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
Wow, thanks for all the reviews, I must admit I was really surprised. Really. Cuz I bet you are all really happy now, right? Just to let you know, the challenge will continue for each chapter until something happens but I'll let you know when that happens.
I struggled with this…cuz I wasn't expecting…that many…reviews…cries in a corner
This has not been beta'd
Reborn is somewhat out of character in this chapter. I think I messed up on this chapter somewhere, just not sure on where, its soooo long...
Random Quote (it has nothing to do with the story but I'm going to be putting one up whenever I find one. Why? Because I feel like it):
"We are so accustomed to disguise ourselves to others, that in the end, we become disguised to ourselves." François de la Rochefoucauld
Chapter
4: Year FourReborn hated this day.
This cursed day that came year after year.
It didn't matter how many times he tried to stop it, it was impossible. It was a day that came regardless of his wishes. It was unstoppable.
And what day was it that tormented Reborn so?
His birthday.
October thirteen.
Usually for this day, he was alone and by himself because he refused to tell anyone about it even to all the girlfriends he had dated over the year. Not even his friends knew about this day either. He just kept quiet and allowed the cursed day to pass by like any other with his life continuing as it always has. And he was completely fine with that, it worked very well in his favor, but of course, he still hated the day. People that knew about it, which he still tried to figure out how certain people did, would send him gifts and whatnot (Who they were, Reborn dared not mention). And he hated it. He really did.
Most of the gifts were thrown out as trash and were quite useless, doing nothing more but collecting dust in his closet if he had decided to keep it. A couple of times, he got money and though it was tempting to keep it, he would return it back to the sender. After a while, he stopped opening the presents all together and just sent them back unopened, not bothering with a single one. However, he did send a bill out to each person demanding them to pay him back for the return fees (it got costly whenever there were so many).
However, this year, he wasn't going to get away with being alone.
Oh no, no, no…
By someway and how, Iemitsu (that godforsaken bastard) had found out about his birthday and demanded a party to celebrate the day, which, of course, got spread around the town like wildfire. Invitations didn't even need to be sent out before people started saying (demanding) that they were coming and would bear gifts for the birthday boy. His friends were apparently coming as well and he knew for a fact that they too would bring gifts like everyone else (that should be obvious).
Reborn also knew that Nana was cooking up a storm for today's party, if the numerous smells from the kitchen didn't make it any more noticeable. He could tell just by looking at her that she was having a blast with this whole thing. And from his spot, he could see stacks of plates being piled up all around, all bearing different kinds of food. They were all delicious, he knew that for a fact (Nana loved to feed him whenever he showed up), but for today, they looked more like torture to him. And he didn't like that, not at all.
Anyway, the teen hated his birthday and everything about it (except for the getting a year older part, he was completely fine with that, everything else could go to hell in his opinion). What was worse was that all his old girlfriends (the ones he had broken up with but don't believe that he did no matter how many times he has told them) were coming too, every single one of them (at the moment, he's single). And with that added into the mess, this whole birthday party was going to be a terrible ordeal.
He decided that he hated Iemitsu even more now than before.
Reborn wondered if he could get away with stabbing the man while he's drunk…
After a few moments, the teen decided that it wasn't worth the trouble, no matter how satisfying it might feel afterwards.
So instead, he decided that he would torture the man in a much better way, one that would leave him miserable for a while. Reborn grinned at that and it didn't take long for him to start the preparations and put them into action.
(What were those preparations?
Reborn just placed a finger to his lips. "Shhh…")
However, even with all that, he couldn't stop the party from coming.
Reborn, at the start of the party, settled himself onto the stairs, watching the area around him in horror (though he kept his poker face on). All the preparations were complete with the food and drinks all out on tables, lined up neatly and carefully. The party itself wasn't being held at Reborn's apartment, no, it was at the Sawada's since his was far too small to hold such a large number of people, which were a lot. He had seen the ridiculously long list of names but he was certain, very certain, that many were going to show up uninvited.
Reborn growled to himself, throwing glares at anyone that came near him. This also wasn't how he wanted to spend his Friday…
As the party began to pick up, more people were filing in, each one holding something and would stack it against a wall with the others. A few (mainly his ex-girlfriends that were basically painted in makeup) would come forward to try and make him open theirs on the spot but he sent each and every one of them away with a glare, making it darker when a couple wouldn't listen. He was thrown a few disapproving glances from a couple of adults but he ignored them. It wasn't as if he cared. Eventually, everyone got scared of his fury and slowly wondered away, frightened of the birthday boy.
Even his close friends were putting some distance from him.
He smirked evilly, making a couple of people shiver at the sight. This was exactly how he wanted it to be.
Nana was currently running in and out of the kitchen, bringing out more food to replace the ones that were getting devoured by the crowd (there seemed to be more people around that area than anywhere else). Iemitsu, on the other hand, was sitting at a corner with some other men that were about his age, all drinking and laughing at something that had been spoken. There were a couple of empty bottles of alcohol all around them and they seemed to be making the most noise in the entire house (even over the music). Reborn was tempted to hit the man. How could they be doing that at a party that was meant for him? He went back to plotting Iemitsu's death and destruction.
Giotto, meanwhile, was nowhere in sight but he had seen the blond (not that it was hard to miss that bright-colored hair) in the crowd before getting swallowed into it. After that, he was nowhere to be found though Reborn was certain that Giotto had escaped this entire thing. Lucky bastard. As Reborn mentally cursed the blond, he couldn't help but reflect over their interactions. Though their relationship (Giotto and him) has gotten better over the years, enough that they could talk without glaring, they still couldn't help but say hidden cunning remarks within their dialogue at each other. It had started as a way to get back at each other without anyone knowing, however, that changed over time. It was instead becoming a game between them, one that was kept secret from Tsuna, of course. A game that consisted on whoever could come up with the best insult whenever they met.
