"Fashion is not necessarily about labels. It's not about brands. It's about something else that comes from within you." – Ralph Lauren

Tsuna rarely got stressed, and when he did, he'd go on a binge.

He re-watched Sugar Angels from Season 1 to Season 6 twice in three days, threw Haru into a fit when he used up all the groceries she bought to make random dishes they mostly didn't eat, and wasted most of the paper in the house for making paper cranes.

"Tsuna!" Haru screamed from the kitchen. "Stop making cupcakes!"

Tsuna barely moved from the couch as he continued to read a random manga he fished out of the closet. "I thought you liked my Chocolate Caramel Coconut Delights," he said, turning the page. Natsu was curled up on his stomach, acting as a nice rest for his manga.

"This is like the hundredth batch you made! We have no room!"

"I believe in you, Haru. You can make room." Before Tsuna could reach for his cup of soda, it was snatched away from his reach. He peered over the manga to see Haru standing above him, glaring.

"Get up and call your grandpa," she said.

"Ex-grandpa. He's dead to me."

Haru sighed in frustration. "Tsuna, you can't do this anymore. We can't do this anymore. My salary's not enough for this!" She waved her other hand in the air, gesturing at the penthouse. "I can barely buy the groceries because you keep using them! Call your grandpa!"

"As long as we have each other, I believe we can get through anything."

Haru's face darkened considerably. "Now."

Tsuna tossed his manga to the side. "Roger that, my Queen." He grabbed his phone and dialed Timoteo's number. Face blank, he was met with another voicemail. "Hello, dearest grandfather. This is the 35th message I'm leaving you and yes, I'm counting. You know what it's about. Call me before I do something even worse than dyeing all your suits pink. Thank you!"

He yelped when Haru smacked his head. "That hurt, Haru!" he said, his bottom lip quivering.

"Suck it up and leave a better message."

Tsuna's face immediately reverted back to a blank slate. "I did everything you could possibly think of. I even said that I'd clean all of his cars."

Haru pinched the bridge of her nose. "Tsuna, I can't keep supporting the both of us like this. It's been a week already and my credit card's almost maxed out." She poked Tsuna's forehead. "This is probably your grandpa's way of saying that you have to grow up."

Tsuna pouted. "Are you taking his side? What happened to our Friendship Oath?"

"You're an idiot." There was less heat in Haru's words. "I'm not taking anyone's side. I'm just trying to look out for you and this isn't the way it should be. I get where your grandpa's coming from but I don't think he should've blocked your bank accounts to get his message across."

Ah, when Tsuna had found out that none of his cards worked, the world seemed to be closer to the brink of extinction. And now, the limited edition of Yuni's figurine from the Rainbow Alliance Arc was off the market. He sniffled dramatically. "My poor Yuni," he said. "Now stuck in some other man's hands."

Haru's brow twitched. "Get your shit together, idiot! Go out and find a job so you can at least pay me back for everything I did for you!"

Tsuna widened his eyes. "A job?" He made an "X" with his arms. "Job and Tsuna do not belong in the same sentence, Haru."

For that, Haru smacked him over the head again, this time much harder. "You're going to get a job whether you like it or not!"

Tsuna hugged Haru's waist tightly with fake tears in his eyes. "How can I possibly get a job, Haru? I have no skills or experience and I hate people. People are terrible."

"If you don't find a job, I'm going to move out."

Tsuna gasped. "You wouldn't."

Haru narrowed her eyes. "Try me."

It didn't take a genius to know she wasn't lying.

The summer heat was irrefutably unbearable and Tsuna already missed the comfort of his air-conditioned apartment.

"So this is what you've been dealing with every day," he said, turning the car to the next street. "Respect."

Haru huffed. "It's what everyone's been dealing with, not just me."

"Everyone is a pretty strong word."

"Shut up and keep driving."

Tsuna wisely kept his mouth shut. After going through some store job interviews, he didn't really reach success. Most of the managers just berated him for being so lazy to find a job now at his age, which he wasn't in the mood to listen again after Haru's long lecture. He couldn't even last a day being a supermarket cashier with all the bullshit some customers gave him. Being a restaurant waiter wasn't all that great either when Tsuna spent most of his time arguing with the customers over their orders.

