Chapter 2

'Well, at least he didn't run.' Reborn was pretty surprised that the blond boy was tight lipped after his speech hours earlier, but it seems to do him a lot of good for starters. He didn't lie that he would be killed for showing an introverted and dependent personality. A lot of troubled kids had tried doing what he had done a month ago. He would be damned if he allows Ienari to go with the same path as those unfortunate souls.

"He needs to grow in a new environment where he can rebuild himself, free of any complications that made him do what he did. At least, give him some time to get used to the place so he could have the courage to tell you the reason. I know you can do this, Reborn."

"I won't play a major part in this, if that's what you're thinking, Nono,"

"Who do you suppose is capable enough for helping him recover?"

"Who better help him recover from this than someone who had been in the same situation he brought on himself?"

"You don't mean…"

"Yes. Tsuna will be more than capable of helping his little brother. After all, their experiences is not that far apart."

Reborn inwardly sighed as he remembered that particular conversation with the Ninth an hour before they left Italy. He just hope that Tsuna can reach out to Ienari like he had done to him four years ago.

All he could do was just hope for the best.

The private jet they took landed in Namimori in record time, and Reborn had to lead Ienari down to the airport where at the arrival area, a petite woman with long brown hair and caramel eyes was waiting for them. His wife of four years, Sumeragi-Niserio Nana.

…

Ienari hated his life. Ever since he was young, he was always the one who had to pick up the slack that his supposedly 'older' brother was leaving behind. He remembers saving him from bullies once upon a time, but in the course of the years, it merely turned into a vague memory that needed to be erased from his head right away.

Somewhere down the road, resentment for his older brother's weakness festered in him until it became resentment to his older brother as a whole. He was tired of always there for the rescue. And one single blow had managed to sever the bond he had with his older brother.

He could still remember it. The day he hit him for the very first time in his life. He glared at him as Tsuna held his swollen cheek in shock of what his younger brother had done. Pain and betrayal was evident in his eyes, as if he was looking at someone who he used to know. The person he thought was supposed to be with him through thick and thin, was now the person who would harm him.

'I hate you and everything you stand for.'

As soon as Ienari said those words, the bonds between him and his older brother crumbled. They didn't talk unless they needed to, whether it be in school or at home. He turned a blind eye on the continuous bullying of his brother, no longer lending a hand.

They were seven when that happened, and Ienari continued to hate him even after the divorce, until evidently, as the eight years passed, he just felt nothing else but pity.

He used to pity him.

But now he pitied himself.

Pitied himself for being so weak-willed and dependent on the approval of the father that was barely around to raise him properly.

They might think that he doesn't notice, but he could tell that the people around him sympathized with him. After the divorce that rendered him without a mother, things weren't the same. It got worse when he was chosen as the future Vongola Decimo.

A lot of pressure had been placed on his eight year-old shoulders. He had to make himself learn a lot of things that are required to become a mafia boss. He got the combat lessons down to pat, but his socialization skills was abysmal. It was probably due to the fact that his father had isolated him from other kids his age, only managing to interact with them at a mafia school where Dino and Squalo had gone to. But most of those kids only think of the benefits that came with befriending the Vongola Decimo.

That sent Ienari the message that he would never get true friends. Not in the mafia world.

But his older brother, according to Reborn, had managed to get over his poor personality. He wondered what his brother had become.

'It can't be as bad as mine…' Shaking away all those thoughts, he reprimanded himself. 'Don't get your hopes up. Dame-Tsuna will always be Dame-Tsuna. Reborn may be bluffing. Eight years can't change a person that quick…can it?' he wondered as he followed his tutor to the arrival area where he saw a familiar woman.

His eyes lingered on her as he and his tutor approached her. Her hair was the same chestnut brown, but longer. Her eyes shone lovingly at their direction, and her face was glowing, even more when he last saw her. After the divorce, and even before that, his mother looked a little lackluster. It becomes more noticeable when his father leaves within the week, leaving her behind.