The black-haired teen sighed as he saw a bunch of his ex-girlfriends gathering up in one corner, all glancing at him. That definitely wasn't good.
As everyone wandered around him (many of which have given up on trying to strike a conversation with him), the large pile of presents that was against the wall was starting to overflow and a couple would topple over, tumbling to the ground. Many had to be moved to a different location to help prevent them from getting trampled by people that kept coming in. Music was blaring loudly in his ears but Reborn remained where he was at. The stairs was probably the only safe place in the entire house at the moment since no one was allowed to go upstairs. Nana and Iemitsu had taken the time to block the area with a piece of wood which also gave him something to lean against. Luckily for him, the stairs were somewhat isolated, placing him away from most of the crowd which he was glad for.
'How'd that man find out about this date anyway…?' Reborn thought to himself again, his eyes drifting from person to person. More of them were coming through the front door and the entire house was starting to get overcrowded. Many had to go to the front yard, standing in the grass. No one went to the back since they all wanted to get as close as possible to the only door that was open (Nana kept the back one closed shut since she didn't want any bugs to come flying in while she was cooking). Reborn growled to himself. 'Dammit, I need to find a way to get out of here…'
Due to being so deep in thought, he didn't notice a person coming up to him until a soft tug came at his sleeve. He was slightly startled by it, not realizing how deep in thought he actually was. Instantly thinking that it was one of partiers, Reborn sneered and snapped to the bastard that would dare disturb him. "What the hell do you-"
His words froze in his mouth and stared at the little brunet before him. Tsuna's eyes were wide and fearful and he looked like he was going to cry at any moment. He was shaking uncontrollably and had shrunk at the yell. Taking a step back, the brunet began making sniffing sounds and if Reborn hadn't been too concerned over the child, he would have noticed that the hair seemed to have deflated.
Acting quickly, Reborn reached forward to place a comforting hand on Tsuna's shoulder and changed his expression from the scowl to a kind smile. He patted a fleshy cheek gently and spoke in a soft tone. "Sorry, Tsuna. I didn't mean to snap at you like that." He ran his other hand hand through his hair, trying to look normal even though there were some people that were starting to stare at them. "It's just that I kept getting pestered by so many people all day long so I accidently thought that you were one of them. Sorry again. Can you forgive me?"
Tsuna blinked his eyes, pushing back those tears that had been forming and then shook his head. "I-Its okay. I f-forgive you."
The teen sighed in relief, glad that this hadn't become a problem. It was right after that that he noticed that there was something in Tsuna's hands. Blinking at the sight, he took a closer look. It was a large box, wrapped in orange-colored paper with a single white ribbon that went around it. The package itself was a little too big for Tsuna to carry in one hand and seemed to be struggling to hold it up because of its size. But it was obvious that it was meant for him even though there was no name tag on it. It was his birthday, after all, but he had to ask nonetheless. "And what's this?"
Slowly, the brunet lifted the box up, holding it out to Reborn. He was biting his bottom lip and stared down at his feet, shifting them to pull his attention away. Tsuna looked all nervous and scared again and not only that, there were more stares in their direction. People were wondering if the teen was really going to take the present. "Um…" Tsuna whispered, it was a little hard to hear over the music but Reborn could just fine. "This is for you, Reborn. I…um…I hope you like it."
The black-haired teen raised an eyebrow and unhurriedly reached out to take the box out of the hands before shaking it lightly. Hearing something being tossed around inside but unable to make it out, he gave a slight smirk as he glanced to the other. "Can I have a clue on what's inside?"
Tsuna instantly shook his head, shaking his caramel-colored hair, and gave a pout. "I can't tell you that. If I did then it wouldn't be a surprise." He gave a bright smile, looking extremely happy that Reborn was willing to take his present. He had been so scared since the teen had been shooing everyone off and giving them glares. For a moment, Tsuna had actually wanted to put his into the pile with the others but decided against it for some odd reason. He twitched his fingers, putting his forefingers together and hunch downward. "But um… Well, it's a little weird I think but I thought it would suit you. Mom and Dad didn't like it at all and wouldn't allow me to get it but I did. I thought it was perfect for you. So I… So I hope you like it."
The two were well aware of the stares they were getting, to the point that it was uncomfortable. All the talking that had been going around had stopped to watch.
"Is that so…" Reborn peered at the box a little longer before sighing. "Okay, you win, you've caught my interest. I want to know what it is." The teen huffed, glancing around the room. He knew quite well that he couldn't open it here. It would immediately start a chain reaction of everyone else wanting to get theirs open next and that was something he'd very much like to avoid at all costs. He could just imagine the horror that would happen. And he knew very well that it had taken a lot of guts on Tsuna's part to actually come up to him. The brunet's fear of people hadn't really changed very much over the year, though, it had dulled a little once Tsuna had gotten used to Reborn's friends. Still Tsuna wasn't very comfortable about this (Reborn was actually certain that the brunet would be hiding upstairs, far away, for the whole night).
Quickly thinking, Reborn dragged Tsuna up the stairs, moving the board back behind him to prevent anyone from following, and went towards the child's room. He closed the door and locked it just in case since he knew that there might be a few idiots that would try and follow (his ex-girlfriends for example). Tsuna was right next to Reborn, watching curiously, blinking those overly large eyes in question. Chuckling at the sight, the teen wandered over to the bed with the present in hand and settled down on top of the sheets. Patting the spot next to him, he motioned that he wanted Tsuna next to him, which the child followed and crawled onto his bed to sit.
"Alright, now to open it…" Mumbling to himself, Reborn stared at the present a little longer before untying the ribbon. Not sure on where to put it, he decided to tie it around Tsuna's right hand as a bow. He chuckled at the expression he got from the brunet, who waved his hand slightly in surprise. Reborn quickly went back to the box and tore through the paper, pulling everything off, leaving a bare brown box alone. Carefully opening the cover, he reached inside to grab whatever item that was there and pulled it out.
