Title: Timeless
Pairing: R27 RebornXTsuna
Rating:M
Summary: When Reborn has to go babysit a little child, he gets more than he bargains for and as the years pass, he's not seeing that little kid as a kid any more but as something else, perhaps more than he had ever wished for.
Disclaimer: don't own and if I did then the whole world would be filled with yaoi
Important note: If you had read chapter 2 before 5/30/2010, I have replaced it with a better one (hopefully).
Chapter
3: Year ThreeReborn glanced around the street he was strolling down, his eyes drifting side to side. At the moment and he will never admit it, he was bored out of his mind. Chatter from his so called friends was coming from behind, all of them talking about the news or tidbits that have happened recently. He usually didn't mind listening to them since it did keep him up to date with the world around him but today, there wasn't much to hear about, he already knew everything even the little gossip and rumors that were floating around.
In the group, there are eight of them (including himself) in total, all in the same grade (they are in high school) except for two. Those two were actually younger by a year, a blond named Colonello and a purple-haired one with lots of piercings named Skull (both in middle school). Colonello, at the beginning, had really only came along for Lal, the second female of the group, looking up to her as a "sempai" (that's what he called her) since she was some sort of teacher or mentor to him. Reborn never bothered investigating those two's little relationship, he had decided early on that it wasn't worth the trouble. But later on in the months, Colonello ended up joining their little group and became someone that Reborn could compete and fight with. They always had a tendency to get into trouble with other students, well, Colonello did, Reborn usually got an announcement when someone wanted to challenge him. Still no one minded Colonello's presence and actually welcomed the energetic blond.
Skull, on the other hand, was an annoyance since all he did was complain and try and fail to show he was better than everyone else, mostly to Reborn, who took the time to bully and pick on him. He would follow them around and call everyone "sempai" (following Colonello's example) as if they were teaching him something but in the end, Skull was more of an errand boy, who followed all commands that was given to him. Not only that, the younger teen was easily frightened and was always running away from each and every fight. Many people thought that since he was in the group called the 'Arcobalenos' (that's what the girls nicknamed their group), well known for having the collection of the strongest and prettiest/handsomest people around, that he would be strong too, however, that was obviously not the case. But even though it became quite well known after a while that Skull was the weakest of them, it didn't matter much. People still wanted to pick a fight with him to prove that they were better.
Going back to the group, the other girl besides Lal was Luce, who had a flower mark under her left eye and the brightest smile. She was the kind of person that held the group together with her cheerful attitude and no one thought a bad thing about her. Not a single person, not even Reborn could ever hold a grudge against her.
Lal, on the other hand, was the complete opposite, she was usually violent. She would slap anyone crazy if they dared insult her, Colonello being the main target of them. But she was a good person and easily got embarrassed, sometimes over the smallest thing.
Viper, the next group member, was a mystery. He hardly went around without his cloak that covered his entire body and rarely spoke but he followed them nonetheless. He would just stand around, hidden from all eyes even though he stood out so obviously. And he was greedy, very greedy, and he was always looking for ways to earn more money. Reborn was quite certain that the reason he still remained with them was solely for that purpose (they were a popular group for their looks after all).
Fon, the sixth one, was a calm person and rarely said anything insulting or cruel. He was the type of person that really knew how to calm person down and hardly got into fights with anyone but he wasn't a push over. Reborn knew that first hand when they had a little spar. Fon really knew how to kick and hard. Sometimes Reborn would unconsciously rub a spot where he had taken a hit when he's by himself. But back to Fon, he's a foreigner to Japan, a Chinese. He had traveled from China to broaden his studies but in the end, he ended up staying here since his family back home decided it would be good for him.
Ironically, the rest of the group was foreigners as well, mostly made up of Italians that had either traveled here or have been relocated due to family matters.
The final person was Verde. Honestly, Reborn didn't like him at all but tolerated him nonetheless. The green-haired teen was always working on something, mostly science projects, and was never interested with the group itself unless necessary. Strangely, he decided to show up today, probably because of Luce. The girl could get quite scary when she wanted to and to the point that even Reborn didn't dare defy her either.
