A/N:

I counted the chapter wrong again. OH MY GOD! I'm such a ditz!

I've withhold these chapters long enough. I hope you enjoy them. You deserve them. And, thank you. For everything. Really.

Anyway, go on. Shoo!

Chapter Sixty-Three

"Tsuna..." One of his classmates uttered.

"Tsuna-"

He shook his head, fist clenching Karma's upper uniform to cover himself tightly. Karma stood, and he instinctively backed away, causing some of them to stop from standing up.

"Tsuna..." Karma called, eyes staring at him with sympathy. "I-I know... We know you tried so hard to save Sensei. And we know what you feel. Maybe even greater than ours. You've been with him almost all year. He was there when you were having bad times, when none of us could. He saw who Sawada Tsunayoshi truly was. And if it weren't for him, we won't see the real you too. And I know you understand that we need to do this. It's painful and it will scar, but Tsuna..."

"I-It..." He tried to swallow the lump on his throat as he tried to talk. Karma stared at him. "It just... It hurts."

He closed his eyes as he felt Karma hug him. He didn't let his tears fall, knowing his best friend and his classmates were on the verge of crying too. Karma didn't say anything and guided him to the class. The redhead didn't tell him to hold a tentacle or anything. He made him sit at Koro-sensei's side, between the tentacles Itona and Sousuke were holding. The class tentatively smiled at him, weak and somber.

"Alright then..." Koro-sensei started off. "Akabane Karma-san?"

Karma took a second to answer, eyes downcasted. "... Here."

"Isogai Yuma-san?"

"Here." Isogai responded.

"Okajima Taiga-san."

"Here." Okajima answered.

"Okano Hinata-san."

"... Here." Okano answered, already trying not to cry.

"Okuda Manami-san?"

"H-Here!" Okuda responded, tears already flowing.

"Kataoka Megu-san."

"Here..." Kataoka answered in a somber way.

"Kayano Kaede-san."

"Here." Kayano answered clearly.

"Kanzaki Yukiko-san."

"Here." Yukiko replied with her eyes closed.

"Kimura Justice-san."

"Here..." Kimura responded as instructed.

"Kurahashi Hinano-san."

"He-re..." It cracked, but Kurahashi was able to respond.

"Shiota Nagisa-san."

"Here..." Nagisa glanced at Tsuna and gave a small pained smile. Tsuna reciprocated it with his own.

"Sugaya Sousuke-san."

"Here." Sousuke replied.

"Sugino Tomohito-san."

"Here." Sugino responded, already teary.

"Takebayashi Kotaro-san."

"Here." Takebayashi responded too, loud and clear.

"Chiba Ryunosuke-san."

"Here." Chiba answered.

"Terasaka Ryouma-san."

"S'Up." Ryouma grumbled.

"Nakamura Rio-san."

"Yo." Nakamura replied casually with a small smile.

"Hazama Kirara-san."

"Here." Hazama answered.

"Hayami Rinka-san."

"Here." Hayami replied.

"Hara Sumire-san."

"Here." Hara replied with a sigh.

"Fuwa Yuzuki-san."

"Here!" Fuwa answered, vigorous as always.

"Maehara Hiroto-san."

"Mhm..." Maehara hummed, smiling a little.

"Mimura Koki-san."

"Here." Mimura replied, sniffing to keep his tears at bay.

"Muramatsu Takuya-san."

"'Sup." Takuya answered.

Tsuna gripped the coat, readying his voice so it won't crack. Almost there...

"Yada Toka-san."

"Here..." Yada answered, eyes closed tightly.

"Yoshida Taisei-san."

"Here..." Taisei replied, already on the verge of crying.

"Ritsu-san."

"Here." Ritsu answered, already crying.

"Horibe Itona-san."

"... Here." Itona answered weakly.

Beady eyes turned to him, and Koro-sensei gave an encouraging smiled that made Tsuna close his eyes in resignation. He hates this. "Sawada Tsunayoshi-kun?"

"Here." He replied softly.

