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The Great Ruckus

The enemies of the Vongola decide to fight back, and the death of Nono's two sons is only the beginning.

Caught in the emerging mafia war Tsuna's best hope for survival is the freelance hitman Reborn, but at what cost? [Fem!Tsuna][Adult!Reborn][AU]

Chapter Two: Mouse and Cat

A hand on her shoulder woke Tsuna up. "We're staying here for the night. Wait here while I go get us a room." Blinking, Tsuna gave a nod, stretching the best she could within the car to wake up. Reborn seemed satisfied, leaving the car to idle while he went inside.

Looking out the window, Tsuna had no idea where they were. The sky was still dark, and the only lights she could see were streetlights. It was either really late or really early. The dashboard lacked a clock, so she couldn't know the exact time. Reaching down by her feet for her bag she opened up a side compartment and pulled out a snack bar.

She'd finished her snack and put the wrapper back in her bag when Reborn returned a few minutes later, key cards in hand. "Here." Tsuna took the proffered key. Turning it over in her hands, she noted the room number, 406.

Once the car was parked, the two entered the hotel. Neither said anything as they waited for the elevator and walked down the hall to their room. Sliding the card into the slot, Tsuna opened the door and let them in.

It was an average room with two queen beds, a tv, desk, and mini fridge.

"Sleep. We'll talk in the morning," Reborn said as he walked past her and sat on the edge of the nearest bed. According to the alarm clock on the stand next to the bed it was getting close to midnight. Tsuna just nodded with a yawn. Looks like she'd be taking the bed near the window.

Setting her bag down on her bed, she pulled out a pair of dark flannel pants and a shirt made of slick athletic material. She was glad she'd thought to throw her pajamas in. Reborn already had his hat, suit coat and tie off. He was in the process of untying his shoes as she entered the small bathroom and shut the door.

After relieving herself, Tsuna used one of the provided wash clothes to clean the makeup off her face. Contacts were placed in a container she kept in her pocket, and she brushed her teeth. Deciding it might help her relax, she hopped in the shower. The hot water helped to soothe her muscles that were stiff from napping in the car. Working out a kink in her neck, she watched some of the black dye from her hair swirl around the bottom of the tub with the water. She'd need to look into getting a better dye job done soon.

By the time she exited the bathroom Reborn had turned off the main light and gone to bed, leaving the lamp closest to her bed on. The dim glow was much easier on her eyes. She put her new clothes, neatly folded, on the chair by the desk, her shoes underneath. Rearranging the pillows into more of a nest shape to her liking, Tsuna slid under the covers and turned off the lamp.

Well over an hour later Tsuna stared unblinkingly at the wall. The shower had relaxed her body, but now her mind was wide awake. It was like her hearing had been magically increased...every breath from Reborn, the quiet whir of the A/C, she could even hear sounds from outside the tightly shut window…

She'd tried to fall back asleep, really, she had, but sleep just wouldn't come. Before, she'd had adrenaline quietly thrumming in her veins, and the resultant crash had allowed her to sleep in the car, but now… Now her mind was fully alert, processing everything that had happened in the past hours. The stalker, his friends, Reborn…

Whenever her eyes shut she saw it again, the bullet ending a man's life mid-sentence, right before her eyes. Maybe it was a bad idea to have her back turned to Reborn, but she couldn't quite bring herself to face him either; which was ridiculous, the guy had obviously saved her life. But still, to so casually kill someone...

He was only a man, Tsuna knew that, but his presence felt so large and looming even now as he slept. How had she missed it before? She was sharing a hotel room with an assassin, one that people were starting to call the world's greatest. A hitman. A trained killer. Shivers ran down Tsuna's spine, covering her arms and legs in gooseflesh. Why had her instinct told her to trust this man? For all that she was used to rolling with the punches, said punches had never involved people dying before. Although, Hibari might have come close once or twice...