Now she looked her age, probably even younger. He hadn't seen his mother since the divorce. He didn't even bother to attend the small ceremony of her wedding to none other than his tutor, Reborn, or in public, Renato Niserio, a private consultant.

"Ah, Nari! Dear!" Nana called out to them gleefully as she went towards their direction.

Ienari stared at the approaching woman. He knew that he was but a mere memory to this woman whom he hadn't seen in eight years. He would approach the hitman first before acknowledging him.

But to his surprise, the first person she grabbed into a hug was him.

The boy who refused to talk to her for eight years.

"Oh Nari! I missed you so much!" Ienari could feel the warmth of the hugs of this woman. It was not awkward like his father's, nor is it just a simple gesture like his 'friends' back in the mafia academy that he was attending, nor was it playful and jolly like Dino when he comes to visit. It was heartwarming…and nostalgic.

But all too soon, she pulled away from him and looked him over. She frowned. Ienari's ire began to resurface. He could tell that she will give him a displeased look because of his attire which consisted of ripped faded blue jeans and a simple tee. His bandaged wrist was concealed by a wristband. He could tell he would get reprimanded. "You're too thin! What are those people feeding you?" she asked instead. "More importantly," she faced her husband, "What have you been making him do?" she said with a lecturing voice.

For the first time in Ienari's life, he could actually see Reborn's façade break. "Well…that's…" he hesitated on what he was going to say. Ienari could tell that he was quickly making up an excuse.

"Really! You work Nari too hard!" Nana lectured as she placed her hands on her hips. "I don't care if he is going to be a future boss, but I want him healthy when he does."

That got Ienari's attention quickly. "Eh? Y-You…know?"

Nana looked back at him and smiled. "I know every single thing now." She whispered with a wink. "Now, shall we get to the restaurant? I left Tsu-kun and Hayato-kun there long enough," without delay, the group of three made their way to the parking lot.

"You left two teenagers to help out at the restaurant?" Reborn asked her.

"Well, Kyou-kun is waiting in the car. He's my driver for today!" she replied gleefully.

For the first time in Ienari's life, he could sense an obvious ire from his tutor. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he spoke, "You mean to say that a delinquent is driving the family car?"

"Kyou-kun is not a delinquent! I can't very well drive to the airport without getting lost." Nana interjected, "Besides, he's already eighteen and already has a license! Why, he even drives Tsu-kun to school with his own car now!"

"He what?"

Watching the two interact made Ienari feel just a little insecure at their natural interaction. It wasn't all 'lovey-dovey' like what he had seen in his childhood when his parents were still married to each other. But looking at his mother and his tutor, he could tell that there was affection in their interaction despite only been married for four years.

They arrived at the parking lot to see a teenager in a gakuran with an armband that says 'Discipline' on it. He had raven black hair and piercing blue grey eyes. When he saw that he was leaning on a blue family car. The moment the teenager straightened up, he immediately knew that this was the 'Kyou-kun' that his mother was talking about.

"Nana-san," the teenager addressed. "Ah, hitman."

Reborn's eyes sharpened, but to Ienari's surprise, the teen didn't even flinch. "Do you mind not calling me 'hitman' when we are in public?"

"My apologies then, Father," Ienari knew that the teenager was teasing.

The twitching of Reborn's brow was enough for him to tell that he was pissed at the address. But why was the teenager calling him 'Father' of all things?

As if trying to prevent an imminent bloodbath, Nana introduced him to the teenager. "Kyou-kun, I'd like you to meet Ienari. He's Tsu-kun's younger brother. Nari, this is Hibari Kyouya."

"Hey." Ienari addressed softly.

Hibari stared at Ienari for a few seconds before brandishing a smirk. "Wao. So this is the younger brother of Tsunayoshi. Can't say I'm not surprised that they resemble each other besides the blond hair. Almost like twins."

"He's older than me by one year." He corrected. "How do you know my brother?"

