Irregular Bonds

by Pure Red Crane

Friends go through many things. You share the best experiences with the ones you're closest to or the ones you love most. They stand by you, and you do the same. In this story, are tales, one-shots, of Tsuna and Reborn's relationship, changing from student/teacher to friends, to lovers.

3. Chapter for Christmas

Summarry: Now that Tsuna and Reborn are together, it is time to roll it out to the public. However, with the Curse Watch gone, Reborn is stuck as a child. Christmas is coming and gifts are being given, but this Christmas may be a little bit more dramatic than before.

Warning: molesting, Iemitsu bashing, slight 8059

---

Complications of Revelation

Reborn growled with malice. He was in his baby form and he never hated being in it more. In the past nine months, Tsuna had become much more attractive and intellectual. Aside from the slight growth of his bangs, Tsuna's eyes now held wisdom with its usual kindness. They were like jewels to Reborn. And the brunet's skin had become creamy and smooth. He really wanted to bite into it, but in this form, it would look weird and he would be breaking their promise. The two of them agreed that they would not reveal their relationship until they convinced Verde to give the Arcobaleno the 'Curse Watches' back, which Verde wasn't willing to give out, and get Reborn back into his adult form.

Apparently, after Reborn stole the watch to trick Tsuna and had sex with him, Verde became very angry and so, he confiscated the watch. Though, it was understandable. They made him walk in snow twice as large as he was with heavy bags, only to find out his invention was being used for such a, to use Verde's terms, 'disgusting carnal activity'. That green haired monster really needed to learn about human behaviour. 'What an infuriating scientist.' Reborn thought, scrunching his face in frustration.

Tsuna looked at the hitman in fear as he walked. That look on Reborn's face wasn't uncommon nowadays. He knew what it meant. His secret boyfriend was thinking about Verde, either that or he wanted to molest him somehow. Tsuna was a little thankful for the inconvenient form Reborn was in, but he understood that it was annoying the hitman to no end. He grew up nicely these past few months and has even unintentionally charmed some girls at school. He turned them all down, but Reborn would always look at the girls in jealousy and rage. It was flattering to see him like that, but also very scary. After all, jealousy was a possessive emotion. God knew what Reborn would do if he was in his adult form. Though, the brunet wasn't against the hitman being a baby. However, Tsuna knew that if Verde didn't give back the watches soon, Reborn would be very difficult to live with, or at least more than he was already. Tsuna sighed.

"Hm? What's wrong, Tsuna?" Yamamoto asked, walking along with the brunet and his right hand man. Reborn turned to them upon hearing Tsuna's name, wondering what was wrong. They all stopped as Tsuna looked up in surprise, not expecting a question.

"Juudaime! Is Baseball-idiot bothering you!? I'll make him go away!" Gokudera took out his dynamites, ready to blow the baseball player to hell. Tsuna looked at the silver haired boy in alarm, getting in between them in the hopes of preventing disaster. Yamamoto looked at them with his goofy smile, not concerned at all.

"W-What?! No! That's not what's bothering me!"

"Oh! It's the fireworks again! You really like those things, don't you?"

"No, they're not- Argh! You're appalling to look at!" Gokudera was not going to deal with Yamamoto's stupidity. It was time to end the idiot's life once and for all. He lit the dynamite. Tsuna looked at him in horror. He then turned to Reborn, who observed them like he was watching television. The brunet would have to yell at him later, but right now, stopping the dynamites came first. However, the silver haired boy wasn't going to make it easy. "Triple bomb!"

Tsuna immediately went into hyper dying will mode and attempted to put out as many as he could, but there were so many of them, it was becoming difficult, to spread out. Reborn snapped out of his enjoyment and turned Leon into a water gun, but gravity suddenly pulled the leftover dynamite into the air, bringing it high in the sky. However, they could still see the explosion.

"That should do it." They turned to the voice, recognizing the new person.

"Enma!" Tsuna exclaimed. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome." The red head gave the brunet a small smile, getting out of hyper dying will mode. "Let me guess, Gokudera is angry at Yamamoto again, right?" Tsuna sweat dropped, nodding at his best friend. Enma was really good at deductions. The red head sighed and looked at the brunet in pity.

"Tch. What do you want?"

"Now, now, be nice."

"Shut up! Every time you talk, I want to weep for humanity!" yelled Gokudera, annoyed.

"That's extreme." Enma commented. Tsuna laughed nervously at the slight reference to his Sun Guardian.

"Indeed." Reborn agreed, sitting on the wall and watching Gokudera try to punch the daylights out of Yamamoto, but missing every time. Tsuna looked at the scene in distress. He wished his friends would get along and stop trying to kill each other every time they met.

"G-Gokudera-kun! Please, stop!" The silver haired teen did stop for a moment and looked at his boss, struggling to do as he was told as Tsuna grabbed his arm.

"S-Sorry for my rudeness."

"I-It's okay, but please, try to get along!" Tsuna said, letting go. However, he was still a little distressed. Gokudera was just so easily angered and anything Yamamoto said tended to make it worse. Enma looked at Tsuna's upset face and decided to change the subject and distract Gokudera for a moment.

"So, it's a month until Christmas, do you guys have any plans?" the red head asked. Everyone stopped and turned to their timid friend.

"N-No, not really." Gokudera answered.

"Haha, I don't know either!" Yamamoto exclaimed with a smile, perfectly happy despite having his the collar of his shirt grabbed by an easily angered Storm Guardian.

"I haven't made any plans. Have you, Enma?" Tsuna asked.

"Uh, no. I haven't the slightest idea." Enma looked down. The conversation came to a stop. Nobody knew what to say next and move the conversation forward. Reborn didn't like the awkward silence. He liked noise. More specifically, he liked the sound of screams and pain. Silence was boring.

After a short while, Yamamoto came up with an idea. "Hey! Why don't we go to my place and have sushi!"

"Hell no! I refuse to be anywhere near you and your house!" Gokudera yelled.

"Now, now."

"What if we had sushi elsewhere?" asked Enma.

"Yamamoto and Tsuyoshi could bring sushi over to Tsuna's. We can have a sleepover and open presents there too." Reborn suggested.

"That sounds fun. I bet Tsuna's mom would be glad to help Tsuyoshi make it!" Enma said.

"Tch, I guess that's better."

"I guess we should ask the others if they want to join us."

"We should. That's very considerate! Great idea, Enma!" Tsuna exclaimed. The red head blushed at the compliment. "I'll ask Kyoko and the others…though I don't think Hibari-san and Mukuro's group would be interested."

"Yeah, you're probably right…" Gokudera mumbled.

"Ah, wait." Everyone turned to Yamamoto. "I think I overheard Kyoko and Hana talking about going over to their relatives."

"Oh…right. I guess we can still ask Haru and Enma's family."

"I'll do it!"

"You don't even talk to the idiot woman! You two never meet up!" Gokudera yelled, pulling out more dynamite. He glared at Yamamoto, irritated. The raven haired teen flinched at the silver haired teen's glare, backing away. A chase scene erupted on the street. "Get back here, Baseball-freak!"

The trio that was left behind stared at the scene in bewilderment and disbelief, though Reborn looked a little entertained. "Well, back to square one." Reborn said.

The two forgotten teens sweat dropped.

---

After finally catching up with Yamamoto and Gokudera, the group spent the rest of the day doing homework under Reborn's supervision and 'tutorage'. When they finally finished, thanks to the Storm Guardian's help, they started playing games and talking about anything that came up. The topic of Christmas came up again. They talked about all the funny and disastrous Christmas days they had.

One of the funniest stories was about Tsuna. Ten years ago, on Christmas day, his dad got him a dog. As a child, Tsuna was afraid of dogs, he still was, though not as much. The second Tsuna saw the puppy, he ran. He ran for his room, but he didn't know the dog would chase after him. It got in and Tsuna had to jump onto his bed. The dog jumped too. Once it did, the little brunet went onto his desk, but the dog followed that action as well, barking. In panic, Tsuna opened the window and jumped out, hanging onto a branch for dear life. Nana came outside after locking the dog in the bathroom. She laughed when she saw Tsuna holding onto the branch like a koala. Reborn smirked at the story. Meanwhile, Enma looked at Tsuna in pity and understanding, but hating Iemitsu once again.

Gokudera's story was the most pitiful. It was back when he was still living in his father's mansion. It was the year Bianchi had learned how to use poison cooking. It was a nightmare for Gokudera, but he never imagined this would happen. That Christmas, the girl decided to make the sweets for dessert and the guests. Of course, being the cute young lady she was, she decided to make it a surprise. She had worked all night long. Once morning came, a purple miasma had taken over the kitchen and dining room. It woke everyone up, though some passed out after a few seconds. When Gokudera, his father and step mother went down to see what was going on, they were shocked to see the maids and butler lying on the floor, looking very sick. The mass production of poison cooking was a nightmare. However, the second the silver haired boy took a breath of the dense miasma, he passed out, just like his parents and the servants had. After a while, Bianchi's baking went stale and its power dissipated. The next day, the parents couldn't remember why they passed out and everyone celebrated Christmas like nothing was wrong. But Gokudera remembered. He knew what happened, but no one believed him since the stale food wasn't there anymore. It just…disappeared, like a ghost.

This story made the teens shiver in fear and dread. Once the story was done, Gokudera had passed out from the mere memory. That was when their time together ended. Yamamoto was nice enough to volunteer and take the silver haired teen home. When Enma noticed the time, he went pale. He hadn't told Adelheid that he came here. She must have been worried or, more realistically, furious. Tsuna shuddered and said good bye to his friends, watching as they waved back.

After a late supper, Reborn and Tsuna went to bed. As the two lay in bed together, the brunet thought about the upcoming holiday event. He never really thought about giving others gifts before, so this was a new experience for him. Deep down, he was enjoying the feeling of excitement, wondering with glee what he should get everyone. The brunet had a few ideas on what to get his guardians. However, the brunet was stumped about Reborn's present. Aside from espresso, there wasn't much Tsuna could do for the hitman. The brunet looked at the baby beside him. There was one more thing he could do for his secret boyfriend. The hitman wanted his adult form back. Tsuna also wanted that. He wanted to go out on a date with Reborn, but Verde was hiding somewhere. The brunet grumbled. He was going to have to find that scary scientist.

"Tsuna?"

"Huh?" The teen looked down at his boyfriend.

"Why are you still awake?"

"Oh! Nothing! I'm just having trouble sleeping."

"That's probably because you're thinking. Don't. You're too weak for such a thing!" Reborn mocked.

"Shut up! Smartness has nothing to do with strength! I can think just fine!" Tsuna shot back quietly and turned his back from the hitman.

The brunet huffed and decided to drop his previous subject. It was late and he needed sleep. He would think about it another time, maybe when he figured out how to get the green haired baby to give the watches out for Christmas. Finally letting go of his stressing subject, Tsuna fell asleep. However, as he drifted into his unconscious, he felt his boyfriend's piercing eyes looking right at him in concern.