"This has truly... Truly been an unforgettably fantastic year." Koro-sensei remarked. "To have the privilege of being assassinated by all of you, I must be the luckiest man in this world."

Tsuna watched as Nagisa unsheathed the anti-matter knife. The bluenet posed it by their teacher's heart. Brown eyes watched as his hands gripped the hilt, and they shook terribly. Reaching out, he touched Nagisa's arm. It caused the other to look at him.

"Come on." He whispered, voice cracking as he tried to hold in his tears. "Relax... This isn't how you assassinate."

Nagisa blinked and his tears fell. Tsuna looked down to his laps as his did as well. He couldn't stop his mind from replaying all the memories he spent with Koro-sensei. And it's so damn painful because he wanted it to be there. He wanted everything to be remembered and never be forgotten as their teacher lives. As Koro-sensei lives.

Nagisa straightened up and looked straight to their teacher with a smile. It spoke a lot of things that could only be understood by them who have bonded with the man. "Goodbye, Koro-sensei."

Koro-sensei grinned his signature smile. "Indeed, this is goodbye."

Nagisa pierced through the cloth and to Koro-sensei's heart. It was a second before the man slowly glowed brightly and calmly fluttered away as tiny particles of light. They watched him go, and disappear. Then everyone bowed their head, clenching their fists that were holding their teacher just a second ago.

Tsuna covered his face with his arms as he cried silently while the whole class wailed.

"Reborn." Daemon called as Xanxus and the others followed Viper who went inside the portal.

"I'll stay here." He answered, staring at the old building. "Keep watch on him. Tsunayoshi doesn't know yet."

"Alright. Take care of Tsunayoshi." Daemon nodded before he disappeared.

His eyes went to his right to see Mukuro standing there. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see." The mist shrugged.

Reborn stared at him for a second before looking back to the building when the brunet got assisted by his elements to walk.

He didn't really know how important Ryushi to the kid until the moment he saw the brunet's expression, when everyone of his classmates went and restrained the man. It was this... Mixture of torment in the most agonizing way. It was like an adult's grief and regret mixed with a child's pain and sadness. That kind of resignation that one couldn't do anything, and tried to keep it in so he wouldn't show emotions. And Reborn knew very well how that felt.

Really. It must be the Varia's words and how the brunet acts that he forgot a simple fact. Regardless of his greatness — his epic feat, Tsunayoshi was still a teen. He had never been a child nor grew up like a normal kid. He was as miserable as any slum kids. Like Reborn and Ryushi. And Ryushi's presence gave him enough security to enjoy life a little. To be vulnerable and have something to protect and fight for that wasn't his life, or that will to survive because of lifelong promises he needed to keep.

He looked up when the sky went bright. The whole top of the mountain got engulfed by a beam of light. It lasted for a minute before it disappeared. He sighed at how harmless it was for them, yet relatively harmful to Ryushi if he was assassinated by it. Deciding, he stepped out of his hidings and started to walk for the building as well.

"That Sawada,"

He eyed Mukuro who said those. "What of Tsunayoshi?"

"He's not perfect." Mukuro said as he walked a step behind him. "He's not your typical Sawada. Chrome said he's very... Impulsive in a calculative way. Is it true?"

"Do you think you'll be free without him?" He asked rhetorically. "When Chrome said that you were in prison, Byakuran and Yuni immediately told Tsunayoshi. You weren't part of the favor exchange he wanted to get from Vindice, but he included you because he said you should have been freed two years ago already."

"So, I owe my life to him now."

"I don't think he'll think of that as a debt. He just wanted you to be free because you're innocent." He looked back as they entered the building. "Doesn't mean you're still free of what you did to my students."

Mukuro shrugged. "It's mafia, Hitman. We live by the rules of kill to not be killed. If the other guardians of tenth generations weren't innocent, Sawada Ietsuna could've killed me; and you won't be able to stop it. You won't be able to create the true Vongola you want to achieve."

"I don't care about Vongola." He answered after removing his shoes and exchanged it with indoor ones. "I'm just doing my job."

