?" Takeshi queried.

"Because he left his heart here." A new female voice answered instead. Hana stood in the middle of the living room. "Tsunayoshi only left you, and the house is alread thrashed. Just how monkey can you five get?"

"It was Bakadera who thrashed the house." Lambo plaint.

"Shut up, Stupid Cow."

"Bleh."

Hana sighed. "I'm sorry about the apartment, Gamma-san. As you can see, the guardians of the sky are grieving because he left them without saying goodbye."

"It isn't that shallow!" Ryohei argued.

"If only you took action immediately then you could've gone to Italy already!" Hana rebutted.

"No. We're not going to Italy without any plan." Kyouya professed as he leaned by the door.

"We're going to crush the inheritance ceremony?" Takeshi asked with an excited smile.

"I like that." Chrome seconded as she smiled ghastly. "Let's take the title from those supposed guardians."

"Ah. So Tsunayoshi's guardians are vicious as Boss predicted." A blond with a hair combed back commented as he entered the vicinity. He is wearing a black suit and looked so pristine despite the relaxed state he is in.

"Gamma of Giglio Nero." Hayato acknowledged as he stood up.

"Hayato. Good to see you. And Ryohei." Gamma mused. "I'm here as an order from Aria Giglio Nero. She needs you in Italy, specifically in Vongola for the sake of Tsunayoshi's sanity. Currently, the people who the Ninth had found as his guardians are those who left him behind five years ago."

"What?!" Most of them hollered.

"To summarize, Tsunayoshi's mental and emotional state are at stake in here. And now that he also left you, his burden stacked up."

"Fuck. He's gonna cut himself." Mukuro muttered under his breathe. All of them tensed up.

"How did Tsuna knew your famiglia?" Takeshi asked.

"Didn't you know? It was him who saved the arcobalenos from their curse, saved Byakuran Gesso from his insanity, settled the conflict between the Vongola and Simon famiglia, and made Xanxus and the Ninth's relationship okay again." Gamma smiled in admiration as he remembered the small brunet. "Tsunayoshi Sawada is an amazing person. He can change the whole world if he can. The question is... Are you as amazing as he is?"

"I'm not." They all answered, causing them to glance at each other.

"I'm not as amazing as Tenth. Like what you said, he can change the whole world if he wants. I can't even save people nor get them together like how he did with us. All I want is to be his storm guardian who he can be his confidant anytime, someone he can ask about something without putting it as a favor. I want to be the Tenth's storm who relentlessly attacks those who wants to destroy our family, but comes home safely as what he wishes." Hayato justified.

"I will never." Takeshi responded. "Tsuna is amazing for who he is. He can inspire people even when he's degrading himself. The way he takes care of others is amazing as it is. And I'm not like that. I'm just an idol who tries to please others. I'm just one of those people he was able to convince to do something I love. And I won't be here if it wasn't for him. I won't be as calm as the pouring rain if it wasn't for his help."

"I tried picturing myself as someone as amazing as him, but I couldn't." Lambo answered with his head bowed. "Tsuna-nii is someone who never gives up and always tries even though he knew his effort may or may not bear fruit. I'm not someone like that. I give up easily. I don't have that kind of will that persevere even when everyone already left me. But I want to be someone who can walk alongside an amazing person. To protect such will. Be the lightning who can defend him anytime he's vulnerable so no one can break that kind of perseverance."

"We will forever be in debts of Tsunayoshi." Mukuro said as he held Chrome's hand. "I won't be alive if he didn't give me his gift. I won't be here if he didn't accept me. If he didn't plan to destroy the mafia for their stupid superiority complex. Ken and Chikusa could've died if it wasn't for him."

"Boss is someone who should be looked up too and looked after. He's broken but breathing. Broken yet functioning. That's already a feat for someone like me who was abandoned. And I want to protect him for that. I want to protect the person who gave me a family to belong to. Because Mukuro-sama and I will never function as we are if it wasn't for his kindness and we will gladly deceive and destroy anyone who will try to destroy Tsunayoshi Sawada."

"Sawada gave me reason to heal when I wanted to destroy." Ryohei said without his usual catchphrase. "He gave me my sister when I was searching for her and Hana to remind me that I'm not alone. He proved to me that not all mafia family are bad. I can't be as amazing as he is, but I want to shine in my own way in his own sky."

They all looked at Kyouya who didn't say anything.

"He's my sky." Kyouya said simply. "An omnivore who doesn't like to fight, but he will if it's a must. The only person who will let me drift in his life without asking me something in return."

Gamma can't help himself from laughing before he smiled. "So how do you plan on crashing the inheritance party?"

The tenth Vongola guardians smiled wickedly.