Hello, everybody!
Yes, yes, I know. I'm really sorry for the late update, but life has been really hectic for me, and it still is.
Still, I'm grateful for all of my readers out there; the amount of response to this story was amazing - it wasn't anything I had actually expected, so thanks everybody.
You guys are the greatest.
Another FAQ is down below, to answer even more of your questions.
Disclaimer: LOL, WUT. NAW, BRO.
Chapter IV: As a student…
"Pass the ketchup, Taka-chan?"
Tsuna pauses from eating his eggs to stare bemusedly at Takahiro scrambling hastily to grab the bottle.
"Here," The boy mumbles, shoving the ketchup gently into Tsuna's face, and, still moderately surprised, Tsuna only wordlessly takes the bottle with a small smile as thank you.
Here, Takahiro mumbles something else, but when Tsuna asks for clarification, it is only met with the boy flailing his arms helplessly before storming off upstairs to get ready for school.
Huh.
Tsuna tilts his head, completely confused, and furrows his eyebrows at the stairs.
(Strange really, he thinks, because ever since 'The Talk' with Takahiro last week, the boy has taken to mutter strangely after speaking to Tsuna in, well, every conversation- )
"More eggs, Tsuna-chan?" Tsuna breaks off his confused gaze to turn to his mother, and gives a smile with a shake of his head.
"No thank you, okaa-san; I'm full, actually." Nana in return grins brightly and pats Tsuna's fluffy (and still short) hair.
"Alright," She giggles and Tsuna's smile widens even further. "If you say so."
(And even though this woman is not his mother, Tsuna still can't help but relish in the feeling of motherly affection, even if it is sometimes overshadowed by the admiration she has for the other twin.
How long has it been since he's last seen such a bright smile on this woman's face?
…
So long).
"Oi! Are you ready yet?" Takahiro calls from the front door, tapping his feet impatiently with his arms crossed. Swallowing the last of his breakfast, Tsuna smoothly gets up from his chair, places his plate in the sink, grabs his own homemade lunch and heads out to the door.
"Patience, Takahiro," Tsuna murmurs while adjusting the collar of his (once again, borrowed) polo shirt and slipping on his shoes.
(He really should invest in a new wardrobe; stealing clothes from his brother's closet probably isn't the best way to survive the next few years of elementary school, but he absolutely refuses to wear those billowing, pant-less things that the other Tsunayoshi was apparently very fond of wearing.
He shudders. Skirts.
Though Tsuna is a bit more worried about how he has stolen from Takahiro's closet for almost a whole year now and the kid still hasn't even noticed).
Strangely enough (and isn't that the perfect word to describe the Takahiro of now), Takahiro doesn't respond to Tsuna's gentle reprimand, and instead drops his arms from their place across his chest.
"Whatever," He mutters as he shifts his bag from one hand to the other. "Let's just go – "
And once again, Takahiro mumbles something incoherent to even Tsuna's sharp ears before walking out the door with a wave to Nana and a look (not an impatient scowl or a distasteful glance, but just a look) to Tsuna.
Bemused – not for the first time or last – Tsuna quickly heads over to a speed walking Takahiro (with a wave to his mother as well), easily keeping up with the boy's pace. Adjusting his position to hold his bag over his shoulder, Tsuna glances at his watch (stolen from the dark, dark, unused corners of Takahiro's closet – that place is like a treasure trove) and inwardly nods.
Good. They can afford another seven minutes.
Tsuna swiftly speeds up his pace and turns sharply to stop Takahiro from walking any further. Shoving a hand into his jean pocket, Tsuna lets out a deep breath and watches as the visible air floats up to the sky.
Hm. Perhaps he should have invested in stealing a jacket from his twin's closet as well.
"Takahiro," Tsuna begins, still staring at the clear sky. "I'm sure it's nothing big, really, but for the past week, you have muttered things under your breath after talking with me. Care to tell me what exactly is on your mind?"
And, still staring at the bright sky, Tsuna watches with amusement as his twin shifts uncomfortably, scowling all the way from the corner of his eye. The silence continues on, with Takahiro's face turning redder by the minute, and Tsuna adjusts his bag again before shoving his other hand into his pocket.