"Is it because your loyalty shifted after he saved you?" Mukuro followed his lead. "Have you ever thought that he has motives?"

"He has none." He replied. "And that's what you should be curious about Tsunayoshi. He doesn't do things for a reason, or if he has any reason at all, it will be something that you won't comprehend unless you're in his shoes." He gazed outside as soldiers suddenly came walking in the school ground. He didn't really need to worry when Karasuma and Jelavich met them halfway. "And yes. My loyalties shifted." He looked down at Mukuro who appeared surprised with his admittance. "Not because he saved me, but because he demanded for me to be his sun in his sky." And he walked off.

He went for where he could hear the children's sniffles. He stood by the open door, watching them read Ryushi's accordion-like personalized guidebook for every single one of them. Some of them changed out of their super suits, wearing PE uniforms. Tsunayoshi though was not within sight. Even Karma. He looked around and frowned when he couldn't see the two. He was only able to guess where they were when he remembered something Xanxus laughed and grimaced about. Even Ryushi chuckled at.

Tsunayoshi fit in small spaces.

He crouched down. Even Mukuro did, to see the brunet hugging himself under his table. Karma sat with him, just on the spot of the chair should be and reading his own guidebook. They relied on each other's weight and kept themselves balanced. Tsunayoshi leaned on the redhead, still crying silently. Karma glanced at the brunet every once in awhile. There's this worry in those gold eyes. Probably not used seeing his friend so emotionally damaged.

Reborn stayed in that position, watching the class. Some came around to check on them. They talked with Karma who had guided the brunet to sleep on his lap instead of curling on the floor. They murmured of how was Tsunayoshi, and has he calmed down. Terasaka gave up his own coat for the brunet, and conversed with Karma about their versions of the guidebooks. It stayed like that until one in the overnight, until everyone slowly fell asleep due to the exhaustion.

"Are they all his guardians?" Mukuro queried, dumbfound with what he had witnessed.

"He harmonized with three of them already." He answered as he stood up. He went inside the room quietly.

"But everyone in here? That's... A lot."

"They call him an encompassing sky." He informed and crouched beside Karma. He reached out for the brunet's forehead and checked his temperature. "Utterly protected by his zealous classmates."

Mukuro didn't say another word and just stared at the brunet.

The brunet didn't get sick from all the crying he did and exhaustion he felt. He has been sleeping much for the past days too, worried that Yanagisawa or the Wolfpack would attack Ryushi. For someone who worries a lot, he's not jittery and very calm. Like an adult should be.

He stood up. "Let's go."

He should check on Ryushi now.

"Tsuna?" He looked up in response to Karma's call. The redhead smiled at him gently and wiped his face with a wet towel. "Your eyes are bloodshot."

"Sorry..." He said impulsively.

"There's no need to be sorry, Idiot." Karma chided softly. "It's not bad to cry. I cried too, as embarrassing at it was to admit." He ruffled his hair. "Come on now. Don't be like that. Sensei won't like it if his favorite person outside the school keeps on a long face."

Tsuna sniffled before smiling a little. "Yeah."

Karma smiled back.

He turned to the front when the door opened. Karasuma-sensei and Irina-sensei walked in. Karasuma-sensei stepped at the podium and told them what happened. That the laser was still launched minutes after what happened with them. And that the soldiers tried to surround the area to inspect but he had stopped them.

"I'm sure all of you maybe finding some aspects of our current situation unacceptable." Karasuma-sensei remarked. "Things will get tougher with all of the media scrutiny you will be receiving. And we will likely have to ask you all to remain silent about certain bits of classified information." His eyes strayed to Tsuna who kept his head bowed, twiddling his thumbs as a way to distract himself. "It goes without saying that we will continue to try our best to protect you all from harm. But regardless," He bowed his head. "Please allow me to apologize in advance for any inconveniences that you may experience in the near future."

"Sensei, we'll be fine." Maehara assured with a smile. "We'll all do our diligence to get back to the normalcy of our daily lives."

