CHAPTER 3: THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM

After seeing his father angry like that, Tsuna decided to never speak of the boogie man ever again. However, as much as he was guilty of making his papa yell at him like that, Tsuna decided he couldn't stand to sleep in his room any longer.

The following morning, Nana had gently woke Tsuna up and together they went downstairs to make breakfast. Iemitsu was already there, Tsuna had been dreading to see his father again all night, but Iemitsu had given him a warm hug and a kiss in greeting. It was like last night never seemed to happen. Tsuna was content with making up with his papa. After a good breakfast, Tsuna marched off to school, practicing his recorder noisily as he went. At school he tried to distract himself a lot. He actually raised his hand in class, he volunteered to clean up after playtime, and he even let other kids take a majority of his lunch.

But the boogie man would never seem to stray from his mind, always lurking in the darkest corners, waiting for a chance to attack.

He sat on the swings sadly, rocking himself back and forth, willing recess would last longer. He wished he could tell his parents what really happened last night but they would never believe them. They would just say he just wanted attention…Tsuna kicked and nudged at a stray rock in the sand. But there really was a boogie man! Tsuna told himself, remembering the way he spoke, the way he grabbed him. There really was one! He just needed to buy time, and get proof that he existed.

"Hey, Tsuna!"

"Tenth!" Tsuna perked up upon hearing the voices. Yamamoto trailed behind Gokudera, grinning in a easy fashion, hands folded behind his head. These two were his best friends, they've been with him longer than he could remember.

"Hello, Gokudera-kun, Yamamoto." Tsuna greeted them softly.

"What are you doing?"

"Ah, well, just swinging." Tsuna said, smiling, motioning vaguely.

In a burst of excitement, Gokudera was bouncing so much, he couldn't hold it in any longer, "Tenth, today my sister isn't here! Isn't it great?" he exclaimed ecstatically.

"Bianchi isn't here today?" Tsuna repeated politely, encouraging further elaboration.

"Nope." Yamamoto supplied this time, much to Gokudera's annoyance, "I think she's staying over at a friend's house. I think she's teaching her friend how to cook."

Bianchi, Gokudera's older half-sister, was one of the cafeteria's lunch ladies. Her face often makes Gokudera sick due to an old accident. He can't even stare at Bianchi for more than five seconds before sudden illness comes over him. Bianchi signed up for the job when she learned that Gokudera was going to be enrolling in the school much to his immense displeasure. Tsuna, of course, met her on uncountable times because the silver-haired boy was one of his best friends. His first encounter with her, she offered him a cake, Bianchi had tripped—the cake went soaring through the air towards Tsuna. But bravely—Gokudera shielded Tsuna with his body to protect him. Tsuna would never forget what happened after that—Gokudera had stomachaches for weeks.

"Maybe she's teaching my dad?" Yamamoto said with a smile.

"Idiot, you just said yourself that my sister was teaching a girl how dumb can you get?" Gokudera mumbled, frowning, then added grudgingly, "Your dad doesn't even need to learn how to cook."

Yamamoto's dad was a chef at a sushi bar. The last time Tsuna had heard, he was currently teaching Yamamoto how to make sushi. Because Yamamoto is still a kid, his dad decided to teach him at a young age so that way that when Yamamoto gets older, he'd probably master the art by then. He admired his friend at being so lucky to be already talented and only the same age as him. One time Tsuna and Gokudera had come over to Yamamoto's house to watch his dad cook. It looked more complex then most would think. They tasted it, and Tsuna was instantly hooked. Gokudera admitted rather reluctantly that it suited his tastes as well.

Thinking about Yamamoto's and Gokudera's parents-would they believe them if they told them about the boogie man? Then Tsuna gasped loudly, hand slapping over his head. Yamamoto and Gokudera! It was ingenious! If they would sleep over then maybe the boogie man wouldn't come! The boogie man only comes when others aren't around! Tomorrow was a day off too! It was perfect timing! Tsuna hopped up the swing set and bounced up to Gokudera and Yamamoto, stumbling a bit on his feet.

"Can you two sleepover tonight?"

Yamamoto and Gokudera blinked at the sudden change of topic. Yamamoto grinned, "Yeah! That sounds good! Tomorrow we're off, right?"

Tsuna nodded feverously, "Yeah!" Tsuna turned to Gokudera shyly, "What about you, Gokudera-kun?"