Hibari smirked, "He'll tell you when he's ready. Besides, little herbivore, you have a lot to learn here,"

"Herbivore?" now he felt insulted.

"A weakling."

Ienari felt his blood boil. "Why you…"

Ienari was about to retort when Reborn cut them off. "That's enough. We have to get back to the restaurant to get your brother. It's almost the end of his shift." He then looked at Hibari, "This time, I'm driving."

"That's fine with me. My car is parked here with Tetsuya." He then bowed respectfully to Nana, "I will be going now, Nana-san. I have some duties to take care of, such as the final papers for transfer of this herbivore." Hibari didn't miss it when Ienari's stare sharpened at him.

"Take care then, Kyou-kun," Nana bid as he watched the prefect disappear from view.

The three of them loaded the car and a silently drove to the restaurant.

…

The first thing Ienari realized was that their house was a few minutes' drive away from the restaurant they were running. The second thing he realized was that it was now ran by part-time teenagers going around the area left and right. Orders were being taken in all tables, and the staff was now running around making sure that all orders were served immediately.

When Nana and Reborn ushered him in, he was taken in by the homey atmosphere of the restaurant. The tables were always set for four to six people, rarely were they for two. The paintjob was beige and the pillars were painted brown. The service counter was at the far end of the restaurant, between two staircases that leads to the second floor.

Nana scanned the area and spotted a mane of fluffy brown using skate shoes to serve the trays with their designated table numbers.

"Tsu-kun!" she called out.

In an instant, the brown haired teenager stopped his skates to look at their direction, "Ah! Papa, Mom, Ienari! You're back!" he said as he placed his trays on the designated tables before excusing himself to maneuver himself towards the three. That was the moment that he realized that the person that was now coming towards them was his older brother, Tsunayoshi. Gone was his aura of uselessness, and was replaced with something other than every negative thing that he had thought about his older brother for the past couple of years.

"I thought you would take a little longer," he then looked at Ienari. That alerted Ienari in an instant, expecting a look of disdain, but instead, he was given a pure and innocent smile of relief, "Ienari. I hadn't seen you in eight years. How have you been doing?"

"Just well enough." He stated with a shrug. But Tsuna didn't seem to be fazed.

"Ah, but you look like you hadn't been eating well. Skipping meals is a big no no in the house." He then turned to Reborn, "Papa, are you working him too hard?"

"You and your mother think alike when accusing me. No, I do not. I work him just right." He defended. "When will your shift end?"

Tsuna looked at his wristwatch, "Hmm…in about fifteen minutes. Hayato is about to be done in the kitchen, and he'll be picked up by Takeshi too,"

"Tsuna-san, order for table fifteen," a silver haired teen said from the kitchen window.

"Alright Hayato!" Tsuna replied. Turning to them, he sighed, "Well, I better head back. Oh, Mom, there are some letters mailed to you earlier when you left for the airport. They're in your office."

"We'll be waiting for you in the car, Tsuna." Reborn declared. "Fifteen minutes is nothing. We can all drive back home with you. The assistant manager can close up." He assured.

"Okay. I'll tell them then," Tsuna declared as he rolled off to finish the last of his orders and his shift.

Fifteen minutes later, Ienari saw his brother get out of the staff door along with the silver haired teen waving goodbye to each other. Running to the car, Tsuna opened the door to the backseat, where Ienari was sitting as well. Without a minute to lose, Reborn drove to their house.

Ienari was surprised when he saw the house that Reborn had commissioned to be built in Namimori. It was a three story minimalist house complete with a driveway and garage. The 42m² villa lends itself to both formal and informal gatherings with an open floor plan and expansive outdoor living areas. Reflecting the crisp simplicity of the design, the interior decoration is based on a dramatic yet elegant white and black palette complemented by light wooden flooring. The bold, show-stopping black-painted steel frames are reinforcing the dazzling panoramas afforded by the house. It had all the up-to-date technology that money could buy, and the house looked like a celebrity was living on it. The teen figured being a professional hitman had its perks, especially on the monetary side of things.