"After all, we wouldn't want to put any undue stress on Karasuma-sensei." Okano seconded.

"But in exchange, there is one request we would like to make." Tsuna looked up to gaze at Kataoka. "Please allow us to participate in the Kunugigaoka Graduation Ceremony today. We believe that everything that happened this year, including our clashes with the students from the main campus building were an important part of our time with Koro-sensei."

"Agreed." Karasuma-sensei replied with a soft smile. "I will arrange it. After all, this is what I'm here for."

The class beamed, then Isogai looked back to them. He met Tsuna's eyes, making the latter perk up.

"Stand!" Isogai said and stood up.

Tsuna followed and then bowed as the others did.

"Karasuma-sensei and Bitch-sensei, you have our most humble gratitude for your instruction and guidance this past year!" The class said in chorus, a usual farewell speech that was not this happy for them to say for the past years.

"Do you want me to get you a school uniform?" Karma queried, holding his phone.

He shook his head as he pulled out his own flip phone. "Ota-san will do it. He asked me to call him if I wanted to attend the ceremony. Something about custom made uniform that the maids did for me back in Kurogane den."

"Alright."

Tsuna was about to click 'call' when he realized it. "I should ask him to bring a camera. This is a first time I'm seeing Karma in full uniform."

"W-What?! Hey-!"

He laughed as he tried to keep his phone away from the redhead.

Although he wasn't able to tell Ota to bring a camera, he was still able to message him after the call. Karma has no escaping it.

The First Division leader met him by the City Hall where the ceremony would be held. The man gave him his uniform, and followed him to the bathroom. He didn't say much, pretty sensitive with the brunet's feelings which the latter was very grateful of. He only asked if he was able to eat dinner last night, did he shower before coming there, and handed him a small bag of goods. Probably from Mio who has been pretty worried for him since the whole country was informed about Koro-sensei. He also showed him the camera that they snickered at.

The students who knew their circumstances kept on whispering to each other as the class passed by to get to their respective seats. Tsuna didn't really bother much, fiddling with his wristbands beside Itona and Karma. The ceremony started after all graduating students were able to settle in their places. A speech was given by Chairman Asano before they commenced with the diplomas. They were asked to line up by class numbers, so Tsuna was at the very end of the line.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi." Chairman Asano said on the mic.

Tsuna walked on the stairs of the stage. The moment he stood properly on the stage, he heard a single clap then joined by another then another until everyone from the hall was clapping. He blinked and turned to them in surprise, but Class E was yelling at him with these proud cheers.

Then he realized that the whole school didn't really think he would be able to graduate middle school since he was said to be a 'dame'.

Tsuna smiled at them for a second before he went for the podium where Chairman Asano was waiting. The man smiled at him, and he gave his own too.

"I have been trying to know what you meant by then." Chairman Asano said as he handed him his certificate. "When you declined my offer for you to go back to the main building. The answer only got to me the other day. A lot of teachers and students asked me if you will be able to graduate regardless of the fact that the Japanese School system will still make you graduate. Their expectation of you graduating was really low. And now I understand why you didn't want to come back. It was only your teacher who was able to find the true Sawada Tsunayoshi behind the 'Useless Tsuna' mask."

He smiled as he accepted the certificate. "There was never a mask, Chairman Asano. It was only survival."

The chairman nodded. "True. Regardless, congratulations on graduating, Sawada-kun."

"Thank you, Chairman."

He turned around and waved his diploma which gained another bout of applause.

After the ceremony, Tsuna ambushed Karma for a picture. The redhead went red in embarrassment when Ota showed him the camera. Still, he pulled his best friend to a picture, then Ryouma joined in until they had everyone from Class E. He was also able to get a picture with Gakusho who approached him to congratulate him. After an hour, Ota excused himself since Suoh requested for his presence. But he was reminded that he needed to visit the main house to celebrate his graduation.

Tsuna was called out by his classmates again to have a group photo. After that, they started to talk among themselves. Then suddenly, they heard people coming in, shouting for them to give statements. They were reporters, pushing their ways to them, and taking picture and videos of them. Karma and Nagisa pushed Tsuna back to protect him from the people who kept on trying to get their words. It stayed like that until something happened. The reporters got pushed back, and the class got surrounded.