"… Do I have to?" Tsuna brightens at Takahiro's long-awaited reply and turns to look at him.
"No, of course not." Takahiro sighs and scowls fiercely.
"Why are you always like this…?" The boy mutters under his breath, but it's not as soft as his other whispers, and Tsuna can only grin as the words reach his ears. Takahiro shifts, putting his weight on his right foot.
"I – " Takahiro starts, only to stop. Tsuna stares concerned as Takahiro tightly clenches his fists and grits his teeth. "I just – "
Surely Tsuna doesn't need to know, right?
"Takahiro, you don't have to – "
"I was just – just calling you Onee-san, okay?!"
The two siblings freeze, with Takahiro panting slightly from embarrassment and frustration.
And suddenly, for the first time in a while, Tsuna is at a loss for what to do. Because on one hand, while he is glad that his twin has finally considered them close enough to put in that suffix, however…
(It's been a while since he's had such a big reminder of his… actual gender in this world.
His appearance is still the same as before; his classmates hardly even talk to him anymore – it's as if they have forgotten he even existed – which is what he wanted; Hibari certainly does not care about gender, and his family themselves have only called him by 'Tsuna:' the 'chan' he can bypass .
But 'onee'-san…
It is like a smack on the face; a warning that he shouldn't forget. No matter how much he would like to deny it, to ignore it, to forget it – he is still a girl).
Tsuna quickly shoves these painful thoughts into the back of his mind and smiles.
"Hm…" Patting Takahiro's head – sadly enough, Tsuna is taller than Takahiro – Tsuna looks straight into his twin's straying eyes and flicks his nose playfully. The boy in return rears his head back before scowling again. "Taka-chan, you don't have to do that; I'm only older by, what, a few minutes?"
"Seven minutes and thirty seconds," Takahiro immediately replies before clamping his mouth shut. Turning his head to avoid looking at Tsuna's amused face, he also adds in, "And I know I don't have to; it's my choice, you know."
Tsuna pauses to clear the bemused expression on his face.
Then why didn't you say so clearly the first time you called me… onee-san?
Shaking his head from that remark, Tsuna instead tries a different tactic.
"Taka-chan, you don't have to. You can just call me 'Tsuna' or – " And here Tsuna grins unabashedly. "Tsuna-kun."
(Ah, the irony of switching gender suffixes).
Takahiro in return scowls again (really, the kid should learn how to put on better expressions; his face will get stuck in the place sooner or later) and narrows his eyes in a strangely familiar way.
"No." Quite suddenly, Tsuna blinks as déjà vu fills his mind (remember the dynamites and Jyuudaime, a voice whispers)and his intuition tells him that this is one thing that Takahiro will not let go of.
But it seems that Tsuna is not as good at hiding his emotions from his twin as he had thought, for Takahiro releases his intense gaze and relents.
"Well, if it bothers you that much," Tsuna smiles in relief; perhaps his intuition will finally be proved wrong – "I guess I can call you Aneki."
Immediately memories of white-haired octopuses and pink scorpions with dynamite and poisonous food accost him, filling Tsuna's head with a flood of nostalgia and something else that isn't quite pain.
And then it is Tsuna's turn to refuse.
No.
Tsuna sighs and leans forward to rest his head on his brother's shoulder – he already can feel an incoming headache pounding in his brain.
"Actually, Takahiro," Tsuna mumbles into the boy's light jacket, ignoring Takahiro's frozen form in favor of resting his head. "Onee-san is perfectly fine."
He can feel Takahiro pausing for a few moments before the boy shrugs his other, unoccupied shoulder.
"Whatever you say, Tsuna-nee-san."
And so another few months pass by without incident (Tsuna thanks whoever is up there for that) and before he realizes it, summer has arrived with a nostalgic heat and warm rays.
Unfortunately, Tsuna isn't bothered to think of these warm thoughts, because on the last week of school before summer break, he wakes up with a familiar feeling of cold dread creeping into his stomach.
It is a feeling of knowing that something terrible will happen today that has Tsuna struggling to respond to his narrow-eyed (ahem, concerned) brother's questions.
