Disclaimer: I don't own KHR.

Mia liked to believe she had a good head on her shoulders.

So why was she losing it over a small innocent misunderstood statement? It's not like Tsuna really likes her that way. They're best friends – he sees her as a friend. Period. Because once you enter the friend domain, you can never get past that. That's why the term 'Friendzone' was invented. Why like someone romantically if that said someone always drives you up the wall with their insistent disregard to their health? She knows it frustrates him and sometimes makes him really mad when she does that. It's not like she could help it. Some things were just more important than her.

But damn did it bother her.

While Reborn was constantly grilling the boys on a crash course of dining etiquette, she was demonstrating for Bianchi a simple walk. The hitwoman was pleased with her posture and Mia couldn't help but smile shyly, proud that she did those lessons justice. Since she did well, Bianchi let her have some time off and Mia turned her head side-ways and made the mistake of coming into eye-contact with Tsuna. His smile was dazzling and she had to fight with everything she had not stab her eyes at how wrong the image was.

Did he always look like that?

Sparkly glitter going all around with flowers sprouting in the background?

Goddamn Japanese influence.

She forced herself to smile back at him, hoped that she looked convincing enough. She was ever so grateful when Reborn smacked Tsuna's head back into attention, eliciting a yelp of pain. She cringed but was relieved that Tsuna didn't notice. His Hyper Intuition was becoming a bit of a problem for her – she liked her privacy and to have him, her best friend, read her like an open book was very much a real problem. Coupled with her confusing feelings, she just wanted to hide from him, preferably in Alaska.

Kyoko and Haru also stopped by, to share with them their abundance of cakes. The Sawada's living room suddenly became crowded when the kids sensed the sweets and came down to join them. Mia felt a sense of resignation when she saw Tsuna brightening up at the sight of Kyoko. There was another thing why it was absolutely ridiculous for Tsuna to like her that way because he still liked Kyoko. Kyoko who was the epitome of sweet and cute, someone who just oozed kindness like the bright sun. What was she in comparison?

Suddenly she felt so small and the room felt too big for her. She quickly excused herself to take a breather outside at the back of the house. She looked at the lone tree that stood in the small, cramped yard. It was only a few feet tall but she felt like she could relate to it. Oh great, she was photo-sympathizing with a plant. Oh god.

She hated feeling like this.

Dinner with the Ninth was the last thing she had to worry about – her teenage crisis was more important. She continued to stare at the sapling. She didn't know why but it made her feel better. Her mind wandered to her non-teenage problems. For the last few nights, her nightmares occurred less and less however she was starting to remember a few things from her childhood. Things that she never really recalled before.

Like the strange people that pulled her aside after the incident. Everybody had been panicking then and no one noticed a couple of people snatching a small little girl from the crowd. Her father was occupied then, frantically searching out for his wife. Some things were hazy but she remembered clearly what they were talking about.

"Let her forget."

Forget what? It had been bugging her since then. To be honest, she couldn't remember what she was doing in that monastery. Sure, her parents brought her there but she only explored the places they let her go to. If Fuuta thinks that she was tossing in her bed because of the nightmares that was partly true. Half the time, it was a recurring dream of that time.

So many, many problems. Life was complicated that way.

"Mia-nee?" She turned around. Fuuta looked up at her, worried. "What are you doing out here all alone?"

"I was looking at this tree," she gestured at the plant.

"That's a tree?" Fuuta moved around her and squatted next to the plant. It reached up to his head.

"Technically, it's a sapling. A baby tree." Mia crouched beside him.

"Why were you looking at it?" Fuuta asked.

"Hmn… I don't know either."

"Eh? Then why look?"

Mia seriously thought about it. "I guess I thought it was weird for it to be here. There's not enough sunlight, it's really cramped out here and its trunk isn't all that strong… I'm worried it might not grow properly."

"Why worry about it Mia-nee? It's just a plant."

