Daily Life Arc: 2nd Year of Middle School

Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn.

Reborn had to admit, he was mildly impressed.

The girl had the qualities to face a crisis and not be overwhelmed by emotions – it was a trait that would be useful in the long run, Reborn thought to himself. The other members of Tsuna's Family were brash and hasty – it was a quality shared by all youth after all but it seemed Mia wasn't all like that. She was calm and rational when needed. In time she'll grow to be a level-headed person. Her adaptive nature would get them out of a cinch if he wasn't around – he was sure of it, no, he was counting on it.

When he saw the two gangsters in the small room, he was intrigued by the injuries they sustained. She didn't use a pipe that was obvious enough. After searching the whole floor, he found a frying pan under the couch that matched with the injuries on the two. With his investigation coming to an end, he met with the rest outside. Dino was talking to Tsuna and the others, explaining who exactly he was and his relationship with Reborn.

"Eh?! You were Reborn's previous student?" Tsuna gaped.

Dino nodded. "If it wasn't for Reborn I wouldn't have turned into the fine man I am today!"

Mia was scrutinizing him shrewdly from her spot, leaning against Dino's car. Reborn watched as Tsuna would occasionally glance at Mia; see her smiling and just content where she was. God, watching these two were so frustrating. They were so sweet it gave him cavity and a hitman never has cavities.

He jumped and sat on Mia's shoulder, to her surprise. Reborn poked her bruised cheek and tsked when she winced.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Reborn?" Tsuna demanded.

The hitman ignored him. "We'll need to work on your skills, you got potential." In his roundabout way, it meant that it was his way for apologizing for earlier – at least that's how she interpreted it. A teasing smirk played on her smile.

"Improvisation is a skill? Always thought it was ability," she said.

"Brat, once I'm through with you let's see how your 'ability' holds." Mia frowned at Reborn.

"Wait, what do you mean 'once you're through with me'?"

It was a majority vote for Mia to spend the night at the Sawada Residence. Everybody ignored her protests that she was alright and they've handled the problem but Tsuna would counter her every step of the way with his own logical reasoning that immediately stumped her and everyone else. She stared at him, mouth agape and said, "Who are you and what did you do to Tsuna?"

Tsuna rolled his eyes.

The people who now resided in the house including Bianchi with her goggles on, with Gokudera, Yamamoto and Dino were watching the two go at it from across the table. They were in Tsuna's room right now, each teen holding a child on their laps. Lambo sat on Tsuna while I-pin on Mia. Everybody's heads went back and forth as the two bantered. To see Mia being put down by Tsuna of all people was a spectacle to behold. The only ones who weren't surprised were Nana and Reborn because Tsuna's mother had seen them do it long enough and Reborn because he's… Reborn.

Mia was mock-glaring at Tsuna, who actually looked cocky for once, and threw herself on floor. She glared at the ceiling. "Fine, I'll stay overnight." Tsuna brightened at that. "I'll go get my stuff from my place."

"There's no need to," Bianchi coolly told her. "Reborn had me go to your apartment to pick up your things."

Mia frowned, clearly displeased. "I hate you all," she muttered.

Bianchi smirked. "Don't be upset now, this is the perfect chance for me to tutor you in the ways of being a woman."

Mia sat up so fast she almost hit her head on the table. She had the most horrified expression that Tsuna had ever seen. In a way, it was also the funniest thing ever.

"Oh hell no," she said. "I'd rather be shot at by Reborn."

"You don't really mean that," Tsuna said.

"No, I actually do."

"Hahaha! Mia really is a tomboy huh?"

"How dare you baseball freak! Mia-sama is a fine lady! If she wasn't, she wouldn't be by Tenth's side!"

Tsuna and Mia sweat dropped at the two. "So if I wasn't friends with Tsuna I would be a hobo?" She asked herself.

"I didn't mean it that way!" Gokudera quickly told her.

Bianchi tsked at her brother. "You lack sensitivity Hayato."

"Shut up!"

"Back to the earlier topic, shall I shoot you now Mia? I always wanted to shoot you with a Dying Will Bullet." Reborn polished his gun.

"Reborn!" Tsuna admonished his tutor.

"Heh, don't pretend you don't wanna see it." Reborn smirked. Most of the males in the room turned red at his suggestive tone.