Tsuna squeaked as the boy in question kneeled to grab Tsuna's hands in his own fervently, "I'd be so honored, Tenth! Of course I'll come!"

With a laugh he nodded at his friends, happier than he felt for weeks, "Alright. We'll head over to your houses after school, then!"

"My house is a bit far away." Gokudera said dejectedly, but then gave Tsuna a determined look, "But if I don't make it to your household in time, Tenth, then please allow me to rip off one of my fingernails!"

Tsuna nearly fainted. He whispered in absolute horror, "Please, Gokudera-kun, don't ever do that."

Gokudera nodded without missing a beat, "Then slamming a door over my head will suffice then."

—

After getting the OK from Yamamoto's father and Bianchi, (Gokudera had fainted in the process and Tsuna took over in asking permission,) the three friends headed back to Tsuna's house. Nana was delighted to see Tsuna bring home his friends. Gokudera was very smart, although he did have a potty mouth; he was still highly educated and used big words correctly like an adult. Yamamoto was the nicest of the latter. He had a talent for anything in sports and Tsuna seemed to get along with him the best. Nana had met Yamamoto's father, Tsuyoshi, in several occasions. Their first confrontation Nana and he joked about how Tsuyoshi's name was very close to the name Tsunayoshi. Then, after being told by his father that he talked with Tsuna's mother, (and learned that Tsuna attended the same school) Yamamoto searched for him.

Turned out, Tsuna had always been in Yamamoto's class the whole year.

Gokudera's first meeting with Tsuna had been different. Of course, Gokudera too had searched for Tsuna, but for a really strange and ridiculous reason. On Gokudera's first day of school he insisted that he sat next to Tsuna, played with Tsuna, ate with Tsuna, go to the bathroom with Tsuna and practically be everywhere with Tsuna. When Tsuna asked later why Gokudera kept following him, Gokudera had only said, 'Because a right-hand man has to be with his Tenth!' Another time Tsuna had asked why Gokudera was so insistent on calling him 'Tenth' all the time, Gokudera had only said, 'Because that's who you are, Tenth!' Despite the vague and bizarre replies, Tsuna didn't mind—he made a new friend.

"Mama, can Yamamoto and Gokudera-kun sleep over?"

Nana nodded happily and looked to the boys standing behind Tsuna, "I trust you boys already told your parents?"

The two nodded.

Nana smiled, "Alright lets get your things up to Tsuna's room, okay?"

At the mention of the room, Tsuna fidgeted nervously and his heart instinctively thudded in his chest. Calm down, Tsuna thought to himself, it wasn't as if the boogie man came out during daytime. He shuddered in remembrance of their second encounter as they all headed upstairs.

Nana brought in sleeping bags and placed them next to Tsuna's bed. Nana then left, saying that she would let Gokudera and Yamamoto situate themselves. Tsuna tried giving them a hand in unpacking, but Gokudera insisted that he mustn't soil Tenth's hands over petty things and Yamamoto said he could do it himself, grinning. So Tsuna sat on his own bed, watching them get situated. Every so often, his eyes would trail back to the closet with slight paranoia. He began wondering if this was such a good idea. What if Gokudera and Yamamoto got hurt because of this stupid plan? Tsuna shook his head. The boogie man didn't come unless Tsuna was alone. He won't come tonight.

—

After the two boys were done, the three of them decided to play hide and go seek around the house. Tsuna squeaked quietly in panic as Gokudera neared the ten countdown. He was running of time! He had to find somewhere quick! He checked his room out of his mental list. And he wasn't taking any risks and go anywhere dark to hide. Tsuna grinned cheekily as he realized where he could hide. As he scrambled quietly out the backdoor he could hear Gokudera's count end.

Scanning around panickingly, he grinned as he caught sight of what he looking for. There it was! He remembered his papa was trying to fix something up on the roof and didn't take the ladder down! Tsuna's tiny legs and arms scrambled up the ladder as he heard Gokudera's footsteps come near. Tsuna watched with silent glee as Gokudera looked questioningly around the backyard lawn for either sign of the two before giving up and going back inside.

Five minutes later, Tsuna heard Yamamoto being caught. Apparently, he hid very lousily behind the lamp shade in the guest bedroom. Tsuna giggled, Yamamoto was so silly sometimes. Tsuna stayed quiet though, the game wasn't over until they finally found him. Plus, it would be wonderful if the three of them could be on the roof together.

