Flower-Gathering
I left you in the morning,
And in the morning glow,
You walked a way beside me
To make me sad to go.
Do you know me in the gloaming,
Gaunt and dusty gray with roaming?
Are you dumb because you know me not,
Or dumb because you know?
All for me And not a question
For the faded flowers gay
That could take me from beside you
For the ages of a day?
They are yours, and be the measure
Of their worth for you to treasure,
The measure of the little while
That I've been long away.
-Robert Frost
X X X X
Despite Tsuna's previous thoughts, having a friend was not that bad. Gokudera was pretty alright, to be honest. He walked to school with her in the morning, and talked to her in between classes, and stayed for dinner most nights at her house. She made him bentos in the morning and when Tsuna was sent to the principal's office, Gokudera went with her. It was mutually beneficial, and the only uncomfortable part for her was his hero-worship. He cooled it when she asked, though.
Reborn now had her running around Namimori at five o'clock in the morning, however, so her life quality had decreased slightly. Even that wouldn't stop her, because she made a new running buddy, which was nice. He was the infamous boxer she had talked to earlier, Sasagawa-senpai.
"CALL ME RYOHEI!" he insisted. Of course, if it meant he yelled less, she would. So, that was where she was one morning: running beside a white-haired teenager, who was kind enough to slow down to match her speed. He rambled while she struggled to keep her breathing even.
"YOU SHOULD EXTREMELY JOIN THE BOXING CLUB, TSUNA-CHAN!" he yelled. It was a wonder that they hadn't gotten any complaints yet, for it was very early in the morning. Perhaps it was the fact that most people wanted to avoid Ryohei, if they could, and that nobody was actively trying to confront the loud boy.
"Shhhhhh, Ryohei-kun, it is the morning. I cannot." She said quietly, her eyes closing on their own. This exchange went on every morning the exact same way. Today, however, Ryohei chose to jog backwards in front of her, with her eyes closed, without her knowledge. This, of course, caused a problem when, at once, Tsuna opened her eyes, Ryohei tripped, and she grabbed his hand in an attempt to steady him. Unfortunately, she did not count on the fact that he was much, much heavier than her, which caused her body to fall with his.
In what seemed like slow motion, they both fell, Ryohei wrapped his arms around her waist in an effort to prevent injuries, and both their noses and lips smashed together in a cruel parody of the old cliche. Tsuna immediately bounced up, holding her bleeding nose, while Ryohei stayed down in a daze.
"Fuck that hurt!" Apparently, her exclamation caused Ryohei to snap out of it, for he snapped up too, their lips brushing briefly once again. His face turned red, unnoticed by Tsuna, who was preoccupied at the moment. "Owwww." She frowned.
"Extreme first kiss?!" Ryohei exclaimed, although he was not as loud as usual.
"Whaaaaat?" was her eloquent response; she really was a modern-day Mark Twain. "That thing? I guess," she eventually responded, her voice nasal. Regardless of how much she tried to keep her cool in such a situation, it was evident that her cheeks were tinged rose. Ryohei seemed to have noticed, that smug bastard, for he just grinned at her with his large hands resting firmly on her waist.
They stayed like that for a little while, and the scene would've been perfect had it not been for the blood on her hand and nose; blood that was now dripping from her nose to rest above her cupid's bow. Ryohei obviously didn't care, for he leaned in slowly and made to kiss her again. And he would've gotten away with it too, had it not been for the loudly yelled "TSUNA-CHAN!" from down the street.
Tsuna scrambled with little grace onto the sidewalk where Ryohei rested, disappointed, and they both turned to look at the jogging form of Yamamoto heading towards them. His apathetic grin still painted his face, but there seemed to be emotion in his eyes, though it did not seem that glad. She wasn't really sure; she was very bad at reading people.
As he got closer, however, his expression grew more concerned, his eyes tracing the dried blood on her form. Finally, it would seem as if the Yamamoto boy was not entirely a robot, as she had suspected. To be honest, he was a little annoying to be around, as Tsuna was not very fond of fake fronts, though she knew they were necessary at times.
"Tsuna-chan, what happened to your nose?" he asked, his displeasure genuine. Without waiting for an answer, he spoke once more. "Let me treat that at my house." As an afterthought, he added, "You can come too, Sasagawa-senpai."
The Yamamoto residence was very spacious and rustic, a design Tsuna could appreciate even if it wasn't her own style. Yamamoto sat them down in the living room, and left shortly to gather the medical supplies. When he returned, Ryohei had moved to sit closer to Tsuna, which he very much disapproved of.