---

The next weekend, Tsuna and his trio of friends went out to do some Christmas shopping. Reborn, however, had to stay home because, one, he didn't want to, and two, he had to keep the kids from coming and seeing what they would get for Christmas. It helped that Lambo was dead set on killing Reborn, and the other kids, including the hitman, would be entertained watch the stupid cow get beaten mercilessly. So, they were able to walk the streets of the shopping district in peace, more or less.

Throughout the day, the group found many gifts. However, there were times when Gokudera would get into a fight with Yamamoto for saying stupid things like 'Hey! Do you think I should get Wasabi Gum Balls for Lambo? They're on sale!' No one would want that kind of gift. Frankly, just getting something for someone because it's cheap was very inconsiderate, but so was not understanding people's tastes, though Yamamoto defended himself by saying Lambo liked candy. Strangely, half way through the argument, Gokudera stopped mid-sentence and told him it would be a great gift, perfect even.

When they finally figured out what to get everyone, they started to walk home, leaving the busy and noisy street. The sun looked ready to set and the clouds were turning pink with lavender shadows. The group of teens decided to have supper at Yamamoto's place, much to Gokudera's distaste. Thankfully, Enma remembered to call Adel this time and tell her that he would be at Takesushi for supper.

"Speaking of Adel, will she be joining us for the Christmas party?" asked Tsuna as the red head ended the call.

"No, she isn't coming. Julie is planning to run off somewhere, probably trying to get a girl, and Adel is going to catch him in the act. She's going to drag everyone else into it too, but she's letting me go since everyone else made the point that it would be a good thing for me."

"It'd be good for you?"

"I've never had friends before, just family, so they thought it would be important to become more comfortable with other people. In fact, this point managed to get Rauji and Koyo off the hook. Rauji plans to take the kids to our place and play, and Koyo will be joining Ryohei with his relatives."

"Oh yeah. I think Chrome mentioned something like that." the brunet commented.

"Huh? Really, Juudaime?"

"She said she was joining Kyoko because Onii-san was taking someone with him."

"Haha, everyone is so busy!"

"That much is obvious, idiot!" yelled Gokudera.

"Now, now, don't go crazy over it. Hey! I know! Let's change the subject! Do you think Hibari hates cheerios?"

"Huh?" Everyone looked at Yamamoto, dumfounded.

"Why would you ask that?" the right hand man asked. 'How can this Baseball-freak ask such trivial and stupid things?!'

"He hates crowding, right? Cheerios group together in milk!" The topic was still incomprehensible. Enma tried to come up with something that could end the conversation, key word being tried. Tsuna didn't know what to say either.

"I…I'm…"

"Um…"

"He doesn't have a problem with it! He did, he wouldn't eat anything. End of story!" the silver haired teen said loudly with annoyance in his voice.

"Oh…Haha! I guess that's true!"

"Urgh. This is the weirdest conversation ever." said Enma.

"It's just as weird as the discussions we had about talking babies and ghosts coming back to haunt me." Tsuna commented with a sweat drop.

---

Tsuna looked back at his friends with a bright smile on his face, waving good bye and walking into the nightfall. They waved back with just as much delight, promising to see him tomorrow. The light of night was dim, yet beautiful. It had the power to light up the snow. The stars shone in the far distance like sparkling streams, drifting away in the sky. The moon gave light where there wasn't, acting as a guide in the gentle darkness. The brunet never minded the black colour of the dusk sky. It gave him a sense of calmness unlike the day. It was a time of rest in the world of chaos and harmony.

His steps were light and quiet. He was in no rush to escape this world of sleep and tranquility. However, when he averted his eyes to see where he was going, he caught a glimpse of Namimori Forest. Immediately, embarrassing memories filled his mind. Tsuna blushed madly and shook his head, trying to put the past in a treasure box where it belonged and bury it on the beach of his mind's island, his little world. But the embarrassment still lingered.

Breathing in the cool air, Tsuna felt his problems flowing away. Regaining his rational mind, the brunet looked back at the forest. His hyper intuition was saying Verde was in there, hiding somewhere no one could find him. The green haired Arcobaleno probably got comfortable there and decided to stay until circumstances deemed otherwise. The brunet thought about the watches and the poor Arcobaleno before and he decided to go in there. He was going to at least try and find Verde and, with any luck, convince the scientist to forgive Reborn and hand out the watches with him for Christmas.

Tsuna set out, running to his destination as his breath became puffs in the cold air. He passed many houses and streets, including his own, until he reached the edge of the forest. He stopped in his tracks for a second. The snow was deep on the forest floor, untouched. Yet there were places with fewer snowflakes nearby. While it seemed untouched like the rest, Tsuna could see the hidden evidence of old footprints. 'Could they be Verde's? Did he clear away the snow…somehow?'

He decided to follow the white path and walked on. The winter snow reflected the moon's glow, making things easy to see. Bushes stuck out with snow over them, some having more than others, like someone blew them over them with no consideration. After walking up the hill for a while, Tsuna began to pant in the cold air. Going uphill was never easy. You had to push yourself with each step. He was beginning to get thirsty, but he wasn't about to eat snow. So, in his frustration, he cursed the oversized hill. 'Will it ever end?! Just how far have I gotten?!'

The brunet looked behind him. He could see the entire town from this height. He could see the immense night sky in front of him and people heading to their homes. "Hieeee! When did I get so high?!"

He took a step back at the scene, unknowingly stepping off the path and digging his leg deep into the snow bank. Tsuna screeched at the sudden situation and the freezing cold snow getting into his boot. He pulled his leg out and brushed the snow off his jeans. Taking his foot out for a second, he tried to get the snow out of his boot, swinging it harshly as he tried to balance himself.

After getting his boot back on, he became disheartened. He was colder than he was before and he was tired, making him want to go home to warm up. He looked back up the hill in consideration. He wasn't that far from the end of the blown away snow's path. It seemed to end behind a bush and large tree. If he pushed himself a little more, he could find the lab and talk to Verde as he regained his body temperature. Sounding like the more ideal option, the brunet continued, feeling the snow in his boot warm up in his body heat and turn into cold water.

Upon reaching the end of the snow path, Tsuna looked around. Everything seemed undisturbed, but he knew there was a secret entrance, so he dug where the trail ended. However, after a few minutes of digging, he couldn't find anything and instead found grass. This was strange. His hyper intuition was telling him Verde's lab entrance should be here. 'Am I digging in the wrong spot?' the brunet thought to himself.

He looked around one more time. Now that he noticed it, there was seemed to be a corner of the snow bank that looked like a small avalanche had fallen. It looked so smooth, Tsuna had completely ignored it. Sighing in frustration, the teen began to dig in the mini avalanche. Sure enough, a metal floor door appeared in the white terra.

"Finally! I'm freezing!" he exclaimed as he pulled the handle.

However, the door did not open. He tried again, but it was the same result. It needed a password. Anger, frustration and a little hate emerged. He was angry at his life, frustrated that he was so unlucky and he was starting to hate this door. Filled with such fuming emotions, Tsuna lowered his head, covering his eyes with his bangs. Under his brown hair, the teen's mouth twitched. The hate for the door was starting to grow as he stared down at it with contempt. He felt the emotion burn in his heart, spreading through his veins. It was pressuring him into doing something he wouldn't normally do.

Tsuna, in his fury, took out his bottle of pills and put his gloves on. He swallowed one of the pills and stood up. His flames burned with intense heat, nearly reaching the tree's branches. The snow around him melted quickly. With a lack of restraint, Tsuna got ready to punch the door into oblivion, his flames burning high with power. His fist hit the door with such force that it fell to the bottom and left a big crater on the floor, making a large clang of metal. For some reason, the instant Tsuna heard it, he felt an amazing amount of satisfaction. He sighed happily and felt his hatred disappear along with his flames.

He stared down into the hole. All Tsuna could see was the abyss' darkness and the ladder leading into it. It put a shudder down his spine, but he was too tired and cold to bother squeaking and running away. Instead, he lazily went down, grabbing one cold bar after another. It got warmer and warmer as he went down. When he reached the bottom, he had completely recovered. He was warm again. It felt good.

Tsuna looked around. There were two choices. He could either go right or left. The two corridors looked exactly alike, so the brunet didn't really know which way to go. He looked back to each one quickly and then looked up at where he came. 'Should I go back and try again? No, no! I have to do this now! If I don't Verde will definitely find out about the break in and leave!'

The teen looked back at the hallway. He closed his eyes and focused, trying to let his intuition take over and guide him to where he wished to go. It did, taking him by the hand and leading him to the right. He walked down the hall with a steady pace, trying to forget about the silence by looking at the bare walls. He walked on until he came to another steel door. Luckily, this one was slightly opened.

Tsuna walked up to the steel blockade and pushed it, making way for him to enter the lab. His eyes widened at the layout. There were many metal island tables with chemicals in class bottles and notes or schematics on them. The brunet shivered at the toxic and explosive caution signs, one of the few things Tsuna did learn about in his science class. One of them seemed to have been spilled, broken.

He avoided the mess and looked elsewhere. The room was a bright white. The lights had to be dim so one wouldn't go blind. There were two other doors, but Tsuna didn't want to go through there. He wanted to talk to the green haired adult he saw next to the enormous computer. He started walking silently to the former Arcobaleno.

"It seems you're becoming more like your secret boyfriend." Verde spat with interest and disgust. The brunet flinched at looked at the screen. On the machine were the security camera videos, one looking right at the broken entrance that the teen had destroyed. He looked down in guilt and fidgeted.

"S-Sorry…It wouldn't open and I was freezing, so my patience ran out." The scientist looked at him with internal scolding and turned away from the screen, getting the appliances to clean up the spilled chemicals.

"Well, I guess everyone has limits. It is really cold out there, so I'll forgive the impatience." He took out some towels and gloves, just in case he accidently touched the dangerous liquid. 'I shouldn't have tried to lock him out,' he grumbled in his mind, 'Now I have a broken door and an acidic mess.'

"Ah! Let me help you!" the brunet exclaimed and took a paper towel.

"I'd prefer it if you got the mop and some water."

"O-Oh!" Tsuna looked around, unsure. "Where is it?"

"In the closet, or for your understanding, the smaller door with no window." Verde explained. "The sink is in the corner."

"R-Right!" The brunet ran to the small door near the computer and opened it. It was much messier in there than the metal tables. He was barely able to make out where the shelves were, even after he turned on the light. The naturally clumsy teen had to place his feet carefully so he wouldn't break or slip on anything. However, his caution was in vain. Tsuna tripped on a broom and hit his lead on the shelf, making some of the glass cylinders fall to the floor. Thankfully, they hit the brunet's head before the floor and survived, but it still made noise as they touched the ground. When Verde heard the noise, he grunted in annoyance and wiped the last of the dangerous chemicals off the floor.