When she was four her instinct had saved her from a fire. At the age of six it helped her escape from a gang of thugs. Two years later it told her to trust Hibari even though everyone was scared of him. Maybe Reborn was just a scarier, deadlier Hibari. It would take some adjusting to get used to people being...well, dead around the guy, but he wasn't all bad. He'd metaphorically offered her a talking dragon sidekick in the car. Though, what that really counted for, she wasn't sure.

Tsuna slid her hand down her side to rest just above her hip. She'd ignored the voice a few times. Usually, Hibari showed up in those cases and rescued her; though, it was less of a rescue and more of him looking for a fight. The scar underneath her fingers felt different than the rest of her skin, a constant reminder of what happened when she ignored the voice and no one was around to save her. Would she be sporting another scar this time too if not for Reborn? ...Or would she just be dead? Or Worse?

Her hand slowly closed into a fist, nails digging into her skin. She'd never known her instinct to be wrong. That's why she'd reached out for Reborn's hand without hesitation when it told her to. A hand she now knew was responsible for multiple deaths. She found herself wondering just how bloody it really was — were there different shades of blood or was it all the same after you'd killed once? She doubted it was a question she could bring up in polite conversation, but he'd talked about it so casually in the car — killing people. Like other people would talk about a picnic or the weather.

He didn't seem like a Ladd Russo, lusting for violence and blood, but maybe a Vino? Less messy with his kills, of course. Or deep inside was he kind enough to actually be a Jacuzzi Splot? Rolling carefully onto her other side, Tsuna looked into the darkness where she knew Reborn was sleeping, his form a vague lump under the sheets. He had helped her out, but that was because it's his job, not from the goodness of his heart. No. Definitely not a Jacuzzi. Vino was probably the closest, as self-centered and results driven as he was. Her mind couldn't help but wonder if he'd even know the references she was making. If he did, would he be offended?

Part of her wanted to wake him up just to find out, but something about the idea of waking up a hitman didn't seem good for her overall health and wellbeing.

Shifting onto her back, Tsuna frowned up at the ceiling. It was rather disturbing, the thought of one day being on the receiving end. Of having Reborn's bullet shoot through her body, ending her life possibly without her even knowing it. Her mind could picture it all too clearly, the way her body would crumple to the ground just like those men. Would the bullet go through her head, or perhaps lodge itself in her heart?

Cold sweat beaded on her forehead, covered her body. Death. That wasn't something she was ready for. There were so many things she wanted to do, to see. She wanted to finish her vacation, go home to see her mom and friends, have lots more adventures…

The sound of a car door slamming outside made Tsuna jerk and freeze. Several heartbeats later she dared to breath again. This was ridiculous. She was letting her mind get the best of her. It was just a car. Slowly, as quietly as she could, Tsuna pushed back the covers and sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed.

Tiptoeing, she skirted the walls of the room, using her arm and the faint red light from the alarm clock as her guide in the heavily shadowed room. She made slow progress, overly paranoid as she was, and if she made sure to stay as far away from Reborn's bed as possible, that was her own business. Hitman and darkness just didn't sound like a good combo in her head.

Eventually, she found the doorway to the bathroom. Slipping inside, she closed the door without a sound before daring to feel for the lightswitch. Flipping it on, she blinked at the sudden brightness of the fluorescent light. In the mirror it gave her skin, cold and clammy as it was, a sickly pallor. A stark contrast against her now short, jet black hair.

Fumbling with one of the wrapped cups on the counter, Tsuna winced at the noise of the plastic. It seemed so loud in the silent bathroom. Once the cup was free, she filled it with cold water and sat down on the lid of the toilet to sip at it. Her hands shook slightly, sloshing the water around inside the cup, almost spilling it over the side.

What was she going to do?

She could act all she wanted — she had the skill after all — but it didn't change the facts. Facts like she was terrified that her life was now tied up with the Italian mafia. What did that even mean? If it was anything like the movies, it didn't mean anything good.