"I'm fine, Taka-chan," Tsuna tries to reassure, barely restraining himself from holding an arm over his stomach. "Just a slight stomach ache, that's all."
But still, they walk at half the usual pace than normal; though Tsuna isn't too sure if it is because of his own incompetence at walking properly or if the motherly instincts that Tsuna is sure Takahiro has is finally sprouting out from underneath the boy's coarse personality.
Tsuna lasts for a whole four periods before he asks (more so demands) his teacher for permission to go to the bathroom, and walks out of the classroom with Takahiro's barely concealed, worried stare following him as well.
Ten minutes pass after entering the toilets (even now he still has to pause before heading towards the one labeled 'girls') before Tsuna quickly finds himself on the bathroom floor, barely holding his body back from hyperventilating and possibly passing out in dead faint.
Nurse, Tsuna, he desperately tries to remind his panicking body while staring up into the ceiling, the nurse can help you.
And with a surging will to survive and not flounder, Tsuna quickly stands up (and hesitates before wrapping his underwear in toilet paper. Lots of toilet paper).
Determined not to faint, Tsuna hastily pulls his pants back up (Kami, there's so much blood) and practically runs for the nurse's office. His senses are on high alert in the midst of his barely contained panic and Tsuna ducks to the side to avoid a flying tonfa.
"Sawada Tsunayoshi," Hibari's voice is dangerously low with narrowed eyes and a fierce scowl on his face. Tsuna slows down briefly to hear his next words. "Skipping class, running in the hallways, and bleeding on Namimori's grounds?"
Tsuna glances back and winces as the prefect grins maliciously and holds up a single, gleaming tonfa.
"For violating Namimori's rules, I will bite you to death."
Hibari! Tsuna sobs in his mind as he runs faster to the nurse's office. What happened to the beautiful friendship that we had before?!
…
(Perhaps it is due to a mixture of panic, trauma, and fear that has Tsuna temporarily forgetting: Kyouya at such a young age does not know the meaning of friendship – hell, Kyouya at twenty-one still didn't quite understand it.
So it is probably a good thing that Tsuna does not call out these temporarily insane thoughts from his mind).
Luckily, though Hibari is fast, Tsuna is faster (he hasn't spent the last year doing hardcore Reborn-style training exercises for nothing, dammit!) and in a matter of minutes, Tsuna bursts into the nurse's room with one arm desperately covering his stomach and another trying to push away Hibari's attacks to his head.
"Nurse," Tsuna gasps after giving a final kick to Hibari (sending the boy across the hallway) and clutches his stomach (painpainpain). "Please, I don't know what's wrong with me – "
(Actually, according to his still-forever-annoying intuition, Tsuna does know what is wrong with his… female body, but that certainly doesn't mean he knows what to do -)
"Oh!" The nurse exclaims, quickly taking note of the blood still seeping through Tsuna's pants before ushering him into the bathroom next door. "Don't worry, dear, this is normal; there's no need to panic. Now, take deep breaths and let me explain to you the wonders of growing up."
Tsuna blanches throughout the explanation (he's gone through puberty once already, why is the world so cruel to put him through it again) because though he knows of that time of month from a more-than-usual violent Bianchi and a sobbing Haru, he hadn't really known about all the… technical aspects behind it.
"Are you alright, dear?" The nurse asks kindly after zip locking Tsuna's soiled clothes and letting him wash up in the shower next to the sink. Tsuna takes a moment in the back of his head to thank Kami/Buddha/whoever-is-up-there that this nurse is nothing like Shamal (then again who is?). "Do you need to sit down?"
He nods his head blankly, but both he and the nurse are unsure whether it is an answer to her first or second question, so instead she decides to let Tsuna lie down for the rest of day, calling Nana to tell the woman what exactly has progressed.
(Tsuna tries desperately to ignore the excited chatter coming from the receiving end of the nurse's phone; he does not need to know about how proud Nana is that her 'baby girl is finally becoming a woman!'
No. He really, really doesn't).
Putting aside the fresh wave of pain that is clenching in his stomach (The first few days are usually the worst, dear); Tsuna covers his eyes with his arm from the lingering sunlight shining through the window.
Perhaps now would be a good time to take a nice, long nap –
Slam!
