Disclaimer: I do not own KHR.

Chapter 15: One Minus and One Plus Makes Equilibrium

A loud bang roused Tsuna up from her sleep. She groaned, bleary eyed at Reborn, who held his Leon-transformed hammer in his hands. Long, dream-like seconds had passed before a long drawled out sigh wretched its way through her lips.

The sharp pain had become her daily wake-up alarm clock. The morning menace that started ever since her body was unable to keep up with the stress.

These days, it took an increasingly few seconds longer for her to bring herself off the bed, longer to convince her mind to awake and prepare for the tiring day. She had gotten the habit of waking up in a blink. Now, seconds had reached minutes, until she found herself functional only after a full half. Reborn used to kick her awake. Now he was breaking her head awake with a hammer.

There was no point trying to stop the painful cycle. Tsuna knew this all too well.

She slouched to the bathroom, muttering about Reborn and her ever so slightly decreasing hours of sleep.

There was no way she could stop the damned 'alarm clock'. It was not an ordinary one, that little thing. No, she was quite sure that even if she were to tap its head like any other typical alarm that obediently stopped ringing, her special one would react unkindly. Yes, Reborn would react in a very scary and harmful manner that would leave her sprawling in awkward positions on the cold floorboard.

So she didn't bother. But neither could she get used to the harsh wake-up call. No one noticed, but there were slightly dark portions of her skin under her eyes—bags—and she tended to slouch more. It wasn't good for her back, but she did that only the in the mornings anyway.

Even now, she was crawling. The girl slowly slumped her way into the bathroom and headed straight for the shower. Despite her ill-functioning mind, her body was already accustomed to the routine and her fingers twisted the dial to cold.

The pelting rain that came from the showerhead felt like needle stings on her soft skin. The frigid drops awoke her immediately—that was their very purpose—and her eyes snapped wide in their usual shock, only to be clenched even tighter as they too were stung by the ongoing stabs of water.

As she scrubbed her face, brushed her teeth, and urinated—all in the shower—she tried to remember when this had started. When the painful mornings had begun. When her body couldn't seem to keep up with the 'training' both inside and out of school. She needed an escape from this outrageous cycle.

Was it that boy? The nerdy boy with glasses? Was he the onset of her cruel mornings?

No—she forgot about him as soon as he left. This couldn't possibly have anything to do with him.

Then was it a force of nature? Was it the natural way of the world for her to sleep later and later each night, growing more and more tired, until it took a hammer for her to wake up from her short recuperation sessions?

If it was, then she was irritated. More than just annoyed, but infuriated at herself, at Reborn, at Hibari, at Gokudera, and maybe even a bit at Yamamoto, though she couldn't bring herself to put too much fault in him.

Why? Because sometimes she wished that she too would be afflicted with the foolish joy, the emotion, the abundant energy they were cursed with.

Gokudera could smile with a single pat on the head. Yamamoto was energetic always. Hibari had the ferocity, stamina, and undying will (to bite her to death) of a bear. And Reborn...Reborn spent his days gleefully torturing her, drinking his espresso and lounging around in her house.

Her fingers held her toothbrush tightly and brushed in the usual circle, sideways, up-down formations when inspiration struck.

Rest!

That was it! Carefully planned, short naps around the day, or even just a few larger ones, that added to the daily count. Even ten minutes was good enough. It seemed so simple and obvious, but it couldn't be. Not with Reborn in her life, watching her every move, whether he was in a tree or walking right beside her.

But she could handle it. She had to. So as she continued to brush her teeth, she planned.

'Gokudera will lend me his chest for a few good minutes along the day.

'I could ask Hibari for a few favors; I'll bear through the fight sessions. Then he'll be required to lend me his room for a slight rest.

'Classes I can stay 3/4-awake, conserving the majority of my strength for Hibari and rest. The other ¼ will be used to answer any sudden questions from the teachers and detecting any foreign dangers.

'From the training, I might be able to take in a few hard hits—Reborn'll probably let in a few seconds of extra rest if that happens.'

Ideas, circumstances, pros, cons, they were all rolling around in her head. Even as she finished brushing her teeth, now gurgling in the shower water, she thought. And even as she finished that, she stood in the shower, the water still running, thinking.

So concentrated, she didn't notice the pleas of her shivering body.

...

Just what was taking Dame-Tsuna so long? Reborn sat calmly on the bed taking a sip of his usual espresso, deep in thought. Lambo laid unconscious underneath the bed just like the stupid infant should.

Reborn's childish face was calm; any emotion he felt was covered by the smirk that adorned his face at all times. He was calm: but deep inside, surges of emotion pulsed softly.