"Park here," Haru said.

Tsuna raised a brow. "Another interview?"

"No, I need to do my job, too." Haru grabbed a clothing bag and exited the car when Tsuna parked on the streets. "Come on. I'm not leaving you out here."

Tsuna placed a hand over his heart. "I feel loved."

"You're just going to try to buy stuff that we don't need."

"What? Since when?"

Haru deadpanned. "Tsuna, get out of the car."

Raising his hands in surrender, Tsuna unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out of the car before Haru would really blow up. He followed her inside a large clothing store that had mostly women's clothing on display. The store's name hung above the windows in big, pink letters: Lovey Dovey Mia. Tsuna wrinkled his nose. What a corny name. There were a handful of customers inside and the scent of cherry blossoms and plums came on pretty strong. Some cute pop song played in the background but Tsuna didn't really pay much mind to it.

Haru suddenly whirled around and jabbed a finger against his chest. "You're going to sit and stay." She pointed at a small bench near the shoe section. "Over there. Got it?"

Tsuna gave her a mock-salute. "Yes, mother."

Haru dragged him by the arm to the bench and sat him down. "Stay."

Tsuna barked in response and grinned when Haru blushed in embarrassment and scurried off to do what she had to do. He made himself comfortable on the wooden bench. Fishing out his phone from his pocket, he checked for any messages or missed calls. When he found none, he sighed under his breath. His grandpa was really too much.

Despite that, Tsuna knew real deep inside his precious soul that this really wasn't the best way to live his life. However, he refused to acknowledge it properly. Whether it was out of stubbornness or stupidity, he didn't know. A giggle came from his right. A mother and daughter were shifting through cute dresses, with the mother holding some against the little girl's body. Tsuna's lips slightly twitched into a smile. It was a sweet scene, reminding him of his own mother whenever they went shopping together.

He looked down at his phone, about to play some Sugar Angels Bubble Pop, when someone spoke, "Excuse me, can you help me?"

Tsuna peered above his sunglasses to see two young women approaching him with some clothes draped over their arms. "Sorry, sweetheart, but I don't work here."

The bespectacled girl flushed. "O—Oh, I'm sorry! You just looked like a worker. Please excuse me."

Tsuna smiled charmingly. "No worries." He looked down at his clothes that Haru had made him wear: a white polo shirt, some pastel pink shorts, and tan-colored sneakers. When he made eye-contact with another worker, he waved the other man over. He could see why he was confused for an employee. They both wore similar clothes, minus the worker's pink scarf that was part of his uniform. "Excuse me, these ladies here need some help."

The worker nodded and immediately led the young women away, chatting with them amicably. Tsuna was about to return to his phone when someone else plopped down next to him on the bench. It was the little girl with her mother, who smiled apologetically at Tsuna.

"Please excuse us," she said.

Looking at her closer, she had long lashes and short red hair underneath her white visor. Tsuna smiled. "It's no problem."

"Is Onii-chan finding new shoes, too?" the little girl said, her eyes wide and curious.

"Mami-chan," her mother said, lifting up her daughter's foot.

Tsuna waved a hand to let her know it was fine. "Onii-chan is just being a good doggy."

Mami giggled. "You're not a doggy. You're silly."

Tsuna nodded solemnly. "A silly doggy who did bad things."

Mami laughed, clapping her hands in delight. Tsuna peered down to look at the girl's shoes. They were navy blue flats with soft brown outsoles. Cute and simple. Well, a little too simple. They weren't a good match with the light gray dress draped over the mother's arm. "Those are pretty shoes you got there," he said.

Mami beamed at him. "Kaa-chan picked them for me! Mami is going to a party next week! It's Tomoko-chan's birthday!"

Tsuna grinned. "That sounds like fun! Did you get a gift for Tomoko-chan?"

Mami nodded as her mother helped her put on her other shoe. "Mami got a big doll for Tomoko-chan! It's a baby duck with a huge green ribbon because Tomoko-chan likes green!"

"Green is a beautiful color," Tsuna said. "I'm sure she'll love your gift."

"Mami knows she will!"

Her mother smiled up at her. "Alright, Mami-chan. Stand up for Kaa-chan."