"Tilt your head a little, Tsuna-chan," he asked quietly, his face rather close to Tsuna's. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced smugly at Ryohei, who frowned minutely. There was no scratch, so bandages were not necessary, but Yamamoto insisted that he be the one to clean her injury. When he was done, there was little more than a purpling bruise to show for it. "Don't worry, you're still cute," Yamamoto reassured. Tsuna was unsure of why, because she hadn't really worried about that, but she still nodded along.
"Thanks for the help, Yamamoto," she said, before standing. "I'll take my leave. Come along now, Ryohei-kun," she prodded. He stood along with her, and took her hand unexpectedly. Then, he met eyes with Yamamoto and it was almost possible to see the angry sparks between the two of them.
"One more thing." Yamamoto smiled widely, though this one was actually filled with feeling. What feeling, Tsuna did not know. As aforementioned, Tsuna was not very good with people. "Call me Takeshi," he demanded pleasantly, never once looking away from Ryohei. "After all, aren't we friends?"
"Sure, Takeshi-kun. Whatever you say," Tsuna said blithely, choosing to remain unaware of the chaos around her. Her life had been crumbling apart since she was little, but she deemed it safe to just blame Ragnarok. She did not notice Ryohei's unusual frown, nor Yamamoto's challenging demeanor. Now that she thought about it, however, wasn't it strange that Ryohei had been quiet for so long?
"EXTREME!"
Nevermind.
Ryohei continued his screaming while they jogged to her house. Then, when they reached the entrance of her house, he quickly rested his hand on her cheek, and bent down to kiss her. The ordeal lasted about fifteen seconds, but that was long enough for Reborn to snap a picture for future blackmail.
"You're such an asshole, Reborn!" she exclaimed, while Ryohei screamed "EXTREME!" before waving and sprinting toward his house. Tsuna's face was red as she stared at his retreating back, and noticed, not for the first time, his back muscles and their movements. Goddamn, was that a fine man.
"How did you get that bruise, Dame-Tsuna?" Reborn asked curiously. "I know that one isn't from me."
"The plot," was her answer, and she refused to elaborate upon it. Then, she locked the bathroom door, took a shower, and headed to school. As always, Reborn slinked behind her, sending aggressive comments her way whenever he felt like it. This morning, Gokudera sent her a text that he couldn't walk with her today, and that some issues had come up. Of course, the text was filled with apologies and cute emoticons that really fit his personality.
They met at school, however, where Gokudera's profuse apologies rang through the classroom. His words were interrupted by the unexpected arrival of Takeshi-kun, who seemed much more morose than he had this morning, when passion had filled his very bones.
"Hey, Tsuna-chan!" he greeted, his cheerfulness forced. Nevertheless, Tsuna smiled right back at him, which did not occur often. She felt, this time, that Takeshi-kun needed a little happiness. Tsuna would do anything she could to provide him with that.
"Morning, Takeshi-kun," she greeted. "By the way, Gokudera, this is Yamamoto Takeshi. Takeshi-kun, this is Gokudera Hayato. Mingle amongst yourselves, I have to finish this essay."
"T-Tenth! You call this guy by his first name?" Gokudera screeched, incredulous. His eyes would've fit on a sad puppy's face. She nodded distractedly, her pencil scratching furiously on paper. "Why don't you call me by my first name?" She looked up.
"You never asked, Hayato-kun." she amended herself, and then went back to her essay. As such, she missed Hayato's furious blush and Takeshi-kun's corresponding sharp look.
X X X X
School went on normally, but the next day Tsuna awoke with a bad feeling in her stomach. When she arrived, she swiftly walked by Hibari-senpai and avoided eye-contact, lest she be bitten to death. In homeroom, she heard the whisperings of Takeshi-kun's accident, and made a beeline for his desk, after telling Hayato to wait this one out.
"Takeshi-kun!" she exclaimed, once she broke through the crowd of sympathetic well-wishers. "Your arm!" was all she could manage to say, and she felt like a bumbling fool. Embarrassingly, she felt her eyes slightly water at the sight. He just looked so sad! Tsuna wasn't very good at empathy, or whatever, but she could understand her friends and their feelings, most of the time. Unfortunately, she wasn't exactly sure how to express that.
"Hi, Tsuna-chan," he said, his voice more morose than usual, even in front of the usual crowd. There were whispers around the classroom, curious as to when they became so familiar with each other and did Tsuna really just call him Takeshi-kun? Before they could speak for more than a few moments, Tsuna was pushed back into the crowd, her eyes still wide and tearing.