She shrugged. "I don't know, I just don't want it to grow crooked I guess." Like me, she thought to herself. "You never know what it could be in ten or twenty years."

"You know Mia-nee, you talk like a grown-up but then sometimes you sound like a kid. I feel really happy that you're not annoyed with me for asking."

"Why wouldn't I answer? That's like the pot calling the kettle black or something. I used to ask questions so much it drove everyone around me crazy." Mia chuckled at a memory. "Only my grandpa took me seriously. No matter how silly the question, he always gave me an answer, and if he couldn't, he told me to go look for it."

"Your grandpa sounds as weird as you do Mia-nee."

"Now you know where I get it from." She patted his head fondly. He leaned in to her hand then looked back at the sapling.

"Is it going to stay here?" Mia stared forlornly at it, and then shook her head in response.

"I'll go ask Aunty if I could replant it somewhere else, preferably somewhere sunny or at least in the company of other trees."

"Can I help you?"

"Sure Fuuta, you can help me find it a new home." She stood up and held her hand out to him. Fuuta happily took her hand and together, they went back inside where it was absolute chaos. It was the usual chaos except that she didn't know when Ryohei arrived and how a bunch or scorch marks appeared on the ceiling. Tsuna was caught in the middle between Kyoko and Haru. Mia was suddenly reminded why she left in the first place but now that Haru was in the picture, she was partly annoyed how clingy she was to Tsuna. As soon as she let go of Fuuta's hand, he rushed towards Tsuna's mother that sat outside on the porch.

Mia smiled slightly and went to sit with the others.

Then Bianchi decided to ruin her peace by bringing up the subject of what she should wear.

Mia was not ashamed to admit that she ran away the moment Bianchi turned her back. She was well aware of the consequences of her actions but the dress that Bianchi had been holding was a short, backless dress that was a centimeter shy away from showing the curve of her bare ass. No. She did not have the confidence to pull that off so she booked it.

She was not going to wear it.

In less than two days before the dinner party, Mia had taken it upon herself to hide in Hibari's office. That's right. You are not misreading this. Apparently, Hibari had heard from a little birdie that there was trouble in the school and she just so happened to have started it. Nezu may have been fired now but it didn't change the fact that she talked back to a teacher. It reached the prefect and as punishment, in her spare time, she would act as some sort of secretary to Hibari. She was glad that was all he had forced her to do. When he met her out of her classroom a few days after busting Nezu, Mia would admit that she was sort of afraid of her life. Good thing he didn't beat the crap out of her.

Right now she was organizing student records when she came across Tsuna's file. Curiously, she looked at it. The basic general information was all that was written in it. She was about to put the file back when she noticed something.

Tsuna's birthday was today. She gasped.

She quickly finished her work for the day and headed straight to Tsuna's house. How could she forget? She berated herself constantly as she made a detour to her house. With everything over the last few months she forgot about it - hell, they even forgot her birthday after all - but still.

What sucked about this was that it was also Reborn's birthday too. She couldn't imagine what her friend must be feeling right now and to think she told him she couldn't come!

Wanting no part in a party that she knew was going to be crazy, she ditched it altogether. She was gonna pay hell for it if Reborn had anything to say about it but damn it she wasn't going to let Tsuna's birthday slide!

The party probably had already started but it was fine. She went to her room and then went to dig around her box of trinkets underneath her bed. One cool thing as a daughter of archeologists is that you get to collect all sorts of neat things. She had one item in mind that would be perfect for Tsuna.

"Feelings or not, he's still my best friend," she said to herself when she found it and smiled.

Mia was so screwed, Tsuna thought. She was the only one not present at Reborn's party. Even Hibari had dropped by! When Reborn gets his hands on her after this… Tsuna admired her for her sheer gall. She definitely had a lot more balls than he did since he can't even open his mouth up to tell everyone around that it was his birthday. He thought at first that everyone was preparing for his party then he finds out that it was all for Reborn… it was really disappointing. Who knew they had the same birthday? Tsuna wondered how Reborn was born into the world because it was just too weird.