The little girl hopped onto her feet, her short reddish-brown hair bouncing swaying slightly from the movement. Tsuna leaned back against the bench and opened his phone. He raised a brow when a text message from Timoteo popped up: Stop calling. I'll be available tonight after 8.

Rolling his eyes, Tsuna just left his text messages and swiped to play Sugar Angels Bubble Pop.

"Kaa-chan, something feels weird," Mami said, raising her right foot.

Tsuna glanced down to see a small tear at the back of her flat. Mami's mother furrowed her brows in concern. "What do you mean?" she said, inspecting her daughter's feet.

Tsuna helped Mami sit down and raised her right foot so her mother could see better. He pointed at the small tear in the shoe's fabric. "This is torn," he said. "It's not bad but the shoe can fall apart later." He smiled. "Plus, it's no good to wear damaged shoes."

Mami looked like her whole world shattered. "So…I can't wear it?"

Her mother looked flustered as she took off Mami's shoes. "I'm sorry, sweetie, but we'll have to find something else."

At Mami's teary eyes, Tsuna sighed dramatically, drawing the two's puzzled attention. "Looks like you need a hero there," he said. Pulling down his sunglasses a bit, he winked at Mami. "Wanna see Onii-chan do something cool?"

Mami tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

Tsuna stood up and looked around for the worker who was still talking to the young women. "I'll be back in a jiffy," he said, walking towards them. When he approached them, he tapped the worker's shoulder. "Excuse me, but do you happen to have some needle and thread?"

The worker blinked in confusion. "I—I'm sorry?"

"I'd rather not throw a big fuss with calling your manager out," Tsuna said, smiling amicably. "Just some trouble with one of your merchandises. Don't worry. I can handle these lovely ladies while you're gone."

The young man still looked lost but quickly excused himself and left, too flustered to think properly. Tsuna waved at his back before turning to the stunned women. "Sorry about that, ladies," he said. "A little emergency. So, what're you looking for?"

The woman with her hair in a bun frowned. "You said you're not a worker."

Tsuna gasped scandalously. "What? Since when? Well, don't worry. You're in good hands." He glanced at the array of clothes in the women's shopping basket. Immediately, he picked out the long yellow and purple dress. "Sweetheart, you're not going to gain anything by wearing this."

Mami and her mother appeared behind him, still confused. "Um, excuse me," Mami's mother said. "But—"

Tsuna gave her a small grin. "No worries. I got this." He gave Mami a thumbs-up. "Care to be my sidekick, Mami-chan?"

Mami perked up. "Me?" She tugged her mother's skirt. "Kaa-chan, Mami can be a sidekick?"

Her mother forced a smile. "I don't know…"

Tsuna shifted through the dress rack. "No, no, nope, what is this? No to that. No to this. Still no. Oh." He pulled out a long, white Bohemian dress that had red roses and white tulips. "What do you think, Mami-chan?"

The little girl widened her eyes. "It's pretty!"

Tsuna turned to the young women and shook the dress. "Which one's shopping?" The girl with glasses raised her hand timidly, making Tsuna laugh warmly. "Come on, sweetheart. This isn't the classroom. Ah, university students?"

She nodded with a blush while her friend rolled her eyes. Tsuna placed the dress against her body while tapping his chin. "What's your name?" he said.

"K—Kimiko," the girl stuttered out.

Tsuna smiled. "Hello, Kimiko-chan. You can call me Sora. What do you think of this, Mami-chan?"

"Onee-chan looks really pretty!" Mami said, her eyes bright.

"Right?" Tsuna said. "See, you're a natural. Best sidekick around." Mami beamed at that. Tsuna looked around for some accessories when his eyes landed on a straw hat with a thick, black ribbon. Snapping his fingers, he went over to grab it and placed it above the dress. "Since Kimiko-chan has such lovely black hair, this would go perfectly with the dress. Plus, you'd look great with feminine clothes. What do you think?"

Kimiko blushed. "Um, well, I guess?" She looked down at her feet. "I don't really wear dresses that often…"

Tsuna smiled reassuringly. "Doesn't hurt to try 'em. Come on." He led her to the dressing room and handed her the clothes. "Put it on. We'll be waiting! No pressure."

Kimiko just squeaked when Tsuna closed the door in her face. He glanced at Kimiko's friend who looked torn between looking impressed and disgusted. "Need help, dear?" he said, grinning.