"Ow…" Tsuna groaned, lifting himself up again and placing the delicate glass back where they were. He found the mop next to the broom he tripped on and the bucket filled with random cleaning utensils. He took the objects out of the pail and walked out of the janitor's closet in relief, sighing as he made his way through the incoherent maze again.

"That clumsiness could have killed you in there." the green haired scientist stated, putting the dirty paper towels and shattered glass away.

"Yes, but I'm surprisingly lucky in dangerous situations, so I lived!" Tsuna exclaimed happily as he filled the bucket with water and soap. As the water slowly filled its vessel, the brunet stared at Verde, watching him take a seat on his spinning chair next to the computer and change the screen from the security cameras to a bunch of calculations Tsuna didn't understand. Taking his eyes off the mumbo jumbo, he looked down. Verde was wearing his watch. "So…"

"So?" the scientist beckoned.

"Will you give the other Arcobaleno their own watches soon?"

"No."

"W-Why not?!" Tsuna cried.

"Because I'm not letting my inventions be used for stupid means like sex."

"Just because Reborn used it the way you didn't intend, doesn't mean the others deserve to be left out as well! You made something they need and you shouldn't keep it from them." Tsuna reasoned, making the scientist think.

"…I guess." Verde looked at the Vongola boss sternly, thinking. While he didn't really want the other Arcobaleno holding his watches, it would be nice if they owed him one or use the gesture as a means of convincing them to do something for him. In fact, he could use that strategy right now with the Vongola child. He sighed and looked back at the screen. "Fine, I'll give them their watches."

"Really?!" Tsuna exclaimed, looking at the Arcobaleno brightly.

"However…" The brunet flinched, frozen. He hoped that however wasn't going to lead to something bad. Verde felt the teen's lack of movement and turned back to him, swirling ninety degrees. "I'm still mad about what that hitman did."

"O-Of course…" Tsuna looked at the man in worry.

"So, I want you to pay me back for his watch by helping me with an experiment of mine. I had been thinking about it for quite some time. Also, you'll have to bring food to me throughout winter."

"I-I guess bringing you food is fine, b-but what kind of experiment do you need help with…?" asked Tsuna nervously, twitching and shivering a little violently.

"Well, come here and I'll show you."

---

Reborn knew something was up, but he didn't know what. Tsuna had been coming home later than usual and he wasn't hanging out with his friends as much, only at school. That wasn't right, it was out of character. He was worrying everyone, which also wasn't like Tsuna. Reborn hated it when Tsuna left him out. Even though while whenever the brunet hid something from him, things tended to end well, he still hated it. 'What's that idiot hiding from me now?'

The hitman lay in his hammock, staring at his lover. He internally laughed at his boyfriend. Tsuna was pretending to sleep, but his breathing pattern was a little too fast and nervous. Not only was the brunet bad at hiding things, he was a very bad actor. Though he had a slight problem with it as a tutor, as a boyfriend, he found it cute and funny that the brunet thought he could fool him. Tsuna shifted in his bed and Reborn immediately faked his sleeping snot bubble, evening his breathing. 'This is how it's done, Dame-Tsuna.'

The brunet sat up and got out of bed, trying to be as quiet as possible. He had no idea that his boyfriend was watching him. Checking to make sure Reborn really was sleeping, he blushed. Reborn looked cute with those blue pyjamas on. He wanted to snuggle with him, but now wasn't the time. Waking up the hitman would only ruin the surprise. He went to his desk and pulled out a wrapped box, its sunlight yellow ribbon dancing with the lift.

Tsuna looked at the present and smiled. He worked hard for this gift and he was happy it paid off. Verde was nice enough to give him the watches early so he had a few days before Christmas to wrap them properly and time to send the watches to the other Arcobaleno. There were still a few wrinkles on them, but it was the closest he got and he didn't want to ruin the wrappings just to try again. The brunet quietly left his room and slowly walked down the stairs. Unbeknownst to him, a small figure was following him.

Turning the corner, Tsuna excitedly placed his gift next to the tree. He couldn't wait to see Reborn's reaction when he opened it. The teen pictured a small smile of gratitude on the hitman's face, making him blush. 'I can't wait!' he thought in delight. He shook his head and his smile brightened. However, before long, the brunet felt tired and yawned cutely. He went back upstairs, a little more lazily than before, and went straight to bed.

Reborn, who watched the whole thing, grunted to himself as his lover and student went to bed without even realizing he was watching. The brunet must have been too focused on his task and going to bed to notice him. 'Honestly, what was the point of having hyper intuition if you aren't going to use it properly? I'll have to fix that later.'

He got out of his hiding spot and went to the tree. They had set it up four days ago. It was fun to see the kids happily and annoyingly put decorations on the Christmas tree as Tsuna tried to stop them from destroying it and the house. Looking at the base, he saw the box Tsuna had placed with the rest of the presents. 'Why did Tsuna place this here now? Why didn't he put it down so secretly?'

Overly curious, Reborn bent down and picked the gift up. He stared at the pretty little thing. It was addressed to him. Tsuna had a present just for him. Letting his nosiness take over, the hitman slowly removed the wrapping and opened the box. His eyes widened.

"What the-?!"

---

Tsuna stirred in his soft bed. The structure was so very comfortable, but he had a bizarre time trying to breathe. The small brunet struggled to move and adjust his covers. However, there was a weight pressing him down like a boa constrictor, locking him in place and trying to cut off his air, but it wasn't heavy enough to kill him. It irritated him. He opened his eyes, blinking multiple times to get used to the light. When Tsuna could finally see, he stared at the black figure on top of him in confusion before widening them in shock.

"Hiiiii- Umph!" A large hand stopped his scream, leaving the brunet to look helplessly and confused at the tall, handsome man with graceful and deep black spiky hair straddling his body. The man was glaring at him, silently demanding answers.

"Mama isn't awake yet and I don't want anyone disturbing us." The black haired man frowned, his glare softening as he looked into the brunet's calming chocolate eyes. He lifted his hand off Tsuna's mouth. The teen opened his mouth to say something, but soon glared instead.

"You opened your present early, didn't you? You're such a child, Reborn!"

The hitman hits his boyfriend on the head, angry at the insult and subconsciously knowing it was true. Tsuna grumbled, rubbing the injured spot on his head. The brunet looked at Reborn again. Though angry that he wasn't able to see Reborn's face when he opened the present, it was nice to see Reborn as an adult again. In this form, Tsuna couldn't underestimate his boyfriend. He could see the strength and knowledge inside the man, the maturity and attractiveness just as obvious. He admired and loved that aura. The baby version had it, though very diminished because of the small, cute form. But Tsuna loved that form too, it's just the adult form was more age appropriate.

With the closeness the two were at, the brunet would smelly the alluring scent of espresso on the hitman, his flawless skin making him blush. Reborn saw it, making him smirk. The larger man leaned down and kissed his boyfriend for the first time in months, his long, swirly sideburns touching the brunet's face tenderly. The smaller boy shuddered and opened his mouth to let the hitman have access. The black haired man gladly accepted the invitation. He thrust his tongue down into Tsuna's mouth, mapping the cavern before making the appendage dance with the brunet's. Tsuna moaned, grasping Reborn's arms in the moment and blushing madly. The hitman drew back, staring into the brunet's loving eyes. He stared lovingly at Tsuna, but closed them, leaning in next to the brunet's ear.

"Care to explain why you had this watch. I don't like it when you hide things from me." Tsuna shuddered at the deep voice next to him. He didn't know what to say at the moment, the situation didn't feel as desperate as it should. Reborn pulled back, narrowing his eyes at his boyfriend's lack of speech. He sighed. "Well?"

"U-Um, that is to say- I…um…"

"Yes?"

"Ah! I…found V-Verde's hideout one night. Broke in, convinced him to give the others their watches as a present and made a deal with him for your watch."

"Made a deal?" Reborn repeated darkly, hiding his eyes under his fedora.

"Ah! He was just angry about what we did the day we got together and how you used the watch to…" The tall man raised an eyebrow as the brunet trailed off with a blush. His face was completely red now. He seemed so dazed that Reborn thought he was going to pass out from the memories.

"Tsuna."

"Hie! What?! Huh?!" The hitman stared intently at him, making the brunet calm down.

"Focus. Now, what deal did you make with that green demon?"

"U-Um, I don't think I can explain it v-very well. Verde can tell you better than I could. We can visit him later."

Reborn narrowed his eyes and got off his lover. After ruffling his hair, he turned to the brunet. "We'll meet him after breakfast."

Tsuna turned to the clock. "But it's 4:30 in the morning!"

"So you want to do something until Mama wakes up?" the hitman asked, placing a hand in an...intimate area.

"HIIIIIIIIIIE!" Tsuna shrieked.

"Wah!" yelled a woman, making Tsuna cover his mouth.

"Well, breakfast will be here soon…"

"Reborn!" the brunet exclaimed. He got out of bed, trying to stand tall in front of his unbeatable boyfriend.

Suddenly, a knock was heard. Tsuna froze momentarily. "Tsu-kun, what's going on?! Why are you screaming so early in the morning?"

Tsuna started to panic. He couldn't let his mom see him with a handsome stranger. She might think Reborn was a murderer and was here to do who knows what. She would call the police and Namimori might get painted red! Wait. What if she fell in love with him? Reborn was gorgeous. It was possible. 'No way! I won't let Mom fall in love with him! I don't need my boyfriend becoming my step-father!' He glared at the black haired man. 'Why are you so calm?!' The brunet opened his closet and pushed the hitman inside.

Nana opened the door just as the brunet closed his closet door. Tsuna straightened himself out. "It's nothing! Just a bad dream!"

He wasn't exactly lying. This was a nightmare. It became even worse when Reborn pushed the closet door open, revealing himself to the woman and making the teen gawk. The brunet's eye twitched. Nana pointed at the man.

"Tsu-kun…who is that?"

"It's me, Reborn." the hitman explained, acting as cool as ever.

Tsuna looked at him like he was crazy. 'Why are you saying that?! That's incomprehensible! Stop complicating things!'

"Oh! Reborn-kun! I didn't recognize you! When did you get so tall?"

"Eh?!" the brunet exclaimed, turning to his mother.

"I had a growth spurt."

"Eh?!"

'She's not going to believe that!' the teen screamed in his head, reaching out to Reborn in incomprehension.

"Aw! Good for you! You turned into quite the gentleman, haven't you?" Nana explained.

"Eh?!" Tsuna turned back to his mother.

"Thank you."

'How can she believe all this?! My mom is starting to scare me! Everyone is insane!' The brunet couldn't take it. There was no sense in his world. What was the point of having sanity if no one else had it? That would make him the crazy one, wouldn't it? He took a step back, almost falling down, but Reborn encircled his arms around him, squeezing him possessively and keeping him in place.

"By the way, I'm dating your son."

"Hie! Reborn, don't tell her now! That's too out of the blue!" Tsuna screeched, struggling in the hold. Reborn merely stared at Nana, waiting for her response.