Things were starting to change. He knew that much. But for what reason, and whether it was for the good or bad, he didn't know. And he hated not knowing.

But things were going to change—for the whole mafia world. It would be slow, calm, like a soft wind that would grow into a fierce hurricane in the oceans and hit straight into the heart of the Vongola. That storm would be Tsuna and her guardians: the Tenth Generation Vongola Family.

And he was going to be the beginning. The inception. Reborn was her tutor. He would be the one guiding her from right and wrong in the mafia society, the one that would help her with all tough decisions, the one she would lean on the most.

Of course, there was a long way to that goal. For him and their relationship, and for her as a future leader.

Tsuna was manipulating. She was smart. She had the hidden aura that attracted others to her. She had the fundamentals of a leader. But she was missing the key personality. Tsuna wouldn't be just any leader; she would be the Vongola leader. And in the state she was in, if she ruled, the Vongola would fall.

Yes, she had the fundamentals, but she lacked the most important things—the things that were the hardest to gain for most people. She had no sense of real urgency. No strength. No will. She was a coward that was strong, yet the Vongola didn't need cowards.

All of his other students were somehow born with these qualities, despite the miniscule amounts, and these features grew even stronger during his training. They all ascended quickly in their positions—after he disciplined them enough and pulled their will out in the open.

Reborn would have to go the old fashioned way and stuff those qualities into her like any good mentor. Or at least stretch the limited supply of the things out of her body.

But one thing at a time. The first on his list was to take back his original body. This was his first hurdle: his first trial.

His heart still panged a bit at the memory of when he first lost his body to the Arcobaleno curse. How he felt, and what began to tear his heart and mind into shreds. The anger. The regret. The sadness. The fury. The despair. It was all too evident.

Things had calmed from then. He no longer felt the barrage of emotion, nor did he feel the uncontrollable rage. They were kept under heavy, sovereign control.

A small smirk flickered on to his face.

No, he was no longer stung by that fear and wrath. And another key reason for that (besides his now perfect self control) was because he had hope. It was an unfamiliar hope: it didn't as feel tangible as his other ideas.

But it was not an empty hope. It seemed to transcend above fear and doubt; it grew strong, unfailing, and burning deep within his heart.

Reborn didn't know if this hope came from his desperate desire to retain his adult body. Or because it was a sign, or just because he had somehow gained the power of hyper intuition and that led him to believe in this meager idea.

He wasn't sure, but he knew that it will work out, because he would make it work out.

And that started with Verde, that mad scientist. Rumors were passed around tightly around the higher ups, and he had heard from Colonello that Verde had somehow come up with a solution to their problems: a cure to Arcobaleno curse that still kept the Tri-ni-set safe.

The green-haired bastard's words could obviously be a lie, a trap to lure outside competition to their deaths. But Reborn saw no harm in checking it out. There was, after all, no reason for the man not to share the solution considering it only applied to the select Arcobaleno group and the monetary value he would gain from the transaction would be enormous, thus providing funds for his research.

Reborn was wary. But more than that, he was hopeful. For the first time in over forty years, he was clutching something as light as hope in his hands.

Hope for him.

Hope for his future.

Hope for their future.

...

Reborn's head snapped out of his trance as he heard the shower stop. He went back to sipping his espresso with a calm look on his face.

Tsuna on the other hand, was not so calm. She was awake and functioning, but not as calm and contented as the baby sitting in front of her. She was too busy thinking, half sleeping, and partially wondering what time it was—if she was going to be late to school.

In fact, she was so busy and so tired that she made such a trivial and small, yet big mistake. It was just a mere, unnoticeable second that brought the chaos that followed it.

The hand that held her towel loosened for a mere second. Then it, the towel that wrapped her body and covered it from Reborn's view seemed to almost unravel by itself. It fell gently to the floor around her feet.

In the beginning, she barely even felt the thing drop. Her body was already used to the continuous cold. She didn't notice it.

But Reborn noticed. He noticed with wide, surprised, yet appreciating eyes. The baby—no, the man, continued to think about his adult form, and her splendid body.

Tsuna didn't have a dynamic body like Bianchi or any of his past lovers and one night stands, but she was unique in her own way.

The girl's body was matured, yet still childish. The curves and chest had grown beautifully. Yet there was some unneeded (but adorable) baby fat here and there. The legs and arms were thin, but not stick-like or fragile. He could see their muscle.

And the hair. The hair was something else a bit more intimate. More private, that seemed to strike his arousal. But not in this body no. Reborn wasn't content with using this body to leer at her. He'd much rather prefer to appreciate the view in his real body. His adult form. Where he would be allowed to react in all the right ways, and make her feel all the right ways.