At least Mia wasn't around, he would feel really shitty if she was celebrating Reborn's and not his. To be fair though, he forgot all about her birthday what with Mukuro and whatnot so he can't really blame her.

His phone vibrated. He looked at the caller ID in surprise and answered it.

'"Mia?"

"Hey Tsuna, can you go meet me at the park?"

"Reborn will get you for this."

"Don't remind me."

He laughed softly and quietly slipped away from the party. The others could think what they wanted, he wasn't going to make them guilty for not knowing but that didn't mean he didn't feel a tad touch of resentment. Maybe he can slip away for half an hour with Mia, it's not like it mattered if he was there or not. It was his day too.

When he arrived at the park, he immediately spotted Mia. She was sitting on the swing all by herself, staring into space deeply at nothing. He stared at her for a moment, noting the way how dark the look in her eyes were until a chilly breeze blew by.

As if she could sense he was there, her head tilted to the side and her eyes opened to meet his. A smile grew on her face. Likewise, he did the same. He walked up to her and occupied the other swing.

"Your funeral is coming," he joked.

Mia rolled her eyes. "Thanks for telling me about my imminent doom."

He grinned. "Don't worry, I'll protect ya."

She glanced at him. "My hero," she said wyrly.

Heat flooded his cheeks. In a way to distract himself he said, "So what is it? Why did you call me out?"

She looked at him incredulously. "Uh - happy birthday?"

Okay, so she did remember. Feeling happier than he should have, he grinned. "Thanks."

"Okay birthday boy, close your eyes." She stood from her swing, her hands hidden behind her back. "Close 'em and hold out your hand!"

Humoring her, he closed his eyes and held his right hand out. Mia's hands were gentle as she fastened something around his wrist. She clamped her hands around it when he opened his eyes, curious.

All light-heartedness was gone. She was nervous as she stood there. "I – I know it's a bit crappy but everything was in a rush and I – I…" It was amusing how nervous Mia was acting.

She let him pry her fingers away and watched his reaction anxiously. It was a woven leather bracelet, dyed black with orange linings almost etched into the material. A lone intricate metal knot was weaved in the middle of it

"Happy Birthday," Mia greeted him again. She wouldn't look at him. Pink dusted her cheeks.

A surge of affection rose in him. He leaned across his seat. Pulling her closer, he planted his forehead against crown of her head and rubbed it gently.

"Thank you," he said and released her.

Red to the tips of her hair, she jerked her head into a nod. He chuckled at how adorable she was acting. He turned his attention back to his gift and marveled at its design.

"Where did you get this?" he wondered, tracing a finger across the brass ornament.

She recovered quickly enough despite the pink still being there on her cheeks. Straightening up on her seat and entering what Tsuna fondly calls her 'Lesson Mode' she began to explain, "When Mama was an intern, they did this thesis in the UK and the town they were staying at..." she frowned. "I can't pronounce it but she met this old woman that sold these. Her husband was a metalsmith. Neat right? Its pure silver so it doesn't rust. Mama gave it to me when I was six. This here," she tapped the ornament. "Is called the shield knot. It's a symbol for protection and warding against danger. It's almost a universal symbol but it's mostly associated with the Celts and Norse. In fact it's…" she trailed off when she saw his bemused expression and promptly quieted down.

"Uh yeah… and I just uh… thought that since a lot of things could happen from now on I just wanted to give you… I guess you can call it a good luck charm?" She chewed on her bottom lip.

"Wait. Your mom gave this to you right? Why give it to me?" he asked her.

Her eyes flickered up to him then down on the ground. "You'll be getting into more danger from now on Tsuna… I know it's stupid to be worried over something that hasn't happened yet but I want you to be safe." Her hands tightened around the swing. "And besides, I want you to have it. It would make me feel better."