With a start, Tsuna opens his eyes and looks to see a panting Takahiro on the verge of having a major panic attack on his own.
"Tsuna-nee-san! Are you here? I heard that you went to the nurse because of Hibari –"
…
Relaxing after realizing that Takahiro is simply worried ("Curious, Nee-san! I'm just curious!"), Tsuna slowly closes his eyes once more and gives in to exhaustion from having to deal with a whole day of puberty.
"Onee-san? Tsuna-onee-san? Nurse, why is she closing her eyes?!"
Tsuna gives one last curse to his body before falling asleep, lulled by the sounds of a fretting Takahiro.
(He dreams of soccer balls and mafia guns with swords filled with lightening; of clouds surrounded by yellow birds and tornadoes covered in mist; of the sun and flowers in spring shaped like dinosaurs).
That evening when Tsuna wakes up, in his bed, to the smell of delicious food, he can't help but smile; because even though he has to deal with these troublesome problems involving his female body…
At least he has his Family to support him the entire way.
(Does it matter if they are in this world or not?).
Bam!
With a grunt, Tsuna slides around Hibari's guard and lands a glancing roundhouse kick to the prefect's side.
"Hibari-senpai, I already apologized, didn't I?" Tsuna tries to reason, though he knows it is falling on deaf ears as Hibari viciously runs up to Tsuna and swipes upwards before turning and jabbing a tonfa into Tsuna's stomach.
Ignoring the breath that knocks out of him, Tsuna instead ducks at another swipe to his head (really, why does Hibari always aim for his head?) and tries in vain to squash the irritation welling inside his chest.
Had Kyouya always been this annoying in Tsuna's own world, he wonders briefly before shaking his head and focusing on the task at hand.
Damnit, Hibari, I have class in less than five minutes!
Wincing as a brief spasm of pain circles inside his stomach (it has been only two days since the… 'puberty' incident, and it has taken Hibari that same amount of time to track down a fleeing Tsuna in retribution for the kick that had sent the prefect flying across the hallway), Tsuna finally feels the last bit of his patience snap as Hibari once again ignores Tsuna's reasoning and goes for Tsuna's head. Again.
It isn't how Tsuna is missing class or how Hibari constantly aims for his head (even though it is slightly annoying).
(No, it is Hibari's tendency to hear what he wants to hear and block everything else out. It is his impatience and ceaseless thinking before attacking that has Tsuna so frustrated because that could later on cost someone's life and he's had enough of Hibari's immaturity -).
At the last second before Tsuna's slightly unreasonable anger takes over (remember, Dame-Tsuna, a mafia boss must not let his emotions control his actions; it can cost lives if you do), he instead releases his body to his eager flames; and enters his Hyper Dying Will Mode.
(His body aches even though his Sky flames dance all around his body and soothe a part of him that he didn't even know was sore; he really should not be entering this mode without the help of supplements. It is simply dangerous and he hasn't even spent the time to figure a way to safely do so yet – now he really wishes he had).
A warm glow rests lightly on his forehead, and Tsuna blinks as a familiar feeling of clarity and resolve envelops him.
Hibari steps lightly back a few feet and stares interestedly at Tsuna's burning forehead and glowing eyes.
"Oh?" Hibari smirks and raises his tonfas challengingly. "It seems you have hidden something else from me, Sawada Tsunayoshi."
Tsuna does not respond and practically flies up to Hibari instead.
"What – " He does not give the prefect a chance to even widen his eyes before punching into Hibari's guard. It is not what Hibari had expected, and after having his punch blocked (expected and calculated), Tsuna gives another side punch followed by a push kick that sends the prefect flying across the school grounds.
Hibari falls into the baseball fields with a resounding crack; the prefect is hardly injured (Tsuna can see that the boy has twisted and softened the fall) but by the time Hibari leaps back up to the roof, Tsuna is already gone.
(Tsuna has had enough of dealing with a compulsive Kyouya every day, thank you very much).
Unfortunately, Tsuna really should have taken into account the repercussions of 'beating' a Hibari; the prefect's pride was as bountiful as Reborn's sadism.
The following week during summer break, Tsuna finds himself being dragged out of his room by a murderous looking Hibari with slight bemusement and annoyance as the prefect demands another match.
