A/N Hey guys! sorry it's been so long. So, in order of terribleness, I've been: sick with a viral infection, working clinical hours in a surgical ward, and doing full time university on top of that since I graduate in a few months. Fun times!

Anyway, here's the next chapter!

Yuzu hummed softly as she got ready for the day, mentally running through the list of things she had planned. A smile brightened her face as she noted how full her schedule was, and how many people she would be making breakfast for. It was so nice to have a full house! The only times she ever got to cook so much was when her family had their get-togethers every year, and even then it was rarely more than a week at the longest.

It was so nice to have so many guests!

It's definitely good for Tsu-kun, she thought decisively, happy at how many friends her little boy now had. It was wonderful that others could see how amazing he was, especially people his own age. All of her family's friends doted on him… but he definitely needed his own friends.

He smiles so much more these days. He hasn't been this happy since he was little.

Just as she was setting out the breakfast spread, Yuzu heard someone come into the room and caught a flash of blonde from the corner of her eye that accompanied the soothing, cheery feel of the young man's aura.

"Good morning, Dino-kun," Yuzu called, wandering back into the kitchen to put on some coffee. She smiled mischievously at the startled sound that escaped the boy. He was definitely still a boy, barely older than her Tsu-kun.

"Ah, good morning Yuzu-san," he said, smiling at her bashfully as he sat down.

"You know you can call me Mama, Dino-kun," Yuzu scolded him cheerfully, settling a plate in front of him and smiling as he helped himself to the breakfast. Very messily.

"Of course, Yuzu-san," he bowed his head and shot her a bright smile. Yuzu laughed brightly, giving up on the matter. Boys will be boys after all, she mused with a smile at the youth.

The quiet tread of someone coming slowly down the stairs drew her attention and she smiled brightly at the brown mop of hair that came into view. She hummed as she felt the warm balm of her son meet her own, before frowning slightly at how it seemed almost… diminished.

Her concern rose as she saw the flat, depressed slope to her baby boy's face, and immediately knew that something was very wrong. But she put a bright smile on her face.

"Good morning, Tsu-kun," her son looked up slightly at her less than exuberant greeting and found his mother giving him a soft, gentle, loving smile and felt his lips tilt up in response.

"Morning, kaa-san," he said softly, drawing out a chair and sitting down.

Before she had the chance to more than greet Tsuna Dino was calling out to him, and they fell into a conversation. Of Dino talking and her Tsu-kun nodding along.

Yuzu turned around and set up the rest of the breakfast, expecting the quiet of the morning to soon disappear at the sound of running footsteps on the steps. That'd be Lambo-kun and Ippin-chan. She'd have to see how her boy was later, she decided, making a note that she had to tell him that his uncle was coming sometime today. She just knew he'd cheer up when he heard that!

She nodded decisively, quickly running her hand over Tsuna's hair when she went past him, smiling at his startled glance before dishing up food for the new arrivals.

"…and then I asked Romario what he would do, and he said…"

"Mhmm."

"…but then, Luchi told me about this one time years ago…"

Humming softly, Tsuna looked away from the cheery blonde, not paying mch attention to his ranting. I'm not entirely sure what he's even talking about anyway…

It wasn't like he was here for him, anyway. He was here because of Reborn, and Vongola. Not Tsuna.

The teenager sighed and linked his hands behind his head, glancing up at the bright blue sky wistfully. He just didn't get why he was so damn down today…

Maybe it's because none of your 'family' has talked to you in ages, whispered a snide voice in his head.

Tsuna frowned slightly, trying to ignore it. Is not.

I mean, it's not like they need you or anything. The voice continued ruthlessly, Especially not since you're going to be a criminal. You know how he feels about that.

Ichi-nii wouldn't care, Tsuna thought fiercely, before drooping slightly. But he really hates criminals…

And you know what happens to criminals around him. Worse than Hibari.

…that's right. Tsuna thought with startling clarity. If I'm a criminal, and he hates them…

…what's he going to think of me?

Exactly.

Tsuna slumped, his hands dropping and he fixed his gaze to the ground, not noticing the suddenly quiet blonde. If he had he might have seen the calculating gaze in Dino's eyes, or the slight worried tilt to his lips. The blonde boss started to reach out a cautious hand, but stopped at the instinctive cringe the teen responded with, not seeming to notice he'd withdrawn from his self-proclaimed big brother.

Dino frowned slightly, before quietly following the boy down the path towards the school, hoping the teenager would cheer up. He didn't like seeing him so down.

Reborn frowned down at his espresso, contemplating his student. It was only normal for teenagers to have mood swings, but Tsuna had gone from happy to downright depressed overnight. His frown deepened.

It wasn't right. Only he could make his student that damn sad looking, and only after a very long, hard tutoring session. But he'd actually been going easier on the brat the past few days since he'd looked genuinely sad. It was like kicking a freaking puppy with that face he pulled. He hadn't even got much enjoyment from kicking the kid awake that morning! All he'd done was cough and whimper!

Sighing softly Reborn sipped at his drink, humming at the delicious taste. He glanced up at the unusually quiet Yuzu, wondering at the change in her demeanour. Seems it was catching.

Must be a Sawada thing, he thought, dismissing it from his mind for the moment. It was espresso time.

A/N So, I really want to just cuddle Tsuna. Seriously, he's been dumped in all this shit, and in cannon all he has is his mum since his dad is kind've a dick. Just saying. But yeah, it may seem filler but it's actually really important to the next few chapters. Mainly because I am an absolute sucker for fluff fics. and this is definitely a self-indulgent fluff fic. So if you guys want action/smut/romance/ect. you're not gonna get it here, at least not for a while.

But anyway, hope you enjoyed it! Send me any little prompts that you've got rolling around your little brains and I'll see if I can put it in!

PS. Also, I'm probably going to be putting in a few little stand alone one-shots at different times. So they won't be a serious part of the arc I'm writing now. But yeah, that's all folks!