Enjoy!

"Tsu-kun is very late," Yuzu murmured, restless eyes darting from the clock to the fully prepared dinner laid out just waiting to be served. It was already half five, and the skies were heavy with the threat of rain.

Ichigo hummed, before pulling out his phone and checking it. No messages. Not that he expected any but if he could get that look off of his sister's face anything would be better than nothing. Glancing outside his frown became more pronounced. It was late. And Tsuna hated storms; had done since he was five and a storm knocked over a tree in his yard.

"He's not answering," Yuzu said, worried eyes on her mobile. A slight tremble to her fingers betrayed just how worried she actually was.

"Do you want me to go and find him?" Ichigo asked, placing a hand on her back. He frowned when he felt the light tremors running through her body. Yuzu looked up at him, eyes worried and a little scared. Biting her lip as she thought, Ichigo glanced over and caught the eye of his stalker. Reborn tilted his head and his dark eyes seemed to stare right through Ichigo.

"Would you mind, Nii-chan?" Yuzu finally asked.

"Course not. Keep dinner warm for us, yeah?" chucking her chin and relishing the twitch of a smile it caused, Ichigo left the kitchen and headed for the front door. Ignoring the small shadow he bent over, swapped the slippers for his boots and stood, pulling his coat out of the cupboard and shrugging it on.

"Are you worried, Kurosaki-san?" Came the inquiry just as he was checking his pockets to ensure he had his keys.

Pausing, Ichigo turned and met Reborn's gaze. Both eyed each other, one thoughtful and the other suspicious, before Ichigo rolled his eyes and huffed. "Yuzu is worried. And it's not like him to let that happen. Also," he fixed a serious look on the smaller man, "Tsuna is still just a kid. I don't know what you and the idiot are playing at, but if you hurt him in any way? Well."

Those familiar brown eyes –but harder, much harder – swept over him, almost piercing his soul. And found it lacking. Dismissing him as a threat. They turned, and Reborn watched as Kurosaki Ichigo deemed him lacking.

And then, tossed almost absently over the departing shoulder Ichigo said with a chilling tone, "I'll have to intervene. And that is not something you want." The door closed with a quiet puff of air, near silent.

Oh, the nerve of this man… Reborn thought, fascinated despite himself. Tickling Leon's chin he watched throught he windoe as the punk headed down the pathway.

It seemed the Kurosaki side of the family would be just as interesting.

The hitman smirked.

It was rather dangerous to be so caught up in his own head, so much so that he didn't even notice the twists and turns down paths and alleys his subconscious had lead him. When Tsuna finally looked up and actually took in his surroundings, he noted that his feet had lead him to a rather strange place. He frowned, slight suspicion tickling his conscious as he looked around the alleyway. It wasn't anything overly special, a shortcut between some old shops out onto one of the older paths along the waterfront. But there was something…

Taking a step forward was almost unconscious, and the slight nudge from that thing in his head made him take another. Frowning, Tsuna tilted his head and listened, not sure what it was, or even if it was actually there at all. Groaning, the teenager lifted a hand and scrubbed at his hair, wishing, not for the first time, that his head would just shut up. It wasn't like his life wasn't bad enough already without his head killing him like this…

"Oh no, I hope he's not going to throw up," a voice seemed to whisper, and just out of the corner of his eye Tsuna caught sight of a – a smudge? Of course he was going crazy. What else did he need.

"You're not crazy." Now it sounded cross. "I'm not an it! God, you people are so rude, honestly…" It was starting to sound fainter…

"Who – who's there? I'm sorry I called you an it," he stammered, blinking furiously, panicking at the blurriness seeming to take over his vision.

"Wait, were you talking to me?" Louder now. A shape starting to appear. Short hair, short body, so much blood – SCREAMING –

Tsuna's head hurt. So much.

"Hey, kid! Don't –"

It didn't even hurt when he hit the ground.

Yumiko had been an average person. She'd done okay at school, had friends, grown up and began her life working at a tiny flower shop across town. It was a long walk but she didn't mind it, most of the time.

Until the day she stayed late at work. She didn't even need the money; she'd just been covering for a co-worker who wanted to go to a show. A favour for someone she didn't even know that well.

Leaving work that night, she'd been so tired… so much so she hadn't even thought before taking a shortcut down that alley. The one that, during the day, was well lit and had a fruit vendor with the sweetest plums at the entrance.

But at night.

At night, it was a favourite spot for muggings.

And that particular night, Yumiko had left her wallet at home, which those people – if they could be called that – took offense to. And so they decided to take something else.

And when she was left in that alley, bleeding and in pain and so so cold-she couldn't breathe – it hurt so much -

Well.

She welcomed the calm darkness, the loss of all of that pain.

But.

Looking at this boy, this boy who could actually see her. Had apologized. She may have given up caring after her death… but she wouldn't stand by and watch this child meet the same fate.

So she stood watch, and when she felt that presence approaching… that terrifying, heavy, warm presence… instead of hiding like she had in the past, she left the alley and approached.

After all, it had been a long time since anyone had actually seen her.

Ichigo sighed, hand in his pockets as he wandered down the waterfront. He had already checked most of the spots Tsuna had loved when he was younger, remembering the laughter and glee that often adorned the boy's face. It had definitely been absent these last few years. His countenance darkened as he thought of the possible causes, wondering if the sudden involvement of this 'tutor' sent by the idiot might have made it worse.

It didn't matter. Iemitsu was an idiot on a good day. He didn't think he could ever trust anyone the man actually associated with. His lip curled. Especially not that old geezer that had visited when Tsuna was little. Yuzu had called him in tears, saying that something was wrong. It had taken him too long to get there, to fix what had hurt his nephew. Even now, nearly ten years later, it had left a shadow on the boy's soul. Only kept at bay by sheer luck and ingenuity from his father and Uryuu.

And he had never forgiven Iemitsu for that. No matter what Yuzu said, or if she forgave him – which he had doubted – from that moment Iemitsu had lost any respect Ichigo might have had for him.

Family was everything.

And Iemitsu? Well, he wasn't Ichigo's family anymore.

First off, I'm not apologising for the wait. My life and health were weird so I've had little motivation for anything bar work.

Anyways, here's the latest chapter. Be a bit of a wait for the next because I quite literally do not own a computer and this chapter was written in two hours on night shift at work! Yay me lol.

Hope you enjoyed it!