Power, money, deals made, deals broken...backstabbing and deadly revenge… She knew the deadly part was accurate if nothing else. What place did she have in a world like that? Blood and gore and bullets.

She almost dropped the cup.

Taking another shaky sip, Tsuna swirled the water around in her mouth before swallowing loudly. Too loudly. She hadn't seen any women among the goons yesterday. Were women uncommon? She knew better than to rely too much on movies and books, but in mafia films the women often existed to become hostages, playthings, and occasionally as messengers.

None of those sounded like great options to her. Okay, maybe being a messenger wouldn't be too bad. You know, as long as people didn't shoot the messenger; which, in movies, happened quite a lot. How inconvenient. In the real world, wouldn't they run out of messengers if they always did that?

Reborn had said she was one of two remaining heirs. Heirs to a legacy built on blood that she knew nothing about. Would they really let an outsider like her inherit if it came to it? Or would she be nothing more than a puppet on a string, an ornamental queen?

Water sloshed over the cup startling her. Gingerly setting the cup on the edge of the counter, Tsuna wiped her hand off with one of the provided towels. Her arms folded over her stomach as she bent in half. The towel found its way to her mouth to stifle any sobs as tears ran down her face. That was what frightened her. Not Reborn, but the actual mafia machine, and her unknown place in it.

She just wanted to go home. Home… Tsuna let out a choked laugh. What she wouldn't give for a magic pair of ruby red slippers right about now.

But, she didn't have a pair of magic slippers. She had herself with all her wit and skills, and she had Reborn, professional assassin and world's greatest hitman. That had to count for something. No, she'd make it count for something. Buddha once said: "Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment".

She couldn't change that information about her had been leaked, couldn't change how her trip to Italy placed her nearer the danger. Even with her imagination, she couldn't begin to guess at the future, but this moment… this here and now… that was something she could handle.

Feeling her tears slow and her breathing steady, Tsuna slowly sat back up. It took several tries to clear her nose of the built up mucus. She reached for the cup still half filled with water, but misjudged and knocked it over instead. The water spilled over the counter and down the slope to the drain at the bottom of the sink.

Righting the cup, Tsuna took a long slow breath and let it out even slower. Was this what people meant when they said it felt like they had the weight of the world on their shoulders? Giving a short dry chuckle, Tsuna shook her head. The crying hadn't fixed any of her problems, hadn't magicked her home like a pair of red shoes, and her feelings hadn't changed. But, her thoughts were much clearer now. It had been needed, cathartic. Now, she could move forward.

She'd trusted her gut so far, so she wouldn't stop now. She wasn't a fool. Sure, she'd changed her appearance, but that didn't guarantee safety, and always relying on others was foolish. No, if she was going to survive — now, and in the future — she needed to learn how to take care of herself in the mafia world.

Her mind drifted to Reborn. Who better to learn from than the best...right?

Getting up on tired legs, Tsuna stared herself down in the mirror. She knew how to observe the people around her — it was one of the most important acting lessons she'd learned. The fact that she'd now be observing a hitman — because she doubted Reborn would simply teach her — didn't change anything. The consequences if she failed were just a lot more...dire.

Turning on the faucet, Tsuna got a drink and splashed some cold water on her face then dried it off with a towel. She could — No. She would do this, and she'd do it so well that even Reborn, world's greatest hitman, would have to be impressed.

Turning off the water, Tsuna cleaned up the little mess from the spill. Folding the towel she placed it neatly on the countertop. She took several more deep breaths to finish calming herself and to still the jitters in her limbs. The last thing she needed was to walk out of the bathroom and trip or knock something over and wake up Reborn.

When she felt ready, Tsuna flicked the light off, giving her eyes several long moments to adjust to the darkness before she opened the door. She'd only taken a few steps when she felt the hairs on her neck stand on edge.