The day went on, and the sinking feeling in Tsuna's gut continued to worsen. By the time lunch came, she could barely stand without doubling over. As a result, she didn't really touch her food, and instead offered it to Hayato, who looked at her with concern present in his eyes.
"TAKESHI-KUN'S ON THE ROOF! HE'S GONNA JUMP!"
Before the kid finished, Tsuna was already out of her seat and sprinting, leaving Hayato behind. She could not remember reaching the roof, but when she became aware again, she was in the front of a crowd gathered before Takeshi-kun. She stepped forward, aware of many eyes on her, including Takeshi-kun's blank ones.
"Takeshi-kun?" she asked, and cursed her failure with words. She was not used to speaking, so she never really got the chance to develop a silver tongue. For the first time in years, she actually prayed to a real deity and hoped to gain strength. This was not a time for jokes.
"Hey, Tsunami," was all Takeshi-kun said, and when faced with her crying, pleading amber eyes, he felt the need to justify his actions. He gestured to his broken arm. "The Baseball Gods have forsaken me, and I am of no use to this world if I can't even play baseball. It's the one thing I'm good at, and without it I'm dame. I'm sure you know how that feels, with your past." At those words, the Tsuna's tears seemed to intensify, and Takeshi-kun noticed that she was one of those people whose face flushed when they cried.. Her scleras were bloodshot and a flood of water ran down her cheeks.
Tsuna went stiff at the mention of years prior, and almost recoiled at his harshness. She had never known him to act this way, but she realized that he had always been angry.
"I do know how that feels, Takeshi-kun, but I would never do this! I'd never throw my life away! I've raged for years! I'm still raging! I'm angry all the time because of circumstances I can't change, but I'm always aware of the things I'm not angry at too. I know that my mother would be sad if I died, and I imagine your father would react even worse." Tsuna took a deep breath as she prepared to say her next line. "How would he feel if he had to deal with the death of his son, along with the death of his wife? How could he live without you?"
Takeshi-kun's eyes widened; he hadn't thought of that. How would Dad feel if he had to bury him in a plot next to Mom?
"Your arm will heal, Takeshi-kun, and everything will eventually get better." Tsuna's voice held finality that she didn't really possess. On the inside, she was a nervous wreck. How was she, a sweaty middle school student, supposed to talk down the school idol from suicide? She had only ever talked to him a few times! "Everything will get better," she whispered, and held out a hand for him. The people around them were completely silent, and the atmosphere was heavy with apprehension and fear. Thankfully, Takeshi-kun took it, and laced his fingers with hers.
Sadly, the fence did not hold up as they thought it would, and they both were sent free falling toward the hard cement below. Tsuna scraped her hand across the wall of the building, trying desperately to get a grip, only for her nails to break and her hand to be rendered a bloody mess. Suddenly, Takeshi-kun wrapped himself around her and turned, only for a bullet to pierce his brain. Tsuna screamed.
Takeshi-kun's eyes opened, but a bright blue had overtaken their usual brown. "SAVE TSUNA-CHAN WITH MY DYING WILL!" Damn, nobody was expecting that one. His clothes burned off, and a blue aura surrounded him. His naked limbs tightened around her, and when they landed, he stood on his feet. A shallow crater surrounded them, and Tsuna was sure his bare feet would be bruised. He held her like a bride as his eyes returned to normal. The only sign of the event occurring was the slight slumping of his shoulders and confusion in his irises.
"Whoa, what happened?" was his response, and Tsuna felt the urge to palm her own face. At that moment, Reborn appeared from the bushes, an annoyed but pleased look in his eyes.
"Nobody has ever been able to tell where my shots come from, much less intercept them," he said, looking pleased. "You've found a good family member, Dame-Tsuna." With that, he smacked the back of her head, and disappeared. Of course, this left her (and Hayato, once he arrived) to explain flames to Takeshi-kun, and find him clothes. He ended up wearing some of Hayato's spares, which made the fangirls squeal. Admittedly, Tsuna could see the appeal of a punk Takeshi-kun, but his demeanor did not fit his appearance. In fact, he seemed even more cheerful than usual, and he was actually genuine now.
The next day, he showed up in the morning with Hayato, and she, them, and Reborn all walked to the gates, where she continued to ignore Hibari-senpai out of fear of being bitten to death. In passing, he mentioned taking up swordsmanship with his father, so he could "protect you better, with my life," were his exact words, she believed.
