Title: "People Like Us"

Summary: They all came from different pasts, from different backgrounds. They were broken, shattered, or close to it. And when everyone, even those they had loved, had given up on their existences; he came into their lives with an outstretched hand. "After all, people like us have to stick together."

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the amazing characters of Katekyo Hitman Reborn! I own the plot of this story, though, but I do not own the original KHR!

Chapter Title: "Reminiscence Before Leaving"

"He smiled, one that he didn't have to force onto his face, and said brightly, 'Thank you.'"

Tsuna watched as each costumer left TakeSushi with a smile on their face, their stomachs filled and a pleasant aura around them. The lone people seemed to shine brightly, as though they had their worries and troubles washed away with the wonderful food and amazing service. The groups of people (Friends hanging out, families together for a nice meal) chatted amongst themselves with cheerfulness, talking about different subjects.

The brunet waited until all of them left before he let the smile slip from his face. Out of the corner of his brown eyes, he saw Yamamoto do the same. The baseball star had helped his dad out with serving and preparing some of the food, taking orders with that blinding smile (Fake, but nobody but the brunet seemed to notice) and positive attitude. The curve of his lips that was mistaken as a grin turned into exactly what it was, a frown.

Those sharp amber eyes turned to him and seemed to lighten up, but their seriousness didn't leave. They had shared a quick and quiet conversation an hour ago, Tsuna saying that he wanted to talk some more after everyone left, for privacy issues. Yamamoto's dad, who had been let in on the plan because of its seriousness, agreed with the Vongola Boss.

And now the sushi restaurant was closing, meaning their discussion would begin. Taking his phone out of his pocket, Tsuna sent a message to both Reborn and Gokudera (Despite knowing the Storm Guardian would be with the Hitman), telling them to meet him at TakeSushi. The brunet resisted the urge to gloat to the Sun Arcobaleno, knowing that if he did he'd end up with a bump on his head and a migraine.

Putting his phone away and walking towards the father and son, a soft smile found its place on his pale face. "My colleagues will be here in five minutes at the most," he told them, watching as they exchanged a look. Three minutes of uncomfortable yet suitable silence passed before there was a knock on the door.

They all looked over, and what they saw made Tsuna's eyebrows scrunch together, the smile on his face strained. His Storm Guardian was sprinting (Not running, a full out sprint as though he was running from Death itself) towards them, a dangerous and determined glint in his silver-green eyes. Tsuna sweat dropped at the sight. Reborn, on the other hand, was walking casually behind the silver-head (Surprisingly their distances weren't that far from one another's).

As they both neared, the smirk that was usually on the fedora-wearing man's face was nonexistent. He read the sign over and over, trying not to curse at himself. He, the greatest Hitman in the world, Reborn, had been wrong. Wrong. Some in the mafia world would have disagreed and said that the great Reborn couldn't be wrong, that the word wasn't even in his dictionary.

Well, apparently it was now. And Reborn didn't like it one bit.

"Boss," Gokudera yelled, running into the restaurant without restraint. His sharp silver-green eyes looked around the area, narrow as he searched for danger. When his gaze landed on a certain baseball 'idiot', they narrowed even more so. I don't approve of you; he wanted to say to the smiling idiot. You don't deserve to be saved by the Boss.

Those all-knowing eyes of the Sky Guardian looked at him and made the pianist shiver. His silver-green eyes averted themselves from the gaze, looking at the ground with a guilty expression. He shouldn't have been thinking about that, not around the Vongola Boss that was kind enough to save him.

"Hayato," Tsuna said softly, putting a comforting hand on the teen's shoulder, "Please take Takeshi up stairs. Tsuyoshi-san, Reborn and I are going to talk."

Rather hesitantly, the Storm Guardian nodded his head and turned to the baseball star. He glared lightly, not as hateful as before, and waved his head to the direction of the stairs. Yamamoto seemed to understand, sending a bright smile and going up the steps to the second floor. With one last look to his Boss, Gokudera followed suit.

The table was silent as the three adults sat there. Tsuna, sitting next to the Sun Arcobaleno with Tsuyoshi across from them, watched the restaurant owner with soft brown eyes. A gentle smile had wormed itself onto his face despite the tense air.

"Takeshi, my son," Tsuyoshi stated calmly, looking a bit confused from the information they had given him. His eyebrows were scrunched together, and despite the still kind look of his amber eyes, there was a hardness behind them. The Vongola Boss took it as a sign that the man had been in a situation like this before. "Takeshi is a Guardian of Vongola, and you want to take him to Italy? That's what you're saying?"

Reborn's hand moved up to his head on reflex, wanting to tilt down his fedora. He made a clicking sound with his tongue when he realized that he had taken it off to be polite. "Yamamoto Takeshi is one of the people we have been looking for," the Sun Arcobaleno scuffed, leaning back in his chair. He looked longingly at his fedora, placed on the table in front of him, before looking at the restaurant owner again.

"You've noticed that Takeshi hides behind fake smiles as well, right," Tsuna asked softly. His suspicions were confirmed when Tsuyoshi nodded his head, looking sad at the thought. "That's why he's the one of my Guardians. I need to save him. Just as I did Hayato, and Reborn. I don't know why I choose to save them, but I knew I had to."

Tsuyoshi looked behind him, looking at the stairs, before turning back to the two of them. He sighed and nodded his head, understanding the situation.

Yamamoto put his suitcase into the trunk of the car, the usual grin or smile gone from his face. He felt three pairs of eyes watching him, though didn't feel the need to hide anymore. He sighed and closed the trunk, turning around. A gust of wind brushed against one of his tan cheeks, the cool air welcomed. It was another cold day, just like that one.

The Rain Guardian, the newly saved person, closed his amber eyes in reminiscence. It had been a day like this that his mother had died, on that street in the neighborhood. It had been a day like this that he and his father had returned home without his mother, his child face looking sad and confused while his father was stricken with grief. And now it was a day like this that he would be leaving Japan and heading to Italy.

A hand on his shoulder brought the baseball star out of the past and back to the present. His amber eyes blinked over, and he looked over to Tsuna, who was smiling at him. Those brown orbs stared directly at him, and the fondness mixed into the gaze made Takeshi smile back, just as happy.

"Ready," the Vongola Boss asked. He opened the door to the passenger seat, where he would be sitting. Gokudera was sitting in the back behind Reborn, who was driving. The silver-head scuffed at the thought of having to sit next to a 'happy-go-lucky idiot', though didn't make any remark afterwards.

"Yeah," Takeshi replied, taking one last look at his father's restaurant before getting into the car.