Words could not describe how deeply touched he was. He knew how much her mother meant to her. To be even talking about her, it was a lot. He stood from his seat.

"Hey." She looked at him hesitantly. He smiled up at her. "I'll treasure it."

She fidgeted for a moment, seemingly unsure what to do next. Then she threw her arms around his neck in a tight hug. He gasped at the sudden action. "You better you cheeseball," Mia muttered into his ear then pulled back, smiling so widely all her front teeth showed daintily. He goofily grinned at her.

"Let's go somewhere else," he suggested.

She raised an eyebrow. "You do remember that you have a party to go back to right?"

He shrugged. "It's not mine and I'd rather not steal Reborn's light."

"What about the others? They'll be devastated to find out that the boss' birthday was missed."

"They'll live." He smirked. To be honest, he didn't really mind now that they didn't know. Their reactions would be hilarious later on but he just wanted to hang with Mia for his special day. "Besides, this way we'll be together when Reborn scalps us alive and there's always next year."

She physically blanched at that and he laughed.

"Cake?"

"Whatever you want birthday boy."

"Whatever I want?" he raised his voice slightly, amused. She punched him in the arm and he dodged it, laughing. She took another half-hearted swing at him and he dodged it again. As they say, three times the charm – Mia jumped on his back, arms circling his neck. They went out of balance and Tsuna frantically righted themselves up before they fell. He managed and they looked at each other. Grins grew on their faces before he hefted her to get a better gasp of her weight. She yelped then laughed as he carried her away.

Reborn had the perfect punishment for them.

In the light that it was Tsuna's birthday also, it wasn't as extreme as they thought it would be. Mia was forcefully taken on a shopping trip with Bianchi while Tsuna had been banned from seeing or talking to her in the remaining of their training, vice versa with Mia. The desired affect was achieved, Tsuna really did sulk much to the amusement of the hitman. He really didn't like being separated from her. To be fair, the hitman didn't rebuke him for it since he expected some sort of negative reaction. He also noticed the bracelet that Tsuna had taken to wearing all the time. He suspected that it came from Mia. Either way, he had talked Tsuna to hide it underneath the cuff of his shirt.

They had met up in Namimori's only five star hotel. In the lobby, four boys looked at each other nervously as they waited for the last member of their group. Ryohei, the only member that wasn't specifically invited, grumbled out in displeasure, "I don't extremely know why Kyoko doesn't get to come but I do."

"The Ninth specifically asked for Mia-sama. You're lucky enough to even be here turf top." Gokudera nervously fixed his tie.

Reborn had to agree. Ryohei had great potential to be a Guardian but unlike Gokudera and Yamamoto, he hadn't been properly evaluated yet like the other two who he had a longer amount of time to spend with. Reborn could have invited Haru and Kyoko along if the Ninth was in for a social visit but this was anything but that. Reborn didn't know what his old friend was planning but he had a suspicion. Namely his other student.

Mia was a potential threat. Her close bond with Tsuna had its pros and cons but as the last heir, the Vongola were very strict in regards to his future or specifically the lineage. Reborn firmly believed she could be a suitable bride however, that was just his suggestion. The Ninth and the external Advisor had to be taken into account. Hopefully Timoteo would be taken in with her since Reborn felt that Mia possessed the same strong spirit that the Eight Boss had.

"Hey." Reborn looked up. A pretty girl approached their group wearing a knee-high dress of lace and ivory. She looked anxious to see them and Reborn switched to Tsuna. He was staring, open-mouthed. He wasn't alone though. Everybody was staring at her.

"Mia?" Tsuna said, hardly believing.

Mia ducked her head to hide her red cheeks and shifted from one side to another. "Stop staring, it's making me feel weird," she muttered.

"Like whoa, I almost didn't recognized you there." Yamamoto blinked.

She unconsciously reached up a hand to touch the blue chrysanthemum hair ornament that held her hair in its bun.