The room was just as dark as before, Reborn's figure still a shadowed, faceless lump on the bed, but she just knew. Knew that in that darkness Reborn was awake, and he was staring directly at her. She felt her mouth go dry, and resisted the urge to swallow, knowing that the sound would be all too loud in the stillness of the room. For an instant she swore she saw a gleam of yellow but then it was gone. Interesting.

Doing her best to keep her steps casual and silent she retraced her original path from the bed back to it, once again staying as far from Reborn as the walls and furniture would allow. Looks like she'd been right: a hitman plus a dark room did not equal good things, not for her peace of mind, at least. She felt his eyes follow her the entire time, judging, but for what she didn't know.

It was only as she settled back into bed that she felt the intense pressure ease. Adjusting the pillows and sheets, she tried to get comfy, her body feeling like it was filled with lead.

"Better?"

Tsuna froze in surprise. She hadn't expected him to speak, and his voice seemed deeper, more full than before. Was it because he'd been sleeping? "Uhm...yeah, I think so," she whispered back. "Or, at least my head is clearer now." Had he been awake the whole time? Or had she made some noise in the bathroom that had woken him?

Reborn let out a low hum, the rest of the pressure disappearing. Rolling over to look at her companion, Tsuna stifled a yawn, a thought occurring to her.

"Hey, Reborn?"

"Go back to sleep."

"I just wanted to know if you've ever watched Baccano."

"No. Now go to sleep."

Tsuna frowned. She couldn't get the answer to her question if Reborn had never seen the series. "That's too bad. I think you'd really like it." Letting out another yawn she gave a shrug. "Oh well. Night, Reborn." Closing her eyes, she snuggled into her pillow, a wave of unexpected warmth coaxing her to sleep. Because of that she nearly missed Reborn's low murmur.

"You're a strange one, but you almost got past me, Mouse. Not bad." It sounded like he was smirking.

[The Great Ruckus]

When Tsuna woke again it was to soft light creeping around the edges of the curtains. Morning had come, but it still looked to be early. Blinking, she raised a hand to rub away the goop in the corners of her eyes. She'd slept better than she expected though she'd probably only gotten a few hours of sleep. What had woken her up so early though? She tended to sleep in a bit without an alarm.

Sitting up she looked over at Reborn's bed. It was empty, so he was already up. Maybe that's what had woken her. His hat was still sitting next to the bed, so she guessed he was probably in the bathroom. Now that she was listening, she could hear the shower running.

Since she'd showered the night before, Tsuna used the opportunity to get dressed. She didn't have any other guy clothing at the moment — something she would need to remedy soon — so she just put on the slacks and shirt she'd worn the day before. She left the shoes, vest and tie for later; instead, she put in her contacts, sat down at the table, and pulled out her kit to start working on her face.

She heard the shower turn off, and several minutes later Reborn appeared, toweling his hair dry. Glancing up from putting on the finishing touches, Tsuna quickly looked away again. He hadn't put on a shirt yet, walking around in just his slacks, and she was just going to forget the...yep, nope. Erasing that.

"You're up earlier than I thought you'd be, Mouse," Reborn hummed as he set his towel down to dry and reached for his shirt. Using her compact mirror to triple checked that she hadn't missed anywhere, Tsuna closed it with a snap and started putting her kit away.

"First last night, and now just barely — Why are you calling me Mouse?"

Reborn's eyebrows raised before he shrugged. Was she not supposed to have heard that last night? "It's because you are one." Buttoning up his shirt, Reborn gave Tsuna a look like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "And besides the fact that you don't look like you anymore, using your real name out loud is a bad idea." Tsuna supposed he had a point. Her name wasn't a common one, and would definitely stand out here in Italy.

"That's another thing," Reborn said as he crossed the room in a couple of strides. Tsuna resisted the urge to squirm as he stared intently down at her, eyes searching, but for what she didn't know. "We need something to call you."

