Life happened. A lot. And so did school. This story is important to me, it was my first ever story, and it means a lot. So really, just thanks for reading. Please review and let me know your thoughts!

He didn't even know what possessed him, maybe it was the prospect of Hibari joining him to lunch today. Or he knew exactly where every vegetable and utensil was, but he was in kitchen putting two bentos together. He placed every dish in its designated space, smiling when he realized it was getting too cute and Hibari-san didn't do cute. He did not recognize himself, everything was off balance lately, and the fact that pleasing Hibari was pretty high up in his list of priorities would terrify Gokudera. It's not like his cooking would be bad, after all, his mother did a good job teaching him everything to do with food (courtesy of Reborn). His skills extended beyond Japanese cuisine to Italian dishes ("You have to know your roots, Tsuna!") and he was proud, but still confused as he managed the finishing touches.

Once he placed an extra set of chopsticks in the bag, he put his mother's apron in its hook and was ready for school. Everything was ready, ready, and ready. Hearing the chime of the doorbell, he knew he was just in time and Kyoko would be smiling at him. "Kyoko-chan!"

He could tell he surprised her because she flinched, but blushed all the same, her smile wavering. "T-Tsuna-kun," she exhaled, brushing her hair to the side. "I see you're up and bright."

Was it that noticeable? Could people know that he's been under the weather the past few days? Of course they'd notice. They've known you for years. Even Mukuro knew his head was in the clouds. "I-It won't happen again." It was a bit embarrassing to reassure others that he was fine, to reassure those he's supposed to be protecting. He'd have to work on that.

If Kyoko and Mukuro knew he was brooding over his family, then that meant Hibari knew. These past few days of close monitoring meant he cared and that in itself was bizarre. Which didn't fail to make his face flush because this meant Hibari-san was doing his job, and oh gods, how much more did he know? Reborn had told him so many times, the Cloud is always watching and protecting, and to ignore that was a foolish mistake on his part.

But that doesn't matter now.

Now he knows that Hibari cares enough to not let him spiral into a swallowing hole of depression. They would eat lunch together and he would pay attention in class for once. He noticed that Kyoko-chan was frowning, staring at the bag in his hand, which immediately ended his internal bubble of anxiety and excitement.

"Oh! Hibari-san will be joining us today, if you don't mind. Well, he kind of wants to join us, but I made lunch for us. If that's all right with you of course," he mumbled.

"Hibari-chan is eating with us? No, its fine, Tsu-kun." She laughed lightly. "Let's go, or we'll be late."

"Mm." He felt giddy, but it felt wrong to feel this...free. He could afford to be happy, but that didn't mean he could let his defenses slacken. It was too dangerous for that. But today proved to be a calm and lively day, the slight breezes and people walking their dogs was the usual sight. As they walked, Kyoko filled the silence and he realized it's been a long time since he actually held a full conversation willingly. He was losing his touch, or maybe he was working too hard. Of course it could be a sign that he was working too hard, but Reborn would probably see that as a blessing.

"I can't wait to meet up with Haru-chan, I haven't seen her in the longest," she said, smiling.

Haru? " I haven't seen her in ages! We could probably get together, Kyoko-chan. It'll be fun." He grinned at her look of surprise, before pulling her quickly through the gates as the bells chimed. They weren't late, technically speaking, but this was Hibari and it was best if they didn't push his buttons. Just for today.

Paying attention in class was actually more difficult than he thought it would be. He looked at the board, but after a few minutes of blankly staring at the foreign equations, he realized he had no idea what's been going on for the past few lessons, so obviously he wouldn't understand this one. Tsuna looked around nervously, everyone understood the notes and hummed in agreement with whatever sensei was saying, and he would die of embarrassment if he had to admit to Kyoko that he had no idea about what's going on. He was not used to being confused and lost during a lesson, especially if Gokudera would be there to reiterate what the teacher said in simpler terms (Tsuna knew it was basically "dumbing it down" but his Storm Guardian refused to say anything that meant admitting his Boss was a bit slow). Which he was, and that will probably never change. Of course, Hibari probably wouldn't mind calling him out on that.

By the time class ended, Kyoko explained the new concepts and he nodded blankly, hoping it would stick in his mind before the unit test.

"I brought lunch for once," he said solemnly, yet still with a hint of pride when he raised the bag. "One for me, one for Hibari-san."

"He's joining us at the rooftop, right?" Kyoko raised her own light pink lunch bag with a little smile.

"Yeah, I want to get to know him better, or something like that. Maybe he's not as-"

Closing his mouth as tightly as possible, Hibari opened the door, clearly waiting for Tsuna to finish the sentence. He looked unamused, as usual, but not as angry as he could have been. "I'm not as what, herbivore?"