The house wife looked at the couple, wide eyed and a hand to her mouth. "W-Wow, really? When did this happen?!"

"We hooked up ten months ago." Reborn answered, holding his boyfriend tighter.

Nana looked down, thinking, while Tsuna and Reborn waited for what she was going to say next. The teen wasn't sure how his mother was going to react. He hoped she would still accept him. He was scared she would though. The brunet fidgeted in place, anxious. Reborn noticed this and wrapped his hand around Tsuna's, giving it a comforting squeeze. He knew his boyfriend was nervous, but he could read Nana's thoughts just as easily as he can read Tsuna's. The boy had nothing to worry about. After a few seconds, the brunette looked up with a strained smile.

"Let's go to the kitchen and talk about this."

The two boys nodded and followed her down the stairs, silent as they took each step. Turning to the right, they made their way to the kitchen. The brunette started making tea, while Tsuna and Reborn took a seat at the dining table. The silence was making the brunet's heart race. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what.

Reborn looked at the boy he loved. He was glad Tsuna wasn't freaking out too much, or at least on the outside. He could almost see the thoughts in the brunet's head race like a poor rabbit being chased by a fox. It made him laugh inside at Tsuna's panic. It made him want to ravage his personal prey. To his disappointment, however, now wasn't the time. 'Just wait, Tsuna. Everything will be fine.'

Once the tea was done, Nana came, setting the cups down and sitting down in the seat opposite to her son. She took a deep breath and sighed, looking at them with mature eyes. She was trying to understand them. "T-This is some big news for..." She briefly looked at the clock. "4:45 in the morning...So…how long have you two been together again?"

"A-Almost ten months…" Tsuna answered.

"Right..." Nana looked down and took a sip of her tea, dragging the conversation on purpose and making her son nervous in slight revenge. She was a little upset that they were telling them now. However, she guessed they just weren't ready and let it slide. She put the cup down and looked at the boys across from her. They looked like a wonderful couple. They clearly brought out the best of each other. Reborn could take care of her baby. But she still had a few questions. "So, clearly, you must have put thought into this. What have you been doing together in these past ten months? Are you sure Reborn is right for you, Tsu-kun?"

Tsuna blushed a little and turned his head, looking at Reborn. "In these past ten months, Reborn and I have been holding back, considering his state. So all we've really done is sleep together and talk. I-I love him. He has done so many things for me and I feel stronger with him. He's always there for me. I'm happy with him."

The woman nodded in understanding. She loved Iemitsu for similar reasons. Despite how far apart they were, she always knew the blond was doing his best for her and their son. Although, considering how Tsuna felt towards his father, maybe he was too focused on being a good husband and not a father. She understood it was his job and there was nothing she could do about it, but she hoped he would notice what he was missing before it escaped his grasp. The brunette used to cry the nights he left because she knew he would be out of their lives again, away from the special family moments that he would never be a part of, making her give into weakness and believe he was never there for her. But logic would calm her and make her go on with her life. Nana frowned, looking down before turning to Reborn.

"What about you, Reborn-kun?"

Reborn smiled and lifted his fedora slightly. "I'm the same. Tsuna is always there for me even when I pushed him away…once. When he's distant, I know he has good intentions and he can't hide them from me. We always help each other and we've become a good team because of it. I want to be with him because he's important to me. I look forward to being with him every day. He has a way of making my days brighter. I want to bring out the best of him and make him grow. He's caring, strong, compassionate and cute and people should see it. It's these characteristics that make me love him and make me want nothing but the best for him."

With every word, Tsuna's blush became redder and redder. Nana smiled at them. 'Maybe he is right for my Tsu-kun.' She closed her eyes, enjoying the smell of her tea.

"I have nothing against homosexuality. I'm surprised by this relationship, but I won't reject it." she stated, looking at the boys again.

"S-So, you're okay with us being together?" the brunet questioned.

"Yes, I'm completely fine with it. However, I am angry you waited so long to tell me about it." Nana gave them an annoyed face, pouting.

"S-Sorry."

"It's alright." The brunette laughed. "Haha, I can't wait until Iemitsu finds out. He'll be so happy for you!" Her words made Reborn and Tsuna stiffen. They didn't want the blond to know about them. He would definitely overreact and make a scene and have them separated, which was the last thing they wanted. Though Reborn would just capture Tsuna and elope with him if that were the case, but that would be troublesome.

"Actually, we want to keep it from him a little longer. We don't think he'll take it too well." Reborn clarified.

Nana giggled. "Of course. One step at a time."

---

Reborn and Tsuna walked through the snow, the smaller male carrying a bag of food. The sun shone on the blanket of white, making it clear for them where to step and avoid ice. Every now and then, Reborn spotted a body shaped dent in the cold snow. Tsuna obviously slipped and fell in the snow while walking up before. He had to hold back his laugh. The black haired man was trying to keep the situation serious and discourage this kind of behaviour, releasing a small dark aura. The brunet could sense the threat from the hitman that if he didn't lead the way, he would shoot.

"So," Reborn started, looking at another body shaped crater, "How long has this deal been going on?"

"A-Almost a month." Tsuna stuttered.

"Hmmm. He hasn't done anything weird to you, right?"

"N-No! He hasn't! It's not a dissection experiment or anything!"

Reborn looked at the brunet with an annoyed look, glaring at him in slight disbelief. His lack of trust in Verde was pushing him to think irrationally. Thankfully for Tsuna, Reborn was mature enough to hold those feelings back, using his logic to give a good reason for settling. He still didn't know what the experiment was and there was no proof…yet.

Tsuna didn't know what to say. This was turning out to be an awkward day. Why did Reborn have to find out about this now?! Why did he have to open his present so soon?! He wasn't ready to give an explanation. It was always hard to talk to Reborn about the people he hated. Taking another step, the brunet hoped the hitman wouldn't destroy the lab and trap them inside as a result.

After a while, they almost reached the top of the tree covered hill. Once the brunet turned, Reborn noticed a turn to a snow covered bush. Not a very bad hiding spot, but the hitman knew he was more creative when it came to hiding, so he merely scoffed at Verde's lack of originality.

He watched Tsuna take out a key, inserting it into the door before hesitantly typing a password on a hidden keypad. The password was 'Reborn is a ****'. The hitman felt a vein pop and smashed the door, shattering it into a million pieces with sun flames.

"Hiiiiiiiie!" Tsuna shrieked. He wished his boyfriend could have held back. He understood why he did it, he wasn't happy with what he had to press either, but it was still a little over the top. "Reborn!"

"What?" the hitman said darkly, turning Leon into a gun.

"No-Nothing…" replied the brunet, turning away.

Reborn jumped down the hole with a dark look while Tsuna climbed down the metal ladder, the plastic bag now hanging on his wrist. After a while, the brunet was half way down the ladder. Suddenly, a Leon rope wrapped around his waist and pulled him down. He cried as he fell, landing the waiting arms of his boyfriend. The hitman was holding him bridal style. He blushed madly and looked into the man's face.

"W-What was that for?!"

"You were taking too long and I don't know which way to go."

"T-The right."

Reborn continued to carry the brunet as he walked down the tunnel. Tsuna struggled to get out of the hitman's arms, but he was too weak. So instead, he relaxed into the hold. As seconds passed, he started to like being in his boyfriend's arms. Tsuna snuggled into Reborn' chest, making the hitman smirk. The raven haired man leaned into the brunet's hair and took in the familiar scent. Honey…with a hint of mango shampoo. It made the hitman hungry for something sweet. Tsuna had become very attractive in the past few months. Leon changed back to his usual form and looked at his master's lustful look, twitching his tail.

Soon, they arrived at a large steel door. Tsuna turned the knob and Reborn pushed the door open, revealing the interior. They found Verde by the screen, typing on his keyboard. On the big screen, Reborn saw a flame, a sky flame, Tsuna's pure sky flame. His immediate conclusion was this was what the green haired scientist was looking at. There was another flame, a mist flame. He wasn't sure whose it was, but he didn't like the idea of having those two flames together.

Verde turned to his visitors as the brunet put the bag on the table, grumbling as he recognizing who one of them was. He was at a critical point in his studies and he didn't need the sadistic hitman to ruin it. "So you found out." He looked up and down the black haired man. "Opened your Christmas present early, have we? What are you, a child?"

"Shut up, mad scientist. What have you been doing to my Tsuna?" The brunet blushed, struggling in Reborn's hold again.

"Right to the point. It must be hard being you, holding back your rage and looking for answers. I'm surprised Tsuna doesn't have any injuries. I guess you really do love him. Have you two made wedding plans already?"

The raven haired man settled Tsuna on a table and pulled out a Leon gun. "Just answer me. Tsuna said you could explain better than he could."

"…Well," The green haired scientist briefly looked at the nervous brunet before turning back to an angry Reborn, "It's not life threatening or anything inhumane. My experiment is a simple idea: can you use sky flames to manipulate Zero Point Breakthrough ice."

The hitman was intrigued. This could help Tsuna's ability to fight and protect. "Go on."

Verde sighed. "Basically, I'm trying to see if the sky flames' 'harmony' ability can turn the ice into anything the sky user wants."

"I thought that only worked with illusions and the mist flame."

"Indeed. But my studies are looking into using the sky flame and the mist flames inside of the ice to push and pull the ice to different forms. Tsuna came up with the name 'Zero Point Breakthrough: Imagination' for this technique."

"How does the sky flame do this?"

"The sky flame users can take flames and use them to their advantage, petrifying or absorbing it. This means the sky flame can pull the flames to their master. I started to wonder if it could also be pushed. I got Tsuna to help me and we found that it was possible with vast control and concentration. It worked, but not in the way I was expecting…"

"What do you mean?"

"Show him, Decimo." They turned to Tsuna, who got off the table and obeyed. He took out a strange, white box weapon and went into dying will mode. He lit his sky flame through his ring and inserted it into the box. In a flash, an animal popped out. It looked like a dove, but the tips of his white feathers were covered with ice while the eyes glowed orange.

"This is Shiyo, my new box weapon." Tsuna introduced calmly. The bird flew around the brunet before landing silently on his shoulder. Suddenly, it transformed and became a short of cold frost that wrapped around the flame on its master's forehead. Tsuna closed his eyes briefly and opened them again. His pupils changed from red to white, surrounded by the usual orange.

"What the…?"

"She suddenly appeared as he was trying to move the ice. Shiyo allows Decimo to control the flow of flames and therefore, change the form of Zero Point Breakthrough ice. Tsuna thinks of a form for it and Shiyo helps him use flames to change it. Like I said, it requires great concentration."

Tsuna thought he should give a little demonstration. In his right hand, he shot a small x-cannon and with his left, he reached for it. Suddenly, it froze and morphed into a pair of gauntlets, wrapping themselves around his hands. Anyone who met with those fists would be in a world of hurt. Reborn whistled in delight.