Then, after he was done staring, he frowned.

Tsuna wasn't doing anything. Nothing. Her nude body was being exposed to him, and she was doing absolutely nothing.

That didn't make any sense. After all, he could still remember when Gokudera, that foolish boy, had touched her breasts. There was no way she could forget. Tsuna had turned the slightest pink, her eyes a bit wider than usual and her eyebrows high up in her bangs. It was a beautiful sight, if not for the fact that it was the boy inducing such reactions from her and not even realizing it.

He remembered that happening, so what was happening here?

"Dame-Tsuna."

The girl perked up and stared at Reborn questioningly.

"What?" she muttered.

Reborn grew increasingly nervous. Tsuna's body didn't seem so enticing anymore. He held up his Leon gun and pointed it at her. The girl reacted appropriately, shifting to the side away from the gun. But there was a fatal flaw in her execution: her speed.

The baby watched carefully as she slowly stepped to the side. "Reborn, I'd rather you not hit me. And anyways, don't you feel cold? It's freezing in here" she said to him with an eyebrow raised.

He was dubious of the girl's consciousness and let out a small sigh. Tsuna didn't notice.

"You're naked" he said plainly.

"What are you talking about?" Tsuna looked at him strangely before looking down and finding that indeed, she was naked.

"Wha..."

The girl hurriedly tried to cover herself up with the fallen towel. Reborn watched this with cautious eyes. Those eyes turned wide and shocked as they saw the girl fall to the floor in the process of gathering her towel.

There was no mummer, or shriek: merely a silent sigh as she crumbled to the ground.

Now he knew there was something wrong. Something that went horribly wrong. Was she poisoned? Drugged? Had a wound somewhere he hadn't noticed before? Deadly scenes rolled around in his head, but Reborn took action and quickly brought the girl in his arms to the bed. He laid her carefully on the soft blankets and flipped her over, searching for any wounds.

While he found her soft buttocks: two round curves that pressed cutely together and a small birthmark there, he couldn't find any trace of a wound, not even a scar. Instead, there were small bruises that dotted her back and legs—most likely caused by himself.

There was nothing incriminating. Nothing that could lead him to believe that something was wrong with the girl.

Reborn was confused.

Then he heard something. Soft wheezy breathes came from the girl, short and erratic. Tsuna twitched and let out a cough.

Seconds passed at the sound. The hitman let out an aberrant laugh. And just for confirmation, he placed his hand on her forehead.

It was warm. Just slightly. But still, he dropped his forehead onto hers.

Yep, it was warmer than usual. But not hot.

Silent chuckles reverberated in the small room, almost loud enough to cover the weak coughs lying beneath the sound, but not quite.

There was no need to take her temperature; he was certain: Dame-Tsuna was sick. He'd seen the signs of the illness. There were the big ones, like her constantly sleepy attitude (sleepier than she was already), the lack of steam in the showers, the fact that she actually took showers during the morning. Then there were the smaller ones, like when Tsuna's retort was slightly paused and short, or when her eyes blinked a bit more than usual during classes and conversations with her guardians.

Reborn quickly clothed the naked body with the girl's pajamas and covered her snuggly with the blankets. He then headed down to the kitchen and told the worried mother of Tsuna's state.

It was a short chat, just a hello, and the information given in one simple sentence: "Dame-Tsuna's sick" that caused Nana to freeze.

"What? Tsu-chan's sick?"

Reborn had already predicted this response and repeated once more, patiently, "She's sick."

"But she hasn't been sick since she was five! Is she tired? Unconscious? Does she have a cold? Stomach virus? Fever? Flu? Oh, I should've made her take the vaccine earlier..." Nana panicked and while mumbling to herself, clamored up the stairs into Tsuna's room, entering quietly. She stood at the foot of the bed, staring down worriedly at her daughter and confirmed it.

"Tsu-chan has a light cold, that's all... And in summer... Well, Tsuna was never attuned with the heat."

The mother's shoulders slumped, as if a heavy weight had been lifted.

"She's asleep..." Nana caressed the girl's cheek with a loving hand and sighed. Tsuna was always at home, sleeping, eating, reading, but the girl never contracted any sickness. Or rather, Tsuna never did many strenuous activities to warrant any illness. This was the first in eight years.

The last was when the girl was a mere child. It was the same: a cold during the summer, where the heat was incredibly strong. Tsuna had fell from heat stroke after a particularly gruesome day at her kindergarten class where she was hit with a torrent of sand from the sandbox. The next day, she was inflicted with a terrible cold.