"I refu – " Apparently, Hibari is a very, very impatient boy, because in response to Tsuna's beginning refusals, the boy hurls a tonfa at a nearby frozen stiff Takahiro. It is only due to Tsuna throwing a spoon at the tonfa that it embeds itself into the wall instead of his brother.
"Hibari-senpai," Tsuna forces himself to stay calm and relaxed, but his shoulders hold tension enough for a lifetime.
(It is only because of his worry for the wide-eyed Takahiro's health and his own future years that has Tsuna agreeing easily enough; though on the condition that Hibari will now owe him a favor and that the prefect will never, ever attempt to harm his Family again.
Five minutes of stoic silence pass before Hibari grits out his agreement in heavy reluctance; Tsuna sympathizes – he knows how much Kyouya hates owing favors - but this is one of the few things Tsuna has been firm about in his dealings with the Kyouya of his world.
There will be no harming of the Family).
And so begins the start of many summers filled with destruction and spars and orange eyes.
(They both don't even bother 'sparring' during school days anymore; Hibari loves Namimori too much to damage it due to fights, and Tsuna really loves his life too much to end it just because of a 'playful' spar).
And so, another year passes by, followed by another and another.
(Tsuna tries to cherish these few years of normalcy with a fierceness he doesn't know he had in him.
If this world is anything like his own, then he needs to hold on to these memories for future use – when the meeting with Reborn inevitably comes).
"Sawada," Tsuna blinks away his thoughts and focuses on the teacher in front of him.
"Yes, Suzume-sensei?" Tsuna smiles sheepishly as his sensei in return sighs and shakes his head with a smile. "I'm sorry, could you please repeat that?"
Suzume Kiyoshi smiles wryly again at his student and lifts a pile of papers.
"These," He states, handing the pile over to the girl, "Are a list of all the schools that wish for you to attend their grounds next year."
Sawada in return stares blankly at the pile in her hands.
…
"What?"
Kiyoshi shakes his head.
This is the best student Namimori Elementary has to offer?
Still, Kiyoshi muses, despite her scattered brain, Sawada really does have the best grades Namimori has seen in a while.
(He determinedly ignores the other genius that had graduated a year or two ago; Hibari Kyouya is genius, yes, but not a conventional one, and all the other middle schools in the general area already know that the boy would be attending Namimori-chu – and not anywhere else.
They certainly did not dare to try to convince him otherwise).
It was a slow creep upwards, Kiyoshi remembers fondly, thinking back to the first year Sawada's grades had really begun to improve. Probably due to the joint efforts of tutors and diligence on the girl's part, many teachers twittered and gossiped and speculated in the lounge; who knew that such a talent could be hidden inside one of Namimori's worst students?
"Um, sensei?" Flinching back, it is now Kiyoshi's turn to sheepishly from his straying thoughts as his student stares with an eyebrow raised.
(Though it is strange how, well, boy-like the girl looks now; Kiyoshi clearly remembers a time where Sawada was fond of pink skirts and long hair, but now it has switched for short, puffy hair and cargo pants.
…
Sometimes, he wonders if his other students even remember what gender Sawada actually is: he has lost count of the several times his students has referred to the girl as a boy and the frustration that wells up when Sawada, after every single time, refuses to correct said classmates.
Kami, it was like she wanted them to treat her like a boy).
"Ah," Kiyoshi clears his throat and nods at the papers held loosely in Sawada's hands. "Like I just said, these are the applications of all the middle schools that want you in the following year; along with other scholarships and benefits."
Sawada simply stares at the pile in her hands and blinks slowly before looking back to Kiyoshi.
"… I thought I was going to Namimori Middle…"
Kiyoshi nearly smacks himself in the face at the sheer obliviousness Sawada seems to have, but calms down and instead gives the confused girl a small lecture.
"Yes, that was if you didn't have the grades to attend another middle school. However, seeing that you are our top student, many other schools are vying for your attendance; hence, the papers in your hands," Kiyoshi points deliberately at Sawada's hands and the girl smiles wryly before furrowing her brow.
"Why don't you go through them tonight and talk it over with your parents? You don't have to decide now."