His eyes stared at the object.
It was a hat.
No, a fedora that was colored black with a yellow ribbon wrapped around it.
Reborn blinked at it, tilting it around to get a better look.
"Put it on, Reborn. If you… If you don't…l-like it, Mom and Dad said that they can take it back…" Tsuna swung his feet, looking a little sad yet hopeful at the same time.
Reborn didn't listen to the whole sentence and automatically placed it onto his head. Getting up, he went straight to a large mirror that was hanging in Tsuna's room and straightened the fedora. He grinned at his reflection. "Hey, I look pretty good with this." Pulling one end of the fedora downward to the side, he noticed that it added more character to him and it just so happened that he was wearing a black jacket and pants with a plain white t-shirt underneath. The fedora matched perfectly. Not only that, he liked the way the hat would shade his eyes, making him look stylish (and dangerous). Reborn rotated back to Tsuna with a soft smile and went closer, speaking in a kind tone. "I love it. Thank you." He wrapped his arms around the child, holding him closely. Tsuna returned it with a proud grin.
As Reborn held him, he rubbed the caramel-colored hair playfully, earning a pout from the brunet. He laughed at the expression, rubbing harder.
"S-So, it's okay, right?" Tsuna peered up as he buried his body into Reborn's.
"Okay? It's perfect. This is the best present out of all of them. Not only that but it's also from you."
This made Tsuna tilt his head in confusion. "Huh? But you haven't even opened the ones downstairs yet? And there are a lot of them, I saw. It was really amazing to see those huge piles!"
Reborn chuckled, pulling back slightly. "I don't have to open the others to know. I've already declared that yours is the best so it is. Nothing else will ever come close to it." He squished Tsuna back into his chest, tempted to fall back onto the bed, but decided against it. "I'll keep it with me always, alright? So thank you."
Tsuna smiled at that and buried deeper into the warmth. He felt really happy with that. Reborn chuckled at the reaction and glanced around the room and finally settled onto the clock, it was 7:22 right now. He knew that at any moment they were going to bring out the cake and start singing that blasted birthday song to him. And right after that, he was going to have to open all those damn presents that would definitely take hours to get through. Like hell Reborn was going to go through that. No, he was going to disappear before that happened.
His eyes drifted again and went to the calendar that was hanging on the wall. He noticed that today was circled in red with the words 'Reborn's B-day' messily written in it. Smiling at the sight, he moved to the next circle that was in blue that was on the fourteenth. He had to squint his eyes a little to see what was written on it but it was harder since the handwriting was pretty bad.
"Tsuna's B-day."
Suddenly, Reborn froze at that and snapped his head down. "You're birthday is tomorrow? Damn, I must have forgotten with everything that's been going on!" He wanted to bang his head against the wall for forgetting something like that. Tsuna blinked his large eyes and then nodded very slowly. He gave a somewhat gloomy expression and clung tighter to Reborn's jacket.
"Yeah…I'll be eight tomorrow." Tsuna smiled sadly. "But…Mom and Dad, I don't think they remember… I don't think anyone remembers…" He suddenly stared downward at his own legs.
'Everyone must have been trying to prepare for mine that his was overshadowed by mistake even I managed to forget it…' Reborn hummed to himself, trying to think of something. He had to make it up for Tsuna, though he hated his birthday, he didn't want Tsuna to do so too. For the moment, he allowed Tsuna to hold him as he thought and finally, it came to him. Reaching behind to his pockets, he pulled out his wallet, checking it, and then nodded to himself. 'Yes, this will work.' The teen turned his eyes to the child after pulling away. "Alright, Tsuna, we're going to make our escape."
"Escape?"
"Yeah, we're getting out of here to go and celebrate yours and my…birthday…" Reborn tried not to grimace as he mentioned that said word. "…together all night and then you can stay over at my place for the night. I believe there are some clothes there for you since some got left behind a couple of times by mistake so there shouldn't be a problem."
The brunet's face instantly lighted up like a Christmas tree. "R-Really? Really, Reborn?"
"Yeah but first we need to get out of here." The older one stood up, detaching himself from the other, and went straight to the window, pulling it open. A breeze came in, tossing the curtains that were at the side wildly. He turned around, the wind scattering his loose hair, and the curls on the side of his face were twirling. A smile appeared on his face and outstretched a hand towards Tsuna. "Come on, let's go."
Staring at the fingers, the brunet slowly got up, staggering towards the other to grasp the hand. He felt himself getting yanked forward and crashing into Reborn's waist since he was so short.
"Alright, listen, I have a plan. We're going to go through this window and jump over the fence in an area where there aren't many people." Reborn nodded to himself, finding this plan as the only one that would work. He couldn't risk going back down the stairs and getting caught up in something and if they were seen trying to escape, there was no doubt in his mind that people were going to come after them. Glancing to the side, he saw a couple of pieces of paper and a few pens and pencils scattered around on the desk. Taking a sheet and utensil, he wrote a message on it and left it on the table where he was certain a person would be able to see it clearly when they came (broke) in. Reborn peered down at Tsuna, who was watching him curiously the entire time. The teen knew that he'd better explain what he was doing to make sure that later on Tsuna wouldn't suddenly start panicking about something. "Tsuna, I'm going to leave a note here. It'll tell whoever finds it that we're going out, okay. That way no one will panic when they find out we're gone."
Tsuna nodded at that and then glanced out the second-story window, swallowing fearfully. "Are we…really going to jump out my window?"
"Yeah but don't worry, I'll be carrying you." Reborn kneeled down and turned the opposite direction. "Get on my back and hang on tightly. I'll be needing both of my arms to get us down."