As the black-haired teen glanced around the street he and his group were on, looking at the stores they passed by along the way, he somewhat separated himself from the others. His eyes would glance back every now and then to make sure they hadn't wandered too far away from him but he still kept a distance nonetheless. The street they were on is a small shopping area and everyone that walked around them had a shopping bag or two in their hands. A few of his friends were carrying one themselves but he wasn't. He never really liked shopping in groups, it was like he was telling others what he liked and disliked at every single purchase.
And with that, the chattering behind him continued on.
Bored once more, his eyes drifted away from his friends yet again and decided to gaze across the street to see where they were heading to next…
Before freezing to the spot…
Reborn blinked his eyes and then rubbed them to make sure he was seeing right and that it wasn't a delusion but the figure remained. 'No… It's not possible…'
He stared at the sight of a small body in the distance and he was absolutely certain that he could recognize that mop of brown hair anywhere.
"Tsuna…" Reborn whispered under his breath and examined the boy from across the street. What he saw made his heart clench. Tsuna was pale, his fingers were shaking, and he looked absolutely frightened with his head turning everywhere frantically. The teen blinked curiously and glanced around the area for either Nana or Iemitsu but none of them were in sight. Going back to the little child, a protective feeling started to swell up in Reborn's chest. 'Is he…lost?'
But when tears started welling up in Tsuna's eyes, the child completely frightened out of his mind, without knowing or even realizing, Reborn ran from his group of friends. Instantly, he began shoving his way through the crowd that was waiting for the light to change and when he was sure that he would be seen by the child from the other side of the street, he called out.
"Tsuna!"
The people around him jumped at his yell even his friends were looking over in surprise, all staring at him strangely.
But Tsuna's face was the best and most important. When the brunet caught sight of him, relief instantly shined through those teary eyes and a smile broke out on those lips, his whole face lighting up like a Christmas tree. The tears that had been in the eyes went away and he took a step forward…towards oncoming traffic.
Reborn panicked.
"Don't move, Tsuna!" The teen called out in terror, afraid that the kid would be stupid enough to walk out into the rushing cars. He wasn't sure but he didn't want to take the risk. Tsuna instantaneously froze, blinking in shock and curiosity, and then nodded in reply. He remained rooted to his spot as demanded.
Afterwards, a sigh slipped from Reborn's lips and relaxed slightly now that he knew that Tsuna wouldn't do anything unintelligent. His eyes stared at the red no-crossing-sign, waiting for it to change and when it did, he ran all the way to the other side, wrapping his arms around Tsuna immediately, holding the boy dearly. But before he could calm down, he immediately pulled the child away from the street and the exchanging crowd before peering down at Tsuna, who was staring up with those large eyes that were sparkling in happiness.
Although, before he could get a chance to scold and demand where the boy had been and come from, he was beaten by a joyful sob from Tsuna.
"Reborn! Reborn!" Tsuna hugged the teen for dear life with his arms wrapped around the chest since Reborn was only kneeling down. "I'm so…so happy that you're here, Reborn!" He then began to bawl loudly, his face buried into the chest, and the teen just held him, his grip firm.
"What's happened, Tsuna? And where Nana and Iemitsu?" The black-haired teen questioned, staring into the large eyes, his fingers running through the soft caramel-colored hair to help calm the child down.
"I…I don't know…" Tsuna wailed. "I don't know!" He buried his face deeper into Reborn's chest and even with all that was going on, he was happy that someone had come to his rescue. He had been scared, so so scared. He had only stopped to look at something in a window while he had been with his mom and when he turned back to see where she had went, Nana was already gone.
Reborn let a tiny smile peek out in response and patted the soft hair gently. "There, there, I'm here so that means that everything is alright now, right?"
Tsuna sniffed for a few seconds, his eyes all large and puffy. "R-Really?"
"Yep."
The brunet's face lighted up again and tackled Reborn again, hugging him closer.
Reborn, somewhat used to the affection he got continuously from the child over the years, didn't hesitate in returning the hold, he was actually enjoying it, but he had forgotten about one thing.
He wasn't alone.
"Reborn?"