"I didn't ask for anything," she snapped.

Tsuna raised his hands. "Alright, just wondering."

Mami tugged his shirt. "Can Mami pick too, Onii-chan?"

Tsuna grinned. "You can do whatever you want, kiddo." He sized up Kimiko's friend quickly. She was shorter than her friend, with more muscle in her thighs and had tanned skin. Her black hair had golden-yellow highlights. "Do you like heels?"

The friend blinked. "Huh?"

Tsuna was already waltzing through the women's section before she could fully process what he said. Mami trailed behind him like an eager puppy, her mother not too far behind. Finding some cream-colored shorts, he tossed it towards the friend and quickly shifted his attention to nearby blouses. He hummed the Sugar Angels theme song under his breath as he rummaged through the rack like a fiend. "Aha!"

He took out three blouses: pale yellow, dark blue, and red. "Mami-chan, it's your turn! Which one is the best?"

Mami furrowed her brows cutely as she concentrated. "This one!" She pointed at the pale yellow blouse.

Tsuna grinned. "You, my dear, are a genius." He tossed the other two on the rack and handed Kimiko's friend the pale yellow blouse. "Go and change, sweetheart. Time's tickin'."

She just stared at him in disbelief before walking grudgingly to the changing rooms. Tsuna raised his hand for Mami to give him a high-five. "You did spectacular, Mami-chan," he said, then placing his finger against his lips. "But the best part's not here yet."

Right on cue, the worker returned, looking a little breathless. "We have some needle and thread in the back, sir."

"Great!" Tsuna said. "Show me the way."

"Um…"

Tsuna slung an arm around the worker's shoulder, making him flinch. "Do you really want your manager to be sued for damaged products, buddy? My guess is no." He grinned. "I'll be real quick. No one will know I was there."

The worker widened his eyes. "F—Follow me, sir."

Tsuna gave Mami the "okay" sign. "Come on, Mami-chan. We're off to save the world!"

Giggling, Mami eagerly followed him to the back where only employees could access. Several clothes that weren't on sale were on the racks along with some bulletin boards with posters of models. The worker led Tsuna to another room where there were some fabrics, naked cotton mannequins, and boxes of new shipment. He pulled a drawer and gestured uselessly at them. "We keep the needles and threads here, sir," he said. "You won't tell my boss…right?"

Tsuna patted his shoulder. "Nope. My lips are sealed. Right, Mami-chan?"

Mami nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! Mami can keep a secret, too!"

"Great!" Tsuna surveyed the large drawer before picking up a needle and a bundle of royal blue threads. "I have all I need." He plopped down on an empty chair and motioned for Mami's shoes. "Onii-chan's going to do something cool so just sit tight, okay?"

Mami nodded enthusiastically. "Okay!"

Tsuna raised his ankle to rest on his knee and propped the torn shoe on top of it. He grabbed a pair of scissors to cut the right length. Tying a knot through the needle, he started to quickly sew the torn fabric on the back of the shoe. The motion deeply ingrained in his hands was a welcome comfort without him thinking much about it. His mother had taught him everything she knew before shit hit the fan, for lack of better words.

No one spoke while he work, or rather, he zoned them out. Faint murmurs droned around him as he moved in a straight line without hassle. Within minutes, the fabric was securely sewn back. Tsuna inspected the needlework to make sure it was good to go before handing it to Mami with a grin. "Here! Good as new!"

Mami exclaimed in amazement. "Onii-chan, that was so cool! How did you do that?"

Tsuna stood up from his chair and helped her sit down. "I'm just a great hero. Come on, I'll help you." He easily slipped the shoe on Mami's foot and smiled. "There. All better. See?"

Mami squealed as she hopped onto her feet. "Look, Kaa-chan, look!"

Her mother smiled gently. "Yes." She looked to Tsuna. "Thank you."

Tsuna shrugged. "Just being a good Samaritan."

Before she could respond, a voice yelled, "Tsuna!"

The brunet barely had the time to blink when Haru grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the store. She tapped her foot against the pavement with her arms crossed over her chest. "What did I tell you?"

"To sit and stay."

"And yet, I saw you back there where you weren't supposed to be."