Tsu-chan had been sneezing and coughing fiercely, liquid dripping from her cute nose. Her cheeks were red and her chest huffing. And while it would've made a cute picture, Nana's fear overrode her desire to take out the camera. It turned out she didn't need it, because Nana couldn't forget it; the memory was engraved into her mind, permanent and unforgotten. But in her memory, Tsuna was so much more in pain, so much more pitiful looking and tortured.

Now, Tsuna lay still on the bed. Her cheeks were red, her mouth dry, and a soft up and down of her stomach, that was it. Other than the few coughs that littered out from her lips she was still: quiet and not moving. It was so much less active and sick-sounding than Tsuna's last illness, but it was so much more painful for Nana to watch.

Nana was further disappointed as she stroked her daughter's forehead; Tsuna's body unable to create a reaction. Not a twitch or the opening of her eyes like the girl usually did when Nana had bothered her in her sleep.

Her daughter was so still: so fragile looking. Her dear daughter looked so inert—so delicate, so pale: like death. Like the shinigami had claimed her daughter and all that was left was a flesh body breathing without a soul.

Reborn seemed to almost read her mind and the baby reassured the mother with a pat on the back.

"Don't worry Maman. I'll look over her."

The frown on Nan's face receded a bit as her worry was abated. There was a soft smile on her face as she stared at her daughter's innocent face.

It was only moments like these, where Tsuna was asleep, could she see any semblance of a young middle school girl in her daughter.

"Thank you Reborn. I trust you" she answered, and patted Tsuna's head one last time before cheering up. "I'll go make some chicken soup and honey lemon in case she wakes up! Watch her carefully okay?"

Reborn nodded.

Nana began to hum softly a cheerful tune and headed downstairs into the kitchen, closing the doors with a soft click.

All the while, Reborn had not moved an inch from his spot; not a single twitch of his head. His eyes did not stray from the thin body, even as the mother left. Instead, his single smooth shift of his legs settled himself comfortably in the blankets as he leaned on the bed post. Still, his eyes did not leave Tsuna.

For the duration of the time, his concentration was placed on the girl's placid face.

A/N: I'm past the point of begging for forgiveness. Time seems to melt together, I can't remember the last update. But fortunately, I will have a whole weeks break! So along with my school assignments, reading, novel writing, drawing and eating, I now have a plethora of time to work on the story. But please, comment and give me some tips on my writing.

This chapter feels more of a prequel for me, for the next few chapters. And I still laugh at the utter stupidity of what Tsuna was thinking as she was showering. "Rest." As if that wasn't obvious enough. She wasn't in the right state of mind.

For the polls, I'll make it short:

1. Reborn (Understandable considering he's the one interacting with her the most)

2. Xanxus (Second as always...)

3. Mukuro (The pervert)

4. Byakuran (I'll be doing the ten years later arch)

5. Giotto/Alaude (People love the past, and so do I)

6. Belpehgor/Fon/Collonello/Yamamoto ("Middle class" I suppose. But the fans may have a boost for Fon from the latest chapters of KHR I decided to read out of boredom)

7. Squalo/Gokudera (They're so lonely... The best friend type huh.)

8. Chrome/Spanner (Work hard you two)

9. Basil/Irie/Kyoko/Ryohei (So lonely...)

10. Skull (Makes me want to comfort him)

Right now as I'm writing this, I'm berating myself since I had a moment of short term memory loss. Note: I'm making this a open poll, it's getting disturbing how only Xanxus and Reborn are receiving votes. (Note: I'm exaggerating)

Now for comments:

wolfcrys- Yes, there has been an onslaught of Hibari/Tsuna since long ago. Some fanfics are okay, some mundane, some really cheesy, and some nice. But I'm sorry if Tsuna has been acting like a hideous mary sue, I need to fix my mistakes. But the instance with Haru wasn't really the true mary sue breakaway (hint). She'll be facing an 'antagonist' and... we'll see how she fares against her opponent. Of course, this is in the future.

korrd- I agree with you. Chrome is neglected in the anime (and thus praised in the fandom), and yes, I plan to make her much closer to Tsuna than Mukuro. As you may have noticed, Tsuna is almost sexist, treating girls (with the exception of truly aggressive women like Bianchi) much gentler than she would with boys.

And for all those who have sympathized with Shoichi (Is there supposed to be a 'u' in the sho?)- Yes, I had the total mindset of making him a pitiful looking human, rest assured, this will not last forever. However, because there won't be much interaction until the ten years later arch (unless I find a use for him later on), the problem won't be resolved soon.