"Nothing," Tsuna said quickly. "Why don't you sit here, I brought you lunch." Hibari raised an eyebrow, but complied and sat regally on the ledge (as Tsuna expected, miffed). He wasn't used to seeing the prefect being casual, being human, but it was a nice change compared to the usual hustle and bustle of Gokudera and Yamamoto's bantering. They would probably be arguing right now, who was he kidding, the apocalypse was a possibility with them around. It was a bit disturbing that he considered this with light happiness, because nothing was happy about the apocalypse. Reborn would probably expect him to save the world, and he'll be scared again, but when was he not scared? He wasn't right now, and that's what mattered. His food melted in his mouth and no one was there to explode (I-Pin), no one was threatening him with a gun (Reborn), and he no one was definitely there to demand his love (Lambo).They ate in comfortable silence, and it was still unnerving to know that at some point, this bliss will crash.

"I don't know why onii-chan is so scared of not making it in Namidai's boxing club, his championship trophies need another room! You should probably come over and motivate him Tsuna-kun, he's always waiting for you to visit," Kyoko was saying.

If only days were like this all the time. Tsuna laughed. "I'm pretty sure onii-san will be captain of the boxing club." Ryohei was in his first year of Namimori University, yet he still managed to mentor the boxing club at Nami-Chu (with Hibari-san's permission of course.)

"I'm sure his abilities will exceed expectations," Hibari cut in matter-of-factly, and Tsuna felt his face flush because Hibari, Hibari paid Ryohei a compliment. To even earn his praise, it was a sign of ultimate respect and so very little people have that privilege.

"T-Thank you, Hibari-san, I'll tell onii-chan you said that." Kyoko's voice was breathy and her cheeks were pink too.

Tsuna stopped chewing. "If Hibari-san believes onii-san will make it, then he will." It was an eerily Reborn/emotional moment and Tsuna almost choked.

His appearance matched the description. Not that he expected less, but he knew how idiotic and incompetent his underlings and info-scouts could be. Brown hair, brown eyes, medium build.

The Vongola Decimo.

He was nothing special to look at-at a first glance anyway. But to the trained eye (which he prided himself in having), he could see the way he carried himself. With quiet authority and confidence, traces of power and a suppressed aura promised the darkest powers of the Sky. Which meant in short, but plain words: he was dangerous. If Sawada Tsunayoshi can feign normalcy among the mediocre, then what he could do in the right circumstances spelled unimaginable power.

"Is that him, sir?"

"Of course. That indeed, is the Vongola Decimo." He looked at the picture again, only an innocently smiling face stared back.

"Do we tell Boss we found him or...?"

"Not yet, no. We need to observe him before we report to her. She wants to identify his defenses first," he murmured, enough to see the unaware teenager smile and wave at an elderly woman. He's well-rounded, engages with the general public. Getting him alone would be difficult, but not entirely impossible.

"And then what?" His under man stammered. Was it not obvious?

He couldn't help himself. It was the best part of his job. "We break them. After all, our Boss' time is almost up. And she does want an heir before her passing comes."

He would die for his Boss (as many subordinates would). But to see her give her last attempts to form a plot to join her Family and the Vongola's, well, he had no choice but to be successful. And if it had to happen by force, then so be it. This would be the peak of his career, perhaps what would settle his legacy forever. Immortal for all of history. "Boss wants him?"

"Were you not there during the debriefing?" He snapped. "Yes, she does. A child with the Vongola Decimo will save our Family. Now shut it because we're supposed to be doing our jobs, and if you're going to be incompetent, then you can take the jet back to headquarters." He rarely lost his temper, but when he did, everyone knew it was going to get ugly. He was probably one of the most efficient scouters in his Family, and he loved being appreciated, to be praised for his abilities.

And those abilities will definitely let him get a hold of Sawada Tsunayoshi.

The outskirts of Italy were just as beautiful as the cities, Giotto believed. His tea was a bit cold, but that didn't matter because G would walk in any minute, tell him to get his lazy ass up, and get a move on. For paper work, specifically. Staying in one place while those under his command scouted the region was never something he enjoyed, but he swallowed his pride and glued himself to the office chair until he lost circulation in the lower half of his body. The Vongola's sphere of influence had expanded to the Americas, although he was in charge of making peace most of the time. And he looked forward to visiting Japan, if it meant seeing Tsunayoshi again.

Never had he met someone so thrilling and just...bright in every single way. It was probably the fact that he never had someone so tuned to his own Sky flame, and completely understood the pressures of being forced into a leadership that they both never wanted, but completely accepted. Tsuna's kindness mirrored Giotto's most inner desires, and suddenly before he knew what was actually occurring, he was admiring everything about the Vongola Tenth. It was no surprise, considering Tsuna managed to ensnare just about everyone, but these little details began to cause a few skips and warm anxiety that suddenly just seeing Tsunayoshi was no longer enough.

And he felt terrible, especially that day when Reborn warned him to stay away, to leave the country, that what he felt for his Twin Flame was forbidden.

"You're thinking again," G said.

"I am."