Tsuna blinked, then smiled. "You can call me Leon." It was a shortened version of chameleon that she'd used once or twice before, a quiet reminder of home and friends and who she really was. Something flashed through Reborn's eyes. Surprise, maybe?

"No."

"Why? Is something-"

"Because I said so, Mouse." Reborn pinned her with a sharp glare, the pressure from the night before returning. "Now, pick something else or I'll pick for you." Willing herself not to look away because she needed to learn how he did that, Tsuna slowly nodded and took a deep breath.

"Alright, how about Leo then?"

"I said different, Mouse."

"But it is," Tsuna protested, narrowing her eyes to try and glare back at Reborn. It didn't seem very effective. "It's missing a letter, and the o doesn't even make the same vowel sound. We can even say it's short for Leonardo." They stared at each other for several long moments before one edge of Reborn's lips quirked up in a smirk.

"Fine." Letting out a chuckle, he turned away. "Leo Orfanelli it is."

Tsuna tilted her head to the side. Orfanelli? She had a feeling she was missing out on a joke as Reborn picked up his hat and put it on.

"Finish getting ready, Leo," Reborn called over his shoulder as he walked towards the door. "I'll go get us breakfast."

"Sure thing," Tsuna called back, voice dropping down into Leo's warm tenor. "But I'm starving, so make sure to bring a lot back with you." Reborn held up a hand in acknowledgement before the door swung shut behind him.

Slumping into the chair after Reborn had gone, Tsuna let out a long sigh. Reborn's mood swings from amicable to hitman and back again were going to take some getting used to. But, if she could learn how to exert pressure like he could, with a single look? Now, that would be something useful.

Letting out a quiet laugh, Tsuna shook her head. And she'd thought her mom's glares the rare times she got mad were bad. Her mom… No, it didn't help to dwell on things she couldn't control. To give her something else to think about, she finished packing up her kit and repacked her travel bag. Now that she wasn't in such a rush, she could organize a lot better and make room for another outfit or two so she didn't have to always wear the same thing.

Not in the mood to deal with Reborn's mood swings again before breakfast, Tsuna put on her shoes and vest after styling her hair. She was working on the tie when Reborn came back with a tray laden with food and a newspaper. He'd listened to her request after all. Setting the tray down on the table, Reborn gave her a frown.

"Who taught you how to tie a tie?"

"My friend's older brother…" Tsuna looked down at the piece of fabric confused. Was something wrong? She started when Reborn suddenly invaded her personal space, his hands seizing the piece of fabric and undoing the knot she'd made.

"Watch," he said coolly, and Tsuna watched as he used a completely different way to make the knot. It was much fancier than what Ryohei had shown her. As he cinched the knot up to the shirt's collar, he tapped her chin with his knuckle, making her look up into his face.

"This knot suits the style you are wearing much better."

Looking back down at the knot, Tsuna ran through the motions in her mind again. She'd never bothered to learn more than one way to tie a tie. She hadn't been aware that different knots went with different styles. "Cool, thanks."

Giving the knot its final adjustments, she tucked the tie into her vest. If he taught her something like this of his own accord, maybe she could get him to agree to teach her other things.

"I thought you were starving?" Shaking herself out of her stupor of thought, Tsuna joined Reborn at the table. Breakfast in Italy was different than what she was used to back home. Reborn had piled plates high with fresh fruits and croissants. There were a few sandwiches as well with a large glass of orange juice for her and a cup of coffee for Reborn.

The two ate in silence for a bit. Reborn had taken the newspaper he'd brought up and was busy reading through it while nursing his coffee and a couple croissants. It felt oddly normal, like any regular old breakfast, and Tsuna supposed it was. Just because the mafia had come crashing into her life the day before didn't mean everything had to change. Even better, she had someone to keep her company now.

Finishing off her fifth croissant, Tsuna brushed the crumbs from her fingers and took several sips of her orange juice. She felt a lot better with food in her stomach. The last time she'd eaten had been lunchtime the day before at the pizzeria. The thought made her mouth water. She would never be able to eat pizza anywhere else in her life again.