Mia slightly leaned away from the hitman, not picking up the innuendo but weary all the same. "On second thought, I'll pick two of the lesser evils… in one condition."

"Oh?" Bianchi asked her. Mia nodded slowly. She lifted I-pin.

"I-pin has to be there with me! Will you I-pin?" she asked the little girl.

"I-pin will do her best!" the girl chirped.

"No fair! Lambo-san wants to be there as well!" Lambo interjected.

"Alright you, come here." Mia opened her arm out to him. Lambo jumped out of Tsuna's lap and into Mia's arms. She made sure she was holding them securely before getting up.

"Come on then, let's get you cleaned up." Bianchi gestured out the door. Mia stood up and followed, walking like it would be her last. Bianchi lightly pushed her to go faster, saying "Tali drammatiche." ("Such the dramatic.")

Yamamoto and Gokudera got up as well, the latter looking very regretful.

"It's getting late Tsuna, I promised that I'll be home for dinner." Tsuna nodded at Yamamoto.

"I'm sorry Tenth, but I have to go as well. I have a shipment of bombs coming in today so I have to meet with my dealer."

"No um… that's okay Gokudera-kun." Tsuna did not know what to say to that. He was highly disturbed at how nonchalant Gokudera said it, as if he was just going to the store to buy cereal. "But thank you two for today," he told them gratefully. "Come stay for dinner next time, I'm sure Mom won't mind."

"I'll take you up on that." Yamamoto grinned.

"I would be honored to Tenth!" Gokudera bowed.

"No need for that Gokudera-kun." Tsuna laughed weakly.

After that, the two left. As soon as the door closed Tsuna could hear the one-sided bickering happen. He shook his head at his two friends. Still, the lighthearted atmosphere disappeared and was replaced by the seriousness that Reborn emitted. He had been dreading this since earlier. He had actually talked back at Reborn – not the side-comment kind but the 'I'll do whatever I want and you can't stop me' kind – and he was seriously worried if tonight would be his last.

All that stuff he said about Family and being a boss was a spur of the moment. He hadn't really meant it… totally at least. He still didn't want to be the boss of the Vongola Family.

"Tsuna." He flinched when his name was called.

"H-H-Hai?"

"I don't expect you to be a boss because I will make you one," Reborn told him.

"I don't want to be the boss," Tsuna immediately denied.

Dino placed a hand on his shoulder. "Tsuna, the reason I came here to Japan was to evaluate you on Reborn's request."

"Evaluate?" Tsuna frowned. Dino nodded and withdrew his hand.

"As you know, I am the boss of the Cavallone Famiglia. As a long steady ally of the Vongola Famiglia, it is part of my responsibility to greet the next boss. Other than me, no other Family knows who the next heir is. I probably would have met you on your acceptance ceremony instead but Reborn called me in and I have to say… you have the makings of becoming a great boss Tsuna."

Tsuna laughed humorlessly. "Me? I don't think I have the qualifications to be a murderer."

It was Dino's turn to frown. "That's not what I meant Tsuna. A boss takes care of his Family. It's the boss' connection with their Family, their Famiglia that makes them strong and you, you care very much. The Mafia isn't as dark as you think it is."

Tsuna was unconvinced. "The mafia kills people right? They fight over territory and power. I'm sorry Dino-san but I will not be the boss." With that he left, unwilling to hear more. He made up his mind; he will not be the boss.

"Tsuna wait!" Dino called out but Tsuna strode out of the room without looking back.

"Reborn!" Dino looked to his former tutor. "Why aren't you doing anything?"

Reborn petted Leon's head. "Because Dame-Tsuna can't run from this, whether he likes it or not, he will become the boss."

After a nice bath and a change of clothes, Mia came downstairs to find a very somber Tsuna. She wanted to ask him what was wrong but dinner had begun and everybody had taken their seats. Since there was no other vacant chair besides the one on Bianchi's left, Mia took that seat. Nana gasped at the bruise on her cheek.

"Mia-chan, whatever happened to you?" She worriedly asked from the seat right next to Mia's.

Mia brushed it off with an awkward laugh. "This is gonna sound really dumb, but I walked in on the Boxing Club while they were practicing and I got hit by one of the members accidentally." She tapped her cheek. "I'll remember to knock next time."