Despite her initial uncertainty, she was not unhappy with the presence of another friend in her life, and while she was certainly not inviting new people into her life, she supposed she wouldn't deny them either.
And if she slipped Takeshi-kun a note, and he arrived at her house later to talk more about the incident in the comfort of her room, then she wasn't going to say anything about it. For now, she would only smile when Mama commented on the handsome boy sitting with her on her bed.
Now, Tsuna had two bodyguards that followed her everywhere. She could barely go anywhere alone. Usually, she would have to think of weird excuses to get them to leave.
"I'm going in that store to buy BL manga. If you don't leave before me, I will ask your opinions on each one," worked well this time, but she would have to think of another excuse soon. She entered the store, and waited until their quickly retreating forms disappeared from the horizon to continue her trek.
She placed headphones on her head, and scrolled through her music to find a relaxing song to listen to on the way home. In truth, Tsuna sometimes preferred to be alone, like when she was still Dame-Tsuna. She didn't often crave being alone, but she seldom was. Reborn, Hayato, Ryohei, or Takeshi were at every corner, and she needed a break every so often.
Her steps were slow and even, as she let her form sway naturally with the movement. The sunshine peaked through the trees leaves and her curtain of hair, making it shine blonde instead of its usual honey hue. From the corner of her eye, she saw the movement of a pink-haired bicyclist throwing a can of soda at her. She caught it hastily, and the woman rushed off.
With caution, she open it and poured a bit out. Reborn taught her never to trust a stranger's suspicious liquids, and he was proved right when a strange purple vapor rose from the ground.
"That's fucked up," she said, before tossing the rest in the garbage.
She arrived home, and grinned at her two best friends who made it there before her. It had become a tradition for them to stay after school with her for a couple hours, with Takeshi-kun usually leaving before dinner.
Strangely, however, a pizza delivery woman arrived at their door as her mother prepared dinner in the kitchen. Tsuna felt that this was kinda suspicious, until she started professing her love for Reborn, when it became hella suspicious.
"Reborn, there's some crazy lady at the door for you!" she called to upstairs, dodging the pizza thrown at her face. "Y'know, cuz someone has to be crazy to like a psychopath like you! Ha, what a zinger!" Then, she left Reborn to deal with that mess, before chilling in the living room with her two besties.
That is, before the crazy woman stepped into the room, said something about killing her, and Hayato fainted.
"Who the fuck are you?" she asked, and poisonous food was thrown at her in response. She dodged, of course, but it just kept coming. "Hey, can you watch it? These are my mama's walls." That caused the woman to pause for a moment, before the havoc continued.
When all was settled, the woman was introduced as Bianchi, Reborn's lover and Hayato's sister.
"Damn, Reborn, she's hot," was all she could say, before dragging Takeshi and Hayoto's limp body up to her room, away from all the crazies.
X X X X
Tsuna was never very good with kids, so when one jumped through her window, attempted to assassinate Reborn, and failed to do so, she had no idea what to do. Then, it started screaming, and of course, Hayato, who was also there, had to start screaming at it.
"T-tol-er-ate!" it cried, before pulling out a bazooka and tripping, causing it to shoot right at her.
"What. The. Fuck." She sat at the top of a long table, where dangerous, sometimes recognizable, men sat to the right and left of her. "Who the fuck-?" she struggled. "Eh, whatever." She spinned in her wheely chair, before turning to face the shell-shocked group. Huh, was that her usual group in the ranks? "What's happening here?"
"Kufufu...the boss is tiny," a creeper, who seemed to be the only one to recover, said, slithering out of his chair to stand behind her. It was sort of uncomfortable and mildly threatening, but Tsuna was willing to let it go. "Her hair is still long," he hummed, before caressing a golden brown lock. "And she doesn't have as many freckles," he touched her nose briefly before leaning in. "Cute," he breathed. Damn, this guy was creepy. Tsuna was kinda into it though, she admitted.
"Sorry, boo. I'm more into the caveman type, although I can appreciate a nice slim man," she turned and winked to the familiar man to the right. "You know I'm talking to you, Hibari. Ha!" And then she was returned to the present (1).
"Damn, didn't even get to see that delicious blush of his," she said, before noticing the mildly surprised face of Reborn, the blushing face of Hayato, and that crazy child who was still crying. "Reborn, Hayato-kun, out," she ordered, with strict eyes belying her nervousness. Reborn smirked, and left with his hand dragging Hayato behind him.