Muttering a quiet 'okay', Tsuna wrapped his arms around Reborn's neck, making sure not to squeeze too tightly, and was lifted up with ease. Burying his face into the flesh, he able to smell the strong scent from Reborn's hair and skin and closed his eyes at it for a second, enjoying it. It was a pleasant smell but he couldn't put his finger on it. Meanwhile, Reborn shifted the child on his back a little and carefully crawled out the window. Luckily for him, there was a tree right there to the side and jumped onto one of the branches, using the twigs as support to make his way down.
He took a glance back at Tsuna. "You alright back there?"
"Y-Yeah."
"You're not scared, are you?"
Tsuna shook his head wildly and because of that, the older one had to suppress a shiver as the hair tickled against his neck. "N-No…" Truthfully, the brunet had his eyes closed shut tightly, scared of looking down, he never did like heights.
Reborn chuckled, jumping down to the next branch. "You don't need to lie when you're with me. I won't make fun of you."
Blushing, the brunet tightened his grip. "W-Well… A-A little…"
"There we go." The black-haired teen jumped one last time to get to the ground. His feet left a print on the grass and ducked slightly to hide from the windows. Motioning Tsuna to get off, he somewhat dragged the brunet over to the stone wall. Luckily for them, they were in an area that didn't have a single person around though they could still hear the voices and music. All the noise was covering up any they were making, which was definitely working to their advantage. Glancing around, Reborn spotted Nana in the kitchen, cooking something but her back was turned on the two, working on something on the table. There was no one else in sight since that was the only window in the area. As they came up to the fence, they hid into the bushes and trees to cover them up just in case someone decided to come around the corner. But due to the darkness that was already settling into the area, the two easily blended in and disappeared. Reborn tapped the wall with his knuckles. "Alright now to get over this… Hmm…" He rubbed the bottom of his chin, trying to think when an idea came to him. Spinning to Tsuna, he picked the child up, who made a loud squeak in response, startled. "Sorry, Tsuna, but you'll have to go first. I'll need you to sit at the top and remain there until I get over, alright?"
The brunet nodded and did as he was told as he was pushed up. He managed, with a lot of help, to sit at the top of the wall, swinging his feet back and forth as he waited for the other to move. But he didn't have to wait long. All Reborn did was jump up onto the fence and then down with such ease that it left Tsuna amazed with his mouth hanging wide open in surprise and shock. He couldn't help but clap, thinking about how cool Reborn is, and got a smirk from the teen in return.
Positioning his body, the black-haired teen gazed upward with his arms outstretched. "Okay, Tsuna, I need you to jump off."
"W-What?" The child quickly panicked at those words, not liking the idea.
"Don't worry, I'll catch you. Now jump off before someone sees you."
Tsuna trembled for a few seconds before complying, pushing himself off the ledge. He closed his eyes shut, still afraid, but once he landed into a pair of warm arms that immediately wrapped around his tiny body, that fear went away. He was pressed up against Reborn and blinked happily, glad that everything had turned out alright.
"See, that wasn't too hard." The teen commented, putting the brunet on the ground. He rustled the hair gently for a second before pulling back. "Now, we better get going before someone finds out that we're gone." Grabbing Tsuna's hand, he went off in one direction in the streets, trying to get away as far as possible from the house. It wouldn't be good if they did so too soon after all. The noise coming from the party was getting fainter and fainter at each step until it was nearly impossible to hear it. The street lights were on, revealing the dark roads, and were buzzing with numerous types of bugs that fluttered around it. "Hey, Tsuna, have you eaten yet?"
At once, the brunet shook his head.
Reborn gave a look of shock, spinning his head towards Tsuna's direction. "Really? Even with all that food on the table?"
"I…couldn't reach…" Tsuna blushed and hid his face from Reborn by looking to the opposite side. It was true, the tables had been so high up to the point that he couldn't even see what was on it. And he had asked for help but no one paid any attention to him (that and he was scared of most of them), not even his own father, who was getting drunk across the room, came to help him. His mother was already a no-no since she was busy running back and forth from the kitchen constantly. Although, he did managed to get something to drink once and that was only because of Fon, who happened to see Tsuna's frustration and leaned a hand. But sadly, the Chinese couldn't stay around for very long before getting dragged off by someone into the crowd, disappearing into it. And the entire time, Tsuna hadn't once seen his older brother, Giotto. The blond seemed to have vanished somewhere, either in his room or in a safe corner, away from everyone else. When Tsuna looked back, he grumbled, his lips in a pout. "No one wanted to help me except for Fon, he was nice enough to get me something to drink."
"Oh?" Reborn kept that in mind as he plotted his friends' deaths. By then, the noise from the party had disappeared completely. "Then I guess we better get something to eat before heading to the movies."
"Movies?" The brunet perked up at that, he had never been there before.
"Yeah, it's one of the few places we can hide out without anyone finding us." The teen placed his free hand into his pocket while the other hand tightened its grasp on those small fingers. Luckily for him, Tsuna was tall enough that he didn't have to bend down to hold his hand. "And then right after that, we can go search for ice cream. I'm pretty sure that most of the stores are closed by the time we come out of the movie but I think those twenty-four hour ones will have a decent supply to get something."
Tsuna smiled, showing his teeth. "Really? Ice cream?"
"Yeah and then we'll head back to my apartment and stay there. Hopefully, it'll be late enough so that no one will come looking for us." Reborn smirked, getting his plan straightened up in his mind. This will teach those bastards of ever throwing a party for him, ah, the best revenge (at the moment, he had plenty to go through after all). And not only that, he was even able to get away from all his ex-girlfriends, the annoyances. This wasn't so bad.