Tsuna looked up when the class got covered with a cloth. Under it, he could see that the Kunugigaoka logo is printed on it, big enough to be a banner, and cover the whole twenty-eight students of Class E. All students kept the reporters from getting close to them and started to escort them out of the hall.

"Chances are our paths will never again cross after today." Gakusho said as he led the way. His purple eyes glanced at them. "But the fact remains, we all studied under the same educational institute. If we cast you aside now, it would shame my name as a ruler." Then he looked ahead where a bus and some soldiers were waiting for them. "Akabane,"

Karma perked up.

"I heard that you and Tsuna will remain at this school. When all this commotion finally dies down, I'll be sure to hunt you down and make you confess. About the story of the teacher who mentored you this past year. Koro-sensei, was it?" He stepped to the side, and laid a hand for the open door of the bus. "Tsuna has been tight-lipped about it. Maybe if you start it, he'll say something as well."

"Sure thing." Karma shrugged as he climbed on the steps and paused to look back to Gakusho. "But, you're such a square, I worry that you won't be able to comprehend much of it!"

Gakusho only smirked and Karma continued to climb. The strawberry blond smiled at him. "We'll see each other then?"

Tsuna smiled. "Yeah. Thank you, Gakusho."

His friend smiled and nodded at him to get along. When everyone was settled, the bus went off. They were dropped off to their homes. Tsuna went out on Nagisa's stop, and asked the soldier who was tasked to guard him to go. The man was reluctant to follow his order, so he told him to follow in a safe distance.

When he got to his apartment, he was greeted by half of the Varia lounging inside. Xanxus perked up from his seat and stood up, taking his big coat with him.

"You're late."

He blinked at Xanxus. "Uh..."

"Come on." The other said and guided him out of the room again.

"Where are we going?" He asked as he put his shoes on again.

Xanxus didn't answer and said something instead. "Sometimes, you underestimate yourself too much that you doubt yourself, Tsunayoshi. And there are times that you act too matured for your age that it makes me forget that you're a teenager."

"Like you?" He queried, earning a glare. "Technically, you are also a teenager, Xanxus. Age-wise, you're like twenty-two. However, you're still sixteen mentally, emotionally, and physically."

"I know. But I'm still older and wiser." Xanxus pointed out and opened the door. "As I was saying, you need to believe in yourself and the resources you gathered, Tsunayoshi."

"Xanxus." He called as the man went for the door next to his. "I know I cried and you saw me do so last night. But please let me at least breathe. You can't possibly ask me to get over something I couldn't."

"I know what loss feels." The man answered and put an arm around the brunet's shoulders. "We all know."

Right. Xanxus lost his adopted brother too. He bit his lower lip as the door opened. It was the same as he left it. Except for Mukuro who stood up from his spot on a single sitter in the living room. "Rokudou-san."

"Sawada." The teen nodded at him before gesturing to the main room. "They've been waiting for you."

His brows furrowed in confusion. They? And waiting? He turned to Xanxus who closed the door. "What's going on?"

"Your plan worked. The antidote worked. He's-"

Tsuna almost tripped when he went inside, shoes flying back with how quick he pulled them out of his feet. He barged inside the main room to see them.

Surrounding the bed were Reborn, Verde and Lussuria with Daemon at the side. On the bed, with IV attached on his veins and a vital monitor on the side, was a man in his thirties. He looked so much like the person who Reborn introduced to his counterpart. Black hair, pale complexion, and a little lean with how much weight he lost. Tsuna's eyes watched as the man's chest go up and down.

Sinking low on his knees, his tears started to form again and fall. He had to cover his face with his hands to keep the noise to himself. He felt someone hug him, and he clutched on him with dear life, relief and happiness.

"It's okay." He heard Reborn whisper to him. "You saved him."

Tsuna hid his face on the hitman's shoulder and cried.