His face looked more haggard in the darkness, especially with his tattoo glowing brightly in the shadow. G's demeanor itself was threatening, he didn't need to flash a gun to prove his power, and Giotto respected that. "If you really don't want to see him...I can head to Japan alone. Of course, without Gokudera, it will be difficult to speak-"

"That's because you scare him," Giotto said, matter-of-factly. "Tsuna's always been like that, skittish, but he's more than apt in detecting weaknesses." Especially mine.

G sniffed petulantly. "I'm less terrifying than that brat of a Cloud Guardian." He polished a bullet absentmindedly, which wasn't surprising because G had these neurotic tendencies that Giotto found slightly endearing, but still disturbing.

"His Cloud Guardian is...something. Scarily similar to Alaude."

"You got that right. So, when are we heading to Japan? The threat hasn't been officially declared. Will you wait for them to come to us, or do we ambush without warning? It's your call," G sighed, sprawling comfortably over the leather couch. Clearly any choice resulted in casualties, which is why Giotto left the numbers and statistics to other people.

"It amazes me how you can transition from therapist to killing machine in five seconds," Giotto said, smiling.

"I'm a multi-talented Mafioso." G said darkly, clearly trying to hide his amusement with the whole serious Mafia business charade. There was nothing left to be said, because they both knew how much Tsuna left a deep gaping dent in Giotto's life, it was almost amusing, in a bittersweet-esque way. If only Asari would come back, just to fluster G for a few hours, now that was a sight to see. He needed a distraction, and quickly.

Instead of being pscho-analyzed and thinking the forbidden, while also worrying what the future could possibly hold. Did Tsuna ever think about him? Was he ever reminded of what there was? Probably not, but it wasn't his business to think about that and he should stop, stop this right now-

"You should rest. I'll head to Japan alone."

G didn't even let him speak, just gave him a wary stare and let the door close quietly. He was losing it, clearly.

"You make this easier when it's just you. But when I do it by myself-"

Hibari threw one of Hibird's seeds with little hesitation and it landed on his forehead, and it hurt because it felt more like a stab with a needle. He was beginning to see why Reborn himself chose Hibari. "Reference angles. You're overthinking it, herbivore."

Tsuna was simply in a white T-shirt and boxers, and he deliberately kept his gaze on the novel he's read hundreds of times, the one on the shelf that Kyoko gave to him two festivals ago. Dino, he should probably call Dino because Hibari was Dino's. This is why the teenage years are the worst, and the most burdensome (according to Spanner). He hasn't had any private time and it was starting to bite him in the ass every morning. He was grateful Hibari left early in the mornings, or else it'd be even more embarrassing. "-if you simply memorized it. Look at the unit circle."

Without thinking, he blurted out a squeaked, "Hibari-san, I need to tell you something."

Hibari's attention was all his, and his mouth suddenly became dry, his throat burned.

It's weird, he couldn't let the words form, actually compute, couldn't bring his vocal cords to actually function. Hibari-san was sitting in front of him, out of obligation of course, but he wasn't being murderous and he was explaining a mathematical concept as Hibird chirped on his shoulder. Hibari was here to protect him. "Are you wasting time, or do you actually plan to say something? You have an exam tomorrow." He spoke crisply, his hand flipped another page of his novel.

"I...I don't know. Uh, I wanted to thank you. For everything. And this." He gestured to the calculator awkwardly and huffed a laugh.

Hibari simply stared back blankly, his finger was still pressed to the corner of the textbook's page. "You're welcome, but gratitude won't ensure success."

"Yeah, I know."

Now Hibari looked slightly pensive, eyes straying to Tsuna's scrap work. "If you think too much, you won't be productive. I suggest mental strength training, if not, all the physical won't matter."

"Is something bad going to happen?" Tsuna asked flatly. Hibari raised an eyebrow.

"I suggest you think only about your school work and physical and mental training. It's being taken care of, herbivore."

"And who's exactly doing that, Hibari-san?" It was a conscious effort to keep his tone respectful and calm.

"Giotto and the others, he'll probably make an arrival to Namimori." He could detect Hibari's attempt to seem indifferent, but the way he crumpled the edge of the page said otherwise. He clearly didn't like the idea of Giotto coming, or for anyone else to take care of the situation. But it had to be slightly serious if Giotto himself was planning to visit. And what was he going to do if Giotto came? Would they hold a formal conference of Mafia associates, or have a casual meet-up at a cafe shop?

"I don't want to see him," he found himself saying softly. The pocket watch was still in his school bag. What a hypocrite, he thought to himself bitterly. "Can you go to the park with me that day, the day he comes I mean? Ice cream, or lunch at Clare-san's?"

Hibari's grip on the creased paper slackened. "Fine. Just complete your homework."

He slid the book to the side and stood up, his shoulders loosened as he exhaled. "Wait, where are you going?"

The prefect gave him a mild glare. "It's none of your business, herbivore. Good night."

Tsuna opened his mouth to spit something back just as rudely, but Hibari left the room and wow. What the hell? Was it something he said?

He changed his mind. He will never understand Hibari-san.

I have an ao3 account (Kim_Kardashian), my tumblr is dicktatorial. All mistakes are mine.