The two continued the nearly empty path since it was starting to get late in the night, almost reaching eight now. Not that he cared. Their shadows stretched across the ground from the moonlight and the lamps, their shoes clicking on the concrete. Reborn had to admit that today was a nice day out, even the air was perfect. Tsuna remained quiet for a bit, shifting closer to the other while looking all around the area. He felt a slight tug in his chest and the brunet knew why. He was scared of the dark, almost horrified…but as long as Reborn was with him, he knew that he'll safe, no matter what.
Reborn tilted his head. "So what should we eat tonight?" His eyes glanced to Tsuna, who was staring upward to return the gaze. "Is there anything you'd like to try?"
"Um… Ah… There is something…" The brunet bit his bottom lip uncertainly.
"Yes, what is it?"
"Umm… Well, not long ago Dad mentioned that he had s-susha? Or was it suchi?" Tsuna pouted, trying to remember the word but he couldn't seem to get it correctly.
"Sushi?" The teen offered, chuckling at the frustrated yet adorable expression that was on Tsuna's face.
"Yes, sushi! That's it. Dad said over dinner that he had it for lunch with some friends. But what is sushi? Is it good?" Tsuna peered at the older one, curiosity written all over his face. He wanted to know.
"Yes, it's good but I'm not sure if you'll like it." Patting Tsuna on the head again, he smiled. "We can share and if you don't like it, we can order something else for you." Reborn pulled the other towards the direction of the closest sushi restaurant called Yamamoto's Sushi. It was well known in the area, being as one of the best, and it was almost the least expensive one too, which Reborn was glad for. Entering the building, he noticed that there were only a few people here probably because it was so late in the night. Avoiding those people, they went up to a table and settled into some seats, waiting to get served. Immediately, Reborn looked at the menu, wondering on what to have, seeing as Tsuna wouldn't know what to choice at all. He quickly picked out two dishes, one that was sushi and the other not just in case the child couldn't eat it the first one. Meanwhile, Tsuna's eyes wandered the place, curious about it, and then snapped his head towards an older looking man that came by their table.
"Hello, welcome to Yamamoto's Sushi restaurant. Would you like something to drink?" A name tag was pinned onto the man's shirt, reading Tusyoshi. Reborn glanced up and took off his fedora, placing it neatly on the table.
"Yes, some water for both and we're actually ready to order as well."
Tsuna watched the teen order, speaking to the man with such ease. He heard something about sushi and then the last order, which he recognized as shrimp tempura (Nana loved to make this for him sometimes). When the waiter finished writing down everything, he offered Tsuna a bright smile before wandering off, heading behind the counter to get the food ready.
"Reborn…" Tsuna whispered, catching the teen's attention. "What's going to happen when they find out we're missing?"
"I have a…very good idea on what will happen. I think it'll be safe to say that I won't be coming over to your place for a while. I can handle Iemitsu easily but Nana is another thing (even now he still refused to call the two parents anything else but their proper names much to their insistence)." Reborn sighed, folding his arms, and toyed with his fedora, fingering the rim of it. Yes, he'd have to avoid the woman like a plague for a couple of days until this whole thing cooled off. Most likely he'll have to distract her with something. What that something was? He wasn't entirely sure yet. Picking the fedora up higher, he twirled it on his fingers before slapping it onto Tsuna's head.
A loud squeak came from the other in shock with his hands reaching up to touch the hat, which was obviously too large to fit on the child's head and came down to cover his entire face from the nose up. Reborn laughed at the sight, pushing the hat further down in amusement, watching Tsuna struggle to see.
"Here you go." The waiter suddenly came back, holding two glass cups of water and placed them onto the table with two sharp clicks with straws. He looked between the two with a smile on his lips and went away, leaving the pair alone. Finally, Tsuna managed to pluck the fedora off, taking a deep breath seeing as he couldn't exactly breath properly before. His hair, on the other hand, was all messed up with some of the strands sticking into the air. He shook his head to get them back into order and blinked his overly large eyes, pouting.
"Reborn…" Tsuna grumbled and playfully tossed the fedora back, which Reborn caught with ease and placed onto the table with a laugh. "Meanie…"
"You're just too much fun to mess with." Reborn grinned, leaning onto the table with his elbows. He opened his straw, getting rid of the paper wrapping, and chucked it into his drink. Tsuna tried to do the same but when he tried to throw it into his drink, he missed. Chuckling again, Reborn helped out by nudging the glass closer to the brunet while keeping a watchful eye to make sure that it wouldn't tip over and spill. Tsuna just sipped through the clear straw, swinging his feet back and forth in the chair.
It didn't take long for their food to come out since they were basically the only ones that were ordering. Everyone else that was in the room had already gotten theirs and was actually starting to finish up or were paying. Reborn didn't care much about anyone else except for the food that was in front of him and Tsuna. The shrimp tempura was obviously what it was and it looked exactly like the kind that Nana would make at home. But the sushi was something entirely new. It was a Sashimi Roll which was a mixture of tuna, salmon, yellowtail, and escalor wrapped separately in rice paper. Tsuna stared at the colorful pieces, wondering on which one try. Some looked really good in his opinion but there were a couple that he couldn't help but stare at in wonder, not sure if he wanted to try it. Smiling softly at the expression, Reborn took out the chopsticks that were on the table and scooted a couple, most of the tuna and salmon, towards the brunet for him to try.
The two ate mostly in peace, though, every once in a while, the teen had to help Tsuna out and prevent him from making a mess. It was adorable to watch the child nevertheless.
Tsuna instantly liked sushi very much, however, when he had tried the yellowtail and escalor, he made a face at the taste. He smacked his lips, slowly chewing the piece, eyes glancing all around. Reborn laughed at it, rising up a hand to cover his mouth, and turned to the side slightly. He reached for his water, taking a sip (without the straw) to cover his voice, before taking all those that Tsuna disliked onto his plate.