No one called her out on the lie and Mia was grateful that almost everyone here was comfortable with lying. Tsuna's lips were pressed thinly but he didn't look her way, opting to frown at his dinner instead. She didn't know what happened after she, Gokudera and Yamamoto left but whatever it was, it bothered him. That aside, dinner went smoothly and it was a pleasant surprise to know that Dino is useless when his men aren't around to watch him. It had her giggling so much that Tsuna started to light up, unable to not find Mia tease his 'older brother' funny.

After that, Tsuna went to sit outside. He was later joined by Mia. She sat down beside him wearing a baggy blue shirt and pajama bottoms. He glanced at her briefly before turning his eyes away to the skies above.

"What's on your mind?" she asked him.

"Nothing," he answered.

She snorted. "You're brooding." Mia pointed out.

He kept his eyes upwards but he could see by the corners that Mia was staring at him, waiting for him to spill the beans. Mia had always listened to him, he thought. She always stood by his side, acting like the support that leaned on his back for him to stand straight and tall. They were best friends. He had nothing to hide anyway.

"It's just I don't want to be the boss. I don't want any of this," he confessed. "Why can't I just live an ordinary life?"

"Things don't always happen the way we want it to Tsuna," Mia quietly said.

Tsuna tried not to glare at her but he couldn't keep the agitation off his tone. "So what you're saying is that I should just let this happen?"

"That's not what I'm saying," Mia quickly added.

"Then what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that it's all on you on how you're going to do this." He turned slowly to look at her. She was facing towards the garden wall; the look on her face was of deep thought. "I can't tell you what to do Tsuna," she started. "I can't tell you what will happen from here on out but I what I can tell you is that when life throws something at you – you make the best of it."

"I don't see the good about this at all," Tsuna muttered. Mia laughed suddenly and shook her head.

"You're such an idiot sometimes, you know that?" she teased him.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, hurt.

She turned to him, a small smile on her lips. "So what about Gokudera? Yamamoto? Lambo? I-pin and everybody else? Don't they mean anything to you?"

Now that he thought about it, she did have a point, he stupidly realized. If Reborn hadn't thrashed his life he wouldn't have met any of these people. Well sure he might have been friends with Yamamoto in another life without Reborn but it just wouldn't be the same. He would never have met the others though, because they were foreigners. Never would they have come to Japan without a reason. Still, he wasn't going to admit that.

"Shut up," he told her.

"What?" She innocently asked, grinning.

"I can tell what you're thinking."

She scooted closer to him and bumped his shoulder. "So what am I thinking?"

"That I'm always right," he said in an impression of her voice. It sounded horrible.

"I don't sound like that!" she protested. Tsuna laughed. She huffed but didn't say anything. Placing her head to rest on his shoulder, the two of them stayed out to just enjoy the silence between them and only went to bed when Mia slumped against him, snoring softly.

He knew she was tired and decided to carry her to the room where Bianchi and the kids slept. It was lucky for them that it's the start of the weekend tomorrow. He tried carrying her bridal style, but lacked the muscle to do so. He regretted not being strong enough for it. He opted instead to carry her on his back to the room. Gently laying her down on the spare futon set out for her by Bianchi, he pulled the covers up to her chin and watched as she curled in on her pillow like she always did. Smiling, he went back to his room where Reborn and Dino waited for him.

The moment he closed the door, Reborn snickered. "Watching someone sleep like a true creeper."

"T-Th-that's… how… I'm not even going to ask anymore," Tsuna stammered out, blushing. How did he even know that? He headed straight to bed and threw the covers over his head. After a moment, his voice was muffled by the covers, he said, "Good night Dino-san, Reborn."

"You forgot someone Dame-Tsuna."

"Good night Leon."

He was asleep in a matter of moments, the exhaustion of today taking its toll on him at last.

The next morning, Tsuna was startled awake by Mia's scream. He jumped right out of the bed and ran outside his room, tripping on his own feet along the way and falling down the stairs. Scrambling to get back on his feet he located the sound of her scream and found her cowering outside the door of bathroom.

"Mia? What's going on?"

She didn't look at him, her eyes focused on what's inside the bathroom. She lifted a hand and pointed. Following it, he saw what the problem was. There was a big ass mother effing turtle inside the bathtub!

"What the hell?" he exclaimed. Wait, were his eyes deceiving him? "IS IT GROWING?"