Sawada doesn't respond, instead picking up the application on top of the large pile and scans the paper dutifully. Kiyoshi waits patiently as the girl smiles and looks to the left, staring outside at the sky through the window.
"Midori, huh?" Sawada says almost wistfully before shaking her head. She turns back to face him with a considering look. "Well, Suzume-sensei, do you know about Taka-chan's decision for next year?"
Kiyoshi holds back a knowing glance and opens a drawer to search for the other Sawada's file. The boy had received a similar pile of applicants – albeit, smaller than his sister's – from other schools last week, and just yesterday had handed over the envelope stating his decision.
"The kid didn't tell you?" Kiyoshi asks with a bit curiosity; the Sawada twins are close, everybody knows that, despite the growing differences in popularity between the two. Sawada Takahiro is famously known as a rising star in soccer, with a coarse but open personality that has grown softer over the years. Sawada Tsunayoshi however…
Well, you were lucky if the person you asked responded with a confused look and a "Tayoshi, who?"
(Exactly how the girl managed to slither away and hide from the public despite being the top student was beyond Kiyoshi; and exactly why was beyond him as well).
"No," The girl in question smiles serenely – a look Kiyoshi thinks is far too old for a child like her, but he does not comment. "He wanted to keep it a secret from me. It confused me then, but it seems now that it was to not hinder my choice of school as well."
"Hm," Kiyoshi nods in understanding, but pulls out Sawada Takahiro's file anyway. Twins were notorious for following each other despite their different goals, but Kiyoshi highly doubts that going to Nami-chu will hinder Tsunayoshi's plans for the future; the girl had too much potential.
Handing over the boy's application, Kiyoshi cannot help but add, "Strange how both you siblings thought going into Namimori Middle was your only option; though I think it's more strange that your brother chose it anyway, despite there being much better options."
Kiyoshi will not lie; though he has pride in Namimori's education, he knows that it is not the best. Dozens of schools from all around Japan with better facilities and a better education were all vying for Sawada Takahiro, and yet, the boy still chose Namimori.
And judging by the look of concentration in the other Sawada's eyes, Kiyoshi has a feeling that this Sawada will be following her twin's decision as well.
"Suzume-sensei?" Kiyoshi grunts in response and hands over a pen when Sawada asks for one; he is not surprised when Sawada shuffles through her papers to draw out Namimori's own form and fills it out.
"That is some loyalty to Namimori, Sawada," Kiyoshi remarks as Sawada quickly fills out the application in precise, neat handwriting. He then pauses and adds in. "And to each other, the both of you."
There is silence for a few minutes before the girl in question returns his pen and gives Kiyoshi only a bright grin and a bow in thanks; whether it is for his pen or remark, Kiyoshi isn't too sure.
But what Kiyoshi knows for sure is that Namimori is both lucky and unlucky to have the Sawada twins entering its grounds next year.
(Kiyoshi hasn't been an elementary school teacher for years to just ignore the signs of danger when he sees it. He has seen problem children and gifted children; normal children and not-so-normal children.
But the Sawada twins are a whole new bunch that he has only heard of from others.
They are chaotic children.
No matter where they go, their touch will bring winds of change; whether it is for good or bad, Kiyoshi does not know.
He guesses that he'll find out sooner or later.
All he has to do is watch the Namimori's news report.
Frequently).
"Tsuna-chan?" Swallowing the last bit of his dinner, Tsuna carefully wipes off his mouth with a napkin (remember, Dame-Tsuna: appearance is everything at business dinners, especially ones involving the mafia-) and turns to his smiling mother.
"Yes, okaa-san?" Nana in return grins brightly and waves at the phone across the table behind her.
"I just received a call from Namimori Middle while I was cooking; they said that they were so pleased to have you attend their school – the principal himself called to say so!" Tsuna pretends to not notice a choking Takahiro next to him and smiles pleasantly instead. "I'm so glad that both my children are attending a school so close to home!"
And suddenly, the answer to Suzume-sensei's question appears.
Takahiro… You didn't want okaa-san to feel lonely, so you chose the only school in Namimori's general area?