About halfway through the meal, a sound caught their ears. It was loud and ringing terribly. Reborn glanced down into his pocket where he could feel his phone vibrating.
"I believe they just found out that we're gone." Reborn muttered, taking the device out.
Tsuna held tightly to his glass, feeling the coldness sink into his fingertips. "Are they…going to come after us now? Do we have…to go back?"
"Nope." The teen stared at the flashing cover where he could see some numbers. He recognized it as Iemitsu and smirked. With one movement, he clicked the end button, cutting off the call. "See, too easy. But did they really think I'd answer after pulling such a stunt?"
Tsuna just tilted his head not sure if he was supposed to answer that.
Messing with the phone a little longer, Reborn turned it off. He was certain that it was going to be ringing all night long and he'd rather not let something like that disturb his time with Tsuna. When he glanced back up, he noticed that the brunet was still staring at him and gave a smirk. The teen dangled the phone before putting it away. "And now they can't disturb us for the rest of the night. It's just you and me now."
"So that means I'll be with you, right?"
"Yep." Reborn's smirk suddenly grew darker but Tsuna had by then turned his attention back to his dinner. "But I'd like to see them try and find us and then bring us back. I'd very much like to see them try."
The child could only stare when he heard Reborn, not sure on how to respond to that either.
It didn't take long for them to finish both plates and get their bill, which was placed at the side with a click. Watching with curious eyes, Tsuna stared at the sheet of paper that was inside a tray. He was curious what those numbers meant but didn't bother asking as he took a sip of his water, holding the glass cup with two hands. Instantly, the teen took out a couple of bills once he was certain that everything was done and placed them on the table, combining both the payment and tip into one.
"Done?" Reborn asked, pushing his glass away. He had his legs folded underneath the table and was leaning back into his seat.
Tsuna nodded his head, blinking his large eyes.
"Good, then, let's go. Is there any movie you'd like to see?" Reborn spoke as he reached for his fedora, putting it back onto his head. He took Tsuna's hand again and led the brunet outside, opening the sliding door for him but not before waving goodbye to the waiter. They were back out on the street once more and even less people were outside now. The street lights were getting brighter and the buzzing sound was getting louder. More bugs were flying around it, drawn by the light. Nonetheless, it told the two something. That it was starting to get late. As Reborn lead them, the brunet tilted his head, trying to think of something he wanted to see. But nothing came to his mind.
"I don't know." Tsuna finally said, scrunching up his face, and then tightened his grip. "I really don't. Is there anything interesting?"
"Hmmm… Not sure, we'll just have to check the theater when we get there."
Nodding his head in agreement, Tsuna shifted closer so that they were now touching. The black-haired teen glanced down at that but didn't say anything and continued on. When they arrived at the cinema, Reborn took notice of the crowd that was already at the front. There were a lot of couples in line and he recognized a few from his school. Not want to be recognized by them, he pulled his fedora further downward, covering his face. A few people did glance over at their direction but that was about it and Reborn was alright with that. He just didn't want someone to identify him and go blabbing about it to someone else. That could very well cause a chain reaction that could lead to Iemitsu and Nana finding out where they were at and that was something he didn't want to happen.
The line was long and it took them a while to start moving to the front. The more they went forward, the more people that were now standing behind and it seemed to be getting longer at each passing second. There was only one thing that came to Reborn's mind when he noticed this. 'Guess something new must have come out tonight.'
Suddenly, the teen felt a tug at his pants and glanced down. Tsuna was looking nervous all over again, he really did dread people especially crowds. "R-Reborn…"
"It's alright." Reborn reassured, patting the child gently. "No one here is going to hurt you and I'm definitely not letting you leave my side either."
Tsuna blinked at that and then nodded. "O-Okay… Thanks, Reborn."
"No problem and anyway, you're my responsibility at this moment." The teen smirked. 'Though I do have to wonder if they (Tsuna's parents) will ever let me take him out ever again after this… Well, even if they say no, I doubt they can stop me.' Reborn chuckled at his thoughts.
His eyes gazed up to the clock that was on the screen with the show times.
'9:36…' Glancing over the shows, Reborn tried to find anything appropriate for a child. He glanced down at Tsuna once more, who continued to cling to his leg instead of his hand and tried to hide behind him from all the eyes. A couple of people were cooing at the brunet since he was adorable, but it only made Tsuna edge further away in fear.
The black-haired teen shook his head and went back to the movies. Many of them were rated R so that cut down several that were on the list and finally decided on something PG for Tsuna's sake (It wasn't something he'd watch but he could deal with it). Reborn didn't want the brunet to freak out on him during the movie and like hell he was going to take him to a horror one. Then he'll be dealing with the nightmares tonight all night long. And that was something he'd very much liked to avoid. He's seen Tsuna have one of those panic attacks before because he got scared and it wasn't funny.
When they got to the front, Reborn paid and grabbed the tickets, pocketing them instantly. However, the movie didn't start until ten leaving them a while to wander until then. Spotting a place not too far away, he took Tsuna to sit on a bench since he wasn't quite ready on going inside just yet. It was a nice night out after all and the moon was wonderful tonight, even Reborn had to admit that.
Tsuna swung his legs back and forth and then glanced up at the other. "Oh…that's right, I never did wish you a happy birthday. I feel really bad for forgetting."
Reborn raised an eyebrow at that.
"So um…" The brunet smiled. "Happy birthday! You're now one year older! Isn't that great!"
The black-haired teen stared for a few seconds and then started laughing. Tsuna remained where he was at, thoroughly confused on what was happening. Why would Reborn laugh? Tsuna didn't get it. Suddenly, the teen leaned over and wrapped an arm around the other's shoulder, forcing him closer. A loud squawk came from Tsuna.
"Thanks." Reborn smiled. "You know, I don't really mind hearing it from you that much. However, when someone else says it, I can't help but feel pissed off."