"Alright, kid, I've never actually done this before, so cut me some slack." She gently picked the brat up, and settled him in her lap. Her hand carded through his knotted hair, as she started humming softly.
"You gotta hold on, hold on through the night
Hang on, things will be alright~" (2)
Eventually, the kid stopped crying, and his noisiness subsided into a few sniffs here and there. She stood up, her face red in embarrassment, and opened her bedroom door. Of course, Hayato and Takeshi-kun (who knows when he got there) came tumbling down into the room, obviously having eavesdropped. Reborn stood calmly behind them, obviously better at eavesdropping than two middle schoolers. She ignored them, and stepped into the kitchen.
"Mama, I got you a kid. Don't worry, it's not mine." And she smiled along with her mother's gushing comments about the kid, who she learned was named Lambo.
X X X X
It was an unusual morning in that neither Hayato nor Takeshi-kun were there to escort her to school. Instead, she was alone once again with Reborn. She was cautious, however, because on these such days, it seemed as if the most unusual events would occur. She was quiet today, for just a few hours before, Ryohei had proceeded to kiss her again, and she might have responded in kind. Kissing was fun, alright? It wasn't like she was actively jumping into bed with him.
Currently, Reborn was walking slightly behind her, and every once in awhile, he would flick the back of her head if he thought she was getting too distracted.
"H-hey!" A voice interrupted the morning routine, shaking in indignancy. "I've got a bone to pick with you!" Tsuna's first thought was 'What a fucking nerd,' while her second was 'Holy shit is a ghost talking to me?' because as far as she could see, there was no speaker around. "Up here!" was screamed in frustration, and Tsuna finally looked up to find a young girl balancing on top of the brick wall next to her. Thinking back, Tsuna remembered seeing her before, on her walk home or to school. Huh, small world.
"I'm very against your cheating ways!" she exclaimed dramatically, pointing a judging finger at her. Tsuna just tilted her head in question, honestly ignorant as to what she was talking about. Unfortunately, this just seemed to make the girl angrier. "I've seen you around the neighborhood with all your boys! This one!" She pointed to Reborn. "That tall one! The loud one! The delinquent!" At that word, she seemed especially offended.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Tsuna said, her hands held up in a gesture of peace. "I'm not cheating on anyone! And besides, the only person I've ever kissed is Ryohei-kun, and that was only, like, four times, at most." She thought for a moment. "Actually, maybe five times. I don't know. What I'm trying to say is, I'm not guilty of anything." She was silent for a moment, before another thing occurred to her. "And besides, what does it matter to you!? You don't know my situation. What if I was in an open relationship with all of them? What if I dabbled in a bit of polyamory? What if I was just really over affectionate with my friends? You can't accuse me of anything!"
Without any warning, the girl's face turned red, she stomped over, and lifted her hand. Tsuna didn't even try to react, and thought it better to just let this priss get her emotion out. Unfortunately, Tsuna also underestimated the force that this girl could slap with. Fuck, that hurt!
"Slut!" she screamed, before running away. Tsuna grinned, rubbing her sore cheek, while Reborn put a steadying hand on her shoulder.
"That's a new one!"
"That's not how you're supposed to respond, Dame-Tsuna," Reborn responded approvingly, before continuing on his way, his firm grip steering her toward their destination.
Meet me on the bridge, you know the one. Reborn had texted her, and she did not know the bridge he was talking about. Fortunately, Takeshi-kun did know, and the three of them walked there after school, after she notified her mother, of course.
When they arrived, Tsuna was met with the sight of that weird girl from this morning, dressed very strangely. Apparently, she was angry enough to wish for a fight.
"Yo, angry girl!" Tsuna said in recognition. The girl seemed angry at that, and said something that sounded like "Hahi!" but Tsuna wasn't really paying attention. She did know, however, that it ended with the girl falling off the bridge and into the water.
"Fuckity fuck," she said, while pulling off her shoes and jacket. The others didn't get a chance to stop her before she was diving in after the chick. It was a good thing she learned how to swim a couple of months ago, after she regained her warmth. It was a bad thing that she was terrible at swimming.
She swam with the current, and let it carry her to the flailing girl. That was the easy part; now she had to get to shore, carrying the girl and her fucking fifty pounds of equipment.
"Shit," she cursed, as she dragged the fighting girl with her, against the current. This was hard and she was not into it. Reborn's Spartan training was helpful for something, she supposed, because she was sure that she would've drowned right now if not for him. Honestly, she probably wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for Reborn, but that wasn't the point.