"Wow. Well done, Tsuna." Reborn complimented. The burnet smiled and started playing with the ice, changing into between an ice ball and a dagger. Then he changed it into Leon and gave it to the hitman. The raven haired man placed it next to his partner. Leon looked at it and then licked it. Tsuna got out of dying will mode and Shiyo went back to her box. "…Can he use this technique to give flames from one person to another?"

"I would think so, just so long as the donor and the receiver have the same type."

"…Alright. We're done here, Tsuna. Let's leave."

"Ah. Wait, I want to see if the sun flame's 'activity' ability can make a person smarter."

"Hell no! I'm not going to be part of your experiments!"

Tsuna was dragged out of the lab before he could have his say. He probably wasn't going to be able to see Verde again anytime soon…not that he minded.

---

"So, what do you want to do now?" Tsuna asked as he walked down the street.

"Not sure." Reborn replied, pulling the brunet into his body with a hand on Tsuna's shoulder. "We'll let fate decide." Tsuna giggled at the statement, leaning into the embrace.

The two love birds walked, thinking they would run into something to do down the road. They talked about fate and how it really played with their lives. Reborn laughed at how it really trifled with them and brought them together as a sort of reward in their minds. It amazed them that it hadn't killed them. That led them to think about death. Tsuna asked Reborn what he thought about it and what he thought about heaven and hell.

The hitman's answer really intrigued the brunet. He said he thought heaven was boring because it was a place with no suffering, and therefore, nothing interesting would happen. So he claimed that if he ever got the choice, he would go with hell. He would get there, away from God, if he did exist, and kill some demons.

Tsuna looked at Reborn in sadness. He was sad that Reborn wouldn't choose to rest in peace, but the brunet would join him, nonetheless. He would stay with him forever. Tsuna wouldn't leave his side.

Noticing his boyfriend's serious face, he decided this conversation might be too deep for the brunet. It was time to change the subject. He pulled out a small, red box with a shiny orange ribbon, twisted into a perfect ribbon. He paid a lot of money for it, so he hoped he picked the right gift for his little brunet. He handed it to his cute boyfriend, who looked at with slightly wide eyes and a blush.

"This is for you. I guess since I opened my gift early, you should too."

"T-Thanks!"

The brunet took his gift and looked at Reborn again. He turned back to his little box and undid the bow. Carefully removing the wrapper and putting it in his pocket, he lifted the cardboard lid. His eyes widened in surprise. Inside the box was a beautiful onyx stone necklace, like Reborn's eyes, with a sapphire circle embraced by glimmering gold. In the middle of this pendent was a topaz sun, its bright colour contrasting along with the diamond winds against the deep blue. The back of the pendent, where the gold that was holding these gems together, had been engraved:

'To Tsuna,

From Reborn'

Tsuna stared at this shining combination of stones in fascination.

"It's…beau…tiful."

Reborn smirked. "I'm glad you like it. I was thinking of going with a nice black collar, but I thought that would be too flashy as a way of claiming you as mine, so I thought this was better."

Tsuna shuddered at the idea of being forced to wear a collar. So Reborn was into that after all. He would have to be a little more careful in bed from now on. But regardless, he was glad to have been given this. It was gorgeous. He couldn't believe he had been given something so wonderful for Christmas. He touched his present. It was so smooth. He was afraid of putting even one scratch on it.

Reborn took the pendant and went behind the brunet. Lifting the necklace, the hitman put the beautiful combination of jewels on the brunet's neck. It was a wonderful fit. The pendant rested comfortably on the chest at shoulder level. With this on Tsuna's neck, anyone could see Tsuna as an undeniable treasure, especially in Reborn's eyes. The necklace really made the brunet shine. It was complete once Tsuna smiled at him.

The two continued walking until they reached the mall. Tsuna could smell something delicious inside. Hamburgers. The teen heard his stomach growl. He blushed as Reborn chuckled and led his boyfriend by the hand to the cafeteria. The food was the raven haired man's treat and Tsuna ate it in delight, happy that the hitman was being so generous.

Reborn looked at the brunet lustfully. With a smile that happy, such attractive features and that pendant, the hitman felt an undeniable urge to kiss him, to ravish him. He crossed his legs and took a sip of his espresso, staring at the person across from him in desire and love. The black haired man parted his lips from the cup as he saw that Tsuna had finished his food, but some sauce had hit the brunet's cheek. He got up and approached his boyfriend, giving a long, seductive lick up Tsuna's cheek.

The hitman then pulled the brunet out of the cafeteria and down a hallway. Some people turned to stare, especially the girls, but quickly went back to what they were doing because it was either none of their business or they noticed the taller male was with the smaller one, which Tsuna was glad for. He didn't want to make a scene. Tsuna wished his boyfriend shared the feeling.

Along the way, a janitor watched as the fedora wearer pushed a brunet into a photo booth, putting in a few coins down the slot. He shuddered. The poor man recognized that look in the black haired man's eyes. It was one he had seen before and what happened after he saw it was something he wanted to forget. He really hated it, that emotion called lust.

"Oh for crying out loud," the worker grumbled, tears coming out of his eyes, "Not again." He sniffed and turned to get the necessary cleaning supplies.

Meanwhile, inside the booth, Tsuna was confused. All he wanted to do was eat a snack and somehow, he ended up being forced into a photo booth for who knows why. He heard Reborn put coins down the slot and enter the cramped space. The hitman then took him and placed the brunet on his lap, hugging him tightly and keeping him in place, resting his head on the smaller male's shoulder. Tsuna struggled in the hold. A flash appeared. The camera had taken a photo of him in such an embarrassing position. Suddenly, Reborn bit Tsuna's neck, leaving a hickey, and his hand trailed under the brunet's clothes, touching his nipple. Tsuna moaned as he tried to remove Reborn's hand, blushing madly. Another flash filled the small space.

"R-Reborn! We're in a public area! What if someone comes in and sees us?!"

"Good."

"G-Good! What do you mean 'good'? There are children out there! What if they walk in on us?! Get off!"

Tsuna managed to escape Reborn's hold and turned away from him with an angry pout. The hitman frowned and stared at the brunet. He made his boyfriend mad. Doing stuff like that was too out of the blue. Another flash appeared.

"Hey, sorry, okay?" Reborn said, putting a hand on Tsuna's shoulder. The brunet looked at the hand with a glare, but it vanished as he relaxed into the touch. He couldn't be mad. Feeling that the teen had relaxed, Reborn turned him around and gave him a kiss. The camera took another picture as the lovers' tongues intertwined in the brunet's mouth. The two moaned in the ecstasy. They soon parted so they could breathe, the brunet panting from the lack of air. He could never get used to kissing, but god, he loved Reborn.

Tsuna smiled and rested his head on the handsome man's shoulder, closing his eyes in content. Reborn smiled, looking down at the adorable brunet. The final flash occurred, capturing one last moment of the couple's time in that booth.

"Well, let's go home and help Nana get ready for the party."

"Okay."

They got up and left, making sure to take the pictures with them.

Later, about an hour after the couple left, the janitor from earlier returned, holding a bucket of water filled with soap and a sponge. Once he drew the curtain and when he saw that the place was clean, he let out an ever grateful sigh.

"Oh thank God," he exclaimed, "I don't think I had it in me to do that again."

---

Christmas really was a time of getting people together and celebrating. It was a joyful time of year. Tsuna and his friends were decorating the tree while Tsuyoshi and Nana were cooking and getting the table ready. Yamamoto and his father brought everything they would need to make some good sushi while Gokudera and Enma brought some dessert. Reborn decided to take a nap since he was up all night. Tsuna had brought the kids over to Enma's place to play with Rauji and escorted the red head to his home. Now, the two were listening to yet another strange topic.

"So, how do you guys think the Varia spend Christmas?" Yamamoto asked happily, putting a candy cane onto the tree.

"I-I'd rather not think about it. The very idea of it freaks me out…" Tsuna responded as he placed a box of decorations on the floor before joining Yamamoto in the decorating.

"Tch. They probably just go to a Christmas party at the Vongola mansion and get drunk." Gokudera hissed indifferently, plugging the lights in and making the tree glow.

"My thoughts were a little more…destructive than that." Enma commented, rummaging through the box to find any broken ornaments or anything he would like to put on the tree.

"Same here. I mean, wouldn't they just destroy the party and get kicked out, only to fight again when they get home?"

"Haha! I thought they would play games and open presents!"

'Games of death and presents filled with means of killing the receiver, maybe…' the rational boys thought.

Suddenly, the red head felt his phone buzz in his jacket. Taking it out, the other three paused what they were doing and looked at him in curiosity, wondering who it was. Enma opened the phone and placed it against his ear, only to immediately move it away.

"Enma! Help!" It was Julie. Looking at the phone in boredom, the Shimon boss turned in on the speaker phone so everyone could hear his guardian's idiocy. Why did he have to hit on girls so carelessly and suddenly decide to run away? He had Adel. The Vongola guardians sweat dropped. "Adel and the others are going to kill me!"

"It's your own fault." the boss answered with a sigh. On the other line, Julie was panting, running from his doom.

"What wrong with trying to elope with such a cute girl?!"

"Is she with you?"

"Huh? No…"

The boys looked at the phone in indifference. The girl must have been uninterested and he made it up without her consent.

"I don't think there's anything I can do for you, Julie." Enma responded.

"Don't sa-!"

"Stop right there!"

"Waaaa-! Beeeeeeeeeeeep…" As everyone sighed, Enma turned off his phone.

"I'm gonna have to deal with this when I get back, won't I?"

"You can stay here for tonight if you want to, it's no big deal."

"Thanks, then I can listen to this when everything has calmed down."

"Yay! Now it's a sleepover!" Yamamoto exclaimed.

"He didn't invite you!" Gokudera yelled.

"I-It's okay, Gokudera-kun! I don't mind." Tsuna said, trying to calm the silver haired male down.

"If you say so, Juudaime! I'll stay too!"

"Eh?!"

"Life is so hard. Isn't it, Tsuna?" said Enma, handing the star over to the brunet.

"Yeah." Tsuna gave him a smile. These times were so fun. He really loved his friends. But now to think of something a little difficult: how was he going to tell them about his relationship with Reborn? Could he just say it out of the blue or was there a specific moment he should wait for? He didn't really want to hide it from them much longer. Maybe he should start with something simpler. "So, Reborn got his adult body back."

"Huh?! Really?!" Gokudera exclaimed, the other two turning to him.

"Y-Yeah. Verde made a device to change them back and I managed to get one for Reborn for Christmas, but he opened his present early."

"He's just like a kid."

"T-That's sort of what I said."

"Haha! Good for him! I bet he was really happy!"

"M-More or less, yeah…" Tsuna seemed conflicted, worrying his friends.

"Something wrong, Tsuna-kun?"

"U-Um, I hope you won't judge me for this, but I…um, Reborn and I are dating." the brunet replied, fiddling with his fingers and looking at his friends, hoping for a good reaction. After what felt like forever t the brunet, he received a reply.