The black-haired teenager snapped his head back to his group of friends that had followed behind him the entire time and were all staring at him strangely, some with curiosity shining in their eyes. Tsuna, when he looked up as well, made a loud squeak in fear at all eyes that were landing on him and clutched harder onto Reborn's clothes, hiding within the arms protectively. He had never once gotten over his shy side, reverting back into that old self of his just like the first time he had met Reborn but, this time, it wasn't nearly as bad. Over the years, Reborn had become some kind of protective figure for him and he always felt braver whenever he was nearby. Still the brunet paled at the sight of seven different-colored eyes looking straight at them and hid his face into Reborn's chest to tear his gaze away.
Luce was the first one to speak and kneeled down with a soft smile, noticing the fear on Tsuna's face. She was at head level with the two. "Who's this, Reborn?"
The black-haired teen sighed and reached up to pat Tsuna's head again, hoping that that would help calm the kid from panicking further. And it did. "This is Tsuna, I've been babysitting him for the past two years."
"Really? My! He's so adorable." The leader of the group cooed, reaching out to touch the smaller boy but Tsuna made another high-pitched squeak in fright, trying to back away, but Reborn's grip kept him from doing so.
This left the teen no choice but to wave Luce's hand away while everyone else watched the trio in confusion, each one wondering on what was going on. "Sorry, he has a fear of people. It took him a while to even get used to me." Pulling Tsuna away from his body, he stood up and looked down with soft eyes that could only be viewed by the child. "Hey, Tsuna…"
The brunet's eyes glanced up shakily, it was obvious that he was still frightened by all the strangers around him. "Y-Yes?"
"Listen, Tsuna, these are my closest friends. I promise they won't hurt you at all. I won't let them, okay." Reborn gave a glare at a few certain people before turning his attention back. "So can you come out and try saying hello to them?"
Tsuna blinked, his face scrunching up together cutely as he went deep into thought before turning to the group and then, after a few moments, nodded. This allowed Reborn to shift away a little bit but the brunet still clutched to the pants for protection. Half of the child's body was hidden behind the leg but even Reborn knew that this was process from the first time they met. A small squeak came from Tsuna as he spoke. "H-He-Hello…"
"Aww… He's so cute!" Luce cooed, clapping her hands together. She leaned forward since she was already kneeling down and smiled warmly. "I'm Luce, a friend of Reborn's."
Fon came next, offering a friendly smile himself, and bended over. He had his hands on his knees, holding him up. "And I'm Fon, it's a pleasure."
Tsuna blinked, his face turning red, either in embarrassment or something else no one was sure, but he remained where he was at, his eyes watching. Reborn almost smiled at that, remembering once more of the time when they first met.
However, that fluffiness ended when Colonello came down, all the blond had to do was grin and hold out a hand. Instantly, Tsuna jumped in fright and went back to hiding, afraid to look. He buried himself back into Reborn's legs, shaking uncontrollably. Reborn reached down to put a comforting hand, patting the soft locks, hoping that that would help calm the child again.
"Colonello, you idiot! You scared him!" Lal scolded, whacking the younger student on the head. This made the brunet pull back even further.
"Lal, I believe that you're scaring him too." Verde grumbled from the back, looking over the kid through his glasses. The blue-haired female just growled at that comment but didn't do anything else knowing that it was true.
As Reborn watched the scene, he just shook his head at his friends' antics and searched for his phone that was in his right pocket along with his wallet, digging the device out. He had to let Tsuna's parents know that the boy was in safe hands. They were most likely worried by now and, if he didn't know any better, were panicking too. That he was certain. Dialing the familiar number by heart, he placed the device to his ear, listening to the dial tone as it rang.
His friends around him continued to try and talk to Tsuna, who would come out slightly for Fon and Luce only, the rest seemed to scare him away. This only made the others angry and in which made matters worse. After shooing the others away, demanding them to be quiet, Fon and Luce managed to convince Tsuna to move more of himself out of hiding and were able to get the chance to shake hands with the small boy, whose other hand still refused to leave Reborn's pants. The black-haired teen watched with interest, half-listening to the phone when it clicked. A voice, however, made him snap out of his daze.