This girl was more trouble than she was worth, but Tsuna wasn't gonna let her die. Mama didn't raise her like that, and if she died upholding her mother's lessons, then she'd have no regrets. Perhaps that was why Reborn hadn't shot her yet, but she wasn't sure. Maybe he'd just been waiting for her to die in a way he couldn't be blamed for.
Water was rushing into her eyes, mouth, ears, and nose, but she continued until the ground grew to meet her. The river became shallow, and she dragged the other with her, too tired to avoid the rocks in the riverbed. Both of their faces were a little cut up, and it looked like the other was half-drowned. She groaned, leaned down, and performed CPR, which she had learned in health class this year.
The girl sputtered, and Tsuna backed away in time to see a waterlogged Reborn come out of the water after them. Huh, so he really did care. She waved him over.
"Your boys are on their way," he said, replacing his fedora on his head. She nodded in thanks, before turning her sights to the unnamed girl before her. She sputtered and coughed, but overall she seemed fine. When the girl finally opened her eyes, they were no longer filled with judgmental hate, and seemed to be filled with an emotion Tsuna couldn't decipher.
"I'm Miura Haru!" she said, rising to sit on her knees. A bright look rested on her face, and she, overall, looked far more happy to be around Tsuna than she had previously. Tsuna thought it was kinda...cute.
"You're cute," she said, as she always said her thoughts aloud. This habit didn't come in handy with Reborn, but it certainly made Haru blush. "It's nice to meet you, Miura-san. I'm Sawada Tsunami; please call me Tsuna." Suddenly, she was tackled into a forceful hug.
"Thank you for saving me, Tsuna-chan! Please call me Haru!" Haru said, with her voice coming out muffled since her head was buried in Tsuna's shoulder. This was the sight Hayato and Takeshi-kun came upon. The former scoffed and looked away while the latter didn't bother to hide his wide grin. Tsuna finally made a girlfriend!
X X X X
Omake 1: Future Tsuna and Co. Shenanigans
Tsuna was not entirely expecting being transported into the past, but she took it in stride. These people wouldn't know what hit them. Her hair was shorter, her confidence was boosted, and she felt pretty damn sexy. So, when she arrived in front of Reborn, Hayato, and Lambo, she acted accordingly.
"What the fuck?" she sputtered as smoke cleared out of the room. Obviously, the epitome of wisdom and grace. Nice job, Tsuna.
"She obviously hasn't changed in ten years," Reborn said, though he did seem a little disconcerted at her appearance. It wasn't every day you got to see another version of someone you knew intimately, with very apparent differences in their behavior, after all.
"T-Tenth?" Hayato stuttered, his face alight with a bright blush. Oh, what a cutie.
"Ooooooh, I had forgotten how cute you all were! It's Reborn-chan, Hayato-chan, and Lambo-chan!" she squealed, and a second bullet subsequently pierced her most valued poster. She still had it, ten years later.
"NOOOOOO! PATRICK SWAYZE!" Of course, the gods chose that moment to return her to her own reality, so all her important business partners got to see her scream in grief. Her guardians just snickered, and Hibari had a strange blush on his face.
"Ha! My past self got you, didn't she Kyoya-chan?"
"I will bite you to death."
X X X X
Omake 2: Sad and Sadder with Tsunami and Takeshi
"Takeshi," Tsuna said, her eyes tired and sad. They both sat on her fish-printed comforter, a rare gift from her father. She didn't actually like fish that much.
"I thought I was alone," Takeshi sighed, his face uncharacteristically solemn. "I had a lot of friends at school, I guess, but we were never really close. The baseball team only relied on my skills, and never got to know me. I thought the only reason I mattered to others was baseball, and when I shattered my arm...That certainly wasn't the only reason, but I felt it signified my whole situation. I was useless, so there was no point in me living anymore.
"Of course, I know I was wrong now. I have Dad, and I most certainly have you. Without you, I'd be dead."
1- I am skipping the Future Arc bc I hate it. That's all.
2- Hang on Little Tomato by Pink Martini. I have no ownership of that song.
A/N: Alrighty, folks. That was the second chapter. It's a bit more gloomy than the first one, but given the subject matter, I'm sure it's understandable. I apologize if I made Haru seem a bit too mean, but since I also made Reborn an adult for no reason, I couldn't have the argument be about that. It also seemed to me that Haru was a person to jump to conclusions quickly, and stick by them even if they're wrong. I'm also hopeful that her character was suitably redeemed by the end.