Thinking about it made Tsuna sigh. She'd planned to spend several days in Naples touring all the sights. Today she would have been going on tours of all the old castles like Nuovo, dell'Ovo, and Sant'Elmo.

"Are you always this depressing?"

"What? No!" Tsuna started, sending Reborn a look over the top of the paper. "I was just thinking about the plans I'd had for today." A raised eyebrow was sent her way, but Tsuna waved it off. "It's not like it matters anymore. Wherever we are, it's definitely not Naples. Speaking of…" Tsuna trailed off, looking at Reborn to see if he'd give her an answer. He just stared blandly back at her and lazily turned a page in the paper.

Tsuna had the feeling she was in for a long day, starting with pulling teeth from the cocky rooster sitting across from her. That is to say, that she was fairly certain there was no way she could pry information out of Reborn, and anything that he let her know would be on purpose. "Reborn, where are we?"

Closing the newspaper and folding it up to set it on the table, Reborn smirked. "I thought you'd never ask." Leaning forward, he rested his chin on steepled fingers.

"We're in Rome."

RESEARCH NOTES - google and blogs on Italy were my best friends (again, and for always with this story)

Dashboard without a clock - older cars; especially sports cars, would often forego having a clock in order to have a sleeker looking dashboard or to fill the space with gauges instead. Aftermarket parts and radios may have clocks built in.

Orfanelli - Esposito is a last name which is quite common with those children in Italy who were abandoned, orphaned or given for adoption. In Latin, the word "exponere," indirectly refers to 'leave outside'. In other words, it means an orphan, as abandoned children were generally left on the church's steps. Other similar names linked to this practice included 'orfanelli', which means little foundling, a name which is very common in Naples.

Basically, Leo Orfanelli can be loosely translated in a few ways. Leo means lion, and lions are cats. Little foundling cat. Orphan cat aka: Stray cat. In Reborn's view, he's calling Tsuna a little stray cat (or, little cat = kitten) that he picked up or 'found' in Naples.

Baccano - Ladd Russo, Vino, and Jacuzzi Splot are all characters from this anime. It was originally a light novel that was adapted. I've never read the light novel but I enjoyed the anime a lot. Baccano means ruckus, so yes, I'll admit I got some inspiration for not just the title, but the story from this.

Plot summary: Each of the stories in the series involves several unrelated plots intersecting and crossing each other as events spiral farther and farther out of control. Immortal alchemists, mafia operated speakeasies, and many other elements of pulp fiction mashed together for a world straight out of the movies. (16 episodes. It's rated R - 17+ for violence and profanity)

I figured that while Reborn may be versed in movies and literature, Japanese anime is something he probably wouldn't bother with, but in tribute to canon Tsuna, this Tsuna also likes manga and anime.

Breakfast in Italy - Breakfast in Italy is not a huge meal like it is elsewhere. It usually includes espresso made at home with a stove top moka, milk, dunking biscuits or bread, fresh fruit or juice. If you like to have breakfast at your neighborhood café, it's either cappuccino and a croissant, or a simple espresso, fresh squeezed orange juice (in winter, when the oranges are good only) and perhaps a savory sandwich.

Mouse - ever heard of the saying quiet as a mouse?

Pulling teeth from a rooster - roosters don't have teeth, so you can't pull them. It's pretty much a way of saying something is impossible. Now, putting socks on a rooster on the other hand just means it's going to be really hard.

END NOTE

A more introspective chapter, but I hope you enjoyed a look at Tsuna's thought processes. I was looking for a good balance of dealing and coming to terms with things without being overly panicky or woe-is-me or who-cares-I'm-just-going-to-suddenly-adapt-and-accept-everything-as-normal. I spent a lot of time trying to get this right, so I'd love any feedback on what went well and what didn't so I can continue to improve.