"R-Really?" Gokudera questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Y-Yeah."

"Haha! Good for you!" the black haired teen exclaimed, placing his hands on the back of his head.

"Hey! Don't just-!"

"Now, now. You always criticize me. You need to calm down! This is great news! You shouldn't yell!"

"Then stop laughing like an idiot and don't interrupt me!" the silver haired teen turned to his boss. "I'm so happy for you, Juudaime!"

"Same here. I'm glad you've found someone. Though I hope you don't get tortured."

Tsuna gave a shaky laugh to Enma's reply. "Haha, yeah."

"So have you tw-!" Before the group could ask the brunet questions, the door slammed open.

"Nana, Tsuna! I'm home!" Tsuna stiffened at the voice. Iemitsu had arrived. All of a sudden, Christmas became a time of hatred and depression. The others noticed his discomfort and looked uncertainly at the newly arrived blond. Enma stared at the CEDF boss and Tsuna. He didn't like how unhappy his best friend was.

"Ah! Dear! Welcome home! I wasn't expecting you." Nana emerged from the kitchen and gave her husband a big hug. Tsuyoshi followed soon after. But when the sushi chef saw the upset Tsuna, he predicted a bad Christmas this year.

"Hi! Huh? Who's this?"

"Oh! I'm Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, Takeshi's father. Nana and I were getting food ready for Christmas dinner while the boys get the living room set up. I take it you're Tsuna's father." The single parent stated, holding a hand out. Iemitsu, happy to be home, shook the man's hand without a second thought. Tsuyoshi's eyes narrowed at the rough, beaten hands that smelled a little like gunpowder and looked at his son for a second before turning back to the blond and bringing out a smile. "Well, I better get back to work. I bet you want to talk with Nana."

With that, he left for the kitchen, knowing the kids could take care of the brunet's discomfort, but a little uneasy about Nana's lack of involvement and her obliviousness. The brunette didn't seem to notice Tsuna and the boys' uneasiness as led her husband to the couch.

"Would you like something to drink, dear?"

"Yeah! Some alcohol and eggnog would be nice!" Iemitsu requested, making himself comfortable.

"Fine, but a small glass. I don't want you to have a hangover during Christmas. Do you boys want some eggnog?"

"Yeah, I guess that's good." Tsuna said with hidden anger, turning away from his father. The teens stared at their precious friend.

"Okay." Nana smiled and left the room, happy with her husband's sudden arrival.

Enma gestured Tsuna to distract himself and continued they decorating the almost finished tree. Gokudera asked him to get a chair so they could put the star up and give the brunet a moment out of the room while Yamamoto distracted the blond with strained useless talk, something the silver haired boy wouldn't yell about, no matter how dumb it was, anything to ease his boss' misery. As Tsuna put the star up, Nana returned with the eggnog, smiling happily as she handed everyone their drinks and leaving the room again to help Tsuyoshi. Sitting down, the teens couldn't avoid talking with Iemitsu. Tsuna wished Reborn would hurry and wake up so he could come downstairs and beat his father to death before he did. He hated this man, how he comes home out of nowhere and was a jerk.

"So, Tsuna, how is school?" the blond asked, not knowing how to talk to the others in the room.

"Fine." Tsuna said in hidden anger, taking a sip of eggnog. Huh. It tasted…weird. His friends took a sip out of their cups, trying to come up with a way to help Tsuna.

"You got a girlfriend yet? Haha! You have so many choices out there! I fell in love with many girls when I was your age, though I was normally rejected!"

'Smart girls.' the teens thought, taking another sip of eggnog. Tsuna felt dizzy for a moment, feeling out of it.

"Then I fell in love with Nana! She was so beautiful and sweet. I was so happy when she accepted my confession!"

'Poor girl didn't know what she was getting into…' Tsuna's friends thought, pity catching hold of their hearts. The brunet felt his restraint breaking as he drank some more eggnog. His common sense seemed to be disappearing...

"I'm so lucky!" He took a sip of his eggnog and frowned as he withdrew, whispering. "Huh? That's weird, I can't taste the alcohol." Tsuna's friends looked up with wide eyes.

"Yes, you are lucky." Tsuna said darkly. Iemitsu turned to his son upon hearing the scary tone. The others felt uneasy. What was going on? Since when was Tsuna so...frightening? "And yet you never seem to know how lucky you are? Hic!"

"Huh?" Iemitsu started to back away as Tsuna wobblingly got up from his seat.

Suddenly, Tsuna hiccupped and looked up. His face looked red, eyes glazed. 'Oh crap.' his friends thought together. They rushed to stop the brunet before he did something he regretted, but they were too late. Easily grabbing the confused blond, Tsuna threw him out the window, making him crash into the snow and shattering the glass.

Enma ran upstairs to get Reborn, hoping he could stop his friend. Gokudera and Yamamoto ran to stop Tsuna, but the brunet was strangely strong. He made them crash into the couch. Could it be, because of the alcohol, Tsuna's ability to hold back, because he hated hurting others, had vanished?

In a flash, Tsuna ran up to the blond as he was trying to get up and gave him a powerful kick. Iemitsu crashed into the tree. "You're an idiot. Hic! I hate you. I HATE you. Hic! I hate you! I HATE YOU!"

As he repeated the words and hiccupped, he ruffled his hair with his hands. Everyone started at him in confusion, but his friends also felt sad for their sky. Nana and Tsuyoshi appeared, noticing the red on Tsuna's and the hiccups. This behaviour was strange, so hurt and hateful compared to the normal brunet. The brunette brought a hand to her mouth, worried.

"Oh dear. Did I give Tsu-chan Iemitsu's cup?"

"Y-Yeah." Yamamoto answered, rubbing his sore head.

"It seems Tsuna is the angry type drunk."

"Reborn-san!" Gokudera exclaimed. Tsuyoshi stared at the newly arrived man, examining the fedora wearer. Noticing the happiness to see the raven haired man from his son, he let go of suspicion.

"We better keep the alcohol away from him in the future." Everyone agreed.

"Tsu-cha-!"

"Muhuhu…hahahaha!" Tsuna started to laugh insanely, freaking everyone out as a chill fell down their spines. The brunet took a deep breath as he stepped on his father, kicking downwards. "You're always so stupid! Hic! You leave your family here and barely ever come home! When you do return you act as if doing that is okay! Hahaha! You come out of nowhere and expect me to love you as a father! Ha! Hic! There's no way I can, moron! Haha! At night, Mom cries when you leave that day! Hic! I have to take care of her for you, you jerk! Hahaha! You're never there for us! I know nothing about you and my memories of you are so few and faded, I have moments where I can't even remember you're my father! Haha! You're lucky Okaa-san reminds me when I forget! Hahaha! You're lucky, you're lucky! YOU'RE LUCKY, DAMN IT! HAHAHAHAHA! Hic!"

"Now the alcohol is making him insane." Reborn commented, watching as Tsuna started punching Iemitsu in the face, pinning the blond down. The hitman merely watched, not going to help the CEDF boss. He was enjoying it too much. Enma sighed. He turned to the wrong person for help. Looks like he got kicked in the stomach for nothing.

"It's freaking me out a little…poor Tsuna-kun." Enma commented with a pained face, hiding behind Yamamoto and Gokudera, who held in their anger towards the sky's father and stared at the scene with sad eyes. They weren't going to stop him, the adults too. He should let it out.

Iemitsu made no sound with every punch and kick he received. He was surprised, bewildered by this information. Nana understood though. And at the confession, she lowered her eyes and puts her head down, hiding her face as she thought back.

"W-Waaaaaaaaaaah! Hic!" Tsuna started to cry as he stopped beating up his father, startling the people around him. The tears cascaded down his cheek, escaping the closed lids that tried to hold them back.

"Now he's a crybaby." The crying made everyone feel even more upset. They wanted to do something for him, but what could they do? What could they say to the crying sky? What came out of the brunet's mouth next only made it harder to come up with something.

"Why?! Why do you always have to leave us?! Mom waits so patiently for you! Hic! She keeps waiting, damn it! Stop making Okaa-san cry, you bully!" Tsuna whimpered. "You're an inconsiderate jerk, you jerk of jerks! You only care about yourself! You don't know how others feel! Hic! Waaaaaaahaaaaah!"

Tsuyoshi, having listened to the boy's tears with the others, walked up to the brunet and gave a comforting hug. Tsuna hugged back, sniffling in the white clothes. They stayed like this for a while. Tsuyoshi started petting the spiky brown hair. The sushi chef knew how to handle a crying child and how to comfort others. Reborn walked up and picked Tsuna up bridal style, walking into the house and up the stairs with the brunet's friends following after him.

Tsuyoshi helped Iemitsu up and Nana went to get the first aid kit.

"You probably need some advice as a father."

---

It looked like it was night, but it wasn't. It had the stars and the bright moon, but it was only around six. After a few hours of mixed drunk personalities, one of which was slutty Tsuna (Reborn's favourite), the brunet was still hiccupping, but it wasn't from the alcohol, it was from sadness and embarrassment. He refused to leave his bed. While feeling sick to his stomach, he couldn't believe he beat his father and said/did all those things. Alcohol was scary. He didn't even have a lot of that accursed liquid. Reborn rubbed the brunet's back as they waited for the others to return.

To cheer the drunken brunet a while ago, Tsuna's sweet friends brought the presents in and they opened them. It worked. The little sky became much happier, though after opening his share he started to become a little…clingy. The brunet had received a nice orange hair elastic with a small flame ornament from Enma, a new black winter coat that reminded him of London England from Gokudera, and a new video game from Yamamoto, which they happily played immediately after.

Everyone else liked their gifts too. Enma got a new pair of shoes from Gokudera, a cat toy from Yamamoto, which made the silver haired teen yell at him again for giving such a stupid gift, and a charm bracelet with his name on it from Tsuna, which had cat and tree charms on it. Yamamoto got a blue baseball cap from Tsuna and some baseball cards from Enma. Gokudera refused to give the baseball lover anything. The right hand man received a book on UFOs from Tsuna, which he thanked his boss for energetically, a red scarf from Yamamoto, which he immediately threw in the trash, and a pair of black winter gloves from Enma, which Gokudera used to put the scarf in the garbage because he refused to touch it.

After playing the game, with Tsuna hiccupping through it and cuddling with Reborn, the three left decided to get some food. Once they left, whatever alcohol was left in him disappeared and realization awoke in him. His common sense and restraint had returned. Embarrassment consumed him and Reborn was there to see him freak out. Now he just wanted to stay in bed and think about what he had done.

"I hate alcohol. Maybe if I become Decimo, I'll have everyone blow up all the factories."

Reborn rubbed his boyfriend's back. "No one would allow it. People love it too much."

"Darn."

Suddenly, his friends returned with some delicious food. Tsuna got up from his bed and sat up, sloughing.

"Hey, we're back." Enma called out, closing the door after everyone was inside.