"Reborn! Oh my goodness, you must help me! Tsuna! Tsuna has-!"
Reborn could just hear the panic in the other's voice. It was Nana and by the sounds of it, she was alone…well not exactly, he could hear the sounds of people in the background meaning that she was in a market place. But she was without Iemitsu since he could be heard miles away with that voice of his. Reborn took a deep breath and interrupted the woman. "Mrs. Sawada, please calm down. I have Tsuna with me."
There was a pause.
"W-What?"
Reborn continued. "I was walking around with my friends when I saw him. I have him with me right now and have apparently attached himself to my legs. He's perfectly fine, Mrs. Sawada. He doesn't seem harmed in any way."
A sigh came from the other side in relief. "Oh thank goodness!" Nana sounded so happy, the multiple voices in the background were getting louder now that she was no longer panicking and screaming her head off. There was a rustling sound too, something like plastic that would be heard clearly through the phone. "I was so worried. I thought I died for a moment when I realized he wasn't behind me anymore. I'm so glad you were around." She made a small laugh. "You must really be drawn to him, huh."
"What?" Reborn blinked, his fingers gripping the phone harder. 'What did she mean by that…?'
"Well since he's with you, you wouldn't mind watching over him for the time being and take him home afterwards, would you? I still need to finish shopping for groceries. Ah, and you can come over and eat with us today, I'll make sure to make something wonderful tonight. Oh! Maybe a feast! That sounds great, right? Maybe you can invite those friends of yours too, the more the merrier! Oh, this will be so much fun, I can't wait to start cooking!"
"!" The teen pulled the phone away to stare at it in shock. He couldn't believe this woman, she had to be the strangest person he has ever met. His eyes then glanced down at Tsuna…no, make that two… No wonder they were related.
"Mamma." She suddenly giggled, earning a surprised expression from Reborn. "You can call me that instead. Mrs makes me sound so old and well, you're family now, right. Well then, I better get going and get ready for your return. Bye!"
Before Reborn could get another word in, the phone was cut off, leaving Reborn to stare at it once more in shock and confusion. Like he thought before, what a strange woman, just like her son and perhaps…no, defiantly her husband as well… Reborn rubbed the back of his head and glanced down to Tsuna, who was staring right back.
"Looks like you're stuck with me for the day." He placed his phone back into its original place. "And I'll bring you home later for dinner. Seems like your mom is currently going wild with that cooking of hers."
Tsuna smiled at that, his face brightening all over again, and gave a hug.
"Aww…" Luce cooed. "Tsuna must really be precious to Reborn if he doesn't mind at all." She gave a long look at the black-haired teen before smiling. "You both look perfect together. So cute!"
"Yeah, Reborn, his image just seems to match yours." Colonello chuckled, getting a glare from the other. "The top person in school has a little child clinging to him. How amusing." He was soon rewarded with a slap across the face from Lal, who was scowling at the blond.
Tempted to hit the blond himself, Reborn just twitched and instead tightened his fingers into a fist. "Damn you."
Tsuna, on the other hand, watched with a smile on his face. He was so happy at the moment, nothing could destroy that. Being with Reborn has always made him like that even with all these strangers around him. He felt so different like he could be braver, stronger, and he was really glad for the support he always got from the teen. Tsuna's smile grew larger and laughed when he saw Reborn and Colonello arguing with each other from below. His eyes observed the group, well, some of them since a couple had to step in to stop the two while a couple just remained behind to watch. Eventually, he ended up getting detached from Reborn and ended up into Luce's hold, not that he minded. The brunet just watched from the side, grinning and cheering Reborn on.
Honestly, he wished Reborn and himself could stay together like this forever.
I'm trying to do a new thing on responding with the reviews, kinda like giving something in return for those that review the chapter and so on. So for every review, the next chapter will have 200 words times the number of reviews I get. Like one review, 200 words. Two reviews, 400 words. Etc, etc. For this chapter, I got 16 so 3200 words or about, I tried to get as close as possible(excluding the beginning and the ending). I do have a limit though but it depends on each chapter but I'll let you know and transfer the remaining to the next chapter.