This is actually true; the closest middle school to Namimori other than its own middle school is over two towns away – meaning Takahiro would have to live in a dormitory.
(The same could not be said for Tsuna: Midori is actually a prestigious all-girls school for fine arts and just outside of Namimori).
"Tsuna-nee-san?"
Tsuna lazily pats Takahiro fluffy, light, light brown hair and promptly ignores the boy's scowl.
(Takahiro's scowls are nothing compared to Reborn's malicious glares; it is like comparing puffy, indignant kittens to sneering wolves).
"Mm, Takahiro," Tsuna murmurs as both he and his twin watch their humming mother wash the dishes. "Don't worry; this was my choice."
"… Are you sure?" Takahiro frowns and looks closely at Tsuna's carefully smoothed out face. Tsuna smiles sincerely in response and nods, glancing distractedly outside the window.
"Yes, of course."
I will never leave you to Vongola's clutches alone, Takahiro.
It is times like these that we need to stick together.
Like Family.
"I refuse."
Perhaps in his other life, Tsuna muses, he probably would have given in to his mother's bright, watering eyes.
"Please, Tsuna-chan? Make Mama proud, yeah?"
But this is just crossing the line.
"No, no thank you."
Takahiro pops up from behind the couch across the living room, staring warily at both their mother and the article of clothing in her hands.
"Nee-san, isn't it, y'know," Takahiro pauses before frowning. "Against Namimori's rules to not wear a uniform?"
The boy freezes and looks around as if Hibari himself is in the general area. Ever since the disastrous meeting with the prefect a few years ago, Takahiro always did have a healthy amount of fear of the Hibari.
Tsuna lifts the Namimori Middle's Rule Handbook from the coffee table next to him and taps the cover lightly. He has taken to memorizing all the rules in that little book as if his life depends on it.
(Which, actually, it kind of does, because Tsuna really doesn't want to give Hibari another reason to start fight with him).
"Technically, yes, Taka-chan," Tsuna puts down the handbook and picks up the uniform that he has worked sweat, blood, and tears to have the right to wear. "But there is no rule for a Namimori student to wear the opposite gender's uniform."
And in all of its glory, lies in Tsuna's hands, Nami-chu's boy uniform: a sight that fills him with nostalgia and fond memories.
(It is not just because he absolutely despises skirts that have Tsuna so firm on wearing this uniform; it represents the past that he can never have here, and he wants to cherish them with all he has).
"But Tsuna-chan," Nana almost whines, but it is still pleading. "You're a girl –"
Tsuna holds back his almost instantaneous wince and takes a deep breath.
Breathe, Tsuna. Only biologically. Only biologically.
"- and look, aren't these skirts so cute?"
Yes, Tsuna does think the skirts are cute (Kyoko and Hana were fond of their middle school uniforms even when they reached their twenties), but that does not just erase his twenty-six (now twenty-nine? Thirty?) years of male mentality.
He has accepted that yes, he is a girl, and yes, he will probably be one for the rest of his life on this world, but does that mean he has to act like one as well?
"Okaa-san," Tsuna starts patiently, staring straight into Nana's watering eyes with determination. "I do think that these skirts are very cute, but –"
Tsuna pauses to emphasize his point.
"But I feel very uncomfortable wearing them. I know that I used to love wearing them, but I'm growing up, yes, okaa-san? I don't think I'll be able to enjoy my middle school life if I'm uncomfortable in my uniform, right?"
He watches in relief as Nana begins to calm down and accept Tsuna's honest and sincere explanation with the open-minded personality that Tsuna has always been thankful for.
"If that is what you want, Tsuna-chan," And suddenly, all is well again as Nana gently places Namimori's girl uniform to the side and leaves cheerfully to start making dinner.
"Tsuna-nee-san," Tsuna turns with a satisfied smile and sits down, relaxed, on the couch.
"Yes, Taka-chan?" Takahiro flops down next to him and crosses his legs.
"How exactly did you get the school to send you a male uniform? There's no way they would have accepted the explanation you gave to okaa-san."
Tsuna fiddles with a piece of his (still thankfully short) hair while scratching the back of his head sheepishly.
"Well, I had Hibari-senpai to help…"
"Please, Hibari-senpai?"