Gokudera noticed Tsuna's tears and position. "J-Juudaime, you okay? Are you feeling sick?"

Tsuna sat up in his bed. "Y-Yeah. Sorry about my behaviour earlier."

"Haha, it's okay! You were drunk. Nothing much you could do, really."

The red head passed a plate of sushi to the brunet and sat down on the floor near the kotatsu. Yamamoto and Gokudera joined him after giving Reborn his share. "The people you should really apologise to is Nana and Iemi-"

"I am not apologizing to that bastard."

"Tsuna…"

"I don't! I don't want to! When I was little I used to look out my window, hoping he would come home one day! After school, I would be so jealous of the kids with their parents as they left! Then at night, soon after he leaves, I hear Okaa-san crying in her room. I try to make her feel better, but I can only help her so much." Tsuna explained, putting the food aside and hugging his knees to comfort himself.

Reborn rubbed the brunet's back some more, putting his chopsticks down. "There, there. I hate him too."

"I had no idea you hated him so much, Tsuna." Enma said. "Kind of makes me wish I killed him when I was still hell bent on getting revenge."

Everyone stared at the red head. Enma turned away and took another bite of his sushi.

---

The lamp on his bed stand shone as Nana got ready for bed, but the picture frame next to it was ignored ass Iemitsu lay in bed, thinking as the pain in his stomach seemed to fade. He had many bruises, but he blocked the more dangerous hits from his son, so they weren't as bad as they could be. His ribs were especially lucky. However, he couldn't find it in him to be mad at his son. Tsuna's words really got to him. He knew deep in his heart that those feelings were in his family, but he never really thought about them. There were too many things he had to do. Thinking was always pushed to the back, and in the end, forgot about until the matter rose again. He snapped out of his trance when he felt Nana on the bed and tucked herself in.

"H-Hey, Dear?"

The brunette turned to the blond. "Yes?"

"What Tsuna said…was it true?"

Nana looked up at the ceiling as Iemitsu looked at her, smelling her shampooed hair. "Yes…it is."

"Look, I'm sor-"

"It's fine." The tone of voice brought a pang to Iemitsu's heart. It felt broken, but he listened nonetheless. "I forgive you every time. It bothered me at first, but Tsu-chan made it easier to bear. I know I can't be selfish about it. You have a job to do and you can't be home for it, though it wouldn't kill you to visit more…"

Iemitsu looked down and turned to the photo on his bed stand. It was a family picture, one taken when Tsuna was…He couldn't remember how old Tsuna was back then. He struggled to remember, but it wouldn't come up. He frowned and stared at his him and his wife. Iemitsu felt another pang. She looked so happy by his side. It was that smile he loved the most about her, the one that made him happy, but it also made him feel bad for her and want to tell her everything. Should he tell her? She deserved that much. Didn't she?

The blond turned to his wife. Nana noticed his gaze and turned, giving him a small smile after a while. Iemitsu could swear this gorgeous woman was hiding wings. He should tell his angel or whatever holy thing she was his secrets so that maybe things could be better for them. He opened his mouth to say something. Nana's face turned to a confused slight frown and Iemitsu immediately stopped himself. No. Telling her was made the blond frightful. How would she react? Would she hate him, leave him? That thought made him petrified. His fear took over and the image of her waiting, worrying for him, a person who could die at any time, enveloped his mind and soul.

He couldn't do it. The despair she could feel if she knew would be worse than that she had felt before.

He couldn't say it. She wouldn't be able to take it.

---

It was hot under those covers, but Tsuna tried to ignore it. Reborn was holding him and their combined body heat was making it hard for the brunet to sleep. He stared at his friends, who seemed to be sleeping in their sleeping bags. However, the only light was from the moonlight coming from his window, so he couldn't confirm they were asleep since they were quiet, except for Yamamoto who seemed to be snoring. It wasn't annoying, but it was a little loud. He then focused on the arm enveloping his torso and the smell of coffee. Tsuna sighed in content. The brunet loved the warmth.

Suddenly, he felt another hand on his chest. Tsuna squirmed in the hold, grunting at the constriction. A blow of a hot breath hit his ear with a seductive lick.

"Hie!" Tsuna screeched quietly.

"Shhh, don't want to wake everyone up."

"R-Reborn, stop!"

"No, I want to hear your voice." the hitman responded as he pinched the smaller boy's nipple.

Tsuna moaned. Reborn moved his hand under the brunet's pyjama shirt and played with them more, making Tsuna shudder and groan in pleasure. The other hand started feeling the brunt's skin, touching where it could and settling at the groin. Upon that trace of the hitman's fingers, Tsuna had to hold back an even louder moan. Reborn smirked.

Meanwhile, unknown to them, Gokudera and Enma were awake. They heard the brunet's moans and they didn't know what to do. Tsuna would be beyond embarrassed if he found out they knew and Reborn would probably haunt them about it for years, torturing and teasing them. They could only stay still.

'Argh, I don't want to listen to this! This is so wrong!' the two screamed in their heads.

Tsuna wished his boyfriend would stop trying to ravage him at the wrong times. His friends were in the room. Sure, they were sleeping, but what if they woke up! He would die of embarrassment and he doubted he could ever face them again. Tsuna had to stop him, or at least try.

"Re-Rebo-! S-Stop! Ah!"

'Yes, please stop!' the red and silver haired teens internally begged. Enma shifted uncomfortably, alerting Reborn and Tsuna. Gokudera caught on and used it to his advantage. The right hand man shifted as well and added a groan. Reborn stopped what he was doing as the brunet sighed in relief. Maybe they should do it when they had a little more privacy. Perhaps a nice hotel…

"Fine. We'll continue this another time."

'Thank goodness.' the teens thought.

---

Gokudera and Enma stared down at their breakfast tiredly. Even after Reborn stopped, the sound of Tsuna's moans had echoed in their minds all night and it triggered some unwanted, erotic fantasies. Bags under their eyes formed as the two tossed and turned all night, feeling annoyingly aroused. Though the food smelled very good, it wasn't enough to snap the boys out of their daze. Yamamoto, however, looked very well rested and happy, thanking Nana for the food.

The red head started bobbing his head. He really needed REM's sleep. Enma's eye lids threatened to close and pull him into the peaceful darkness of his sub-conscious and make him forget what he had been thinking about last night. The little voices inside his head seemed to call out that sleeping may be a good idea. With one last nod, Enma fell asleep, tilting his head off with a little snore.

Yamamoto stared at the two, taking a bite of his fried egg. "Haha! What's got you two so tired?! I slept like a log! That sleeping bag was so comfortable!"

Irritated by the loud, annoying voice, Gokudera slammed his hands on the table and turned to yell at the dark haired male, turning to him. However, the second he saw the other teen's face, the silver haired male blushed as images of the handsome teen kissing him flooded his mind, picturing the baseball lover touching his chest and leaving hickies in the hot moment. Once the picture changed to them having…The very idea freaked him out so badly that he immediately passed out, falling to the floor and into the calming abyss of his mind.

"H-Hey! You okay!" Yamamoto exclaimed, rushing to Gokudera worriedly. "You shouldn't sleep on the floor! Someone might step you!"

Nana poked her head out after hearing the call. "What happened?" Noticing the two sleeping teens, she laughed. "Aw, you boys must have been up pretty late to be falling asleep like this!"

"Haha, I guess we were!" Yamamoto replied, moving Gokudera to the couch as Iemitsu walked down the stairs. The man gave the situation a weird look.

"Something happen?" the blond asked uncertainly.

"The boys stayed up late and now two of them have fallen asleep! Isn't it cute?!" Nana replied.

"I-I see. Where's Tsuna and Reborn?"

"We're right here." Reborn answered behind him. Tsuna was holding onto the black haired man, half-asleep. Seems Tsuna didn't get as much sleep either. Upon seeing the hold, Iemitsu felt a sudden protectiveness. Why was Tsuna so clingy with Reborn?! Was he still drunk?! Reborn seemed really comfortable in the hold, happy even. What a pervert! Iemitsu had to stop this before Tsuna embarrassed himself by flirting with the worst man in the world.

'Don't worry, Tsuna! Otou-san will protect you from the evil man!'

"Reborn! Don't get so close to my son! He's not your toy!" Iemitsu yelled, making all of the conscious people in the house flinch. Reborn looked offended as Tsuna gapped, awakened by the loud voice, and then narrowed his eyes in anger. Nana stiffened, understanding both sides and worrying for how this would turn out. However, Yamamoto didn't understand.

"What are you talking about? They're dating. They're allowed to have human contact like that."

"What?!"

"Yamamoto!" Tsuna exclaimed.

"What?" The baseball idiot tilted his head in confusion.

"What do you mean they're dating?!"

"I haven't told him yet!"

"Oooooh."

"You! What did you do to my tuna-fish?!" Iemitsu yelled, ripping the couple apart and glaring at the hitman.

"Nothing…much." The hitman whispered that last part, but the CEDF leader heard it. Iemitsu felt rage consume him. He gripped the black haired man's dress shirt, getting ready to punch the man.

"Why you?! Stay away from him!"

"Reborn! Otou-san, stop!" Tsuna begged, trying to push the two away from each other. He didn't want anyone to get hurt. Nana joined him, trying to hold her husband back.

"Iemitsu!"

Yamamoto, though confused by the fight, snapped out of his frozen state and helped Tsuna pull the two men apart. However, it wasn't enough to stop them. Reborn had enough of the blond and he was insulted that the CEDF leader thought he couldn't take care of Tsuna, much less think he thought of the brunet as an object. How low did Iemitsu think he was? He would never treat Tsuna in such a way.

"Stay out of it. He's my lover and we are the ones who will decide whether we want to be together or not, idiot." Reborn growled.

"You're not right for my son!"

Suddenly, Nana slapped him, stopping the fight between Iemitsu and Reborn dead in its tracks. Everyone stopped, stunned.

The blond rubbed his cheek and turned to his wife. "Nan-"

"Iemitsu! Tsu-chan picked Reborn and I will support him! I can't believe you don't think those two should be together!"

"He's a bad person!"

"How can you say that?! Your son picked him! And he wouldn't pick just anyone! Obviously, Reborn is very special to Tsu-chan!"

Iemitsu was astonished by the brunette's response. "B-But-"

Nana couldn't believe him. She wouldn't let him finish that sentence. "Iemitsu, please. Everyone has bad qualities, but what makes love so wonderful is that the partner can make them the exception and forgive them when those bad points make them do wrong. I'm sure Tsuna can see bad in him, but since he is still with him, I know he loves him enough to stay by his side and Reborn loves him the same way. Reborn won't hurt Tsuna. Look at us, you're never home and I cry about it, but I love you enough to stay by your side because I love you. So, please, let them be happy together. I'm sure they'll be fine!"

Iemitsu didn't know what to say. He could only stare at his wife's stern face. All his rejection towards the relationship had vanished into the sky and left him feeling…He didn't know what he was feeling, but he knew he had to tell her. He had to tell her who he really was and his world. Her love and trust was hurting them, especially Nana. But she was strong, stronger than he assumed she was. He knew he just had to tell her.