Tsuna began daydreaming, wondering if they could perhaps sleep on the roof instead of his room for the night. It'd be like camping! Finally deciding it was time for him to show up, Tsuna reached for the ladder. As the boy lowered himself down to get to the ladder, his hand slipped. Tsuna shrieked, his feet flailed airfully and kicked at the ladder. Tsuna watched with silent horror as the ladder snapped backwards flat onto the lawn. For a very long time, the young child stared at the ladder, absolutely aghast.

"Yamamoto? Gokudera-kun? Where are you?" Tsuna cried fearfully.

There was no answer. Tsuna was horrified. Where could they be? Tsuna tried pushing himself up from the ledge to get a better footing but his little arm strength that he had was just too weak. Tsuna shrieked again as a roof shingle he had been holding onto snapped and his left arm dangled uselessly, shingle still in hand. Tsuna's eyes started tearing up as he heard the other shingle he held onto start to strain from his weight.

"Uh…oh…" He whispered to himself, then he gathered his most loudest voice to scream into the house, "Gokudera-kun! Yamamoto! Help me!" Where were they? Couldn't they hear the ladder falling earlier? "N-No!" Tsuna gasped and watched as the shingle in his right hand broke off completely. And Tsuna was freefalling. His world tilted, and he flailed uselessly, as if it would break the fall. The ground was coming closer with surprising speed. He slammed his eyes shut, waiting for the ground to smack open his head. But it never came.

"It would be troublesome if you died early, you mindless herbivore."

Tsuna's eyes widened comically when he realized who saved him. The boogie man—as in the boogie man. He held him by his ankle, scowling at the upside down frightened Tsuna. He stared, tearfully afraid, of the man holding him. The tall man scoffed and dropped him without so much of a warning. Tsuna fell to the floor with a squeak.

When Tsuna looked up, the boogie man was no longer there.

"Tenth! Tenth!"

Tsuna shrieked as Gokudera threw his entire body on the floor and bowed lowly in front of his friend, "Forgive me, Tenth! If only I hadn't listened to the baseball idiot! I knew you where here! I just knew it! I knew it in every fiber in my being!"

Tsuna watched as Yamamoto rounded the corner of the door behind Gokudera laughing, "Tsuna, wow! You're a good hider! Where did you go? We couldn't find you! We even went to the park to look for you!"

"Shut up, you! It's your fault I left Tenth," Gokudera snapped at Yamamoto and added lowly as if it was a taboo, "…unprotected."

Yamamoto just laughed kindheartedly at Gokudera's seriousness.

"Don't laugh, you idiot! I can't believe you! Don't you care for Tenth at all?" Gokudera stood up to fist his hands in his shirt and shook him with vengeance.

Yamamoto chortled, and wrestled with Gokudera's hands away from his collar, "Hey, hey, calm down, Gokudera! Tsuna's here, that's all that matters, silly!"

Gokudera sputtered, speechless at the atrocity of Yamamoto's words.

"Right Tsuna?" Yamamoto asked, and the two looked at the boy, as if his expecting his usual breakup of their normal fights. The boy didn't answer at first and Yamamoto called again, a bit more curious, " …Tsuna?"

"Where is mama?" Tsuna asked quietly—still very shaken to the core.

"Oh, while we were playing hide and go seek Tenth,—your mother told me that she was going out for a while to get something at the supermarket." Gokudera replied dutifully.

Tsuna didn't respond again. His mind was whirling in confusion. Wasn't it still daytime? Questioningly, Tsuna looked up at the sky. It was kinda getting dark but the sky was just a shade of pink. Were boogie men supposed to come out whenever they pleased? Tsuna stared up at the roof where he fell from. More importantly—where did he come from? Tsuna hadn't seen him when he fell…Well, it did happen so fast…But then again, the boogie man did have a talent for disappearing acts.

A/N: *sigh* The beginning is going to be slow, trust me. But around chapter 14 everything will change. But I'm so excited to show you all my plot that when the moment arrives I'll be like, 'YES. This is it! This is what I was planning from the very beginning!'.

MANGA SPOILERS: Why does it not surprise me that every time they introduce a male character it just screams potential boyfriend? Kawahiro is surprisingly handsome. Maybe he's the same age as Spanner? (Potential pairing?) AND LOL. Hibari's new box weapon. As if his tonfas weren't kinky enough they had to add handcuffs? Oh god, if that isn't plausible bondage, I don't know what that is.