"Don't mess up your hair," Reborn warned her. Her hand froze before falling to her side. She sighed but didn't sag her shoulders. "You look good by the way – I'll need to thank Bianchi." Mia didn't say anything but jerked her head into a nod. Reborn could almost smirk but he didn't want to rile her up in case she messes up later.

"Now let's go."

Tsuna could not stop glancing over to his best friend that walked beside him. He didn't recognize her at first. The hair, the dress and the light touches of makeup. He always thought Mia was pretty but this was something else. She felt like a different person.

As soon as he thought that, she stumbled on the carpet but caught herself in time. Red-faced, she wrung her hands.

Tsuna reprimanded himself for staring. What was he doing?

He nudged her arm and Mia hesitantly looked at him. He sent her a reassuring smile.

"It's alright."

Mia was not convinced. "I look weird."

"No you don't," he admonished her. In a softer tone, one that his other friends wouldn't hear, he said "And I have to agree with Reborn – you look good. Not that you never looked good but better than good actually."

A blush formed on her cheeks. "Sure I do," she muttered sarcastically.

"You once taught me that my opinion is my own and nobody else's… and Mia – no matter what you think – to me, you're pretty… prettier than any girl I've met." He added that last line after a thought. He didn't doubt what he said because to him, it was the truth. Maybe it was the sincerity she heard from his tone that had her looking at him, eyes wide and lips parted in shock. His gaze never wavered from her until it was broken when her shoe got caught on the floor's fine carpet. She flailed as she tripped and Yamamoto quickly grabbed her by the waist.

"Oh thanks," she said as she was righted up again. "Damn shoes." Tsuna looked down at her feet. Her one-inch heels didn't seem to be a problem until he noticed that the heel was thinner than his pinky. It occurred to him that she was a couple of centimeters taller than him. She wobbled where she stood before she found her balance. Reborn looked back on them.

"Hurry up already, we'll be late."

Looking a bit put out, Mia fixed her dress. Tsuna suddenly had an idea. He offered his arm to her. She paused then hooked her arm though his. "Now you don't have to worry about tripping." He grinned at her. She rolled her eyes.

"Please, you forget you're just as bad at it as I am"

"I used to. I hardly trip at all anymore. Training does that to you."

She raised a brow at him, managing to pull a haughty expression. "That's not what Bianchi told me. You tripped down the stairs this morning while looking for your pants."

He blushed. "What the – shut up Mia," he spluttered, trying to save whatever dignity he had. Chuckles from his friends echoed around him and his blush darkened. She laughed softly and turned to look up ahead where Reborn waited for them in front of a pair of lavishly decorated doors. Her grip on his arm tightened but Mia did not duck her head. She closed her eyes and breathed out heavily. Her whole demeanor changed as she raised her chin and a solemn expression settled into her features.

Meanwhile he was sweating up a storm. His friends showed similar signs as they waited. Reborn turned to look back at them warningly before facing front again just as the doors opened. Men in black suits lined the way to the living room where an old man sat on an armchair by the fireplace. When they approached, the old man turned to look at them.

Tsuna frowned for a moment, wondering why this old man seemed familiar. Then he realized that he had met this person somewhere before. The old man smiled at them and Reborn nodded in respect.

"Ninth."

The Ninth glanced over to them, met his eyes and he stiffened.

"Tsunayoshi-kun, how you have grown."

One name came into mind along with the gentle caress of a warm hearth. "Grandpa?" he called out uncertainly. Timoteo's smile widened at that.

"The last time I've seen you, you were so small."

"I…" Tsuna didn't know what to make of this revelation. Timoteo moved to look at Mia. Her arm dropped from his and she curtsied graciously to the Ninth Boss.

"Sir." The Ninth regarded her with interest and unexpectedly took her hand into both of his. She looked up at him, eyes wide.

"My, reports are truly misinforming. I never realized that a lovely girl would be standing before me." Mia blushed scarlet.