Tsuna shrugged helplessly. "Do you want the truth and nothing but the truth so help you God?"

Haru threw her arms up in the air. "Tsuna, I swear if you—"

The store's bell tinkled behind them as Mami and her mother walked out of the store. "Excuse me!" Mami's mother said, running over. "Oh, thank goodness I caught you in time."

Tsuna smiled at her. "Not going anywhere at the moment. Is there something you needed, ma'am?"

"Oh, yes." Mami's mother held up the shoe Tsuna had fixed. "This—I noticed the stitching you did and it means you're a professional. Are you a tailor or designer by any chance?"

"Nop—"

"Yes!" Haru said, making Tsuna blink. "He is! Is there something you need?"

"Well," Mami's mother said, rummaging through her handbag, "I was hoping that you accept commissions or private requests."

Tsuna raised a brow. "N—"

"Of course, he does!" Haru said. "Is there anything you need, ma'am?"

Tsuna could barely keep up while Mami's mother and Haru chatted excitedly. He looked down when Mami tugged his hand. "Onii-chan, are you going to make a dress for Mami?" she said, her red eyes bright.

The brunet glanced at Haru who took a small card from Mami's mother and smiled faintly at the little girl. "I guess so."

Her grin lessened the small ache in his chest.

"You basically sealed my death sentence."

Haru sighed for the umpteenth time. "Stop being so melodramatic. It's a good opportunity and it pays, well, a third of your rent but it's something." She held up the small card Mami's mother gave to her. "Kozato Hotaru. What a strange name."

"You're not my manager."

"No, but I'm your friend and I'd rather not have both of us stranded in the streets. Life's not going to your way all the time, you know. You need to get your shit together." Haru's voice softened. "You need to move on, Tsuna. Life's too short to wallow."

Tsuna gasped dramatically. "I don't wallow."

Haru rolled her eyes. "Yes, you do."

"I'm offended. No dinner for you."

"I'll be surprised if we even have dinner."

Tsuna drove into the penthouse's parking lot. "Oh, we'll have dinner. Cupcakes!"

"They're not a meal!"

"They are for me." Tsuna drove into an empty parking spot and quickly parked the car. "It's not my fault you're on a diet. Seriously, do you think they ever work? You're fine already. Can't have you becoming a literal stick." He dodged Haru's slap just in time before climbing out of his car. "It's just another way of saying you're perfect and don't change, sweetheart!"

"I told you to never call me that!" Haru said, exiting the car from the other side.

"I love you, too!"

Haru continued talking his ear off while they rode the elevator up to his floor. Everything she said went in one ear and out the other.

"—is really easy for you, too! A dress! You know how to make that!"

Tsuna picked his ear. "Dress? Easy? What?" He sidestepped Haru's slap again as the elevator doors opened with a small ding. Sighing, he walked towards his door. "I'll only do it 'cause you get annoying when you're moody."

"What did you say?"

"That you're the most beautiful woman in the world and my only queen. I'm only your most humblest servant."

Haru scoffed. "That's what I thought." They both stopped in front of his door. "Look, Tsuna…"

Tsuna raised his hands in the air. "I will do this because we need the money and because I sadly have no other skills to speak of. I will commit to this job until I have the finished product in my hands and deliver it personally to Mami-chan. Scout's honor."

Haru scowled, but smiled a little nonetheless. "I'll keep your word for it."

"Go ahead." Tsuna typed in his code on the keypad before a trill sounded from his door. "You can make a written contract if that makes you feel better."

When he opened the door, the two of them froze. Haru let out a strangled noise that was between a squeak and a scream. Tsuna just pursed his lips.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" he said.

"I—I think so…?" Haru whispered, her eyes wide in disbelief. "That's…"

A man was sitting on the couch with his legs crossed and long arms draped behind him in a casual fashion. He smirked when he met Tsuna's eyes. "It's nice to see you again, Tsuna."

"Drop the cupcake before I rip those stupid curls off your face, sunshine."

A/N And there's something. A plot. We're getting there, ahaha. :^)

Thank you do much for your reviews, favorites, and follows! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far! And Sassy!Tsuna is great, eh?

Not much to say other than thank you for reading! I hope to see you again in the next chapter!

Have a lovely day~

Little Miss Bunny