Reborn and the two teens stared, just as stunned as Iemitsu, but when the mood became the parents' world, they felt intrusive. Yamamoto snuck into the living room and picked Gokudera up. Tsuna did the same and got Enma on his back, the red head's arms hanging over the brunet's shoulders. Reborn moved to the door and opened it, letting the teens out as they grabbed everyone's coats. The fedora wearer muttered a 'thanks, Maman' and 'we'll be back later'. Nana gave a slight glance, but immediately went back to her husband's intense, thoughtful gaze.

"Nana…There's something I need to tell you."

---

"Haha! Your mom was really cool!" Yamamoto exclaimed, holding Gokudera tightly.

"Yeah, she was! Sigh, I love her so much." Tsuna commented, losing his grip on Enma because of his sore arms. Reborn seemed to notice this and took over, taking the red head's arm and moving the sleeping body onto his shoulder. "Hey! Be more careful! He's not a backpack!"

Reborn rolled his eyes and grabbed Tsuna's hand. The brunet winced a little. "He's fine, Tsuna. You, however, need a break."

"T-Thank you."

"Also, you're weak and need to lift some weights."

Tsuna turned to him. "I'm not that weak!"

"Yes, you are."

"But I'm not!"

"Yes, you are."

"If you want I can help!" Yamamoto chimed in, making the couple look at him.

"You don't have to do that! Besi-"

"Urgh…"

Yamamoto looked down to Gokudera, who stirred in his arms. "Haha! Waking up, are we? That was fast! I guess you're used to passing out, aren't you?"

"Shut...up…" Gokudera groaned. A second later, he realized the position he was in, staring at the black haired rain guardian. Yamamoto was carrying him bridal style, the most embarrassing style in the world. A blush dawned on his face and he struggled out of the hold. However, the baseball player didn't want to drop him, so he held on. "Let go, idiot!" Then the silver haired teen punched the other in the face and, in the moment of weakness, escaped.

"Hey! What was that for?!"

"Stay away from me!" Gokudera yelled, heading home in a different direction and hiding his blush from Yamamoto. Reborn and Tsuna merely stared at the scene and red face, completely ignored. Gokudera was acting a little…adorable. The baseball player started running after him.

"W-Wait! Where are you going?!"

"Home! And don't follow me!"

"Why not?!"

"Because!"

"That's a frustrating reason…" Tsuna commented, watching his friends get farther and farther away from him.

"I predict a gay wedding in the future, and it's not ours." Tsuna blushed madly at Reborn's statement and started pushing the hitman towards Enma's house.

"S-Shut up!"

"We'll have to text Yamamoto and find out what happened…"

"No, we don't! Let them have some privacy!"

"But aren't you curious?" Reborn asked, looking back at his boyfriend, who was pushing harder now.

"…" Tsuna was silent. He sort of did want to know how those two would turn out. They were his friends and he wanted to know if they were okay or not. But as they moved faster down the street, the brunet couldn't answer. They were at Enma's house.

The couple stared, the brunet scared stiff. Enma's house was in shambles, ice sticking out of the roof and windows, making holes for the family to fix. One held Julie by the jacket on the roof, unconscious with multiple bruises and an obvious head injury. Lambo was on a separate ice spear next to him with similar injuries. It was strangely cold here.

'What happened…?' Tsuna thought. Reborn ignored the two idiots that were unconscious on the roof and adjusted Enma's position so he was on the hitman's back. When he was done, the black haired male rang the doorbell, making the brunet flinch. 'I really hope we don't get beat up…'

"Hello?" answered a grumpy sounding Adel.

"Chaos. It's Reborn. We were up late last night and Enma fell asleep during breakfast, so we brought him home."

"Reborn? You sound like an adult! Are you-?"

"I got him a watch that turns him into an adult for Christmas." Tsuna explained.

Adel opened the door, the other Shimon guardians peeking behind her with I-pin and Fuuta racing out to hug Tsuna. "What?"

Reborn set Enma down and held up the watch before turning the knob, making it look like time was going backwards from twelve to six to one. Before their eyes, he turned into a baby again, multi-coloured specks of light dissipating. Then he put it back to the way it was before, changing back into an adult. The Shimon family stared in awe, making Reborn let out a smug smirk.

"I see…" Adel said. "I take it the Lightning Arcobaleno made it."

"Uh, yeah…" Tsuna replied.

A slight snore came out of the red headed Shimon boss, making the conscious people stare at him. Kaoru moved forward and took Enma inside as the teens yelled a 'thank you' to him. Looking at the disappearing figures, the Shimon turned back to the hitman and Vongola heir.

"Thank you for bringing him back. Did you guys have fun?" asked Shitt. P.

"Yeah, we did…to an extent." Tsuna replied.

"Huh?" Adel questioned.

"Ask Enma about it, I don't want to talk about it."

"O…kay."

Suddenly feeling awkward, Tsuna averted his eyes, looking down at the kids. Fuuta and I-pin looked at him worriedly and gripped the brunet's clothes tightly. He gave them a smile and turned back to the others as Reborn gave him an understanding look.

"I think we should go now. We're tired too."

Adel sighed. "I guess you're right. Hope you feel better."

"T-Thanks. Oh! And thanks for taking care of Fuuta and I-pin! I-I don't know what happened with Lambo though…"

"Oh, Lambo was annoying Adel to no end and…you should know the rest." Rauji explained.

'He always picks the wrong people to bother.'

"Well, up until then, thank you for your patience." Tsuna said, pushing the kids away.

"Bye, Rauji! Thanks for the presents!" yelled Fuuta, holding up a pretty book mark with stars on it.

"You're welcome!"

"See ya!" Tsuna said, waving. The Shimon waved back and went back inside.

As the group left, deciding to leave Lambo there since he would just come back later, I-pin made herself comfortable in Tsuna's arm while Fuuta held the brunet's other hand. Reborn put an arm around his boyfriend's shoulder, keeping him close. The brunet smiled and leaned on the hitman. However, as the kids started talking amongst themselves, the smile on the sky guardian's face didn't last forever. His mind drifted to his parents. Were they okay? How was his mom doing? What if-?

"Are you going to be okay?" Reborn asked.

"I don't know. Otou-san and Okaa-san…they're-"

"Going to be fine. Just like us." the hitman said, tightening his hold and looking at him with a comforting look.

Tsuna's smile returned. "Heh. You're right."

---

Tsuna had seen many things in his short life, but nothing like this. The second the group entered the house, everyone stilled when they turned to see an angry Nana sipping tea on the couch and Iemitsu vacuuming the floor with a distressed. In the…few moments that Tsuna remembers of Iemitsu, he had never seem him clean, only images of the blond getting drunk and sleeping coming to mind. He never thought of him doing anything productive. The brunet could only stand at the entrance to the living room dumbstruck.

Reborn raised an eyebrow at the situation, a smile or laugh twitching in the corner of his mouth. He really liked this. Seeing Nana like this and Iemitsu acting like a maid brought a certain pleasure. If Tsuna could be like this as punishment for bad Vongola members, things could be very fun. Regaining his cool, he pushed the kids towards the stairs, silently asking them for some privacy. They accepted and went upstairs to Tsuna's room, where they found the new video game and started to play.

"I-I'm home…" stuttered Tsuna, taking off his coat and putting it on the rack.

Nana turned to her son with an angry expression, but soon smiled brightly. "Welcome home, sweetie!"

"S-So, you guys talked, right? Everything okay?"

The brunette stared for a moment before looking down at her tea with a blank look and then to her husband, disappearing. Iemitsu looked down in guilt, taking the cup and leaving. "Yes, dear."

"I-I g-guess it didn't go well…" Tsuna said as he and Reborn took a seat. The hitman kept a serious face at the housewife's silence.

"Iemitsu told me about the mafia…and about you…and about Reborn's occupation."

"I'm sorry for not saying anything."

Nana suddenly brightened the mood with another smile. "I forgive you, Tsu-chan, though I am disappointed, but it's fine!"

"R-Really?"

"Yes, you were just trying to protect me." The brunette winked at the couple. "Besides, your father is going to make up for it!"

"H-Huh?" Tsuna stuttered. Reborn smirked, leaning back with his hands behind his head.

Nana laughed. "I've sent him on a little guilt trip! I used it to make him stay until the middle of January and do whatever I want!"

Tsuna gapped at the news as Reborn chuckled to himself. The brunet couldn't believe it. While his mother was rather naïve, she was smart, taking opportunities when she saw them to spend time with Iemitsu. He hoped the two would be happy…until the blond left again.

"Don't use it too much. It might end badly if you do." Reborn commented.

"I know!"

"Ow!" Iemitsu yelled in the kitchen, a smash of glass following after. It made the three in the living room turn their heads to the sound.

"Maybe I should go help him." Tsuna said, getting up.

"Good idea…"

"Could you make me an espresso too?"

"Sure." The teen smiled at Reborn as he left the room.

Once Tsuna was gone and yelling started in the kitchen, along with a thud, which Reborn assumed was Tsuna slipping on the tea covered floor, the two in the living room stared at each other. Reborn, being the cool hitman that he was, leaned his elbow on the arm rest of his seat, making his hand hold his head, and crossed his legs.

"So, what are you going to do now? You know Iemitsu and I have killed before, right?"

Nana looked down. "…I'm not sure. I don't completely know your circumstances, so I won't judge, though I'm not happy with the occupation. Considering where Iemitsu's money is coming from, I might get my own job, that way I don't have to rely on Iemitsu's earns completely. Tsu-chan is all grown up now and has you, so he doesn't need me as much as before."

Reborn nodded. "Good idea. And you're very bright. I bet you could get a good job...It must have been hard raising Tsuna alone."

"…It was, but not as bad as you think. I was happy to be with Tsuna and experience those special, important moments, despite Iemitsu's absence."

"Good for you." Reborn replied with a smirk.

Nana looked down in concern. She knew what Tsuna and Iemitsu were doing now, she knew their fate and she felt helpless. She was worried for her little boy who would soon be in charge of the strongest mafia family in the world. He would have to deal with so many things she could never handle herself. She didn't want him to break or worse die. Iemitsu assured her the two of them were well protected, but who knew what would happen. Reborn…he was the number one hitman…"You'll take for of Tsu-chan, right?"

Reborn tipped his fedora up, giving a confident smirk. "Of course. I'll protect him with my life."

"Thank you." The brunette was relieved, smiling her bright smile at the hitman. Reborn would take care of Tsuna. There was no need for her to worry. Those two could take care of each other. At the sound of Iemitsu's laugh and Tsuna's yell, Nana looked even happier. "This has truly been an eventful Christmas, hasn't it?"

Reborn smirked, the smell of espresso filling his senses. "Indeed. But it certainly was grand."

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Sorry for any mistakes. Merry Christmas!