No, the turtle was seriously growing like a sponge almost to the point where it outgrew the tub. It destroyed it and water flowed down to the floor.

"Enzio!" Dino came up behind him. "I was looking for you, you know that?"

"That thing is yours?" Tsuna gaped.

Dino rubbed his neck nervously. "Sorry for the damage, I'll pay for it."

"That's not the problem right now!"

After getting whipped in the face and a disturbing history lesson of Enzio's origins, Tsuna and Mia decided to go out to escape the madness for a while. It had been a while, Tsuna thought, since they've gone to hang out just the two of them. With everything going on, he missed the quiet afternoons where he could just read quietly and Mia would be sleeping on his bed, or they would be playing games all afternoon. He felt a bit sad that he still hadn't finished her book in between Reborn's tutoring, hers and the booming crap that seemed to happen whenever one of his friends were around. It was starting to gather a bit of dust too.

They walked to the park, Mia humming to herself. Tsuna had heard Bianchi ask if it was alright for her to go outside, since there was a large bruise on her face. She waved it off – the nerve of that girl – and said that she wasn't ashamed of it. He wondered why.

"Because it's a battle scar." He jumped. Mia was grinning at him.

"Uh, what?" he said blankly. She chuckled.

"Tsuna, you were talking out loud."

Oh. Well, might as well throw the question out there. He coughed awkwardly. "Um… what do you mean a 'battle scar'?"

She shrugged. "You know how I run my mouth sometimes –"

"I can imagine that," Tsuna muttered. One of these days, her cheek could seriously get her killed. Mia went on, not hearing his comment.

"and because it's a reminder how I managed on my own." She smiled proudly to herself.

Tsuna sometimes marveled her way of handling things and her strength. There was just something about how she looked at the world and not be overwhelmed by it that had him gravitate towards her, maybe hoping that her strength would rub off on him. So far her smarts and her sarcasm had. He used to feel envious because he was so useless but when she would look at him with those hopeful blue eyes, seeing a version of himself that he couldn't, he felt like he had to try and meet that part of him.

"I'm engaged to Hibari."

"WHAT?" He hadn't meant for it to be loud and oh damn, his voice broke too but that's not the goddamn point.

They had stopped walking and Tsuna was looking at her, unable to believe it. Mia had that annoying amused smirk on her face, the type that she was just messing with him.

"Seriously, I've been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes," she explained seeming far too amused for his liking.

He deflated at that. "Oh," he said blankly. Had he really been thinking that hard?

She shook her head at his hopelessness. "God, I can't believe you fell for that. Maybe next time I should say I'm pregnant."

He glared at her. "Don't you dare," he growled. His own reaction surprised him but Mia looked taken back, her eyes wide. He let out a deep breath. "Mia, I'm sort of not in the mood for life-changing jokes. Sorry."

She studied his expression and her face softened to a smile. "Yeah, I get it. But you have to admit everyone's reaction would be hilarious." She grinned mischievously. Hooking her arm around his neck she pulled him to start walking again. "I think Gokudera's would be the best."

He rolled his eyes but let himself be drawn in to the joke."You're an awful person."

She winked at him. "People like me anyway."

They went to buy some snacks and after a bit of arguing, it was decided that they would buy something for everyone. When they came back, Dino plucked the bags from their arms. He smiled at them, and jerked his thumb to the living room.

"Reborn's waiting for you two. Go on, I'll take care of this." Tsuna and Mia exchanged glances at each other, the former looking nervous and unsure while the latter grinned mischievously.

Mia pushed Tsuna into the room. "We'll let you handle it then," she said. "Make sure you save the chips, those are ours. The candies are for the kids."

"Uh…" Dino stood there, processing what she just said. Wait for it, she thought. 1… 2… 3…

"LAMBO-SAMA SMELLS CANDY!"

"I-pin wants too!"

Dino yelped as two children jumped on him. There was a crash and the sound of squabbling. Mia chuckled and Tsuna was shaking his head. "You're cruel," he commented.

"I'm hilarious." She grinned.

"Tsuna." The joking mood vanished and Tsuna somberly faced towards the direction where his name was called. Reborn was there, sitting on Bianchi's lap. He was petting Leon the way an evil genius pats their equally evil cat. The thought made him cringe.

"Yeah?" he cautiously replied.

