Here's the first chapter of the day. Brace yourselves.

Il Maestro

Second Arc

III

They had travelled, visiting the Vongola, doing missions together. They had done so many things together that Reborn had started to feel as if they were one entity, feeling that if they were to be separated, something bad would happen.

That feeling got so powerful that Reborn began to refuse any solo mission that Vongola Ottavo, who had grown old and was slowly starting to prepare things for her son and heir's smooth succession, asked him to do even if he knew that all the money he'd get out of those easy missions could be used to buy something Tsuna liked.

Daniela Vongola seemed to catch that since she ended up summoning him.

"Reborn," the old woman with slowly greying hair told him softly. She put down her fountain pen next to the document she'd just signed.

He didn't move from his spot, his back straight and his eyes silently looking at the Eight Vongola Boss as well as the man standing behind her, the future Ninth Boss.

The Vongola Ottavo briefly remembered the first time she'd seen the dark-haired boy and couldn't help but miss the shy and awkward teen who had tried so hard to look stronger than he was.

"Tsuna has been an incredible teacher for you," Daniela slowly added. "But you should have left his side long ago…"

Reborn tensed and slightly furrowed his brows.

"He isn't eternal," she said, her voice carefully going over the words as she chose every of them with acute precision. "Tsuna is older than me, you know what it means."

"Then why does he look as old as me," the young man retorted, his hands clenching into fists.

"We do not know," the Vongola Ottavo admitted calmly. "But it can't be something good. Don't get too attached, Reborn."

The young hitman glared daggers at her and turned around to leave the office. However, just as his hand hit the doorknob to open the door, the mafia Donna said something that pierced through the heavy armour of years of hiding what he felt.

"He isn't like us, Reborn."

He ran away from the office and went down the stairs of the manor, his black eyes looking franticly around for his lover's familiar dishevelled haircut. A brief relieved expression flashed through his pallid face which was generally so controlled nobody could know how he felt, and he ran to Tsuna's side. He took the brunet's wrist and the latter looked at him with a surprised face, following without a word since he'd seen Reborn's shocked face. Tsuna trusted his former student and knew that the young man had a good reason to act like that. They went into their own room, a bedroom with two single beds, and Reborn softly pushed Tsuna on one of them, quickly crawling over him and crouching over his relaxed body.

"What's going on, Reborn?" Tsuna whispered as the dark-haired man undid his shirt and untied his tie.

"Don't talk," Reborn whispered to him as he caressed Tsuna's bare chest.

Tsuna shivered under his lover's careful touch and closed his eyes, letting Reborn take his fill. The younger man stopped and got on his knees, softly gazing at his former tutor's body. Tsuna still had his eyes closed and his arms laid on the mattress, his hands open around his head. He didn't look worried about being helpless under a man famous for being the best hitman of his generation and it always stole Reborn's breath away.

Tsuna's absolute trust in him would never stop to amaze him.

Suddenly, Reborn jumped to hug the other man and tightened his hold, uncaring of his body's treacherous shudders and of how his lips were whispering pleas that never came out of his tightened throat.

Tsuna raised his hands and put them on his lover's cheeks, wiping away the tears falling for the misty dark eyes. Reborn looked up and met the brunet's loving gaze.

"Reborn," the latter articulated without ever letting any sound pass his lips.

The young man felt his heart squeeze over the familiar sight.

"I lo-" Tsuna added as his smile widened into the smile that had always made Reborn proud of never leaving his side.

Reborn choked down the sobs creeping through his throat, deeming them unsightly of his persona, and kissed him with passion.

.

.

.

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One day, Tsuna got sick.

Reborn had noticed that his former tutor's complexion was slowly palling, but he had always pushed it aside in his mind, asking their superiors for their next mission to be in the Caribbean. Tsuna probably needed some sun and to get some iodine in his system. The exceptional hitman tried to reassure himself with those thoughts and did his best to ignore Tsuna's dark air whenever the brunet looked down at his almost translucent hands.

That same day, they travelled to a warm place and Reborn spent the first day of their mission turning back to watch over Tsuna, just to make sure the latter was still behind him. However, doing so, he ended up losing his target and the latter escaped from their watch. They had to pursue their target during a whole day, running over the warped and metallic rooftop of the favelas with skilled dexterity and suddenly, Tsuna slipped. Reborn didn't see him fall but he clearly heard the soft sound of a body falling and crashing down on the bare ground. All thought of their mission went around the bend and the young man graciously jumped next to his lover, his brows furrowing as he felt an unusual worry grow in his chest.

"Tsuna," he whispered while stretching his hand towards the adult.

The latter had his eyes closed and his lips parted. If he hadn't heard the fall, Reborn could have believed that the brunet was merely sleeping.

"Tsuna," he repeated softly.

Eyelashes shivered and the youngest of the pair sighed heavily in relief when he finally met the curious amber eyes looking at him.

"Reborn," Tsuna exhaled with a pained voice. "The target?"

A warm feeling spread over the hitman's body and the latter clenched his fists to avoid screaming at his former teacher. Why was he so shocked? Why did he want so much to scream, cry and even laugh at the same time?

"I slipped, right?" Tsuna asked while he tried to stand up before he'd to stop with a grimace. "I think I broke a few ribs…"

"This is why you can't go on solo missions," Reborn sniffed as he put his arm around his lover's neck to help him stand up. "You wouldn't last a day without me, old man."

Tsuna laughed softly and elbowed Reborn's stomach without any force. His amber eyes shined softly with happiness and he closed them with a tired sigh.

"Ah," he whispered to himself. "I'm tired."

Reborn tried to ignore the cold shiver that went over his back when he heard his lover's words. It reminded him too much of the Vongola Ottavo's words.

When they arrived at their hotel room, Tsuna had lost consciousness once again and his chest was covered with small rocks incrusted in his scraped skin through the holes in his shirt. Reborn made sure to take care of all the brunet's injuries and looked over the swelling welts and the reddened skin over his chest and face.

Coming to the conclusion that there wasn't anything left to do, the dark-haired man sat down at his lover's bedside and watched over him with a frown. Something was bothering him.

Tsuna had never slipped, nor ever missed a step. So then, why had he slipped? Suddenly, the hitman's dark eyes went over the unconscious man's pale face and his frown increased.

His skin was so pale, it almost looked translucid.

"Tsuna," Reborn whispered while twisting softly one of his lover's brown locks around his fingers.

The sleeping man moved a bit, making the bedsheets rustle softly, and Reborn clicked his tongue with annoyance. He pushed his worries away and stood up. Taking his sniper riffle and thinking of what he'd buy Tsuna once they got paid for this mission, he walked to the door. But before, Reborn swore to himself, he'd take him to a doctor just to check if he didn't have anything bad.

Anyway, Reborn sighed softly and briefly closed his eyes to focus his attention back on his target. Tsuna would be fine.

Because he'd stay by his side.

.

so, thoughts?

What is actually going on with Tsuna? Will I actually update as fast as yesterday? Only the next chapter will tell.