"I – uh – thank you sir," she stammered out. He patted her hand. Reborn cleared his throat.

"Stop charming her, she's too young."

The Ninth chuckled and gestured for her to take his arm. Mia did so in order not to offend him and the old man merely smiled knowingly at her.

"I would like to introduce myself properly to you all but the food is getting cold, we can talk over the meal. Follow me then." Then he elegantly led Mia away to another set of doors. Mia nervously looked back at them and Tsuna hastened his pace to walk near her. Through the doors, a long table had been decorated with First class finery and numerous dishes. Some from Japan, others he didn't recognize. Tsuna could tell however, it was delicious and his mouth watered from the smell.

"All of you, take a seat and Tsunayoshi-kun,would you please be a gentleman?"

It took a moment for Tsuna to understand what he was being told to do until he realized to pull a chair up for Mia. Once he did so, the Ninth released her and went to sit at the head of the table. Mia gave him a small shaky but thankful smile and took her seat. Starting from the right of the Ninth was Reborn on a stack of pillows, Yamamoto and then Ryohei. On the left sat Tsuna as Reborn had instructed him to, then next to him was Mia and then Gokudera. The Ninth gestured at the meal before them.

"Do help yourselves." No one moved for a moment until Mia began to help herself to the smallest and foreign dish on the table that had what looked like rice and clams on it. Tsuna noticed the Ninth's amused smile at her choice. Then she began to eat and he watched as her face morphed into childish glee.

"I've heard from Reborn that your Mother was from Sardinia," the Ninth said. "My wife, Ersilia loved to eat Fregula at Sardinia whenever we went to the Mediterranean – it was her favorite."

Mia wiped her mouth and set her napkin down slowly, a small smile on her lips. "Really? It's my favorite too."

"That's good to hear. Please everybody, I know I'm intimidating but don't let it refrain you from eating," he chuckled. Almost everyone on the table blushed in embarrassment then Yamamoto started piling his plate with Ryohei in toe. Gokudera did so at a more normal pace although a lot of octopuses were on his… Tsuna bit his lip at how funny it was. Mia flicked his hand from underneath the table and he smoothed his expression in time just as Gokudera looked up from his plate and they shared a smile.

The mood quickly became relaxing and soon his friends were openly chatting with the Ninth. Thank heavens they managed to teach Ryohei his 'indoor' voice and now the boxer was conversing with the Ninth about the international boxing champion in the world. Yamamoto added a few of his own opinions and even made a joke or two while Gokudera chatted with Reborn in Italian. Tsuna didn't tune in with that, seeing as they were talking about Family affairs which at the moment he was not interested in. Instead, he spent his time explaining some of the dishes to Mia and encouraging her to eat the what he knew was probably disgusting to her. He laughed when she puckered her lips and she retaliated by stomping her heel on his feet.

He winced at that and it was her turn to chuckle. Reborn gave them the stink eye and the both of them sighed and resumed eating. They shared smiles through the meal though. When the food was eaten and they were just sitting back on their chairs, the Ninth suddenly turned to him.

"Pleasantries aside, I wanted to personally congratulate you on a job well done." The Ninth's kindly eyes looked at each of them with pride. "The Vongola recognizes your efforts and skills. We're happy to have you in the Family."

Tsuna struggled not to frown at that while his friends swelled with pride. The only other person who shared his sentiments to that was Mia and she had a good poker face on.

"You have such great friends Tsunayoshi-kun," the Ninth remarked.

"Yeah, I do." Tsuna gave a small smile at that.

"I hope the next time I visit Japan I can meet the rest of them and I can taste your mother's cooking once more."

Tsuna had long discussed this with Mia just after Reborn arrived in their lives. The only logical choice of who was involved in the Mafia was his Father. It explained a lot of things like why he was away so much and how his family is well provided even though his mom didn't have a job. He would have harbored more than just resentment against his Dad if Mia hadn't persuaded him that everyone had reasons… and he only brought it because she didn't want him to be angry at his Dad.