Tsuna tilted his head, still swinging his legs even though he was leaning against the other. "Really? Why's that?"
"I'm not entirely sure myself but I know one thing, I've never been a fan of large gatherings. You could say it that it annoys me just as much as when people say happy birthday to me. I hate it. That and I also don't really like it when people send things to me. It's just a pain. I get all sorts of things and it makes me feel like I'm obligated to give something back so I return their gifts." Reborn sighed, leaning further back against the bench, folding his arms once he unhooked it from Tsuna's shoulder.
"Then what about my…gift?"
"I don't mind it. Maybe because…" The teen stared down at the other, whose eyes were shining with curiosity. "Maybe because you're different than everyone else, yeah, that's right. You are. You don't act like anyone else and I think that's the reason why I like you so much, the reason why I don't mind you at all and why I'm still here with you."
Tsuna scrunched up his nose, not getting it.
Reborn just chuckled at the expression and rustled the messy hair once more. "It's okay if you don't get it now but you will one day. I just hope that when you get a little older that you'll never change from who you are right now. I happen to like you like this but even I know it won't last forever. People change as they get older, it happens all the time."
The brunet pouted and reached up, grasping Reborn's hands. "Then you'll have to stay with me to make sure that I don't change too much, right? You'll remain by my side, right?"
The teen paused at that, surprised by the response before nodding his head. "Yeah… Yeah, I will."
With that, Tsuna smiled brightly, clasping his hands together. It was at that moment that Reborn realized that they had about five minutes before their show started. Whispering a curse, which he made low enough so that Tsuna wouldn't hear it, he picked himself up with the brunet following and headed towards the theater. They could always continue their little talk later, right now, they had to go and get to their seats before the crowd took all the best ones.
Reborn yawned, covering his mouth with his hand. He was starting to get sleepy and with one glance, he could tell that Tsuna was just barely keeping his eyes open. It was obviously late by the time they had gotten out of the movie theater. Though Reborn could still remember what had happened during it.
Halfway through the show, Tsuna had slid to the side against Reborn's shoulder and fell promptly asleep. Though the teen was slightly startled at the sudden weight, he didn't mind it and just pushed the brunet closer to his body, continuing to watch the movie that was still going on. He didn't even care when Tsuna, for a moment, rubbed his head closer to his warmth.
The fedora had to be taken off during the movie and instead of keeping it in his lap like he had before he placed it on top of Tsuna's head. This helped block out some of the light from the screen but a small mutter of confusion came from the child in response to the extra weight for a few seconds before it stopped. Reborn had laughed quietly at the reaction before turning back to the movie.
Back outside the theater, Reborn stretched and gazed around the place. 'Looks like its time to start heading back home.' He paused when he remembered something. 'Oh, that's right, the ice-cream…' Reborn had promised to get the ice-cream for Tsuna though they might not be able to eat it tonight… (Or was it morning of today instead… No, not yet) but he knew they could do so later. Reborn glanced down at the child that was walking beside him once more and shook his head at the adorable expression, tempted to reach down and rub the hair.
'Okay, first the ice-cream.' Reborn thought to himself as he entered a nearby convenience store. He noticed instantly that the moment they stepped in the clerk at the front with the cash register snapped his head up to stare at them, determining if they were dangerous or not, before going back to flipping his magazine. Reborn huffed at the response, he may look dangerous but as long as Tsuna was at his side that went immediately away. Heading straight over to the ice-cream section, he stared at the items, thinking of which one might be best.
Reborn peered down at Tsuna, trying to remember what flavors the child usually had when they were eating together. 'Ah, that's right. He loves the cookie dough ones. Hmm…and there was also something else… Let's see… Oh, yes, cookies and cream.' The teen glanced down at the items, looking at each one until he found what he wanted. Picking out a couple of each and some for himself, he held all of it in one hand with some trouble and wandered over to the front to pay.
Tsuna dangled at his side, barely conscious, and was just following along in a daze. He would rub his eyes cutely every once in a while and yawn then rub his eyes again when tears appeared in them. Leaning over, he tiredly grabbed onto Reborn's leg, hugging it closely, and used it as a hold to keep him standing and from tipping over.
The cashier glanced between them curiously before doing his job, saying the total of the items.
Quickly paying, the two went outside and Reborn instantly placed the bag onto the ground.
Tsuna blinked his bleary eyes at that, glancing with half-closed eyes at the bag. "Reborn…" He yawned right after that and rubbed his eyes once more. "Wh…ere are we go…ing… now?"
"Back to my apartment." Reborn got onto his knees and turned around, twisting his head back slightly so he could still see the brunet behind. "Tsuna, I need you to get onto my back."
"Why…?" The brunet tilted his head and blinked his eyes twice but at the second one, it took him a little bit longer to open them up. He wobbled to the side for a second before catching himself. Reborn chuckled at that.
"That's why, idiot. Now get on before you fall asleep standing."
Tsuna still didn't get it, his mind clouded with sleep, but tried to think nonetheless. In the end, he shrugged his shoulders with his lips poking out and yawned again. He leaned over and wrapped his arms around Reborn's neck, rubbing his face into the skin for warmth.
Reborn shivered at the touch, not really used to such contact. No one has ever touched him like that before, not even his ex-girlfriends. 'Can't be helped though… Now if only he wasn't so cute…'
Lifting the child up onto his back, he reached down with one hand to grab the plastic bag while the other hand, held one of Tsuna's legs up. He maneuvered a little more and managed to get both legs. It was a lot easier this way since he knew it was going to happen eventually with the rate Tsuna was falling asleep. It wasn't long after that he realized that it was getting close to twelve but luckily for him, his apartment was close by.
"Reborn…" A mutter came from behind and then a sigh.
Stopping his movements for a moment in surprise, he waited for Tsuna to continue but all he got was a small rubbing of the brunet's head against his skin.