He did not see it coming. One minute he was standing there, the next he was only in his underwear having the most powerful urge to go running around town. "I WILL TRAIN WITH MY DYING WILL!"

Mia stared where Tsuna previously stood. He was gone in a heartbeat, disappeared into the wind… she dumbly turned her gaze to where Reborn was, his gun never lowering and she had a feeling it wasn't over yet.

"Um… Reborn?" Her voice was small. That gun was pointing at her. He wasn't really going to shoot her right? Right? A bullet came wheezing past her face and hit the wall behind her. She felt the bullet come this goddamn close to her face – like a millimeter away. She was breathing quite heavily and her muscles were itching for her to bolt out the door but she held her stand. Note to self, do not try to get shot.

Relax. A small voice in her head told her. Exhale. She did. With a single breath, she relieved most of the tension in her body. Mostly. Her knees were weak.

He was testing her reflexes and found it to his liking. She certainly was made of tough stuff. Reborn noticed a lot of things – like how Mia would approach a problem and how to avoid it. Compared to the rest – she was the most level-headed and perhaps more cunning than he gave her credit for. He needed her to be Tsuna's voice of doubt in times when the boy's naivety would be too great to overcome. He had a feeling there was a strong sense of righteousness in there underneath all that Dame-ness, he could just sense it – the same way he could sense the stupidity from Tsuna's father. It was a miracle that Tsuna turned out the way he did.

But anyway, the mafia was not an easy world. Tsuna needed someone to break reality to him and Mia just so happened to be the right person for that. Now if those two would just get together… He smirked and saw Mia flex her fingers. Yup, it would be so fun when they realize it. He could just imagine how the sex jokes and innuendos would affect Tsuna. Oh how glorious that would be.

He lowered his gun and chuckled.

"Am I going to live another day?" Mia asked.

One thing to fix though – she had that gift of getting under people's skin with words alone. Cheeky little brat. It was probably the best that Tsuna was there to make sure she didn't get herself killed with that smartass mouth of hers. Him and the rest of his future guardians. Once she's elevated herself to Tsuna's wife, probably needed to have the protection of the whole Family… and CEDEF.

"Actually, you have until next month," he told her. He jumped out of Bianchi's lap and walked up towards her. Mia sat down on the floor, still very cautious.

"So why did I have a close brush with death?" she wondered.

"Just testing," he flippantly told her. She nodded slowly. "Anyway, I'll be training Tsuna physically from now on while you will be with Bianchi, learning etiquette and Mafia history."

He expected her to protest but instead she nodded again, looking quite thoughtful. Then he watched as her eyes lit up, like she had just realized something.

"Alright," she agreed. "But I want something in return."

His eyes narrowed dangerously at her, letting out the faintest of his killer intent flow into the room. If she was intimidated, she was trying not to show it. Her hands were clasped tight on her lap but her eyes had that look that she wasn't going to let this go until he heard her out.

"Mia," Bianchi warned her. Mia kept her eyes fixated on him. Yup, this girl would definitely get herself killed.

"What is it?" he asked her.

"I want the Vongola Family's record. Everything, from its founder to its customs, I wanna know what Tsuna's getting into." She finished with a frown.

"You don't trust the Vongola?"

"No," she honestly told him. He could respect that; she is a civilian after all. But what she was asking was dangerous in itself. That kind of information could be exploited and the Family would be compromised. He had to make sure that it would stay with her only.

"I'll speak to the Ninth," he ominously told her. She kept her mouth shut – good. She understood what she was doing. "However if I am allowed to disclose this information to you, you will have to take the vow of silence."

"Omerta…" She murmured quietly to herself. Reborn nodded.

"That's right. If you break that…" he trailed off. He didn't need to say more. She swallowed.

"I got it," she said in a small voice.

"Good girl." Reborn gestured to Bianchi. "Bianchi will tutor you. Work hard or I'll shoot you."

"No you wo-"

BANG! Reborn fired another round, this time close to her leg.

"I'll be quiet now."

"Hopefully you stay that way."

He needed the two of them to be ready because they were running on a clock. Their first obstacle was heading their way and there wasn't enough time for him to train both Gokudera and Yamamoto. He had just received an order from the Ninth… to apprehend the escaped convict Mukuro Rokudo.

Thanks for reading!