To find out that the Ninth met his mother wasn't surprising but he didn't like the way how it sounded like his friends and he had agreed wholeheartedly to join the 'Family'… like they had no choice. Aside from Gokudera, Tsuna was not happy to hear that but to keep face, he replied with a smile, "Mom would be happy to have you Grandpa."

The Ninth nodded in thanks. "Reborn if you will."

"Yes Boss." Reborn stood up from his pillow stack. It would have looked funny if Reborn didn't look so serious. "Come on you guys, I'll be showing you Vongola's oncoming winter traditions." He smirked.

Beside him, Mia cringed. It looked like she already knew what that was about. They followed Reborn to another room where he began to explain about a snowball fight with grave consequences if you lose…

As Reborn steered Tsuna to the front by jumping on his head, he led them away to another room. Mia did not follow them. She knew what the topic was all about and she can honestly say that she'd rather not go over that topic again. It was humiliating to have even come across it in her studies.

"This is the one time I'm grateful for being old, it would have to mean that I wouldn't have to participate in those silly traditions." She turned to look at the Ninth that came to stand beside her. He studied her.

"Ninth…"

"I was surprised when you made your request to Reborn," he started. "My Guardians were against the decision to share the Vongola's history with you - you, who is a civilian and a child."

Mia set her mouth to a line, fighting the urge to respond to that.

Timoteo continued. "But I am getting old and I am a firm believer of legacy. Who else to trust the future with than the next generation? I do have my doubts however..."

Mia nervously peeked at him from the corner of her eye but the Ninth had nothing but kindness in his expression as he looked down on her.

"I still do even now but Reborn has expressed his out most confidence that you can be trusted and I am willing to consider that."

She inhaled sharply. "I-I didn't know Reborn thought so well of me."

"He doesn't show it but he does, in both you and Tsunayoshi-kun." The Ninth placed a hand on her shoulder. "Still, you've placed a heavy burden on yourself my dear, I hope you understand that. The omerta shall hold true with you until otherwise."

A chill went up her spine at the subtle threat in his words. It didn't match the gentle tone he was using. Her heart thudded loudly in her ears. "I-I understand sir."

"Make no mistake, it saddens my heart that a bright young thing such as yourself was brought into this but between you and Tsunayoshi-kun, we will not hesitate to choose. He is the last heir to the Vongola… his existence is precious to us."

This time, more firmly, she repeated "I understand sir." She turned to look him straight in the eye.

Her gut was rolling as he stared her down. "Do you really? Its not just your personal safety that's at stake here. Your family and your future will be compromised at some point."

He didn't need to tell her that. But what about Tsuna? What about her other friends? Their families and their futures? No sympathy for them? She couldn't let that go.

Even if she was silently shaking in her heels and wearing this ridiculous dress, she didn't break his gaze. "I do. Tsuna is my friend, heir or not I won't abandon him or any one of my friends for that matter."

"Even if it means sacrificing yourself and everything else?"

Would she? It was only for a fraction of a second that she thought about it. When she was captured by Mukuro, locked in a living nightmare, Tsuna saved her, with everything he had and he had just as much to lose as she did and more.

For him, she would.

"Yes."

Timoteo's gaze was heavy as he regarded the young girl before him. She didn't waver, not even when he threatened her. There was a certain hardness to her eyes that didn't match with her age. She knew what loss was like, but was she prepared to experience it over and over?

Inwardly, he approved of it. It reminded him of his mother, may she rest in peace.

She held his gaze a little longer until he decided to break it. He patted her head, the action stunning her. "Very well. I hope you continue to stay by Tsunayoshi-kun's side."

To her credit, she didn't stutter.

Author's Notes:

I'm really happy how this chapter turned out the second time. The flow feels better to me.

Thanks for reading!