"…"
"I'll spar with you every Sunday throughout the school year!"
"…"
"I'll join your Disciplinary Committee next year! You always complained about not having enough grunts to deal with the paperwork."
"…"
"Okay, maybe not complained."
"…"
"… I'll cook hamburger steak for you every week."
"… Hn. Make it every other day, Sawada Tsunayoshi."
Takahiro stares incredulously at a weary looking Tsuna.
"You bribed Hibari-san with food?"
Solemnly, Tsuna places a hand on Takahiro's stiff shoulder and looks straight into the boy's eyes.
"Takahiro, the only way to a man's heart is through his stomach; sacrifices are a must to get what you want."
Takahiro uneasily glances at Tsuna's serious face with trepidation.
"Nee-san, exactly how much did you want that uniform…?"
...
"Very much, Takahiro, very much."
Tsuna stares blankly outside through the window and softly mutters,
"Now, how does one make hamburger steak?"
-o-o-o-o-o-
And so, here ends the last of the 'transitioning' chapters before canon. I wanted to put in one more so that we could smoothly see the events that happened before Reborn's arrival.
Poor Tsuna; having to deal with puberty for a second time.
Next Chapter: Enter Reborn, Sasagawa Kyoko, and many more.
FAQ:
- Why is Tsuna called 'he' in some places, but 'she' in another? Okay, so, I can go into a spheal about identity crisis things, but that's for later. For now, all you need to know is that Tsuna is 'he' when we see things from his point of view. Just because he's accepted the fact that he is yes, biologically, a girl, does not mean he will consider himself one.
When we are seeing things from other's perspectives, people regard Tsuna as a 'she' because they know that 'he' is a girl.
- Takahiro definitely has a 'sister complex' - Alright, even I, the author, have to admit that the kid does slightly have one. We'll see how it goes later on.
- Pairings? Specifically TsunaxHibari? Whoa, whoa. Hold up. These kids are (technically) eleven/thirteen in the beginning, and only now are they thirteen/fifteen. Pairings are a no for now. Romance is not even in the minds of (a thirty? year old) Tsuna and it has an even lesser presence in the fighting-obsessed Hibari.
The most you can make out of their relationship now is sparring partners, or tentative 'friends.' (But yes, Tsuna is now in the Disciplinary Committee, unfortunately for him).
- About that 'Guardians coming to this world' thing? - I've spent a lot of time thinking about this little factor that many readers have brought up, and in the end, I've decided that, no, Tsuna's previous Guardians will not be coming to this world. We might see glimpses of them here and there (how you ask? It's a secret) but generally speaking, no one else from Tsuna's world will be coming to this one.
What really swayed me to this side was part of a review from a reader, Shirokuromokona, who really brought up why bringing the others here might be a bad idea.
"I really don't like the idea of Tsuna's guardians from his world appearing in the new world. Like Tsuna worries that replacing even if it is an alternative version of him is wrong. Maybe its hypocritical, but I never knew the original female Tsuna, while I know the new Hibari who thinks that Sawada is a weird person who he can't seem to label and is just so different from her peers. I don't want this Hibari to disappear, just to get the old Hibari back. Even if they are practically the same the have different experiences, and thus radically different thoughts. Thanks for the chapter."
- And here is our answer, ladies and gentlemen. While I know that many are hoping to keep Tsuna from loneliness here by bringing his loved ones, I think it is a bit immoral to just replace the Guardians' lives here (who each are their own person) with the ones Tsuna has grown up with.
Yes, it will be painful for Tsuna to see faces of those that won't recognize him, and yes, it will hurt when the people he has fought along with treat him politely like a stranger.
But I think it would be more painful for both Tsuna and his own Guardians if they all came and took the place of the characters in this world.
It's one thing being reincarnated 'back to the past' or something along those lines; it's another thing to just take over someone else's life, even if they are your parallel selves.
I hope this doesn't disappoint anyone too badly, but I am firm with my decision for this; if you think otherwise, please try to give a really good explanation about why.
On the other hand, sorry for the long author's note; though I did want to put it out there.
Still, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter: I would love to hear your thoughts on it as well.
Regards,
Searching. For. Enadi.