The group of four got out of the car in no time. Nana took out the grocery bags that was in the back of the car, while Reborn took out Ienari's luggage and handed it to his student, "Tsuna, show Ienari to his room, will you? I'll cook dinner tonight."

Tsuna's eyes seem to brighten, "Can you cook that lasagna you made for us last month?"

"Sure." Reborn replied as he ruffled his hair fondly, eliciting a groan from Tsuna. The hitman pulled away from his son and the couple left the brothers to their own devices on their way to the kitchen.

Not wasting any time, Tsuna led Ienari inside the spacious house. He couldn't do anything but marvel at the interior. "Our rooms are at the second floor. The third floor is for recreation area and a small library, if you're interested. Mom cooks breakfast usually, but we switch every two days. The house awakens at six in the morning since I help out Mom with the opening of the restaurant before heading to school," Tsuna shared. They stopped at the third room to the left. Tsuna took out a key and opened the door.

Ienari entered and was impressed at the minimalist themed bedroom. He was instantly impressed by how the hitman designed his own house. "I never thought Reborn would build such a house,"

Tsuna laughed, "Well, Papa always said to be grand or not do it at all." He shared. "This will be your room. Your uniform is already pressed and hanged in the closet for tomorrow. Your school tour guide will be waiting for you at the school gates by tomorrow at eight. If you want to help out with the opening of the restaurant, we go there at seven on the dot before I'm picked up by Kyouya," when he was replied by silence, Tsuna looked back at his little brother with worried eyes. "Ienari?"

Again, a sudden feeling of awkwardness came back to him. "Why…?"

Tsuna tilted his head, "Why what?"

"Why are you greeting me like this warmly?" Ienari asked. "When all I did from when we were seven up until their divorce was to be mean to you? Why aren't you hating me?"

Silence reigned in the room at first, but Tsuna broke it with a small smile, "That happened years ago, Ienari. There's no point for me to hold a childish grudge. Besides, you're not being mean to me now, aren't you?" Ienari was floored.

"Papa told me that you were having trouble adjusting in your life in Italy. I figured you needed a change of scenery along with a change of how view yourself and people. Starting tomorrow, I'll help you overcome your insecurity and your pressure in meeting…his expectations." He didn't miss the pained expression in Tsuna's eyes when he mentioned their father. "Do you want me to help you unpack?"

Ienari knew that he was avoiding that subject, so going along, he shook his head, "No. I can do it."

With a smile, Tsuna turned to leave, "We may have parted with animosity between us, but I'm glad you're here, Ienari,"

When the door closed and footsteps faded, Ienari sat down as he stared at the door. "Maybe I am too…"

TBC

So, a little bit of clearing is needed:

1. Nana and Iemitsu divorced when Ienari was eight and Tsuna was nine.

2. Reborn married Nana four years prior, making him Tsuna's step-father when he was thirteen and was already admitted to the school Ienari will be entering. As for how they met…well, that will be revealed soon.

3. At present, Ienari is sixteen, while Tsuna is seventeen. Basically Tsuna is eleven months older than Ienari, and sometimes are mistaken as twins. This means that Ienari is entering high school as a first year, while Tsuna is in his second year.

4. I made up Reborn's real name, Renato Niserio. I got the first name from a fanfic I read somewhere, while his last name is from a former schoolmate of mine.

5. Legally, Nana and Tsuna uses Sumeragi-Niserio in their names. The former for Nana's maiden name and the latter for Reborn's. When referring to themselves in an informal manner, they use Sumeragi only.

6. Tsuna and Ienari's relationship was on the rocks even before the divorce, and Tsuna never bore any ill will towards him. Why? Because being an older sister as well, you won't get mad with your younger sibling that long without feeling that bearing a grudge towards a sibling is childish.

7. This fic will be slow-paced, as Ienari is still getting used to his surroundings.