Back then— When he was still a kid, he always wondered how would it feel to have someone to take care of him. When he became a teenager, he asked himself what could have happened in his life if he has a life like any teenager he had observed. And when he became an adult, he figured there wasn't much to regret now that he had done the deeds.

He was never one to see things in a different light. Reborn could attest to that since they're both orphans who grew up in the slums, and were directed to have a life in order to survive the world. And after attaining their own titles in their 'jobs', they have never crossed paths again. Every once in awhile, they'd see each other. It would prompt them to greet, then go to a bar, drink while talking and bragging about what they have achieved so far then part ways with faiths that they'd see each other again in a good condition.

Not until he heard that Reborn suddenly got in an accident.

Then he got an apprentice.

And he got captured.

Coming to his senses, he realized that nothing felt different. He felt... Good. Never been better than the last time he moved. Opening his eyes, his vision focused on what's in front of him. He blinked a lot of times to clear his sight and identified that he's staring at a white wall... Or a ceiling. He blinked again and was about to do an SOP when he felt something move on his side. He turned to see a brunet typing his words away to a laptop, eyes moving as the words being created were reflecting themselves in them.

Then everything came back to him. The class. The barrier. The laser. Being attacked by his apprentice and Yanagisawa. Reborn and others helping them fight off the two. Kayano and Tsuna getting injured. And feeling so weak after everything.

He had come in terms with his apprentice who had always wanted to be acknowledged by him. Ryushi honestly did feel regret on that part, not appreciating the child he had mentored. And maybe that's the reason why he came back— to see why was a bunch of children were able to get his acknowledgement when he couldn't get a single one. Yes, the betrayal was painful. But it was also esteemed from his own faults as a flawed mentor.

He wondered what happened to the class. They kept on crying back then. He remembered seeing all of them on the edge of bursting into tears when Nagisa did it. Especially Tsuna, who didn't want to be part of the assassination. Now that he realized it, that was the first time the brunet was able to be part of an assassination.

Testing, he moved and was about to call out on Tsuna when he noticed something. His hands... They aren't tentacles like. He then looked down on himself before reaching for his face to caress it.

The antidote worked?

"You're sixty-five percent cured." He turned back to Tsuna who kept on typing. "The thirty-five percent remaining is your ability to shift parts of your body or a whole to your other form, including speed, regeneration and the other abilities you acquired back when you were still in that form."

"So generally, I'm part-human, part-monster- Okay. Part-octopus." He laughed nervously at the glare. Right. He couldn't call himself a monster. He bet the brunet's counterpart admonish Reborn for calling himself that too in some occasions. But generally, if he caused out of all the glares he had encountered in his whole life, Tsuna's glare was the scariest.

"Yes." Tsuna nodded as he went back to his work. "And it's good. At least you are with us again."

He couldn't help smiling at that. "Yeah. It's nice."

Brown- No. Caramel eyes looked up to see him, and the brunet smiled back before diving back again.

"Tsuna-kun?" He called. He got a hum. "How is everyone? Did I sleep long? What happened?"

"You slept for five days." The brunet answered, pausing from what he was doing, but his attention was still there. "The class participated in the school graduation ceremony and basically trapped in their homes to avoid the media. Reborn-san is probably about to be back from Namimori because he checked on his students. Daemon is checking up on the others since some had expressed that they were getting bored, and so he is. The Varia is asleep in my apartment with Verde-san. Verde-san has been the one monitoring your progress. Rokudou-san is back in Namimori too."

"Do they know?"

He shook his head. "Not yet. I couldn't — don't know how to tell them."

He stared at the child. He was never one to have favorites. True, Nagisa has been his favorite in class, being a top-tier assassin who has always been responsive and supportive in every assassination the class did. It's just that the bluenet's way of assassination has been flawless from the very beginning. It was probably that lust to break free from his mother's grasps that made him like that. However, as time went by, he kept on growing too. And what Karma said was true. If there was a class valedictorian, it would be Nagisa.