'Ah…I guess Tsuna fell asleep. He must be really tired if he went out like that.' Reborn took a moment to glance back at his little buddle and indeed, the brunet was fast asleep, eyes closed shut. He laughed quietly for a second before turning back to the street. His eyes kept watch of the area, looking for anything. It was a Friday night and there were all sorts of things and people that wondered these late nights. His ears did pick up a couple of noises down the streets he passed by but he didn't pay much attention to it and continued on. There was no way in hell he was going to put Tsuna in any danger just to see what was going on. 'The Sawadas are already after me because I took Tsuna, can't imagine what would happen if they saw him hurt.'
Slowly, his apartment building came into sight and he sighed in relief. Making his way to the front door, they slid open, welcoming him to the front desk where someone was stationed to keep watch. The man that was there glanced up at his arrival, questions running in his eyes at the sight, before giving a nod when he recognized Reborn though he still stared at the teen for a moment longer at the extra load.
"Ah, Mr. Reborn, back so early tonight?"
"Yeah. I'm taking care of this little kid for today and tomorrow. It's his birthday tomorrow, or in a few minutes, so I decided to spend the whole night with him and then the morning before sending him back home." Reborn motioned to the little one on his back. As for what the guard had said earlier, normally he would come back a lot later in the nights because of his dates.
"Ah, that's so kind of you. But what about you? I've heard that today is your birthday, correct?" The security guard asked, standing up from his seat.
"Please don't mention that and as usual, if anyone comes looking for me, please send them off. I don't care who they are. It could be the kid's parents for all I care." Reborn sighed, making his way to the elevator. "But if they are persistent enough, you can ring me up and ask."
The guard made a face at that. "Did something happen?"
"Something like that."
"I see." The man helped by pressing the up button for Reborn and waited for a few moments until the metal doors opened up. Stepping in, the teen adjusted the weight on his back once more, making sure that he wouldn't drop Tsuna anytime soon. But as he did that, he accidently dropped the bag of ice-cream to the ground. Instantly, the guard helped out by reaching down to pick it up. Reborn gave a nod as thanks and placed a firmer grip onto the handle of the bag.
'Ahhh… What a pain… But…' The black eyes peered back at the sleeping face with a smile. 'It's not so bad…'
Meanwhile, the guard stepped inside for a second, long enough to press the button for the floor number and leave.
"Well then, have a nice night, Mr. Reborn."
"Will do, thank you."
As the metal doors began to close, Reborn saw the guard walking towards the front door, probably going to lock it to prevent people from coming in so freely. The elevator made a loud sound and began going up.
Tsuna remained buried into the crook of Reborn's neck, fast asleep, with his hold on the teen's shoulders limp.
'What a day… But still, it was worth it.' When the black-haired teen heard the dinging sound of the elevator opening, he stepped out, and headed straight to the right to a door that was at the end of the hallway. He struggled slightly to get his keys out from his pockets and open the door while holding Tsuna and the bag of ice cream the whole time. When he did, he used his foot to push the frame open the remaining way. The keys were instantly thrown onto a table and he had to use the back of his foot to close the door. At the moment, he didn't bother locking it, he'd have to get back to that later.
But first things first…
He needed to put Tsuna down and put the soon-to-be melting ice-cream into the freezer. Placing the bag onto the counter inside the kitchen, he strolled over to his bedroom that was just past the living room. Reborn did the same thing to the door and peered over the area, checking it, and when he deemed it safe (Why? He'll never tell), Tsuna was placed gently onto his bed. The child mumbled about something under his breath and nuzzled into the sheets, his head on the pillow. The teen, on the other hand, chuckled at the sight, reaching down to rub the spiky hair affectionately.
His eyes glanced at the clock, it was ten to twelve.
Just a few more minutes…
He smirked and went off, getting ready for bed but not before making sure the front door was locked. Every now and then, he'd hear a mumble from the bundle on his bed and some movement when he passed by but he didn't pay much attention to it.
Reborn did, however, check his cell phone and found out that he had a total of two hundred over messages. Why over? Because his message box was full, the last one had come in at 9:57 and he was pretty certain that there was more after that. He scroll down and spotted a couple from his friends and a handful from Iemitsu. He chuckled at some of the messages, just glancing at them.
There were so many threatening words written in it that it was actually making him snicker louder at the sight. Still, he just couldn't imagine what would happen tomorrow when he went outside…
'Ah, this will be fun.' Reborn thought with a grimace. He then looked at the phone calls and saw that there were quite a number of them, and the same number of voice mail left behind too. Instantly, he deleted all the messages. It was obvious what they were about. Without caring anymore, he placed his phone on the kitchen counter next to the refrigerator where he had stored the ice-cream into and headed back to the bedroom. Feeling himself getting sleepy, the bed looked really welcoming and shifted into the covers, moving Tsuna more to the side so he could get in. He ran his hand through the caramel-colored locks, pushing them aside to get a better look at Tsuna's face, and glanced towards the clock that was on his bedside.
It was twelve.
"Happy, eighth birthday, Sawada Tsunayoshi."
There was a rustle from the child and tired honey-colored eyes fluttered open. They stared into Reborn's dark orbs before smiling softly.
The older one blinked his eyes for a moment, not expecting the other to wake up, and stared. But that moment passed and he lay down onto the bed, getting underneath the covers since the room was cold.
Tsuna smiled tenderly, shifting closer and rubbed his face into the teen's chest. His small fingers clung onto the clothes, waiting for Reborn to wrap his arms around his body and when the teen did, he closed his eyes once more.
"Thanks…Reborn."
I struggled with this…Really hard…
I got to 6,000 and was like 'Oh shit, I still have almost 4,000 left. Damnit…'
Well, I hope you've enjoyed this.