But outside everything, he'd admit that it's Tsuna who made him want to live again. The other lesson that taught him how important it was for him to change his views about life. That it has never been black and white in the first place. With Tsuna, he suddenly became a guardian. A parent who needed to teach his child how to do basic things again; from eating to walking and running then talking and then socializing. It's like he had slowly nurtured the child to grow up in a proper way that others couldn't do. And as the brunet grew and got inspired to live, he was asked to do so as well.

"Have we..." He stared at the child. "Have we ever discussed those wishes we promised to do for one other back then?"

A shake of head. "No. We never really thought of them."

Ryushi took seconds before he started to talk. "One, I want you to look after your classmates. Bond every once in a while, so you could catch up on each other and help any of them when they need it." He noticed how those eyes wavered. "Two, I want you to promise me that you will stay healthy, productive, and never resort to your ways again, unless utterly necessary. And three, find your happiness." He got a nod. "What about you?"

"One, go back to your old job because I know how you love being an assassin. If not, you can apply to a teaching job since I know you have the skill for it. Two," The grips on the laptop tightened. "Show yourself to Class E when you deem the time is good for them to know that you're still... Alive. And three," A gulp, eyes still on the monitor. "Ask you to be my sun and demand you to come back every single mission you do."

"Tsuna-kun." He called, turning to his side to reach out for the teen. The brunet still refused to look at him again even if he was able to take one of his hands. He stared at the child. "I'm sorry."

Tsuna shook his head, throat bobbing as he tried to swallow.

"Oh child." He sighed as he tugged him gently. Brown eyes went to him, and they watered remarkably. "Come here."

Tsuna let go of his laptop and went to his side. He hugged the child to himself. He could hear him trying to calm his emotions and keeping his tears at bay. He tucked him near his chest and under his chin. It didn't take long for the child to slowly breathe in an even way and completely go to sleep.

Reborn arrived with them in that position. The hitman just blinked, stared, and then beamed at him, which he gave back. He shouldn't be letting his guard down when his friend was like this, but he couldn't help it when the brunet was tucked under his chin. He tightened his hold. Tsunayoshi must have been up for days to watch over him.

"Good. You're awake and able to make that kid to at least sleep again." Reborn remarked as he moved the laptop to the bedside table from the chair and sat on it. "He has been awake for five days. It takes Xanxus for him to sleep for a minimum of two hours, and eat under my own persuasion. Daemon takes care of him by being a teddy bear though."

"He hasn't been crying, has he?"

"Whenever he thinks no one is looking." Reborn made himself comfortable. "It can't be helped. You accepted your fate when he couldn't. He doesn't entirely blame himself, but I think it's more of the fact that he almost lost you."

He smiled a little. "I almost lost him too."

The hitman huffed. "As much as I want to take the first step, I'd like you to harmonize already."

"We'll get there."

They talked for awhile. Well, more of until Verde came in to check up on them. The scientist checked his vitals, and explained to him what happened to his system.

When Nagisa pierced his heart, and he became these tiny particles of light, he wasn't entirely those lights. Daemon was able to make a believable illusion that he did turn those, but in reality, his heart was never pierced and those tiny particles were result of the antidote releasing the anti-matters from his body. In a sense, the anti-matter was flushed by the antidote after twenty-one days, and the silicon that his body has adjusted to remain in his system. It resulted him to retain his abilities and probably transform back whenever he wanted.

And after he got back to normal, Vindice teleported him to their side on the mountain, and transported him to the apartment where Verde was waiting for more medical care. He needed the IV fluid to keep himself hydrated and nourished since his body released most of his vital nutrients. They needed to check if his vitals were good, no failing organs, and if his lungs and heart were okay. He was free from the IV after four days, when they noticed that his color was back to normal. And now, all he needed to do was eat, sleep, exercise, and do whatever he wanted.

They discussed all of that with Tsuna asleep on his side. Xanxus came an hour later and gave up his coat to cover the brunet who slept his day. He couldn't help laughing at how doting the other though. He almost received a smack on the head if he didn't stop. Still, he got the finger in retaliation.